A Dryads Gratitude

I wake up and groan. I feel a sharp pain all throughout my body. After a few moments spent fully waking up I sigh, relieved. The pain isn't as bad as I first thought and is actually pretty tolerable. I open my eyes and sit up. Looking around I find my armor folded in a pile nearby on the grass. I look down and see I'm in my Junk Boxers and nothing else. I continue looking around and see I'm laying on a bed of leaves on the edge of a clearing. I get up and start to walk over to my armor. As soon as I get on my feet I hear someone humming and turn to its source. A moment later Liz and Treena walk into the clearing from between some trees. Liz is carrying a bowl of fruits and Treena has a bucket of water. They both stop when they see me.

"Hey." I say after a moment of silence. Liz chuckles after hearing this. Treena slaps her gently on her shoulder and the two quickly set down the food and water they're holding.

"How do you feel?" Treena asks me and I shrug.

"I still feel a bit of pain but nothing I can't handle." I say and she sighs in relief. "How long have I been out? And is the core healed?" I ask.

"Yes, you healed the core. And it's evening. But don't worry I asked Sugano to tell Asami, since I don't have her number, that you're fine and will be home later or tomorrow morning." Liz answers. I thank her and walk over to my armor. I pick it up and put it on. I don't use my inventory to do so, since that makes me feel lazy.

"Do you have an appetite?" Treena asks me while I put on my chest armor.

"Yeah, I haven't eaten since this morning." I answer.

"Liz, could you go and ask Layla to make another plate?" She asks Liz as I finish putting my armor on. I'm surprised at how easily it slips on.

"Sure, I'll be back soon." Liz answers as I turn around. I see Liz walk out the same way they came in. Treena watches her and waits until she's disappeared before turning to me.

"Eric, we can't thank you enough for what you've done." She says.

"Don't worry, I was happy to help." I say not knowing what else to respond with.

"Eric, Liz says you have a Nature Essence in your Domain. And that one of your Citizens has a Nature Spring Core. Are these true?"

"Yes, why do you ask?" I ask her confused as to why she wants to know.

"We wanted to reward you with this. But it needs a lot of water that contains magic. Like the spring provides." She says while taking a small green orb from a pocket on her jeans. I use Observe on it.

Mini Forest Heart Core, Legendary

This core will create a small forest around it. It requires water enriched in mana to do so. Once the forest has been created it will grow, along with the forest, until it becomes a true Forest Heart Core. It requires a surge of mana to activate.

"Our core made this. It was originally a rock that was close to the core. It basked in its mana for years and turned into this. It requires someone to give it their mana to work. Our original plan was to wait until it had absorbed enough of our Core's mana and grown into a full core. Then we'd give it to Liz and she'd place it in another forest. That's because, once it's fully grown, it'll create Dryads and, as I said earlier, we don't want your governments to know we have items like these. But, since you could use Layla's staff, and you risked your life to heal the core, we decided to let you have it." Treena says. I'm about to tell her no, but a part of me thinks that'd be rude to her, so I take it.

"Thank you Treena." I say while storing it in my inventory. Doing that reminds me of something else. "Before I forget again, here." I say while taking the staff she lent me out of my inventory.

"Oh right, it slipped my mind that you still had it. Layla hardly ever lets it out of her sight."

"I certainly understand why. It's an amazing staff." I say and Treena chuckles.

"Well, when your core grows you can create one as well." She says and I hear Liz enter the clearing.

"I'm back!" She announces.

"What did Layla say?" Treena asks her.

"She was shocked he's already awake but is making him a plate. And it's time to eat." Liz says and Treena turns to me.

"Are you ready to eat Eric?" She asks and I nod. Liz and Treena lead me out of the clearing and down a small path. After a minute or two we arrive at where the Dryads live. I see many other Dryads walking around or talking with others. Large trees all around have large hollow trunks but aren't much taller than your average tree. The size of the trunks is about the same as a full-grown redwood. They all have doors made of tree bark and holes cut out acting as windows. The leaves are all a vibrant bright green.

"So, what do you think?" Liz asks me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"It's beautiful." I answer her honestly and she smiles.