This Necromancer Just Wants to Plant Trees - Chapter 67 (Patreon)

"Do you know the Path of Equilibrium?" Matthew looked at Old Gito with some surprise.

Old Gito brushed off the twigs on his body and emerged from the thicket.

"I had some encounters with a Balance Messenger. He saved my life twice. He was a truly great person."

Matthew quickly inquired, "Where is this Balance Messenger now? Can you tell me more?"

Old Gito replied regretfully, "I don't know where he is now. In fact, my understanding of the Path of Equilibrium is limited. I only know that it was a path developed by the southern Su people. About a hundred years ago, when the Su people and the Jango people were on good terms, their shamans and elders had deep knowledge exchanges. They built many houses on the Golden Coast, and their interactions were very close. It is said that the Su people even persuaded the Jango people to cooperate in building towering ships that could cross the ocean, promising to share the wealth hidden deep in the sea with the Jango people once the ships were completed. Many Jango people were tempted, and the advanced technology possessed by the Su people fascinated them. The cooperation between the two sides grew increasingly intimate, and the Path of Equilibrium probably emerged during that time. But later, the Feathered Serpent God became furious, and the Jango people had to sever ties with the Su people. Afterward, there were no more practitioners of the Path of Equilibrium in the rainforest. I heard that the Su people themselves lost the complete transmission of the Path of Equilibrium. The one I met when I was young was probably the last Balance Messenger of the Su people. It seems that his final destination was the sea, but I'm not certain."

Matthew's expression showed disappointment. "So, you came here for the Path of Equilibrium?"

Old Gito absentmindedly began rolling a cigarette. Matthew nodded.

"Then let me advise you to lower your expectations."

Old Gito sighed and said, "The Su people have dwindled in numbers significantly. A considerable portion of the Su people believe that their ultimate destiny lies across the sea, and they are unwilling to integrate into life on this continent. These people's final destination is the sea. The few Su people who are willing to assimilate into this land have also lost the skills of their ancestors and have become island natives, not much stronger than the Jango people."

Matthew quickly adjusted his mindset. "Thank you for the warning, but since I'm already here, I should continue trying."

Old Gito didn't say anything more.

Loran, who was standing nearby, was curious and asked, "What does 'their final destination is the sea' mean? Have they turned into Nagas?"

Old Gito cleared his throat. He didn't want to answer, but seeing Matthew's curiosity, he spoke, "It's a secret ritual of the Su people. They believe that the souls of their ancestors on the other side of the sea will guide them home. So, before they die or when they feel a strong call, they walk into the sea with empty hands."

Loran was astonished. "Isn't that like sacrificing themselves?"

Old Gito furrowed his brow. "To us, it may seem like sacrificing themselves, but for them, it holds extraordinary significance. They see themselves as abandoned children of their homeland, and they are willing to do anything to return. In this regard, the Su people have a particularly strong obsession."

Loran wondered, "There's such an obsession? It's truly perplexing."

Old Gito quickly cautioned, "Regardless, when you're in a foreign land, respecting their customs and traditions is the most basic etiquette and survival rule, be it the Jango people or the Su people. We can discuss these matters behind their backs, but we mustn't talk casually in front of them."

Loran pursed his lips but soon became cheerful, as if he had found a wealth of new material.

"Let's hit the road," Matthew reminded them. "This rainforest shouldn't trouble us any longer."

With that, he walked towards the two feuding carnivorous plants, Old Gito and Loran in tow.

"Be careful!" Old Gito exclaimed.

"No worries," Matthew replied with ease.

Then, to the astonishment of Old Gito and Loran, Matthew approached the carnivorous plants unharmed. Strangely, the two plants stopped fighting and didn't attack Matthew. Instead, they swayed their bodies continuously, as if yearning for something.

"Didn't you say this rainforest doesn't like you?" Loran wore a bewildered expression.

"I guess she might not dislike me as much now," Matthew said with a smile. He reached out his hand, and the two carnivorous plants fervently rubbed their flower buds against his hand, like well-trained pets.

The scene was so bizarre and surreal that Old Gito nearly dropped the cigarette in his hand.

