Chapter 6

It's been two days since the Dryad had a rampage, and to recap everything real quick, Mr. Dryad here fainted after he transformed into a... well, not Dryad. The once fearsome guardian of the forest had morphed into a tall, rather attractive dude with a permanent look of shock etched on his face. Seriously, if confusion could kill, we'd all be dead.

The dude groaned and started coughing, which, considering he was just corrupted by some nasty magic, was understandable. "Uh, Kai, you sure he's gonna be alright?" I asked, glancing nervously at our newly transformed friend. The guy was sprawled out on the forest floor, looking like he just woke up in the wrong century.

Kai nodded, his usual composed self. "He'll be fine. The transformation was rough, but it seems the corrupted magic took a toll on him." He then turned his gaze to me, an eyebrow raised. "By the way, how are you feeling after all that? Level 15 already, huh?"

"Yeah, about that..." I started, scratching my head. "I still can't wrap my head around it. One minute I'm level one, the next I'm jumping levels like crazy."

Kai chuckled, shaking his head. "At this point, I'm not surprised anymore. Experience can come from the most unexpected places, like purging a corrupted Dryad's energy."

Before I could reply, the not-Dryad dude groaned again, coughing harshly as he slowly sat up, rubbing his temples. "Ugh... what hit me?" His voice was deep, with a hint of bafflement, and there was something strangely captivating about it.

"Hey, you okay?" I asked, approaching him cautiously. "You kinda went on a rampage, and we had to, uh, take care of the corrupted magic inside you."

He looked up at me, his eyes wide with shock. "Corrupted magic? What are you talking about? And why do I look... different?" He stared at his hands, flexing them as if they were foreign objects.

"Name's Mark. This is Kai," I introduced, trying to ease his confusion. "We're, uh, adventurers? Kind of new to this whole thing, to be honest."

Kai stepped forward, offering the guy a hand. "It seems you were corrupted by some dark magic, and it changed you. We helped purge it, and now you're... well, you."

The former Dryad hesitantly took Kai's hand and stood up, towering over both of us. "I... I don't remember being corrupted. I was just guarding the forest, and then... everything went dark."

"It's a lot to take in," Kai said gently. "But you're safe now. We'll figure this out together."

As the guy stood there, still coming to terms with his new form, I couldn't help but feel that this was just the beginning of a new, unpredictable adventure. With a former guardian on our side, things were bound to get interesting.

"So," I said, trying to break the tension. "Do you have a name, or should we just keep calling you 'Dude'?"

He blinked, clearly still in a state of shock. "My name... is Eryndor. I was... I am the guardian of this forest."

"Nice to meet you, Eryndor," Kai said with a nod. "Now, let's get you somewhere safe and figure out our next move."

As we helped Eryndor steady himself, I couldn't shake the feeling that our paths were now intertwined in ways we couldn't yet understand. With a former Dryad, now human, as our ally, the adventures ahead promised to be anything but ordinary.

I couldn't help but chuckle nervously as Eryndor stood there, completely oblivious to his lack of attire. Seriously, talk about awkward situations. Kai and I exchanged embarrassed glances, unsure of how to address the issue without making things even more uncomfortable.

"Uh, Eryndor... you kinda have no clothes on," I finally blurted out, feeling my face flush with embarrassment.

Eryndor looked down at himself, then back at us, confusion evident in his expression. "Apologies, I... don't usually... well, change forms," he mumbled, clearly flustered.

Without missing a beat, Eryndor snapped his fingers, and suddenly he was dressed in a dark green robe adorned with intricate designs. "Better?" he asked, a hint of pride in his voice.

I couldn't help but be impressed. Not only did Eryndor have some serious magical skills, but he also had a knack for fashion. Who knew a former Dryad could pull off such a stylish look?

"Analysis, corrupted energy is absent," AVA chimed in, her voice echoing in my mind. Curious, I reached out to her for more information about Eryndor's sudden transformation.

"Answer: The corrupted flames possessed his core and essence," AVA explained. "Your golden flames purged all traces of that, hence the mana surrounding him materialized to form a physical version of his spirit body."

