Second World

The last item was a small seed-like item but not an Evolve Seed. After Jack used Inspect, he found that the item was a real seed.

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Rune Tree Seed (Legendary consumable)

Grow a rune tree. Not movable after being planted.

Need to be planted on soil

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"What's a rune tree?" Jack asked aloud after reading the description.

"A rune tree, you said?" John stopped walking and turned back after hearing.

"That is good stuff for defensive purposes," Peniel remarked.

"That's right. If you had a rune tree in Messephyria when the siege happened, you wouldn't have lost as many troops as you have," John added. "This rune tree would have made up for your incompetence."

"Do you have to sneak in an insult to your comment?" Jack asked in annoyance. He then asked, "What does it do?"

"It gives constant healing to a very large area," Peniel explained. "An adult rune tree can cover an area even as large as a metropolis. John is right. If Messephyria had a fully grown rune tree, we would have fewer casualties. The tree casts periodic heals on everyone within the city who is considered the city's citizen or its allies. Imagine having a fully dedicated healer on every soldier defending the city."

"Wow…," Jack remarked. He was impressed after hearing the explanation.

"A rune tree needs one year to grow into its adult stage, though," John doused cold water on Jack. "So, you won't have any immediate use for it."

"It still gives off its healing effect as a sapling," Peniel said. "Only in a smaller area."

"Which means it only shows its use after the enemy breaks into the city," John countered. "Unless you plant it right next to the gate, but that only gives you coverage near the main gate. The enemy can just choose to attack the other side of the city wall."

"How about planting it inside our guild headquarters," Grace said.

"Well, our headquarters' territory is indeed much smaller than a city," John responded. "By a month, the rune tree sapling should have grown enough to cover our headquarters' territory. But then again, nobody comes to attack us anymore. What use is it planting the tree there? Even if Liguritudum invades Themisphere, they will just target the settlements instead of guild headquarters."

"Why are you smiling?" Peniel asked when he saw Jack's grin. "This rune tree is impressive but as John said, you have no immediate use for it."

"Oh, I wasn't smiling because I got this seed. I simply smile because an amusing thought crossed my mind," Jack answered.

"What crossed your mind?" Grace asked.

"Do we truly want to know?" John remarked.

"I was just thinking. If we have this rune tree and Grace at the same time. We will have two healing beacons," Jack laughed. He was referring to Grace's ability to heal her surrounding allies passively now that her armor was the legendary grade.

"Are you objectifying me?" Grace asked with a stern expression.

"Huh? Uh… No, no… I…"

"I'm just messing with you," Grace laughed when she saw Jack's stammering response.

"Phew…! I thought for a second there you have become like those new-age easily-offended generations," Jack heaved a long relief. "Well, in any case, we have to return to Themisphere to use this seed, right? I need to return to the palace, anyway. A few days have passed since I received the ruling powers from my sovereign level. The cooldown to Call of Arms and Mass Drill is also over."

"You don't need to return to Themisphere," John said with a grin.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Jack asked.

"Oh? Have you built that inside this fortress?" Peniel asked. They were now standing before the mobile fortress. Its huge main body was resting on the ground. Its eight spider legs were folded by its sides. This way, people could come and go through its gatehouse.

"Hey! What are you two talking about?" Jack asked. To his annoyance, both John and Peniel were ignoring his questions.

A draw bridge before this gatehouse served as a ramp to let people up into its main entrance. They walked up this ramp to enter the mobile fortress.

When Jack came into the fort's courtyard, he was impressed by the scale of the place. He felt no difference from being inside a normal fort, albeit a small one. There were several structures by the sides of the courtyard, attached to the fort's surrounding wall. Soldiers were walking around while several crates and carts were placed in one corner. The majestic keep was at the back of the courtyard.

As John and the others walked to the keep, they noticed that Jack wasn't following them. They turned back and saw that he just stood there looking at the ground.

"Hey! You can find another time to admire this place," John called.

Jack looked back at them and asked, "We just need soil to plant this rune tree, don't we? What about planting it here?"

Jack pointed to the ground. The ground of this mobile fortress' courtyard was made of soil instead of hard ground.

There was a long pause after Jack asked the question. John ended that silence with an exclamation, "Expert! I didn't expect you to think of something good. This is brilliant!"

"Didn't you say you have a photographic memory? I have thought of many good ideas before," Jack grumbled.

"You want to plant it here?" Peniel asked. "It is indeed possible, but a mobile fortress is more vulnerable compared to the capital. If this fortress is defeated, you will also lose the rune tree."

"But imagine the effect it can give our troops," John said. Every soldier in the vicinity of this mobile fortress will receive the tree's healing effect. This will give our front line a massive advantage. By combining the tree with this fortress, we can use its power for offense instead of defense."

"So…? We plant it here?" Jack asked. He held the rune tree seed in his hand.

"Do it," John said.

"How do I plant it? Do I need a shovel?" Jack asked.

"Just place the seed on the ground. An interface will appear," Peniel informed.

Jack did as Peniel advised. When the seed touched the ground, a display box came up, asking him if he was sure to have this spot as a location for the rune tree.

Jack chose the accept button.