Chapter 022 Going to the orchard to pick fruit
The sacred tree has a well-developed root system and occupies a vast area, requiring a large amount of soil and nutrients. Apart from some shade-loving wild flowers, weeds and fungi, other plants dare not approach it.
Without sunlight, nutrients, or resources, competing with the sacred tree for territory would be tantamount to seeking death. Better to stay away, where the sky is high and the land is vast, grow freely, compete with peers, and each one relies on his own ability.
Although the goblins make the sacred tree their home, they still have to collect their daily necessities from the forest, such as food, herbs, and various materials.
The Fairy Forest is a treasure trove rich in resources, with rare plants and magical beasts not found in the outside world.
To other races on the continent, the place where fairies and elves live is mysterious and beautiful, like a fairyland, which makes people yearn for it.
If the Elf King had not blocked the entrance to the forest ten thousand years ago, it would have been trampled and occupied by foreign tribes long ago.
Fairies are the darlings of the forest and enjoy the gifts of nature every day.
In order to better collect, the fairies used magic to circle out a safe zone to restrict large monsters and aggressive carnivores from approaching.
Of course, if you want to collect better treasures, you must leave the safe zone and explore deep into the forest.
Gathering is an essential skill for every fairy. After the cubs leave the nursery, the adult fairies will carefully teach them how to survive in the forest.
Since the cubs have not yet learned fighting and magic and have no ability to protect themselves, the orchard that Dosia took them to is a safe zone within a safe zone.
Not to mention large animals, even insects are restricted.
When the cubs learned that they were going to play in the forest, they were very excited. They dropped their notebooks and happily followed Dosia out of the classroom.
Shu Li was carrying a small basket, a cross-body bag, flapping her beautiful wings like gauze, and flying at the back of the team.
The sacred tree’s territory was too large, and the cubs flew for a long time but still couldn’t fly out of the range covered by its branches and leaves.
"I'm so tired!" Budno panted. He ate too much and had grown fat, and the long flight was too much for his small wings.
"Come on, Budno! There are a lot of delicious fruits ahead." Shu Li tempted him with food.
Sure enough, when he heard about delicious fruits, Budno's eyes lit up.
"Hey yo——" He cheered up, increased the frequency of his wings vibration, and rushed forward like a small cannonball.
Desio noticed that Budno had overtaken him and gave chase.
"Go!" Angel waved his little fists and shouted with full energy. The other cubs were encouraged and sped up at the same time.
Shu Li fell last, with the corners of his mouth twitching.
He originally just wanted to cheer the fat boy up, but he didn't realize that the cub's desire to win was so strong that it turned into a group competition.
Do you want it to be this curly?
Just picking some fruit!
Shu Li sighed to the sky, not daring to pause for a moment, and flapped his wings hard.
Although he is not fat, his flying skills are average, and flying too high and too fast can easily cause him to develop acrophobia.
Just as he was trying hard to catch up, unfortunately, the prankster Chris appeared out of nowhere and added fuel to the fire.
"Yo yo yo, the little cubs are flying so fast, where are they going to play?"
A cute little girl replied, "To pick fruit."
Chris clapped his hands and said, "Fruit picking is great! I want to go to the fruit forest too. Let's have a competition to see who can fly faster! The losing elf has to hand over the fruit!"
The naive little cub, who had never "bet" before, would never dare to fall behind when he heard that he had to hand over the fruit.
Budno, who was protecting his food, exploded his inner universe and vowed to be the first.
Shu Li was miserable and full of resentment towards Chris.
Chris seemed to think he wasn't working hard enough, and shouted at him with a smile: "Sperian, didn't you have lunch? You're flying so slowly, do you need my help?"
Shu Li grinds his teeth.
Big brother, thank you——
Chris was laughing so hard seeing the little cub's cheeks puffed up like a frog. Suddenly, a foot wearing high heels kicked over and hit his cheek accurately.
