Leaving town, Hari stopped by the guards to let them know we were heading out on patrol. It was then that I learnt another group should already be on their way back from patrolling the forest's edge, and unless something had delayed them, we'd likely pass them within a few hours.

The guard also suggested we speak with them about what they'd seen or encountered so that we could all stay better informed and avoid getting caught off guard.

Which, thinking about it, made complete sense.

The land between the town and the forest had been mostly cleared over decades of logging. It left a wide-open buffer zone between the settlement and the treeline. In the end, it didn't take us long to reach the forest's edge, and as a group, we set a slow pace, riding along it.

It was a strange feeling. The woods looked so peaceful—so calm—but I knew that not far inside, there were creatures of nightmares… and riches.

Then I paused and couldn't help but let out a laugh.

Riches…

Even now, I could hardly believe where I was, what I was doing, and how much I had. Not even two months ago, the idea of earning two coppers a week excited me. Now? I didn't even know how rich I'd be if I just sold everything in my storage.

As we rode, I decided to activate Arcane Foraging on and off. I used it in short bursts, searching around for anything that stood out from the dull blue glow that marked most things in the forest. So far, there was nothing unusual.

An hour into the ride, I spotted something odd.

"It looks like there's a blue mass just inside the forest up ahead—kind of like what the Galvonson looked like in the cave," I said to the group.

Hari pulled up his horse, and the others followed suit. He asked Liane to scout ahead, and after I pointed out where I'd seen it, she slipped into the trees and vanished.

We waited several minutes before Liane reappeared.

"It looks like the carcass of a large rock boar. Seems fairly fresh," she said, re-approaching the group.

"Any idea what killed it? See anything else?" Hari asked.

"No. The forest is unusually quiet in there. The boar looks like it was bludgeoned to death by something. Its head is a… well, it's a mess."

"Hmm. Okay—everyone be on guard. That boar didn't just die on its own. Trevor, I want you riding on the far side, away from the forest," Hari ordered.

Just like that, we rode in formation, with Hari riding closest to the forest's tree line. Liane had gone back in to scout the woods as we travelled, and her horse was tied to mine.

We rode like this for at least two hours before spotting another group approaching from the distance. When we met, Hari and their leader dismounted and greeted each other. I noticed that even while talking, both of them kept a wary eye on the forest.

"Any trouble on the path?" I heard Hari ask.

"A little bit of activity—nothing too dangerous. We've spotted several Phase Spiders, so just be mindful of that. How about yourselves?" the man replied.

"Nothing at all, honestly. There was a bludgeoned rock boar about two hours south of here, but we couldn't find what caused the disturbance. Other than that, we've not run into anything," Hari explained.

"Nothing at all? That's a relief. Maybe the monster swarms are finally coming to an end," the man said with a sigh.

Hari didn't look convinced. "I'm not so sure. It was a large carcass, and something had done significant damage to it. Just be careful—it was still a fresh kill, and not far from the forest line."

"I see. Thanks for the warning. We'd best get moving. Best of luck to you and your team, Hari," the man said, returning to his horse.

"And to you as well, Adam. Enjoy your rest when you get back to town," Hari replied, mounting up again.

And just like that, we parted ways.

We didn't have a particular end goal to reach before nightfall. Hari said he'd rather take it slow, so we didn't miss anything. I continued using my Arcane Foraging, but nothing stood out. I did manage to snag some lemon tea grass along the edge though. Despite Hari's protests, Jen ended up winning that argument by pitching the benefits of speed buffs.

It was late afternoon when Liane emerged from the forest again.

"See anything?" Hari asked immediately.

"No, it's been very strange—there's a lot of activity in there, but it's all actively avoiding the edge," Liane said, glancing back towards the trees.

"Fear of adventurers, or something?" he asked.

"No… I don't think that's it at all. I saw a couple more carcasses—not as fresh as the boar—but all bludgeoned to death in the same manner," she said, concern clear on her face.

"We should be careful when we set up camp. Something's not right," she added.

Hari just nodded.

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Liane didn't return to the forest after that. Instead, she rejoined the group, and we rode for another hour into the late afternoon before deciding to stop.

I watched as Milo created the shelter, and what he formed this time resembled the reinforced structure we'd used on the mountain, rather than the standard one we normally used on the road. Once the horses were settled into their section with food, water, and a quick brush down, I got to work on dinner.

I was sitting at 9 out of 10 for my evolution quest—and I was incredibly excited to see what I'd get.

I was trying to decide what to cook when I spotted the three Wind Hawks Liane had collected a while back. Part of me wanted to cook the Galvonson, but honestly, I didn't even know where to start with something that massive.

I pulled out the three birds, wondering how to prepare them. First, they needed to be cleaned.

Once that was done, I started contemplating how to proceed. I remembered that in the past I'd used fire salts as a rub on the outside of meats, so I decided on something similar here. I mixed a little of the ground Blood Tears, some dried Virfolium, salt, and pepper, and rubbed it into the skin of the birds.

Next, I took out the Dawnroot. I knew its value now, but I really wanted to try it. So I used just a little—three thin slices, one into each bird—hoping that would be enough to impart its buffs.

The last thing I wanted to try was using some Ironwood in the fire with Crisplet. I didn't know if it would work, but it felt worth a shot.

With the birds skewered onto iron spikes, I placed them near Crisplet's fire and explained the goal to the little elemental. I received a burst of bright sparks in response.

I had no idea what the results would be, but I'd chosen ingredients known for their regenerative qualities. That was what I was aiming to pinpoint—what caused the regeneration, and how much was needed.

