Chapter 1 The Druid

Suren followed Elder Pasu through the dense forest to a giant tree.

It was a massive gray elm, probably the largest tree Suren had ever seen. The trunk was over thirty meters in diameter, with lush foliage forming a sky-reaching canopy. The tree was like a small green island, alive with the chirping of birds.

It was in full bloom, with branches hanging down like willow twigs, covered in clusters of small white flowers. A gentle breeze blew, scattering white petals like falling snow.

At the base of the trunk was a tree hollow with a three-tiered stone frame shaped like the Chinese character "門" (mén, gate).

The moss-covered stone frame was carved with simple patterns, evoking a sense of sacred solemnity.

Pasu and Yuta approached the giant tree and reverently clasped their hands in prayer.

After praying, Yuta introduced it to Suren, "This is the sacred tree of our Dalu tribe, as old as the holy land itself. Our ancestors said that the tree was personally blessed by the great God of Nature."

Suren listened, slightly surprised. This tree was indeed different, giving off a sense of spirituality.

The branches swayed as if welcoming him as a guest.

Yuta added, "Let's go, the chieftain and others are inside."

Suren nodded and followed him into the tree hollow.

Inside, it was a different world.

The space inside the tree hollow was larger than it appeared from the outside, and the ceiling was high. A spiral staircase wound along the walls of the hollow, rising about three or four stories. The walls were lined with dense rows of medicine cabinets, and the shelves were filled with various herbs. Many dried medicinal materials hung from the ceiling.

Inside the tree-house, a large rectangular wooden table stood, illuminated by a magic stone lamp.

When Suren arrived, seven or eight people were already seated in chairs.

Their faces showed they were all very old.

These were the elders of the Dalu tribe.

"Only two Fifth-tiers?"

Suren sensed the soul fires of these people and clearly identified two Fifth-tiers among them.

One was in the main seat, an elderly deer-kin with a long beard under his chin.

The antlers on his head were huge, about half his body size. With a calm and collected demeanor, he looked like a wise man; this was probably Chief Mona.

Beside him was an old woman with gray wolf ears, probably the "Wolf Granny" whom Yuta mentioned with timidity.

No wonder the Dalu tribe was so weak; there were only two Fifth-tiers in the tribe, and both were very old.

What caught Suren's attention was the broken spear displayed in the most prominent position in the room.

Using his All-Knowing Eye, he realized it was quite extraordinary.

【Spear of Brionac (Damaged)】

Details: One of the four sacred artifacts of the Dalu tribe, a divine weapon bestowed by the God of Nature; in its complete state, it could be projected over extremely long distances, ignoring obstacles, ignoring defenses, piercing any item in the user's perceived range with a law level not higher than that of the spear, and adding extra law-piercing damage; after attacking, the divine spear would return to the thrower's hand; only those with natural divine power can wield it.

"Is this the sacred artifact that Katyusha brought back?"

Suren's thought flashed through his mind.

Its effect looked similar to his Black Scythe, ignoring the defenses of targets whose law level was no higher than that of the weapon.

Perhaps the law level contained in this divine spear was even higher.

It was indeed a powerful weapon, but it was damaged.

Suren didn't look at it much longer.

Although this spear had no side effects, it had usage restrictions.

It was an exclusive artifact of the Dalu tribe.

...

As soon as Suren entered, Elder Pasu introduced him, "This is Mr. Suren."

The elders of the Dalu tribe were obviously aware of Suren's background and purpose. Without further ado, everyone stood up and said sincerely with hands clasped to their chests, "Thank you, warrior, for saving the members of our Dalu tribe."

"You are too kind, elders."

Suren responded politely.

At this time, Chief Mona stood up, cleared his throat, and went straight to the point, "Elder Pasu said that Mr. Suren is the successor of Sir Isaac?"

At this, everyone in the room looked at Suren with anticipation.

No one understood the significance of that thousand-year-old "Oath" to the Dalu tribe better than these elders.

The "warrior" who came yesterday brought back the sacred artifact, which was a great surprise.

But after questioning, they discovered that she was not the "one who followed the oath" in the prophecy.

And this young man mentioned Sir Isaac, bringing new hope.

Suren nodded and said, "Yes. Due to some special reasons, I am a disciple of Lady Seraiya, Sir Isaac's wife."

Now that he had met the chief of the Dalu tribe, he didn't need to hide his identity.

However, upon hearing him reveal his identity, all the Dalu tribe wise men showed astonishment in their eyes.

What!

Lady Seraiya's disciple?

If that was true...

His seniority was a bit ridiculously high.

Was he from the same generation as their ancestors?

But... how could this young man be a disciple of that lady from a thousand years ago?

Suren didn't give them time to guess. His seniority was indeed difficult to explain in a few words, so he paused and added, "I also heard Yuta mention the ancient oath of your tribe. But I think the one who should fulfill the oath may not be me..."

Before he could finish, Yuta immediately looked at him in surprise.

The elders also showed expressions of shock, fearing their expectations would be in vain again.

Perhaps feeling the pressure of extinction weighing on these old men, Suren saw the intense desire in their instantly changing gazes.

He didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "My senior sister, who is also Sir Isaac's biological daughter, 'Ophelia Fei Isaac', is still alive. She also entrusted me to come to your sacred land to discuss matters regarding the oath..."

Few people in this world knew the identity of Mirror, and even the members of the Mirror organization might not all know.

Who would have thought that a person from a thousand years ago was still alive?

When Suren said this, the whole room was silent.

Originally, they were half-believing when Suren said he was Seraiya's disciple. Although they wouldn't doubt a warrior who had saved their tribe, the words sounded unbelievable to anyone.

But now, he actually said that Sir Isaac's biological daughter was still alive?

This news was like a bombshell, setting off huge waves in everyone's hearts.

Even a group of calm and collected wise men couldn't hide the shock in their eyes.

For a moment, the huge tree-house was so quiet that a pin could be heard dropping.

Everyone looked at each other, seemingly unsure how to respond.

Suren looked at them without speaking, and then relayed Mirror's original words, saying, "Ms. Ophelia also said... the Isaac family will always remember the oath and will defend the friendship with the Dalu tribe with their lives."

He didn't expect that these words seemed to trigger some kind of restriction in the dark.

Suren suddenly felt a force pass through him, making him refreshed, and he murmured inwardly, "Was that the power of nature?"

He looked at the room, as if the will of the sacred tree was responding to the oath.

He then realized that the oath from a thousand years ago was not so simple.

Suren had thought it was just a "contract" or something similar, but he didn't expect that it involved some kind of high-level law power.

The "Oath" was the most secret and sacred part of the Dalu tribe, and even the source of their power.

It was said that when the gods bestowed them with natural divine power, the Dalu tribe warriors would have restrictions placed upon them, which was a kind of "Oath." Those who obeyed would benefit, and those who violated it would suffer.

This was something even Yuta couldn't explain clearly.

...

"This... the sacred tree responded?!"

"The ancient oath has really been fulfilled..."

"The great God of Nature has not abandoned His devout believers..."

"..."

The Dalu tribe people in the tree-house were more sensitive than Suren.

Obviously, they also felt the sudden wave of natural power just now, and they all began to pray excitedly.

Having experienced hundreds of years of dark times, they thought the night would last forever.

At this moment, they suddenly saw the dawn of light.

Suren saw the tears of devotion and excitement in the eyes of Yuta and these Dalu elders, and he could empathize with them.

The dark clouds were swept away, and all that remained was the light of hope.

After a long while, after the prayer was over, the Dalu tribe elders' gaze towards Suren immediately changed.

Before, it was politeness, gratitude, and respect.

Now, it was closeness and enthusiasm, as if looking at a relative.

Suren thought this was good. He had a good impression of the Dalu tribe, and it was nice to be treated as a friend.

However, there was still a problem.

Due to the issue of seniority, everyone in this room, except for the deer-kin elder Mona who was the chief, was several generations younger than Suren.

Even though Suren declined in every possible way, he was still invited to the main seat and sat next to the chief.

Now that the sacred tree had recognized Suren, no one had any doubts anymore.

Everyone seemed very excited, discussing and asking questions about the oath and the descendants of the Isaac family.

However, Suren himself didn't know much, so he could only truthfully say, "I don't know much about the oath either. Ms. Ophelia is still in seclusion to recover due to some physical reasons. After a while, she will come here in person..."

The elders of the Dalu tribe were delighted to hear this.

The one who should fulfill the oath had appeared, and the prophecy was about to come true.

Recently, they had been overwhelmed by a series of bad news, but now they finally saw hope.

As they talked, Chief Mona also took out a copper scripture cylinder engraved with secret text from a wooden box in the tree-house.

Under everyone's gaze, he opened it and took out a yellowed sheepskin scroll, and solemnly said to Suren, "This is the oath scroll passed down by our tribe. Now that the descendant of the Isaac family has arrived, we will witness the restart of this oath..."

The scroll was unfolded with great ceremony, and everyone in the room looked solemn.

Suren saw that there were only a few simple sentences on the contract, and the content was roughly "The friendship between humans and the Dalu tribe will last forever."

Looking at the signature on the scroll, his eyes narrowed slightly.

It was the name personally signed by that demigod a thousand years ago.

Just seeing those words brought a sense of history and responsibility.

Suren took the quill that Yuta handed him, signed his name, and pressed his handprint.

Originally, he thought it would be more appropriate for Mirror to sign this contract.

However, he had contacted his senior sister when he came.

Due to the blood clan's hibernation and regression, she was still recovering her strength and needed some time.

In addition to bringing these words, she also specifically told Suren that he could represent the Isaac family and make certain decisions.

For example: signing the oath.

Mirror didn't treat Suren as an outsider,

And Suren himself had nothing to worry about.

He was a descendant of the Isaac family, and it was only right to follow the oath.

...

After the oath was signed, the other elders left first.

Only Yuta, the deer-kin chief Mona, and the Wolf Granny remained in the wooden house.

Suren had a little private matter.

He directly said, "In addition to the oath, there is another private matter that I need to trouble the two elders with. I would like to ask if your tribe has a solution to mental distortion?"

