Evergreen Golem's Grove

As it turned out, the evergreen grove was literally named the Evergreen Golem's Grove when we finally came within one hundred yards of the towering trees. The other trees I had a penchant for harvesting the younger versions of only got to around thirty and fifty feet in these areas. However, none of the trees in this grove were shorter than a hundred feet.

The air from this far out was sweetly scented with the multitude of fragrant flowers and subtle herbs inside. As enticing as the grove was, though, not only the name but the movement found within was also a deterrent. Golems were a common staple in fantasy settings and in this one they were an artificial life form formed both naturally and induced through magic.

Considering the settings, though, this creature that was formed from its environment was probably made of wood and plants and of questionable sentience. The common stone and earth golems were big and heavy and slow with high strength and endurance, but wood and living matter golems were lighter and faster while still having high endurance and healing.

Stats like that were based on if it was a simple golem without sentience. If it was sentient and capable of magic, things would be a lot different from just running up and hacking it apart while burning it. It would be able to fight magic with magic and would pose a serious risk to our familiars. Even though Cweeper was only a level or two behind me, this creature could be higher in level than Hermes.

However, the large body that could be seen moving within the light within the trees did not seem to notice us even after we crept up to thirty and then fifteen yards from the nearest miniature redwood. Gesturing for the others to wait here and remain silent, I sacrifice the luck buff from Delai Family Guardian in favor of wearing Nature Neutral. Testing the waters, I speak lowly but without hiding my voice while saying, "Wait here, I will go speak to them."

Wishing that I was creating the setting of an open if not honest sentient mortal making their presence somewhat peacefully known to another potentially sentient presence, I started walking slowly but calmly into the grove. Even though I was not trying to hide myself I still picked my path through the winding vines and bushes of different flowers growing throughout the area with care.

Despite the fact that I wanted to harvest as much of these beautifully tagged and graded plants as I could, unnecessarily damaging the undeniably beautiful scenery seemed downright blasphemous. So, as I neared the innermost area touched by the light of a very large mana crystal, I softly called out, "Hello? Can you understand me?"

The large body I had previously seen moving about the area around the date palm sized mana crystal in the heart of the grove suddenly stopped as I continued winding my way slowly into the center. There was no combat alert and the golem of the grove did not immediately attack. This was something of a good sign.

"At the very least, you're not roaring and attacking me," I continue almost leisurely, taking my time entering the heart of the ground by winding around one tree after another while minding the scenery instead of the golem. "It's a very beautiful place you have here and the plants are all very nice and even rare in some cases. I originally came here to study the soil and gather some sample for growing a few of these plants back home. Would you mind if I took one of these vines or part of a bush home with me?"

I received no answer from the seven-plus-foot tall hulking golem covered in a shell of armor like bark plates over a body made up of twisted cable-like vines with flowery grasses and moss growing out from between its plates and forming a face of sorts. However, it was facing me when I entered the clearing and when I stopped moving it started forward. Even though I did not receive a combat alert I was still plenty on guard against a sudden attack.

Stopping right in front of me, the golem lowers itself down and so that its face of clustered petals was less than a foot away from mine. Then, two clusters of closed blooms around where its mouth and chin would be fluttered in and out as if it were sniffing the air. Next, it stepped back and pointed a hand up into a nearby tree.

Pointing a single finger out as if indicating something, the golem suddenly shoots out a thick spear-like vine up into the lower tree branches sixty or so feet overhead where an animal squeals with a rapidly emptying health bar. Then the finger retracted and on its end was a dead ferecat. Which the golem promptly flung on the ground before mashing it into the dirt and manicured grass grass with its wooden palm.

Once the animal was a perfect mash of clumpy plant matter and dirt in a small mound, the golem shook its head over the mound to release a thin cloud of pollen. Or spores.

This pollen quickly rooted into the mound of offal and grew into a thin bed of oily moss. After a few minutes of turning into an antiquated Chia Pet, small clumps of steamy fungal pods began growing from the mossy mycelium mound. These pods came in two varieties, one was a very pale blue stalk and cap while the other was a dark purple pronged stalk.

