Chapter 387 - Dreamy Mount

When Luna received the infusion of life force from the Dragon Oak Mother Tree, her attributes could already be glimpsed by Gaven.In this infusion, she did gain substantial benefits.

These were:

Speed increased by 3 kilometers/hour, flight speed increased by 6 kilometers/hour.

All attributes +1.

Forest Stride, Natural Blessing, and Fairy Wilderness Home.

The already extraordinary Half-Moon Colt had now downright become monstrous.

In terms of attributes, her strength was not outstanding—even with the increase across all attributes, she still could not match a typical powerful warhorse. However, her agility and constitution were unmatched by any regular warhorse.

Intelligence, Perception, and Charisma go without saying. Even many Combat Profession Practitioners couldn’t come close to her in these areas, let alone other creatures.

As for speed, don’t think it low—the numbers given here are just for casual walking pace.

A light jog is two to three times this speed and can be sustained for three to four hours.

A run is three to five times this speed and lasts for half an hour to an hour before needing to slow down to a jog or walk.

Anything above five times is considered an all-out sprint, which can’t be maintained for more than a few minutes.

Luna’s current running speed on land crushes most warhorses, and her flying speed surpasses that of the majority of flying mounts.

As for Special Abilities:

Forest Stride needs no further explanation. It’s an ability of the same name as the Druids’, and Gaven now possesses this ability as well; it’s a common ability among many natural races, allowing them to move through forests unhindered.

What’s impressive is Natural Blessing, not only does it increase speed, but it also enhances stamina recovery, allowing for faster flight and prolonged flying time, pushing her strengths to their limit.

An enhancement of thirty percent is no small number, especially terrifying when quantified during an all-out sprint—allowing for a land running speed of 100 kilometers/hour and a flight speed of 200 kilometers/hour.

The Fairy Wilderness Home ability, deemed equivalent to the Fae Race, sparked inspiration in Gaven. He also has a description of this in his own Fairy Step—could it be applied to Luna?

Gaven, currently in a state of high-speed flight, didn’t dare to attempt it rashly.

Immunity to undeath is a natural ability of Yueju.

This is also why Luna was fearless when entering Weizemay Manor, as she is naturally immune to the erosion of negative energy.

The Spell-Like Abilities of Detect Good and Evil is inherited from the Pegasus, while Mist Spell is from the Yueju.

Detect Good and Evil is quite a weak skill because human nature is complex and cannot be determined by a single spell; at best, it detects past behavioral tendencies. For specific situations, it’s necessary to consider the circumstances at the moment.

Most of the time, it’s used as a supplementary ability.

Only fools among the Holy Warriors would use such a spell to judge a person’s guilt or innocence.

Mist Spell is a second-level spell, one Gaven is quite familiar with. The Spell-Like Abilities awakened by the Gnoll warrior Cangya were very similar to this ability.

Properly used, it can produce surprising effects.

Overall, Luna’s abilities are all supportive, making her a dream mount all Combat Profession Practitioners covet.

Carrying Gaven posed no burden for Luna, because he did not put all his weight on her but was spreading his Energy Dragon Wings, flapping in sync with Luna’s wingbeats. Rather than hindering the Half-Moon Colt, it harnessed kinetic energy to its fullest, giving her a speed boost. This offset the weight, maintaining a speed almost equal to when she wasn’t carrying a load.

This further excited the Half-Moon Colt’s desire to fly, circling around the Dragon Oak Mother Tree again and again until she was completely exhausted.

It also allowed rider and mount to achieve an initial integration.

Now that they were back, it was inevitable to take a turn around the territory.

But the Dragon Oak Territory was too calm, so serene that not even a single matter captured Gaven’s attention.

It seemed everyone was steadily making money, disinterested in stirring up various kinds of trouble.

This calm may be directly related to Gaven’s absence.

Honestly speaking, he was the most unsettling factor in the Rocklands during the past six months; all turmoil revolved around him.

His leaving merely allowed the area to return to its former state of normalcy.

The same was true for Battle Valley.

It wasn’t that there were storms wherever he went.

Rather, wherever this troublemaker went, he stirred up trouble.

It’s just that this troublemaker currently had no such awareness.

After thoroughly studying the information about the cursed items prepared by Valon with Lord Virginia, by the afternoon, Gaven and his party were sent back to Weizemay Manor.

Gaven immediately rode the Half-Moon Colt nonstop to the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice and upon reaching the back courtyard, they didn’t land immediately but hovered around in circles a few times.

The Monastery of the Hammer of Justice also had its Mystlock Locks, and a hasty descent could have resulted in being shot down.

Upon hearing the news, the Grand Inquisitor rushed over, and only then did the Half-Moon Colt carry Gaven down confidently.

Valon’s gaze involuntarily fell on the Half-Moon Colt, his expression revealing an uncontrollable shock, marveled both at Luna’s transformation and the rapid progression of their relationship.

He had watched the Half-Moon Colt grow up and knew just how proud the creature was, never ridden by anyone from her youth.

Although Darnell and I have worked in secret to help Gaven, neither of us is sure that we can ultimately become Gaven’s mount.

At best, I estimate that Gaven will spend at least three to five months on this matter, and that would be fast. It wouldn’t be rare for it to take three to five years to gain her approval.

