thefictionvixens Page 443
Page 443
Astin was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized that the senior infiltrator must have witnessed the entire attack on the white-robed disciple, but he had cleverly covered up the sounds of his actions with his nagging, which gave him and the white-robed disciple the opportunity to reach some kind of agreement without others knowing.
“…That’s really impressive.” Astin shook his head, slowly lay back down on the straw, and casually took out a piece of black bread from the straw basket.
He broke off a piece of black bread, dipped it in the water ladle for a moment, then stuffed it into his mouth and chewed it vigorously.
Although he didn't know what the white-robed disciple, who was once a knight, would explain to him, he would conserve his strength so that he would be fearless even in battle.
……
……
"Watch your back!"
His teammates' shouts came from the side. Latis used both hands to forcefully snap the two tree roots he had just caught, and then quickly looked behind him.
Keng!
A flying shield blocked the treacherous attack of the tree root. Leafa leaped forward, caught the shield as it was knocked away, slammed it into the ground with a powerful thud, and shouted:
"Gita!"
"I am coming!"
Geeta instantly looked in Leafa's direction, kicked away the tree root she had just cut, and rushed forward in three steps, cleaving the tree root that Leafa was suppressing in two with a powerful slash.
"This won't do!" Following Snyder's light path, Jennifer swiftly sliced through the weak points of the many tree roots with her sword, and seeing the roots spewing lava and curling up, she immediately looked at Latis and shouted:
"Lazi, you rush in first! Maybe once you put the ancient tree monster into your dream, it won't move in reality!"
"it is good!"
Latis took a deep breath, cast dozens of mage spells to clear the field, and then frowned as he looked at the constantly intertwined network of tree roots deep in the spring forest.
The space here is too small, so he has no way to transform into a dragon. Besides the Dream Nail, he doesn't have any other weapons. His swordsmanship is not as useful as his body in this complicated situation. However, relying solely on his hands makes it difficult to find a point of leverage when charging, and he can easily get entangled by tree roots, which hinders his momentum.
I can't see the target point for teleportation magic and I can't use it, what should I do...?
"I'm here to help you!"
Just then, a resolute voice suddenly rang out from beside her. Holnet landed from the air with a spear in hand. After severing several tree roots that were entangled around her, she shook her hands, and the spear shattered into a folding stick and a short spear wrapped with rope.
She flipped over and, amidst the fluttering of her red cloak, forcefully embraced Latis. Then, she fixed her sharp gaze on a hollow amidst the tangled roots of countless trees, and with a flick of her right hand, the short spear shot out and embedded itself in a tree trunk in the distance.
"pay close attention!"
Hearing Holnet's reminder, Latis immediately hooked his arm around her shoulder, and then, in a moment of intense weightlessness, the two of them shot out like cannonballs, covering a distance of dozens of meters in the blink of an eye before the tree roots could even react.
Heavy, labored breathing came from Holnet's mouth. She clung tightly to the heavy Latis, her feet flashing out sharp blades, slicing through the tree roots blocking her way. She repeated this trick several times, and within seconds she had rushed into the core area of the ancient tree monster.
However, when the enormous figure of the ancient tree monster finally appeared in her eyes, her right hand was too weak to swing the short spear, and she could only shout intermittently:
"Captain...ahead, you..."
"Okay, watch me!"
Latis understood perfectly and released Holnet's shoulder, falling past her as if in freefall. In mid-air, he pressed the Dream Nail at his waist, instantly flipping the grimoire to the "Stealth Step" page. With a flash, he disappeared from the tree root network's interception.
Then, Latis appeared before the ancient tree monster, spanning dozens of meters, and swung the Dream Nail, which shimmered with brilliant colors.
Chapter 430 The Dream of the Sacred Tree
"Your Majesty, it's getting late. It's time to return to the tribe and rest."
A faint reminder came from beside him. Latis slowly opened his eyes, glanced at the lobster guard standing straight beside him, and then looked down at his own attire.
The lavishly decorated gown was impeccable and well-fitting, with tools and a knife hanging from the leather belt. The Dream Nail at the waist replaced the ceremonial sword that should have been hanging there, but a heavy greatsword was on the back, suggesting that the character being played in this dream should have a robust physique.
