218: Blight

Chapter 215: Blight

Today's intelligence mostly concerned town construction, with most of it being inconsequential.

As soon as Arthur returned to town, he immediately gathered relevant personnel and assigned tasks based on the intelligence.

Among these intelligence reports, two were particularly crucial.

The first concerned the two new beastmasters.

Arthur was unsure of their attitudes.

However, the intelligence indicated that they had no ulterior motives.

So, he assigned them to follow Rosie Haven and jointly care for Mist Town's livestock.

The other important piece of intelligence was about the town's drainage canals.

Due to years of disrepair and long-term neglect, these drainage canals were practically useless.

Whenever it rained, instead of draining water, they became reservoirs, causing the rainwater to accumulate.

According to the intelligence, Qingfeng Valley would experience a heavy rain in three days, followed by nearly a week of overcast and rainy weather.

If the drainage canals were not cleaned and repaired in time, the entire town could be submerged.

Therefore, after handling the Black Blood People's affairs, Arthur rushed back to town and ordered Iron Shovel to organize a construction team to repair the drainage canals with full effort.

Then, he had Grayson and his wife lead the laborers to clear the drainage canals.

Arthur did not want to be cooped up at home, unable to go out for half a month straight.

Moreover, once the rainwater backed up, all aspects of the town would be severely affected.

The young Baron had just finished giving his orders when the Druid Brussian and the Alchemist Old Joe came to see him.

"My Lord, those Fungus People gave us many good things," the Druid reported excitedly. Both of them had only returned to town yesterday at noon.

According to them, the Undead in the Plantation had been mostly cleared out.

They encountered no trouble during their travels. "We obtained a type of edible mushroom with a very high yield, as well as other edible fungi."

"The advantage of these fungi is their extremely tenacious vitality; they can grow even in the most barren land, requiring only sufficient water."

The Druid paused, took out a handful of mushrooms from his cloth bag, and continued, "This way, even the less contaminated lands can be put to use."

Arthur smiled.

Mist Town's fields could finally be put to use.

However, what he was most concerned about was the mushroom that could purify the land.

"Of course, My Lord, there are indeed such mushrooms," Old Joe replied. "However, you once reminded us not to plant them rashly."

"We must first study their characteristics, so we are still exploring their principles."

"That's good. I will have an announcement made, informing the townspeople not to approach the Fungus People's land anymore."

After Arthur finished speaking, he suddenly thought of something and asked the Druid, "How long do they plan to lease that land?"

"Twelve years, My Lord," the Druid answered.

Arthur pondered for a moment before saying, "Be sure to maintain good relations with them."

"Old Joe, how is the supply of alchemical materials you need?"

The Alchemist replied, "They indeed have many good things."

"However, I believe the priority right now should be to fill stomachs."

"It's not too late to conduct other research once life here gets back on track."

"You have no objection to this, do you?" Arthur asked.

The Baron knew that Old Joe was a pure researcher.

One important reason he followed him was the opportunity to conduct in-depth research in Qingfeng Valley.

But for now, it seemed the Alchemist was bogged down by numerous trivial matters, with almost no time for so-called scientific research.

Out of respect for scholars, Arthur wanted to know his thoughts.

After all, in the future, with the expansion of territory and frequent wars, Alchemists would become an indispensable force.

The various chemical weapons they developed could compensate for the lack of magical power on the battlefield.

Old Joe was deeply moved, not expecting Arthur to care so much about his work.

"Don't worry, My Lord, I still have many research projects on hand, I won't be bored."

"Besides, we Dwarves have long lifespans, and patience is a common quality in our race."

"That reassures me," Arthur said. "I hope you can select some intelligent individuals as apprentices in the future."

"That way, you'll have reliable assistants."

Upon hearing this, Old Joe said, "Ah, speaking of that, I have indeed taken a liking to someone."

"Who?"

"The little girl from the Lovich family. That girl is literate and very clever."

"Most importantly, she possesses a quality every scholar has—intense curiosity."

