AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hello everybody!

First of all, thank you for reading and your support!  It's exciting that Book 4 drops today, which covers Kyle's visit to Er'Mithren.

Amazon.com: Oath of the Survivor 4: A LitRPG Apocalypse eBook : Meyer, James: Kindle Store

If you'd like to support me in the release, even if you can't afford to pick up the story, it would mean the world to me if you'd be willing to write an Amazon review about your thoughts on the series, and hopefully encourage other folks to check it out.  I feel like I've grown quite a bit as a writer since Book 1, and if you've been enjoying the journey, I'm sure others will, too!

With that said, enjoy today's chapter, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

~~~

As the shuttle approached Kertan Six, Jax couldn’t help but pull up an old image of the planet and compare it to the wasteland he now saw before him.  The once lush planet teemed with life, a verdant green marble that shone against the dark backdrop of space.  Now reduced to an almost barren rock.  The legal proceedings were still grabbing headlines today, and seeing the ruined world, Jax understood why.  Angela Corthus hired a B Grade to clean up her mess, and the devastation was absolute.

“It’s a sad sight, isn’t it?”

Jax was jolted out of his contemplation by the sound of the goblin’s voice next to him.

“You could say that,” Jax mused, trying not to let his surprise at the goblin’s presence show through.  “I’d say that I’m more shocked that a B Grade managed to destroy this much of the planet.”

“It’s really quite something,” Finn’el agreed.  “Though I’m inclined to believe power of this magnitude is more of a curse than a blessing.”

“I just don’t understand how somebody this powerful still serves as a mercenary,” Jax muttered.  “At some point it just feels like overkill.  It sounds like there were still evacuations in place when Corthian Mining gave the order.  If they’d picked a more proportionate response, there wouldn’t have been any need for planetary evacuation.”

“It certainly seems that way.  Though, it also provided us with a most unique opportunity.”  The goblin gestured to a specific point on Kertan Six that stuck out against the rest of the planet in stark contrast.  At the site where Perhades’ attack landed, a crater was visible from orbit, revealing a large lake.  And all around it, a forest was being born.  Vibrant greenery was expanding around a point on the crater’s southern edge, surrounding the new lake in a border of verdant life.

“Do you really think that there could be a World Tree somewhere in that forest?” Jax asked, his eyes turning once again to the ruined portions of the planet.

“I would certainly hope so, even though the odds are slim,” Finn’el replied.  “I don’t know how many more years these old bones have in them, but if there’s even a chance we can find one, this outing will be the work of a lifetime.  I’m very thankful to your father for reaching out to me once the rumors reached him.”

Jax frowned, looking at the goblin.  Finn’el was an independent scholar in the Gray Conglomerate, and his father had used him to consult on a few environmental impact studies in the past.  From all reports, the goblin was quite well-respected in his field.  Jax had a hard time believing that pursuing the rumors of a potential World Tree was a lifetime-defining event.

“Why is it so important to you?” Jax finally asked, their shuttle descending closer to the surface below.

The goblin smiled, wrinkles appearing all across his wizened face and head.  “I attended a lecture once, just over a century ago.  A lorekeeper from the Alabaster Courts was making a rare appearance at the Hub, and I carry the implications of his message with me to this day.  A World Tree represents unbridled potential; unlimited capacity for growth.  Why, just spending time meditating under one’s branches can help enrich cultivation.  How much more could an old Nature Mage like me get from it?  What lessons could I learn, if I could commune with it?  Why, just think of it!  A nascent World Tree, carrying with it naught but the condensed history of a dying world.  I could help preserve that information, ensure it finds a place where it will be cherished.”

Finn’el trailed off, looking out of the viewing window.  By now, they were close enough to the planet’s surface that the expanding forest dominated their vision.  Finn’el had a faraway look in his eyes, and Jax left him to his contemplations.  He had his own preparations to make.  This was a sanctioned job for the Private Security Guild, after all.

Reviewing scans of the area, Jax frowned.  The instruments they brought along on the shuttle weren’t terribly precise, as not to give off indications of their presence, but the mana anomalies across the forested area were throwing the scans all over the place.  While he could be certain of D Grade presences, he struggled to see anything reflecting number or type.  Moreover, the mana readings fluctuated between E Grade and C Grade, which was as high as the scanners on the D Grade vessel could detect.

Maybe it’s the remnant energy from Perhades’ attack, Jax thought, running the scans again with a similarly unsuccessful result.  It was basic preparation to identify potential threats, and he was frustrated that he wasn’t able to even accomplish that much before touching down.  Still, he drew up plans as best he could, and sent a note to the shuttle’s pilot to be prepared for a quick evacuation, just in case.

Soon, the shuttle landed, and Jax joined Finn’el as they disembarked.  The first thing that struck Jax was the smell

.  A sharp pine scent wafted through the area, and he saw the goblin’s eyes light up as he immediately ran over to a tree with thick, furrowed bark.  He rested his hand against the trunk, then frowned.  He moved to another tree, repeating the process again, then to a third.

“This doesn’t make any sense,” Finn’el mumbled, pulling up several screens on his nav bracelet and documenting something.  Finally, he turned to Jax.  “These trees are all wrong.  They’re growing fine, but they don’t belong here.  Furthermore, I get the sense that they’ve been artificially cultivated.”

“Could it be the World Tree?” Jax offered, not understanding the goblin’s frustration.  To him, trees were trees.  And that’s what they came here to look at.

“Potentially,” Finn’el admitted.  “But it feels wrong.  We’ll need to continue our exploration.”

Jax nodded, and they began to work their way toward the center of the forest.  They left the shuttle at the outskirts to keep it out of range from any potential D Grade attacks; a decision that proved wise as Jax soon felt D Grade presences.

