Since Rud had arrived in this world, one thing had rung true for him constantly. He had gained the Druid class and immersed himself in all the aspects that represented two different types of Druids. These powers meant different things. Some focused on shape-shifting, while others focused on healing. But Rud's specialty was with plants. As long as there was a plant nearby, he was happy. His connection with them was absolute, especially within the Grove. When those plants were directly connected to Ban, his powers were improved even further.

The moment the cavern began collapsing, the only thing he could think about was plants. The ones nearby, those empowered by the sacred tree's energy, formed around him in an instant. They were connected to a latticework on the roof above and were easy to pull down. He was only in free fall for about a second before he and his companions were wrapped in those protective roots, forming a shell that held them suspended as the rocks from the cavern fell below.

Both Elm and Jasper shrieked while Rud wove his magic. The sound of the collapse outside their bubble faded and a single glowing flower bloomed within their cage.

"Everyone good?" Rud asked.

"Against all odds, we're alive," Elm said with a nervous laugh. "I don't think we did it correctly."

"No, I do believe that's what you call a screw-up," Jasper said, sitting and wrapping his tail around himself. "Nice save, Rud."

"I'm here to help," Rud said, giving them the thumbs up. He couldn't tell much about what was happening outside of their root prison, but it didn't feel good. There was an intense pressure pushing in on them, and the only thing holding the barrier together was him actively casting the Shape Plant spell.

The druid pushed those roots upward, forming them into a staircase that they ascended without question. He pushed through the rock and felt the pressure lessen the higher they got. He drew on every bit of his experience with plant magic and performed an impressive display that betrayed his rank-one status. Both his attributes and his upgrades worked in concert to create a clear path. Only when they were high enough to avoid the strange gravitational pressure did he encourage a nearby root to sprout branches and leaves, which the group then passed through, appearing on the surface unscathed.

"Everyone got all their limbs?" Rud asked.

"One, two, three, four… Yep, I'm good," Elm said.

"My tail is slightly dirty," Jasper said. "But I'm otherwise unharmed."

Joking was easy for some people, but Rud felt shaken. He cleared his mind as best he could and rushed over to the stairway he had originally built for Elm. Something within him told him that teleporting down into the underground city was a bad idea, and the party joined him as he descended those steps. After passing a certain threshold, he felt that same gravitational energy and backed off, with the group coming to a stuttering halt behind him. He reshaped the routes around him, creating a balcony with a safety rail.

Rud stepped onto the platform, letting out a low whistle. "That ain't right."

"It most certainly isn't," Jasper said.

The central spire had been completely destroyed. All the rocks above it and many of the buildings below had been drawn into a point, creating a tangled sphere of rocks and debris. It was as though the gravity at a singular point had been turned up to an absurd degree, drawing everything in around it. The sound of the rocks shifting still echoed through the open cavern, creating an eerie song that made Rud's spine crawl.

"Ew, I hate it," the druid said.

"What exactly happened?" Elm asked, blinking as she tried to make sense of the scene. It was hard enough to see, even if some glowing fungus provided minimal light. A moment later, the elf cast a spell that had an orb of light sailing toward the wreckage. The light provided no more answers. "Did we hit a trap?"

"That's possible," Jasper said. "Woefully, you're the expert. I am but a neophyte before you."

"Everyone look on the bright side. We're not dead," Rud said.

"Yes, but it was close," Jasper said. "I thought it was enough to have you wrap everything in roots to absorb the energy, but you used it to make a barrier. If not for your affinity for Plant Magic…"

"This is my fault," Elm said. Her face had drained of color. "I'm not qualified to do something like this. I should've never pretended I could."

"Nonsense. You did a great job," Rud said, his eyes lingering on the giant crystal. "We can either dig the crystal I need from the rubble, or we can just chip some now… Right?"

Jasper and Elm shared a look.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt. Would it?" Jasper asked.

"Why not? We activated a Gravity Magic ward that collapsed the rest of the magical seals protecting the city," Elm said. "Functionally, we're in the clear."

"Except the gravity spell is still doing… something," Jasper said.

Rud was already making a walkway to bring him to the crystal. He attached roots to the ceiling of the cave, watching with care as some chunks of rock fell to the ground below. Nothing more roots couldn't fix. Elm and Jasper watched as he flooded the interior of the cave with roots. His staff glowed bright green as he created pillars to support the unstable rock. He ignored when his Construction Magic reached Level 3 and his Druid class level hit Level 2.

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Sweat had formed on Rud's forehead long ago. His stomach grumbled as he fell into his work. Both Elm and Jasper watched as he worked, not saying a word as he created enough pillars and supports within the cave to prevent any future cave-in. He couldn't stop thinking about the way his friends had been in danger, and wouldn't see it happen again. It was within his power to command the rock not to fall, and he intended to see his will through to the end.

When he was finally done, Rud fell to the ground. Well, he fell onto one of the many criss-crossing platforms that now dominated the interior of the cave.

"There," he said, breathlessly. "Now we're safe. Forever. Amen."

Jasper nodded with approval. "Well, that's one way to do it. I would've done it with a bit more tact."