“Ouch—”
Chris screamed like a pig being slaughtered, and his body rolled in the air like a top.
The cubs were stunned and couldn't help but stop flying.
Dorthea slowly retracted her long, beautiful legs, gracefully flicked her fiery red hair, and threatened, "Do you think I don't exist? How dare you encourage an innocent little cub to bet!"
Chris finally managed to steady himself, covering his swollen cheek and apologizing pitifully: "I'm... I'm sorry, I'll do it again next time..."
"Hmm?" Dosia gave him a cold look.
Chris quickly corrected himself and admitted his mistake sincerely. "I won't do it again next time!"
"Really?" Dosia snorted, expressing her doubt.
Chris cast a healing spell on himself, and after a flash of white light, his cheek, swollen like a steamed bun, returned to its original shape. He politely saluted Doshia and said seriously, "I'm going to repair the magic wall. Goodbye."
Afraid that Dosia would kick his handsome face again, he flapped his wings and fled like a whirlwind.
Doxia looked at his receding back and curled the corners of her mouth.
The magic wall, as the name suggests, is a transparent wall constructed with magic located outside the collection safety zone.
Since high-level monsters often appear in the forest and accidentally damage the magic wall, the goblins must come and repair the holes every two weeks.
Chris, who had just reached adulthood, was full of energy and at the age when he loved to play. It was most appropriate to send him to repair the magic wall to prevent him from causing mischief everywhere.
Dorthea turned to face the cubs and said kindly, "Babies, betting is a very bad behavior. We must not learn it!"
"Okay." The cubs nodded their heads obediently.
"Chris is a bad goblin!" The female cub named Lois grumbled angrily. She had just been answering Chris's questions, but Chris had encouraged them to make a bet.
"Yes, yes, Chris is a bad guy! He wants to steal our fruit!" Budno clenched his fists, filled with indignation.
"Last time he lied to us that he would be late for class!" Angel put his hands on his hips.
The cubs complained and accused Chris of his "evil deeds", which showed how much of a failure he was in his daily life.
Dorsia waited for the cubs to finish speaking, then said seriously, "Since Chris has caused public outrage, we need to punish him."
Hearing the punishment, the kind cubs hesitated.
"Actually... Chris isn't that bad... He gave me a fruit the day before yesterday." Budno licked his lips. "That fruit was super delicious."
"We bought a lot of things in the commercial district yesterday and couldn't carry the bags, so Chris helped us."
"He's so strong that he can carry four big bags with his two hands!"
“When I was lost, it was Chris who brought me home.”
"...Now that I think about it, he doesn't seem so bad."
The cubs were confused.
Why are there fairies that are both bad and good?
Shu Li is the only one who can see the essence clearly.
As a centenarian, Chris, at the age of 100, obviously still retains some of his teenage attributes and likes to tease children, but he actually has no ill intentions.
For example, if they hadn't flown faster the morning before yesterday, they would have been late for class.
Yesterday afternoon, while shopping in the commercial district, every cub was busy shopping and their luggage bags were too heavy to drag. Chris happened to pass by and kindly offered a helping hand.
Without Chris's help, they would have missed dinner.
In short, Chris is a rude and arrogant middle school kid.
He deserved to be kicked by Dosia.
However, the fairy who can use magic is really powerful. The swelling can be reduced with just one healing spell.
Shu Li rubbed his hands itchingly, unable to wait to learn magic.
Unfortunately, he is just a little cub who was born not long ago and can't even learn the Elvish language, let alone magic.
The road ahead is long and arduous!
It’s better to seize the time to study!
Dosia waited patiently by the side, listening to the cubs discussing the pros and cons of Chris. Suddenly, she found that one cub was not participating in the discussion. Instead, he was sitting cross-legged on a large mushroom cap, looking down at the notebook in his hand.
It's Sperian.
The little guy was flipping through his notebook and muttering to himself, as if he was reciting something.
