This Necromancer Just Wants to Plant Trees - Chapter 22 (Patreon)

"Here, take this," Ella handed a small moon goddess follower's badge to Matthew.

Matthew reached out and took it, only to find that it was a moon goddess follower's badge.

"Can I use this too?" Matthew asked in surprise.

Ella's tone carried a hint of awkwardness, "The goddess is merciful, and it's for general followers."

Matthew could sense a bit of bitterness in her words. She was saying, "I gave you the badge in advance, so at least believe in the goddess a little!"

He lowered his head to inspect the badge. On the front was a shining moon breaking through the clouds, and on the back was a forest under the moonlight, with the silhouettes of many small animals.

A pretty standard badge design.

"Aesia's Smile (Divine Badge): Increases the wearer's movement speed under moonlight by 30%. Description: Can be used five times a day with 'Moonlight Art.' Even in pitch-dark spaces, this badge can bring a touch of moonlight to your life."

If there was only one Moonlight Art, it would be somewhat lackluster, but the movement speed bonus was quite appealing. With Matthew's swift legs and the effect of the divine badge, who knew how fast he could run?

"Praise the moon!" Matthew exclaimed as he quickly fastened the badge to his chest, singing praises from the heart.

Ella's initially downcast mood immediately improved upon seeing his reaction. She said, "Thank you, Matthew. Oh, there are a few things we need to discuss before entering the cave."

Miss Owl spoke seriously:

...

"First, as your guide, I will stay with you from the beginning to the end when dealing with the Mad Seer Insects. I hope you can protect me because I'm not good at combat. I really don't want to go into the cave, but the goddess insists. Please, Matthew, don't let me die!"

...

"Where did I leave off? Oh, second, this underground cave is extremely complex. It not only belongs to the Moonlit Forest but also connects to the main material plane and some unknown planes. There may be terrifying creatures lurking deep inside, especially below the 10th floor! So we must be careful during our exploration. Although the Mad Seer Insects mostly appear in the first 10 floors, there are times when you might accidentally go deeper. I hope you're prepared."

...

"Third, there are several other druids inside the cave doing the same work as you. The goddess doesn't want conflicts between you, which is why she gave you divine badges in advance. These are the appearances of those druids -"

...

As she spoke, magical portraits of the druids appeared in front of Matthew. He scanned them briefly but lingered a bit longer on the last female druid.

"I've remembered them, but whether or not unpleasant things happen doesn't depend on me. You should understand that," Matthew said with a light smile, looking at Ella.

Ella blushed and lowered her head. She then pledged, "I will explain things to them. Those druids all like me, and with me around, they won't cause you any trouble. So, you must protect me!"

"I'll do my best," Matthew replied.

Ella still seemed a bit anxious. She perched carefully on Matthew's shoulder and asked, "So, are we going in?"

Matthew shook his head, "Entering like this won't work. I need to go back home."

Ella immediately became anxious, "You don't mean...?"

Matthew calmly replied, "As you can see, I'm a necromancer."

"No, absolutely not! I can't let undead creatures defile the Moonlit Forest. Even taking one step further into the forest would be a blasphemy against nature and the goddess!" Ella was emotional, patting on Matthew's shoulder.

Matthew had expected this reaction. Once Ella's excitement had calmed down, he casually asked, "If I don't summon undead creatures, will you help me in the front lines?"

Ella fell into silence.

"Anyway, it's not possible!" she said firmly. "Not possible, Matthew!"

"Ugh, fine... I hate you, Matthew!"

...

"Alright, we're going in."

Half an hour later, in the dim underground cave, a line of skeletal soldiers systematically explored the dark unknown.

Matthew led the way.

Ella, with a face full of resentment, perched on his shoulder.

The visibility inside the cave was poor, but Matthew had prepared torches. One skeleton soldier in the front and one in the back each held a torch, illuminating the surroundings.

The terrain here resembled underground caves but was more humid, as if the entire cave had been submerged in water for a long time.

As Matthew walked, the constant dripping of water and the echoing sound of footsteps filled the air. The underground plants, on the other hand, were withered and lifeless, as if some force had drained their vitality.

"Is this the Mad Seer Insects' doing?"

In a corner up ahead...

A skeleton soldier was mechanically digging into a seashell-shaped, purple fleshy shell with its bionic forearm. Inside the shell were greenish-yellow mucus and pus, along with remnants of insect-like creatures.

