The calm evening Rud had expected had shattered. He was left with a feeling of panic that ran up his spine and sent him scattering to assemble the other members of the Grove. But through that terror came a calming voice. Ban was eager to reassure him, her voice carrying with it a soothing melody despite having a fearful edge.

"Do nothing to anger them," Ban said, speaking into the minds of all members of the Grove. "Rud, make contact and lead them to the tower."

"Me? Really?" Rud asked. "But I'm just a little guy."

"Please."

Rud dropped the jokes in favor of obedience, shifting into his raven form and flying into the nearest bush. He felt Nulsa close behind him and sensed Jasper using the Thicket Travel upgrade somewhere in the distance. Mint's intentions felt reserved, as though she didn't wish to be there during this first contact. The druid burst free from a tree and looked below to see a silver-helmeted head lock onto him and track him as he circled down to the ground.

When Rud took his true form, the massive figure nodded in greeting. Although there were three other people behind the giant wall of armor, this dude was the only thing the druid could look at. He was massive. Maybe seven-foot tall and wider than was reasonable. He was covered from head to foot in ornate silver armor and he held in his hand a halberd twice his own height.

When Rud went to speak, his words came out as a mumbled mess.

"Greetings, keeper," the figure said. "Apologies for the intrusion. Can you understand me?"

"Yup," Rud said, nodding rapidly.

"Perfect. My name is Roland. I'm here in this sector to tackle the tower. If it's agreeable to you, anyway," he said, nodding before gesturing back to his three companions. "You need not know the names of my friends, but we don't seek to cause too much undue disturbance in your forest. I only need for you to direct me toward the tower."

There were a few things to take away from this that Rud did not miss. There was a particular way that people in this world spoke, especially those from the mainland. A few elves came from scattered islands within the Hornfen region, who spoke similarly, but Roland had a very distinct way of talking. It wasn't just his accent; it was the words he used. He had called Rud "a keeper" and had referred to the grove as "a forest." Those were dead giveaways that this guy wasn't from the area, and the druid suspected he wasn't even from this world.

"Let's not make him angry," Ban said.

"I'm ready to strike at a moment's notice," Jasper said, not helping the situation. "You get the big guy. I've got the mage in the back."

"Don't do a thing!" Rud sent back, bowing slightly to the giant man before him. He cleared his throat, switching to vocal communication. "I'd be happy to show you the way. If you'd follow me."

Roland looked back to his companions, giving them all a sharp nod. Among those that had come through the portal, there were the typical archetypes Rud would expect. A big tanky guy, a roguish dude, a lithe elf-looking mage woman, and a timid healer guy with a bowl cut. The leader of the group barked a few quick orders in a language the druid didn't understand.

"So what brings you to our neck of the woods?" Rud asked, doing his best to appear casual while crapping his pants on the inside.

"I've heard that expression elsewhere." Roland said, "You're an outworlder, aren't you?"

"Yo, you figured that out just from me saying 'neck of the woods'?" Rud asked. "That's kind of impressive."

"It is the quality of your soul that reveals you as an outworlder," Roland corrected. "When you're bound to a new world, you have a distinct signature within your soul. It feels like a beacon to those who know how to look for it. To answer your question, we are only here for the towers. We have detected at least four, and the local system claims they are anything but standard."

"Local system, huh?" Rud asked. "So you're not from this world either?"

"No, but we were summoned by a local. Hopefully, our presence doesn't cause too much of a disturbance for you. Even in the local sector, it's hard enough to find a decent tower. This one is said to be powerful. According to the local ranking system, it can go as high as rank 100, which I've never heard of."

"Absolutely impossible," Ban said, her shock plain in her voice. "That can't be. Ask him to explain, Rud."

"Since you're not from here, maybe I can give you some information," Rud said, leading the way down the path. Each step he took was punctuated by the sound of his staff hitting the living road. "Everything you see around you is part of a network. Each tree, bush, and blade of grass is connected to a sapient tree at the center. The people in this region worship the trees, and even those of us here who have formed contracts with them, refer to us as 'sacred spirits.'"

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"Interesting," Roland said, offering nothing else.

"But I have to ask, how do you know how powerful our tower is?" Rud said. "If you're from a different world altogether, I don't see how you could have gathered that much information."

"My companions are very good at their jobs," Roland said, nodding back to the three adventurers trailing behind them. "Based on information and long-distance magical readings, we've made an assessment. Each floor represents a rank, meaning that if you have 100 floors, it can go up to rank 100. However, it's entirely possible for it to go even higher, which makes it all the more important for us to clear it for you. You wouldn't want a rank 100 monster surge, would you?"

Rud couldn't imagine a rank 10 monster surge. If a monster surge meant that monsters emerged from the tower and laid waste to the grove, they'd be in serious trouble. His job as the Grove's custodian was now vital. These people were honored guests. This was a group Gladesbale Grove, and perhaps all the other Groves in the world, needed.

