Dungeon Growth Log, Volume 3: Dungeon Growth Log, #3

Chapter 50: Body

Yes, there was such a thing, Oak Elder recalled, speaking slowly. About three hundred years ago, dwarves and humans were at war. But I do not know the details as the Druids did not participate.

Druids are a type of job, but also a type of belief. Even though they worship nature and sacred trees, which sets them apart from other religious groups, successful Druids focus on nature and harmony, avoiding involvement in their race or country's wars. This includes various groups of different races maintaining a neutral stance most of the time. When dwarfs and humans went to war, dwarf Druids and human Druids chose to practice in seclusion in the Sacred Oak Forest, and some of the more dedicated ones only roamed around to repair the vegetation damaged by the war.

Aryan was never a peaceful world, with wars breaking out frequently. Only during the most intense battles with the Heavenly Realm and the Abyss did many creatures temporarily make peace, sighed Oak Elder. When humans and dwarfs went to war, we thought it was just a usual conflict, never imagining the consequences.

For unknown reasons, and in a mysterious process, Oak Elder, living in seclusion in the Sacred Oak Forest, only knew the outcome of this battle.

The Aryan Declaration failed to maintain peace among the races forever, but it did make most races more united internally. Dwarfs united into a huge kingdom, while the loose wartime alliance of humans gradually formed a super empire. When they went to war, both sides put all their efforts into the battle. They turned on their former allies as if battling demons, until both suffered greatly, with humans paying a heavy price by uprooting the dwarf kingdom. The gnomes sided with the wrong team and vanished along with the dwarfs.

What about the dragons? Tasha asked. Why did they leave after the dwarfs were defeated?

If the Great Druid were still here, we would still have the ability to communicate with the dragons, Oak Elder regretfully said. We only heard that the Goldmelt Dragon made a prophecy, which was a powerful spell in itself, unrepeatable even by wizards who understand dragon magic. Before the next day's moon rise, most dragons had vanished.

Due to a certain opportunity, Druids convinced the dragons, neutral Forest Elves chose to join the battle, dwarfs stopped their civil war, Orcs and other races united, even the chaotic merfolk saw the crisis. The Abyss Worshippers in the west and the witches in the north deceitfully manipulated demons, while a non-divine spell that didn't require a god quietly spread among the rebellious Clergy. In this environment, the Aryan Declaration was signed four hundred and fifty years ago, uniting all races.

Four hundred years ago, the creatures of the Primary Material Plane separated the Abyss from the Heavenly Realm, causing a mutation. The last remaining elves and many high-ranking Druids in Aryan disappeared, passing the Heart of Nature to the youngest oak tree in the Sacred Oak Forest, while the remaining Druids continued to live in Aryan.

Around three hundred years ago, dwarfs and humans engaged in a full-scale war, with humans emerging victorious, gradually eliminating the dwarfs and their gnome allies. Subsequently, a mighty gold dragon made a mysterious prophecy, leading the dragons to exit the Aryan stage.

Over two hundred years ago, humans and Orcs waged a large-scale war. Samuel claimed that at that time, Saro's Clergy were holding important positions in the human army.

Over a hundred years ago, Druids were persecuted by humans and separated from the Oak Elder, causing a break in Druidic traditions.

Today, Tasha saw a non-human race being targeted, human priests and Amazonians alike had to hide, Professionals were extremely rare, and most humans seemed completely out of place in the fantasy world of Aryan.

Watching them disappear, it felt like being on a rocking boat, watching others fall into the water. If it was all due to internal conflicts and killings, it would be one thing, but some races actively chose to jump off the boat.

Are there any Great Dragons left? Tasha asked, I've heard that Great Dragons have extremely long lifespans, growing stronger with age, and almost nothing can challenge them except time and gods.

Not quite, Oak Elder pondered, Most dragons go their own way, indifferent even to their own offspring. Young Great Dragons may be wiped out by human tactics at sea, while older ones may fall under the siege of legendary professionals, especially when Legendary Wizards are involved. I remember a time when humans inexplicably began a dragon-slaying spree, and many legendary professionals, almost all Legendary Wizards, perished alongside the dragons. Gradually, I stopped hearing news about the dragons.

