With the task finally complete, the group took a mont to catch their breath and prepare to head back. Despite the setbacks, they had successfully gathered the 'blood vine grass' and survived the dangerous encounter with the 'Vine Demon Trees'.
"Alright," Raymond said, breaking the silence. "Let's get back to town and collect our reward."
Sylph's excitent had barely faded when a new worry settled over her. After all the effort they'd put into gathering the 'blood vine grass', the pharmacy refused to accept it. The thought of all that hard work going to waste made her stomach churn.
But then, a glimr of hope sparked in her eyes. She jumped up from where she was sitting, her face lighting up with an idea.
"Raymond, wait! There should be other commissions for collecting 'Blood Vine Grass' on the guild's list, right?" she said eagerly. "We've gathered so much here, why not divide it up and fulfill two commissions at once? That way, we both complete our tasks and don't waste any of this valuable plant!"
She bead at her own cleverness, clearly proud of the idea.
Raymond couldn't help but chuckle at her enthusiasm. "Haha, nice thinking, Sylph. You might just be onto sothing."
Lorene, however, seed a little more hesitant. Her brow furrowed as she considered the potential rules and regulations of the guild. "But can we actually do that? Won't there be rules about submitting the sa plants for two different commissions? What if that's not allowed?"
Raymond rubbed his chin thoughtfully, the gears turning in his head. "Hmm, you have a point. I don't rember the guild saying anything specific about splitting up the harvest like that… but we should check with the staff to be sure. If they say it's okay, then we'll divide the plants and complete the two commissions. If not, we'll just submit the 20 we need and maybe try selling the extras elsewhere."
Sylph and Lorene exchanged glances. After a mont of consideration, they nodded. The plan seed solid enough. "Agreed," Lorene said, her voice calm but firm.
Raymond smiled at the two of them. "Great! Let's finish this up quickly, then."
With that, the three of them returned to digging up the 'blood vine grass'. This ti, Raymond's presence made a significant difference. His thod was far more efficient than theirs; he didn't carefully scrape the soil or use delicate tools. Instead, he plunged his hands deep into the earth, pulling out entire plants, roots and all, with surprising speed and ease. He shook off the excess dirt and carefully set the plants aside.
Sylph watched this with wide eyes. "Raymond! You're cheating!" she exclaid, half-laughing, half-annoyed.
Raymond raised an eyebrow, a bit puzzled. "Cheating? You're the one who told to help you…" Discover hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire
But then, Raymond understood why Sylph was acting that way. His eyes moved to Lorene, who was kneeling beside the plants, diligently working her way through the dirt. Her white priest robe was stained with mud, but she didn't seem to mind in the slightest. In fact, she seed oddly content, a serene smile spreading across her face each ti she uncovered a 'blood vine grass' in perfect condition. Her joy was genuine, and it was infectious.
Raymond chuckled to himself, but a small, amused shake of his head followed. It was clear now that Sylph was more than a little disappointed to see Raymond making the task look so effortless. The thrill of the harvest had been stolen from her.
He sighed, muttering under his breath, "I just don't get it. They think I'm cheating? But, oh well…" He turned his gaze toward the sky and noticed the sun had already started to dip below the horizon. The Moonlight Forest around them was starting to darken, and Raymond knew they needed to wrap things up quickly if they wanted to avoid returning in complete darkness.
"Let's keep going," Raymond said, trying not to focus on Sylph's antics. The sooner they finished, the sooner they could get back to town.
With Raymond's help, the task sped up significantly. They cleared out the 'blood vine grass' from the entire area surrounding the fallen 'Vine Demon Trees', gathering the plants into neat piles. When they were done, Sylph took a mont to count the plants.
"One, two… twenty-six!" she exclaid with a wide grin. "That's perfect! There are six more than we needed!"
Lorene, always thoughtful, added, "Wait a minute; didn't we see more 'blood vine grass' growing along the path we ca from? We could go back and grab those too."
Sylph's face lit up again. "Ah, you're right! I completely forgot about those. Let's go grab them!"
Without hesitation, the two won began heading toward the path they'd walked earlier. Raymond followed behind, smiling and shaking his head at their enthusiasm. But his smile quickly faded as he noticed sothing in the distance.
Over by the tall trees on the edge of the clearing, several dark shapes were moving swiftly among the branches. They were hard to make out at first, but they were definitely approaching. There was sothing unsettling about the way they moved; too fast, too fluid. Raymond's instincts imdiately went on alert.
He narrowed his eyes, watching them closely. His grip on his sword tightened, his body tensing in preparation.
Sylph and Lorene, noticing his sudden shift in posture, paused and turned to look at him. "Raymond, what's wrong?" Lorene asked, her voice tinged with concern.
Raymond didn't respond imdiately. He was too focused on the shadows that were growing closer, closing in on their position. He stepped forward, silently signaling to the others to stay back and ready themselves. Whatever was out there, they weren't finished yet.
"Sothing's coming," he muttered under his breath, his gaze never leaving the treeline. The darkness of the Moonlight Forest had only just begun to settle in, and already, danger was lurking once again.
"Crazy baboons!"
The words flashed in Raymond's mind, a sudden realization striking him as his instincts went into overdrive.
It didn't take long for his suspicion to be confird. As the group of dark shadows neared, they cautiously poked their heads out from the thick branches above, revealing their unmistakable features.
These were no ordinary creatures. They had long, jutting jaws, deep-set eyes, and a pair of sharp fangs protruding from their lips. Their necks were covered in a thick mane of golden fur, making them look both wild and nacing, there was no doubt about it. These were 'crazy baboons', and there were five of them.
"Sylph, Lorene, get back here now!" Raymond shouted, urgency creeping into his voice. "Crazy baboons are coming!"
Sylph and Lorene, who had been moving toward the jungle to collect more 'blood vine grass', froze in their tracks. The words barely left Raymond's mouth before panic set in. The crazy baboons weren't just strong; they were fast and relentless. If they got too far ahead, Raymond wouldn't be able to stop the baboons from hurling rocks at them from a distance.
"Ah! 'Crazy baboons'?!" Sylph's voice trembled as she turned to run back toward Raymond. Her heart raced as she saw the terrifying creatures coming closer. "Why are the crazy baboons even here?"
Lorene, equally alard, hurried back as well. They followed Raymond's gaze and locked eyes with the baboons, who were now making their way down from the trees. The sight of those twisted, snarling faces sent chills down their spines.
"Why does it feel like everything is going wrong today?" Sylph muttered under her breath, frustration mingling with fear. She glanced at her wand; her 'Explosion Magic' was out of reach. She didn't have enough energy left to unleash another blast.
Raymond gripped his sword tightly, his jaw setting into a determined line. He knew these baboons weren't just mindlessly aggressive. They had a reason for being here, and it wasn't just to cause trouble.
"These baboons don't care much for the taste of 'blood vine grass'," Raymond explained. "It enhances their physical abilities and boosts their strength. They're not here for a snack; they're here for it's power."
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