Amber Sword-Chapter 62: Act 24 Dead Tree

After entering the valley, the further they walked, the more desolate the environment became. The surface was almost devoid of vegetation, the desolate mountain path cutting through jagged, interlocking rocks. Only dead grass and brambles grew in the cracks of cliffs, and in the distant darkness, some withered tree branches seemed to sway. The cold wind in the mountains passed through the branches like black smoke, making creaking sounds.

Brand knew this was because the nutrients in the soil had been absorbed by the Magic Tree. He held up a torch to illuminate the surrounding rock walls, occasionally revealing a few white skeletal remains in the shadows. They looked like goats, which due to straying into the forbidden area, had become food for the Golden Magic Tree.

Romantic followed closely behind, also holding a torch. She clutched her bag with one hand, looking around nervously yet curiously. It was her first time away from home, and it felt as if the dream of a merchant was about to come true from this moment onward—the perils and thrills of trade routes, and the wealth and treasures at the unknown ends had always been the reasons merchants and adventurers thrived on this continent.

Moreover, following Brand gave her a sense of security.

Two flames moved through the gorge, one in front and one behind. Brand placed his hand on the sword hilt. In the game, passing through this area meant entering the territory of a type of monster, the Withered Beast.

The Golden Magic Tree is a terrifying monster, or rather a species—the Golden Tree Species. The main body might be a kind of Elf Holy Tree, like a horse chestnut or an oak. After being implanted with Divine Blood by Tree Shepherds, it awakens as a Golden Tree—Tree Shepherds are one of the major cults in the game. In this war-torn world where the flame of civilization cannot spread everywhere, darkness breeds. Not only do the Undead Series exist, but there is also soil for cults to survive. In the game, villains like Tree Shepherds act mysteriously, leaving traces of their presence everywhere, as if a line runs through the entire story, showing they have a purpose, though no one knows what it is.

Brand was no exception.

The Golden Magic Tree has two abilities. The first is plant animation. It can turn the shrubs in the land it controls into humanoid monsters called Withered Beasts. Withered Beasts are like the tentacles and spies of the Golden Magic Tree, spread throughout this gorge.

An individual Withered Beast is Level 7 in the game and has combat power comparable to the Guard Team members Brand encountered before, but with low intelligence. Stronger Withered Beasts exceed Level 13 and have awakened First-level Power, making them formidable opponents for Brand.

The second ability is to produce Demonized Fruits. When the fruits of the Golden Magic Tree fall to the ground and crack open, hairy creatures resembling Wild Men emerge from them. These creatures grow to two meters tall within a day. They are the offspring and Elite Guard of the Golden Magic Tree, ranging from Level 20 to Level 22. Brand's only reliance when encountering them is the Wind Queen's Ring.

After decades of accumulation, the number of these demons and Withered Beasts in the gorge has become quite large. If Brand didn't have something to rely on, he and Romantic would have no chance of passing through this gorge safely. Of course, the Golden Magic Tree itself is also immensely powerful, after all, it is a monster at the second-level power. However, the young man had no intention of provoking it—he knew where it was, so he naturally kept his distance.

As they walked along, only the sound of their footsteps echoed, making the desolation a bit frightening. But Brand felt a familiar sense. In the past, he used to come here alone, carrying large coils of rope, torches, oil lamps, hooks, and dry food. Then, following the route he had traveled a thousand times, he would look for trouble with the Golden Magic Tree.

The Golden Magic Tree drops equipment ranging from 20Oz to 30Oz power levels, which was almost the best at that time. Any player with some skill would choose to do this—especially for the rumored Heart of the Golden Tree, which restored 1 point of life per minute. In the early days of the game, it was a divine artifact.

The only difference now was the future Miss Merchant behind him. Brand suddenly felt like he was on an adventure in the mountains with a girl he fancied. An adventure for two—wasn't that quite romantic?

"Brand?" Romantic suddenly reminded in a low voice.

Brand turned his head and noticed her gaze was on his hand. He was slightly startled to find that the Azure Light Piercing in his hand was emitting a faint white light from the Sword Scabbard.