Chương 19: the Golden Tree

Skill Leveled Up Mana Resonance has reached Level 5 Your sensitivity to ambient mana has deepened. You can now detect mana currents at greater distances. Emotional or elemental signatures leave clearer impressions. Certain ancient or dense mana formations may now "call" to you. Your understanding of magical structures grows sharper. James blinked as the notification faded from his vision. The forest around him seemed to sharpen, like his senses had expanded.

Every breath carried the faintest undercurrent of mana drifting through the air, and beneath his feet the roots pulsed with tiny, steady vibrations. Even the sunlight filtering between the leaves glimmered differently, as though threaded with something just out of reach. Lumen swooped into view, bobbing excitedly.

"Your mana sense is sharpening, James Wright. The forest is no longer just background, it's speaking. Listen."

"I am listening," James muttered.

"I just wish I spoke 'tree.'" James exhaled and sped up to join the others. Rogan walked in front, massive, silent, spear in hand, eyes scanning every shadow like he expected the forest itself to attack them. Kerrin followed beside him, rolling his shoulders with eager tension. Irla stayed close to James, hair swaying softly when the wind brushed through the trees. Her presence calm as a soft candle flame. Her new class gave her an aura now, like a quiet, living glow under her skin.

They hadn't been walking for more than thirty minutes before the forest changed. Again. But this time, James felt the change before anyone saw it. His Mana Resonance tugged at him, firm and insistent, a strange pull from somewhere behind his ribs that drew his attention forward with quiet certainty, more instinct than thought. James slowed.

"There's something ahead." Rogan halted instantly, turning on his heel.

"You sense danger?" James frowned.

"I don't know if it's danger. But it's… something. Mana-rich. Very mana-rich." Lumen spun a slow circle in the air.

"A source… or a wound… or a relic… or a guardian… or a..."

"Not helping," James said. The familiar dimmed a little, as if in apology. They kept walking, and at first it was easy to miss—a shift in the moss beneath their feet, colors deepening and changing, a faint shimmer along the undersides of leaves, the soft clicking of ferns curling in on themselves like something waking. It built slowly, the strangeness layering over itself until the forest felt almost playful in its oddness. Floating motes drifted lazily through the air.

They rose from the forest floor like seeds carried on a gentle breeze, glowing softly, pale blue, like tiny lanterns caught between the trees. One drifted close to James's cheek, close enough that he could see the faint pulse within it, slow and steady. He lifted a hand, drawn by the motion, and the instant his fingers touched it, the mote burst with a soft pop, dissolving into a scatter of glittering mana that tingled faintly against his skin.

Irla gasped, pressing a hand to her mouth as three more motes spiraled around her wrists.

"Oh… oh they're so lovely." Kerrin yelped as one drifted near his ear and detonated.

"They bit me!"

"That one liked you," Irla said cheerfully.

"They attacked me," Kerrin hissed. Rogan walked through an entire cloud of motes, covered in silent starbursts, without blinking once. The motes soon gave way to shimmering butterflies, their translucent wings veined in gold, their bodies glowing softly as they trailed faint ribbons of amber light behind them. They didn't behave like normal butterflies. They moved in loose clusters, circling and drifting together, and before long it became clear they had a preferred orbit. James.

"Oh no," he muttered as at least thirty of them settled into place around his shoulders, fluttering lazily like they'd adopted him on sight.

"They love you," Irla whispered, awe in her voice. James didn't miss a beat.

"Story of my life." He tilted his head back. It had stopped being butterflies. At some point it had turned into an entourage, dozens, then hundreds, circling him in a slow, widening halo.

"Oh yes," Lumen said cheerfully.

"Very attracted. Fascinated, even."

"That's… concerning," Kerrin muttered, clutching his spear.

"They won't hurt you," Lumen said.

"They just eat excess mana."

"Are they going to eat me?" James asked.

"Only a little."