A trace of surprise flashed in Doxia's eyes.
Aren’t…the cubs nowadays all so hardworking?
I don't want to waste any time, so I start studying now.
She coughed twice.
I remembered the elf poetry I heard yesterday afternoon.
According to Leah and Ores, the little cub who sang haltingly and even mispronounced the real names of the gods was Sperion.
Your courage is commendable!
I'm really bad at learning Elvish.
She hadn't seen a cub with such ordinary language talent in hundreds of years.
Shu Li heard the cough and looked up, puzzled, meeting Doxia's interested gaze. He paused for a moment, then calmly closed his notebook, stuffed it into his messenger bag, and picked up the small basket beside him.
"Doxia, are we still picking fruit?"
If the cubs continue discussing this, it will be dark.
Dosia smiled slightly, clapped her hands, and said loudly, "My dears, let's talk about Chris's problem when we get back. Now, let's continue to the orchard."
"Okay~~" the cubs responded in unison and lined up to follow her.
Shu Li sighed softly, spread his wings, and joined the team.
After more than half an hour, we finally arrived at our destination.
The afternoon sun was bright and dazzling, shining unscrupulously on the vibrant flowers, plants and trees. Various fruit trees were covered with crystal clear little fruits, which made the cubs drool.
"Ahhh, I know, that's Kukugo!"
"That's Luoluo fruit!"
"This large area is of red plum fruit!"
"Great! I love it here!"
"Let's go pick some fruits! I want to eat so many fruits!"
The cubs, carrying their empty baskets, were eager to dive into the orchard and feast on the food.
Budno hissed and took a deep breath.
Shu Li looked around and found that these fruits were very small in size. They were common food for cubs and suitable for them to pick.
Since entering the other world, he has been eating vegetarian food for more than three months, and it's a bit boring.
I miss the taste of meat!
However, goblins are vegetarian creatures, feeding mainly on nectar and fruit, along with plant roots, wheat flour, and their only meat dish - unfertilized eggs from certain birds.
Shu Li wants to eat meat, but she will only have the chance to do so if she leaves the fairy forest and goes to the human world to gain experience.
Unfortunately, he would have to wait until he reached adulthood before leaving the forest.
A goblin reaches adulthood at the age of one hundred.
While still in the gestation room, Shu Li was shocked when she heard Elsa giving a common sense lesson to the cubs and learned that fairies and elves reach adulthood at the age of 100.
One hundred years... the limit of human lifespan, but the life of a fairy has just begun.
Why is the gap between species so huge?
Seeing that the cubs were envious, Doxia took out a large basket from her storage bag that could hold four footballs.
The cubs cried curiously and flew in to touch things here and there.
"Docia, what is this basket for?" Angel asked the adult fairy while standing on the edge of the basket.
"Packed with fruit." Dosia pointed at the various fruits around her and smiled warmly, "Today's dinner in the school cafeteria is in my hands, my little cuties!"
In other words, the cubs need to put the picked fruits into the basket until it is full.
Of course, if you feel hungry during the picking process, you can pick and eat it right away.
The task was arduous, and the cubs were all full of fighting spirit, rolling up their sleeves and getting to work.
Doxia taught on the spot, pointing to the fruit trees and explaining one by one what kind of tree it was, what kind of fruit it produced, and how it tasted and was nutritious.
The cubs listened attentively, and some took out small notebooks to take notes.
After introducing all the fruit trees around, Dosia flew to the branch of a tree and ate the Kuku fruit while watching the cubs move freely.
Shu Li was extremely grateful to Jingjing for her notes. He had recorded all the fruit trees and even drawn pictures of them. He hadn't had any difficulty listening to Duoxia's explanation just now.
"Sperien, come and pick some fruit!" Budno greeted Shu Li warmly.
"Oh——" Shu Li came back to his senses, pulled up Red Hair and White Hair, and flew over.
