Wraithwood Botanist

Aiden waited until half the people started moving toward the liscans, getting somewhere in the middle so that people would be surrounding him on both sides. He didn’t want to be like Everen, who showed off his skills as brazenly as possible. If anything, that was a fool-proof strategy of making enemies. That’s why he waited and went into lines, something that was very time-consuming.

Just as he was about to get a chance at riding one of the liscans, he looked over and saw one of them limping. It was subtle, but he knew what was happening—and it made his heart ache.

The beast had something stuck in its hoof—assuming it was a hoof.

Aiden didn’t like attention and he didn’t want to show off, either. But he didn’t like animals to suffer and wouldn’t let his Day 1 reputation lead to someone forcing the animal to ride all day.

He turned down the line to the woman who was about to try riding it.

"Would you like to trade me positions?" he yelled.

The person turned back. "What? Why?"

"Because that liscan is injured. It’s not going to let you ride it."

The group shifted, turning between Aiden and the woman. She looked down and didn’t see anything wrong with it. "What are you talking about?"

Suddenly, the female twin spoke up. "That liscan has a hoof puncture or potentially an abscess. You can tell by the way it’s shifting on the three legs."

The woman turned between them.

Suddenly, the man in front of Aiden jumped onto the stirrup and the liscan bucked, throwing him off.

"Yeah, no," the woman scoffed. "Nice try, though."

Aiden closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he waited for the man in front of him, a balding man in his forties, to get up, holding his back and groaning. He wasn’t going to try again.

Aiden walked up to the liscan in front of him and put his hands on its body. It flinched back, expressing anger through its aura and posture and breathing. Then it felt like his soul shook hands with the beast. That was the only way to describe it. Their souls met and he could speak to it. It wasn’t direct, but the way that animals speak to each other.

Your friend’s hurt, he communicated.

She’s not my "friend," human, the liscan communicated back.

You already don’t want to be here. Could you imagine what it’s like to be injured right now?

Get to the point.

Lend me your strength, and—

Aiden turned to Alitalia, who was smiling creepily at him. "Can I give this guy a reward of some kinda? Out of pocket? When… I can? I’m kinda broke, I’m just wondering."

She smiled. "You can."

Aiden turned back to the liscan. I’ll give you—

The woman who denied Aiden was suddenly bucked off the ground, hitting her arm. There wasn’t a snap or anything like that. But anyone could tell by the way she screamed that it was bad.

"Take her away," Alitalia said dryly.

Aiden turned to the next person in line. "Give me a minute and I’ll try to help her!" Then he turned back to the liscan and communicated through its language. I can give you a reward of some kind. It will be delayed because I’m new here, but I’ll keep my word.

"Are you going to ride it or what?" a man yelled from behind me.

The liscan snorted and shook its mossy fur. Get on, human. I’ll accept you over… these creatures.

Aiden chuckled and put his foot in the stirrup, jumping onto its back. He heard a chime, but he blocked out the notification as they trotted over to the other liscan. "Just give me a second," he said to the man trying to ride. "It’s probably just a stone bruise."

The man nodded as he jumped down. "Come on, girl," Aiden said, grabbing the hoof. The liscan bent its leg to show what was underneath. What Aiden saw made him feel a bit ill. "Who did this?"

There was a tack in the hoove—a big one.

This is the Oracle’s will, the liscan said.

The hell it is! Someone did this to you.

No, it will not. Please help, and you will understand.

Aiden didn’t like that verbiage, but he got to work. He pulled out a set of pliers he had on hand—as he was literally in a zoo when the integration happened—and started working out the tack. It wasn’t a tack—it was a nail with a large head. It made him hold his breath as he pulled it out. The liscan bucked and whined but he held on, prying it out until it released with a gush of blood.

The liscan bucked him onto the ground, but he got another notification.

—---

Neophyte Aiden Roe has completed a Hidden Mission for the Quest, "The Trial of Worth."

Hidden Mission: The Healer

Hidden Mission Summary: Oh, look at you being all valiant, you little liscan lover you! You’ve identified an injured animal and healed it. And guess what? I love that! This is the type of thing that beast taming is all about. You know what that means, right? Reward time! Here’s a little something-something for the effort. Shhhhh. Don’t tell anyone. It’ll be our secret.

Value: Identify and help animals.

Requirement(s):

Identify an injured animal.

Convince the animal to let you help.

Provide helpful treatment.

Heal the animal.

Reward(s):

Minor Healing (Beast Taming)

Minor Healing (Beast Taming - Tutorial)

—---

"Hey, what did you get?" All the nearby neophytes rushed him, trying to figure out what he got. They completely missed the instructions not to ask, but it wasn’t like there was a real rule regarding it.

I must’ve been staring too long into dead space, he thought. They know I got one. If I play dumb or keep silent, they’ll just think it’s really good. That means the best course is to…

"I don’t want anyone thinking I lied to them," Aiden said. "And the second I answer, a lot of people will start thinking I cheated them."

A lackluster murmur spread through the crowd as Aiden got up and got onto his liscan as smoothly as possible, creating the illusion that it was effortless.

"Did you get something?" one asked.

Aiden nodded. "Obviously." It was obvious, so he wouldn’t blatantly lie to them. Instead, he kept it amicable and left.

You’re so proud of yourself, the liscan communicated, snorting and shaking its fur. I shudder to think what standards you hold of yourself.

Oh shush.

