Kael had no idea what was brewing back in Starlight Town. At 3:30 AM, he logged in at Aelindale, donned his [Soul Cloak], and headed west.
As he passed beneath the Dragonscale Wyrm's massive, empty nest, he glanced up for a mont before continuing on his way. Without having dealt with the Wyrm beforehand, passing through this area would have been impossible.
After another half an hour, he arrived at the colossal tree stump of the Old World Tree he had seen in the [Eye of Elunara]. It was an unbelievable sight, a staggering 6,000 feet in diater.
It was here, around 5 AM each morning, that the [Sap of Nature's Blessing] would flow. In his past life, players had counted a total of 118 outlets. Whenever the sap was secreted, the most powerful beasts in the region would gather to drink it and enhance their strength. Over decades of conflict, a strict hierarchy had ford.
The small hollows around the stump's base were claid by level 50 bosses. The larger pits on the stump's surface belonged to stronger beasts, typically level 55 to 60 bosses. And the massive, 500-foot crater at the very center was the exclusive territory of the Dragonscale Wyrm, a place no other creature dared to touch.
For the three years since the sap had first appeared, this balance had been maintained.
Now, with the Dragonscale Wyrm's unexpected demise, that balance was shattered. The level 60 bosses who had long coveted the central crater saw their chance. The weaker monsters, who could only lick the dregs from the small hollows, now dread of climbing the stump and bathing in the main pits.
The beasts had split into two factions: one, a coalition of forest creatures led by a level 60 Silverback Gorilla; the other, an alliance of grassland predators led by a level 60 Tiger King. The two armies were now arrayed around the central crater in a tense standoff, bristling with hostility.
Kael lay low in the tall grass, not daring to reveal himself. He was waiting for the stalemate to break.
Ti ticked by. Suddenly, a deep rumbling sound echoed from the roots of the Old World Tree.
Gurgle... Gurgle... Gurgle...
A clear liquid began to well up in the large central crater. The Silverback Gorilla and the Tiger King continued to glare at each other, neither willing to make the first move. Soon, a bubble ford at the bottom of the crater and rapidly rose to the surface.
Pop.
The bubble burst, spattering a single drop of the Sap of Nature's Blessing onto the Tiger King's lips.
ROOOAR!
The Silverback Gorilla let out a deafening roar—whether of anger or jealousy, it was impossible to tell. It launched itself into the air, hurtling toward the tiger.
Seeing their leader charge, the beasts behind the gorilla surged forward. In an instant, over a hundred monsters between level 50 and 60 erupted into a chaotic lee.
This was his chance. Kael crept to a small, unoccupied spring at the base of the stump, took out his [Sap of Nature's Blessing Flask], and began the collection process. As per the ga's chanics, the channeling animation was agonizingly slow, lasting a full minute.
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He was now visible and vulnerable; any attack would interrupt the process. All he could do was watch the tir tick down while keeping a wary eye on the brutal war raging on the stump above.
Ten seconds...
Twenty seconds...
Thirty seconds...
For the first forty seconds, everything went smoothly. But then, the original owner of this particular spring—a massive Mole Boss—noticed a human thief stealing from its spot. Its eyes instantly turned crimson, and it let out a furious shriek as it turned to attack. Before it could take two steps, however, a Dragonhawk dove from the sky, intercepting it.
Fifty seconds...
Fifty-five seconds...
With a piercing shriek, the Mole Boss blasted the Dragonhawk away and scrambled desperately toward the thief. At its speed, five seconds was more than enough ti to tear Kael to shreds. Kael quickly ordered his three clones to attack the mole, hoping to draw its aggro. It was useless.
The Mole Boss's primary target was the thief; nothing else mattered. His clones' arrows struck its hide, doing the absolute minimum damage.
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An attack that didn't bypass armor couldn't trigger Galeharrow's [Silkbind Shot]. And even if it could, a crowd-control effect would be useless against a boss of this level.
Just as the mole's claws were about to find their mark, a rope of golden light shot down from the sky, ensnaring the beast. The dragonhawk had recovered and bound it tight.
Fifty-eight seconds...
Fifty-nine seconds...
Sixty seconds...
Ding!
Ding!
Two system notifications sounded. Kael had no ti to read them. He grabbed the flask, activated his [Warp Emblem] to Blink twenty yards away, and ran for his life without a single look back. As he fled, he reactivated his [Soul Cloak] and vanished into the forest.
The Mole Boss didn't give chase. Compared to killing a thief who had already escaped, the battle for resources right in front of it was far more important.
Taking no chances, Kael ran nonstop all the way back to Aelindale village. Only then did he finally have a mont to check his system ssages and his inventory.
System: Your [Sap of Nature's Blessing Flask] is full. You have obtained one bottle of [Sap of Nature's Blessing (Quest Item)].
System: Lucky Bonus triggered! You have obtained one additional bottle of [Sap of Nature's Blessing (Quest Item)].
Kael stared at the two identical items in his bag, completely baffled. The lucky bonus was great, but what was the point of two quest items? Could I get double the rewards? If so, I'd be ecstatic, he thought. The thought of that quest reward still made him excited.
With a cheerful spring in his step, Kael made his way to the top floor of Aelindale. Priestess Isilwen, Arch Elder Caelthas, and the guard captain, Aerendyl, were all there, watching the distant battle at the stump through the [Eye of Elunara]'s projection.
Kael wasn't interested in the fight. "Arch Elder," he announced loudly, "I have returned with the [Sap of Nature's Blessing]!"
Caelthas closed the viewing screen. The three Elves turned to face him.
"Dawnbreaker," Caelthas said, "the Nature Goddess be praised. You are truly a lucky star for our people, to have returned with the sap so quickly."
Isilwen walked to Kael's side, took the flask, and gently placed it before the Arch Elder. Caelthas closed his eyes and began to chant in a low voice. A soft light emanated from his hands, enveloping the flask. After five minutes, the light faded, and he nodded to Isilwen.
Isilwen produced three small glass vials, filled them with the sap, and handed them to Kael.
System: You have completed the quest [Collect the Sap of Nature's Blessing]. You have received 3x [Sap of Nature's Blessing].
This ti, the item na didn't have the "(Quest Item)" tag, aning it was usable by players. Unfortunately, the Lucky Bonus didn't trigger for the final reward.
Rembering the extra bottle in his bag, Kael decided to try his luck. He repeated the dialogue. "Arch Elder, I have returned with the [Sap of Nature's Blessing]." He held out the second, identical quest item.
This ti, the three Elves completely ignored him.
Kael was speechless. What the hell am I supposed to do with this? What's the point of a defunct quest item?
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