This… is not good. We had promised to eliminate the source of the plague to save the forest. But thanks to Kazu's magic and my reckless plan, I think we might’ve done the exact opposite of that. And right now, we might have to give a long explanation about this, which I doubt will be for long due to the fire spreading around the trees and the fact Bai Hu is approaching us with a straight, but scary expression on his face. Thinking quickly, I jump in front of my younger brother in an attempt to protect him in case something bad happens. If he wants to punish Kazu, then he’ll have to go through me first!

"Mr. Bai Hu, before you do anything to us, you have to give me a chance to defend us." I don't know if monsters like him will listen to reason after what we’ve done to his home, but it was the only option we had. "We didn't mean to start a fire in here. We were supposed to mitigate the flames just towards the plague's source, but..."

[Your spell caused the flames to spread outside the source, correct?]

"Yes and..."

I quickly stop talking as I realize what Bai Hu said.

"Wait, how did you know about that? We were trapped in here for the whole battle."

[That is true. But you forget that I am still the guardian of this forest. This means I have the privilege of observing the ins and outs of my home and that includes your battle against that artificial monstrosity.]

Bai Hu turns around and nods his head to his left. I’m confused about what he was doing. That is until I feel something fly over my head. When I look up, I become surprised to see a blackbird suddenly materialize as it caws at the tiger. I guess that’s the "eyes" Bai Hu sent after us when we entered the domain. He must’ve used the bird to observe our battle. I’m curious as to what it was, so I activated my [Investigate] ability to know more about it.

[Camo Crow]

[One of the servants of , it uses its invisibility abilities to hide and observe the events of the through its crystal eyes, and sends the sightings to its master via telepathy.]

I see. If Bai Hu is still been hostile to us, then the [Camo Crow] would be a bit of a nuisance to both of us thanks to its observation and camouflage skills. But after what’s happened with the fire, I’m worried that he might get mad at what we’d done.

[As for your actions instigating the flames, I would be enraged by what you've done to my forest.]

I quickly grit my teeth in a panic over the thought that he might try to kill us for this. But before I can brace myself, I notice another shadow cover not only me and Kazu but also Bai Hu. When I look up, I gasp to see a large blue hippopotamus the size of our house walk past us very slowly. It’s not like any other hippo I’ve ever seen before and the only ones I’ve seen are in textbooks and at the Central Park Zoo. This one has a large appendage resembling a large cannon, which is similar to a certain turtle monster from a monster collecting video game franchise I’ve heard about from my classmates.

[Cannonpotamus]

[One of the servants of and one of the lesser guardians of the . Its tough exterior and its strong cannon attached to its back allow it to endure most of the attacks and spell that throws at them. Be wary when the cannon's mana turns red.]

So it’s another one of Bai Hu's minions, huh. Not to mention it’s one of the lesser guardians in this forest. I’m a bit confused about its appearance. But when I turn around, I see two wooden buckets suddenly appear in front of us.

[But after I saw that you were able to achieve the impossible and destroy the source of the plague for good, I forgive you.]

...

W-Wait, seriously?!

"W-W-W-Wait...! So… you're not mad over what we \did to kill that monster?!"

[If I was enraged, then I would have bound you and declared so before giving you two your punishments. But despite your reckless actions, you managed to locate and destroy the [Black Willow's] heart and stop the plague from spreading outside the forest. Because of that, I am genuinely grateful and I thank you both for what you have done for my home.]

Wow? We were desperate to destroy it as fast as possible for his and Kazu's sake. I guess despite the risks of our plan, we’ve managed to achieve our goal and save the .

"Y-Your welcome, Mr. Bai Hu," Kazu speaks up as he tries to keep himself from falling off from my shoulder. "We did what we had to do to save your home."

[Yes, I can see that. However, while I commend you for your bravery and heroic act, there is still the problem regarding the fire that you accidentally instigated and you two need to rectify it without using your magic as a part of a punishment for your reckless act.]

In other words, it’s like a community service. Well, at least it’s better than having a rematch against the guardian. Plus, we only have about 45 minutes left before we have to log out anyway, so how hard could it be to douse a fire in this fantasy world?

