William hadn’t known what to expect when he and his group entered Everglade. His mind had envisioned some Elven, ‘one with nature’ style of settlement, but it quickly occurred to him to re-evaluate such an understatement. As the group looked out from the other end of the small tunnel they had travelled, they collectively gasped, the surprise not lost on any of them. William saw that the bases of many trees had slatted stairways spiraling around the trunks, ascending upwards. Various stalls and small buildings were spread out between the trees. The canopy above painted the area in a dim light. The pathways between the trees leading from the assorted clusters of buildings were paved out of flat wood. A pale, blue moss covered the ground and various small logs dotted around beside each pathway. Each building William could see had at least one trellis adorning its side, filled with a myriad of colorful flora. At the base of most trees were pale, green and yellow clusters of Fungi that reached a couple of feet high from the ground. Towards what William guessed was the center of the settlement, the trees parted at a point that William felt was sixty to seventy meters away, glowing with the luminosity of the afternoon sun.

William had expected Wylton to lead them straight there to start, but instead he gestured for them to follow him to the nearby cluster of stalls. As the group neared the stalls, William was awe struck at the detailing of each stall. The wooden frames of each stall had multiple carvings of animals sticking out from the frames. Most were animals similar to those on Earth with some fantasy twists, the best examples William saw of this were the carvings of a group of Barbed Vespa carved out of the frames making up a paper vendor’s store. All the paper was a greyish brown, and William had a hunch that it was the paper-like material that various types of wasps used to make their nests as that was the exact same color. William didn’t envy the task of acquiring the resources to make the paper from. Seeing the amount of the Barbed Assholes he had was already too many for one lifetime. Another stall nearby sold pelts of various animals as well as other fabric that appeared to look like wool and cotton, but William expected it to be some weird fantasy equivalent. The frame on that stall sported carvings of multiple different animals, including one that was very familiar to William; The Horned Lynx. It didn’t take long for William to spot the pelts of the creatures on one of the stall’s inner walls.

“Ah, I see you find the carvings on these stalls of interest, Sir Bloodbane,” Wylton said, bearing a sagely smile.

“Yes, am I right in assuming that the stalls that have animal carvings sell products that typically relate to said creatures?” William replied, Eyeing more of the stalls with unique beasts that he had yet to see.

“One of the council members suggested it as a way to enhance the beauty of our fair town, and I’m delighted to say that it has been of great success.”

“Are the stalls clustered based on their various types of products? For example, are all these stalls specifically for goods associated with animals? And are there additional clusters with different categories of wares?” William asked, feeling a little guilty about bombarding the old Druid with questions.

He had said he would be a tour guide, and William wanted to know as much as he could about Everglade as he had to secure some kind of working relationship with the place at a minimum.

Wylton nodded sagely and replied, “It is as you say, Sir Bloodbane. We value clear architecture and planning to make sure each service is easy to find and clearly laid out, whilst also ensuring that such constructions don’t disrupt the natural order of the grove to a detriment.”

“You can just call me William, It’ll be easier and faster to address me that way. I appreciate the town planning your settlement adopts. I get the feeling of shelter and safety from this town. Maybe it’s the tall trees, and thick canopy, but it is as if we’re in another world.”

Wylton started walking away from the stalls and gestured once more for the group to follow.

The group followed at a leisurely pace. The druid could teleport around, it appeared, at least from what William saw outside anyway. His physical pace of movement wasn’t quite as fast, but that just gave the group more time to appreciate the tour.

As Stacey looked towards a small cluster of circular huts in a small gap between the trees to their left, she said “Those huts, they’re in a small clearing, but where’s the sunlight? Also, why are they circular?”

Wylton stopped his walk and looked at the constructs thoughtfully for a moment before he replied, “Our crafters wanted a more...open space to test their products. Things such as potions, enchanted weapons and ammunition, some poisons too, but only when the weather conditions are deemed suitable. Those crafters in particular are also limited to a set potency within the grove. Over on the other side of the grove is another similar area dealing in protective items, clothing, furniture, and household furniture. That one is more popular with our citizens as you can imagine.”