Neither of these pods were very large but a dozen of either of them were inhabiting the mound. Instead of the usual mushroom names I had seen previously, these bore two simple descriptions for names in their tags as well as the word 'Unique' for their grade. The pale capped mushrooms were 'Living Amatoxin Colony' and the pronged stalks were named,'Living Mycotoxin Colony'.

These were not mushrooms, this creature of living nature had somehow specifically bred living versions of the toxins produced by some of the deadliest mushrooms on Earth. "Are these for me?" I ask curiously, kneeling down in front of the mound to try picking one of the mushrooms.

[Cannot be Harvested]

[Corrupt and Assimilate?]

[YES/NO]

Looking up from these system prompts and into what I thought were the eyes of the golem, I ask, "You can tell I'm a hybridized spore colony? You want me to grow poisons? Why?"

Surprising the hell out of me, the golem suddenly opens a mouth on its face and says, "I… weak. People… like you… not like you… come. Attack. Hurt trees, take flower, burn me. You not like them, you like me. Help me. Help." Then, a message window suddenly appeared in front of us both.

[The Guardian Spirit of the local area has a Quest for you]

[Accept Quest: Nature's Need?]

"I will help to the best of my abilities, but there will surely be only so much that I can do," I say to answer both the system prompt and the guardian spirit. Apparently, this golem thing was on a similar level to the Elder Oak.

[You have accepted the Quest: Nature's Need]

[Good job on landing this one, Hack!]

"Thank you," I say softly even as the golem speaks again.

"Good… You, grow strong… help me grow strong," it orders, pointing at the mound of mushrooms.

"Assimilate," I say quickly, feeling my entire body suddenly break down and swarm around the mycelium mound. When I returned to myself, the entire mound was gone.

[Assimilated: Amatoxic Spores]

[+100XP]

[Amatoxic Spores Lv1: Your Cordycep colony has learned how to produce non-corrupted spores containing lethal toxins that can shut down the nervous system and organs of an enemy's body. Currently, your spores can cause paralysis in an equal-strength character or monster within (3)min of exposure and death within (15)min]

[Assimilated: Mycotoxin Spores]

[+100XP]

[Mycotoxin Spores: Your Cordycep colony has learned how to produce non-corrupted spores containing lethal hallucinogens that can turn a normal person rabid while overwhelming their heart and brain with signals and pressure. At current levels, your spores can cause a severe confusion in an equal-strength character or monster within (3)min that will cause them to see their own allies as monsters or see monsters that do not exist and will kill them through fear within (15)min]

[Acquired Skill: Mycelium Bedding]

[+25XP]

[Mycelium Bedding Lv1: After Assimilating a fertilized mold bed you can now produce a mold fertilizer for all-purpose agriculture. (10)MP is all it costs to make (1)Lb of (C) grade fertilizer. Plants grown in your soil germinate, sprout, flower, and bear (30)% faster than natural soils]

[Acquired Skill: Poison Synthesis]

[+50PX]

i[Poison Synthesis Lv2: You can now synthesize solid, powder, liquid, and even gas versions of different poisons at the cost of 10MP per 1oz, Level goes up with the number of toxins you can synthesize and does not effect potency, quantity, or cost]

[Acquired Title: Poison Professional]

[+100XP]

[Poison Professional: Rare. Passive. After learning how to freely create poisons with little or nothing to work with at all, you have been recognized as an expert in poisons with the title Poison Professional. Permanent +5 to Intelligence, Willpower, and Endurance while raising the effectiveness of all toxins used by 10% when title is equipped. +15 Imperial Reputation]

[Acquired Unique Title Pieces: Poison&Plague]

[+75XP*2]

[Poison&Plague&???: (Rare) Passive. Limited Information Available. +2 to all stats. +10*2 Imperial Reputation]

[Acquired Unique Title: Self-Sustainable Ecosystem]

