There were still around three hours left for the sunrise and we were still a bit a distance away from reaching the lake, so we rested where the fight had ended.
Nine corpses were laying on the ground before us.
Three chibi ninjas and six plants were burned by the (Chain lighting).
After burning, the plant monsters didn’t turn into ashes and were only burned from the outside.
I still had to check all nine of them to see if any of them had a skill stone or maybe a core.
Core and similar objects were important and we can use them as life-saving items.
The energy inside a core can cast an over-tier spell or power a big, wonderful artifact.
The one I got from the ghost was superb as it was almost a (Yellow) ranked one.
I still needed an appraisal skill to check what things I had in my storage.
From that white core to the white drop of liquid I got from the top of the great baniya tree.
I had even picked up many herbs, flowers, and plants that looked useful or contained Mana. 𝒃𝙚𝙙𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝒍．𝒆𝒕
It was difficult, but I now had many useful things.
And the lake I was going to would have more useful and rare herbs than the one I had.
I didn’t know what to expect from that place, but I knew I would have to face many tough opponents if I went there.
I wanted to avoid it, but… it would be a colossal waste of opportunity, resources, and experience.
I was following the direction of the sun ever since I started moving in this forest.
And I had to cross this lake to go to the other side.
The lake was vast.
It was big enough that I can see the edges of it from any high tree and the winds carried the cool breeze with them, showing that this place was ‘clean’.
If there is a lake, there might also be water beasts and animals.
A lake also meant fish and fruit trees.
And, maybe the <Ancient Willow> that I saw from the hot-air balloon was also there.
A giant tree, bigger and mightier than the great baniya tree.
This willow tree was extraordinary, and it was called <Ancient Willow> because of its long lifespan.
It was some of the longest living trees recorded in history books.
There were only three trees with similar lifespans in the whole great empire.
They were protected life forms because they created a unique ecosystem of their own.
I didn’t know that much about them, but I sure as hell couldn’t miss the chance to see such a magnificent tree.
I might not see another one ever again if I missed the chance.
And I couldn’t lose the chance to collect the <Ancient Willow Catkin>. a flower treasure used to make medicines that can be as efficient as holy water.
As well as the <Red capsule of Willow>, if I was blessed enough to have it.
This fruit was nothing less valuable than an (Indigo) ranked skill.
A fruit that one could only get by the acknowledgment of the will of the ancient tree.
Just like distinguished elements of nature, all <Ancient Trees> had a will of their own.
Though they shed flowers on their own and anyone that can get them, the fruits were different stories.
They were miraculous fruits and just having them could boost the Mana, as well as the natural powers of nearby creatures.
It was something everyone wanted, but being acknowledged by the ancient trees was an arduous task for anyone.
On top of that, they didn’t produce these fruits in large quantities, and just reaching maturity took hundreds of years.
So… we can call them legendary fruits.
Well, to reach there, I will most definitely have to cross this lake first.
“A long journey is ahead of us, Celes. Let’s do well~.”
[[ Yes~! I will protect you, so don’t worry, master~. ]]
“Yes… we will protect each other~,” I answered her with a warm smile.
I had someone to protect me, such a great thing to think.
We slowly talked, and time passed.
As time passed, there were enormous insects that ate the bodies lying before us.
We were a tree, so no one would even know of our existence.
The time passed, and we saw it littered the ground with bugs and different insects that ate away the flesh and blood on the ground.
The plant beasts that were burned on the inside were eaten piece by piece by a lizard-like creature.
The beetles and cockroach-like creatures cleaned the blood.
A white, moth-like creature with an ant-like mouth ate away at the chibi ninja’s bodies.
I watched all this with an intriguing expression.
One of the reasons I remained in this place was also to see how everything got cleaned up every time I left it outside my cave.
After cleaning the bodies, they quietly left the place to find another such feast.
This whole thing was a wonderful experience to watch, and I actually liked researching and knowing new stuff about these unknown beasts.
One more thing that I liked about this was… the orange-black skill stone they left after finishing the ninjas.
I would have killed them if I wanted, but they just sincerely left after finishing their feast.
With the first sunrays, I got up and walked towards the skill stone.
I wanted to use this but… I just stored it in my white crack for now.
It would be a problem if I learned a skill that didn’t suit me.
There were limits in learning the skill from a power stone, too.
I was lucky with quickstep but I might not be able to handle this skill and end up perishing.
Sun started rising, and I started walking forward.
Jumping on a tree, I reached another open area.
There was something peculiar going on here that caught my eye.
I stopped on a tree branch and turned into a similar tree branch.
I looked down at two beautiful birds, which looked like pigeons and had bright orange feathers.
One had red color at the tips of its feather and the other one had green as its ends.
The red one looked like a female, while the green one looked like a male trying to impress the female.
Just like the duck, this pigeon was trying to show its interest through dominance and a slow dance.
But this dance… it was more like a solo ballet.
A sophisticated dance that even mesmerized me.
The female was also getting interested in this dance with the other male.
These birds were two meters tall, and the dance was more beautiful when the female pigeon joined her.
Extending her heft feather, as if offering a kiss on the back of her hand, she took her stance.
The male accepted it with a smiling face and picked out her top feather.
Pulling her towards him, he also offered his right hand while hugging her from behind.
She smiled and also picked out his last feather.
They completed their small ceremony, and their dance continued.
“Such peculiar things…”
I mumbled under my breath and walked away from these (Yellow) ranked beasts.
[Flame Ballet Pigeon]
Fighting them was meaningless when they had just started making out and if I disturb their special time… I don’t want to think that thing.
The lake was just ahead and if something new appeared, this thing would get more difficult than it had to be.