Gladesbale Grove [druid, litrpg, town building, slice of life, cozy]

Only when Nulsa started laughing did Rud realize the extent of the owl's prank. He turned, narrowing his gaze at the creature and thumbing his nose.

"When did you gain a sense of humor?" Rud asked, crossing his arms and exuding maximum grumpiness.

"Recently," Nulsa answered, hooting softly. "But I'm uncertain what this is. It doesn't seem familiar to either of us, and I'm not eager to discover a novel form of magic appearing in the grove so suddenly."

Nothing Rud or Nulsa could do would unravel the mysteries of the magic. There was only one person he could think of that could help, and she was gone. Until Elm returned to town, he was uncertain which direction they should take. A worried thought spread through the druid's mind, and he hoped it wasn't true. He didn't even want to say it aloud, as the concept seemed so extraordinarily bad. But what if the collection of energy was another system-generated structure, like the tower? Perhaps there were more than just towers and labyrinths in this world.

"So we just need to keep an eye on this thing for now," Rud said, eventually breaking out of that dangerous loop of thoughts and coming back to the present. "Unfortunately, I think we're out of time for now. I need to make my evening report, and then it's dinner time."

"I will continue my search," Nulsa said. "For now, I think your adventurers are busy enough, so we don't need to make haste in finding the hidden dungeons."

Yet even as the owl said that, Rud couldn't help but feel there was some link between the strange cloud of magical energy and the hidden dungeons. Before heading to check in at the observatory, he inspected the area to ensure there were no hidden cursed objects. Only when he was certain it was clear did he take off in his raven form, this time entering the observatory from the balcony on the top floor.

After shifting into his true form, Rud took a seat at the radio and clicked it on.

Jim's voice came over in mid-sentence. "...good luck getting them to build the tower. Aegael's grove is tight on resources."

"No kidding," Maria said. "Gug can't even get her attention. The salamander and worm are besties! I don't know what's going on."

"We're relying on Gladesbale, then?" Jim asked. "Not that I'm complaining. Hold on… Okay, just had to make sure Basil was out of ear-shot. Basil can make portals. But he's keeping all our energy in reserve to take the dungeons out."

"LAME!" Maria shouted, the radio crackling as her voice floated through. "Seriously. Seems like Bent found a gem with Gladesbale's tree spirit. Can you imagine how good the other groves would be if we could talk to our spirits?"

"Yet my guardian is the one controlling the portals," Jim said with a sigh.

Rud really felt uncomfortable listening in. He knew the other groves had problems with their mute hearts, but this was a side of their venting he never expected to hear. Although he was tempted to turn the radio off, he left it on. He listened to Maria and Jim shy away from the topic, instead talking about how their day went. Only when that conversation lingered on for another 10 minutes did he make himself known.

"Hey guys," Rud said, thumbing his radio. "Just got here. To give my report. Like a completely normal person."

"Oh, yeah," Jim said. "You totally haven't been eavesdropping or anything."

"You pressed the button a few times," Maria explained. "We could hear you breathing."

Rud felt his cheeks go red. "Welp. I'm an idiot."

"Yeah, but we love you," Jim said. "Anyway, what we said is true. We're relying on you but that doesn't mean you're alone."

"And once we get more people, you'll be even less alone!" Maria said. "Seriously, though. Once you get that item portal working, we can send supplies to the other groves to build their towers. After that, we'll be cooking with gas!"

Rud felt relief flood through his body. At first, he thought they were talking smack behind his back, but the more he considered it, the more he realized it was just his friends venting their frustration. It must have been very difficult to exist in a grove that didn't have a heart they could speak to. Instead, they had to rely on the interpretation from their guardian, which might not be entirely accurate. Basil was a good example of that, but the druid wouldn't really blame him. He had an interest in keeping his grove functional, and if he had to use his energy to consume the dungeons, that made sense. Not everyone had an artifact weapon they could use to destroy those dungeons.

The conversation eventually slowed down, allowing Rud to excuse himself. His stomach grumbled, as the day's work had taken a toll on him. After he signed off from the radio, he stepped out onto the balcony and looked out at the dusky forest before him. He took it in for a few moments before shifting into his raven form and taking to the skies. It would be much faster if he used thicket travel to move to the grove's center, but there was something about flying that appealed to him. Not only did he gain experience for his shapeshifting skill, but he also got to see the beautiful forest below him. It raced by in a blur of green stained with the orange of sunset. A flock of birds flew up to his left, cawing at each other with angry voices. The druid banked, descending onto the branches of the sacred tree and hopping around.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"So, what do you think about this new bird form? Pretty spiffy, huh?" Rud asked. Ban might've already commented on the form gifted by Harg, but the druid wanted to hear a bit more praise.

"Oh, yes. You're a sleek and powerful raven," Ban said, her laughter filling the clearing. "How does the power of flight feel?"

"Wow. Now there's a question," Rud said with a laugh. He pecked at her branches, allowing his thoughts to gather. "Back on Earth, I thought about flying a lot when I was a kid. I had an image built up in my mind."

