While looking at the phone screen and estimating the four’s levels, Iris spoke.

“And the reason we don’t bring out our dryads often is because of a certain rumor.”

“A rumor?”

“We’ve traveled through quite a variety of terrariums. There’s a pretty widespread rumor going around among druids—that there are druids who hunt dryads. The targets aren’t clear, whether they’re after rare-grade or higher, or specific types of dryads, but isn’t it bizarre? Hunting dryads. That’s why most druids who adventure often avoid bringing out high-grade dryads, and if they need a dryad, they only bring out the bare minimum. Because they might become a target. Unless you’re a druid so strong that you fear nothing. Even we, traveling in a group like this, are cautious.”

“The Iris party has four people, right? And you’re still scared? Even with that many dryads combined among the four of you?”

What, there are druids who go around hunting dryads? Unless it’s a situation where combat is inevitable, they’re really just killing them indiscriminately? Wait, are there PK players running rampant in this game? Are they crazy?

“Yes, there are many druids in the world far stronger than us. We’re nothing. Some druids have visited the already-burned 100th-level terrarium, others lead giant guilds in the first terrarium, and still others have a king commanding over ten forests.”

Wow, the scale is no joke. I really was a frog in a well.

“Unless they’re truly strong, most druids hide their dryads. Besides the rumors, it’s also a strategy not to show all your cards to others. Because if your opponent doesn’t know what dryads you have, you can gain a strategic advantage. There are also cases where dryads have conflicting natures.”

I seem to recall Mesquite saying that dryads born and raised in the same World Tree are almost like family, so they rarely draw swords on each other except for special cases.

When I asked this doubt, it was said that while everyone knows that unwritten rule, over time, as their souls become firmly bound to their druids, the dryads naturally prioritize their druids. Plus, since there are so many eccentric druids, invisible battles happen everywhere.

But the World Tree is in danger from fire, right? Dryads are supposed to protect the World Tree from fire. They should be busy fighting fires, so why are they getting into PKs everywhere? Doesn’t anyone do the main quest?

I quietly slipped back and stuck close to Mesquite. Then I lowered my voice and asked.

“Mesquite, did you already know about what I just heard? You said you’ve lived a long time.”

Come to think of it, I recall Mesquite had a previous owner. Had they gone through things like that?

“My master, Jae. Perhaps it was all foreseen. It’s just that it’s collapsing… too fast… too much.”

After that, Mesquite fell silent. What on earth did she mean? Mesquite is too mysterious. She’s completely shrouded in secrecy. How far can I ask, and how much should I keep my mouth shut?

By the way, should I also carry dryads in an artifact like other druids? I prefer traveling together as a group. And there’s no way the dryads, who protect me so devotedly, would go along with it.

Then Notos, who had been walking far ahead of us, conversed with the pine trees and approached with a serious expression.

“The pines missed a clue. It seems no pines have ever grown naturally in this area. I think we need to look more broadly from now on.”

This was the first time I had heard his voice. True to his rugged appearance, his voice was very deep. He simply said what he needed to say and looked at Iris. The leader of this party seemed to be Iris. He appeared to be waiting for her instructions.

“Even if it’s to the east, the range is too wide. The areas marked in detail on the map have already been visited by guides, meaning there are no cluster sites, so we’d have to look at ambiguous places, but even so, it’s too broad.”

The map I had was smaller and simpler than Iris’s, only marking from the 26th area sideways to the 28th and upward until just before the 18th destination.

Seems like I need to update my map too. I really needed a system where, like in a normal game, the map would automatically open up when I visited an area.

“It looks like we’ll have to split up and search.”

With that, Iris pointed to two parts of the topography that were vaguely drawn.

“In cases like this, we usually have me and Notos, and Zephyr and Herma split up to search. Only Notos’s pines have the ability to detect something, but Zephyr’s beggarticks dryad can be used like a receiver.”

“Finally, it’s my darling’s turn to step up!”

I saw Zephyr, who had been groaning while clutching his stomach the entire walk, suddenly regain his energy. His terrarium artifact was enveloped in a halo of light, and a dryad appeared with yellow bell-shaped flowers adorning her roundly tied-up yellow hair.

As she spun around joyfully once, looking at Zephyr, her puffy, fallen-leaf-colored skirt and leaf-like apron flared out and then gently settled back down.

