Chapter 471 - The Change of the Dragon Oak Mother Tree

Gaven had just stepped out of the room when a group of winged gnolls, neither fully grown nor juveniles, excitedly surrounded him, chattering about their learning and research achievements during this period.Veranika was somewhat tense and looked around curiously at everything.

They were obviously underground, but in many places, the walls were not simply made of stone—there were wooden components as well, and the area was well-lit.

The source of illumination was not ordinary torches, but magic light sources—Everbright torches with a constant Everbright flame.

The Everbright torches they had were very exquisite and unique, not simply casting Everbright flames onto torches, but shining through various shapes of glassware or ornaments, casting beautiful and enchanting patterns of light and shadow.

There were quite a few magic light sources, easily dozens in sight. Just these alone were worth thousands of gold, and the Lord before her really was as wealthy as the rumors suggested.

What attracted Veranika the most was the group of gnolls surrounding Gaven. Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn NovᴇlFirᴇ.ɴet

This was a type of gnoll she had never seen before, averaging only around thirty to forty centimeters in height, clearly a group of juveniles. They spoke fluent Common Tongue with an accurate accent, devoid of the typical gnoll habit of adding "woof" to everything. Their backs were a vibrant green while their bellies were earthy yellow, and they had a pair of large wings. These were not the leather wings of Erde’s kind, nor the feathered wings of birds, but unmistakably miniature dragon wings, resembling those of a Red Copper Dragon, yet also emerald in color.

Their overall appearance was similar to that of gnolls, but their mouths were shorter, their eyes rounder and bigger, giving off a very cute, ’kawaii’ vibe. She viewed them as the most beautiful and unique gnolls she had ever seen, if they could still be called gnolls at all.

Their affection for Gaven came from deep within, like that of long-separated relatives reunited.

"Everyone quiet down, I want to introduce a guest to you, a very distinguished one. Later, you’ll take her around for a tour to see what we have here," Gaven didn’t have time to fuss with the youngsters. "This is Miss Veranika. These are also my lieges, a new breed of gnoll we’ve cultivated, the Wilderness Kobolds, which possess some traits of the Fae Race. They’ll be accompanying you now. They were born and grew up here, so they know this place best."

It was only then that the little Wilderness Kobolds noticed the Demi-Human that had been obscured by their master, and a fluttering sound of dragon wings could be heard.

In the blink of an eye, the little Wilderness Kobolds arranged themselves into a neat formation and bowed to Veranika, saying in unison, "We did not realize we had a guest from afar, please forgive us. To serve you is our honor, please follow us."

From their demeanor and conduct, it was evident they had been well-trained in this area.

"Lord, go about your business. When you need to return, just find me," Veranika knew that Gaven’s time was limited, and the longer they delayed here, the greater the damage the Divine Root would cause in Thacel, especially in the Mir Forest.

"Take good care of my guest, and don’t wander off. I will be back in no more than half an hour," Gaven instructed the group of little Wilderness Kobolds before hurriedly setting off to find Lord Virginia.

He was very confident in these little Wilderness Kobolds.

They were his protégés, who maintained absolute loyalty.

As for their knowledge, do not underestimate them for being less than three months old; they had already far surpassed the adult gnolls.

One must not measure monster races with ordinary standards, especially those with Dragon Veins bloodlines.

They had already passed their infancy within the egg, along with certain inherited memories. Much was already in place when they hatched, and the rest involved learning specialized knowledge.

This first batch of Wilderness Kobolds was extraordinary. They were endowed with life force extensively, endowing them with certain Fae Race characteristics. They were born surpassing most gnolls and even most humans by far. They haven’t fully settled into their final form yet and are in a period of intense growth, changing day by day. To underestimate them based on their gnoll appearance would be a costly mistake.

Lord Virginia’s location was known without asking—the control core of the Dragon Oak Mother Tree.

Only with her presiding over it could the Dragon Oak Mother Tree be fine-tuned.

The scenes witnessed along the way were different from before, with various animal roars rising and falling. Countless birds and fowls played and flew around the Dragon Oak Mother Tree, and the number of Fae Race that entered and exited the Fairy Wilderness had increased substantially.

The Fairy Night of midsummer was a win-win celebration.

Not only did the Weizemay Vineyard unlock new abilities, solving its most troubling issues,

but the Dragon Oak Mother Tree also had a bountiful harvest, attracting numerous birds and animals to relocate here and a multitude of Fae Race taking advantage of the temporary veil opening, entering the Fairy Wilderness to visit the Dragon Oak Mother Tree, lingering in this place and not returning to the Material Plane.

The number far exceeded the expectations of Gaven and Lord Virginia, totaling about twenty thousand.

But then again, it was not so surprising.

The Fae Race lived relatively primitive and content lives. Their concept of family was not as strong as that of other races—because they need not group together for protection. Their innate ability to turn invisible allowed them to avoid most dangers. They often acted impulsively, even in matters of migration, decided on a whim.

Most of the time, once their novelty wore off, they would regret their decisions and return to their homelands or continue their wanderings.