"Magic! You must have used magic!" Loran exclaimed. "If you step aside, can I try it too?"

Matthew took a step back. Before Loran could approach, the two carnivorous plants instantly turned into mortal enemies again, engaging in a frenzied fight.

One of them, in the heat of the struggle, spun around wildly, and its serrated edges along the flower bud extended, scraping off a few pieces of fabric from Loran's pants.

"Matthew! Your magic's duration is too short!" Loran jumped around and shouted.

Old Gito chuckled and said, "Well, it seems the rainforest is as fickle as ever."

With that, they continued their journey into the mysterious and ever-changing rainforest.

But at this moment, Matthew turned and entered another thicket, feeling that he had entered a peculiar state.

Even though he hadn't taken a step, the thicket parted to make way for him.

A viper bowed to him, and two owls greeted him.

A slightly battered-looking flying squirrel even offered him a few berries with great courtesy.

He could clearly sense the direction he needed to go, and his path seemed to be obstacle-free.

From now on, even without Old Gito as a guide, Matthew could successfully traverse the rainforest.

"Suya's Delight," he thought to himself. "Indeed, quite delightful."

Recalling his encounters in the Blackthorn Dream, a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Mistake? Forgetfulness? Who would believe that!"

Transferring the advanced ritual meant for a Fourth-Tier tough guy to a Second-Tier mage was like trying to stuff a utility pole into a soda bottle. The process was incredibly rough.

It couldn't have been a mistake; Suya had undoubtedly done it on purpose.

The temperament of the Rainforest Spirit was unpredictable, but Matthew suspected that it was related to his exceptionally high affinity with nature.

In the Blackthorn Dream, Suya's attitude had been harsh and critical, but her gaze had never left him for a moment.

He understood that kind of look all too well.

In a nutshell, it was akin to saying, "As a young man out in the world, you must take care of yourself!"

He knew that once his high natural affinity established a connection with the spirits of the forest and elemental beings, they couldn't help but want to get close to him.

Lazy ones like Lulu and Elara were one thing.

But Suya, the Rainforest Spirit, was no pushover. Her possessiveness was even more pronounced.

Conquering the Rainforest Spirit was no easy task, and Matthew hadn't inflated his ego to that extent. So, he preferred to believe that Suya was just playing a role.

"Having too high a natural affinity can be troublesome at times," he thought. But then he realized that it was better than having a low affinity. People with low affinity had to put in a lot of effort to communicate with the Rainforest Spirit and elemental creatures.

With that in mind, Matthew turned and urged, "Let's continue."

The two bewildered individuals, who had been dumbfounded by the inexplicable scenes before them, finally came back to their senses.

"Practitioners of the Path of Equilibrium are truly unique," Old Gito remarked, then quietly followed Matthew's lead.

Loran spread his hands and said, "So, should I change the title of my work?"

"Matthew the Balancer," he pondered.

Two and a half days later, the group crossed layer after layer of rainforest and arrived at the shore of a vast, boundless lake.

"This is the 'Great Dragon Lake.' The lake is often inhabited by Lake Serpents, and some have claimed to have seen prehistoric Thunder Dragons in the center of the lake, but that's an ancient legend."

"The ecosystem here is self-contained and somewhat different from the rainforest. Have you noticed? The temperature is much lower by the lake, and it gets colder as you move closer to the center."

Old Gito introduced with ease, "But we won't linger by the Great Dragon Lake for too long. Next, we'll follow the eastern shore of the lake, and it'll take no more than two and a half days on foot to leave the rainforest and reach our destination, the Golden Coast."

As a guide, Old Gito had an easy time these days.

It was clear to anyone that the Rainforest Spirit favored Matthew, and with him around, no rainforest creatures dared to provoke them.

Old Gito only needed to lead the way confidently.

The only dissatisfied one was Loran, who openly claimed that it was much less enjoyable now. However, when Old Gito suggested that he take a different path and leave Matthew's group, he immediately fell silent. After a while, he expressed his determination to stand by Matthew and not abandon his companion.

The group was taking a brief rest by the Great Dragon Lake, fetching fresh water and enjoying the beautiful scenery.