Aiden smiled. He didn’t know how he could speak to animals… but it felt good. Really good. He just prayed that being able to communicate with them wouldn’t make him awkward around them like he was with humans. But for some reason—he was confident he wouldn’t. He was made to work with animals.

If he had turned around, he could’ve seen the twins watching him saunter off with strange gazes.

Thankfully, Mira didn’t have to worry about any of these things. She was still in her shelter enjoying the morning.

2.

I enjoyed the bed a bit longer. Then, I ate jerky and a Cliff bar for breakfast, conserving the meal rations for later on. Kline ate Fancy Feast. I also cleaned the tub until identify didn’t pull up any alchemic residue from the bath bomb, drank clean water from it, and took a bath. Kline declined to join me.

I then got dressed and examined the bow in the corner of the room. It was awe-inspiring. The body was made of something similar to ivory with golden characters that looked to be from some ancient alphabet, like Egyptian hieroglyphs, but with calligraphy curves closer to Arabic. There were also geometric lines on it. Yet the most distinctive feature was that there was no string on it or holes to add one.

"What is this?" I asked.

—---

Name: Nymbrel

Type: Soul Weapon

Grade: Epic

Summary: Once wielded by Kori, the Blinding Archer, Nymbrel is a bow that amplifies raw mana and fires it in bolts. The bolts follow the wielder’s mana sense, allowing the bolts to follow your will. The bow can become invisible with active camouflage and can mask its mana pressure. Bolts increase in power alongside your soul density, allowing it to serve you well through the Sixth Evolution.

Important Notes:

The wielder can activate the active camouflage with the array on the bow using the spell provided in your Guide.

The arrows are very bright. It is necessary to control arrow girth to prevent giving away the wielder’s position or blinding themself.

Nymbrel is not advisable for nighttime fighting unless used strategically.

Nymbrel grants the wielder skills for the weapon.

Nymbrel bonds to a person’s soul—it is not a physical object.

Summon or return Nymbrel with your thoughts.

Warning: Your soul density acts as a multiplier for this bow, but it still requires a mana core to work. Using this weapon before establishing a mana core can shatter your meridians and eliminate your ability to use magic. You also cannot use will attacks. Develop a mana core and learn mana sense before using it.

—---

I cocked my head. "It’s not physical?"

Kline walked up to the bow and pawed it. His paw flew right through it.

I furrowed my brows and grabbed it. Suddenly, my arms marbled with goosebumps and my mind filled with static. The bow then sucked into my chest like a black hole, directly gripping onto my very essence, melding with my mind, body, and soul. Then it disappeared.

"W-W-What the hell was that?" I stammered. A chime answered me.

—---

Congratulations! Neophyte Mira Hill has bonded with soul weapon, "Nymbrel."

—---

I blinked a few times and then instinctually summoned Nymbrel by grabbing at my chest and pulling. It appeared in my hands, physical in form. I also knew how to use it. Nymbrel wasn’t a weapon now—it was another limb. I could use it like people moved their fingers or breathed air. That included using mana—it forced me to feel mana channels for the first time. They felt… broken… clogged like a drain stuffed with hair and trash and gunk—but I could feel them.

I wanted to try it out, but I reread the warning about destroying my ability to use magic and put the bow back into my chest as if it were only natural.

"This world’s a trip," I chuckled, running my fingers through my hair.

Suddenly, a chime went off and I thought it would be a good thing—it wasn’t.

—---

Warning: The current time is 7:30 am.

Temporary shelter will lock between the hours of 8 am and 8 pm for the rest of the trial. If a neophyte is in the shelter, it will permanently lock forever. After the trial, the shelter is locked permanently.

Temporary Shelter Nights Remaining: 6

—

"Wait!" I cried. "There’s a time? Where?" A clock suddenly popped up on my screen. "Seriously? Seriously? Why didn’t you warn me?" Then that anger turned to horror when it dawned on me that I would soon be living in that forest with nothing but a tent. I had a week to get more survival equipment. If I didn’t, I was as good as dead.

I immediately pulled out tincture bottles and tubs I kept in my hiking backpack (you must always be prepared to find poisons in the wild) and started splitting my healing rewards into two places. If I got locked outside or injured, I needed them, but I was also certain I could lose my backpack. It was all about mitigating risk.

Then I rushed back to the bed. "Get some books," I whispered quickly. "We’ll figure out the rest later."

We sat on the bed, eyes glued to the clock as I pulled up the book tab. This time, it only showed me the rewards I had, making it easier to look at.

—---

Shelf (1)

Requests:

Gold (1)

Platinum (2)

Diamond (1)

Recommended Books

Trap Plants and Fungi in Areswood Forest: A Guide to Avoiding Innocuous Plants | Grade: Platinum

The Convict’s Guide to Foraging: Foragable Plants, Berries, Mushrooms, and Vegetables in Areswood Forest (Vol. 1-4) | Grade: Platinum

Killer Animals in Areswood Forest (Vol. 1-4) | Grade: Platinum

Alchemic Plants and Mushrooms in Areswood Forest (Vol. 1) | Grade: Diamond

Evolution 101 | Grade: Bronze

Alchemic Medicines 101 | Grade: Silver

Building a Core Foundation | Grade: Gold

The Big Book of Mushrooms: A Visual Guide to Documented Mushrooms in Areswood Forest | Grade: Platinum

Fundamentals of Magic | Grade: Silver

See More >

—---

I considered the recommended options and bought one without hesitation.