"Right. Wonderful." Before he could brush them away, more lights arrived, small drifting lanterns of blue-green glow. Mana fireflies. They followed like a slow-moving constellation, circling overhead and spilling soft light into the darker pockets between the trees. A few grew bold enough to land on James's hair, his shoulders, even his ears, clinging there like he'd been quietly claimed. Irla leaned closer, her voice hushed with awe.

"It looks like they're protecting you."

"Or waiting for me to die," Kerrin murmured.

"Kerrin," James said, "please shut up." They walked deeper, and the ground began to slope downward. The air thickened, heavy, dense, ripe with mana. It felt like walking into humidity you could taste. James nearly stumbled as the Resonance tugged again. Harder.

"Something's calling," he murmured. Rogan tensed.

"A beast?"

"No," James said slowly.

"Not a beast. Something old." Lumen bobbed.

"Yes. Something saturated with mana. Old enough to remember storms. Old enough to shape them." Kerrin swallowed.

"We're still going toward it, right?" James nodded.

"We didn't come out here to knit scarves." Irla looked queasy.

"Scarves sound nice."

"Too late," James muttered. They pushed through a curtain of hanging vines, crossed a fallen log thick with glowing moss, and climbed a shallow rise where the earth beneath James's boots hummed faintly. Something pulled at them with every step, a steady insistence that only grew stronger as they moved. His Mana Resonance tugged again, sharper now, more urgent, guiding him forward without words.

He ducked under a low, massive branch, brushing aside the golden butterflies swirling around his face like a shifting crown. The air cooled beyond it, and a breeze drifted through carrying a scent he couldn't place, sweet and warm, like honey left in the sun. The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Then the forest opened. James stepped forward and stilled.

Rogan halted beside him, Kerrin going rigid a heartbeat later while Irla's breath caught softly in her throat. Even the butterflies hesitated, their slow orbit faltering into a quiet, suspended hush. Before them lay a small clearing, no more than thirty meters across, surrounded by a shallow stream that curved around it in a loose ring. The water glowed a faint jade, moving slowly around stones that gave off a soft, constant hum of mana.

The grass here grew longer, soft underfoot, each blade catching the light with a faint shimmer of dew. The air felt different, thick with mana, dense enough that every breath carried it. At the center of the clearing stood the source. A tree. Massive, ancient, and unlike anything James had ever seen. Its trunk was wide enough that twenty men couldn't have encircled it, the bark cracked with age and lined with faint golden streaks that looked almost molten.

Its branches stretched outward in a wide canopy, leaves glowing red-gold like they held heat within them. The leaves pulsed faintly, the motion slow and steady, like a distant heartbeat. Irla whispered, breathless, "Is that…?" Lumen's voice turned reverent.

"Oh… James Wright. That tree is overflowing with mana. I don't know what species it is. That means it's rare. Very rare. Possibly unique." James hardly heard him. His eyes were locked on one thing: Hanging from a low branch, nestled among the golden leaves, was a single fruit. Round, brilliant, glowing like a miniature sun. Its skin gleamed with metallic radiance, shifting between gold and crimson with each subtle pulse. Every instinct in James screamed: This is important. This matters. This is power.

Kerrin whispered, "It's calling to us."

"No," James murmured.

"It's calling to me." His Mana Resonance throbbed painfully, like it was trying to leap out of his chest. They slowly crossed the stream, water splashing around their legs, butterflies drifting after them in glowing arcs. James stepped onto the soft, shimmering grass. The tree pulsed once. Twice. His mouth went dry. Lumen whispered, trembling with barely contained excitement: "If we could take that fruit back James, we could learn so much... Its properties, its mana signature, its seeds..." Seeds.

James's heart quickened. What if…? No. One step at a time. He approached the tree slowly, butterflies swirling around him like drawn moths circling a lantern. Rogan stayed close, spear raised, eyes scanning the clearing. Irla watched the fruit with awe and fear mixing on her face. Kerrin simply stood there, stunned, as if he'd walked into the realm of a god. James took a single step toward the shimmering fruit and the ground trembled faintly beneath his boot. It was so subtle he almost dismissed it as nerves.

