After calming the scared rabbits, Oscar relayed the skull’s apology to them. Fortunately, the rabbits were lucky enough to fell onto a bouncy bush so their wounds were minimized.
At first, the rabbits still feared the skull, but their feeling changed into sympathy after Oscar told them the tragic story of the skull. Some of the rabbits even approached the skull and patted his forehead. It seemed they recognized him when he was still alive.
After that, Oscar quickly listed what he would do and prepared what he wanted for his plan to help the skull.
First, he asked the birds around there to gather an essential material for him. What he wanted was deep inside this forest according to the information he obtained from connecting to the fungus communication network; however, since he traveling that far is impossible for the current him, he must rely on the birds instead.
Next, he needed to prepare for the ritual to call forth the spirits’ power.
“Say, mister skull, how can I talk to the spirits?”
“My lord, spirits are everywhere. If you want spirits to do something for you, just say the name of the spirits, tell them what you want them to do for you in detail, and offer them something in return.”
As easy as that?, Oscar was surprised.
“The effects mostly depend on the details of my lord’s requests and the offerings.”
“What kind of offering is good?”
“Well, actually I don’t know spirits’ mind.”
Oscar made a blank face.
What was this vague and unreliable answer?
“It depends on spirits to spirits, but in general their sense of value is weird. For example, different spirit loves different type of stone and jewel, but forest spirits like none of them. Rather, they tend to choose rare and seasonal forest products instead.”
“This may prove to be troublesome…”
He knew next to nothing about the stones or jewels and it would be impossible for him to excavate them if required.
As for the rare forest products, it’s hard for him to tell which one was rare. To him, every single plant and tree is all important and extraordinary. It’s like asking him which needle is the sharpest in a sea of needles.
And even if he knew what he would need, his only choice was relying on the birds and rabbits to gather them for him.
“Whatever will be, will be. If none of the gifts I received is enough, let’s think again about the offerings.”
.
.
.
Oscar spent his waiting time talking with the skull while the rabbits cuddled around him.
As expected, the skull was very knowledgeable about this forest. He taught him about effects of herbs and what kind of environment each plant required.
“Eh, I thought that fireglow ferns love living in a place with a little more shade than that. They did tell me that themselves,” Oscar asked, curious about the contrast of info between two sources.
“Indeed my lord, the fireglow ferns grow faster on a shaded and moist ground, but the ones growing in a harsher environment give off better medicinal effects and it will be many times more difficult to face their usual rotting root disease with that.
It may be true that a colder place suits their taste better, but a hotter place is better for their growth in the long term. Sometimes, things need a harsher place to grow into a proper adult.”
“I see. I’ve learned a lot from you, mister skull.”
As an animal with no absurd skill like “authority of the forest god” of Oscar, the skull had no way to communicate with the trees. What he had was only the knowledge from observing and experimenting over several years.
However this knowledge of his had proven practically useful as Oscar only knew what do trees like, but the skull even knew what is good for them.
If someone was to call him, the skull would be a veteran herbalist. As expected for someone who had protected this forest for years.
“Ah, they finally came.”
Before dusk, the birds came back from doing their assigned task. Hooked in their talons were a few glowing pale-yellow berries.
“My lord, those are...”
“Moonlight vine’s berries. Mister skull must be familiar with them, right?”
“Yes, my lord.”
Moonlight vine is a type of creeping vines that grew in a deep forest. Their notable characteristic is their glowing berries which gave off mild light similar to that of the moon. In the dark, they would be pretty much outstanding.
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Their vines were tough and flexible because they have several sets of unique tissue made out of biotic steel stretched along deep in their vines.
The moonlight vines might look just like a normal weed, but underestimating their toughness was a bad idea since a normal knife would never cut through their bionic steel tissues.
Their monsterized form, moonlight snakes were said to be the scariest terror of a traveler who trekked through a deep forest since they looked just like a normal vine and a normal blade would never be enough to harm them.
“They are perfect for what we’re gonna do! Mister skull, just wait and see and I will make you a stronger body which can avenge those monsters!”
Oscar’s eyes sparkled. What he wished more than the skull’s revenge was the come back of his admired hero who protected the forest.
.
.
.
“Let me confirm you again, but this is not even close to a revival. I will simply make a permanent connection between you and the moonlight vines and then monsterize you so that you can move them as your legs.
You will be completely turned into a monster. Are you fine with this? Still, I’m not sure either that this will be a success since I’ve never done it before. It’s only possible in my theory.”