Turns out, I’ve ended up putting my foot on my mouth after I realize that carrying a bucket full of water had taken a toll on my virtual arms. In short, it takes us several minutes to scoop water from a nearby river, carry it over, and to throw it on the fire. Bai Hu has already cured Kazu's [Paralysis] condition, but from what I can tell from his expression, he isn’t having such has a good time putting out the fire either. Of course, it’ll take more than just me and Kazu to put out the flames.

Bai Hu, despite not allowing us to use magic to combat the fire, hasn’t left us without any help, however. He instructs the hippo monster to douse the larger flames that spread over half of the former [Black Willow's] domain with the water cannon on its back. However, because there’s a chance that it could miss some of the smaller flames below them, it's up to us to take care of those. And boy, it takes almost half of our mental stamina to endure the medieval firefighting, due to us using only buckets of water and nothing else.

Eventually, after nearly an hour, the fire is extinguished, and me and Kazu collapse on the ground, groaning and gasping in exhaustion. Maybe fighting Bai Hu in boss battle would’ve been a better punishment after all. Exhaustion aside, I’m glad that the is now free of not only the forest fire but also the wrath of the [Black Willow] and its poisonous fog. But, I’m beat!

I hear Kazu gasping and groaning right beside me.

"Man, that was brutal...," he mutters. "And I thought my PE classes were painful..."

"Aye... We did save the forest, but I doubt I can ever do that again in real life or online. At least I know that firefighting isn't for me..." I wheeze, too exhausted to say anything else. "In any case, we should log out for the night."

I don't just mean we're exhausted in a physical sense. We’ve spent an entire night traversing the forest and have ended up beating the monstrous plague tree. And right now, all I want is to go home and go to bed.

[Hold on, young adventurers.]

We quickly stop when we hear the tiger's voice behind me. While the effects of Bai Hu's blessing aren’t needed now that the plague was gone, he has extended its effects on me for another hour during our "punishment" so I could still understand his language.

[I just want to say that I am grateful for what you have done for my forest and all of the fauna living here. For that, I thank you again for saving my home.]

I can't help but smile after hearing that from the forest guardian himself. Punishment aside, the tiger’s starting to grow on me now. Sure, he has tried to kill me and my brother at first, but he only did so to protect everyone living here. Reminds me of myself with Kazu.

"Well, I'm just glad that the forest is now safe and you can live here in peace," Kazu answered. "We're just glad we could help."

Bai Hu nods in response as he smiles at me and Kazu. [Yes, yes. Out of all adventurers I‘ve met, you two were kindhearted enough to help me through my darkest times. However, I can’t just let you leave empty-handed.]

My eyes widen when I hear this.

"U-Uh... That's okay. You don't need to give us anything. We're just doing our duties as adventurers," I spoke up.

"He's right. We just did all of this to help you out and that's all the reward that we need right now."

A reward sounds nice, but our original intentions were to explore the and test out our new equipment in the first place. So I doubt that we deserve it anyway.

[Nonsense. What you did far more than a good deed. In fact, I feel that you are the right people I need to pass down some sacred treasures of the forest.]

I raise my eyebrow the moment he says this.

"Sacred... treasures?"

[Yes. While you're not an [Insignis] just like your younger brother, your heroic actions have proven that you also have the worth to use these objects. If you just follow me, I can give them to you and explain everything. However, I ask in return that you mustn't tell anyone else about the forest's true nature.]

I’m a bit on a fence about his sudden request. We’re okay with no rewards, but judging by Bai Hu's tone, I guess that he wants to show us these "sacred treasures" so bad for a reason. Thankfully, Kazu raises his hand and says, "Well, since you really want us to see these treasures, I think we should check them out. What about you, Wind?"

Well... it’s not like I had a choice for this matter.

"I'll second that. Besides, we do need more information about this forest and itself. I just hope there are no more shocking surprises like the last time."

[I'm glad you have accepted my request. Follow me. And don't worry, [Cannonpotamus] will take care of the rest on his end.]