Latis pondered for a moment, and considering the guards' calls he heard when he opened his eyes and his attire, he was fairly certain that he was the Lobster King. However, judging from his rather capable outfit, the king in the dream must have been quite young.
"Your Majesty, it's time to return to the tribe. We still need to discuss how to hold a memorial ceremony for the sacred tree tonight."
The guard's reminder came again. Latis's brow furrowed upon hearing this, and he quickly turned to ask:
"The sacred tree is... what am I supposed to do now?"
The guard's beard swayed slightly, and it glanced at Latis with some doubt, but out of duty, it still dutifully said:
"Your Majesty, the sacred tree is the great tree of our tribe. With its help, you expanded your territory to the hot lake, so you named it the sacred tree and planned to hold a celebration for it with the whole tribe."
It paused, a smile appearing on its face, and said:
"As for you now, you are gazing at our sacred tree from your new territory, and you have been thinking for a long time about whether or not to move the sacred tree to the hot lake."
"Oh, that's it."
Latis stroked his chin, stood up, and looked up in the direction the guard was pointing in the golden glow of the sunset that bathed the whole world.
At the edge of the horizon, a towering ancient tree stretched out like a giant umbrella, its branches connecting with the undulating hills, forming natural screens that divided the rosy light into patches of halos. Though the ground beneath it was dim and unclear, one could vaguely see the water reflecting the rosy light, creating ripples in Latis's eyes.
That's... the Quanlin area.
Latis nodded in realization. It turned out that the Moss Tribe's previous territory was in the Spring Forest area. It was indeed a good place, with little terrain and a very gentle slope.
He slowly withdrew his gaze, his eyes sweeping over the narrow downhill slope, the crooked and undulating path, the scattered waters, the wide hot lake, and finally uphill again among the overlapping hills, reaching his current location.
It seems that the place I am in now is the future imperial palace.
Judging from the condition of this road, the king must have put a lot of effort into opening it up. Even now, there are still thorns everywhere that have not been cleared away. A road large enough to accommodate several lobsters has simply been carved out.
In short, let's go back to the tribe first. Since the guard has already said so, the commemorative ceremony at the tribe must be related to the events in the dream. There's not much to explore outside, since the main target, the ancient tree monster, is almost certainly the sacred tree in the dream.
Thinking of this, Latis nodded and said:
"Okay, let's go back now..."
Before he finished speaking, a dazzling light suddenly emanated from the guard beside him, and his figure slowly dissipated. Then, a wary-looking Holnet appeared in the guard's place.
"...Huh?" Upon seeing Latis's large face as soon as he entered, Holnet was taken aback, then immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He lowered his guard, quickly examined his equipment, and rather casually touched his hands, which were no longer covered by bandages. He smiled and said:
"Captain, the ancient tree monsters outside have stopped moving after you activated Dream Entry, but the dense network of tree roots may still hinder our progress. They may not arrive for a while. I was worried that a battle would break out in the dream, so I tried touching the crack in the dream, and sure enough, I got in."
"I see, that's good."
Latis scratched his head and laughed, quickly explaining the current situation to Holnet. The two of them, decisive and efficient, immediately set off towards the Spring Forest area.
A moment later, they crossed the undeveloped hot lake area and arrived at the edge of the spring forest area.
During their time there, they saw some wild three-legged fish in the water. Although they could talk to them, they did not seem to have formed a large group yet, nor had they joined the moss tribe.
Seeing that the three-legged fish were still in a relatively primitive state, Latis decided not to pay attention to these monsters for the time being. He walked towards the depths of the spring forest, following the roots of the tree, towards the hazy glow of the sacred tree and with Holnet, who was playing the role of a guard.
The roots of the sacred tree remained on the ground, not yet embedded in the soil. However, unlike in reality, the roots were still in their normal state, covered with a thin layer of moss, blending seamlessly with the lush green grass, creating a very pleasant sight.
Latis and his companion continued their journey, leaping over occasional flowing springs, greeting the shrimp and crabs they encountered along the way, and brushing aside the vines that were occasionally blown down. Finally, as the twilight gradually dimmed, they arrived at the sacred tree.
"Ah, Your Majesty, you've finally returned!"
Several young lobsters and mantis shrimps came forward and quickly said:
"Your Majesty, the plan for the commemorative ceremony has been finalized. Please take a look and decide which version we want to finalize at the banquet."