There is one called the Primordial Dragon Blue Night, proficient in magic, colossal like a mountain, unquestionably the strongest among the remaining dragons, he added, It hasn't reached the age to return to the Dragon Graveyard, and I have not heard of its demise. Perhaps it is still sleeping soundly somewhere.

Could the prophecy foretell that dragons would be wiped out by successive adventurers? Even if most dragons are indifferent to their kin, they wouldn't allow themselves to be exterminated – humans couldn't achieve that either.

This is not the only issue; among the current known details, there are too many peculiarities. What benefits could drive legendary professionals to relentlessly hunt dragons? Sacrificing legendary berserkers for this cause is one thing, but the most losses are suffered by the Legendary Wizards known for their wisdom and rationality? This is hard to understand.

Tasha thought of an unreasonable mystical concept from Eastern fantasy on Earth, the karma.

For unknown reasons and ways to solve it, she felt like standing on a slope transitioning from mythological times to the ordinary world. Being a dungeon that didn't fit in with the current human style and was unscientific, this situation made Tasha uneasy.

At this point, all they could do was to face challenges as they come.

The northern border fell silent once again, with defenses roughly set up, both sides maintaining a temporary agreement to ignore each other. After a great war, spring arrived on this land smelling of gunpowder, with laborers busy farming and no war in sight for the time being.

The arrival of the Druid transformed vast wastelands back into fertile soil.

After a winter of hard work, the purification agents created by the [Add One More Spoonful of Sugar] skill dispelled the nearby withering curse, leaving behind dry and barren land. Typically, it would take until next year for these places to regain vitality, just like a healed patient cannot recover their full health in a day. Tasha was prepared to provide food for another year, but the Druid significantly shortened the time that couldn't be cultivated.

They used oak branches as canes, dried some plant seeds, sewed them into a few small balls, hung them on the wooden sticks, and these balls made tinkling noises as they moved, like a string of small bells. All successful Druids have the ability to harmonize with nature. They walked through the wilderness with wooden sticks, with a barely perceptible Natural Aura covering that lifeless area. Tasha found it hard to explain the workings of their work, only vaguely feeling the flow of the Natural Aura, as if stirring a dish with chopsticks, evenly spreading the broth and diced meat over the rice.

Where the tree bells rang, the land revived.

Resilient wild grass sprouted from the ground, while forests and fields needed planting. Luckily, the Druids brought many seeds, and the quarter-elf apothecaries had ample stock. Those rich in medicinal properties were planted in the Medicinal Herb Garden, using its practically cheating property to grow quickly, transplanting them once they reached a certain size, and replacing them with another batch.

The Druid apprentice who has not advanced yet is also a great gardener and herbalist. They get along very well with Mavis, and in fact, getting along well is already a subtle way to put it. Most Druids eagerly come to see the descendants of the Forest Elf, like waiting for a meeting with a celebrity. They feel very lucky to see the legendary ally of the Great Druid, believing it will bring them good fortune.

Can your fingers make the dead trees sprout? asked a Druid girl eagerly.

No, dear, replied Mavis for who knows how many times, but perhaps I can make your taste buds sprout—would you like to try some snow pear jelly?

From now on, Mavis doesn't have to manage three places alone. The Druid apprentice takes care of the Medicinal Herb Garden, and there are Druids helping out in the pharmacy. The combination of Elves and Druids is very advantageous in dealing with herbs and making potions. The Medicinal Herb Garden and the pharmacy have both been upgraded. The growth speed of herbs in the former has increased, while the potency of the potions in the latter has been enhanced.

Of course, in addition to farmers, gardeners, and pharmacists, there are also combat personnel among the newly advanced Druids.

Alfred, the son in the tree-seeker father and son duo, was the first to be recognized by the Heart of Nature. His pure heart and experience of tending to the pathfinder trees since childhood give him a strong affinity with plants. He can understand the whispers of the forest and can catalyze and control plants in a short amount of time. Shortly after advancing, Alfred is already able to entangle a warrior's legs with wildly growing grass on the ground and turn thorn seeds into sudden barriers of thorns.

