“I am not just helping you. I am someone who cares about the forests, as hard as it may seem. And I would hate to see the sacred forest wither. Just think of it as me being nosey, if you will.” I was really lying my head off right now. I was doing my best not to let it show. I had no idea how sensitive this elf actually was.

    “A demon who likes nature now. This is quite interesting. Alright. If you are willing, then I can help you out, but I want you to do me a favor. At the location in which you will need to go to settle the issue with the forest is an ancestral tree. This tree was used for ceremonies and is the center of the sacred forest. On the opposite side of the ceremonial grounds, the tree has many roots that rise up out of the ground, leaving a small space just big enough for a child to fit. Under these roots, there should be a locket. Bring me back the locket without looking at it.” I have no idea why I could not look at the locket, but it must be important to Noel for her to be so firm about me not looking at it. 

“That’s fine.” I nodded in agreeance. I have no need to look at it. It probably belongs to her in the first place and probably has pictures of her parents in it, for all I know.

“Good… Hold on.” Noel got up and walked into the other room. A few minutes later, she walked out with a green orb that looked like a smooth gem. “The reason for the withering is due to the ritual not taking place. You only need to put this orb on the pedestal and inject a bit of mana into it. Now go. If you wait any longer, the forest you wish to save will disappear.”

“Alright, I will go.” I had no choice but to get up without finishing my tea, which was very good. Noel was basically chasing me out of the house. I wonder if I will need to embarrass her again when I come back….

I did not waste any time sightseeing as I rushed back to the forest. Right now, every second was another second off the clock of me getting stronger. I needed to be at least three times as strong as the people who were at the top of the game in my dream. Only then will I be able to hopefully survive and maybe kill that monster. Right now, I have six years. Six years to build up my strength. 

When I arrived back at the sacred forest, I made my way through the withered trees. Because they had no leaves, it was easy to find the massive truck of the ancestral tree. When I made my way over, I noticed that this tree was in much better condition. There was still a patch of grass hanging on around it, and the lower part of the trunk looked somewhat healthy. 

The pedestal, which was basically a root sticking out of the ground with a claw-like tip, was still in good shape as well. I walked over to it and set the green orb into it and began injecting my mana into it. As I did, green lines began to slowly appear on the sides of the root and then spread out over the ground. For each point of mana, the lines grew about fifty feet. By the time I had injected one hundred mana out of my one hundred and forty mana pool, the grin lines covered everything in the sacred forest. At this point, my mana was cut off, and the entire place began to glow with a green light.

It was the first time in my life seeing such a fantastical sight. The withered trees began to spring back to life. The once dull gray grass was now a lush green. Flowers of all kinds began to spring up. Glowing balls of green light also began to rise up off the ground. As I watched in wonder, I could see the entire forest becoming alive. It was a scene right out of a movie. Except this was a game and a very realistic one at that. While I was now playing this game for my own survival, this was a scene I will remember for the rest of my life.

“Young one of the demon race….” A woman’s voice entered my ears. I turned to see a young woman covered in leaves standing by the ancestral tree. “Thank you… I thought my life would come to an end. We dryads are beings the elves worship. They give us a bit of mana every so often, and in return, we give them a bountiful forest filled with resources. While there are no more elves here, I can at least welcome those who come with a safe place to rest within the forest.”

“I am glad to help. I just could not see a beautiful forest withering away for no reason. If not for the orb an elf friend of mine gave me, I would not have been able to save you.” I replied with a smile.

“But it was you who went out of your way to search. I know you have come. You took a branch with you. It was to be used as proof, was it not?” The dryad seemed to see right through me. “I will give you a reward. One that will allow you to commune with nature and allow you to call upon the forest spirits. With this boon, I hope your journeys will be much easier.”