"Oh, let me see."
Latis took the bark from the officials, glanced at the several plans written on it, and fell into thought.
At first, he thought the commemorative ceremony would be some kind of complicated event, like the Radiance Celebration of the Moth Tribe, and he knew he wouldn't be able to handle all those messy procedures.
However, once it was in hand, it was discovered that the Moss Tribe's arrangements for the so-called commemorative ceremony were quite simple. Apart from the first proposal, which suggested setting up sacred tree statues and sacred tree beliefs in the gathering places of various tribes, the other proposals were just minor things like setting up a sacred tree memorial day.
Latis pondered for a moment, then his gaze suddenly stopped and lingered on the idea of "engraving the image of the sacred tree on future currency".
Thinking of the shrimp coins he had seen in real life, he immediately guessed the choice the king had made, so he pointed to this option and said to the shrimp in front of him, "Let's choose this one."
"So, we still need to establish a currency... But Your Majesty, our tribe's daily needs and products are relatively simple. We can easily complete daily transactions through barter. Even the 'Bone-Growing Fruit,' which can only be grown in deep water, has a more stable value when exchanged for goods..."
The officials' hesitant questions made Latis scratch his head. He listened for a moment, then suddenly remembered the group of three-legged fish he had encountered on the road. A flash of inspiration struck him, and he said:
“No, issuing currency is certainly not just for use within the tribe. In the newly developed hot lake area, there is a wild tribe called the Three-Legged Fish. Their production and needs are completely different from ours. If we are to move to the hot lake area in the future, we will inevitably have to integrate with their tribe…”
"I see!"
The official suddenly realized what was happening and said:
"Your Majesty is truly farsighted! If we use our currency, those three-legged fish will silently accept our culture, and we can even use the currency to incentivize them to help us cultivate bone-strengthening fruits in the deep waters. It's a win-win situation!"
"Uh...that's true..."
Latis nodded somewhat awkwardly. He hadn't thought that much about it before, but after the official shrimp explained, he realized that the shrimp coins had indeed become a big deal for the three-legged fish... or rather, the entire Moss Tribe's ecosystem was later built around that hot lake where the market was the main activity area.
He watched the official shrimp hurry away, exchanged a glance with Holnet, and then decided to return to the palace under the sacred tree to discuss the matter.
Based on his current perception, the dream power on the sacred tree is still very strong. If a battle were to break out now, the outcome might be uncertain. It would be better to wait for the dream power to gradually subside and for his teammates to come in and share the burden. That would be a safer approach.
"Speaking of which, why didn't the Moss Tribe implement the entire plan?" Holnet asked curiously, following behind Latis.
"Logically speaking, if this sacred tree used its branches, leaves, and roots to help the king open up new territories, shouldn't it deserve the highest honor?"
“Indeed, I’m also a little puzzled. Looking at the mossy tribes in the hot lake area, almost no one remembers this sacred tree…”
Latis, somewhat puzzled, said:
"Perhaps it's because moss tribes, except for the lobster tribes, tend to have shorter lifespans? Or perhaps the sacred tree later transformed into an ancient tree monster, and the moss tribes no longer have the habit of recording history..."
The two walked slowly to the palace gates. As soon as they pushed open the doors, they saw Snyder and two other young women, dressed in long, silken gowns, cautiously peering out from the inner chamber. Jennifer, for some reason, stood in the center of the hall, leaning on her sword. She wore a flowing, elegant short dress, but her face was dark. Seeing Latis enter, she gave a loud snort and exclaimed:
"Damn it! You're driving me crazy!"
"?"
Latis scratched his head, looking bewildered, walked over to Jennifer, greeted the girls who quickly surrounded him, and then asked:
"What happened, Mr. Jay?"
"It's all your fault!"
Jennifer pointed to the three girls who looked shy, then grabbed Latis by the waist, raised her eyebrows, and said:
"They've all become your concubines, you despicable lolicon! What are you still laughing at? Kill them, you must kill them! Lolicons must die!"
"Hey, hey, this has nothing to do with me!"
Latis chuckled helplessly, quickly swatting away the hand from his waist and saying with an innocent expression:
"Blame the Lobster King! I'm just an innocent actress... Besides! Those three aren't even lolis anymore, are they? They're young girls, young girls! It's perfectly legal now!"
"You guy!"