, Orpheus Oak

Chapter 88. Orpheus Oak

Living ships.

To be precise, it should be the entire ship, with all the planks fitting together perfectly, and the same magic flowing through them.

The magic was full of life, and it was definitely the magic emanating from a magical plant.

The answer determined by the Celestial Spirit Imprint Technique is—

Orpheus Oak.

It was yet another completely unfamiliar name, one that Kroya had no knowledge of at all. However, oak trees... were a rather magical and common type of magical tree.

Such a huge oak tree.

"Has it already developed intelligence?"

Through the effects of the Astral Imprint, Kroa could discover that the entire ship was indeed made of the so-called "Orpheus Oak," and could even see its structure.

Most importantly, it does possess self-awareness.

"I want to get away from here..."

"Rotten, sunken, lifeless..."

"Riding the waves against the sea breeze!"

Kroa judged from this consciousness that it wanted to leave this place and return to the sea, to continue being a ship that could ride the wind and waves.

The question is, can this also evolve?

What kind of magic is needed to fulfill this desire?

Judging from the consciousness and magic emanating from such enormous ships and trees, they are probably no less than level four, and may even be close to level five.

Imprinting spells on such a massive entity would probably be a rather troublesome matter.

Moreover, I really can't think of any magic that could do that right now.

He had no choice but to give up for the time being.

"If they are conscious, then wouldn't they be able to communicate?"

He thought of many things in an instant, and then carefully extended his consciousness to communicate with the sunken ship.

If I try to enter its body to search for treasure, what if it suddenly goes berserk? Wouldn't that be a huge problem?

Early communication can help prevent some disasters from happening.

Just as his consciousness approached the sinking ship, the other party seemed to awaken, immediately transmitting one message after another—

"Can you communicate with me?"

"Ah!! Six hundred years! Finally, someone can talk to me."

"Me, my new friend, come in quickly!"

The communication and observation through the Astral Imprint Technique cannot be faked; the soul and consciousness cannot be faked—at this moment, the Astral entity on the sunken ship truly turned into a color of joy and excitement.

The joy in its consciousness was almost overflowing, showing that it was truly welcoming Kroya into the ship.

After consideration, Cloa gladly accepted the invitation.

"I am coming!"

After responding with that, he gently patted the sea dolphin's head: "Let's go inside."

"Chirp chirp~"

The sea dolphin quickly swam towards the ship and then entered the ship through a huge hole.

It's not dark inside at all.

Tender green branches sprouted from the floor and walls of the cabin, radiating a gentle emerald green glow in the seawater.

Even at the bottom of the sea, it is as bright as day.

Green has always been a color that makes people feel refreshed, and with the natural and life force gathered by this Orpheus Oak, one can feel an indescribable sense of comfort simply by staying in the cabin.

The magic seemed to rush into the body in a frenzy.

Kroya, who was feeling somewhat exhausted from the battle just now, thought that if she stayed here for a while, both her magic and mental strength would recover quickly.

With such a nest existing, it's no wonder that a level four magic shark would appear.

This is a magic circle that naturally gathers magical power.

Pigs that live here for a long time will probably all turn into magical beasts.

"New friend, please come here."

The consciousness of the Orpheus Oak continued to extend invitations to him, its branches on the floor and walls swaying gently as if pointing the way.

Throughout this period, its consciousness remained joyful.

Kroya calmly guided the dolphin in the direction it indicated.

The Celestial Imprint Technique has been in effect, while simultaneously using the power of Serenade of Tranquility to disguise its power as completely harmless.

Anyway, he pretended to be a nature-loving mage—which, in a sense, didn't seem wrong.

The cabin corridors are extremely spacious.

However, because those sharks frequently came and went, there were no decorations left at all, and they even had a strange patina from being worn down.

The sea dolphin swam along the corridor and soon came to a wall. It seemed like there was no way out, but Kroya was able to use the Astral Imprint Technique to discover that there was something behind it.

A void.

He waited leisurely.

Sure enough, the branches on the wall parted, revealing a scene enveloped by a magical barrier—

It turned out to be a garden!

The magical barrier prevented the seawater from entering, leaving the garden completely dry and free of any seawater seeping in.

Flowers bloom in profusion, vying for beauty and splendor.

Most importantly, there is a phantom figure inside!

It looked like a small, anthropomorphic tree, standing in the garden looking at Kroya with a joyful yet somewhat benevolent expression.

Plant spirits?

It has a slight resemblance to the power fluctuations emanating from the Sunflower Fairy. Could it be that it is the Oak Tree Fairy?

"New friend, come in quickly. The outside has been completely destroyed by those wicked sharks. Only this place can still accommodate you."

