From Hogwarts to Strixhaven.

Chapter 425: Too Dark in Every Sense
Melina's two brothers eventually survived because they handed over their only belongings as a reward for saving their sister.

Although these farmers from Rivington may not have much money in total, it is better than nothing.

Two farmers, a pregnant woman, and a walking corpse immediately decided to set out on the road back. They were also helped by a hag servant. The halfling wearing a hag mask was a city dweller from Baldur's Gate who happened to be on their way.

After Minsara's great sword severed the hag's head, her victims were freed one by one.

In the antechamber of the crypt, only the high elves trapped by the illusion and the petrified dwarves survived. They all wasted a lot of time under the torture of the hag, but at least they were able to keep their lives.

The masked servants in the back hall who were deeply poisoned were not so lucky. In fact, except for the halfling, the other three were still immersed in the hag's whispers even after taking off their masks. They were even unwilling to believe that the hag who controlled their minds was dead.

The adventure team is not a psychologist. If they don’t know how to save themselves, no one can save them.

Under the guidance of the Archdruid Harsin, the adventurers continued on their way eastward along the Chongsa River, pursuing the "traces of shadows" all the way.

Finally, on a small island in the river, the adventurers saw a giant tree with twisted branches.

“Woad Tree Man!” Harsin stared at the humanoid plant guarding the small island in the river. “The creation of an evil ritual…”

"I thought everything in nature was flourishing," Kalak asked. "How evil can a tree man be?"

Harsin sighed. "Even among druids, there are different sects and associations... The ritual for creating the woad tree man comes from the barbaric and dark druidic circle. I don't know much about this ritual, but I can describe its specific steps to you."

"A living person's chest is pierced with thorns and his heart is removed. A seed is then placed in the heart of an innocent person and allowed to grow inside the hollow tree trunk. The innocent person's blood will become the nectar for watering the plants, and his body will provide new nutrients for the dead hollow tree." Harsin's brows were furrowed as he described this evil ritual. "Three days later, a new sprout will sprout from the roots of the hollow tree and quickly grow into a humanoid plant. The woad tree people have neither emotions nor the will to pursue freedom. As a supernatural plant, they are even immortal. These monsters will extend their roots into the ground, drawing strength from the air and sunlight until they are destroyed."

"I'm sorry, friends." Halsin looked a little tired. "While I was busy studying the mind flayer tadpoles and the shadow curse, too much darkness has taken root in my forest. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even be able to fight them alone..."

"It's never too late to mend the fence after the sheep have been lost," Ivy consoled him. "Let's finish this matter quickly. The Greenwood is still waiting for you to return and take charge of the situation."

"You're right, time is not on our side. We can only try our best to make up for it." A gust of emerald green magical wind blew around Halsin, and surrounded by leaves and magical light, he turned into a giant bear again.

Along with the woad tree people, there are also several mud bats guarding the river island. These magical creatures will cause a magical explosion after death, which is not very friendly to melee professions.

However, the number of woad trees and mud bats was small, and both had fatal weaknesses. As plants, woad trees were afraid of fire, and the bodies of mud bats were too fragile, so the battle ended quickly.

Xie Nian took out a shovel and dug around, looking for possible treasure, while Harsin found a letter addressed to Kaha in the crack of the twisted giant tree.

Kaha is a druid of the Greenwoods, an apprentice of Harsin, and the culprit who is performing the Ritual of Thorns.

"Kaha actually wants to turn my forest into the domain of Shadow Druids!" Halsin held the letter in his hand. This man with muscles as hard as city walls rarely showed his anger, but at this moment he looked much scarier than the giant bear. "We must rush over to confront her as soon as possible! If the situation is true, she will be punished most severely!"

Minsara was intrigued by the word "punishment": "What would the druid's punishment be like? A thorn whip dipped in poison and whipped on her back? Or making her walk back and forth on a platform covered with thorns?"

"Of course not!" Harsin's anger disappeared. "If she really has forgotten the place of druids in nature, then I will let her start from the beginning, as a novice, and learn everything about druids again."

"What kind of punishment is this?" Laizer asked unhappily, "You don't even want to cut off one of her hands."

"Sometimes, depriving a person of his political status is the most severe punishment." Minsara agreed with Harsin's approach from a strange perspective. "Just think about it, from being a mistress, to being a pariah with nothing. This forest will remember your authority, Harsin."

"Druids don't need authority." Harsin had a headache. "We are united under the teachings of the Oak Father and work together to maintain the order of nature."

“Like those privileged societies that claim everyone is equal?” Minsara nodded. “I understand that in order to better serve the public, some people have to be more equal than others.”

Harsin no longer tried to argue, but walked in front to lead the way, leading everyone through the jungle and cliffs, back to the green woodland.

However, not long after stepping out of the swamp, a sturdy man wearing leather armor and carrying a heavy crossbow walked out from under the cover of reeds and bushes.

He was obviously startled when he saw the huge and strange team in front of him.

"Iron vine fan? Are you a hunter?" Harsin, who was walking in front, sniffed and identified the identity of the sturdy man.

"Yes, it's just a little trick to prevent wild animals from tracking me." The man had a heavy accent, unlike a city dweller. "I'm not just a hunter, I specialize in hunting monsters. Please forgive my interruption, but if you come out of the swamp, you may be able to provide me with some information. I'm here to bargain with the hostess here. I'm chasing a dangerous prey, and in order to lure him out, I have to resort to this desperate measure."