“This is all very organized, how long did it take to get this way?” Stacey replied, her interest visibly piqued.

Wylton and the group continued on the tour, heading towards one of the spiraling steps up a nearby tree trunk as Wylton answered the question, “Decades. This grove started nearly nine decades ago when I formed it from a typical cluster of woodland. Over those years, more people have come and made Everglade their home. After a few decades, families started to form and even now, their children have sired more of their own offspring. Naturally, governing that many people and logistics was not something within my abilities while maintaining the grove.”

“That’s...amazing. You must be incredibly wise in your years then.”

The old man, even older than they believed him to be, gave an amused grin as he replied, “I’m wiser. Alas, I have many more years to gain wisdom ahead of me.”

Stacey’s eyes widened at the statement, and even the others, William included were surprised. William knew that people could live longer as they levelled, but being nearly if not over one hundred years old was already a long time for humans, at least by Earth standards, and in a level twenty zone, he couldn’t picture anyone reaching the increased longevity that higher level people achieved. William decided a quick [Identify] was in order:

{Ascension_Protocol}

Wylton – Druid – Level 48

{End}

“What the fuck?! Forty Eight?!” William said, his inner thoughts being voiced.

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

The outburst prompted a soft chuckle from the Druid as he replied, “Even after so many years, it always amuses me when new people [Identify] me. It never gets old.”

William was suddenly very aware of the potential powerhouse in front of him and thoughts filled his head of what might happen if William pissed the old guy off.

William decided that as he had already exposed his thoughts, he might as well ask, “How?!”

“Being a Druid is both a boon and a curse. For this power, a sacrifice must be made. The biggest trade off is that the grove and I are perpetually linked. As long as I live, the grove lives. As long as the grove lives, I live.”

William found the notion fascinating, and curious. How did someone get to such a high level in a place with both a soft and hard EXP cap?

Wylton seemed to interpret William’s look and said, “If you are confused about the EXP limitations of the region, the bond between the grove and I supersedes it. I do not gain EXP the same way most do. A part of the Capped Class I have is a unique EXP path. As long as the grove stays safe and houses an abundance of life, I will receive EXP constantly at a slow but steady pace. It does not grow exponentially, unfortunately, and it took me nearly a decade to go from level forty two to level forty eight. I also cannot leave the grove’s bounds otherwise I am effectively a level one druid.”

William was amazed that unique EXP paths existed. He had also just learned that something called a Capped Class was a thing too. He could feel answers to so many questions.

Wylton appeared to decipher William’s body language and spoke up, “I expect that you all have many questions about this world, and I am happy to answer them after I have finished showing you around. I have questions of my own for all of you too, but want to provide you with a proper presentation of our fair town first.”

With the party’s questions silenced by the wizened Druid, they followed onward, finally reaching a flat platform after a couple minutes of slow ascent. William did dislike the lack of safety railings as they got higher and higher up. By the time they were thirty to forty meters above the ground, William felt some vertigo tickling at his stomach and back of his mind. He almost got down and kissed the stable decking. Fortunately for William, he managed to restrain himself from such an embarrassing act.

The group looked around them and saw multiple platforms leading to a network of wooden walkways between the trees. Many of the ‘buildings’ on this tier that they could see were carved into the trees themselves, with doorways leading into rooms that had counters, bars, desks, tables, chairs, and many other types of furniture. Wylton walked and the group continued to follow, taking in the sights they could.

As they traversed the third walkway since arriving on that tier, Wylton spoke once more, as he said, “What you have just seen were the various business establishments within Everglade. The ones in particular that you saw were the bars, Inns, library, and studies. We have all the typical services a town would have, such as a bank, trading market, theatre, restaurants, schools, and so on. The population of Everglade is roughly, two hundred or so. The exact number is hazy as we still have some unaccounted for due to the bandits. Thank you William and friends for solving that problem. Oh I’m sorry, I never asked your names. I get distracted sometimes.”

The three provided their names.

“Stacey.”

“Jane.”

“John.”

With the distraction out of the way, Wylton greeted them and apologized once more before continuing with his tour.