"Which means I owe you a great debt," Rud said, putting on more airs and drawing deeply from his Custodianship skill. "If there's anything you need while you're here, just let me know."

Roland turned back to his friends and jabbered something in their foreign language. They conversed for a moment before the massive man turned back to the druid and smiled. "Food and refreshments, if you have any. My mage enjoys eating local cuisine when we travel."

"Someone get some tea and food ready at the longhouse," Rud said, sending the message to everyone within the grove. "Break out the good stuff."

"I'm on it!" Taz shot back.

"It'll be ready when we reach the center," Rud said, smiling to himself.

If these guys were truly as powerful as Rud thought, they could likely just scamper over to the tower anytime they wanted. He realized after a few minutes of silent walking that Roland was treating him with respect. The giant dude went through the motions of the procession, never complaining. But it was apparently not good enough for Ban. A half-hour into their walk, an archway formed, the shape of a glittering portal forming in the center.

Rud offered a nervous laugh. "It seems as though our Sacred Tree isn't content with letting you all walk," he said. "This portal will take us to the center, where food has been prepared."

Roland turned to his companions, uttering some more foreign words. He then turned back to Rud. "This is acceptable. You first."

With a few more nervous laughs, Rud was the first to walk through the portal. He breathed a sigh of relief when he arrived in the grove's center, looking up at the glowing flowers on the branches. Night had fallen, and the druid had barely noticed, but then the four members of the otherworldly adventuring party came walking through. All their heads turning skyward to look at the sacred tree.

The mage of the party uttered something.

"You've impressed my spellcaster," Roland said. "We've seen nothing like this in our travels. The tree is sapient and powerful. The potential of it is limitless…"

"This is Ban'tanthein, the Sacred Tree of Gladesbale Grove," Rud said, performing the sign of reverence toward the tree. "Guess she decided to expend our precious energy to make the walk easier for you."

"For that, she has my gratitude," Roland said. "How long was the walk, anyway?"

"A week," Rud said, pointing into the distance. "Come, let's get some food."

Rud wasn't sure how long he could maintain the facade of a respectful host, but he was doing his best. He led the way, keeping his back straight and shoulders back. As he opened the door to the longhouse, the men in armor had to duck their heads to fit through, but no one else seemed to have a problem. Their whispers and utterances revealed that they were impressed by the space. They made their way to the fire on the far side of the room and found seats. When Roland lowered his armored form, the bench creaked, forcing the druid to reinforce it with some plant magic.

"Once again, I thank you for your hospitality," Roland said, looking around. "My party is eager to eat before we enter the tower."

Rud had to spread his senses through the grove to find that Taz had taken the preparation of the food to the kitchen building rather than doing it in the longhouse. This was a fact he greatly appreciated, and apparently, Mint was helping him out. It didn't take them long before they were ushering trays of food through the door, setting them on the table, and bowing each time. It was surprising to see the Guardian herself participating in such a menial act.

"You," Roland said, pointing at Mint as she was attempting to leave. She was in her human form, wearing her sweet samurai armor. "You're the most powerful being I've sensed so far. Have a seat."

"Oh, yeah," Mint said, chuckling nervously. "Of course."

The guardian of Gladesville Grove sat at the table, chuckling to herself the entire time. Rud couldn't tell if she was going to lose her mind or keep her cool, but in any case, she would do the right thing.

"Mint is what we call a Sacred Beast," Rud said. "She's a wolf that gained enough power to gain sapience."

"I've seen this before," Roland said. Although all his friends were grabbing big chunks of meat and roasted forest vegetables, nuts, and mushrooms, he remained there with his helmet on. "We call that Latent Cultivation, and it is very rare."

"Really?" Mint asked, leaning in over the table.

"Indeed. On the worlds that have this path of advancement, nature typically rules. I've seen beastkin tyrants ruling over planets covered in forests. Those words are always very nice to visit," Roland said. "Yet this one has other civilizations. Why haven't you taken over yet?"

"Is that an option?" Rud asked with a laugh. "Maybe we'll put world domination on our checklist, but we have other problems right now. How long do you expect to be in the tower?"

"A few hundred years," Roland said. "We're prepared for the long game."

"Excuse me. A few hundred… years?" Rud asked.

"Local time. Within the tower," Roland said. "Time compresses the higher you get. The first few floors might be light, but the higher you get the worse it is. Ah, my mage wishes to inform you he would like some cheese before we enter. She loves the cheese."

Rud shot a look at Taz at the door, who nodded and ran off.

"Of course! Anyway, let's get you guys nice and full of tea and cheese," Rud said. "Long road ahead, huh?"

"Indeed."

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