Fascinating. It seemed that Eryndor's transformation wasn't just a random occurrence but rather a manifestation of his purified essence. Who knew the power of my golden flames extended beyond just purging darkness? This was definitely something worth exploring further.

Suddenly a big green light flashed in front of us again, Talk about Deja Vu, " Are you kidding me" I yelled in frustration and prepared myself, appeared in front of us was a majestic lady, who seemed to be a dryad too, " Eryn!!! Where is my baby boy!! Eyrn!!" This dryad lady showed out of nowhere and made all this ruckus "M...Mother, I'm here" Eyrndor answered

I couldn't believe my eyes as another green light flashed before us, signaling the arrival of yet another unexpected visitor. Seriously, could this day get any weirder? I sighed in frustration, mentally preparing myself for whatever was about to happen next.

Before us stood a majestic lady, her presence commanding attention as she exuded an aura of power and authority. She was unmistakably a Dryad, just like Eryndor, but there was something different about her, something... maternal.

"Eryn!!! Where is my baby boy!! Eyrn!!" the Dryad lady exclaimed, her voice echoing through the clearing as she frantically searched for her son.

Eryndor's eyes widened in alarm, and he stepped forward hesitantly. "M... Mother, I'm here," he answered, his voice tinged with a mixture of apprehension and relief.

I exchanged a bewildered glance with Kai, both of us unsure of how to react to this unexpected family reunion. It seemed that Eryndor's past was more complicated than we had initially thought, and now we found ourselves caught in the midst of a family drama fit for a soap opera. Great. Just great.

The tension in the air was palpable as Eryndor's mother bombarded him with a flurry of questions, her eyes filled with a mixture of horror and awe. She wasted no time in demanding answers, firing off inquiries like rapid-fire bullets, leaving poor Eryndor visibly flustered and overwhelmed.

"What happened? Why do you have a physical body? Why is your essence so low??" she interrogated, her voice laced with concern and frustration.

As her gaze shifted toward us, the intensity of her stare made my blood run cold. With a blink, she appeared before us in a roaring wind, her presence daunting and formidable. "Did you do this... TO MY BABY?!" she thundered, her accusatory tone sending shivers down my spine.

Kai and I exchanged nervous glances, suddenly feeling like the protagonists in a high-stakes drama. This was definitely not how I imagined spending my day, and now we found ourselves at the center of a family feud between a powerful Dryad and her newly transformed son. Talk about being caught in the crossfire.

"I won't repeat myself again!! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY BABY!!" This lady didn't even need to be corrupted to be scary. I glanced at Kai, who was just as bewildered as I was. I mean, seriously, I'm technically not even an adult yet. My brain is not equipped to handle an angry dryad mom!

Kai and I exchanged a look that screamed, "What the heck do we do now?" I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as I tried to figure out how to defuse this bomb of a situation. "Uh, ma'am, I—" I started, my voice shaky.

Before I could finish, Eryndor stepped forward, raising a hand to calm his mother. "Mother, please. It's not what you think," he said, his voice steady despite the chaos. "These two helped me. I was corrupted, and they saved me."

His mother's expression softened slightly, but she was still clearly upset. "Corrupted? Saved? Explain yourself, Eryndor," she demanded, her voice losing some of its earlier fury but still carrying a heavy weight of authority.

Eryndor took a deep breath and began to explain. "I was corrupted by dark magic, mother. It took hold of my essence. Mark here used his golden flames to purge the corruption from me. That's why I have a physical body now. The transformation was a side effect of the cleansing process."

She looked at us again, this time with less hostility and more scrutiny. "Golden flames, you say?" she mused, her eyes narrowing as she examined me closely. "What manner of being are you to wield such power?"

"Uh, I'm just... Mark," I replied, feeling incredibly small under her intense gaze. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble. We just wanted to help."

Her gaze softened further, and she let out a sigh. "Very well. I suppose I owe you thanks for saving my son," she said reluctantly. "But know this: if anything else happens to him, you will answer to me."

"Understood," Kai and I said in unison, both of us exhaling a breath we didn't realize we'd been holding.