The four cubs often acted together, and their friendship grew stronger day by day. Although Desio and Budno still argued, the initial tension was gone.
The Kuku fruit is small and can be held in one hand by a young child, but picking it is a bit difficult and requires holding it with both hands and pulling it off with force.
"Hey yo, hey yo——" Budno's face turned red as he picked the fruits. He had only picked a few fruits when his palms started to hurt.
When Shu Li saw this situation, she knew it wasn't going to work!
Dosia took out such a big basket, but the baskets distributed to the cubs were very small. How long would it take them to complete the task?
Without tools, picking fruits is a big task.
Shu Li thought for a moment, took out a pair of gloves from his messenger bag, and pulled out the dagger hanging at his waist.
"Huh?" Angel asked doubtfully, "Sperian, what are you going to do?"
Shu Li flew to a fruit and raised his dagger to chop off the fruit stem.
Although the dagger was small, it was very sharp, and the fruit fell off the branch in an instant.
"Oh, it fell--" Disio rushed up quickly and hugged the falling Kukuguo.
Budno clapped his hands excitedly: "Sperian, this is a great idea!"
hateful!
He originally bought a bow, but it was difficult to carry and could only be hung on the wall at home as a decoration. If he had known earlier, he would have bought a dagger as well.
When Angel saw that Shu Li's dagger had done a great job, his eyes lit up and he immediately drew his own dagger.
"Hey - ha - look at the sword -"
Angel was in full swing, he raised his sword and swung it hard, and a Kuku fruit fell down.
Budno caught it swiftly and put it in Angel's basket.
Angel grinned, "Thanks! I'll put some in yours once mine is full."
Budno nodded vigorously: "Great!"
The four little cubs divided into two groups and cooperated with each other. Soon, the four small baskets were full, and they happily poured the fruits into the baskets.
When the other cubs discovered that they could pick fruits in this way, they followed suit.
Yesterday, many cubs bought daggers and short swords at the weapon shop in the commercial district, and took them out to form a team with the unarmed cubs.
The cubs were busy in the orchard, and Dosia, sitting on a branch, never tired of watching them.
This batch of pups are the most unique goblins she has ever taken care of.
Not only does he study hard, he also knows how to use weapons as tools to pick fruits.
Interesting, so interesting!
"Hey, Dosia, are you taking the cubs?" An adult female fairy flew over from the other side of the forest.
Dosia turned around and saw that it was the fairy who was in charge of taking care of the orchard.
"Yes, I brought the little cuties here to play today. Are you done?"
The adult fairy landed on a branch next to her and stretched. "I'm done. I fertilized and watered all the fruit trees. My back and waist are sore from exhaustion."
Dosia smiled and said, "Isn't it something that can be accomplished by casting magic?"
The adult goblin blinked his eyes, looking innocent: "Casting magic also requires physical strength!"
Chanting mantras is a very tiring thing!
"Really?" Doxia looked at her, and they stared at each other for a while, then laughed out loud at the same time.
After laughing, Dorthea asked, "Did you meet Chris?"
The adult goblin shrugged, "Yes, he did. He complained to me and you kicked him, nearly disfiguring him."
Dorthea bared her white teeth. "He wanted to make a bet with the cubs. Kicking him is not enough."
Upon hearing this, the adult goblin nodded in agreement: "Good kick!"
Dosia curled her lips and said, "He should be sent to repair the magic wall next month."
The adult goblin raised an eyebrow: "Agreed!"
Chris sneezed in the orchard more than ten meters away from the central safety zone.
"Yawn—"
He rubbed his nose and continued to confront a giant avian monster.
"Hey everyone, isn't it very rude of you to break into the fairy orchard and steal the fruit without permission?"
The giant bird seemed oblivious to his words, squatting on the branch and leisurely eating the fruit, one bite at a time, with a voracious appetite.
A vein popped in Chris's forehead.
