Chapter 360 - Druid Circle

"First, I hope that you will not keep the existence of the Dragon Oak Dream Realm a secret, but rather share this gift from nature with other members of the fae race, including other benevolent species, that inhabit the Comanso Forest."The Rose Tower, of course, couldn’t be moved, but it could attract other species from the Comanso Forest, just like the Dragon Oak Mother Tree attracted the fae of Spring Bud Forest.

This matter would naturally require the cooperation and permission of the original residents of the Rose Tower.

Considering the fae’s shy and reclusive nature, Gaven had initially thought this would take quite a bit of persuasion.

Yet, to his surprise, as soon as he mentioned the proposal, the Thorn Spirit Leader, Deep, lit up with excitement: "Mr. Gaven’s intention is to allow other fae brethren to enter the Dragon Oak Dream Realm? I thought you were going to ask us to keep this a secret."

This retort caught Gaven off guard.

He quickly understood why the Thorn Spirits’ mindset was different from before.

The Dragon Oak Dream Realm was an online communication network, and obviously, the more users it had, the better.

Moreover, the Thorn Spirits’ shy and reclusive nature was much lighter than that of other fae, which might be related to their comparatively strong sense of responsibility.

The main reason was that they likely had communication with other Thorn Spirit villages.

They wanted to invite them in but were worried they wouldn’t be allowed to.

Once he realized this, Gaven eagerly promised: "I’ve already discussed this matter with Lord Virginia, as long as you don’t mind disturbing your daily peace, there’s no problem with how many of your tribespeople you invite into the dream realm."

"Good, then I thank Mr. Gaven very much," Deep answered joyfully, "Sir, is there anything else you need help with?"

"Wait a moment, can you explain exactly what this Dragon Oak Dream Realm is?" August couldn’t contain his curiosity.

In recent days, the talking of the Thorn Spirits of the Rose Tower was all about the Dragon Oak Dream Realm, some even slept soundly during the day, claiming they were entering the dream realm, leaving him utterly confused. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ NovᴇlFire(.)nᴇt

He seemed to have felt something phenomenal during his sleep at night too, but couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

From their current conversation, he gathered that this matter was also related to Gaven.

It seemed almost natural, as since he had met him, every unusual event had taken place around him.

Gaven was like a magnet for strange occurrences.

"This matter is not easily explained in a few words. It’s better for you to see and feel it yourself. When I have a moment, I’ll take you and Lady Olive into it, so you can understand for yourself."

The Dragon Oak Dream Realm always focused on the fae. Once it sensed the consciousness of the fae, the Pikespirit guides would be prompted to act immediately.

When detecting other species, they probably let their shy nature take over again, hesitating to make a move.

This situation was currently rare, so Gaven could attend to it personally.

But as his influence expanded, more and more suitable members of other species would enter the Dragon Oak Dream Realm.

He must find an appropriate way to address this properly.

"Alright, now I’m looking forward to tonight," August said, filled with anticipation, "please continue with the important matters."

"The second matter should be quite simple for you: help me keep an eye out for any unique ancient trees nearby, preferably those with stories behind them." Gaven was ready to fully commit to the promising project of the Enlightened Treants.

"Unique ancient trees? Those with stories?" This time, it wasn’t the Thorn Spirit Leader who replied, but the Druid Ian. "Mr. Gaven, may I ask why?"

Gaven hesitated for a moment, as the other party was a Druid, capable of performing the Enlightenment spell.

Would sharing this secret with him allow him to gain the upper hand and enlighten all the nearby treants?

But then he thought, aside from the sheer size of the world, just considering the vastness of the Comanso Great Forest, what was lacking the least were trees.

Alone, without rest, how many could he enlighten?

As long as he had enough for himself, there was no need to be so greedy as to monopolize all the benefits in the world.

Furthermore, he couldn’t stop people from guessing or trying; it was better to be straightforward and make a good impression.

Seeing Gaven’s hesitation, Ian immediately felt that his question might have been too abrupt, possibly even touching on Gaven’s closely guarded secrets, and quickly added: "If it’s not convenient to say, then never mind."

"No, there’s nothing that can’t be discussed. This is just one of my recent personal theories about Enlightenment, and whether it’s accurate, I can’t be sure. Considering you are a genuine Druid and an expert in this field, why don’t we share and discuss our experiences to better serve nature?"

Gaven organized his thoughts and said, "Lord Ian, what do you think is the most crucial factor affecting Enlightenment?"

"That..." Ian hesitated. He had used the Enlightenment spell dozens of times in his life, but he had never considered that question.

Seeing no unique insight from the other party, Gaven had to lead the conversation: "I believe the key is the initial consciousness. The stronger the initial consciousness of a tree at the moment of Enlightenment, the higher its Life Dice, and the greater the chance it becomes a treant. Lord Ian, have you ever seen a tree with an initial consciousness as faint as a candle flame that could become a treant?"

"It does seem to be the case." The Thorn Spirit Druid reflected thoughtfully. Recalling his own experiences with Enlightenment, it indeed appeared to follow this pattern. Every time he managed to enlighten a tree into a treant, there seemed to be a sensation within him that signaled success.