“Be careful,” He warned Finn’el, who was distracted as he seemed to examine every tree and shrub.  “There are D Grades about.”

“Then you handle them!” Finn’el snapped back, glaring angrily at a patch of grass.  “Nothing here makes any sense at all!  None of it fits!”

Jax almost expected to see a wild beast charge them at the outburst, but thankfully none of the presences drew any closer.  He began extending his senses to see if he could pinpoint exactly where the nearest creature was.  Jax would feel much more comfortable once he knew what they were dealing with, and after a few more minutes of slow progress, he finally got a bead on a location.

Using Precision Optics, which was the final E Grade skill he’d upgraded, Jax felt his senses sharpen even further as he locked in on the nearby D Grade presence.  When he saw it, his jaw dropped.  It looked like an acorn, just over a meter high, and it was trimming some of the longer grasses with a long, sharp leaf.

Shifting his attention to another of the presences, he saw a similar scene playing out, with this acorn-like creature high up in a tree, trimming some branches that appeared to have been damaged somehow.

Jax hadn’t even noticed that he’d stopped moving, and soon Finn’el turned to look at him.  “What’s wrong?” the goblin demanded, frustration clear on his face.

“The D Grades are… gardening.” Jax finally managed to say as his senses once again focused around his own body.

“They’re doing what?” Finn’el asked, continuing before Jax could clarify.  “Never mind, show me.”

Jax obliged, guiding the scholar to the nearest of the D Grades, which happened to also be the most isolated.  The creatures weren’t particularly powerful, but Jax would prefer not to have to fight a large swarm if he could avoid it.  They found the acorn-like creature continuing its trimming of the shrubbery, and Finn’el froze.

“Can this truly be?”  The goblin pulled out an instrument from his bag, looking at the unperturbed acorn with delight.  After a moment, the goblin jumped in the air in glee.  “Ancestors above!  It has traces of World Tree mana!  Jax, do you know what this means?”

“That there’s a World Tree nearby?” Jax offered haflheartedly, not taking his eyes off the creature.

“The tree has created its own tenders!  These creatures are awakened plants, yet they appear to be working to support the ecosystem.  There’s no explanation other than a World Tree!  Stand here, I’m going to try to take this one as a sample.”

Before Jax could protest, Finn’el walked up to the odd creature, and placed a hand on it.  For a moment, nothing happened.  And then the acorn creature turned in a blur, its sharp, leafy blade angling directly for the goblin.  Jax reflexively raised his hand, a precise bolt of lightning lancing out and blasting the acorn away before its blade could bite into Finn’el.

The goblin looked at Jax with wide eyes.  “What did you do?”

“What do you mean by that?” Jax snarled.  “I saved your life.  Everything was fine until you walked up and touched the twice-damned thing!”

Before Jax could continue admonishing the goblin, the forest itself seemed to come alive as dozens of D Grade auras flared to life.  A swarm of the acorn creatures began to approach from the heart of the forest, and Jax swore.  “We have to get back, now!  More are coming!”

“But they’re the key!” Finn’el protested, though he turned to run alongside Jax.  “If I can just manage to communicate with them, they’ll take us right to the World Tree!”

Jax turned and blasted two others away before they were able to close in on the retreating goblin.  “They’re more likely to take you to an early grave!  At least give them time to calm down.”

Finn’el seemed conflicted for a moment, before nodding his assent.  The duo continued their escape, though more D Grade presences appeared by the moment.  Jax took in a deep breath, channeling increasing amounts of power through his body.  If they attacked in numbers, he would need to be able to act decisively.  Crackling electricity coursed through his right arm as he prepared to activate either Plasma Blade or Fulminous Lance, depending on how the situation evolved.

With his left hand, Jax activated Sentry Bolts, leaving spheres of crackling lightning that Jax could activate remotely to launch powerful lightning bolts at their pursuers.  He already used it to scorch a few more of the acorns, when they suddenly stopped as one.  He paused to look back, only to feel an overwhelming presence wash across the forest, just for a moment.  The aura was C Grade, and it was approaching fast.

He looked at Finn’el, whose expression was horrified.  “Run!”

Jax’s shout snapped the goblin out of his stupor, and they ran again, just hoping to get to the shuttle in time.  Still, as the presence drew closer, Jax realized that they wouldn’t make it in time.  It was approaching too quickly.  With resolve, he activated his boosting skill, Electro Surge, and felt the power in his body amplify painfully.  The aura was difficult to pin down as it fluctuated, and he’d only get one shot.  He needed the boost to his senses as much as he needed the extra firepower.  He focused on the waves of energy emitted by his boosting skill, finally picking up the projected location of the C Grade behind him.  It wasn’t particularly large, but he was confident in his aim.  With a quick exhale, Jax suddenly turned and released a fully charged Fulminous Lance; simultaneously discharging all of the power in his body directly at the approaching enemy.

This was the strongest attack that Jax could create, and the air itself trembled as the massive surge of power smashed into the approaching figure with enough heat and force to kill even upper-tier D Grades outright.  While he didn’t expect it to be enough for a C Grade, Jax hoped it would be enough to buy them time.  Hope that faded away as the presence didn’t even seem to slow down.  Activating Plasma Blade as he breathed heavily, he took his stance to face the approaching monster.

Jax expected some large plant creature, perhaps an evolution of the acorns.  What he saw was a humanoid figure wearing a white and green robe.  Its dark hair was pulled back, and it had a roughly-trimmed beard.  Most notably, however, was that it was missing an arm.  Jax’s jaw dropped as he looked at the quickly approaching figure, entirely unmarked by his strongest attack.  He managed a single word as the familiar face got closer, not daring to believe his eyes.  “Kyle?”

The face – his friend’s face – split into a broad smile as the familiar voice spoke.  “It’s been a long time, Jax.”