"Have you spoken with her?" Arthur asked.

Old Joe shook his head. "We've both been busy with our own affairs these days."

"When I have some free time, I'll talk to her."

"If you think she has potential, then try your best to persuade her," Arthur said.

After handling these matters, the young Baron, accompanied by the brothers Scorpion Tail and Snake Eye, headed to a forest outside the town.

That was the forest the intelligence indicated could not be cut down, and now it had a new problem.

Two lumberjacks were also with them.

The forest was located not far outside the town, near a watchtower on the western wall.

The two lumberjacks walked ahead, one leading the way, and the other leading the Baron's horse.

For this, they had even argued, both believing they deserved the honor of leading the horse.

Finally, under Snake Eye's reprimand, they stopped arguing.

"My Lord, it's not far now," said the lumberjack leading the horse.

He wore a thin but clean jacket, indicating he had tidied himself up carefully before coming.

"You said you found a talking tree in that forest?"

"Yes, My Lord, it's actually not that uncommon," the lumberjack quickly replied. "We used to encounter such things when we worked at the logging camp."

"Whenever this happened, the foreman would have us burn them with fire. Those fellows don't tolerate burning and quickly flee."

"But sometimes, they are quite dangerous, and workers are often killed by them."

"What you're talking about should be Blights," the young Baron speculated.

"What are those?" Scorpion Tail leaned over and asked.

Hearing this unfamiliar term, everyone showed curious expressions.

Even the lumberjack leading the way in front unconsciously slowed his pace.

Everyone present knew that their Lord was very knowledgeable.

Magic, monsters, matters of land, matters of water—he knew almost everything.

Seeing this, Arthur explained, "How should I put it? So-called Blights refer to plants that have been corrupted by evil forces."

"Driven by evil power, they will actively attack other creatures until they completely wipe them out."

"I remember a long time ago, Mist Town seemed to have experienced a Blight invasion."

"Evil trees and grass," Snake Eye summarized. "Are they dangerous, My Lord?"

Arthur did not directly answer the question but continued, "Generally, wherever Blights exist, plants will exhibit abnormally rampant growth."

"The entire forest will be completely covered by vines and low-lying plants, a dense mass of vegetation as far as the eye can see."

As he spoke, Arthur looked at the lumberjack, who immediately understood and quickly replied, "That forest isn't that sinister."

"The trees and vegetation inside are all normal, similar to what we see in other woods."

This answer was actually within Arthur's expectations.

If the two lumberjacks who went to investigate had truly encountered Blights, their chances of returning alive would be very small.

But it couldn't be ruled out that the other party deliberately let them go to attract more prey.

"Listen up!" Arthur said to everyone.

Everyone put away their relaxed expressions and looked at their Lord with serious faces.

"There are many types of Blights, the most common being Twig Blights."

"They look like dead shrubs."

"If there are only one or two of these things, they don't pose much of a threat."

"But if it's a group, then run for your lives."

"They fear fire and are easily ignited."

Upon hearing this, Scorpion Tail subconsciously glanced at the fuel and torches stored in his saddlebag.

"There are also Needle Blights, which are tall, humanoid plants covered in sharp spines."

"From a distance, they look like an inconspicuous small tree."

"Once prey approaches, they will launch their needles, shooting people like porcupines."

"We don't have shields, so similarly, if you see one of those things, run."

At this point, Arthur paused, giving his subordinates some time to digest the information.

At the same time, he had already seen the forest in the distance. It was part of the Shirmingster Forest.

The Shirmingster Forest is the largest forest in eastern Amn, home to many Wood Elves, but they mostly live in the southern area, far from Qingfeng Valley.

Due to the influence of dark forces, the forests in this land are more lush than those in other places.

It is also for this reason that it is easier for self-aware plants to emerge here.

"The last type is the Vine Blight," Arthur continued. "That is also the most dangerous type of Blight."

"They are slow-moving, but their entire bodies are covered in vines."