“We are nearly at the steps to the third and final tier. We won’t be going up there however as it is the official residential tier. It is all just housing and accommodation for the locals. During your stay, we will provide free bed and board at any Inn within Everglade as part of our gratitude at your group resolving the bandit crisis.”

William appreciated the generosity of Wylton, and as he heard the man say ‘part of our gratitude’ he saw an opportunity to discuss trade and a partnership of sorts. Something he would ask to discuss when the tour concluded. Without any other tiers to travel, William assumed it was nearly over, but decided to ask the question anyway, just to be sure.

“Does this mean the tour is over? If so, we’d like to discuss some private matters regarding our two settlements,” William said, looking out over the trees and architecture woven amidst them with appreciation.

“Nearly, but you have yet to see the main town building and Wyrdling rearing grounds. Those are the two final stops on this tour. The steps down are this way, please follow me,” The Druid replied, making his way to go.

The group walked for a few more minutes until they were near the brighter clearing that they had glanced at earlier, and collectively, the group’s jaws dropped in awe.

A massive, spiraling Oak tree dominated the center of the clearing, it’s canopy extending beyond even the tallest surrounding trees. Window holes could be seen throughout, with balconies carved out of the tree’s trunk, the thicker branches housed buildings atop them, and the same moss and fungi as before were dotted throughout the bark on the tree’s exterior. It was beautiful, picturesque, and something that would be a pleasant and astonishing memory for the group.

“She was the first tree I nurtured, the first pillar of my grove. Serendipity is her name and she is a Grand Oak. It took me over a decade to nurture her before she reached her pinnacle. The others in the grove were significantly easier to work with as their spirits were linked from Serendipity herself. After many decades, the spiritual link has merged into the grove as a whole, and Serendipity is the beatific focal point of Everglade,” Wylton said, his eyes going warm and kind as he gazed upon Serendipity.

“It’s nice that this place formed from such a nurturing bond. I have to ask though, why is it called Everglade, and not Evergrove?” Jane said, her curiosity getting the better of her.

“That’s easy, Jane. My grove began as a single tree in the glade. From then on, the grove has grown to what it is today. It all began in this glade. The name is to respect and honor where the town began. To honor its roots, rather literally too I might add,” Wylton replied, finishing the statement with a slight chuckle to himself, clearly at the last part of his response.

Getting control of it quickly, Wylton took another glance at Serendipity with appreciation as he pointed to the group’s left, straight at another picturesque landmark.

“Next is the environment we raise the Wyrdlings in. It is a rock formation that uses the natural Ley-line of the region, and the grove’s personal Ley-line to funnel a never ending, recyclable supply of water, formed into the shape of the waterfall you see before you.”

The group looked on and sure enough, a ten or so meter high rock formation protruded just beyond a several meter diameter pond, complete with a waterfall pouring down from the top of the formation. The water level however, didn’t increase. It consistently stayed the same height. The misting spray shimmered and refracted the sunlight, creating a tiny rainbow across the pond. More of the moss they had seen covered many of the rocks. What truly got William’s attention, however, was the faint outline of something moving on the rock formation, lots of somethings to be more precise as he looked on.

“Wylton, are those creatures the Wyrdlings you mentioned?” William asked, pointing to the rough area where they were scurrying about.

“Indeed, well spotted. Wyrdlings have nigh perfect natural camouflage, this makes them ideal for Scouts, Archers, and other, more mobile Classes, including some Capped Classes and many Advanced Classes. They are naturally adept at blending into surroundings, and are able to shape-shift their form into any creature their bond bearer has set eyes upon. This is particularly useful for deception, versatility, and survivability. They are a fascinating specimen, but I can elaborate more on that later. For now, I will show you to the Chambers of Serendipity where we can discuss matters further. We do raise a Rellzin and Green Bee population too, but that is isolated on the opposite end of the grove as both creatures need to be raised to be friendly to the sapient races.”

William appreciated the sights, but really wanted to get the awkward, business stuff done before relaxing. The rest of his people were reliant on the proceedings going well.

William decided to not wait any longer and replied, “After you Wylton, let’s discuss those matters.”

with another sagely smile, Wylton nodded and led the group inside of Serendipity, to what William hoped was a productive meeting.