This is the Sek'n bird, known as the Swift Wind. It is a herbivorous bird with an arrogant personality. Relying on its fast flying speed, it often takes advantage of loopholes in the magic wall to sneak into the fairy orchard to steal food.
Normally, other powerful adult goblins would come to repair the magic wall, but when the Sekhen bird saw that the situation was not good, it slipped away quickly.
Today, it was discovered that the one repairing the magic wall was a newly grown goblin. The seventh-level Sekhen bird said that there was nothing to be afraid of, so it deliberately squatted on the branch and ate the fruit in front of the goblin openly.
Being looked down upon by a giant bird, Chris's fists hardened.
"You'd better leave immediately, otherwise I will be rude to you."
The sackon bird chewed the fruit slowly and looked at the little one with contempt.
Your body is not even as big as one of its claws, and you still want to be rude to it?
The corner of Chris' mouth twitched: "I'm warning you for the last time!"
The Secken bird responded by opening its mouth wide, biting into a bunch of fruit, and swallowing it arrogantly.
"That's too much! That's too much! I can't stand you any more!"
Chris yelled.
Everyone says he loves to play pranks, but is he as bad as this silly bird?
You dared to ignore his warning, destroy the fairy orchard, and steal the fruits. Your crime is unforgivable!
The Sekhen bird spread its five-meter-wide wings and challenged the goblin.
Come on, come on, let’s see who is better!
The two sides are on the verge of a war.
Four tiny cubs were hiding in a fruit tree five meters away from them.
At this moment, feeling the strong murderous aura, the cubs were already shocked and dumbfounded.
It was the first time Shu Li saw a giant bird that was over two meters tall and had a wingspan of five meters. His vision was greatly shocked.
"Let's... leave quickly..."
He pulled the clothes of his three friends and spoke in a low voice.
This giant bird looks like it's not easy to deal with. Chris is only the size of a palm, and even if he knows magic, it would be difficult to resist.
If the four little cubs were smart, they would be better off going back to Dosia as soon as possible and asking her to think of a solution.
"But...but, we haven't picked the big fruit yet." Budno hugged the pear-shaped fruit in his arms, reluctant to let it go.
Such a big fruit, smelling so fragrant, must be super delicious.
Shu Li was ashamed: "It's dangerous here——"
Originally they were picking small fruits in the inner safe area, but because the cubs were so efficient, the fruits around them were almost all picked, so they had to spread outwards.
Budno had sharp eyes and saw a fruit that was bigger than him, so he excitedly flew over to pick it.
Red Hair and White Hair were not willing to be outdone, and rushed towards the big fruit tree.
Shu Li couldn't call them back, so he had to follow them.
As a result, by coincidence, he ran into the scene where the giant bird and Chris were confronting each other.
Obviously, the place they were in was no longer the internal safe zone, and they had to go back as soon as possible.
If a fight breaks out between the giant bird and Chris, the four little cubs, who have no ability to protect themselves, will definitely become cannon fodder.
Budno held the fruit tightly and didn't want to let go, his eyes were filled with tears, he looked so pitiful.
Instead of being frightened by the giant birds, Desio was thrilled. "Don't be afraid, Sperian. They won't fight."
Angel nodded innocently, "Sit said the monsters and animals in the forest are all friends of the goblins."
How can friends fight with friends?
Shu Li was defeated by their naivety. Even friends can turn into enemies!
As if to confirm his idea, Chris and the giant bird in the confrontation suddenly moved.
The giant bird flapped its wings, and a small tornado instantly appeared in the air, rushing towards Chris with unstoppable force.
Chris sneered, without dodging or evading, he clasped his hands together, chanted a short spell, and a dazzling light burst out from his whole body.
Shu Li couldn't help but raise his hands to cover his eyes.
When the light disappeared, he put down his hand and looked forward anxiously.
The palm-sized Chris disappeared without a trace, and was replaced by a handsome young man of 1.8 meters in height.
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