Elemental Magnetic Star

Chapter 74 Posture of the Terra Grove

If the unified form of Terra Grove trees could be described as tall and straight, then to Raina Grace, WeeStick's Terra Grove tree could be adorned with many other adjectives: graceful, lush, proud, slender...

It stood tall and straight, like a bond between the earth and sky. Reaching into the clouds, it mirrored the azure sky, appearing like a vertical ladder to the boundless universe. Its branches were thick with foliage, the dense green leaves like nature's green clouds, gently swaying, bringing whispers of the breeze.

Raina Grace thought of the Ancestral Tree, another typical Terra Grove tree, only described as colossal and heavy. The Ancestral Tree's bark was hard and strong, marked by the passage of time with deep grooves. Rings upon rings intertwined into a magnificent tapestry, witnessing the flow of time and narrating the epic of the Terra Grove tribe. The bark shimmered faintly, a symbol of wisdom and mystery.

Its roots deeply embedded in the soil, like tenacious arms clutching the earth's texture, guarding the miracle of life's source. Its extensive and powerful root system was a secret web of strength, tightly linking the Elemental Magnetic Star and the Terra Grove trees.

This majestic tree was a masterpiece of life, a miracle of the Elemental Magnetic Star. Its presence made Raina Grace feel the power of nature and the tenacity of life, inspiring endless admiration and awe for the wonders and beauty of nature.

Other Terra Grove trees, however, were much more ordinary.

Under WeeStick's guidance, Raina Grace learned to distinguish between those Terra Grove trees that had possessed humans, those that retained their sentience, and those that were gradually falling dormant.

From her observations, the form of Terra Grove trees was related to the state of their heart. If the heart was vigorous, the tree thrived; if the heart was listless, the tree appeared more languid.

Strangely, Terra Grove trees that had possessed humans generally seemed to be in a state of malnourishment. Why was this? WeeStick didn't know; it had never paid attention.

Raina Grace instinctively felt this issue was significant, so she decided to set aside her previous grievances and ask Qin Jie. As a Terra Grove tree that had possessed a human, it surely had firsthand information and experiences.

Qin Jie, whether out of realization or interest in the issue, was very thorough in responding to Raina Grace's inquiries. Not only did it recall in detail its different states and emotions before and after possession, but it also shared all the peculiar phenomena it had observed over the years, along with its own analyses, without reservation.

Through field investigations and conversations with the Terra Grove tribe, Raina Grace formulated a hypothesis: the inability of the Terra Grove tribe to continue might not be largely due to changes in the natural environment, but rather because they had lost a strong will to live. They seemed to have no curiosity about their surroundings, living through the long years as if it were a torment. Could it be because they lost their freedom?

However, those "human-shaped" Terra Grove members who possessed humans for freedom, though gaining the ability to move freely and think like humans, with desires and selfishness, were they still Terra Grove? Inevitably, they declined rapidly, perhaps because sharing human freedom also meant bearing the short lifespan of humans, a species not capable of extending life through dormancy.

"Raina Grace, Raina Grace, someone was looking for you just now. I checked, and it was Flicker Shadow," WeeStick's words interrupted Raina Grace's contemplation.

"Flicker Shadow? Where is he?" Raina Grace was pleasantly surprised. After not seeing him for several days, she wondered how he was.

"He's outside the plantation, I'll take you to him." Seeing Raina Grace happy, WeeStick felt good being a joyful messenger.

The plantation, located on the other side of the Verdant Creek, was usually not frequented by people from the valley. Especially after the Terra Grove tribe's true nature was revealed, humans were forbidden from entering. So now, those cultivating in the plantation were all humans possessed by the Terra Grove, their earnest cultivation indistinguishable from human farmers.

Flicker Shadow was standing outside the plantation, surrounded by a few people. He had been watching this direction, and as soon as Raina Grace appeared, he spotted her: "Raina Grace! Come here, I'll take you back."

"Back? Is something wrong?" Raina Grace didn't expect Flicker Shadow to suggest leaving as soon as they met; she wanted to learn more about the Terra Grove situation.

"Haven't we not seen each other for several days? Don't you want to see me?" Flicker Shadow approached her, taking her hand. "Besides, you've been here all this time without talking to the freemen. Didn't you say you wanted to communicate with both sides?"

Raina Grace then realized she had indeed been avoiding interaction with the freemen, instinctively wanting to escape this task. Firstly, she didn't know what to talk about with the freemen; she had already said everything she needed to the chief last time, and the rest was up to them to negotiate with the Terra Grove tribe. Secondly, she found conversing with humans exhausting, making her feel clumsy.

But since Flicker Shadow wished for her to talk properly with the freemen, she decided to overcome this psychological barrier. Besides, with Flicker Shadow around, her fear wasn't so severe.

Raina Grace said to WeeStick, who was reluctant to part, "Then, WeeStick, stay here, and I'll go with Flicker Shadow. I won't be long and will start experimenting as soon as I return. I already have some ideas about the Terra Grove trees." It seemed WeeStick wanted to keep following her, but she feared the freemen tribe might not welcome a Terra Grove member, just as the Terra Grove tribe didn't welcome humans into their territory.

Flicker Shadow pulled her along: "Let's go. This place is not for people to stay."

Raina Grace smiled, ignoring the angry expressions of the nearby Terra Grove tribe members, as they couldn't really be considered "people" anyway. She leaned into Flicker Shadow's arm, lazily saying, "I'm so tired, I need a good sleep when we get back."

Flicker Shadow took her seriously: "What did you do to tire yourself out so much?" He pinched her face playfully, "You seem to have lost weight."

Raina Grace swatted his hand away, laughing, "How could it be so fast?"

"Let me see, are you lighter?" Flicker Shadow reached out to carry her, not letting her struggle, "We need to cross Verdant Creek, don't get your feet wet. I'll carry you over."

So Raina Grace quieted down, resting peacefully in his chest, feeling his familiar heartbeat and the scent of the Verdant Thistle Forest, hmm... and perhaps something else. Maybe the scent of the valley? She thought lazily.

As they passed Verdant Creek, a group of people were washing merrily. But when Flicker Shadow and Raina Grace passed by, the group quieted down, discreetly observing the pair. The man was robust, the woman delicate, a pleasing sight at first glance.

"That woman Flicker Shadow was carrying, was that the witch?" someone asked.

White Lightning, who was washing and laughing with a group of women, also paused, finding the sight of the two together in his reflection on the water as glaring as the sunlight.

"What nonsense are you talking about? The chief said she might be the next Saintess. Watch your attitude," he scolded the inquirer.

"But, wasn't 'witch' what the chief first called her?" the person mumbled.

"Are you still talking?" White Lightning suddenly flared up, "Wait and see, people like you will only end up as fertilizer for the Terra Grove." He walked away angrily.

"White Lightning is getting more and more prestigious, isn't he?" people started discussing again after a moment of silence.

"I don't understand, young people have no respect for the elderly. Even the chief keeps changing. I just don't understand..."

"If you don't understand, just stay put. It's not like you're short on food or clothing."

"Alas, the Freemen Tribe is changing..."

"Hey, still the Freemen Tribe? Didn't the chief say we're going to establish a new city-state called the City of Freedom?"