"Those vines will wrap around you like snakes."

"So, be wary of moving vines."

The reason Arthur was so detailed in his instructions was because this time he only brought Snake Eye and Scorpion Tail.

Although these two were hunters and quite skilled, there was still a certain gap compared to people like Drax and Philip.

The young Baron was not deliberately trying to scare his subordinates, nor was he showing off his knowledge.

Instead, he hoped they would clearly understand what they were about to face.

Human fear of the unknown is ingrained in their genes.

His words made the faces of the accompanying people solemn.

But not a single person showed any sign of backing down.

On the contrary, Arthur saw determination in their eyes. They walked into the lush forest.

The wind swept through the branches and leaves overhead, and the leaves made a sparse rustling sound.

Arthur heard bird calls, not the unpleasant cawing of crows, which was good news.

Crows usually follow corpses and carrion, and their presence often means danger.

As they walked, they did not encounter any evil creatures.

The lumberjacks led Arthur to where they had previously found the talking tree.

One of them pointed in the distance and respectfully said, "My Lord, it's over there."

Arthur dismounted. Due to his depleted magic, he could no longer cast detection spells for good and evil, and thus could not determine the tree's alignment.

After a brief hesitation, Arthur had the others prepare the necessary items, then walked towards the tree.

He wanted to find out why this forest could not be cut down.

It was an unusually tall elm tree, with a bizarre, human-like face pattern on its thick trunk.

Arthur had his subordinates holding torches stand behind him, ready to respond to any sudden situation.

"I heard this forest is under your protection?"

As Arthur spoke, the tree slowly opened two yellow eyes, its gaze turning towards the intruders.

"Ah! Hello, young priest," it said. "How interesting, few people don't turn and flee when they see me."

Arthur smiled and asked, "Then, what exactly are you?

"A tree with intelligence, or a Treant?"

"I am just a tree, no different from the trees you see around you," the tree replied. "But I have my own name—Bark."

"Alright, Bark," Arthur continued, following its lead. "You've lived here for a long time, haven't you?

"Why has no one ever discovered your existence?"

"I've lost track of time. The first time I saw humans, they wore clothes made of fur, held stone spears, and chattered like monkeys."

Arthur thought that must have been during Qingfeng Valley's tribal period.

He roughly calculated that this tree was at least over a thousand years old.

"I've also seen some long-eared fellows; they called themselves Elves."

"For a time, we lived together in this forest, until—"

Bark paused for a moment, seemingly recalling distant memories, then continued, "—until a group of people in metal armor broke in."

"Since then, I fell into a deep sleep, bound by a mysterious force, unable to awaken."

Arthur nodded and asked again, "How do you know I'm a priest?"

"My companions told me some things," Bark explained. "Look up."

Arthur looked up and saw many birds perched on the tree's lush branches.

"I suspect it was you who awakened me," Bark continued. "I can feel the holy power flowing through you."

"It's the same power that pulled me out of the darkness."

"I'd love to chat with you longer, friend. But you must leave, they are coming."

Arthur did not ask what was coming; he knew the warning was benevolent.

"We are leaving immediately," he decisively ordered his subordinates.

The two lumberjacks were still a bit bewildered.

After all, they were not professional soldiers, and in the face of a sudden situation, they didn't know how to react for a moment.

"Hurry, move!" Arthur commanded again.

Snake Eye had already turned and run to fetch the horses the moment he received the first order.

Scorpion Tail handed his torch to the lumberjack and quickly took down his bow and arrows from his back.

The group dared not delay for a moment and quickly retreated out of the forest.

Behind them, the noisy sounds from the forest grew louder and louder, as if something was rapidly approaching.

The young Baron began to understand why this forest could not be exploited.

Just as he had feared, the depths of the forest had already been corrupted, with a large number of Blights lurking within.

Fortunately, they retreated in time.

But Arthur couldn't help but start to worry.

These Blights would one day rush out of the forest and attack Mist Town.