Chapter 284: The Forest's Pulse
Chapter 284: The Forest's Pulse
Lindsey recalled the events of yesterday's forest disturbance.
Under the guidance of the elders, several Awakened ones spent half a day to properly handle the situation.
Today's incident was not unexpected.
It was unlikely that Lindsey would need to lend a hand.
"Even if I'm not needed, I should at least know what's going on."
Lindsey had a plan in mind.
He turned to the Talo rabbit-person beside him and said, "Rily, I'm going to take a look outside."
"Can you stay at my place for now? Is that okay with you?"
"Mr. Lindsey..." Rily clearly didn't want Lindsey to act alone, but seeing the determined look on the human's face, she eventually acquiesced to his decision.
"Alright, I understand."
"Mr. Lindsey, I'll stay here and keep an eye on your home as well!"
"Then I'll leave it to you." Lindsey counted out five silver coins and handed them to Rily, settling today's wages in advance.
Then, he set off alone towards the outskirts of the city.
However, just a few minutes later, Lindsey heard the sound of a wagon approaching from behind.
He turned to look, and sure enough, it was Elaine, driving her cargo wagon to catch up with him.
"You're so fast."
Lindsey muttered in awe.
The merchant lady should have been busy on the commercial street.
Yet, she reacted so swiftly after the anomaly, driving her wagon directly to Lindsey's side.
Her decisiveness was no joke.
Elaine stopped the wagon beside Lindsey and asked casually, "Need a ride?"
Lindsey didn't refuse.
He jumped onto the wagon's long bench and inquired about the situation, "I heard some news from a Talo friend. Has something like this happened in the Forest Courtyard before?"
Elaine's attitude was subtle:
"That's not necessarily the case."
"Humans have only been here for a few decades, how can we claim to fully understand this place? Moreover, even humans sneeze multiple times in a row, why wouldn't the forest do the same?"
After expressing her thoughts, Elaine changed the topic, "So, Lindsey, where are you headed?"
"Mr. Cosevilet should have already left the city. I doubt you'd take this opportunity to sell goods, right?"
Lindsey pointed outside the city, "I want to go out and take a look."
Elaine reminded him, "At times like this, it's best not to venture too deep into the forest."
Lindsey had no such intention, "I'll just take a look at the outskirts."
After a brief exchange, Elaine drove the wagon, taking Lindsey swiftly to the north of the city.
The forest's anomaly had been ongoing for some time, and those living closer to the city had rushed back, their faces filled with unease as they hurried home.
The guards at the city gate also wore serious expressions.
Hearing the sound of the wagon, they immediately approached to inquire, "Miss Elaine, what are you up to?"
"I'm going out to check the situation."
"It might be dangerous out there!"
"Don't worry, I know my limits."
The guards, recognizing the Awakened one from the city, allowed them to pass after a brief chat.
Outside the northern gate, a spacious dirt road stretched out, with farmland and fruit trees nearby.
However, for a large city like this, the farmland area was quite small, almost comparable to the Hidden Frontier.
Lindsey furrowed his brows, "Elaine, is the farmland around Lookout City this scarce?"
The merchant lady, who also dealt in grain business, was well-informed, "Farming here is no easy task.
"Let's not talk about whether crops from other worlds can adapt to this environment. The very nature of the plants in the Forest Courtyard already foretells the trouble ahead."
"What you see here is the result of the Life Scholars' efforts."
As the two discussed, they made their way through the fields, reaching the forest's edge.
Elaine slowed down the wagon.
"How deep should we go?"
Lindsey jumped off the wagon without hesitation.
"This should be far enough."
"Oh?" Elaine's expression was one of bewilderment, but she immediately brought the wagon to a halt.
Lindsey jumped off first, taking two strides to reach the forest's edge, where the trees stood in twisted postures.
"The degree of distortion doesn't seem too different from yesterday," Lindsey observed.
"The biggest problem, I suppose, is the frequency of these occurrences."
Lindsey murmured, his hand touching one of the twisted Crowned Jamband Trees, and his Merchant skill activated:
【Plant: Crowned Jamband Tree】
【An ordinary plant, but due to the Earth Pulse of the forest being attacked, the forest's will is in turmoil.】
【A common plant in the forest, with little value.】
Lindsey furrowed his brows.
---
The Earth Pulse of the forest was under attack.
Another unfamiliar term, and one that seemed problematic. Lindsey turned to Elaine:
"Elaine, do you know about the Earth Pulse of the forest?"
"The forest? Earth Pulse?" Elaine's expression was perplexed. "Well, I do know about Earth Pulse. It refers to the latent Essence accumulated within the earth, and on a large scale, it can even form underground rivers, a truly wondrous sight."
"But as for the forest..."
The merchant girl spread her hands, "I'm afraid I'm not too clear on that. Perhaps it's a unique form of Earth Pulse unique to the Forest Courtyard? After all, this is a forest-themed world."
Lindsey inquired further, "If this forest's unrest is caused by human actions, what do you think their purpose might be?"
Elaine's expression turned sour, "Unless they're insane, this situation benefits no one."
"Lindsey, do you suspect this unrest is man-made? What have you discovered?"
Lindsey chose not to reveal the truth to her, merely shaking his head gently.
"It's just a hunch."
"Well, I'm still new to this world, and I like to ponder various matters."
With that, Lindsey turned to head back to the wagon.
He knew that this unrest was man-made.
After returning, he would remind the old wizard of this, as a repayment for their help yesterday.
However, staying here any longer would only invite trouble.
Lindsey had no such intentions.
His purpose was clear.
He would heal his burns in Lookout City, and then immediately set off for the City of Law.
Along the way, he would also gather information about Red.
He had plenty to do!
At that moment, a gentle breeze blew in from the distant forest.
As the refreshing wind caressed the forest, the once-distorted and swaying trees gradually calmed, and the sounds of birds and beasts finally returned to the forest.
Lindsey felt it clearly.
A powerful Essence suddenly appeared within the forest.
But the owner of this power did not use brute force to subdue the forest; instead, they employed a gentle and peaceful method to regulate the chaotic and tense atmosphere, and only then did everything return to calm.
---
The power of a Stage Seven wizard.
Standing at the forest's edge, Lindsey clearly sensed the wizard's power and, to some extent, understood the wizard's way of handling problems.
Elaine smiled and approached, whispering in Lindsey's ear:
"You felt it, right? The power of the wizard."
"With them here, even if someone has ill intentions, they won't be able to stir up any trouble."
(End of Chapter)
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