The Amazonian training with him was once again entangled by wild grass and, struggling, couldn't break free, so she just sat down on the ground. This grass is not strong enough, she said indignantly, I'm only fifteen; in a few years, I'll easily break free from it.

I'm only thirteen! Alfred said proudly, In a few years, my 'death entwinement' will be even more powerful than it is now!

Death entwinement? the Amazonian looked at him strangely, then at the grass, Are you sure you want to call it that?

What's wrong with having death around? Alfred asked, crossing his arms. What's your name again?

Atlantic, the girl with brown hair said, crouching down trying to untangle the wild grass. Before long, she impatiently pulled out a dagger. And you, the wizard playing with grass?

I am a Druid! The future Great Druid Alfred!

Okay, Great Druid, Atlantic said indifferently, finally pulling out her foot. Can you make trees grow fruit directly?

I can, but I shouldn't do it, Alfred hesitated.

Can you or can you not? Atlantic was getting confused.

I can, but I won't do it, Alfred said. It's not good for the trees.

Real-life Druids are more concerned than the ones in games. They can control trees but need to consider the soil's resources and plants' potential. Casting thorns requires seed preparation beforehand, and after catalyzing wild grass, they need to restore the overgrown plants to their original state. Accelerating crop growth is not impossible, but it would harm the recently recovered land, so they avoid doing so. Druids request nature to fight alongside them and take on the responsibility of protecting nature.

Similarly, Druids cannot simply command wild animals. Animals bonded with them will have longer lives, greater strength, and higher intelligence. Only these advanced spirit beasts can communicate with the Druids' thoughts and bravely fight alongside them. Druids command these spirit beasts while caring for them daily, forming a close bond.

The only Druid advancing towards the Beast Speaker direction in this area is a woman. There are not many animals nearby, and even fewer meet the signing criteria. The only successful female Druid here has some amusing signing choices.

You just left me and ran after that lady? Douglas complained, I know I've been ignoring you lately, buddy Joey, but at least you could have told me before making a decision!

His horse stomped its hooves and neighed loudly for a whole minute. Douglas quickly lowered his hat to avoid getting sprayed with saliva. Alright, I wish you well! the rider dodged and tried to maintain his composure. He managed to flash a charming smile at the Druid woman who came with Joey, Yes, I know you can't bear to leave me...

Finally getting rid of your heavy butt and never-ending nagging, thank the heavens, Beast Speaker Pulima smiled softly as she translated, He also said, 'Don't ever think about making love on my back again.'

Haha, hahaha, he sure has a way with words! Douglas forced a stiff laugh, trying to cover Joey's mouth but failed. I suddenly remembered something, have a great time together, good luck! he said, before quickly slipping away.

With those words, he made a quick getaway.

Dragon Knight rode his dragon, flying in the sky over the wilderness. He spent almost all his free time with the dragon, like a teenage addict, only returning to the city during working hours. Tasha had Druids and riders teach at school and barracks. There were Heart of Nature, flying dragons, Druids, and Dragon Knight teachers. She couldn't think of a reason not to mass-produce these two professions.

Children earned Dwarf Money by attending classes. The earnings from a semester were not much, but for less well-off families, sending children who couldn't assist at work and idled all day to school to help the family was incredibly worthwhile. The fact that the teachers were wanted criminals from other regions didn't matter at all—it wasn't legal on the black market either, and no one was denouncing it.

The war at the end of winter and beginning of spring led to unexpected results: most residents in the southeast corner developed a nothing to lose mentality. Since the north had already branded them as human traitor criminals, doing something condemned as betraying humanity to survive wouldn't make things worse.

Red Gum County and Deer Horn Town are not very important places, not many people have close connections there. Government officials continue to work with serious faces, no one from another group plans to come and take their place, so it doesn't matter who they work under as long as they get paid. After a few months of unrest, the merchants found a new balance and the market stabilized with new ways of buying and selling goods. The farmers feel fond of Druid, seeing him as a bit eccentric but not dangerous. Hunters, woodcutters, and others who depend on the forest for a living have found new roles, watching young saplings grow during their breaks.

