Chapter 25

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Chapter 25: Dungeon Core

The Dungeon Core cannot be regenerated or recycled, but it can devour each other.

Tasha brought back the red fragments to the dungeon hall. As she approached the Magic Pool, the fragments in her hand flew towards the floating garnet like iron filings drawn to a magnet. The shards tightly attached to the Dungeon Core had a subtle color difference, with the former appearing dimmer than the latter, like dried fruit compared to fresh berries.

At that moment, she felt a sudden hunger, unconsciously making a swallowing motion with her mouth even though she had nothing in it. Tasha felt as if she had a delicious candy in her mouth that she couldn’t chew, only saliva heavily secreting. She saw the fragments slowly moving against the Dungeon Core, making a slight rustling sound.

"Is this it?" Tasha asked, "I don’t feel any difference."

"You can’t expect instant results." Victor said, "Be content, I’ve never seen a Dungeon Core obtained so easily."

Devouring takes time, and staring at it won’t make it faster. Let’s put this aside for now as new members have just joined, making the dungeon very busy.

The biggest issue is that Tasha can’t heal the injured Amazon fighters.

When she used a healing spell that could quickly heal Marion’s wounds, the light couldn’t even project onto them. The bloody wounds did not shrink at all. Amazons were oblivious to its failure, probably only Marion would be alarmed by this. However, the Worgen girl had fallen asleep as if she had fainted after the battle ended, and still hasn’t woken up.

"Because you don’t know any ‘healing spell’ at all." Victor said.

Tasha looked at him, waiting for him to smugly reveal the truth.

"Your so-called healing spell is a kind of magic mixing. It can repair dungeons and other Abyssal Creations, but it doesn’t work on creatures from the Primary Material Plane unless they belong to you. And this ’employment agreement letter’," Victor intentionally used Tasha’s words, "only forms a loose protection relationship. You get what you pay for. Since they refuse to be parts of the dungeon, they shouldn’t expect more from you."

Marion and Oak Elder can be said to belong to the dungeon, but the agreement between the Craftsman Dwarves and the Amazons comes from a blueprint drafted by the old tree, with conditions too loose to capture souls, therefore unable to heal. It’s quite a hassle. Tasha had even imagined having a constantly healing army. She whispered to each dying person like a dedicated demon, asking if they were willing to trade their soul for continued survival. Perhaps unsurprisingly, not a single Amazonian nodded.

Victor cursed them as fools, but no amount of scolding would make them change their minds. "A bed and clean bandages are much appreciated," a warrior who still had the strength for banter said, "and a graveyard, thank you, that’s very considerate."

Tasha rummaged through things that could help, and in a corner she found a new building type called "Medicinal Herb Garden." This appeared after the Amazonians signed the contract, similar to the forging room that remained locked without craftsmen initially. At that time, she thought the healing spell could solve the issue and didn’t pay much attention. Now, Tasha shifted her focus to the Medicinal Herb Garden. This special area for growing herbs was currently unusable. The gardeners were not essential, but the seeds were.

In other words, Tasha couldn’t grow herbs without seeds.

What’s the use of being so scientific in a place like this? Tasha complained in her mind. Advanced technology that could quickly cultivate medicinal herbs in the dark dungeon would definitely cause a stir back home, but in this magical world, the uselessness of the Medicinal Herb Garden without seeds and the inability to produce without craftsmen in the forging room were equally disappointing. Tasha decided to ask the Craftsman Dwarves if they knew where to find those herbs nearby.

"The old man is awake!" A Craftsman Dwarf ran in halfway through the conversation. "And he’s sprouting leaves! Wow! I was worried his leaves wouldn’t grow back, just like my old man’s hair!"

The Craftsman Dwarves were always busybodies, walking around above ground every day when there was no war, and Oak Elder was the one they visited every time. Thanks to them, Tasha learned this news as soon as the old oak tree woke up.

When she arrived at the place, the busy Craftsman Dwarfs around the oak tree had been making noise for a long time. The Oak Elder sent away these enthusiastic little dwarfs and smiled at Tasha.

"They told me about what happened recently," he said, "Thank you for helping out. I can feel the gratitude from nature towards you."

"Is it because humans destroyed the vegetation?" Tasha asked.

"It’s because they used things they shouldn’t have," Oak Elder said sadly, "The damage caused by magic technology is more astonishing than it seems. Each use is a loss for nature. It can’t recover from it. I have seen many battlefields turn into permanent deserts."

"How much do you know about magic technology?" Tasha asked again.

