Chapter: The Standing Druid, Fern displays her powers.
....
Fern Juniper, now deep within the Dwarven village of Tharndural Hollow, moved like a quiet green storm of efficiency — her druidic powers awakened in full.
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🌿 Fern's Druidic Talents in Action:
1. 🐿️ Animal Shapeshifting (Minor Forms)
In a blink, Fern morphed into a forest squirrel, darting up the side of a stone tavern to retrieve herbs hanging from a high balcony — then instantly reverted mid-leap, landing gracefully with her cloak fluttering.
Later, she transformed into a small green-feathered owl, soaring through an herbal canopy above the dwarven gardens to scout out withering patches of soil.
> "Shapeshifting isn't just for speed," she said to Oliver, "it's about understanding the heartbeat of the land."
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2. 🌱 Plant Manipulation
With a flick of her fingers, vines curled from her sleeves like tame serpents. She coaxed thornbushes to unwind and reweave into living fences, shaped a dying sprout into a blooming flower, and convinced Caelus leaves to curl around clay jars like a natural seal.
When a group of dwarven gardeners struggled to carry a sack of stubborn Duskradish roots, Fern merely whispered to the soil — and the roots untangled themselves, sliding obediently into the sack.
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3. 🌾 Healing Withered Plants
In the dwarven herb quarter, Fern knelt beside a withered Ironleaf bush, its silver veins faded and cracking.
Closing her eyes, she pressed her hands to the soil. Blue-green Vita energy flowed from her palms into the roots. Within moments, the cracks in the plant sealed, new leaves unfurled, and even a few moonblossoms bloomed out of season.
The dwarven herbalist nearby gasped. "By the Forge... that shrub was declared gone!"
Fern stood up without a word and moved on.
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4. 🍵 Crafting Herb Soup
In a small cauldron outside a stone hut, Fern brewed a herb soup of her own recipe:
Sunroot shavings (sweetness and energy)
Fennel-mint (restorative circulation)
Lunar cabbage slivers (boosts alertness)
Three drops of mushroom broth (dwarven style)
The scent filled the street — calming, earthy, with a slight sparkle in the air. Oliver took a sip and blinked twice.
> "Whoa. I can see more colors," he muttered.
> "Temporary Vita channeling," Fern said coolly, stirring the pot.
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Dwarves stopped to watch her — impressed not just by her magic, but by how quickly and precisely she worked. Some whispered she might be "Earthbound," a rare Druid who could sync perfectly with any living system — flora, fauna, or soil.
One blacksmith even offered a traded hammer just for another bowl of her soup.
Oliver leaned over, raising an eyebrow.
> "You're kind of a legend here already."
Fern simply said,
> "I just do what the land asks."
And somewhere in her cloak... the stolen cabbage still rustled in a pouch, not forgotten.
.....
Oliver and Fern, after days of trekking, battling imps, enduring sleepless ghost-filled nights, and chasing down boar-thieves, now found themselves in the best place yet — making bank.
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💰 Mysticoin to Topaz Conversion – The Dwarven Exchange
At the Village Exchange Hall, a small forge-lit structure lined with glowing gems and rotating gear mechanisms, the local dwarves converted Oliver and Fern's Mysticoins into Topaz, a higher-tier currency used among Settlers and Crafters.
100 Mysticoins → 1 Topaz
(Though they had bonus conversion rates for recognized village contributors... and Fern counted.)