It's hard to say how long it will take for Angaso Forest to return to its former self. But when it does, it's always a good thing.

The bodies placed in the cemetery showed results a month later.

A new undead species has appeared in your cemetery, upgrading it.

Burying knights with an integrity level above 90% can produce Death Knights of varying quality by consuming magic over a certain period of time. The higher the integrity of the bones and soul, the higher the success rate of transformation.

Due to the buried body lacking vital parts - the head, and the soul being on the verge of dispersal, a mutation occurred during the transformation process.

Just after Tasha buried the headless body of the Paladin, she received a notification from the cemetery that the conversion success rate of the Paladin was less than ten percent. However, unexpectedly, the Paladin's transformation succeeded in the end, while the body of the thief failed to transform and only turned into a stronger zombie.

A ghost floated above the cemetery, watching as a mound of earth rose from the ground. The tomb exploded open, rocks and soil falling as a sturdy figure emerged from the soil, just as tall as in life.

Well, not as tall since he no longer had a head.

The Headless Horseman was a skilled and agile warrior even in the afterlife. He can summon an Undead Warhorse and seek out a target to pursue endlessly. His noble virtues are gone, but his strong soul fire remains, granting him these abilities.

The Headless Horseman lost his spell-casting abilities but gained two combat skills that enhance his fighting prowess. The skill Death Notice allows him to track and pursue a target until they perish or he is destroyed. It cannot be canceled once activated.

The Headless Horseman has a unique ability to heal himself using soul fire. If he loses more than 70% of his soul fire at once, he will be destroyed irreversibly.

The Ghost stood before the Headless Horseman, who was once a Paladin named Alexander. He now wears dark armor and wields a haunting axe. Although his skin is flawless, it shows signs of decay. He is no longer a Paladin but a remnant of the knight he once was.

Douglas, riding a dragon, sees the Headless Horseman and asks if it is the old man. The Dragon Knight rides a smaller, obedient pseudo dragon compared to the massive dragon.

Douglas treats his dragon with admiration, flying and training with it in the dungeon. The pseudo dragon is smaller and more manageable. He refers to the dragon as mine and trains his dragon-riding skills without worry.

Tasha and Douglas watch as the Headless Horseman summons an Undead Warhorse, a tall skeleton horse with flaming eyes, from the void.

Douglas jokes about the Headless Horseman's lack of horse-riding skills. He recalls a time when the Headless Horseman wanted to train him as a Paladin, but Douglas preferred to be a Dragon Knight.

Douglas reminisces about his past with the Headless Horseman while Tasha listens.

The old man used to chase me around and lecture me every day until I joined the circus. He's a good guy, just stubborn. He couldn't stand the thought of Jacqueline being mistreated, so he saved her from bad people. He didn't like Hybrids but couldn't bear to see Jacqueline suffer, so he sent her to the circus. He thinks saving her was enough, but I joined voluntarily. He was mad but didn't harm me. He almost caused trouble with the circus, thinking I was human.

Dragon Knight shrugged with a self-mocking smile.

I wish he was still alive, wish he could see my dragon, Douglas said, but if he knew what I really am, he probably wouldn't want to see me.

Paladin's will is strong as steel, he has stood alone for so long. Tasha couldn't change his mind through persuasion or threats. Even if Alexander survived the war, Tasha had no confidence in convincing him, let alone dominating him.

A noble warrior could also be an irredeemable racist, a hero to their own kind and a demon to others. The kindest person could raise a sword against whom they consider different, driven by a false sense of glory. Power and virtue have no boundaries, but those who wield them may have conflicting beliefs. Good and evil are hard to define, as those who fought bravely to protect human civilization also destroyed the homes of other races with equal passion.

The path of harmony is even harder to walk than the path of dominance.

But Tasha wondered, what joy is there in reaching the end of a path she didn't