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11 A.M.
24861 Essence harvested.
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Ruella and Mia felt dejected as they walked towards the village entrance. Facing the rising sun, it was wide open for their exit. Fero and the antelope were happy with the delicious meal. They expressed their happiness as they walked with a tinge of excitement, visible in their strides. Both of them felt a sharp stare from Mia, which made them run and hide behind An.
After the breakfast, Lee shared his knowledge in unarmed combat with the villagers. They were excited as they witnessed his agile and powerful movements, which unbeknownst to them, was supported by his immense stats. Lee felt a need to teach them a few punch and kick combos after seeing their sparkling eyes. D agreed to this decision, though it cannot be equal to the hospitality they provided. He also suggested to show them his elemental proficiencies of fire and lightning.
The results were according to the Sovereign's prediction. When Lee displayed his affinities, the granny dwarf was astonished. In her life till today, she has not met someone who has two affinities. That too, at a powerful extent. She wished Lee a very good future in her heart, and prayed that he may always stay in the path of righteousness.
An followed Ruella to the gate, as she noticed her sad face. Reminding her own words, she consoled Ruella. Mia too felt an urge to finish the quest as fast as possible, so that she can return here and spend her time as a kid.
"I cannot thank you enough for your hospitality. This village has provided us more than we asked. So, as a symbol of gratitude, please accept my humble gift."
Turning to Granny, Lee spoke with honesty and happiness. As he extended his arm towards her, the Aquamarine Jade stone in his hand reflected the warmth of the twin stars. Granny and the villagers behind her were surprised to see such an elegant stone with innate exquisiteness. They had clearly not seen anything more valuable than gold.
"We cannot accept this. What we did was something we would have done to anyone. We teach our young ones to be benevolent and caring, without expecting a reward."
Lee was expecting this answer. So he repeated what D told him.
"This is not an ordinary ornamental stone. The Essence of Water and Nature are inside it. If you ever feel any problems with your agricultural land, bury this inside the soil only for a whole day. The crops would grow at a faster rate and will bring more yield. If you find the water is undrinkable or water beasts as hostile, dip this stone in the water for a few seconds. It will pacify the creatures and purify the water for a long time."
Lee was shocked to hear the abilities of this stone. His delighted countenance covered up his anger as D replied to his doubt regarding the cost of the stone, with a sixty five followed by two zeros.
Granny hesitated to accept the stone. So, Lee took her hand and placed the stone inside her palm. He further spoke and conveyed his wish to see them again. Without further ado, Lee and his companions left the village after bidding farewell. Exiting, they corrected their course to the south!
----------------------------
Folx forest, middle region.
'....'
[......hey...you alright?]
*tock*
'Do you think I f##cking am?'
*tock tock*
Foura Monkeys loudly laughed and giggled from the top of the trees. Lee can be seen walking through the woods, with the ladies tailing him at a distance of 5 metres. Fero, who used to be aggressive around other beings, was walking next to Mia. Ruella had a blank expression as glanced at Lee, helplessly. The next second, another Needle Banyan fruit fell on his head!
*tock*
"YOU HAD TO BE KIDDING ME!!!!"
Lee shouted out in anger, but several Needle Banyan fruits came in as a response.
*tock tock tock tock*
Needle Banyan trees were a tall and moderately wider version of the original Banyan trees. It was tall and had a thick trunk that narrowed as it went up. In any way, it did not resemble a Banyan tree. The relation with its distant relative can only be determined by its thick drooping vines.
Its fruit is a different case. Normally, banyan trees do not even have fruits. But this one has. The signature charcoal black colour enveloping the rugged exterior of the elongated sphere shape can be considered as a substitute for small rocks and pebbles. It's hard shell protects the juicy interior with overflowing sweetness that can easily take you to the verge of diabetes. The pale green squishy mass inside, housed the seed. Unlike its exterior, the seed is smooth as a polished stone, and is about the length of a centimetre.
Foura Monkeys inhibit these trees, and a major portion of the middle region of the Folx forest. The name was gifted by someone ages ago, as this naughty and prankful creature had four arms! As a very social being, its interactions are always extreme. They are known for pranking and annoying other beings, regardless of its size and habitat. Its long tail is it's major ally. With its help, you can see it pulling off stunts that even a trained acrobat struggles to do!
Lee had finally entered this furry prankster's list of prey. Though only about the size of a swan, its muscular strength coupled with the troublesome Needle Banyan fruit is painful. Anyone else would have ran away in pain, but Lee? These rugged fruits could not do anything to him. But it was indeed an annoyance to have something fall on you in a regular pattern. The frustration would only increase if you are aware that someone is deliberately doing it!
'D, can I just burn these apes and trees down?'
[First of all, they are monkeys. Second, you can't burn down a forest just because you are annoyed. If that is the case, the Chaos continent would have been reduced to ashes!]
'Then what am I supposed to do?'
[Tolerate. Be happy that you alone are their target. The ladies might have a hard time with these four arms.]
'Wait!'
Lee glanced over his shoulder and saw the women talking to each other, as they followed him. Fero, next to Mia, was gradually getting brighter from all the pats from her.
'Why am I alone targeted?'
[A specific category of intelligent beings have something called Intuition. They use it to find out the strongest among the bunch. Since you are the one taking lead, they will normally target you.]
'...really?'
[Then what do you expect me to say? Some other hidden and mysterious skills?]
'No, why am i the only one being targeted?'
[That's something called Foolishness. All beings have it. It is just that it is expressed in different ways, in different situations.]
'No wonder. Tell me, what should I do in the meantime?'
[How about->
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12 Midday.
24861 Essence harvested.
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