"Not much, I’m just an old tree hiding in a remote corner," Oak Elder replied, "But I can help a bit with other things. Are you looking for herbs?"

Tasha replied, "Seeds will do."

Oak Elder nodded and closed his eyes. The face on the tree trunk wrinkled, and the sparse leaves on the oak tree stretched out like hands reaching towards the sky.

Tasha felt the wind.

The sound of the wind came closer and closer, making every leaf sway in the wind. It sounded like the forest was taking a deep breath. Nearby, the Craftsman Dwarf opened his arms in the refreshing wind. Someone quickly held onto their hat, which was about to be blown away. Turning around, the Dwarf pointed in the distance and exclaimed, "Look!"

He didn’t really need to point in a direction because the wind was blowing from all sides. Herbs and seeds were carried in the forest’s breath, floating towards the oak tree. They gently fell at the feet of the Oak Elder, forming a small pile.

"I am just the protector of the Heart of Nature, only able to do these small tasks," said Oak Elder. With his eyes half-closed, he seemed drowsy. "Please forgive me, I think I need to rest for a while again."

"Sorry," Tasha said.

She felt a bit defeated, like a pet owner realizing they were so poor they could only let their pets fend for themselves. Oak Elder chuckled softly and shook his head at Tasha.

"No need to say that, I am happy to help a new friend," he said. "I was once the youngest member in the Sacred Oak Forest. I remember those days, where we could see many friends every day. The apprentices would chat with each oak tree, read the patterns on the bark, and put leaves close to their ears, trying to listen to the whispers between the trees. Druids returning from their travels would tell adventurous stories and invite eligible companions to introduce their names to the forest."

Oak Elder’s voice became calm and distant, immersed in distant memories.

"The fruits of the Sacred Tree would hit the favored creatures, unicorns were always popular, often carrying an acorn when they left. Griffins would fly over the canopy, these mischievous creatures flying in groups, pecking everywhere, only the ones tamed by humans were gentle. Ravens would speak riddles to the apprentices, a final test for Druid apprentices. These clever birds who loved pranks would sometimes trick children they thought were not clever enough. But if you could outwit them, they would stand in for your mentor and lead you directly into the maze of the forest, allowing you to catch a glimpse of the Heart of Nature…"

The oak leaves rustled, and a look of sadness appeared in Oak Elder’s almost closed eyes. "The Druids have left," he whispered, "and we have finally drifted apart. I’ve never… never seen a Druid again."

To become a Druid, one must go through a process of earning the approval of the Heart of Nature. Without the approval of the Heart of Nature, even the most outstanding heir cannot become a full-fledged Druid, and cannot understand the whispers of birds, animals, and trees.

But if all the full-fledged Druids have become a thing of the past, and there are no messages from birds, animals, and trees, how can the Druid heirs who are separated from the Oak Elder find the Heart of Nature?

They couldn’t find it, so there were no more Druids.

"One day we will meet again," Tasha suddenly said. "As long as the legacy still exists on this land, we will reunite one day."

Oak Elder closed his eyes, with a faint smile. Did he take Tasha’s words as comfort? Tasha didn’t know how he saw it, but she knew she wasn’t just comforting.

She made a promise.

"You were just saying that, right?" Victor said.

His voice was a bit tense, which made Tasha want to smile. Tasha said, "Seems like you already know a bit about me."

"No, I don’t know anything about you," Victor said darkly. "I don’t understand why you’re so interested in the missing Druids. Druids are a nature-worshipping sect with various races. Do you think they haven’t been persecuted by humans to this day? Your own safety is at risk, how will you find the Druids?"

"Maybe I can let them come find me," Tasha said.

"How? Should I send up a ‘Hey, your sacred tree is here’ firework to the sky?" Victor exclaimed. "You are like a firefly trying to attract attention by lighting up its bottom in the depths of the abyss. You’ll be killed a thousand times over before you find what you’re looking for!"

"We still need to think of a specific plan, but I don’t think hiding all the time is a good idea," Tasha said. "Our presence cannot remain hidden forever."

In fact, this may no longer be a secret.

Despite the vast difference in numbers, even after killing the commander and many officers, numerous soldiers had managed to escape. The dungeon did not make a direct appearance, but the humans on the other side definitely knew that there was another foreign force besides the Amazonians present here. Tasha did not have any illusions about this and believed they would continue to turn a blind eye to the situation.

She could not hide forever, nor did she want to. Tasha had already learned a lot from her experiences so far, such as the fact that the damaged dungeon was accumulating power at a much slower rate than gathering the various races on the surface.

Should one bury their head in the sand, waiting for a slow suffocation in a false sense of security, or take a risk and rise to the challenge? The answer was quite obvious.