It was getting close to evening.

The wide lake shimmered in the sunlight.

Matthew observed numerous animals drinking by the lakeside.

Wolves, honey badgers, bears, foxes, monkeys, rabbits...

These animals seemed to completely ignore each other while drinking, creating a tranquil and harmonious scene.

But this peaceful scene was soon shattered.

A Lake Serpent suddenly leaped out from the lake's depths, creating a shower of water splashes and frightening many animals away.

Just then, a shadow emerged from behind a rock on the shore.

His speed was as fast as a cheetah's, and in the blink of an eye, he had reached the shore. With a leap, he rode directly onto the neck of the Lake Serpent!

"Hiss!"

The Lake Serpent let out an angry hiss, but its cries quickly turned into whimpers.

Matthew observed closely as the bare-chested native, with several blow darts hanging from his waist, suddenly grabbed the Lake Serpent's neck. As the creature struggled, he fiercely slapped its neck with the palm of his right hand!

Slap! Slap! Slap!

The speed of the native's palm strikes was incredibly fast, delivering over a hundred strikes in about three breaths' time!

Immediately after, the three of them saw the Lake Serpent's neck seemingly lose all support and fall limply to the shore. The startled animals scattered, kicking up a cloud of dust.

When the three approached through the dust, they found the muscular native, somewhat excessively strong, dragging the Lake Serpent's neck into the rainforest.

The Lake Serpent was already dead.

Even Old Gito, who had seen many peculiar and effective dragon-hunting techniques, seemed to be in awe of this one.

"He's a Blow Dart Master, but he didn't use his darts. His strength is quite astonishing," Old Gito speculated. "Or perhaps this level of creature isn't worth him using weapons."

Killing a 13th-level Lake Serpent with ease, barehanded, was excessive in terms of strength!

The three of them watched the native with some wariness.

Surprisingly, the native waved to them in a friendly manner, saying, "Hey, outsiders! You better not stay by the lake for too long. There's a nest of Lake Serpents here, and they hold strong grudges. However, they often can't tell humans apart, so they might attack you indiscriminately. It's better to leave here quickly."

Old Gito took a few steps forward. "Hello, child of the Rainforest. May I ask which tribe's warrior you are?"

The man smiled. "Hello, I'm Lumière, from the Blackthorn Tribe. But don't worry, I'm not like the old folks in the tribe; I'm not as exclusive. I want to become the king of the Rainforest, and I'm ambitious. I'd even like to explore the outside world if I get the chance!"

Seeing his friendly attitude, Loran also approached and asked curiously, "What are you doing?"

Lumière patiently explained, "I'm trying to please the Rainforest Spirit and ask her to hold an advanced ritual for me."

Loran suddenly became interested. "An advanced ritual? Can we watch? I've never seen the advancement process of a Rainforest warrior."

Lumière smiled awkwardly. "I'm sorry, but it's not because I'm exclusive. It's a tradition of our tribe, not very convenient for outsiders to witness. And for your safety, it's better to leave quickly. Even though most adventurers who make it deep into the rainforest have some skills, the Great Dragon Lake is different. It has a unique ecosystem, even the Rainforest Spirit can't reach here. Be very careful!"

Old Gito nodded, indicating that he would leave soon.

Seeing the sincere attitude of the natives, Loran felt embarrassed to insist on prying further.

But Matthew's gaze was quite complex.

At this moment, he had already guessed that the native in front of him was the unlucky guy who had requested an advanced ritual from Suya.

Although this matter had little to do with Matthew, and he himself was also a victim, he still wanted to help Lumière as much as possible.

So he asked, "How many high-level monsters have you already hunted?"

Lumière thought for a moment. "Twenty-one Double-Finned Wyverns, thirteen Speckled Crocs, two Jungle Panthers, and some miscellaneous prey. The northern Rainforest has been pretty much swept clean by me. I came to the shores of the Great Dragon Lake to hunt only as a last resort."

Matthew thought to himself, "Exactly as I suspected. That person, Suya, has no intention of conducting an advanced ritual for anyone."

The thought of the Rainforest Spirit gazing at him fervently for these past few days gave Matthew a spine-chilling feeling. He was even more eager to help Lumière.

