Chapter 52: The Path of the Druid — The Enclave

Returning to the Biyun Resort.

Before the corridor leading to the guest rooms, Yu Na fidgeted, her cheeks flushed, and she thanked Han Ning once more before scurrying away like a rabbit.

"The young lady is acting a bit proud..."

Han Ning smiled and headed to Xu Ming's room, handing over the materials he had obtained earlier from hunting the vortex-armored crab.

"Boss!"

As Xu Ming carefully stored the snow-white crab meat, he spoke up, "Boss Lin and her exploration team went out more than two hours ago."

"Oh? They've been gone for over two hours already?"

Han Ning nodded to show he understood, not paying it too much mind.

After resting for a little while, eating some food, and waiting for his spiritual energy to mostly recover, Han Ning set out once again with Xuebing.

This time, he didn't delve deep into the fog zone, instead choosing the relatively safe waters on the outskirts of the resort.

Amidst the turbid currents, Xuebing locked onto a solitary adult alligator lizard.

As the water level rose and fell, the average size of the wandering alligator lizards nearby had grown to around two meters.

A moment later.

"Awoo..." The alligator lizard let out a painful hiss, losing its life under the strangling grasp of the vines.

[Vine Art (Advanced) Proficiency +1, currently 83/500]

A small, pale-blue ball of energy quietly drifted out from the alligator lizard's corpse and merged into Han Ning's body.

[Druid Growth Progress +25]

Corresponding information immediately appeared on his interface.

[Primary Druid Lv4 → Lv5! Current Progress (1/2000)]

"That's it?"

After waiting a second or two, Han Ning didn't sense any abnormalities.

He had originally thought that breaking through to Lv5 would bring a massive boost to his abilities.

However, the expected warm current washing over him and the feeling of surging strength did not appear.

Just as Han Ning wore a puzzled expression,

Swish!

Three distinct seal patterns, seemingly radiating an ancient aura, emerged on the panel before his eyes.

Their appearances resembled the earth, the stars, and a blurry mass of green mist, respectively.

At the same time, a stream of information regarding the three seals poured into Han Ning's mind.

The stream of information came quickly and went just as fast.

"This is... a Druid Circle!"

Han Ning stood in place, his gaze slightly unfocused.

Circles represented different "factions" that druids could join, which could also be understood as "small groups" or "schools," through which they gained different specializations.

Generally speaking, the "circles" available for a druid to join were divided into three: the Circle of the Land, the Circle of the Stars, and the Circle of Spores.

The three seals hovered in front of him like three flickering balls of light.

1. Circle of the Land: Tap into the power deep within the forest and the earth; all things flourish by your hands. Every living creature that walks upon the earth chants this anthem of the land.

Land druids can more deeply understand and accelerate the growth cycles of plants, guiding them toward beneficial directed evolution. All earth-related skills are amplified.

At the same time, it enhances the Wild Shape for terrestrial creature forms. When transforming into land-based creatures, they will gain stronger adaptability, tougher defense, and more enduring stamina.

Its core lies in taking root in the earth, drawing power from it, and becoming a steadfast guardian of the land and a shaper of nature.

2. Circle of the Stars: The storm is your wings, dragon scales your armor; command the lightning and soar through the nine heavens.

Druids swear an oath to the stars, sensing the power of the firmament and the stars, and receiving the blessings of the stars to grant themselves more versatile abilities.

When transforming into aerial avian creatures, wyverns, or even legendary dragon forms, those of the Circle of the Stars gain peerless speed, explosive power, formidable defensive scales, and an affinity for wind and lightning elements.

It pursues ultimate individual power and dominion over the sky, incarnating as the overlord of the heavens.

3. Circle of Spores: The flower of life blooming in decay; wither and fade are not the end, but the cradle of new birth. To control this cycle is to be the master of life and death.

Spore druids are more akin to necromancers. Death, gangrene, fungal growth, and spore formation are merely parts of life to them. They can manipulate these spores at will to strengthen themselves while harming enemies.

They walk on the edge of life and death, wielding the powers of decay and regeneration.

[Choose one Circle upon reaching Lv5; upon reaching corresponding levels in the future, the remaining two Circles can also be chosen.]

The Three Circles!

