Chapter 021 – Moonshadow Walker
...
"Thank you, nature, for your gift!"
Matthew placed his hand on his chest and paid his respects in the direction where Blackwood was buried.
The three new abilities he had just acquired clearly came from the arsonist.
And they were all very practical.
"The Heat Resistance" could reduce fire damage;
"The Swift Legs" compensated for some mobility;
And "Tenacity" provided the physical strength and toughness that Matthew had always dreamed of.
Combined with Blackwood's ability to run hundreds of meters even after being stabbed in the back that day.
It was obvious that the arsonist had more than one ability or characteristic that could increase toughness.
Matthew was satisfied with just obtaining one.
"For now, it seems that there are no negative effects from nature's gift. I used the Oak Domain to perceive it, and I have temporarily discovered the principle that 'an oak tree can only bury one corpse in the short term.'"
Matthew's mind became active.
Although he had no intention of turning the oak forest into a new cemetery, if he encountered a suitable corpse in the future, he would definitely not let it go!
The only regret was that by choosing "nature's gift," he was giving up the body of an undead creature.
In a sense, Matthew felt that this ability seemed to be trying to lead him towards the "righteous path," although the way it was gifted was somewhat mysterious.
...
In the following days, Matthew diligently planted trees.
And Ella followed him step by step.
She looked at Matthew eagerly every day, hoping that he would change his mind.
However, Matthew chose to ignore her.
And even when she got too close.
Sodie would suddenly jump out from a corner and stab her!
This scared Ella, and she flew around in panic.
Of course, Sodie had no intention of hurting her.
Under Matthew's instructions, he saw Ella as a target for practicing sneak attacks.
After each attack, he immediately activated his Night Cloak and disappeared, leaving Ella afraid to approach the ground.
But no matter how Matthew frightened Ella, the owl never left.
She tried her best to stay by Matthew's side, trying to seize every opportunity to persuade him to join the Moonlight Society.
Unfortunately, times had changed.
It wasn't until six days later, in the night, that Matthew finally found Ella and expressed his willingness to give her a chance, but the condition was that Ella had to tell the truth.
"Why did you leave the Moonlit Grove to find me? I want to hear the truth."
Matthew scrutinized Ella's eyes.
She closed her feathers and shrank back:
...
"This is the will of the Moonlight Goddess. That day, when I drove you away, I received an unprecedented punishment from her. She struck me with lightning a hundred times and then banished me from the Moonlit Grove!"
"I must bring you back! If I can't complete this task within a month, I will be deprived of my spirituality and permanently exiled. I will become a confused and ignorant beast... Please, Matthew, I really know I was wrong!"
"For the sake of the Goddess, please join the Moonlight Society!"
...
Ella pleaded desperately.
Matthew pondered for a moment. "It is indeed related to the Moonlight Goddess. She actually paid attention to me? Wasn't it said that the connection between the heavenly realm and the main material realm has become very weak since the ascension of the Heavenly Palace?"
He thought for a moment.
In the end, he decided to go back to the Moonlit Grove and take a look.
He knew very little about the gods of this world, and there seemed to be no Moonlight Goddess in the game of his previous life. Since he had the opportunity to come into contact with her now, he couldn't easily let it slip away.
As for the owl, Ella.
With Matthew's generosity, he naturally wouldn't continue to hold a grudge against her.
But necessary punishment was still necessary.
"What? You want me to enlighten your Oak Forest every month until the end of the three-year period?"
Ella exclaimed, "Do you know how much strength it takes for me to enlighten?"
Matthew glanced at her and calmly said, "At least you still have the strength, don't you?"
Ella raised her head.
It seemed that she couldn't say another word.
...
In the middle of the night.
The moonlight finally emerged from behind the clouds.
Led by Ella herself.
Matthew once again set foot on the land of the Moonlit Grove.
As soon as he entered, three beams of moonlight flew up from the altar.
And landed on Matthew!
In that instant.
He felt as if he was bathing in a hot spring.
Every pore in his body was expanding.
...
"Prompt: You have received the blessing of the Moonlight Goddess, 'Moonshadow Walker.'
Moonshadow Walker: When you walk under the moonlight, your intelligence and perception increase by 1 point each.
...
You have received the grace of the Moonlight Goddess, 'Grove Guardian.'
Grove Guardian: You have full area reputation and legend in the Moonlit Grove. You can go anywhere without hindrance, and you also have the ability to enter the Moonlit Grove under the moonlight.
...
You have successfully joined the 'Moonlight Society'!
Under the moonlight, your 'Wild Transformation' eliminates the casting steps and pre-casting time, and all attributes in the wild form increase by 1!"
...
"Wow."
Matthew's face showed a look of astonishment. This series of blessings came so suddenly that, besides joy, he also sensed a faint sense of crisis.
"What does the Moonlight Goddess want me to do?"
He knew very well that there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
And Ella beside him seemed extremely delighted.
