Adrian’s blurry vision could only see Kanlaon’s body becoming particles of light. He started standing and wanted to know what happened so he looked at the system notifications in order to make sense why Kanlaon suddenly died.

A fatal blow has been delivered to your soulbound Kanlaon.

Adrian stood up with a ringing headache because even he became damaged and half his health is gone just like that. A figure suddenly started emerging from the Whimsical Forest. The silhouette of a large entity started walking towards Adrian but the entity stopped at the edges of the forest.

His vision is still a bit blurry but he could make out the look of the entity. It looked like an old man that is hunchbacked. It is about 2 meters tall despite being hunchbacked. The skin of the hunchbacked old man resembles that of rotten tree bark.

The hunchbacked old man also appears to be wearing some sort of large hat. But when Adrian’s vision cleared a little, the hat is actually a large head of a mushroom. The hunch backed old man’s body is also covered in mushrooms here and there. His back especially as it is filled to the brim with mushrooms.

His face resembled that of an old man that is in his 80s while the wrinkles on his face looks like tree carvings. The eyebrows of the hunchbacked old man looked like decayed grass while his beard is made up of leaves that show no signs of life.

The hunchbacked old man just stared at Adrian and did not even take a step forward. It seems that he could not physically step out of the forest so Adrian breathe a sigh of relief for the time being. The old man still looked at Adrian and his vision not even shifting.

The hunchbacked old man just stared at Adrian without even blinking. Adrian though just stared back because he thought something might happen if he avoided the old man’s gaze. The inactivity of the old man suddenly stopped when it raised its arm up and made it stretch towards Adrian.

Adrian thought he is seeing things but it seems that the hunchbacked old man is not wearing a costume. The hunchbacked old man himself is made out of a dead tree with mushrooms growing on him. That same old man is stretching its arms towards Adrian so the only thing that the latter could do is limp away.

Adrian could only limp away because his body has yet to stabilize from the fall. Also, the stretching arm of the old man is coming at him faster than he could limp away. The barky hand of the old man is about to reach Adrian when something cut the arm.

Adrian turned around to see what is happening behind him and he is shocked because someone is actually there. Adrian did not even notice that someone is actually behind him and he is very perceptive of that. This only means that the person that suddenly appeared is higher leveled than Adrian by leagues.

The person who appeared behind Adrian is actually a woman donning armor made of bright green leaves. The armor did not look sturdy and Adrian even questioned if that could even protect her. The woman also wielded two tonfas that looked like it is made using sturdy trees.

The woman is extremely beautiful and she had her golden hair tied in a horsetail hairstyle. Adrian could not clearly see her face and could only see her back because she is facing the hunchbacked old man.

“I thought we made our agreement clear Toadstool. You are not to leave the premises of your forest. That is the agreement.” The woman reprimanded the hunchbacked old man.

“I am just punishing a trespasser, Emera. You of all people should know that is acceptable.” Toadstool replied sounding apathetic.

“Nevertheless, you have broken the rules and tried to encroach upon our territory. Do you want to battle it out? I am always ready for a battle.” Emera replied while she tightened her grip on her tonfas.

“You can clearly see that the boy is a demon. I am sure he will bring destruction to us.” Toadstool scoffed.

“He could have just mistakenly transport himself here and is allured by your deadly forest.” Emera scoffed back.

“My forest is lovely. It is the most beautiful thing to have been grown here in Alfheim and you know it.” Toadstool replied with a happy expression whenever he thinks about his forest.

“Deranged old man. If a bloodthirsty forest is beautiful then you are crazy. Anyways, leave the boy alone now. I will not ask kindly next time old man. He is within our borders so our rules apply to him now and not yours.” Emera said in a commanding tone.

“You are lucky I am a stickler for the rules or else.” Toadstool scoffed one last time and he turned his back. He completely disappeared from view as if he blended back inside his forest.

“And you? Mind telling how you came to our world?” Emera asked the still shaken Adrian.

Adrian finally saw the woman’s face and could only call it beautiful. She looked like her face is sculpted by an artisan. She had green eyes and light green eyebrows. Her nose is perfect for her face that is small and somewhat thin.

She looked like an elf that is a hundred times more beautiful and elves are already beautiful. Emera had a different air around her though as Adrian could feel a calming aura from her. Adrian told her why he is here in Alfheim. 𝑖𝘦𝑎.𝗇t

Adrian told her that he needed to cure the world tree that is located at the home of the elves but she reacted differently when she heard the name Danaya. Emera suddenly turned hostile when she heard that name uttered. Emera pointed her tonfas at Adrian while the latter became dumbfounded.

“That freaking old man! I knew that the name of his acquaintance is no simple thing.” Adrian thought.

“Speak! Why do you know the name of the elder dryads?! How I treat you would be dependent on your answer.” Emera asked in a serious tone.

“One of our elders is an acquaintance of your elder. I was tasked to bring here this.” Adrian stated as he brought out a bejeweled box which made Emera blush.

“Why is she blushing?” Adrian thought.

What Adrian did not know is that this bejeweled box is special. For dryads or leshies, a gift that had the fruits of the earth is very special. It could be said to be a token of love or appreciation so it is not wonder why Emera suddenly blushed.

Emera coughed and immediately told Adrian to open the box but he could not. Emera thought that he is not opening it because he is tasked not to. She eventually tried to pry open the box and she could not budge the lid. It is like the lid is glued shut so that no one can get what is inside.

“Why is it not opening?!” Emera shouted as her face is becoming red from using excessive force.

“It has a seal in it and it could only be opened using high tier magic.” Adrian replied as he remembered what Ascalor told him.

Emera still did not believe him but the aura that is radiating from the boy is making her trust him. She still held suspicion so she directed Adrian to the guard quarters. Adrian followed her so that he could easily accomplish what he is tasked with.

“I was not even given a mission by Ascalor and his task already mentally tires me out. I almost got killed by a crazy old man and now I am going to be held hostage.” Adrian grumbled as he followed Emera to the guard post.

Along the way, Adrian encountered other faekin at the outskirts of the village. Faekin from old to young and each had different colors. Some wore glittery outfits while others wore clothes made of leaves. Adrian guessed that fairies wore the glittery outfits while dryads and leshies wear clothes made of leaves or bark.

The one thing that surprised Adrian is that young fairies do not have wings yet or those that look like teens have petite wings that cannot carry them. The fairies have a different type of beauty compared to the dryads or leshies. The fairies are more in the category of cute and beautiful while the dryads or leshies are in the extremely beautiful category.

The houses of the faekin are also different from the way the elves designed their houses. If one were to describe the houses then it would be organic. The faekin houses looked like it is grown from the ground because they looked like oversized fruits or plants.

The most notable thing that Adrian could view is a giant tree from the horizon. The distance from the village looked so far but that could only mean that the tree is enormous. The tree looked like a version of the world tree that is a hundred times bigger. Adrian had to admit that it is a grand sight that would become a seven wonder of the world if it is real.

The two finally arrived at the guard post in the quaint village. There are a decent number of guards despite the village being little. It seems that is the case because of that deranged old man that is in the Whimsical Forest.

“So what is the deal with that old man?” Adrian asked before Emera left to convey his message to her elder.

“Do not mind him. He is just too engrossed in his own world.” Emera replied.

“Okay then. Please tell Elder Danaya that Elder Ascalor from the Daemos race wants to give her something.” Adrian replied and Emera nodded before setting off to go the her elder.

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