Thank goodness. I doubt I can throw even one more bucket of water. Regardless, we start to follow Bai Hu as I brace myself for what was next to come.

----

As we traverse through the forest, Kazu and I are riding on the back of the large white tiger. Both of us begin to wonder about the treasures he had mentioned. He told us that it would be better if we had to see them for ourselves, but I’m still curious about what they really are. Even if I ask him again, he might simply give me the same response. So I opt to not dwell on it until we reach our destination. But now that I think about it, where are we going exactly? There’s no way for Bai Hu to suddenly leave the forest even after the plague has died out and we can only see a few other pathways, which I guess leads to other lesser guardians.

[Young Wind... May I ask a question?]

I’m quickly startled as I hear Bai Hu's voice.

"Y-Yeah, go ahead."

[I've been wondering about the hunter skills that your brother mentioned. I know from experience that hunters are skilled with the bow and arrows, but your skills seem to be a bit sloppy and you relied very little on casting your magic and mostly on your sword despite your occupation.]

Oh, that. I feel embarrassed just recounting the awkward times when I’d missed my target.

"Oh... that? Yeah, I mostly learned those skills through self-training and I only relied mostly on my sword because my arrows weren’t all that effective against the [Black Willow]."

[I see. I can understand your reasoning behind this. But have you ever wondered if you can refine your archery and swordsmanship skills?]

"U-Uh... Sort of... But I think I'm okay with my current abilities for now. It's not like I’m helpless because of my sloppy fighting style."

To be honest, it has cost me a few battles. But I doubt I’d have the time to enroll in the kendo class as well as take archery lessons at the local arcade not far from our home. And even if I do, it means I’d have no time to play with Kazu in or hang with my friends after school. Not to mention I still have a lot of homework back home, even during the holidays.

[Well, regardless of your reasons, I feel you can't rely on just yourself forever. If you like, I can ask an old friend of mine to teach and train you in a refined art of the sword in your free time.]

Refined art of the sword, eh?

It seems to be a decent proposition and I don’t need to go to a real-life martial arts class if I accepted this. Besides, we do need something else to do besides fighting monsters and selling items during our playthrough in this game.

"Sounds reasonable... But what's the catch? I know there must be something else to what you're offering."

[There's nothing to add, young Wind. However, I must warn you that he might be a bit... strict. Just prepare yourself when you decide to meet him.]

Seriously? There’s even a strict teacher NPC in this game as well?! Geez, how cliché could this get anyway? Regardless, I figured it was better than nothing.

"Okay. Just give me some time to think about it. Besides, I do need some rest after that crazy fight against that crazy living tree."

[Understandable. And speaking of which, we're almost at our destination.]

I quickly get up and look at what Bai Hu just saw. Rather than seeing the usual open pathway to another domain, I see a wall of flowers and vines right in front of us. Is this where we’re supposed to get our rewards for defeating the [Black Willow]?

"U-Um... Bai Hu... I thought you said we're going to get these "sacred treasures" you mentioned," Kazu wondered.

[Well, I didn't say that everyone knows about them. Give me one second.]

We quickly hop off Bai Hu’s back and back away from him. Once we did, he roars into the sky, and a large pool of mana erupts from his body as the plants absorbed it. Before we know it, the vines and flowers begin to flail wildly as they start to move away from the wall. To our surprise, what we thought was a wall turns out to be a hidden passageway. I guess it made sense for him to hide them considering that they are sacred for him and the forest after all.

[Forgive me for making you wait. Please come in.]

I enter the domain first, with Kazu following close behind. We then find ourselves in a field surrounded by trees, bushes, and exotic flowers that we have never seen before in this world. And right in front of us is a large box with a strange crest of a large tree that is carved in the center of it. I guess it was the guardian's throne. I can hardly contain my amazement at this. We’ve barely known Bai Hu for a day and yet, I can understand his personality so much after seeing all of this.

"W-Whoa..." Kazu speaks up as he walks right beside me. "What is all of this?"