The little tree extended an invitation to Chloe.

This time, its voice was transmitted directly through magical vibrations, no longer as a consciousness.

Hmm... Can all high-level magical beasts or magical plants speak in this way?

"You guys wait outside."

After giving the dolphin some instructions, Kroya passed through the magical barrier, as if she had passed through a portal, and instantly arrived at a beautiful garden from the seabed.

Various kinds of flowers and plants grow on the ground. They are colorful and resemble a soft carpet, a thick layer that sinks in up to half a calf when you step on it.

My nose was filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees.

But strangely enough, there are no magical plants here.

After he entered, he habitually scanned the area with the Astral Imprint spell, but found no indication of any new magical plants; there was still only the Orpheus Oak.

Could it be that all these plants and trees were transformed from the Orpheus Oak?

How can a single tree transform into so many different colors and magically fluctuating flowers and plants?

"New friend," the Orpheus Oak said as it approached.

Its tone was extremely enthusiastic: "I sense the presence of a kindred spirit in you. It trusts you so much. You must be a kind and nature-loving person!"

Welcome!

"..."

It turns out it was all thanks to the sunflower fairy.

Kroya smiled slightly and said, "It really is a cute little guy. With it by my side, I will never feel bored or lonely."

May it stay with me forever.

In the end, his voice was clearly sincere; he genuinely hoped that the sunflower fairy could stay with him forever.

"Ah! I really want to see it."

The Orpheus Oak sighed, its expression softening further. Without any visible movement, the flowers and grasses on the ground automatically intertwined and gathered, transforming into exquisitely beautiful tables and chairs.

There are even teacups made of wood.

It contained a pale green liquid.

"Please have a seat, new friend." It extended its hand in invitation, "It has been far too long since I have seen a friend with whom I can communicate. I hope you enjoy my hospitality."

"Friend, of course I'll like it." Kroa had also learned its way of speaking.

"That's wonderful!" Oak jumped for joy.

One person and one tree took their seats one after another.

Kroya glanced at the cup in front of her—it was so eye-catching that she couldn't ignore it.

It contained a pale green liquid, and faintly emitted a strange aroma of wine and fruit, seemingly wine.

Orpheus Oak seemed to notice Kroya's actions and introduced with a smile, "This is the Thousand Fruit Spirit Dew, brewed in the elven kingdom of Evergrande Island."

It uses a thousand different fruits, plus the pure dew from the oak tree that is brewed and fermented before sunrise.

Please try it, new friend.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony." Kroya didn't refuse and took a small sip of the wine.

The first taste is an indescribable, refreshing fragrance, as if a thousand different fruit flavors have converged within it, creating a bombardment of fruit-based aromas.

After a brief thrill comes a lingering aftertaste.

It's clearly a fruit wine, but it tastes surprisingly good, and it leaves you with a slight buzz after drinking it.

The magic power within his body was instantly replenished.

"Delicious fruit wine, thank you for your generosity, my friend." Chloe didn't hold back her praise: "I've never tasted such a special wine before..."

The Orpheus Oak, which hadn't spoken to anyone in a long time, beamed with joy, its bark even stretching out, and poured Chloe another cup.

Then he brought up the real business.

"New friend, what's going on outside...?"

It was somewhat uneasy: "This ship sank six hundred years ago, and I've been here for six hundred years. How are the elves?"

Kroya shook his head helplessly: "I don't know anything about the elves, I'm sorry, friend."

"It's alright." Seemingly expecting this answer, it forced a smile. "You came here for the treasure on the sunken ship, right? I can sense that you've killed all those nasty sharks."

"Yes." Kroya didn't hide it; it was perfectly normal. Seeing a shipwreck on the seabed would make one want to explore and search for treasure.

"There are indeed some treasures on this Orpheus." It stared at Kroya. "I'm willing to give you some, but please promise me that you will help me investigate the affairs of the Orpheus family in the elven kingdom."

"The Orpheus family? Is it a very powerful family?"

"It must have been very powerful in the past, but I don't know about it now, which is why I wanted to ask you to investigate."

The ground churned slightly at its sound.

A flexible root emerged from within, carrying three items which were placed on the table—

A thin booklet, an exquisite leaf-shaped ritual implement, and a small bottle filled with clear liquid.

It states: "This book contains some basic natural magic and several potion recipes. The leaf can accumulate magic and communicate with me anywhere."

The last bottle contains the only remaining fountain of life on this ship, and I hope you will water it for your little one.

"My good friend, if you can help me find the Orpheus family, I'm willing to give you all the remaining treasures."

I have to say, this is a really big pie.

But it really does smell quite good.

(End of this chapter)