Matthew continued, "Perhaps you're right, but why don't you change your approach? Until now, you've held the sacrificial rituals alone, right? You're still hunting Lake Serpents, which means the Rainforest Spirit hasn't responded to you. How about having the three of us outsiders accompany you this time? Maybe that'll bring some good luck. Our presence might just get her to notice you."

Loran chimed in, "He makes a good point. It could be a matter of luck, and coincidentally, the Cloud Elves in Cloud City call me the 'Good Luck Bard.' With me around, perhaps your Rainforest Spirit will take notice of you."

Old Gito frowned, initially intending to stop their reckless behavior, but after thinking of Matthew's uniqueness, he swallowed the words he was about to say.

Lumière hesitated.

Seizing the opportunity, Matthew urged, "Traditions are meant to be broken! If you agree to let us watch, then someday, when you leave the Rainforest and find it hard to fit into human society, you can come find me in Rolling Stone Town. I'll provide you with some assistance."

Loran even waved his hand dramatically. "No matter which city you visit, just mention my name, and you'll have plenty of friends... and maybe a little trouble, too. Many women will come looking for you. You just need to tell them that Loran has perished in the great sea."

Lumière watched the two of them hesitantly.

After a while...

He finally agreed:

"Alright, I do need a change of luck, but during the ritual, you must remain absolutely silent and show the utmost respect to the Rainforest Spirit. She is my goddess!"

Both of them nodded in agreement.

Lumière was very efficient, and in no time, he led them to the place where he would conduct the sacrificial ritual, a damp underground chamber.

The chamber was piled with the corpses of Double-Finned Wyverns and other creatures, some of which had already rotted and emitted a foul odor.

The ritual was quite simple.

Lumière was ready in no time.

He planted three wooden stakes into the Lake Serpent's head from different angles.

Then, he lay down on the Lake Serpent's body and took a fierce bite, followed by a lengthy chant in an incomprehensible language to outsiders.

A few minutes later.

Lumière spat out the scales from his mouth.

His eyes filled with disappointment:

"Is it still not enough?"

Matthew approached, gently stroking the Lake Serpent's lifeless body.

Suddenly.

A dark red light emerged from the corpse.

Matthew immediately sprinted away.

Lumière, on the other hand, pounced in uncontrollable excitement!

In the blink of an eye.

The red light vanished into Lumière's chest.

Intense tremors began emanating from the distant rainforest.

"I feel it, I feel it! The Rainforest Spirit has responded to me!"

He knelt on the ground with teary eyes:

"I knew my devotion would move my goddess! Now, I'm going to hunt down that Terrordragon. Killing it will make me the true King of the Rainforest!"

With joy in his heart, Lumière's peripheral vision caught Matthew fleeing like the wind.

He couldn't help but shout:

"Hey, outsider, I don't even know your name!"

"Matthew, I'm Matthew! Remember, Matthew from Rolling Stone Town!"

His voice came through the thick rainforest foliage.

Lumière repeated the name in his mind over and over.

Then, he stood up firmly.

And with a resolute gaze, he sprinted toward the source of the earthquake.

"The outside world, I'll come to see you after I conquer the Rainforest!"

"Tremble, Terrordragon, the King of the Rainforest is here!"

Even if he had run quite far away.

Matthew and his two companions still heard Lumière's resounding cry.

"King of the Rainforest, huh?" Loran seemed somewhat indifferent to the title. "It still has a tinge of barbarism."

Matthew, on the other hand, had an appreciative smile:

"I kind of like him."

"After all, who doesn't like a confident man?"

...

Two days later.

The group finally left the rainforest behind.

The lush scenery along the way receded into the distance.

Facing them was a sea breeze with a hint of salt.

Endless stretches of sea with islands faintly visible.

Waves crashed on golden beaches, seashells, coconuts, fish, and shrimp scattered around.

Matthew bathed in the coastal sea breeze, feeling a peculiar resonance surge within him.

...

"Hint: You have discovered the Arune Sea/Golden Coast.

You sense the Domain Field: Equilibrium."

Chapter 68 >>

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