Mesquite’s lance shot out like a rocket, showing no mercy even to a sapling that had attacked me. At that moment, the dryad burst into loud wailing.

A swarm of moth-like light, incomparable to before, burst forth from all directions, obscuring Mesquite’s view. Her attack faltered briefly because of it.

Through the light swarm scattered by the wind pressure, the young dryad, also affected by the blast, was seen tumbling backward. Thanks to that, it luckily dodged the tip of the lance.

The louder the dryad cried, the fiercer the attacks of the moth-like light became, and soon the swamp, filled with black liquid, began to spout up like hot spring water. Even though I had dragged it out front, this area was entirely its territory, making our side’s penalty too great.

I wish I could summon the habitat of my dryads from the artifact like Siedling did! Why can’t I learn how to do it instantly like Graft did? Is it because of my level too?

Mesquite, trusting in Panacea’s power, clicked her tongue at the petty attacks that obscured her vision or hindered her movements.

“It’s terrified.”

Daisy said, throwing a boomerang to cover Mesquite.

“Daisy’s child is right. It’s so scared it’s unleashing every attack indiscriminately. The attacks are too scattered for me to draw its aggro!”

Mesquite considered sending Daisy, who could move more swiftly than her, but then frowned as she saw the dandelion petals decreasing in number. He was trying to create an opening within the duration, but it wasn’t going well.

Anyway, that meant this kid wasn’t attacking because it knew exactly who we were; it was just thrashing around in fear.

Isn’t there a way to divert its attention? Even if time is running short, I still have half a bottle of Panacea left. Let’s not rush and think a bit.

There’s a limit to relying entirely on my dryads’ combat sense. At times like this, I, the inactive master, need to step in and do something.

That thing is also a Dryad, so it must have an original plant, right? Combining the poison debuff skills it uses with what I’ve seen along the way… Maybe the original plant is that deadly poisonous herb sent from the Alchemy Tower in Terrarium 16.

By some ridiculously slim chance, it happened to be a vessel fit for a Dryad, and then it received the pollen of the World Tree and miraculously became a Dryad.

Ah, damn it! Now that I think about it, wasn’t that poisonous herb supposed to be used to get rid of the bugs eating away at the World Tree’s branches? No wonder it’s strong even as a seedling. No, it has to be strong, right? So annoying!

Let’s calm down. Just thinking about how bleak everything is won’t help at all.

So what the hell kind of plant is that deadly poisonous herb anyway! Even if it’s just ‘deadly poisonous herb’ like Kalmia, I wish someone had at least given me the name!

Dryads inherit the traits of the plant they use as a base, not just in appearance but also in special characteristics.

Daisy had strong vitality, just like the improved daisy described on the stone tablet, but due to the nature of a herb, her roots were too weak to withstand Mesquite’s earthquake.

Mesquite had the straightforward and powerful attack strength of its massive original, but due to the deep-rooted nature of its original tree, it couldn’t move as fast as Daisy.

Elder is… as pretty as its original… hmm….

Appearance? Right! The Dryads’ appearances retain features of their original plants. They also decorate themselves with flowers or leaves that represent the original.

I took in the sight of the Dryad, flailing around and crying hard. Maybe that goofy-looking hood is a clue. Just like the densely packed flowers on Elder’s hood. The fact that its hair and eyes are blue-violet is also a hint.

Could the big glasses over its eyes be a hint too? Unfortunately, it doesn’t have flowers in plain sight like Daisy.

A poisonous herb, blue-violet, and a tall hood… Honestly, the only poisonous herb I know is monkshood from movies and cartoons… Huh? Monkshood? Aconite? The flower whose English name is monk’s hood, which made its shape stick in my memory more?

Holy crap, now that I think about it, that seems right. Sure, I’m just guessing broadly, but the flower color matches, and as far as I know, it all fits! So, what’s the weakness of aconite? Damn it, what’s the point of figuring it out!

At that moment, the fragment of Dandelion’s staff, which had come out along with the Panacea, trembled slightly.

An item imbued with the power of another of Dandelion’s flower meanings. An item holding the power of divine revelation. It was said that with a special power, another power could be awakened.

But even the Dandelion who handed it over seemed unsure of its exact purpose. Yet now, as if urging me to use this item, the white fluff was trembling.

What use is awakening another power here? Two powers. Duality?

This item showed no reaction to Daisy. It did not react when near Mesquite or Elder either. Then that guy? I alternated glances between the distant Wolfsbane Dryad and the staff fragment.

Even though Wolfsbane was once a poisonous herb used as a deadly poison, I recall it was also said to be used as a famous medicinal herb… Could it be?

All the dandelion petals had disappeared, and the time to worry about debuffs had come again. Now I had to stake everything on this half-bottle of Panacea. Since Elder hadn’t yet been poisoned, I switched the main role back to Mesquite to bolster the defense. Please, let everyone hold on!

Looking at the entrance, flames were gathering again. The flames continuously received debuffs when entering the territory of the Wolfsbane Dryad, shrinking until they went out before reaching him. But isn’t that perfect for diverting attention? As long as they don’t die.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Elder wrapped one arm around me, stopping me as I tried to act strangely.

Let go for a moment. I have a plan. I’m not going anywhere, your tall height is just a bit in the way.

Raising flames was my specialty. I used to use them well as an experience buff substitute. Though my purpose is a bit different now. I never thought I’d see the day I’d support flames.