It might not even be possible in this lifetime.

Yet, the speed of his progress was so fast that it caught people off guard.

Gaven handed Valon a list and said, "Grand Inquisitor, these are the materials and equipment that you need to prepare. Only the finest quality will do. I will come over tomorrow afternoon to purify them."

"So soon?" Valon, holding the neat and detailed list, was surprised.

Gaven’s efficiency was something he had yet to get used to.

He quickly recovered and said, "Mr. Gaven, you’re returning? It’s getting late. Why not stay at the monastery and rest for the night before leaving?"

"Thank you for your kind offer, Grand Inquisitor, but I have other matters to attend to and must be going," Gaven replied, patting Luna’s neck and quickly flying off again. But this time, his direction wasn’t toward Weizemay Manor, but rather the western side of the Dun Hills.

"Truly like the wind, this man. Are you racing against time?" Valon couldn’t help but shake his head.

He had no time to ponder further, as he hurried to prepare the materials listed, since their quantity was indeed overwhelming, including some the monastery did not possess.

Even if Gaven hadn’t requested it, he would nonetheless strive for perfection, because, in the not so distant future, these materials would be transformed into magic items.

Though ultimately, the essence extracted from those cursed items would determine their final capabilities.

Still, the quality of the base items could affect the outcome, higher being better.

"Where are we going now?" Luna asked curiously.

She too had a bellyful of words she wanted to share with Valon.

After all, what she had experienced today was more than what she had seen her entire life living in the monastery.

Especially her own gains, she couldn’t help but want to boast to the Grand Inquisitor.

But Gaven didn’t give her the time.

"Dull Forest," Gaven pointed toward the forest at the foot of the mountain.

The southeastern part of the Dun Hills is a vast expanse of plain farmland, while the northwest is enveloped by an ancient forest, once a part of the Comanso Great Forest, now separated by the Glaemrei River.

The Demi-Human Leader had mentioned that the forest closest to the Three Rivers Region was not the Yewen Forest but the Dull Forest in Taser Valley.

In terms of size, Dull Forest is not much different than Yewen Forest.

But in terms of fame, Dull Forest doesn’t hold a candle to Yewen Forest; just by its name, it’s clear it’s merely an adjunct to the Dun Hills.

"What are we doing there? Does Your Excellency have a territory there as well?" Luna asked excitedly.

Gaven couldn’t help but laugh, "I wish I were so capable. I have never been to Dull Forest before. This is my first visit. I plan to go there and see if I can find a suitable tree for enlightenment."

"Enlightening a Treant? Like Lord Thornspike?" The Half-Moon Colt perked up even more at the mention.

"Treants are not so easily enlightened; at most, it’s about enlightening a tree. There is knowledge in this process..." Gaven went on to explain his theory on the art of Enlightenment in detail to the Half-Moon Colt.

"So, there is so much to learn about enlightenment. I thought that just casting the spell of Enlightenment would produce Treants," Luna said, a hint of embarrassment in her voice. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs NovᴇlFir(e).nᴇt

"That’s what I thought too, before I possessed the Enlightenment spell," Gaven laughed heartily. "Every profession has its mountains, especially when it comes to unique professional skills; outsiders find it hard to grasp their mysteries."

The Half-Moon Colt heartily agreed, "Exactly... Look, how about that tree? It’s definitely the tallest around!"

Time flies when you chat, and in the blink of an eye, the two had already reached the skies above Dull Forest.

"Not suitable," Gaven shook his head, "That’s a water poplar. Although it’s quite tall, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s old. And the wood is soft, so if it became an enlightened tree, its abilities would be very poor.

Moreover, it’s not always better for an enlightened tree to be taller; don’t forget, they are awakened plants that need to move.

If they’re too tall, even they can easily lose balance.

The trees best suited for enlightenment are those stout ones, with a good ratio between thickness and height, and relatively solid wood quality. Look at that one over there; from a distance, it already looks a bit like a Treant."

Gaven, now an expert on enlightening trees, casually shared his detailed knowledge.

"I see," Luna expressed with an appearance of having learned greatly. "Shall we go down?"

"No need to rush; I’ve already marked this place," Gaven responded, "Let’s circle around it a couple of times first and get a good look at the terrain and scout for any powerful Hunters."

"Got it," Luna asked with curiosity, "But how did you make that mark? I didn’t see you performing any extra actions."

As a Half-Moon Colt on her first adventure, Luna was curious about everything.

"There are no profound secrets to it, simply a matter of finding landmarks. That water poplar you mentioned, the tallest one around, is one; that nearby mound is another. And then there’s the direction of the Ashaba River. With these three identifiers, we can find this place again, even from the air," Gaven explained patiently.

"Following Your Excellency is indeed a wise choice. In just one day, I’ve learned so much from you," Luna praised sincerely.

"It’s just a bit of experience—many Hunters with adventure experience know as much. That’s enough for now; let’s go down."

After a cursory two laps, Gaven had the Half-Moon Colt fold its wings and descend.

Dull Forest was equally dense, and from the air, it was remarkably difficult to spot any lurking Hunters within the trees.

The main goal was to see if there were any conspicuous, noteworthy landmarks, like abandoned buildings, that could be more prone to trouble.