“As long as you are the one doing it I’m ready to follow you wherever you wish me to go, my lord. Be it heaven or hell, I will run there without even a single thought.
On top of that, avenging my herd and protecting the forest is the only selfish thing I can ask for. So if this is the only possible method to do so, I will gladly give all my soul to it.”
“T-Then please leave it to me!”
Oscar was pumped up; however, in his heart, he felt deeply nervous. What will happen to the skull if he was to fail? In his theory, nothing will happen even if it totally failed, but he can’t be certain because right now his knowledge is so little. There may be several flaws in his theory.
Even so, leaving the skull like this was unacceptable. He must do something to help the skull return to his peak and maintain his honorable duty.
After strengthening his heart, Oscar placed a few moonlight berries on the ground and covered it with the skull. He then walked back a few steps and piled all the herbs and fruits on the floor before starting his chant.
“O spirits of the forest, heed my words and obey my wills. With my authority as a forest god, I shall bestow this skull and his poor soul with a solid soul bond to these moonlight vines.”
The wind began to whirl bending the grasses around Oscar and the skull.
As for the rabbits and the birds, they had fled to a safer place a while ago since they had a premonition that something like this was gonna happen again.
“My mana shall be bestowed upon this poor soul to change it into a magical creature. O spirits of the forest, I shall compensate your efforts with these offering of mine.”
The wind grew stronger and stronger.
Shining green particles appeared here and there out of the void. They glowed and floated around like fireflies in this fierce storm.
“...Not enough,” a sweet, childish voice whispered.
“Hm, did you say something, mister skull? Mister skull?”
But the skull had become silent, even the fire flickering in his eyes had disappeared.
“These offerings aren’t enough,” it repeated with a louder voice.
“N-Not enough?,” Oscar surprised.
Surely he had also thought that maybe these offerings might be insufficient, but still the ritual had begun and he had offered all of the gifts he had received. If he didn’t do anything, it will end up failing.
If that was the case, what would happen to the skull? He had become silent ever since. If it failed, would he disappear forever?
What should I do? What should I do?, Oscar’s mind became chaotic.
“T-Then take my mana and if they aren’t enough I’ll offer my blood!,” He shouted, pleading.
He remembered the story that the skull had told him. A single drop of a forest god could rewind the dead. He wasn’t sure if that was true or not, but there was no way to test it except trying.
Clenching a sharp rock in one hand, he made a straight cut on the other hand. Fresh blood bleeded out from the cut and dripped down to his backhand.
A single drop of blood fell on the earth and on the spot, a sapling suddenly grew up and bloomed an elegant flower with seven-colored petals.
“Thank you for your gifts. That is plenty enough~,” the sweet voice whispered in his ears.
The particles of green light gathered in his wounded palm. His hand shone with the cluster of green. Quickly after, it formed into a sphere and the light then died down.
What was left in his hand was a small woven ball with green particles floating inside. His wound was also closed and healed with not even a single bloodstain left behind.
“Wow, this is mysterious… And what is this ball?”
But that’s not all. A big change developed around the skull and the woven ball.
<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>
Skill Encyclopedia: [Authority of a forest god]
Type: Racial skill, obtained since birth.
[Authority of a forest god] is an [Authority] set skill which gives the power to govern over a forest. Other skills in the same set are, for example, [Authority of a forest king], [Authority of a death god], [Authority of a fire god], etc.
The same type of [Authority] set skill can have different authority level, for example, [Authority of a forest king] has a lower authority level than [Authority of a forest god] and can be less practical.
An [Authority] set skill is different from magics. For magics, anyone can use them as long as he has enough mana and does the required process properly (Note: better compatibility only helps in increasing efficiency and reducing required procedures.) However, an [Authority] set skill can’t be used without the skill itself.
[Authority of a forest king] works on several species which are different in each skill holder. As for Oscar, it works on all kinds of plants, fungus, small animals including birds, and deers, and herbivores. Noted that all of which must be wildlife, born and raised in a forest.
The effect scope of [Authority of a forest god] is very vast. Several branches skills can be derived from this skill alone and it can generate new, unseen skills based on the user’s strong desires.
People holding [Authority of a forest god] are not guaranteed to get the same skill effects and it’s still unknown as to how to get each skill of its branch or whether someone can get the same branch skills or not if he passes the same conditions.
For the current Oscar, [Mind link], [Share perception], [Growth acceleration], [Treant creation] are already obtained at this point and he will realize it afterward.