But in the Fairy Wilderness, under the Dragon Oak Mother Tree, there were no second chances for regret. By the time they thought of going back, the temporary veil had already closed, and they would have to wait until next year.

Up until now, such members of the Fae Race are still the minorities of minorities, most of them now irretrievably addicted to the Dragon Oak Dream Realm—it’s just too appealing for the Fae Race, and once they get a taste, most of them turn into internet-addicted teens, unable to extricate themselves.

Given the current pace of development and the rapid turnover of things within the Dragon Oak Dream Realm, it far surpasses the Fae Race’s penchant for novelty. As long as their thirst for new experiences is maintained, they are willing to stay.

The Fae of Spring Bud Forest are the best proof of this.

The addition of these twenty thousand extra individuals has infused Spring Bud Forest and the Dragon Oak Mother Tree with unprecedented vitality.

The constant online presence within the Dragon Oak Dream Realm has skyrocketed by eight thousand, giving Lord Virginia more room to manipulate and adjust.

Gaven had returned because he knew this, to see how far Lord Virginia had progressed and whether there was any possibility to leverage the situation.

No sooner had Gaven parted from Veranika than he felt a massive force dragging him from beneath his feet, very much like using the Flawless Teleportation from the Dragon Oak Mother Tree.

Gaven didn’t try to resist; he opened his mind, for in the presence of the Dragon Oak Mother Tree no other force could prevail.

When he opened his eyes again, he was already at the very core of the Dragon Oak Mother Tree.

Instead of an empty chamber, he was surrounded by an ocean of power, pure and abundant life force that had filled the place completely.

The sudden entrance gave him the illusion of being choked by water, but he quickly returned to normal.

Without waiting for Gaven to speak, Lord Virginia said first, "Your return is timely. Without the sliver of Dragon Soul within you, the Dragon Oak Mother Tree is incomplete, lacking smooth operation. I need you to cooperate with me for a synchronized adjustment."

"Alright," Gaven responded without any fuss, walking over to Lord Virginia and taking her smooth and slender jade hand.

The last of the Dragon Soul, split in two, was infused into Gaven and Lord Virginia, acting as two keys—the keys to manipulate the Dragon Oak Mother Tree.

Each key on its own possessed the ability to manipulate the Dragon Oak Mother Tree, but such control was imperfect, incomplete. To attain full control, the two keys had to become one.

As keys, the aspects they each inherited differed.

Gaven’s inheritance leant more towards the Giant Dragon part, with subsequent Soul Dragon Transformation being an extension of this aspect. This allowed him to effortlessly invoke the Dragon Oak Mother Tree’s power to suppress the Dragon Soul, remotely guide the tree’s energy, and so on—all geared towards use, and most of which Lord Virginia did not possess, with many factors of the Milestone of Destiny at play.

The part inherited by Lord Virginia was more plant-like, focused on the detailed weaving and control of the Dragon Oak Dream Realm, minor adjustments of the Dragon Oak Mother Tree, and such—abilities Gaven did not possess, which were directly related to her being the Lord of the Spring Bud Forest.

When their hands joined, the two keys merged into one.

It was as if lightning had struck and stirred the fire within; the Dragon Oak Mother Tree shook from top to bottom with increased intensity.

The first to react was the control center they were in, where the thick life force began to whirl crazily, drilling into Gaven and Lord Virginia, making a circuit within their bodies before emerging again to flow through the entire Dragon Oak Mother Tree.

Gaven clearly felt that the life force that had circulated in his body, as though it had been imbued with his soul consciousness when it flowed to any place, his perception reached there too.

He could sense the tens of thousands of Fae in the Dragon Oak Dream Realm, playing and frolicking, with everything there increasingly becoming like a second world, a detached realm of thought.

He could sense the thriving multitude of plants and trees rooted in the Dragon Oak Mother Tree, each with its own life and consciousness, yet as a whole, they were one with the Dragon Oak Mother Tree—a complete life cycle.

He could sense the birds and animals’ affection for the Dragon Oak Mother Tree; even as the tree made adjustments, they showed little panic, trusting it would not harm them, just as children trust their mother would not harm them.

He could sense the diligent Gnolls, who, even in their busyness, were not a burden to the Dragon Oak Mother Tree; instead, they provided the necessary nutrients it required. The number of Gnolls residing there was far from the ideal number the Dragon Oak Mother Tree needed; it required many more nourishment producers.

As the life force completed its circuit and returned to Gaven, an enlightenment arose in his heart. To truly bring the Dragon Oak Mother Tree into a state of war preparation, just meeting the people quota of the Dragon Oak Dream Realm was not enough; it also needed to meet its own nutrient requirements, like the Treants, who don’t require food, but still have different dietary needs from humanoid beings.

Gaven and Lord Virginia had also completed their exchange of information.

Lord Virginia knew why Gaven had returned.

Gaven, in turn, knew the current limits of the Dragon Oak Mother Tree.

To make the Dragon Oak Mother Tree enter an aggressive state like the Divine Giant Root, the tree’s current condition was far from sufficient—even if the Fae Race were to double in population, it would not be enough.

But by concentrating all their strength, they still had options to consider.