The sharp, thorn-like things hanging all over her sleeves looked very threatening. Were those the beggarticks? With every movement of hers, the things on her sleeves scattered everywhere.

“Don’t just stand there and watch, calm her down! If she keeps acting like that, my clothes will end up full of holes!”

“My lovely dryad is just too fond of me, how can I stop her?”

“I’ll do something before I beat you up and force you back into the artifact.”

“Alright, alright, that’s enough. Oh, my fragrant flower. Will you stop and listen to me?”

“My lovely little world tree… If it’s what you desire, I will give even this single fruit without sparing a single bit.”

Iris looked at the two, who were lost in their own world, with a truly fed-up expression. She furrowed her brow and watched, as if they were always this fussy and noisy.

“Didn’t I say there’s only one dryad in the team that can’t be shared among Zeffer’s belongings? That’s that dryad. She never listens unless it’s Zeffer speaking. Completely uncontrollable and a troublemaker! Just like her owner! That dryad is a diamond pot with no drainage. Do you know how many diamonds have leaked out because of her? Spreading fruit from her sleeve everywhere like that—those clothes and blankets she ruined would cover more than an entire terrarium!”

Seeing the two of them holding hands and spinning around, having become too cheerful, Iris began to vent her anger. She even pulled out a weapon and tried to rush at them, but Herma threw herself in the way to stop her. Herma seemed to struggle, as the other woman was quite strong.

I thought I had a pretty good relationship with my dryads, but those two were truly on another level of affection.

“Calm down… It’s not like they act like that just for a day or two… We’re in the middle of a guild entry test. And not just any guild—it’s the guild affiliated with Terrarium. That one’s already a lost cause, but if you show a bad side too…”

Herma glanced over at me.

“How do you think the future guild master will see it?”

At his words, Iris quickly began to calm down. She took a deep breath and put her weapon away again.

“Hoo… As you can see, Zephyr’s Beggarticks’s Needle Dryad can attach those sharp thorn-like fruits to any surface, and as long as the distance isn’t too far, it can detect all creatures the fruit has attached to. If the distance becomes too great and the ability disconnects, all you need is to meet again, or you can intentionally remove the fruit to give some kind of signal.”

“Our lovely Dryad’s abilities don’t end there! My Beggarticks’s Needle Dryad is a recovery type, so the fruit also contains healing power! In times of crisis, it can be used as a backup heal!”

Thinking of the Dryad covered in sharp needles to receive healing from the Beggarticks’s Needle almost made me laugh. What a noisy way to heal.

“So, we’ll be moving in two separate groups like this. What will you do, Master Jae? Do you happen to have a Dryad with detection abilities?”

I haven’t properly checked yet, but there were dandelion kids and also Mesquite. However, it was said that while Mesquite causes earthquakes, tree types can withstand it, but grass-flower types cannot. Since there were also young dandelions here, Mesquite’s ability was effectively sealed.

When the dandelions mentioned they might be able to use their detection ability, Iris hesitated. Considering firepower and ability alone, it would be advantageous for me to act separately. However, this was ostensibly still a guild entry test, and unbeknownst to them, it was still dangerous for me to wander alone near the 18th terrarium due to the incident with the Cannabis Dryad. I had to join one of the two teams, but I was torn over which one.

If I joined Zephyr’s team, which lacked detection ability, I could make good use of the dandelions’ power, but I’d have to constantly watch that gruesome scene with the Beggarticks Dryad. Seeing an Elder suddenly fly over and irritably brush off the needles stuck to my clothes, I felt even more strongly that this wouldn’t do.

Moreover, Iris had recommended that I join their team first. It was because of the Dryad combination.

Zephyr and Herma had no defensive-type Dryads, but each had one recovery-type. On Iris’s side, Notos had only two support-type Pine Dryads, and Iris had one defensive-type but no recovery-type.

Since I had a recovery-type, the balance would be maintained if a crisis arose. That makes sense! A party without a healer is a guaranteed wipe!

Before splitting into two groups, I obtained one Beggarticks fruit each and attached them to my body. Seeing Zephyr, who was already covered head to toe in Beggarticks like a hedgehog, I felt that choosing Iris’s side was definitely the right decision.

Zephyr looked utterly battered, as if he had just fought a battle. I felt sorry for Herma, who had to go with him.