Chapter 133: Adventurer
The more Dhruv observed the area in front of him, the more he was convinced that it really was a goblin village.
Goblins of all sizes were bustling around in the perimeter. They could be called hidden because their green bodies were perfectly blending with the surroundings.
In a sense, the village was hidden but not very well. The area was protected by the boundary of some kind of plant. This vine-like plant had surrounded the village and would protect it from any predator with its thorns growing on its body.
The area around the village couldn’t be measured exactly because he couldn’t see the end of the village from where he was standing.
Dhruv took some time to think about it and evaluate whether killing them was worth it or not. No, killing them at the moment was worth it or not.
If he kills them now, then their corpses could go to waste. But if he stops and waits for another day, they could be used as fuel for his slime farm.
"I wish Alaric was here or this Collector ring had more space in it," Dhruv thought as he sighed at his inability.
"Let them live for another day or two." Dhruv finally decides and changes his course.
Vexar almost heard the wrong thing and was about to charge at one of the goblins who were close by. Looking at his action, Dhruv grabbed him by his hair and changed his route as well.
His decision was also influenced by the fact that the third quest had a time limit of 30 days, and Dhruv was sure he could finish all three of the dungeons in that time frame. Even if he didn’t do it, it’s not like in this quest they had to clear 100% of the dungeons.
Dhruv changed his route and began to travel left from his intended path. He found many things along his journey. He hadn’t expected this, but when he looked at the trees with his glasses, he was surprised to find out that they also had status screens like him.
Their status screens had the same information as well. They could also evolve by absorbing cores, and they could mutate. There were many types of trees as well. The types he found were: Lumine Absorber, Vines Manipulator, Strong Tree, Very Strong Tree, Water Tree, and Wood Tree.
Yes, "Wood Tree." Even I was surprised to find this weird, or maybe even amazing, type of tree. But after a full check of their status, I found out that their names come from the fact that they are a good conductor of Wood mana.
This property of the tree comes from a unique mutation, and what was the name of the mutation? Yes, it was called "Wood Rich Xylem."
I even cut a part of the tree and stored it in my ring so I could ask what the name of the crafters was. Man, I really forget names easily. Yes! I could ask them if they are capable of creating staffs or wands from these tree parts. If they were able to, this could be very good news for Thala, who is a wood manipulator.
One thing I find weird is that I didn’t get any exp from cutting the trees. And why was that when it is clearly mentioned in their status that they are evolvable and mutable?
Is there something or maybe even someone who is responsible for deciding who would provide exp or who should not? Is there a criteria for this? Do they need to reach a certain level to provide exp?
Yes, that would be right, and they need to reach certain criteria to provide exp. Otherwise, I would be getting exp from constantly killing bacteria or ants or even some other types of insects.
Dhruv was pondering over this matter and answered some of his own important questions. He quickly brought out a notebook and pen from his ring and began to write down everything he had learned.
’Man, I wish I had a smartphone with me,’ Dhruv thought as he remembered how convenient it was with a smartphone.
He wasn’t that affected by not having a phone because even before the evolution, he was in prison, and his addiction to the phone had vanished during his years of living in prison.
Not remembering his days in prison, Dhruv continued on his path, where he noticed a few more things.
No matter how natural the jungle looked, he had a deep premonition that it was artificially created by someone. The reason for this premonition came from within him, and he wasn’t sure, but he knew this was the effect of one of his skills.
To prove this point, he was determined to find the end of this jungle and perhaps even the end of this realm.
Dhruv continued traveling... more traveling... after an hour of traveling. He finally stopped to catch his breath.
’Phew!... How far have we come?’ Dhruv thought as he looked at the map.
After taking an approximation, he found out that he had come at least three kilometers away from his portal. This distance would have been even longer if he hadn’t been checking the surrounding area carefully or if he had been traveling in a different terrain.
In between these three kilometers, Dhruv hadn’t found any other goblin villages, unique types of animals, or anything else that he found worthy enough to be mentioned in his notebook.
After resting for five minutes, Dhruv took out a bottle of water from his ring and gulped it down in one fell swoop. He signaled to Vexar if he wanted to do the same, but Vexar declined.
Dhruv once again began his duty as an adventurer and continued to traverse the green realm. For another ten minutes, nothing happened, but that didn’t last for long.
When the clock hit the fifteen-minute mark, Dhruv finally noticed something in front of him and stooped.
After taking a quick look, he once again quickened his pace and got closer to that thing he was seeing. He forced his hand forward, but like something denying his existence, his hand suddenly stopped midway.
Dhruv instantly understood what it was.
There was a barrier in front of him.