I took a diamond out of my pocket, swung my arm wide, and threw it at the flames. The flames quickly rushed over and devoured the fallen diamond voraciously. They looked exactly like pigeons gathered in front of feed.

Over here, coo coo coo.

One didn’t seem enough to offset what was being lost to the debuff, so I tossed five or six at a time. Elder babbled about what I was doing wasting precious diamonds in this chaotic situation. But busy supporting the team, the nagging didn’t last long.

The flames paid no attention to us, too busy following the more tempting prey—the diamonds. I kept throwing diamonds diligently, leading the swarm of flames. Where to? To where the Wolfsbane Dryad was.

Like the white pebble breadcrumbs in Hansel and Gretel, the flames eagerly picked up the diamonds and pressed forward. Even after advancing quite deep, the flames supported by the diamonds didn’t shrink but grew noticeably larger.

Seizing the moment, I hid behind Mesquite’s shield and scattered a bunch of diamonds near the Wolfsbane Dryad. The flames that reached that spot instantly grew huge. Though still small relative to the amount of diamonds they ate, and even though it was a bit far from the World Tree’s branch, that size must have been their limit due to the blessing.

Once the diamond bait ran out, the flames turned their attention to the nearest target, the Wolfsbane Dryad.

“These flames are from our side,” I winked.

The sudden massive swarm of flames caused the Wolfsbane Dryad to start screaming. Thanks to that, his attacks were scattered. A gap appeared!

Still, its appearance was a sapling, and aside from casting debuffs, its attacks were too weak to even scratch Mesquite’s sand wall, so there was no way it could hold out long against the flames. There was also a high chance that the fire that consumed this dryad would gain a fearsome power.

I changed the spiritual connection to Daisy. Then I gave the staff fragment to Daisy. Daisy, the nimblest and fastest on our team. Daisy, who could carry out my thoughts.

The child clutched the staff fragment and suddenly looked at me. Then she pressed her lips tight and nodded. Thanks to the spiritual connection, Daisy could instantly grasp everything I was thinking.

“Mesquite! Use Earthquake!”

I clung to the Elder and shouted. Mesquite reflexively looked at Daisy at my request. But Daisy, as if unconcerned, once again shot a vine toward a branch on the ceiling. As Daisy leaped from the ground along the vine, Mesquite drove the lance into the earth.

A massive earthquake starting from her upheaved the ground and in an instant reached the spot where the Wolfsbane Dryad was.

Both the Wolfsbane Dryad, who had been cowering in fear, and the flames that were about to attack him were all swept up in the earthquake and staggered violently. The moment the upheaved ground separated the Wolfsbane Dryad and the flames, Daisy, charging forward like a flail, plunged the staff fragment into the Wolfsbane Dryad.

No… I told her to touch it… I never expected her to stab it so hard it looked painful from the outside…. Daisy, you must be really angry.

The Wolfsbane Dryad, with the staff fragment lodged in its hood, glowed and was wrapped in white dandelion seeds. At the same time, the swarms of moth-like lights flying in the air shattered and vanished completely. The swamp waters, which had been spurting up like hot spring water, also subsided abruptly.

I don’t know what will happen, but at least the item worked!

Mesquite stopped the earthquake just as Daisy descended from the air and stepped onto the ground. Daisy swiftly swung her dagger and extinguished all four flames one by one. The final point where the child’s dagger aimed was at the Wolfsbane Dryad.

Wait! Time! The dagger stopped dramatically right before it.

The dandelion seeds disappeared like melting snow, and there sat the Wolfsbane Dryad, who had stopped crying, with a dazed expression. With eyes red and raw from crying, he bit his lower lip tightly.

“You’re not killing him?”

The Elder carefully set me down and asked gruffly.

“He is really insufferable, but he’s still a sapling around Daisy’s age, so it feels uncomfortable, and I also have a few things to check.”

It seems almost certain, but I was curious if it really was the poison herb sent from the Alchemy Tower of the 16th Terrarium.

Mesquite had overturned the entire swamp, causing the stagnant water to splash everywhere, turning the surroundings into a sea of water. I hesitated, wondering if it was safe to step in, but Mesquite strode forward confidently.

“All the poison has been neutralized. The powers that were flying through the air have disappeared too—that must be connected to the item used on that dryad, right?”

She walked a bit further, then turned back to speak. Her posture seemed to say it was okay to follow, so I hurried after her in quick steps.

“Yeah, that’s right. I used the staff fragment Dandelion gave me. It seems to have awakened another power in that dryad.”

At my answer, Mesquite made a strange expression.

“Considering the attacks on my master, I’d want to cut their throat with a lance right now. But you don’t want that, do you? What are you thinking, Jae?”

“Hey, kid!”

Let’s find out the reason now.

At my shout, the Wolfsbane Dryad flinched and trembled. They weren’t crying, but they were still terrified. Daisy still hadn’t withdrawn her dagger, ready to stab it in at any sign of trouble.

The Wolfsbane Dryad, looking at me, Daisy, and Mesquite’s threatening faces in turn, sniffled.

“Is your parent form really wolfsbane, monkshood?”

I was already calling you a Wolfsbane Dryad, so if you said no, I’d be embarrassed. But my question didn’t get an easy answer. Probably because Daisy’s dagger was right in front of its face, fear piercing the sky.

Daisy glared at it and slowly lowered the dagger. Only then did its tightly shut mouth open.

“Yes… To be precise, it was improved from monkshood… My parent form was artificially created in human hands…”