Now he realized this feeling wasn’t a keen third sense but rather recognizing the tree’s powerful initial consciousness, signaling success.

He had never recognized this before, despite having enlightened so many treants.

"So, if you can determine the strength of a tree’s initial consciousness, you can judge whether the tree has the potential to become a treant. But the problem is, you can only explore the initial consciousness after initiating the Enlightenment spell, and by then, it’s a little too late," he said.

Gaven delved deeper: "So, I’ve judged the strength of a tree’s initial consciousness through the historical memories of other sage races. It’s likely that the more famous the tree, the more it carries the beliefs and wishes of other lives or has witnessed, its initial consciousness may be stronger."

This relates to the question of what initial consciousness is.

I personally believe that it is the carrier of memory, the confluence of beliefs, and the accumulation of magic power.

Only those who have weathered the storms and endured trials have a chance to become Treants.

Otherwise, no matter how old they are, they are just ordinary trees.

Of course, if one can claim the distinction of being the first in all of Felen, or all of Comanso, or even of an entire forest, that is a different matter altogether.

For being the first is, in itself, a glory to behold."

Gaven detailed his own theory of faith as a carrier.

Firstly, others find it difficult to accept a theory that compares mortals to gods.

Secondly, in the presence of followers of the deities, one must be especially careful with such discourse.

An additional benefit of this approach is that it is easy to understand.

Not only did Thorn Spirit Druid Ian grasp it, but so did everyone else, nodding in agreement without realizing.

As a Druid, Ian was deeply moved and fell into silence after listening.

This theory was unprecedented and enlightening for him.

To say that it had opened up a whole new world for him was not an exaggeration.

His previous enlightenment always followed the Druid’s perception, using the essence of nature to perceive and distinguish which trees had the potential to become enlightened into Treants.

As it turned out, this perception was often inaccurate.

Many trees had waited for hundreds of years and were still just trees, showing no signs of natural enlightenment.

Upon reflection, each Treant he knew had its own legendary story.

Perhaps it was these stories that set them apart from other trees and turned them into Treants.

What an irony that a true Druid was awakened by someone who was not a Druid.

But Ian was not narrow-minded, and he quickly adjusted his attitude, bowing to Gaven, "From this day forward, you are my teacher. Leave this matter to me, teacher; rest assured, I only ask for one thing, that when you enlighten them, allow me to guard and witness it by your side."

Gaven hurriedly stepped aside to avoid the formality, quickly saying, "This title of teacher, I cannot bear. If Lord Ian is interested, we can engage in a thorough discussion, research, and study of this problem, complementing each other’s strengths and weaknesses."

"If that’s the case, I have an even better suggestion. Let’s form a Druid Circle. I believe there will be many creatures in Comanso Forest interested in this matter, and I can help introduce you," proposed Thorn Spirit Druid Ian.

"A Druid Circle?" Gaven asked in surprise, "Can I join a Druid Circle? Even though I know Enlightenment, I’m not a Druid!"

A few or even a dozen Druids, sharing the same ideals and goals, often form a tight-knit group, calling themselves a Circle.

Felen harbors numerous such Druid Circles, small in composition but renowned nonetheless.

For instance, there is the Battle Valley Septet, active near Battle Valley, and the now-defunct Circle of Yavimaya.

Active in the Supreme Forest is the Sylfred Watch Society, dedicated to preventing the lumbering roads from penetrating deeper into the Supreme Forest.

The High Dance, secluded in a hidden valley of Thunder Peak, protects the area, aiding the Fae Race in safeguarding the land of dance.

The newly founded Circle of Swords in Winterhold Forest is committed to driving out the Jackalweres, Bear Goblins, and Hobgoblin Tribe hiding therein.

The secret societies are called so because ordinary people have no chance of encountering them.

"Who says only Druids can join a Druid Circle? As long as the ideals align, it does not matter the species, ability, or rank; anyone can join," Ian informed Gaven about common knowledge regarding Druid Circles.

"If possible, I certainly have no objections," Gaven, of course, would not refuse such a great opportunity to join the Druid Inner Circle of Comanso Forest.

These people are the true masters of the vast forest, and fostering good relations with them could only bring benefits, not drawbacks.

After all, the upcoming war against the surface-invading Dark Elves will occur deep within the Great Comanso Forest.

"Mr. Gaven, may I share the knowledge you mentioned earlier with those friends?" Ian asked next.

"Certainly, it would be my honor," Gaven freely and generously agreed, eager to earn a favorable impression.

Although the Druid Circle does not have an official hierarchy, members are informally ranked based on ability, age, wisdom, and personal strength. He, of course, aimed to occupy the most prominent position.

"Then, Mr. Gaven, wait for my good news," said the energetic Thorn Spirit Druid. He couldn’t wait to share this newfound knowledge and insights with his Druid friends, confident that it would shake their wooden heads.

In the midst of this conversation, everyone had arrived at the Land of Sealing.

Five-Willow could barely squeeze through, as the entrance had been prepared for normal human passage.

The Land of Sealing was spacious enough; not just for Five-Willow, but even Thornspike would have space to roam freely.

"Yiliu, go test the water depth. The rest of you, the Four-Willows, prepare for support," Gaven cautiously arranged.