[Stanton POV]
Somewhere in the distance, TJ did something insane. Stanton could hear the damn kid throwing his tornado around, though that it was twice the size that it had been just the day before was reassuring. Slightly. Stanton sighed and pushed his team to move faster. He'd felt that he was near to completing his last evolutionary requirement, and it wasn't going to be hitting level 25. There was just something missing for his little Lifebloom garden to become something much more. A capstone. He followed his nose, smelling the exotic sense of life that would provide what he needed.
Although he joked about it being hippie shit, you could serve in 'Nam and still be a hippie. The LSD still made for interesting experiences, even though Stanton expected his body would need a whole lot more of any drug to feel any influence. Maybe death cap mushrooms would be the newest tobacco by the time all this was done. That wasn't the point, because his chew had long since run out and though he didn't need it, he sure did want it. Maybe this new plant he was tracking down would be something to work with that way…
Stanton continued Appraising every plant as he walked, even though he knew every one of them. There was just… something that was missing. Maybe it was a bigger Lifebloom? But he doubted that. The smell on the air was too different. More earthy than vivacious. The clomping Zealot guards near him were a little annoying, but when one's stupidly large shield brushed back a bush and revealed the streaks of orange in the soil, Stanton realized that he was looking for the wrong thing. Maybe it was just the thinking about death caps, but when he saw the carpet of fungi that covered the roots and bottom of the trunk of every bush around, the Druid knew that he'd found what he was looking for. Without touching it, he Appraised the material.
Myconic Nursery (Silver (II)) A bed of fungus that prepares a space for the appearance of a Myconid Tender.
He whistled low, under his breath, as he looked at the fungus. It spread across at least 40 of the nearest bushes, but there was no sign of weakness or rot on the bushes. It was strange, but he quickly realized that "Tender" didn't mean soft, but something that takes care of other things. And this Silver ranked nursery would make something that could take care of a garden. Stanton grinned widely and drew on his ability to sense the life of the flora around him. Underneath the bushes was the fungus's main body, and he quickly tracked it to where its center lay. A glowing sphere about two feet across was buried nearby, and he bent down and pressed his fingers through the surprisingly loamy soil until he touched the edge of the sphere.
"Are you ok?" asked one of the Zealots and Stanton waved him off with a grunt as he kept his hand as still as possible. Then, when the faint life sent a probe of curiosity back towards him, he asked the Nursery a simple question as he sent a surge of his MP towards it:
"Do you want me to bring you to a magical garden?"
It quivered in response, evidently understanding what he was saying. Or just wanting his MP. Whichever it was, he continued offering both.
"I have a dozen Lifeblooms that need a skilled tender. I can protect you, make sure that you can make them grow into something much more than they are now. Just come along."
He didn't need to say much more when a grasping tendril of the fungus wrapped around his fingers. The Morrigan in him demanded that he do something about this soft, infantile life, and before, he'd have thought he needed to kill the innocent creature. Now, though, Stanton realized that she knew that for there to be death, there must be life. Why would she keep a creature from growing, when it could provide so much more to reap later? Care for the world now, that when it is lush and full with the powerful, extend the scythe to cut down the fields you have tended. Was that not their purpose?
His Bloodline saw more things as fields than he did, but Stanton understood already that crops were grown to be cut down. Maybe he'd consider the world a field ripe to sow as he continued to grow. For now, he just wanted to tend to his garden and see if he couldn't catch up to that reckless TJ. Minutes crawled by as the fungus crept up his hand and he continued to slowly press his MP into it. Eventually, the Nursery made up its mind and surrendered its charge to him. A huge mushroom like a puffball flowed out of the ground and Stanton picked it up to carry the surprisingly heavy fungal egg in his arms.
"Let's go." He commanded as he led the way back to the town's ruins. His garden was waiting for him, and this would be the newest addition to it. That it could also serve as an evolutionary requirement was just the icing on the cake.
—-
The journey back was quick, and Stanton didn't speak as he carried the hefty mushroom into his garden. In the center of the dozen Lifeblooms was a spot that he hadn't been able to figure out what he wanted to do with it. That it was just big enough for the Myconic Nursery to fit within it wasn't lost on him. This whole Tutorial business was just wrong, but there was nothing he could do about that except try to stay alive. With a careful eye, Stanton chose where the torso-sized mushroom would go. After looking for a short time, he realized he was being foolish and simply placed the embryonic "myconid" in the middle. As soon as he did so, the thing settled into the ground and wriggled like a comfortable dog.
Stanton smiled, but more than that, as soon as the Nursery was placed, a notification from the System appeared.
You have created a nascent Druid's Grove. Copper (I) tiered evolutionary requirements complete: 3/3. Would you like to evolve to the Copper (I) tier of Divinity?