"Congratulations, Mr. Matthew, you have become the first and only Necromancer in the Moonlight Society!"
"Although you are not a formal member yet, thanks to the grace of the Moonlight Goddess, you can freely enter and leave the Moonlit Grove just like the formal members. The most important thing is that my task is finally completed, and I no longer have to worry about being expelled by the Goddess, sob."
She laughed and choked up.
Matthew patiently waited for her emotions to calm down.
Then he asked the same question again.
"Or should I go and ask the Goddess myself?"
As he said that, he was about to walk towards the altar."No need, no need, I am your guide, let me convey the will of the goddess to you."
Ella spread her wings and flew high:
"Follow me, Matthew, along the way, I will tell you what you need to do to become a formal member of the Moonlight Society."
Ella's voice echoed in the forest for a long time.
Matthew noticed that the holy emblem of the Moon Goddess on the altar gradually dimmed.
So he followed Ella all the way.
Crossing most of the forest.
Along the way, Matthew saw many spirits of nature.
They all have the appearance of small animals, unlike the spirits of nature he encountered when he was traveling in the Oak Domain, the natives of the Moonlit Grove seemed to be lifeless.
They are clearly the spirits symbolizing vitality and nature.
But in Matthew's eyes, they are not as lively as a Skeleton Soldier!
The natives looked at him with astonishment.
At first, they were surprised and disgusted.
But later, perhaps feeling the grace of the Moon Goddess, most of them froze in place for a while.
It took a long time before they looked at Matthew with reverence.
Their expressions and eyes were very stiff, as if they were being forced to operate.
"The situation in the Moonlit Grove seems to be bad."
Matthew noticed a detail, he had not encountered a Druid along the way!
You know, even if human or elf Druids are busy in the Material Plane, there is a chance that Druids will be born among these native spirits of nature.
But he didn't see any.
This is very unusual.
He quickly caught up with the cheerful Ella and expressed his doubts.
Ella slightly lowered her flight altitude:
"You are very sharp, there are indeed few Druids in the Moonlit Grove, it was not like this before, I remember when I was a child, just born, the spirits of nature in the jungle were full of vitality, every forest lived with Druids, they would actively repair the scars of time caused by the natural decay of the half-plane."
"But then a disaster happened, the grove suffered a major blow, many Druids died, and no new Druids could be born from the spirits of nature."
Matthew was puzzled: "Didn't you ask for help from the outside world?"
Ella sighed: "Yes, we have asked for help from the Guardian Heights, the Far North Tundra, and the Azure Sea, but they all refused us without exception!"
"Only a few young Druids who are traveling outside are willing to help us, but their power is not enough to change this situation, so it has become what you see now."
As they continued to go deeper.
Matthew noticed that the trees on both sides of the forest were dying.
This means that the Moonlit Grove is being invaded by evil forces.
"Why did the Guardian Heights refuse to help?"
Matthew found it strange.
Ella flew down.
She stopped on a dead pine tree and looked around:
……
"Times have changed, Matthew, people are becoming worse and worse, and Druids are no exception.
Although they refused us on the grounds that they were also invaded by evil and could not provide support.
But I know the real reason, because we are Moonshadow Walkers, and they, they are the darlings of the earth."
……
Discrimination between factions.
Matthew didn't expect that even within the Druids, help would be refused due to different factions.
From the information he currently knows.
The Moonlight Society is an organization under the command of the Moon Goddess Asiya, who may only have a very small amount of authority related to nature.
Since the disaster mentioned by Ella, the Druids who believe in the moonlight have almost been extinct.
And the remaining Druids on this continent are all members of the 'Earth Society', the latter should be an organization established by a god who controls the authority of the earth.
Undoubtedly, the power of the Earth God is much higher than that of the Moon Goddess, and the authority he holds in the field of nature will also occupy more weight.
This has led to the current situation.
To put it simply.
The Moonlight Society may have been glorious, but it has now declined.
Matthew can basically understand why the Moon Goddess punished Ella and why she treated him so generously.
The situation in the Moonlit Grove may have been so bad that the Moon Goddess was desperate.
Only Ella, this greenhorn, dared to drive away the possible living forces recklessly.
After driving away Matthew.
She didn't know when the next capable person would come in.
Who else should be punished if not her!?
"If it's the thriving Earth Society, maybe I wouldn't have a chance to show my abilities."
Matthew thought a bit more.
……
"We're here."
Fifteen minutes later.
Ella stopped in front of a dark cave.
She said to the front:
"Your job is to deal with those disgusting bugs inside. If you can kill a 'Frenzy Guardian', then you will become a formal member of the Moonlight Society, and the goddess will bestow more grace at that time."
At the same time.
The task bar also updated after a long time.
……
「Side Quest: Kill the Frenzy!
Description: The Moonlit Grove is being invaded by the Frenzy Swarm, kill them all, and then make a big claim to the Moon Goddess!
Reward: The grace of the Moon Goddess & the ability 'Combat Casting'」
……