"This is a destroyed insect nest," Ella explained with restraint, "Do you see the crescent moon mark on the wall over there? It has a checkmark above it, indicating that the nearby Mad Seer Insects have been cleared out, including their nests."

Matthew nodded, having noticed the mark earlier, probably left by other druids.

"We need to pay close attention to these marks," Ella entered guide mode, "If there's an exclamation mark above the crescent moon, it means there are many insects nearby, and there might even be Mad Seer Wardens around! They're formidable creatures, the elite of the Mad Seer Infected."

They continued onward, and the journey went relatively smoothly. Apart from withered underground plants, destroyed nests, and a few burn marks, they encountered nothing new.

Soon, they reached a Y-shaped intersection where both paths led to the second level of the Mad Seer Insect Nest.

Matthew didn't rush to decide because he heard footsteps and conversation coming from the left cave.

"This place is too narrow, Samantha. My Wild Form is restricted, and we have to be on guard against infection at all times. I have to admit; this is one of the more challenging tasks I've received," a deep male voice said with a magnetic, somewhat imposing tone.

"So, you understand how I felt earlier, right? You're Eli, the Ancient Tiger, after all. If you find it challenging, it's only natural that I have to put in more effort," a female voice responded with a laugh.

But the male voice suddenly stopped and exclaimed, "Someone's here!"

Moments later, a man and a woman emerged from the left cave. They were dressed in simple linen clothes. The man was tall with a well-built, muscular chest and dense chest hair exposed. The woman was tall and curvaceous, with long eyes and a wild, beautiful face.

"Hello, Samantha!" Ella greeted them. "Did you just come up from below? How's the situation down there? My little brother and I are about to go down to take a look."

Samantha remained silent and simply stared at Matthew. The tall man, on the other hand, calmly said, "The Moonlight Covenant relies on Samantha alone, so the situation below is undoubtedly chaotic. The number of Mad Seer Wardens is increasing, and the worst part is that they're good at escaping. I just dealt a heavy blow to one, but it managed to get away."

Ella looked at him in amazement and asked, "Are you Eli, the Ancient Tiger of the Earth Covenant, as the legends say?"

Eli smiled warmly, "I'm just a Tier 3 Shapeshifter, not worthy of the title Ancient Tiger. You should call me that when I complete my final hunting task - tearing that damned dragon to shreds after pulling it out of the glacier."

He then turned his gaze to Matthew and asked, "A necromancer?"

Samantha inquired, and Matthew nodded in confirmation.

Ella hastily said, "It's not as you think, Samantha. Matthew is a good person. He's here to help us. You have to trust me. I can't compromise with evil."

Seeing her expression, Matthew felt both touched and amused. He chimed in, "Not every necromancer is evil. In fact, I'm here to rid this place of evil."

Eli raised an eyebrow, his eyes scanning the skeleton soldiers. He seemed like he wanted to do something but was stopped by Samantha.

"Let's go!" Ella urged Matthew into the cave.

Matthew shrugged and commanded the skeleton soldiers to lead the way, following behind.

As they disappeared into the cave, Eli frowned and said, "You should have let me intervene. At the very least, I should have dismantled those skeleton soldiers. How can the sacred ground of nature tolerate the presence of undead creatures?"

Samantha shook her head and replied, "There's no need, Eli. The situation in the Moonlit Covenant is indeed dire."

Eli asked, "Is this why they're collaborating with a necromancer?"

Samantha's expression looked pained as she said, "You're right, Eli. I'll consider your previous proposal. You want me to leave the Moonlight Covenant? That's great! With your strength and potential, the Earth Covenant has always reserved a seat for you. When will you meet the Grand Elder with me?"

Samantha continued, "Stay calm, Eli. I swore under the moon to eradicate the Mad Seer Insects from the forest. Even if I leave the Moonlight Covenant, this oath won't change. If I can't accomplish this, I'll never leave."

Eli was taken aback for a moment, then a satisfied look appeared on his face, "Good, that's the kind of determination I want to see in a woman. The Earth God will bless you, Samantha. I'll go prepare, and then we'll join forces to conquer the tenth floor. We'll definitely take down the Mad Seer Queen! Unfortunately, the situation in the Highlands isn't optimistic either. Otherwise, I'd have applied for the transfer of sacred artifacts from the Order. You know how it is - the Earth's wound is getting worse."

...

"Early sneak attack for the New Book Rankings! Charge!"

Chapter 23 >>

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