Terrarium Adventure - Chapter 12

“Calm down. Do you plan on destroying the whole village?”

As I swayed, Elder strongly held my arms. Unlike me who lost balance, Elder seemed calm.

“Today is the day so there are many Driards in this village. Species like Daisy are easily buried in the ground. However, trust me. I won’t disappoint you for sure.”

The ground shook once more. Elder ticked his tongue and put his staff to his side and lifted me up.

“What’s going on?”

“Mesquite’s earthquake is strong as it is the closest to the ground. In the worst-case scenario, you may be in trouble. Normally, she would never use it near you but because I’m here, she did it anyway. My root is deep so it is immune to earthquakes.”

I must be heavy but Elder didn’t look tired at all. I put everything down and wished that Mesquite could find Daisy.

Mesquite, who was looking on the ground for a while, gave me the desired answer.

“I found her. I didn’t find the exact location but I’ve found a place where she is. She is moving fast.”

As the earthquake died down, Elder’s arm became weaker which allowed me to descend. I hung on to Mesquite and urged her.

“Not only Daisy… there is abnormally too much information on other Driards. Perhaps… The Driard that you are looking for is in bad condition.”

With my map, Mesquite pointed out where she felt Daisy’s energy.

She couldn’t specify one point but considering her guided direction and village community hall’s location, there was one place with high possibility.

Daisy is in danger. What’s going on… I hope Mesquite is mistaken.

I ran with the Driards towards the suspected point. I was falling behind since I had low endurance. I was running hard as I could despite low stamina due to smoking and drinking. Mesquite didn’t appear tired despite his heavy armor along with his lance and shield.

“The destination is around here. However, it’s too wide. Should I try to settle my root again?”

“The buildings are too concentrated. It’s dangerous to create an earthquake again.”

Mesquite held the lance while looking around. However, Elder stopped Mesquite by moving the staff.

I felt like throwing up after running for my life which I haven’t done in ages. I put my hand on the wall and took a heavy breath while sensing noise over the wall. Due to my heavy breathing, I wasn’t alright so I pointed at Elder and Mesquite. I heard a sound over there.

Mesquite stood on the wall with a small leap. She looked down and frowned.

“My master, Jay. You said to find red Daisy?”

Just as Mesquite’s words became a signal, Elder wrapped my waist with one hand.

“Hey…Don’t. Let me cross with my own feet. Please.”

“Why? It’s high and you can’t climb.”

I felt like dying anyway and Elder pressed my stomach while jumping so I felt like dying even more. I thought I was suffocating. Elder went above the wall and stood next to Mesquite. I was scared that I might fall so I threatened to blackmail Elder if he let his arm loose.

Below the wall, there were three men and Driards encircling something. The Driards were big so I couldn’t see what was in the middle.

I was moving my body around thinking that I would fall at the same time while holding tightly onto Elder. What’s inside there? Daisy?

“Oh my. Why is a little tree located there? The tree never lets a little tree out on their own.”

“What? Do you have any connection with wild Driards? If so, the environment here is not suitable to make Driards.”

“The Driard I’m looking for is… a Driard which became wild by force.”

Mesquite’s face became really sharp as she understood my meaning. Although she wasn’t angry at me, I felt a bit scared by her force.

“So, when the soul was disconnected, it wasn’t bilateral but the druid forcefully cut it off.”

Mesquite said the same thing as the lodge owner.

“Normally, when the soul is disconnected, the owner should give part of their soul so that the Driard can have a minimal life until returning to the tree. That part of the soul acts as a source for future plants. However, Daisy didn’t have such a process so she lost her power, became contaminated, and became a tree. By its size, it seems that she has lost her soul for a long time. If she becomes any smaller, she will eventually return to the tree. It means the psychological death of a Driard.”

Elder shivered. We also talked about his actions in the orchard.

“Perhaps, is Daisy there?”

Mesquite spoke as if she knew everything about Daisy. Also, she was speaking while looking at the center where people were located. I was in a hurry.

Can I fall from here? Would my legs break? I was thinking and Elder jumped down while holding me. I thought my back was about to break instead of my legs.

Mesquite followed. Her big body and heavy armor weight made a bumpy sound. People who were gathered looked at us.

“Wow, it’s you!”

A familiar face looked at me and shouted toward me.

“Do you want me to kill it?”

My explicit hatred made Elder point at the guy with his staff and ask me. Why is a healer asking me to kill something or not? I would understand if Mesquite said that.

“Step aside. I need to check something.”

I waved my hands as if pushing a fly away to a rude man and headed to where Daisy was assumed to be located. However, one Driard blocked in front of me with a huge leaf that looked like a fan.

Wind blew…!

All of sudden, I heard a loud wind sound next to my ear. A huge lance penetrated the leaf which blocked me. Then, the leaf exploded like a bomb. I was scared and took a deep breath.

“Nothing can block my master, Jay. Step aside.”

Nothing could surpass Mesquite’s force and energy in this place. The Driards backed off to protect their owners. As everyone stepped aside, it appeared that Daisy was fainting while being on the brink of death.

I was about to shout. I ran and hugged Daisy. She was injured everywhere. Her red hair and clothes were covered with sand dust.

“El…Elder…”

She couldn’t speak properly either. Luckily, Elder understood my intention and lowered his body while coming closer to me. Elder touched Daisy’s forehead with a shining hand.

“We are not Driards who have connected souls, so Daisy can’t fully absorb my healing energy. Also, this species doesn’t have any connections so it’s hard. The speed of the body and mentality breaking is faster than the recovery.”

That means even Elder can’t completely heal Daisy. Daisy, why are you like this…?

“Daisy…Daisy! Wake up, please.”

“Damn, a good source of energy has been taken.”

I turned my head immediately. The rude man who gave such a comment clicked his tongue while hiding under his Driard.

“She was walking alone so I planned to use it as a source of energy. It seems like it’s not your Driard. You have lots of diamonds so why don’t you let me have it instead of being greedy? If you give me Daisy, I will let you go without trouble.”

What the hell is he saying? I ground my teeth. I was full of hatred and I actually wanted to kill him.

“Is it you who made Daisy like this?”

“Your source of anger is due to this disgusting thing? You don’t like it. Do you want me to kill him?”

The end of Elder’s staff was facing where I was looking at. I heard Mesquite’s metal armor next to me. Mesquite’s lance was scratching the ground.

“My master, Jay. We Driards don’t aim for other lives as we are like brothers born under the tree. Also, that’s the same with druids who become small trees. However, I feel a wave of desperate anger in your body. If you want, I will also become part of your anger and use my lance against them by breaking the rule.”

The lance which was scratching the ground was headed towards the man I was glaring at. My two Driards looked like they would run as soon as I gave them an order.

There was tension in the area. I put energy to my hand where I can feel subtle Daisy’s breath. This annoying thing… dared to hurt a small child…

“Is that the lady who insulted you? Didn’t you say it was easy as he only had one red-haired Driard? But it’s different?”

“Shut up! Anyway, one type is recovery and one type is defense. You also obtained a rare type. All Driards attack, we can win!”

However, they were wrong by looking at Driards’ attitude. Elder laughed and the other Driards appeared nervous.

You made Daisy like this as revenge towards me? You thought Daisy was my Driard and left her in such a cruel condition? Because of me?

“Mr. Druid?…”

The atmosphere of standing on ice broke with a small and gentle voice. Daisy’s dead eyes opened.