Elm nudged the fox with her foot. "You've got to be kidding me. That was amazing. Did you see how he drew on the Grove's energy to cycle his mana? He basically had infinite mana."

"Yes, yes. Don't inflate his head too much," Jasper said with a growl. "He might just float away."

"Nah, keep going," Rud said, panting for breath.

Jasper shifted into his nerdy elf form, helping Rud to his feet. "Come on. Let's get you over to the longhouse for some food."

Elm took Rud's other side and helped him get to the nearest bush. They arrived outside the longhouse to witness quite the sight. Taz had his hammerpick hoisted high above his head, pumping it up and down. Dean and Sarya followed behind, howling at the fading light of the day. It seemed as though the procession hadn't ended.

"Would ya look at that," Rud said. "Guess they're still going."

"How long do you think they'll dance for?" Elm asked.

Rud scratched his chin. "Good question. If Taz dances through the night, Sarya will stick with him. But Dean will drop off in a few hours no matter what."

"Major got tired pretty quickly, didn't he?" Jasper asked. "What a cowardly bear."

Rud only grunted. Major wasn't cowardly. He was just sleepy. The bear was so good at finding nuts and mushrooms in the forest that the druid couldn't judge.

"Looks like Taz might be too busy to make dinner," Rud said. "Do either of you know how to cook?"

"Nope," Jasper said. "Unless you consider raw meat to be a food."

"I do not," Rud said.

"We have cheese, milk, and… Well, I might have some dried pasta in my bag," Elm said. Rud gave her a concerned look. "What? I like having something familiar to eat on the road."

"Fair enough. Let's go."

Rud wasn't surprised to see the longhouse mostly empty. Major was napping in the corner, but he only yawned and waved a lazy paw. But Elm had already burst into action. She had a pot filled with enchanted water, a copper pan the druid had never seen before, and an assortment of cutting instruments out and at the ready. Without prompting she was cutting stuff, oiling a pan, and doing other cooking stuff. Unless it came in a package or frozen, Rud wasn't much for cooking. Instead, he fell into the same role he served within the Grove. A helper.

"Don't burn the water," Elm warned after giving Rud the honorable job of watching for the water to boil. "Jasper, could you sweat the onions?"

"Sure thing, boss," Jasper said, assuming his nerd form and minding the pan.

"Throw the meat in once they're clear. Then we'll add the cream and cheese," Elm said.

"Seriously. I didn't know you could cook," Rud said.

"I can't. This is just something I make on the road. Well, I have a lot more fresh stuff to work with here. Normally, I just have the onion, meat, and pasta."

"Mmmm. Sounds like a horrific dish," Rud said.

The team worked together, getting the pasta boiled and the base of a cream sauce ready. Once the onions were translucent, Jasper added the meat, cooking it until brown. That left a nice crust at the bottom of the pan, which Elm removed by adding some broth. Where she had obtained the broth was anyone's guess, but the pan sizzled as it released the delicious crusty goodness from the bottom. Then came the milk, which she mixed with the broth. After that was the cheese, which she melted in large chunks so it would mix throughout.

Rud couldn't remember when she added the mushrooms, but there were quite a few within the creamy mix.

Elm strained as she tried to lift the large pan from the fire.

"Step aside," Rud said, rolling up his sleeves. "I got this."

Rud pretended to struggle with the pan, winking as he lifted it with ease and set it to the side. "Now what?" he asked.

Elm dumped the pasta into the mix without waiting, combining the two parts before lumping a helping on a small plate. After blowing it cool, she gave it a taste and grumbled. "More salt," she said, further seasoning the dish. "And some leaves."

"Just some leaves?" Rud asked.

"Herbs," Elm clarified.

"What kind of herbs?"

"Dunno," Elm admitted, testing the dish again. "Oh, yes. Much better. Give it a try."

Rud shrugged, sampling her creation. One thing the druid didn't like about some milk-based dishes was how much they tasted like nothing. He used to go to this Italian place that served chicken alfredo which tasted like milk and almost nothing else. But this? It was something else entirely.

The creamy sauce had a rich flavor that blended the venison together perfectly with the mushrooms, milk, and cheese. It was salty, but not too salty. And the pasta? It was slightly firm and the thick noodles held a ton of sauce when Rud wound some around a fork.

"Hold up," Rud said, shoveling another forkful into his mouth. "Why aren't we eating this every night?"

Elm took another bite. "Because we'd be bigger than Major."

The bear looked up, narrowing his eyes. "I would hurl curses you've never heard before if not for the fact that you can now understand me."

"Hurl away," Elm said. "Come on, Rud. Get some plates."

The spirit animals weren't so interested in eating the dish. Jasper was brave enough to try it, but the pasta wasn't to his taste. But the scent had drawn in Taz from his parade, forcing him to the table with a plateful of food. Once the group had their fill, Rud was happy to take a portion of it over to the adventurers in the unnamed southwest section of the Grove.

They were beyond appreciative, devouring the food with speed.

Thanks to the close brush with death, Rud had pushed the crystal and his duty to the other Groves out of his mind. They could wait another day. These things took time.

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