—-
[Lailani POV]
"Stay together, I'll keep you safe." Lailani said, the commands uncomfortable and foreign in her mouth. That she needed to do this to survive was unfair. Adults like TJ thrived in this world, and even other teens like Molly and Tessie were doing way better than she was. How she ended up as one of the people everyone was expecting to evolve was just… it was stupid, and she wasn't a fighter! Her stupid magic didn't help her fight anyways.
"Lono give me strength." Lailani prayed to the god that gave her his bloodline. She'd never heard of any of the gods, so she just prayed sometimes. Maybe there was that capital "G" God that Christians and Muslims talked about, but this was all just stupid!
Even so, Lailani used her Refreshing Rains to keep everyone moving and focused. If only she'd had it when she was studying for her AP Chem final, maybe she wouldn't've had to stress out so much about focusing. All those equations were miserable. If she had to do any more stoichiometry, she'd… actually be pretty happy. All of school didn't mean shit now that the world was all gone to hell. If only she could go back. Sitting on her bed at home, hearing Mom listen to her music in the other room while she tried to remember how all the science worked together. She'd wanted to finish the last year and a half of high school and get out of the house and away from all the family, and now she wanted nothing more than to go home and hear her mom and dad talking in the other room.
As the sounds of monsters approached, Lailani felt her hands shake, as they always did. She couldn't get used to all the fighting. She threw up before her volleyball games, so what was she supposed to do when, if she messed up, it wasn't a stupid point but someone bleeding out on the ground right next to her? It was lucky that she'd gotten a Class in the first place. Who knew that sharing water with a thirsty squirrel would change her whole life? Maybe it would have been better if she'd taken time and become a Disciple instead. They didn't have that crazy man TJ as the example of their Class, so they could just heal people.
For her, though, nooooo, she was a Neophyte, and she'd had a Divine Tribulation, so of course she'd be the second coming of the killer snake himself. Shouldn't she be out there all by herself, slaughtering thousands of goblins and bringing back news? No, she wasn't a damned war hero! If she had to be out here, though…
Every one of her Skills were focused on supporting other people. That she'd gotten the stupid Tribulation was just because she'd been interested in the water she could make. How was that touching on the domain of "Springs"? TJ's was Storm, he was a hero to everyone in the town, not even the monsters using magic or whatever could change their minds. And now, she was stuck here, in his shadow, and being made to go kill monsters!
In the back of her mind, Lailani knew she wasn't really mad at him. He was brusque and not good at talking to most people, but he hadn't done anything to her. As far as she could tell, he didn't expect her to fight, or even to be like him. She just was unhappy that she was in this and he was an easy target to blame even though he hadn't done anything wrong.
"Something in the brush!" Seth called out as he levelled his crossbow and squeezed a shot off. Something whimpered but continued running towards the hunting party. Lailani's hands shook harder but she took a deep breath and activated Divine Transformation. It wasn't like TJ's or Molly's, and most people didn't even realize when she used it. She grew maybe an inch taller and her hair's curls grew looser and more wavy, but that was about the entirety of the physical change her Skill brought on her. She didn't even get a good powerup when she used the Skill.
The sounds of battle filled the air and Lailant had to fight not to run away screaming. The pukwudgies had a new monster with them, some skull-headed… wendigos! Lailani did scream as soon as she saw half a dozen wendigos lunging in at her and the rest of the hunt. She kept close to the rest, though, and sent out her Bolstering Presence to assist however she could. People threw themselves into the fight, weapons ringing and flashing, and Lailani tried to help. She threw spouts of water at the wendigos' glowing eyes, which seemed to be even more impactful for them than if they were humans.
While the undead creatures were blinded, the Zealots and Acolytes pressed the attack, swiftly dispatching three of the beasts. A shadow came over her and tried to do something to her, but she waved it away. It was persistent, and it wasn't long before Lailani realized the weird mist was following her. A Skill her Occupation had given her but never had a use for called to her. It was just annoying, and she wanted to focus on helping everyone else. So, with a surprisingly large draw on her MP, she cast Spiritual Cleanse on the mist.
It quickly dissipated and Lailani tried to focus on the battle, but the System flashed three notifications in the corner of her eye that just wouldn't leave her alone. The levelups were welcome, but she didn't care about those right now. The other two, however, made her gasp.
You have destroyed a malevolent soul and provided the avenue for defeating an Elite in your Tutorial. Copper (I) tiered evolutionary requirements complete: 2/3
You have gained 100 Fixation. Copper (I) tiered evolutionary requirements complete: 3/3. Would you like to evolve to the Copper (I) tier of Divinity?