[+250XP]

[Self-Sustainable Ecosystem: Epic. Passive. After achieving a pinnacle of magical power in being able to produce fertile and moisture rich soil at will you have been granted the title of Self-Sustainable Ecosystem. All planting, tending, and harvesting you partake in will be 20% faster and more bountiful. +3 to all stats and +30 Imperial Reputation]

With my current growth of at least fifty reputation points in the last eight game hours I was certain that I had managed to secure a lead for myself. However, I was suddenly very aware that I had yet to receive a ranking title even though three hours at least should have passed in reality. Maybe the other guy had been busy as well or even part of a clan that made a big early achievement.

I was beginning to question my father's advice about continuing to wait on starting our clan until after the currency switch.

"Now what do you need me to do?" I ask after standing up from examining myself and the notifications.

Gesturing for me to come forward, the golem opens the bark covering its chest to expose a brightly glowing mass of energy not unlike the mana crystal nearby. "Your hands. One for me… one for you. Yours will protect… you… when you die. Mine will grow… you… to protect me. Is safe… unless harm… here. All else, safe from… other you."

"Trump card!" I call out triumphantly, pumping my fist up into the air. Then, remembering the others waiting outside the grove, I quickly call out, "I have friends! they're right outside! NOBODY COME IN THE GROVE YET!"

Then I hurried forward and placed my arms halfway of to my elbows in the glowing mass that made up the golem's heart. Then, both of my arms suddenly burned away into smoky particles as my health bar appeared and empties out halfway. The golem quickly caught me as I cried out and fell back, using one hand to support me while growing berries in my face from the other.

I greedily ate the berries while silently activating Assimilate. Luckily, my health still went up and slowly regenerated my arms back.

[Assimilated: Fruit of Life]

[+50XP]

[Learned Skill: Bearing Fruit]

[+75XP]

[Bearing Fruit Lv1: After Assimilating a powerful healing fruit, you can now Replicate a lesser version of the fruit. For (100)MP once every (12)hrs, you can produce (1) cluster of Life Fruit that are free of corruption]

[Golem Guardian Spirit has Assimilated your Hacked Cordycep Animatum Colony into a Soldier Seed]

[Golem Guardian Spirit has stored the essence of your hybridization to use after losing your current colony]

[You are now a Lesser Nature Guardian]

[Acquired Title: Nature Guardian]

[+150XP]

[Nature Guardian: Epic. Passive. As a Transcendent being who has been recognized as a Guardian Spirit as a protector of nature, you are now recognized as a lesser guardian spirit with the title Nature Guardian. Natural and magical beasts of non-demonic origins will now treat you peaceably unless attacked. To help you on your journey to becoming a proper Guardian Spirit, +100 to both MP and HP. +30 Imperial Reputation]

[Acquired Unique Title: 7th Guardian Spirit]

[+500XP]

[7th Guardian Spirit: Legendary. Passive. As the first player to ascend to the status or power on the plane of Guardian Spirits, you are hereby recognized for your achievement by the 7th Guardian Spirit title. Although you're not the first, you're still the Top 10 which gives you +10 to all stats to help give you some of the strength of a true Guardian Spirit. +50 Imperial Reputation]

[Acquired Unique Title: 2nd Classless Guardian Spirit]

[2nd Classless Guardian Spirit: Legendary. Passive. You might not be the first classless player to achieve the status or power of a Guardian Spirit, but you might as well be. +10 to all stats to secure your position of honor and +10% to Magic Resistance. +100 Imperial Reputation]

[You have reached 1000 Imperial Reputation]

[Acquired Reputation Perk: Reputable]

[+500XP]

[Reputable: For reaching 1000 world reputation, NPCs find it harder to question your character even if you are equipped with a questionable title. +10% leeway in all business dealings and +10% more likelihood to 'find work']

"So… All of my friends are going to come here to offer you their services, is this alright?" I ask with a bright and earnest smile as I flex my new fingers experimentally.

*