"Are you saying you're not enjoying flight?"

"What? No, it's even better than I had imagined," Rud said, fluffing his feathers out and hopping around. "I just take off in the air and the world falls away below me."

More laughter from the sacred tree.

"You're a joy to be around, Rud," Ban said. "And I'm sorry to say, but I overheard what the other custodians were talking about in the tower."

"Ya heard that?" Rud asked, shaking his head. "Sorry."

"Don't be. They're not wrong," Ban said. "Bent is… difficult to understand at the best of times. I have a connection with him, so I can understand when he speaks. The Groves are such a complex form of druidic magic that only he could understand it. From what he told me, the chances that our Grove was the one to work out are incalculable. We are a beautiful fluke."

That filled Rud with a warm and fuzzy feeling.

"Yer gonna make me blush," Rud said, grinding his little raven foot on the tree branch.

"This all means we have a responsibility to the other groves. One that might be greater than we can handle," Ban said. "Yet I know you're up for the challenge."

"You bet I am," Rud said, spreading his wings wide. He gave them a few flaps for dramatic effect. "But seriously. How much of this portal junk do I need to understand to build a portal?"

"Not much," Ban said. "I don't think you'll need to know much more than the proper shape and the runes to make the portal."

Rud tapped his foot a few times. "Think I can ask Basil about it?"

Rud could feel the wave of concern coming from Ban. "Maybe. It would be worth a shot, anyway."

Which meant Basil was guarded about his portal magic. It wouldn't hurt to ask, though. Rud figured he would ask the other guardian by way of Jim, rather than directly. But for now, the only thing he could think about was the intoxicating smell coming from the longhouse.

"If you'll excuse me, there's some deer meat calling my name," Rud said, sniffing at the air. "And something else I can't detect."

"Wait until you see," Ban said. "I won't spoil the surprise."

Rud tried to rub his hands together, but found only wings. Instead, he jumped from the side of the branch and glided toward the longhouse. The closer he got, the more that scent intensified. He shifted back to his true form at the entrance, opening the door and peering inside. The scent of roasting venison doubled, joined with a rich oily smell. Then he saw what had been arrayed on the plates, and the guests that had made themselves at home.

Rud rushed over, jumping into a seat next to Taz, nearly knocking him over in the process. "What's that!!" Rud shouted.

"Figured this would be a good way to get you at the table," Taz said with a hearty laugh. "What we got here is nothing new. Not for me, anyway. Toasted bread, drizzled with oil and topped with sautéed mushrooms. Then we take a hunk of your cheese, heat it up over the fire and melt that over the pile. Best of all? Strips of seared venison atop that."

"Holy coronary bypass, Batman," Rud said, already drooling. He watched in amazement as the dwarf assembled the dish. First came the toasted bread, which he drizzled with oil and slathered in a thick layer of mushrooms. Next came the cheese. Taz warmed it over the fire then scraped off a thick layer onto the pile. Next came lines or perfectly cooked, seared venison.

"Behold," Taz proclaimed. "My creation."

Rud cracked his knuckles, picking up the extreme toast and taking a sniff. The smell was enough to send him to the hospital, drips of cheese falling from the sides. He watched, allowing it to drip over his plate before watching as Dean scarfed his serving down. Unlike the wolf, the druid had trouble getting his mouth around the toast. But when he finally got a bite, he did his best to hold on as the mixture of greasy cheese mingled with the lean venison. The mushrooms added an earthy undertone that was only outdone by the crunch of the bread.

"This should be illegal," Rud said through a mouthful of food. "These mushrooms aren't poisonous, are they?"

"They make my mouth tingle!" Sarya yelled, rolling around on the ground. She kicked her leg in the air, and for only a moment Rud thought perhaps she had been poisoned.

Further inspection revealed the mushroom to be a type Rud had avoided. It wasn't incredibly poisonous, but he remembered it having an unfavorable flavor. "What did you do to get this stuff tasting good?" the druid asked, taking another big bite.

"The secret ingredient is butter," Taz said. "Lots of butter. Maybe too much butter."

"Nonsense!" a human adventurer spoke up. Rud had completely forgotten they were there. "If anything, this requires more butter!"

"More butter!" the other adventurers shouted in unison.

"We helped make it," the first adventurer said with a wink.

"Churning butter, making cheese… What's next?" Rud asked.

Taz shrugged. "Cream?"

"Perhaps boxed lunches," an adventurer offered.

"Sandwiches?" another asked.

"Those are all good ideas," Rud said, nodding in agreement. "Perhaps one day, the world will speak about the amazing boxed lunches provided by Gladesbale Grove!"

"To boxed lunches!" the adventurers cheered. Several of their number held up their toast.

"We're half-way to sandwiches already," Rud said. "Wait, where did you get the bread?"

"I have a supplier," Taz said with a wink. "Now, shut up and eat your food! It's best while hot."