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🛒 What Topaz Could Get Them:
1. Upgraded Gear
🔹 Topaz-tier Cloak (Wind Resistant, Elemental-Resistant)
🔹 Reinforced Leather Boots (Soft tread, no sound when walking)
🔹 Stonebark Axe+ (Better against tougher tree monsters)
🔹 Ironbound Satchel (x3 inventory space)
2. Village Goods & Tools
🍲 Endless Soup Pot (Feeds 2 people for a day, reusable)
💼 Crafting Workbench (Portable, limited-tier crafting)
🔮 Crystal Lens (Can identify materials or weak magic)
3. Comforts for the Road
🛏️ Foldable Dwarven Mattress (Restores 2x stamina)
🪔 Rainproof Lantern (Never goes out, uses Vita to glow)
📜 Fast-Travel Scroll (One use, within known locations)
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📊 Current Tally from All Their Work
Between flower harvesting, herb trades, soup-selling, chest loot, and successful tasks:
Oliver: ~540 Mysticoins → Converted to 5 Topaz
Fern: ~780 Mysticoins → Converted to 7 Topaz (including druid bonus)
Together, they now had 12 Topaz to spend in one of the most resource-rich safe zones they've ever encountered.
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🛤️ Pathway Forward: Oliver's Journey on Track
After the survival gauntlet of Stonebark Expanse, Oliver was now:
Officially out of danger zones (for now)
Equipped with a guide (Fern)
Better gear, currency, and allies
Gaining reputation with the Dwarven Village
On his way to becoming a solid Mid Blue-Ranked Traveler
As they left the Exchange Hall, Fern handed Oliver a small pouch filled with medicinal seeds.
> "We'll need these where we're going," she said.
> "Where's that?" Oliver asked.
Fern just looked ahead at the distant woodland edge — where mist rose like curling dragons.
> "A place no map bothers drawing. Come on."
And with full packs, clean boots, and a glowing Topaz lantern swinging on Oliver's belt, they took their next step deeper into the wilderness — stronger, smarter, and definitely richer.
........
[Meanwhile: The Group]
Riven stood calmly at the edge of a scorched clearing, the air still crackling with residual heat from Aurelia's well-placed explosive bursts. Smoldering trees leaned at odd angles, marking the fall of another rival outpost. A small grin tugged at his lips as he turned his attention to Goldie, the golden canid beast companion curled beside him, tail flicking lazily despite the chaos.
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🎇 Group Status Report
Aurelia Dawnmere:
Laughing under her breath, the silver-blonde haired troublemaker skipped away from the crumbling remains of the enemy outpost.
> "They'll respawn somewhere less annoying next time," she giggled, tossing a used detonator core into a pouch.
Nico Faelwyn:
Covered in ash and smiling like a fox who broke into the chicken coop, Nico returned holding a pile of Mysticoins and one oddly shiny topaz.
> "They had zero fire resistance," he mused. "Amateurs."
Garrick Ironhart:
Limping slightly, Garrick leaned on his iron-forged sword, armor dented and scuffed.
He muttered, "Damn archers. She hit like three arrows before I even blinked."
> Riven casually offered, "Next time, don't blink."
Hale Eryndor:
Quiet, focused, Hale tapped into the Systematic Guide—a translucent UI buzzing with floating icons.
> "Enemy party ranked Blue. Connections traced. We have about 6 hours before retaliation units spawn."
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🧭 Strategic Planning with Goldie
As the others regrouped, Riven knelt beside Goldie, his voice low but certain.
> "The Dwarven Village sits past the White Mist Region, just at the tail edge of the Woodland Leaf Forest. If Oliver's team reached it, that means their resource network is expanding."
Goldie let out a soft huff, golden fur gleaming under the fading sunlight.
> "We need to meet with them soon," Riven said. "Before Hibiscus's enforcers tighten the circle. If they gain Topaz-level favor with the Dwarves, they'll become essential to this game's architecture."
He stood, hands behind his back, eyes sharp.
> "Let them build. We'll bring the storm when it matters most."
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🔥 Implications:
Riven's group now has:
~600 Mysticoins from raids
30+ potions stacked (Healing, Regen, Water Breathing)
A working explosive crafter (Aurelia)
Multiple enemy respawn timers delayed
They're moving toward consolidating power and likely to connect with Oliver's team soon via the Dwarven path.
The only question: Will they form an alliance… or is Riven waiting for the right time to dominate both rivals and friends?
Goldie's golden eyes glinted as if it knew.