But his mana resonance flared with a warning pulse, a quick, sharp buzz along the edges of his senses. He froze.

"Everyone, step back." Rogan immediately shifted closer to James, bracing his spear. Kerrin blinked in confusion but obeyed. Irla retreated several steps behind them, the proper position, James noted, relieved she followed instinct. A healer belonged behind the fighters. The number one rule of every game he'd ever played: protect the healer. The earth swelled like something pushing up from underneath. Roots bulged and soil cracked. The mossy ground split open, and a mass of thorny vines burst upward.

It rose and unfolded, shedding clumps of earth as it twisted into shape. Its torso was made of interlocking bark plates, arms long and knotted like carved branches. Empty hollows formed its eyes, but green light oozed into place, glowing like swamp-fire. Sharp wooden antlers curled over its head in jagged horns. Spriggan – Level 9"Great," James muttered.

"We've got ourselves a miniboss." Kerrin swallowed hard, his grip tightening on his spear. Irla let out a shaky breath behind them. Rogan merely lowered his stance, calm and ready. James ran through it in his head. Level nine. Manageable, if they stayed calm and didn't get caught out of position. The forest guardian had reach and a strange, uneven rhythm to its movements, its hide thick enough to turn most blows.

Rogan would have to hold it, keep its focus, while the others circled and chipped away where they could. He pointed sharply.

"Rogan, you're the front line. Hold its attention, but don't commit too hard. I want Kerrin doing the actual hitting this time." Rogan nodded once, a short, focused gesture. James drew in a breath, steadying himself as the shape of it settled in his mind. He wasn't a soldier, had never led a fight like this, but he'd spent enough time watching how things fell apart when people panicked and how they held when everyone knew where to stand. Someone had to hold the line.

Someone had to wait for the right moment and strike clean. Someone had to keep the rest of them from bleeding out. He could almost see it as movement, Rogan anchoring the creature's attention, Kerrin slipping in at the edges, Irla just out of reach, ready to pull them back when it mattered. It was a basic strategy. And right now, it would have to be enough. He pointed again.

"Kerrin, you stay to Rogan's left and strike when it's open. Don't chase it if it moves, let Rogan reposition for you." Kerrin's eyes were wide, but he nodded all the same. James turned to Irla last.

"And you stay behind us. At all times. Heal when someone's hurt. Your first real fight doesn't need heroics, just do what you do best." Irla pressed trembling hands to her chest, but there was a thread of resolve in her voice when she answered.

"I'll… I'll try."

"You'll do fine," James said.

"Nobody moves before I say..." But the Spriggan had no interest in waiting. It lunged with shocking speed for something made of wood.

"Rogan intercept!" Rogan slammed forward, spear braced like a polearm. The Spriggan's branch-arm struck his weapon with a wooden crack, and the impact forced Rogan back a step, boots gouging dirt.

"Kerrin, angle right, now!" James barked. Kerrin rushed to the side but he misjudged the distance and overshot. The Spriggan's other arm whipped around, catching him in the ribs and flinging him backward. He hit the ground with a pained grunt. Irla gasped but kept her footing. Her hands glowed with faint mana as she hurried to cast a small burst of healing toward him. Pale light wrapped Kerrin's torso, easing his breath enough for him to stand.

"Good!" James said.

"Keep your eyes on him, Irla. Kerrin focus. Don't stop moving." The Spriggan roared, a sound like branches scraped together by a storm. Its thorny fingers lashed out in whipping arcs. Rogan ducked one, parried another with the butt of his spear, and tried to drive the creature back with brute force.

"Kerrin, wait for the backswing!" James called.

"You can tell the Spriggan commits heavily to its swing, there's a delay after each strike!" Rogan took another heavy blow on the shoulder and hissed through his teeth.

"IRLA, heal Rogan!" James snapped. Irla's hands glowed again and a warm ripple of mana spread across Rogan's back. His posture straightened with a grunt of relief.

"Don't stop casting," James murmured to her.

