Chapter Thirty - A Very Handsome Tree

Chapter Thirty - A Very Handsome Tree

I stared at the tree.

The tree glared right back.

An irritated Dryad Tree Tender, level ??.

I knew that I should have maybe been a bit more worried about the abominations following behind me, because... well, the because was rather obvious, they were angry madness-inducing tentacle monsters which wanted to eat me, that was a lot of reasons to avoid them.

Still, I had just literally run into a tree person and I could at the very least apologize.

The tree man was tall, with bark-brown skin that was rough and textured over his shoulders and sides and pecs, but over the more flexible muscles it looked smooth like the skin of a tree just beneath its bark, it even had a soft green look to it. His hair was long and whippy, like the branches of a willow and his legs were thick and literally trunk-like.

He also had a really nice six pack and the kind of squarish shovel-like jaw that I was really digging. Hey, I said before running my fingers through my hair to straighten it up a little. Sorry for running into you, Mister Dryad, sir, I said.

The tree-mans eyes narrowed.

Tell you what, I said as I kept my eyes on his and not on his chest. How about we go out for lunch. Ill pay. To apologize. Im sure they have vegan meals at the inn.

Judging by the increasingly irritated look on the dryads face it was clear that I wasnt very good at the whole flirting thing. Unfortunately, my only wingmen was a group of monsters that decided to interrupt my moment by bursting through the bushes behind me, tentacles whipping out ahead of them.

I jumped away, making it to the lower branches of a tree a little ways away before turning around and holding my shovel close to my chest. I couldnt just leave Mister Dryad to be swarmed by the abominations, not when he was going to be outnumbered six to one.

The dryads hand shot out, catching the whipping tentacles of the abomination in the lead before he yanked the monster closer. His other arm shot forwards, fist burying itself into the monster up to the wrist.

The abomination struggled, its many hands grasping at the dryad, at first to find purchase, then with increasing desperation until thorny vines burst out from under its skin and started wrapping around its body.

I had to look away. The sight of the abomination, already on the gross side, being mulched by thorns the size of daggers, was just too much.

Congratulations! Your ally has made Dunwich Abomination, Level 8, push up daisies! Bonus Exp was granted for eliminating a monster above your level! Due to not being the primary combatant your reward is reduced!

Mister Dryad grabbed the next abomination and started doing terrible things to it, but there were four others, and they did not take kindly to their friends being pulped. Tentacles whipped out towards Mister Dryad and one of the monsters clamped down around his leg with its big nasty teeth.

I couldnt just watch.

Screwing up my courage, I reminded myself that the abominations were big mean monsters and that it was okay to fight them. Sure, I had been the one to invade their home, but they were over-reacting with their long chase and their madness-inducing screams.

I jumped off the branch I was on and landed on the head of the rear-most abomination, sending it planting face-first into the ground before I bounced off and landed next to it. My spade came down on its head with a clang so hard it made my hands rattle.

It didnt seem to do much to hurt the monster, but it did distract it.

Then a tentacle grabbed me by the ankle and started dragging me towards one of the other abominations.

Oh no, no no no, I said as I spun around and bonked the abomination behind me on the noggin. It didn't do much.Th.ê most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m

I chopped at the tentacle with the edge of my spade, then hit it again and again until it sliced off with a wet squelch and I was free to shoot up and into the trees above.

Mister Dryad had used the distraction to take out another one of the monsters. The two I had distracted waddled after me as I circled around Mister Dryad while he finished off their friend. The moment he was done, he turned to the abominations that werent looking his way and crashed into them like a falling tree.

It didnt take very long from there.

Congratulations! Your team has eliminated five opponents (Dunwich Abomination, Level 7 x3, Dunwich Abomination, Level 8, Dunwich Abomination, Level 9)! Bonus Exp was granted for killing a monster above your level! Due to not being the primary combatant your reward is reduced!

Oh, wow. Okay, cool! I didnt know dryads could talk. This is really neat.

He pointed to me. ...Talk.

Yes! I can talk too, of course.

... Too... much, he finished.

I almost collapsed. No! I dont talk too much! I talk just enough, I swear. Im sorry, its just when I meet someone new I want to know everything about them so sometimes I ask too many questions and I guess I do come on a little strongly, dont I?

He nodded slowly again. He turned around a little, looking deeper into the woods and I had the impression that he was getting bored with the conversation.

S-so, Im looking for a flower, I said. Actually, wait, I never got your name!

He sighed, a noise like wind ruffling through leaves.

Was that your name? I asked. Oh right, Im being silly again. My name is Broccoli Bunch. Like the veggie!

...No. He shifted a little. Oak.

Your names Oak? Thats a great name for a treeboy! Im Broccoli, but I already told you that. So, ah, Im wondering if you could help me. Not that you need to, youve helped me a ton already today.

Oak closed his eyes and I had the impression that he might have been praying to whatever a tree prayed to. ...Help? he asked.

Yes! Im looking for a flower.

Oak tilted his head to the side, then he waved his arm across the ground and all sorts of little wildflowers sprouted out of the soil and bloomed to life, their colorful petals turning a patch of the dreary forest into a brilliant rainbow patch full of life.

Whoa, I said as I knelt down to poke at the flowers. I recognized them vaguely as common cornflowers and poppies. Pretty!

...Flowers.

Yes, they are, I agreed with a beaming smile. I set my backpack down, careful not to squish any of Oaks flowers, and pulled out my herbology book.

Oak frowned at it. ...Dead brother.

I froze. The book had, admittedly, probably been made from a tree of one sort or another. Im sorry, I said. I found this a while ago. I cant say whether it was made with respect to your brother or not.

Oak considered that, then shrugged.

I opened to the dog-eared page with the Two-Lipped Tulips and showed it to Oak. This is what Im looking for, I said.

He looked for a long time. ...Weed. Cull.

Cull? You want to get rid of this kind of flower? I asked.

He nodded.

Well then, maybe we can help each other!

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