The second Lanek confirmed that he wanted to begin the process of dedicating the tree to Eldros, it grew another two meters while Lanek struggled to remain conscious and upright. His mana had been completely drained the second he began the process, leaving him feeling weak and disoriented. Talwarg, seeing Lanek swaying, rushed over and caught him just as he lost consciousness.
“That was fast.” Shel commented as she approached. “Let’s get him to his room.”
“Alright. Is he going to sleep the whole time?” Talwarg asked, a bit concerned at the thought.
“He shouldn’t. Judging from his condition, he probably lost all of his mana in one go, which is rough on any caster. I’m guessing that over the next eight days he will feel a bit tired, but not this bad since his mana will remain bottomed out as the tree siphons off what it needs as he regenerates his mana.”
“I’m guessing he won’t be able to do much during that time.”
“Not really.” Shel said. “But, he could use the downtime. I need to get back to monastery to continue working on the farmland, but I can send someone back with books from the library to keep him occupied. Maybe ask Ivan what his plans were for this area?”
“Yeah, I’ll do that. I’m sticking around for the next week anyway, so I may as well do some work while I’m here.”
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The next eight days passed in a blur for Lanek as he found himself far weaker and less capable than he expected from the mana drain. However, he took great satisfaction in taking the time to read about the history of Caelis from the books Shel had sent him. It also helped his mood whenever he walked over to the window and watched the tree’s growth. As the dedication process neared its end, the tree had soared to over 50 meters in height and maybe seven or eight meters in diameter. Honestly, the tree reminded him of the giant redwoods back on Earth, although it still had a long way to go to reach even the average size of those monsters.
Over the last few days, the tree had grown in diameter so quickly that Talwarg’s work had been made much easier since the rapid expansion quickly surpassed the area Lanek had cleared. As a result, roots and the trunk itself had pushed up and dislodged quite a few cobblestones. On the subject of Talwarg, Lanek was also grateful for the hobgoblin’s aid as he had arranged for a group of orcs and hobgoblins that were not part of the foraging patrols to aid in clearing the area of stone in hopes that this would encourage a grove to spring up.
Ivan, for his part, had decided to hold off on any explosions so as to not frighten or disturb the resting cats, several of whom had given birth to litters in the warm safety of the house Talwarg and his crew had prepared for them. Lanek took great pleasure in watching the healthier cats walk out into the open and simply writhe around on the stone or sharpen their claws on the great tree. While he observed the antics and work going on outside, a notification demanded his attention.
Dedication process complete.
Eldros has acquired a new domain.
[Dranrid] tree has become the core of this domain.
What the hell is a dranrid tree? Lanek asked silently, but the System provided no answer. He suspected that it had simply used that term because the tree had been formed from dranrid essence originally and not because it had any knowledge of the dranrid or the tree’s association with them. When he attempted to identify the tree, he received nothing but question marks in return, confirming his suspicions.
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You have done well, Lanek.
Lanek jumped, having been caught unaware by his patron’s voice after so many days of silence. Thank you, but it isn’t a grove yet. So far, we only have the tree. As impressive as it is, I’m still worried about it being vulnerable here.
Don’t fear for the tree. It will become a grove as long as it remains protected and connected to me. As for the protection, I have already taken steps to ensure its safety.
That’s good to hear. Lanek thought, raising an eyebrow. Is Idril coming here?
No, she is still needed elsewhere. I have already extended an offer to the tressym, Pharaoh. He has accepted the offer to become one of my servants.
Really? Will he be strong enough?
He won’t be alone, I ordered him to extend the offer to all of his kin. In exchange for serving me by protecting the grove and performing other duties, they will unlock new evolutions. The other tressym, in particular, will most likely jump on the opportunity as they can evolve no further without the aid of a higher power or an artifact. I also promised to bless the cats that enter my service with much longer lifespans and restore their elderly and weak to their prime.
That’s amazing, was one extra domain enough to give you that much power?
Eldros chuckled before answering. It’s not that difficult with animals and this act will leave me quite weak for a while, but I needed to protect that grove. As you know, I don’t skimp when it comes to aiding my servants.
The Primordial paused, sensing Lanek’s distress before responding gently. Worry not, this will only drain me temporarily, much like the mana drain you experienced when you dedicated the tree to me. With this domain established and tended to, I will now recover whereas before the single domain was only enough to sustain me and little else. My faculties are much restored and won’t be affected by this expenditure.
That’s a relief. Lanek had a working theory that the reason for Eldros’ decline was due to not being able to replenish his power after each boon he bestowed or ability he used and was more than a bit horrified to have the Primordial prove him correct.
Back to my other question, though. Will the cats be strong enough? They are hardly on Idril’s level. Lanek loved cats, but he couldn’t see how the little beasts would be able to fight off gaunts.
Don’t underestimate them. While they may not be physically imposing, you would be hard pressed to find a creature more suited for support than an evolved cat. Lanek considered this before realizing that he was indeed underestimating them. After all, they only escaped the gaunt horde due to Pharaoh’s abilities.
Eldros continued after a brief pause. However, I do have an official guardian in mind, one that has the potential to reach Idril in terms of strength. Go with Pharaoh and meet Letha, the dire bear. You need not convince her, I can do it myself but I cannot reach the monastery at the moment so I need you or Pharaoh to act as my conduit.
I’ll go right away. But, seriously? I had no idea Letha could get that powerful. Lanek said, a bit surprised at the revelation. Does this mean that Yuri could get that strong as well?
Yes, they both have the potential. A dire bear’s higher evolutions can make them a match for gryphons in battle. You should also bear in mind that Idril is not a normal gryphon, she became stronger and more intelligent in my service. The average gryphon is not capable of telepathy or speaking in a tongue that you would understand. If Letha accepts my offer, she will not only unlock higher evolutions that would not be possible otherwise, but her mind and abilities will evolve due to her connection with me.
A moment later, Eldros excused himself to take care of other matters, but only after telling him to make contacting Letha a priority. As Lanek turned to leave, his foot caught on something, nearly causing him to tumble to the ground in his weakened state. He reached down and retrieved a simple pouch that was packed full of reward stones.
Thanks, boss. Lanek thought, smiling as he left the gatehouse. Once outside, he found Talwarg laughing as a crowd of cats pounced and ran all over the place, some even climbing the gargantuan tree.
“Lanek! Look! They are all better, even the ones with missing limbs have them back!” Talwarg said gleefully, acting almost like a child. “That winged cat told me it was because they serve Eldros now, is that true?”
“Yep, it is his way of repaying them for their future service. Eldros is a helluva boss, isn’t he?” Lanek said, smiling wide. How could anyone not have their spirits lifted by seeing formerly ailing and dying animals restored?
“Shit, don’t tell Nerek, but I might be considering converting!” Talwarg boomed out.
“Dude, you’re going to get me in trouble with your god.” Lanek said, only half-joking.
“Relax, I’m kidding. Besides, I’m sure I will see more of the Hordefather’s power in the coming days as you go about your task. I’m no priest, but it almost feels like you are putting together a new pantheon as you go.” This surprised Lanek as he realized that Talwarg wasn’t wrong.
“Well, shit… I hadn’t thought about that.” Lanek shook his head. “I’ll have to think on that later, it looks like I’m going to be extremely busy for the next few months.” He watched as the first snow of the year began to fall gently around him, much to the delight of the cats.