Chapter 108: Once-in-a-lifetime offer or…?
Oliver hung out with the other children as the elders continued their meeting.
Everyone discussed the strange phenomenon that had occurred in his clan some time ago.
He wanted to avoid talking about the Void Cloud Phenomenon, which had happened a while back. But Amber cornered him and started bugging him about it. Oliver tried to change the subject, but Amber kept nagging him about it.
Finally, Oliver told her to leave him alone and walked away.
He knew he was not a tolerant person, so before he was further tested, he decided to just walk away and leave the rest to Nadia.
He informed the maid that he was going to wander the forest and asked her to let the elder know once he’s back and about to leave.
It was better to be in this beautiful forest alone and appreciate the surroundings. He had always liked greenery; even behind his courtyard, there was a place filled with trees that he had made his secret spot of comfort.
The forest was silent except for the occasional melodious chirping sounds.
He sat against a tree and rested as he enjoyed the shade…
Unknowingly, he fell asleep in the calm and peaceful atmosphere. He was in the embrace of nature and surrounded by tall ancient trees. The smell of wooden bark and the gentle rustle of winds against his skin made him particularly relaxed.
Some time passed, it was a silent and relaxing sleep… until he felt some sort of uneasiness in his heart as he quickly opened his eyes.
He realized that he was no longer in the forest… but instead, he seemed to be in another unfamiliar place.
The surroundings had shifted from lush green to barren land filled with dried-out trees, completely opposite the previous lush green scenery.
He confusedly looked around, where was he?
He was just taking a relaxing nap for a moment, and the next thing he knew was that he was here.
Damn!
He cursed under his breath, he couldn’t even get a moment’s worth of relief, he really could not let his guard down in this world, even in something as peaceful as this forest.
This was such a harmless-looking forest and now this happened.
He should have been more careful when the surroundings were this silent.
‘Fuck, but where am I?’
He looked around and as far as his eyes could travel. all he saw was barren land and dying trees.
He still felt it would not be too late before the elders noticed his absence. He had an inkling that he was still in the same forest for some reason.
Swish!
He heard a whistling sound behind him and turned back only to see something unexpected.
Particles made out of light were slowly gathering in one spot as soon as a figure made purely out of bright light emerged or more like formed in front of his eyes.
He narrowed his eyes, properly examining this thing.
“Who are you?”
He looked at the creature with a humanoid build and undefined features; he wanted to know if the thing ahead understood what he said.
He heard a deep voice in his ears as he asked this, it most likely belonged to the thing.
“I am a spirit.” The thing’s face started to turn more defined as he further spoke, “I am one of the guardians of this forest, a forest spirit.”
The face of the spirit turned fully clear as an old man’s face was formed with a long beard.
“Why did you bring me here?” he suppressed his shock and asked the main thing first.
“Do you see the barren land in front of you?” The old spirit with a sad look in his eyes asked.
“No.”
“….”
The spirit’s form flickered for a moment as he looked back at the nonchalant Oliver again.
In return, Oliver also glared at the old spirit, his intent was clear.
What was the reason he was brought out here and where he was?
The old spirit shook his head and answered.
“This is a separate space that belongs to me exclusively; the scenery in front of your eyes right now is the future of this forest. In some years, the demons would wage a war and the flames of war will consume this beautiful land, plundering it of resources and nature’s wealth.”
The old spirit took a deep breath as he continued,
“I had brought you here after sensing a great power coiling inside your body. I am sure you have never seen a spirit before, my child.”
A kind look appeared on the old man’s face as he continued, “I really hope that you can help me protect this beautiful land which had been there for a few centuries now.”
“This here is the future of this land, this beautiful forest that I am showing you… don’t you feel sad? Looking at these beautiful and green trees turning dead…”
“I don’t.”
“…”
This guy was really outrageous!
The old spirit could not help but twitch violently after hearing him.
Looking at the angry old man, Oliver sighed as he finally said.
“Why did you bring me here? And even if I feel bad about it, what help do you want from me?”
The restless spirit beamed when he heard Oliver.
“It’s really simple; you just need to form a contract with me.”
Before Oliver could again reject him, the old man quickly quoted his benefits.
“It’s really beneficial for you too! You will gain enormous strength if you form a contract with me.”
The old man excitedly continued, “Not only will this forest become a place where you will gain an advantage, but you will also be able to use my powers as a spirit as per the contract. The only thing is that I would need from you is half of your espera as a payment.”
“Also, this is very normal; some spirits even exchange all your espera to form a contract. I am desperate, and that’s why I am willing to sacrifice.”
The old man looked pitiful as if he was making a huge loss.
He quickly added, “You don’t need to think much, such occasions are very rare; spirits rarely interact with the material world. You might never meet a spirit your whole life. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you!”