"Small frequent heals. No big bursts unless someone's dying, save your mana." Irla nodded, more focused now. Kerrin returned to the fight, face set with determination. He jabbed forward when the Spriggan overextended its next blow, but his spear bounced harmlessly along the creature's bark-like armor.

"No, no," James said sharply.

"Aim for the joints, where the vines twist. Wooden armor is strongest on the plates and weakest at the seams. Try lower!" Kerrin adjusted and thrust again, this time striking the Spriggan's hip joint. The creature jerked back with a shrill crackle, sap spraying like droplets of glowing resin.

"Yes! That's it! Again!" Rogan created the opening by shoving the Spriggan sideways. Kerrin dove in, landing another blow that dug in further. Irla kept a thin stream of healing magic flowing his way, steadying him each time he faltered. The Spriggan, frustrated, drove a vine-covered foot into the earth and sent thorny roots erupting outward. James yanked Irla aside just as a cluster of razor-thin tendrils burst upward where she'd been standing.

"Rogan, stay on it! Kerrin, circle!" James shouted. The fight became a slow dance, messy and uncoordinated but finding its rhythm all the same. Rogan took the heavy hits, anchoring the creature's aggression. Kerrin darted in whenever he spotted an opening, sometimes hitting true, sometimes hitting bark so hard that James winced. Irla stayed behind them, calling small reassurances under her breath as she healed, her mana light pulsing like the flutter of a timid firefly. Bit by bit, they began to sync.

Rogan shifted left intentionally, giving Kerrin a clear lane to strike the Spriggan's exposed back. Kerrin took the cue without needing James to shout. Irla anticipated the retaliation and healed Kerrin mid-step, steadying him before he stumbled. James felt a strange swell of pride. They're actually learning. The Spriggan reeled, vines snapping at odd angles. Its green-lit eyes dimmed as its bark-shell cracked. Rogan's spear tore open a vital seam.

Kerrin lunged forward and rammed his spear deep into the glowing inner core. The Spriggan convulsed, limbs flailing violently before it collapsed in a tangle of splintered wood and dead vines. A deep quiet settled over the glade. The butterflies drifted gently around the remains. The fireflies glowed softly in orbit. Rogan exhaled hard and leaned on his spear. Kerrin sat down abruptly, chest heaving. Irla sank to her knees with a small, disbelieving laugh that sounded half-hysterical, half-relieved.

James allowed himself a slow breath.

"You three did good," he said, voice warm but steady.

"A little chaotic, a little messy, but good." Kerrin managed a weak grin.

"Didn't feel good." Irla wiped sweat from her brow.

"My heart is still pounding." Rogan nodded in agreement.

"It was… a start." Kerrin finally let himself flop back onto the moss, chest rising and falling like a bellows. After a moment he lifted his head and said, voice breathless but bright with pride, "I... I leveled up. I'm… level eight now." He blinked at the glowing notification only he could see.

"And my Spear Mastery hit level four. Fighting Instinct is level three." Irla, still kneeling beside him, pressed a hand to her heart as if she'd only just realized something.

"I leveled as well," she said softly.

"I'm level nine now." James glanced over at Rogan, who stood leaning on his spear, breathing hard but steady.

"And you?" James asked. Rogan shook his head.

"Not this time." James let out a resigned sigh.

"Yeah… me neither." Lumen, who had been bobbing smugly over James's shoulder, chimed in with infuriating cheerfulness, "That's because of level discrepancy, James Wright. They gain more from the danger. And also you really contributed very little. Mostly yelling. Endlessly." James swatted at the floating orb.

"Go away." Lumen zipped backward indignantly.

"Rude." James clapped his hands once.

"Okay! That was good. Sloppy. Awkward. A comedy of errors in motion. But good." They stared at him. He grinned.

"And next time? Even better." The forest shivered around them, mana humming faintly as a warm breeze stirred the golden leaves. Then his Mana Resonance spiked in warning. James's smile faded as he looked toward the glowing tree. He had a feeling the Spriggan had been only the first guardian. The real danger was still waiting.