"I should have chopped off the hag's head later, so that I could have witnessed one more fool who wanted to trade with her." Minsala crossed her arms and looked at the man who blocked her way with contempt. "The hag is dead?" The monster hunter seemed a little overwhelmed, but he finally breathed a sigh of relief and accepted the fact. "That's good. You made the choice for me, so I don't have to trade with the hag."

"You're a Gur, right?" Asdaelon approached and asked provocatively, "I thought your entire people were wandering killers. Who would have thought you were a monster hunter!"

"Not only that, we also stole your chickens, cursed your dealers, and seduced your daughters. We did all the bad things." Gul Monster Hunter sneered at Asdeln's racial prejudice.

"I wish I really had the abilities that you guys with stable organizations imagine." Gul Monster Hunter said self-deprecatingly, "But I'm just a wanderer, a wandering monster hunter."

"You must be hunting some terrible creature? A dragon, a giant, or a kobold?" Asdeln's hostility did not disappear, and he continued to ask questions with sarcasm.

"It's not a big monster," Gul Monster Hunter shook his head, denying Asdeln's guess, "I'm hunting a vampire spawn. His name is Asdeln, and he might have gone into hiding. I had hoped that the witch here could drive him out of his hiding place. Now it seems that I must be extremely vigilant and carefully look for places where he might appear."

The smile on Asdaelon's face remained unchanged, but his companions could sense his nervousness.

"Why are you hunting this vampire spawn?" The numerical advantage gave Asdeln a great psychological advantage. He did not lose his composure and continued to inquire about the Gur people's purpose.

"This is the sacred mission given to me by the leader of the tribe. She sent me here to capture the monster and bring it back to Baldur's Gate. Our camp is just outside the city." The Gur people were not wary of the pale elves who could stand in the sun. What he was hunting down was a vampire spawn who could not be exposed to the sun or come into contact with running water, not a pale elf who could cast a shadow on the ground.

"You did accept the order from the tribal leader, but that is not a suitable reason." Ivy walked out from the middle of the team and put his hand on Asdeln's shoulder. He was reaching for the dagger at his waist with his left hand.

Feeling the weight on his shoulders, Asdaelen's body stiffened for a moment, then immediately relaxed.

Ivy walked past him and continued, "That vampire spawn must have done something bad to cause a wandering tribe to hunt him down, right?"

"Indeed." The Ghor nodded. "Our camp was recently attacked by a group of vampire spawn. The leader believed that this vampire spawn named Asdaelon must know something and where to find our children."

"It looks like you're looking in the wrong direction." Asdaelon's cunning smile reappeared on his face. "As far as I know, there is only one vampire family in Baldur's Gate, the Zar family in the upper city. If your camp is outside Baldur's Gate, then this vampire family must be responsible for the victims of your tribe."

"Really?" The Ghur was surprised, then he lowered his head and pondered, "It sounds very reasonable... Baldur's Gate is a big city, and it is also a natural place suitable for hiding filth. It is not surprising that there is a whole vampire family living there... It seems that I must return to Baldur's Gate immediately."

"Thank you, stranger." The Gul Monster Hunter thanked Asdaelon, "As a Gul, I rarely get help from city dwellers. Can I ask your name? By the way, I'm Gendler."

"Let's keep this suspense until our next meeting!" Asdeln blinked, "I have a feeling that we will meet again in Baldur's Gate soon."

Both of Gendler's purposes for coming here were frustrated, but he did not gain nothing. Asdeln pointed him in a possible direction, and he had to return to Baldur's Gate as soon as possible to confirm the authenticity of the news.

The wanderer who came here alone returns alone again.

Asdeln felt a little proud that he had avoided a conflict with his intelligence, but he soon noticed the gaze of his companion.

"There is a reason for this, and I can explain it," said Asdeln. "Two hundred years ago, I was an inquisitor at Baldur's Gate. After I adjudicated a case of theft by the Ghurs, I was attacked by them that night. When I was dying, Kazador emerged from the darkness and turned me into a vampire spawn. Although he did save me to some extent, he also turned me into a slave under his control. Until I was taken away by that Mind Flayer warship and shared a brain with an ugly little bug. You know, I thought at first that the Ghur was sent by Kazador to capture me, and now, I have caused him some trouble. Believe me, this is just a small prelude to the counterattack!"

"You are still a slave now," Minsara commented. "You have been deprived of freedom and thick blood for so long that you have become addicted to both. As long as these addictions still control you, you will remain a slave."

"I...you..." Asdaelen wanted to refute, but he didn't know where to start, so he could only say awkwardly, "Your mouth is just like poison. Won't you poison yourself to death when you drink water?"

"I take small doses of various toxins with every meal to build up my immune system," Minsara said proudly. "You are right, Asdaelen, there may be traces of some toxins on my lips. If nothing goes wrong, it is pterosaur toxin today."

Asdaelon's eyes widened, he shook his head in fear, and returned to the team. No one expected that this drow would actually apply poison on his lips. To be honest, what's the difference between this and a spider?
Mingsala's habit of applying poison on her lips obviously aroused the curiosity of the team members. The journey did not stop and the chatting continued.

"Is drow society really the same as in the books?" Shadowheart couldn't help but ask. "It sounds almost tempting - matriarchal power at its peak."

“It can reach its peak because the strong devour the weak,” Ivy interjected. “This is no different from other political systems in the world, because the essence of politics is exploitation.”

“Well said, DOOM.” Minsara gave a cruel smile. “You have a lot of insights to share with me.”

"As for you, child." Minsara looked at Yingxin, "You are indeed very charming, but you will also become nourishment for the matriarchs."

(End of this chapter)