[The . Any chosen and the people who are accepted by them are only allowed in this domain. Here, I use my throne not only to observe my home to detect any danger or problems to its inhabitants but to also guard the treasures that our magical allies have granted us for thousand years.]

"Magical allies?" I repeat. "You're talking about Kazu's species, correct?"

It makes sense since he already knows his virtual heritage without even questioning it. From what I’ve experienced during the last several weeks of business, fighting, and other shenanigans, I can tell that most other NPCs and other players had no idea what the [Insignis] really was. I can’t blame them either since Kazu mentioned that they’re the least popular race in the game.

[Very perspective of you, young Wind. As you said, we once had great allies in form of the [Insignis] race. Not only did they provide ways to protect my forest from raiders and bandits hiding in my woods, but they were the ones who built several life-changing [Magical Gears] that made my role as the guardian much easier than before. Because of them, the beauty was perfectly preserved and its survival was ensured for many years to come. And to make sure it remained safe, they also aided my predecessor in the creation of the lesser guardians to aid the main guardians and stationing them at several domains near the entrance, with instructions to report to me if they found something that I hadn't detected through my magic.]

"That's... kind of awesome..." Yeah, I know saying that in front of a monster that could kill you if angered might not be the best response, but I can’t help but say it because Kazu's race has helped him in the past. "But you said that they were your great allies. What happened between you and them?"

I can hear Bai Hu give out a loud sigh and says, [The war of the nations. A hundred years ago, was threatened by the wrath and despite every single kingdom in this world. And thanks to their greed and envy, the whole world was battered by destroyed fields, gardens of fallen warriors’ weapons in the dune lands, and of course, the sudden decrease of the [Insignis] as a result.]

When I turn around, I see Kazu frown upon hearing Bai Hu's story about the game's lore. I know then that the story has turned dark. I try to stop Bai Hu from telling us more about the story, but my brother just pushes me away before he asks, "What happened to them?"

[Well, I can assure you that their descendants are still alive. There are some [Insignis] soldiers assigned to help defeat our enemies, but most of the casualties were small enough to not attract too much attention. Unfortunately, that war made them realized that their abilities were too dangerous for [Humans] and any other races to wield. And the other races and kingdoms desired their abilities to win the war and take power over . So the [Insignis] decided to go in hiding until the world needed them again. So once we bid farewell to our friends, they gave us their remaining treasures as their way of gratitude. Ever since that day, we have continued guarding these treasures for many years until we could find those worthy to be trusted with them and are willing to help me protect the .]

So that’s it.

From an in-game standpoint, it makes a lot of sense. Everyone’s tempted to get something unreachable and there’s chance greed and jealously will take them over and lead them to do despicable things to achieve their desires. And with the [Insignis] race still unknown to us, I know from the story alone that there is more to them than meets the eye.

[But enough about that story for a while. Will you two stand in front of the chest nearby?]

Kazu and I comply and walk towards the chest. I’m a bit nervous about it, though. What are the treasures inside that box? Maybe he might give me a cool-looking bow that might help me with my aim and strength? Or a sword with has higher stats than a dagger? Regardless, we watch as the tiger slowly opens the chest with his powers, at which we approach it with caution. When we see its contents, I gasp to see...

"Logs? Who put small logs in our backpack?"

It was no joke. Other than a bag of [Lapi], we find that the chest contains green logs, several yellow gems, and other items inside. I know there's a thing about putting random objects inside a cool-looking chest, but this is ridiculous. But the real question is why we’ve given these items?

[Don't fret, young Wind. They might look like some random items you might not find very useful at first glance, but what you see here are some of the resources only found in this forest. You can call it the bare bones of every invention and magical items that the [Insignis] made during their tenure here.]

"Bare bones?" Kazu repeats. "Do you mean that these materials can be used to make strong weapons and armor?!"

[You could say that. However, considering your current experience as adventurers so far, I would not recommend you use them for the time being. Most of the trees and gems found here can be difficult to gather by normal means and I can only get them every once or twice a month. But I can assure you that once you obtain enough knowledge and experience, you might able to create something amazing on par with your ancestors.]