While the birds cooked, the small space quickly filled with a wonderful aroma. I pulled out some of the dough I'd purchased and began portioning it into ten rolls.

"I'm surprised you brought that," Jen said, settling in nearby.

"Oh? Why's that?" I asked curiously.

"You said if anyone helps you during the cooking process, you can't infuse it—right?"

I sat there, stunned for a moment, with a roll in my hand. How could I have been so stupid? I'd been so excited to infuse the rolls, but of course it wouldn't work. The bakers had kneaded the dough.

"I wasn't thinking…" I said sheepishly. Jen and Liane both let out a laugh.

"Well, if anything, it'll be a good test—because technically, the baker didn't cut or cook anything, right?" Jen said.

But I didn't believe it. The rules had been super strict until now. Why would this be any different?

"I don't think it'll work," I mumbled. "Wine didn't work, and Geo said they just ferment it in barrels."

"That's mostly true," Milo added, "but it depends on the wine. Some places heat the grapes as part of the mashing process before putting them in barrels. So, it's possible that counted as cooking."

Both Jen and Liane looked at him.

"How do you even know that?" Jen asked.

"I'm a mage. I did research on what jobs I could do outside of adventuring," Milo said with a laugh.

I still didn't think it would work—but I hadn't given up all hope.

While we'd been talking, the wind must have picked up outside because I could hear the trees rustling loudly. I really hoped there wouldn't be a storm. Since leaving Dunhearth, I'd been lucky—aside from a few cloudy days, the weather had mostly been fine.

Just as I thought the meals were nearly done, there was a loud creak of wood. It was close, especially considering we'd moved away from the forest line to set up camp.

It seemed I wasn't the only one to notice. Nearly all eyes in the room turned towards the sound.

A moment later, something large slammed into the structure. The horses immediately started to panic, their frantic noises echoing through from the next room.

Looking around, I saw everyone already on their feet. Liane and Jen had both taken a bite of a cookie I'd prepared. Milo had some jerky in hand. I didn't see if Hari had eaten anything—but they were all preparing for combat.

Another heavy blow struck the roof.

"Treants?" Jen asked.

"Seems like it," Hari said, peering through the lookout window. "Heading out the front door would be bad. Milo, can you make us a rear entrance, then reinforce this building?" Hari ordered.

Milo got straight to work, creating a hole in the back wall just large enough for everyone to get through. He stayed behind a moment longer, adding another layer of darker stone to the interior of the structure.

A moment later, I heard Hari's voice shouting from outside.

"Not ancient—that's a relief! We need to remove their limbs before we can beat them down. Liane, mana drain. Toxins to the core would be ideal," he called out, followed by affirmations from the others.

Then came the sound of weapons clashing. Hari's sword was the most distinct, followed by a loud crash against metal. I hoped that was his shield—not him.

Milo finished up the reinforcement and ran outside with the others.

I noticed the windows were still intact, and although I knew it wasn't exactly smart, I crept over to one to try to watch what was happening outside.

Through the glass, I could see that one of the Treants had most of its larger branches removed and was moving noticeably slower than the others. Liane darted in and out of the canopy, appearing in the branches of all three trees, stabbing them with her daggers and vanishing before they could retaliate.

Jen was hammering the same spot on a branch over and over with her arrows, slowly cracking it. Hari, spotting the damage, struck the same branch hard with his sword, snapping it off completely.

The team moved with practised coordination—especially once Milo arrived. Large stones began slamming into branches, helping to weaken and break them.

But what truly surprised me was when I saw the slower Treant catch fire at its base.

I knew Milo could conjure fire, but I'd never seen him use it offensively before—at least, not like this.

The flames spread rapidly, and as I turned to glance back at the others, I saw the same look of surprise on their faces.

It couldn't be...

I turned towards the campfire, where the birds should have been cooking. It was practically out—reduced to dull embers.

Crisplet was missing.

"No!" I yelled, panic rising in my chest. This was wrong. Crisplet wasn't a combat elemental. Why was he out there?

I was torn. I wanted to run outside and bring him back, but I remembered—vividly—what happened to that villager who ran out of cover during the Galvonson attack. He died instantly.

I froze, helpless, watching in horror as a second Treant caught fire. The first, now fully ablaze, tried to retreat, but Jen and Milo were already hammering it with everything they had. It didn't make it far.

A moment later, it fell.

The second Treant, now a roaring inferno, was suffering the same fate. Jen and Milo didn't let up.

"We've got the last one, Crisplet! Don't light it up—the wood will be useful!" Hari called out, engaged with the final Treant.

I watched as the other two blazed like giant bonfires.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement. Crisplet re-entered the structure through the back door and floated straight to the fire pit.

"Crisplet?" I said, still stunned.

A burst of bright sparks answered me as he nestled back into the embers, which flared back to life as though nothing had ever happened.

"Why?" was all I managed to say, staring at the little elemental.

In response, Crisplet shifted into his volatile red flame, gave a sudden, sharp burst of sparks—then settled back into his usual glow.

I had no idea what that meant. I was in shock.

Turning back to the window, I saw the final Treant was nearly done. With all four of them focused on it, it had lost most of its branches and was barely moving.

Then it fell.

A moment later, Crisplet burst into sparks again—letting me know the food was ready.

With everyone outside, I just quietly stored the cooked birds.

Then I saw the notifications.

Notification:

You have earned 100 bonus experience for a buff used in combat

…

Evolution Quest: Create 10 unique dishes. Completed!

Three evolution options are available for Basic Meal Prep.

"Three?" I muttered

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