The Amazonians selected herbs that could be used immediately, and at Tasha’s request, the Craftsman Dwarf picked up the seeds. They rushed into the newly constructed Medicinal Herb Garden, clumsily tossing the seeds into the field. There was no need for farmers here; the soil rolled over in magic-infused moisture, sorting, combing, and burying the seeds. The next day, they would grow into mature healing herbs, ready to be applied to the wounds of the Amazonians.

That day, Tasha had a dream.

She had been awake for a long time, dungeons and ghosts didn’t need to sleep, she liked having extra time. But one day, Tasha suddenly felt tired and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.

When the Dungeon Core swallowed those crumbs, the dungeon’s soul fell into a deep sleep.

Tasha saw a crowd.

She saw many people standing under a huge tree, surrounding a large leaf that looked like oak but as big as a round table. Some people were tall, some were short, some were fat, some were thin, some had pointed ears… Tasha realized they couldn’t actually be called "people".

Giants, dwarves, orcs, elves, humans stood together, along with many other races Tasha couldn’t name. They gathered together, faces blurred, each holding a pen (or claw, or hoof). When the huge leaf started glowing, Tasha heard voices saying, "For Aryan!"

Ah, this is the site of the Aryan Declaration signing.

Adventurers from different races mingled, fairy dust concealed the tracks of angels and demons; wizards brought portals, bringing allies from all directions here; Druids provided venue and paper, witnessing their determination from the sacred Forest Convention… Various races on the earth gathered here for the survival of the planes, swearing to fight against hell and heaven.

Tasha once thought this was a very solemn occasion, and at the moment of signing, it was indeed solemn. But when the Forest Convention floated into the sacred tree, music played, and the banquet began.

Sounds filled everywhere, changing the solemn Aryan venue into a lively marketplace at this moment. Exquisite pastries, bloody meat chunks, and clean leaves were placed on different tables, guests with wolf heads, long horns, or long scales strolled around the open space. Elven beauties danced with minotaurs on one side, while hobbit thieves’ flying knives stirred up cheers on the other side. Tasha’s eyes could hardly keep up, it was like a temple fair, it was like an amusement park.

She saw –

A white horse with long wings swooped down and snatched the dwarf’s apple while a giant lifted a wooden barrel and drank heartily. Someone boldly took off their robe, leaped into the lake, and soon after a large fish tail splashed water on the surface. The person in the robe muttered some words, waved their staff upwards, creating a brilliant cloud made of gold coins. Not far away, a person drinking wine threw their cup away, wings tearing through their clothes, transforming into a flying dragon, opening its huge mouth and swallowing the cloud of gold coins. A ranger whistled proudly with her cheetah, and nearby, a Druid transformed into another leopard, playfully wrestling with her pet. A human with a harp jumped on the table, "Friends!" he sang, "Allow me to present the ‘Song of Bones’!"

Amid cheers and whistles, the human sang, "Don’t take my hat away, I wear it like a king! Don’t rest on my leg bone, my handsome legs have charmed many ladies! … Hey, friend! Don’t lie on the land beside me! Because -"

A large group of people and non-humans sang loudly together, "Because! We shouldn’t die today!"

To everyone’s surprise, it was a very cheerful song.

Tasha couldn’t see any faces clearly, but she could feel the smiles everyone revealed in the shadows. It was a more dangerous and chaotic time than now, yet full of vibrant life and prosperity.

At that moment, Tasha understood what she wanted.

The Book of Dungeons gazed anxiously at the Dungeon Core. Victor couldn’t reach his covenantor and could only watch as the ruby-like heart pulsed. Tiny debris around it crazily spun, grinded on the core, then merged into it. Magic was rioting, slowly fulfilling Tasha’s wish without her noticing.

Like pouring a spoonful of oil into a scorching pot, the Natural Aura catalyzed by magic was boiling. Some kind of light, sound, and scent invisible to ordinary humans rose to the sky at that moment.

In a faraway bakery, a chubby middle-aged woman dropped a plate. "Oh my goodness," she muttered, sticking her head out of the window, looking towards the sky. A few minutes later, she started humming a song, cheerfully tidying up, knowing that the bakery would close today.

In a distant ruin, a small skinny boy ran fast. He banged on a nearly broken door and rushed in, pulling out his scruffy father. The plant in front of their door seemed to be swaying as if in a strong wind, each leaf pointing in a certain direction. The father stared at it in disbelief, speechless for a long time.

"Sacred tree…" he said, his voice choked, "I have to, we have to inform everyone."