I see. If what he says was true, then I might able to make a bow that exceeded the strength and power of my current one. But as Bai Hu explains, we lack enough knowledge and experience with our combat and crafting skills. Although they are not rare weapons and armor like everyone expects them to be, at least this is close enough to our standards.

"Well, that sounds pretty impressive, if you ask me," I say as I store some of the materials away in my inventory. "Looks like we found another reason to work on our crafting, Kaz."

"Yeah. Thank you so much, Mr. Bai Hu. We promise not to waste these, and someday we will make some awesome gear that will make you proud!"

[I hope you will young adventurers. And there are several more items I want to give you for your journey.]

With another roar, two bright green balls of light appeared right in front of us and land in our hands. Before we could say anything, they transform into small leaf-shaped charms with blue stripe-like stem patterns, blue gemstones, and small keychains attached to the end of them.

[First, these pair of charms are two of my creations. Not only they can be used to communicate with me from time to time, but they also allow you to teleport me towards your current location if you choose to ask. Although, I can sometimes do so by my own volition, so be aware of that for now.]

So in other words, these serve as hybrid tracker-communicators to Bai Hu. Huh, I guess even magical tigers can sometimes be techies, even in this fantasy medieval world.

[As for young Wind...]

I quickly turn my attention back to him when he mentioned my name just as he produces another ball of light that flew towards me. But instead of a small object, I find myself nearly falling to the ground. I manage to regain my footing, but gasp to see a large book with strange writing on the front cover in my hands.

[That book allows you to learn more about my native tongue. If you managed to memorize what you learned from it, you might able to talk to me without the reliance of your brother or one of my blessings.]

This might actually be useful. Besides, I’m the type to read books when I'm bored. So I can try to read it in my spare time. But...

"That's nice, sir. B-But... is it possible that I get a smaller version of it? I-I don't think my arms can take the weight of your gift."

[Oh, you might have a point there. Hang on...]

Before I know it, the book glowed green and shrank to the size of a novel.

"Thanks. That's much better. We really appreciate everything you've given us so far."

[After what you've done for my forest, I can say the same. I would ask you another favor, but I have a feeling that I might take up more of your time than you have. When you're ready again, come back to the wilds and I will tell you more about .]

"Great! Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Bai Hu!" Kazu says. He then waves at the tiger as we started to leave. It was getting late, and we still had school early tomorrow.

"Yeah. We promise to come to see you again during our next visit. Take care!"

[Same to you, young adventurers. You are always welcome to my domain and may the gods of grant you luck on your journey.]

And with that, we depart from the and head back to to log out. And let me tell you, it’s very exhausting after that. What was once a hike to test our equipment and abilities had turned into a race against time to save the forest. To be honest, compared to that [Wild Bear], the [Black Willow] was so aggravating and tough to defeat given the status conditions it had inflicted onto us. Regardless, I’m just glad it was over. And with our original goal completed, I have a feeling that things would return to normal. Or as normal as they could get here.

Current Quest: Destroy the Plague ***

Status: Complete

Party Members:

[Wind]

[Kazu]

Reward[s]:

x8 [Stormy Willow Logs]

x15 [Silk Star Threads]

x5 [Starshine Fruits]

x5 [Crystallized Lightning Stones]

x2 [Charms of the Wild]

[Grimore of Runes]

1000 [Lapi]

Wind's Masteries

[Archery] Level 16

[Woodcrafting] Level 7

[Swordsmanship] Level 16

[Cooking] Level 4

[Wind] Level 12

[Physical Enhancement] Level 14

[Hunting] Level 13

Kazu's Masteries

[Arcana] Level 19

[Thunder] Level 15

[Wind] Level 14

[Alchemy] Level 12

[Magecrafting] Level 10

[Magical Affinity] Level 17

[Scribe] Level 4

[WORLD NOTICE]

[The true target of the has been defeated by [Human] [Wind] and [Insignis] [Kazu]. Because of their impossible feats, they have been granted a hidden title and some of the areas in the have been unlocked. You are now able to access the and the .

Congratulations on your heroic actions, adventurers. More details will be shared in the coming days.]