The deer-kin chief looked at Suren and asked, "Has Mr. Suren's mental power encountered some problems? Would you mind if this old man takes a look?"

"Of course not."

Suren held out his hand.

The deer-kin chief's hand glowed green as he examined it, his brow furrowed.

Then, he motioned for the Wolf Granny next to him to take a look.

Their gaze towards Suren also seemed very complex. It was the astonishment of seeing a tiger when they originally thought there was only a cat in the cage.

Seeing that the faces of the two were not very good, Suren knew that things might not be going so smoothly.

After they finished checking, he asked, "Two elders, is this problem very troublesome?"

"It is indeed very棘手 (jí shǒu, thorny; troublesome)."

The deer-kin chief pondered for a moment and said, "This situation should be because Mr. Suren listened to the whispers of a dark god. Those high-level information are beyond your current cognitive capacity, which led to the distortion..."

Speaking of this, those slightly cloudy but wise eyes glanced at Suren and continued, "And you are using your will to forcefully suppress this negative mental power, which is why it will lose control at any time and bring you trouble..."

As expected of the Dalu tribe chief, he hit the nail on the head.

The Dalu tribe had faith in gods, and they had been in close contact with gods. Therefore, in some ways, they knew more about the power of gods than alchemists.

Suren listened attentively, waiting for him to suggest a solution.

The deer-kin chief added, "Your willpower is astonishing, but this actually exacerbates the problem of distortion."

"Yes."

Suren nodded, agreeing with this statement.

He had realized this problem long ago, and suppression would only make the problem worse.

It was like trying to stop a flood with dams, which could only temporarily suppress it but not solve the root cause, and would only make it worse.

But he didn't have any other better methods.

He asked, "Two elders, can this problem be solved?"

The deer-kin chief said, "There is a way..."

Hearing this, Suren was overjoyed.

He had originally given up hope, but he didn't expect to receive an affirmative answer.

The deer-kin chief's tone changed slightly, and he added, "There are two methods, but neither can completely solve it. We can only try them first."

Having a solution was a good thing!

Suren looked at the old man with a sincere expression, "Please tell me."

The deer-kin chief added, "The first method is to stay in the holy land. It is protected by the God of Nature, which will suppress the influence of hearing the whispers of the dark god. There is also a rich natural force, which will help you to soothe those negative mental powers. Over time, even if it can't be completely solved, at least it won't cause it to backfire and endanger your life..."

"..."

Suren frowned slightly upon hearing this.

When he came in earlier, he clearly felt a sense of relief, and he had guessed that the old chief's method might be feasible.

But to give up such a wonderful world and live in seclusion for the rest of his life would be a real pity.

Probably guessing what he was thinking, the deer-kin chief smiled and said, "Our Dalu tribe's holy land always welcomes friends. However, you young people's aspirations should be in the wonderful world outside. Therefore, you should be more eager to hear the second method."

Suren didn't hide his thoughts and said sincerely, "Please teach me."

"That is to draw the 【Demon Devouring Totem】."

The deer-kin chief slowly said, "Originally, mental distortion was not too troublesome for our Dalu tribe. Our tribe has inherited a totem secret technique. By drawing some special totems, we can carry some abnormal power that the body cannot withstand. It is equivalent to adding an external container to the body, absorbing all the negative mental power. However, your problem is a bit special... The source of the whisper comes from a dark god, which means that the totem needs to be of a very high level."

"Totem secret technique?"

Suren heard some knowledge beyond his understanding.

Listening to this tone, it seemed possible, but also impossible.

The deer-kin chief said, "As you can see, our Dalu tribe's inheritance is broken. The kind of totem that can perfectly solve your mental distortion can only be perfectly drawn by a Great Druid of at least Seventh-tier..."

Hearing this, Suren's eyes flashed slightly with thought.

This was similar to what Mirror said.

He didn't feel regret. The old chief was able to suggest this method, which meant that there were some alternative methods that were feasible.

Sure enough, the deer-kin chief said again, "The tribe has inherited some incomplete totem secret methods. This old man is not sure to solve the problem, but he can draw a totem to temporarily suppress the distortion..."

"Temporarily suppress it..."

Hearing this, Suren's mind was digesting those words, while some other thoughts were racing.

Since there was a way to solve this problem, then he should work towards that goal.

If the conditions were not met, then he should find a way to make the conditions met.

In an instant, he thought of it.

Great Druid of Seventh-tier or above?

The strongest in the current Dalu tribe was only Fifth-tier, but that didn't mean there weren't any before!

A thought flashed through Suren's mind.

He thought of the ancient ruins in the "Cursed Valley" north of the forest that Yuta had mentioned.

Back then, all of the Dalu tribe's top experts had died there. Suren guessed that the ruins might be the same as the Dawn ruins, a passage to another dimension. Then, a large number of experts falling might have formed a "cursed space."

In the cursed space, he might encounter the former Great Druid.

He was planning to find the 【Mind Flayer】, so he could go and take a look.

If there really was a cursed space, and with his current relationship with the Dalu tribe, there would be a lot of room for maneuver...