Looking at the details of the three Circles, Han Ning fell into contemplation.

In this world, fierce winds blew across the sky at all times. Being able to control storms and soar freely through the skies made the Circle of the Stars sound rather nice.

Yet, his current strength was weak, and he was still human; moving through the sky would undoubtedly consume energy, and the earth remained his foundation.

The Circle of Spores looked rather mystic and he didn't quite understand it.

After much deliberation, Han Ning felt that his current situation was most suited to the Circle of the Land.

Aligning with the Circle of the Land would not only improve his ability to cultivate plants, but it would also enhance his shapeshifting spells.

It provided a dual guarantee of logistics and combat prowess.

Although the earth would gradually be swallowed by the Black Tide, it wouldn't disappear entirely, and even if it did, that was an event far off in the future.

"I'll go with the Circle of the Land. Besides, I can choose the other circles later on."

His mind was made up.

He touched the ball of light representing the land with his will.

Whoosh~

The ball of light transformed into flowing water and poured into his body.

A series of knowledge regarding the Circle of the Land flooded into his brain.

He looked around.

This place was some distance away from the resort, situated at the edge of a flooded low-lying area. Beneath his feet was wet, soft silt and exposed rock bases chilled by rain.

The turbid rainwater constantly lashed against him, washing over the ground beneath his feet.

This was precisely the breath of the earth, mixed with the scents of soil, rock, and rain.

Han Ning strode over to a relatively solid patch of ground with shallower puddles.

Then, he pressed his entire body flat against the earth, face down, kissing the ground.

He plunged his hands deeply into the moist soil beside him, his ten fingers gripping tightly into the dirt and small gravel.

The cold rainwater instantly soaked his clothes, biting to the bone.

Yet he paid it no mind, instead closing his eyes and pouring his entire spirit and will into connecting with the earth beneath his feet.

Following the guidance of the knowledge in his mind, he began to call out.

There were no complex chants, no mystical spiritual dances; the core of the Circle of the Land ritual was the most primitive, direct contact and resonance.

He transformed his mental power into formless roots, attempting to push downward, downward, and further downward, to touch the heavy pulse of the earth that nurtured all things.

He imagined himself as a seed, yearning to break through the soil, yearning to absorb the nutrients of the earth.

"Boom!"

A muffled roll of thunder sounded appropriately in the sky, as if accompanying this ritual.

Han Ning's body trembled slightly, not from the cold, but because an indescribable, heavy, and majestic power was beginning to surge from the depths of the earth, through his hands plunged into the mud and his pressing body, slowly pouring into him.

"Hiss..."

Xuebing seemed to sense something.

Like a loyal servant, it mimicked its master's actions, pressing its body flat against the earth.

This power was not scorching; instead, it carried a steady coolness.

It washed over his limbs and bones, nourishing his flesh and sinews.

His flesh rapidly reorganized, growing tougher.

Energy gathered and compressed continuously.

His human body was quietly undergoing a transformation.

Unknown amounts of time passed.

The space between Han Ning's brows grew slightly warm.

A yellowish-brown mark, resembling rolling mountain ranges, quietly surfaced, flickering with a faint glow, before rapidly fading beneath his skin, leaving only a strange sensation of being closely connected to the earth beneath his feet.

[Circle of the Land ritual completed]

[Unlocked Circle of the Land exclusive skill tree]

Han Ning raised his head and opened his eyes.

At this moment, a yellowish-brown halo burned within his pupils.

From the pores all over his body, wisps of emerald green and yellowish-brown light particles were extracted from the slick soil, swirling around him like water vapor.

At this moment, the steady energy of the earth and the vibrant energy of nature converged, rendering Han Ning like a son of the earth, emanating a mystical aura.

Soon, the light vanished, and he resumed his human appearance.

"This feeling of power."

Han Ning clenched his palms, which were brimming with strength, as a series of new skills surfaced in his mind.

Following his alignment with the Circle of the Land, he had awakened as many as 3 new skills:

[Beast Form], [Wild Blessing], [Overgrowth]

"Shapeshifting!"

The moment he sensed the Beast Form, a trace of joy could not help but appear on Han Ning's face.

Shapeshifting, the core combat skill of a druid!