So, you're probably thinking, "Oh, they had a little misunderstanding, now it's all sunshine and rainbows, right?" Wrong. Severing Eryndor's spiritual form means he can no longer be the Guardian of this Forest. His mom didn't outright blame us, but her words sure made us feel the weight of what happened.

"Thank you, young adventurers, for saving my boy. However, since Eryn's form has been destroyed thanks to your power, he can't be the guardian of this forest. He has no domain here any longer," she said, with a voice that could make a grown man cry.

And there she goes, making us feel like garbage. Moms really have a knack for that, huh?

"Mother, it's fine... there was no other choice," Eryn said, trying to soothe her worries.

"But look at you! A mortal body, restricted by earthly chains," she cried, her voice laced with sorrow.

Kai stepped in, all formal-like, "Oh Great Ancient Dryad, we deeply apologize for what happened to your son." He bowed his head, pulling me down with him. Seriously, am I still in Japan?

Eryn and his mom exchanged glances before turning their eyes back on us, their faces a mix of thankfulness and grief. This was far from over.

Eryn's mother sighed, "Sigh, you know I was so scared that something happened to you. I could feel your energy being ripped out of your essence. I feared the worst. Thank Iza you are still alive." Right, Iza is the realm's deity, I remembered. Eryn's mom gently cupped her son's face, her relief palpable.

"Hey now, mother, at least I'm alive and well, and... breathing air which I'm not used to, but it's actually not that bad," Eryn said with a grin.

"What are you going to do now?" Eryn's mother asked, her voice tinged with concern.

"It's simple, mother. I'm their responsibility now."

WHAT DID HE JUST SAY? Kai and I practically screamed in unison.

"Woah, hey, uh, Eryndor—" I tried to interject, but Eryndor was on a roll.

"Yep, I'm going with them. They broke me out of my forest guardian duties, so logically, they should take care of me. Besides, they seem like a fun bunch," Eryndor said, flashing us a mischievous smile.

"Eryndor, that's quite a—" Kai started, looking flustered.

"Don't worry, Mom. I'll be fine. Besides, I bet these two can handle a bit of extra responsibility," Eryndor said, winking at us.

His mother looked at us, then back at Eryndor. She sighed deeply, "Well, if that's what you want, my dear. Just promise me you'll stay safe and look after yourself."

"Of course, Mother. Plus, I think they need me to keep them out of trouble," Eryndor said, chuckling.

Kai and I exchanged glances, utterly bewildered. This dryad was something else.

"Well, if that's the case, I shall return to the Glades. I'll assign a new forest guardian to watch over this forest in your absence. My dear Eryndor, I shall bestow some power onto you to make up for what was lost." A burst of green energy enveloped Eryndor, infusing him with newfound strength.

"And don't think I forgot about you two," Hernowa said, turning her attention to Kai and me. She waved her hand, and a warm, invigorating energy flowed into us.

"Notice, skill upgraded. Nature Magic has now been upgraded to Nature's Will," AVA chimed in. Great, more skills to figure out later.

"Before I go, Mark, was it? Your power... it was strong enough to cleanse the corrupt magic, going beyond to cleanse one's very essence. Be careful, as HE may be watching you," Hernowa warned, her tone serious.

"Wait, who's he?" I blurted out, my curiosity piqued.

"You'll find out soon enough," she said cryptically. "Oh, and by the way, my name is Hernowa." With a final flash of green light, she vanished, leaving us with more questions than answers.

"Bye, Mother," Eryndor breathed a sigh of relief and looked back at us.

Kai and I exchanged glances, still reeling from the intense encounter. "So, Eryndor," Kai started, "what's the plan now?"

Eryndor flashed a grin. "Looks like I'm sticking with you two. There's a whole world out there, and I need to see it for myself."

I crossed my arms, raising an eyebrow. "Just like that? No second thoughts or anything?"

Eryndor shrugged nonchalantly. "Nope. Besides, I have a feeling you two are going to need my help more than you'd like to admit."

It's safe to say we've got a new buddy in our little trio. Funny thing is, this is usually the part of the story where we stumble upon a town, ask a bunch of questions, and start exploring. But that's for later, I guess. Maybe we'll find some kind of guild or something… who knows?