Chapter 90: Chapter 90

Mu Ying silently reminded herself of this.

The withered forest was no match for the spreading flames. As Mu Ying had hoped, the fire quickly swept toward the center of the dead woods, while the outer trees, under her protection, suffered little damage.

The withered monsters, being plant-based, couldn’t withstand the raging fire. The moment the fire circle was formed, their fate was sealed.

Mu Ying retreated to a safe distance from the dead forest, keeping an eye on the fire while slowly recovering her mana under the protection of the wolf pack. Every now and then, more experience points would trickle in.

In her Natural Perception state, she could see the black miasma in the dead forest growing thinner and thinner.

The fire burned for a full day and night without any unexpected incidents. All the withered trees were reduced to charcoal.

She gained 30 Slaughter EXP and 95 Class EXP from this.

Her level 4 EXP bar had increased by a tenth.

Mu Ying carefully inspected the former site of the dead forest several times, making sure all the withered monsters were truly gone before finally relaxing. She then began practicing the wolf form of Wildshape.

Spending every day among the wolves, observing their movements and habits, the only thing she was grateful for was that learning Wildshape only required observation—she didn’t have to imitate every wolfish move in her human form.

Just imagining herself squatting on all fours made her feel like she’d die of embarrassment on the spot.

“Awooo~ Brothers, let’s go hunt for food!”

Da Hui led the adult wolves out to hunt, leaving only a few old wolves to guard the den.

“Awooo~ Roger that!”

“Awooo~ Let’s go after that herd of goats to the south today. They’ve had a new batch of kids—there are a few old ones we can take!”

Mu Ying decided to tag along and watch the wolves hunt.

She followed behind the pack, running south.

As they neared the goats’ grazing grounds, the wolves fell silent, crouching low in the grass, patiently waiting for an opportunity.

The goats were alert, clearly having been harassed more than once. Even as they grazed, they kept a wary eye on their surroundings, ready to bolt at the slightest sign of trouble.

The wolves were patient enough not to alert the herd—except for the variable that was Mu Ying herself.

Though she tried to blend in, crouching in the grass, she clearly lacked the wolves’ stealth. The goats spotted her.

But instead of fleeing, a few kids even trotted over toward her, drawing the whole herd closer to her patch of grass.

In a flash, Da Hui sprang out from the grass and bit down on an old goat’s leg. The rest of the wolves charged in as well.

But they all instinctively spared the kids, targeting the older goats as their prey.

This was thanks to Shi Yin, who, after learning to use the internet, had taught Da Hui and the others about sustainable hunting—this way, the herd wouldn’t be wiped out or driven away by excessive losses.

The old goat, its leg bitten through, could only watch in despair as the rest of the herd escaped. What awaited it next was the wolves’ bloody feast.

Mu Ying watched all this in silence, feeling a pang of sadness. Any excitement she’d had about the hunt was gone. It was her animal affinity that had attracted the goats, giving Da Hui and the others their chance.

The goats that wanted to approach her were now being killed by her wolf companions.

The wolves were only following their nature—there was nothing wrong with that. The goats were the weaker party, and that wasn’t wrong either.

So why did she feel so guilty and uneasy? Was it her fault?

No, she wasn’t wrong either. The law of the jungle is a law of nature. To save or not to save was her choice, not her obligation.

The law of nature? Choice?

Suddenly, Mu Ying had a flash of insight. Wolves hunting goats was a law of nature; wasn’t the dodder vine parasitizing trees also a law of nature?

On a micro level, the dodder vine’s natural energy was indeed weaker than the tree’s, so choosing the tree over the vine made sense—the tree would preserve more natural energy.

But on a macro level, would nature really suffer from the loss of a single flower or blade of grass? Birth, aging, sickness, and death are all part of nature’s cycle—humans die, and so do plants and animals.

So then, what is the point of a druid’s cultivation?"

"From a microscopic perspective, everything she had done for her cultivation had indeed benefited the plants involved.

But from a macroscopic perspective, it seemed to have little significance for nature as a whole.

All trees are part of nature, all plants are part of nature, all animals too—nature is not just a single flower or blade of grass, but every flower and blade of grass is part of nature.

“I understand now!”

A sudden clarity washed over Mu Ying. Her previous understanding of nature had been far too narrow.

Plants are the most representative embodiment of nature, but they are by no means the entirety of it. Every living being, even the climate and matter itself, can be considered a part of nature.

Nature is, in fact, the foundation from which all things arise—the cradle that nurtures life! That’s why the power of nature is always so vibrant and full of vitality.

From a scientific point of view, nature is the combination of living organisms, life systems, and their environment: the ecosystem.

What a druid is meant to protect is not just a single flower or blade of grass, but the ecological environment itself—that is the true essence of nature.

Of course, within the ecosystem, plants—especially trees—hold an exceptionally important place, which is why the power of nature is so evident in them.

Survival of the fittest among living things is simply part of the life system, and she herself is included in that, so she has the freedom to choose according to her own likes and dislikes.

Whether she pulls out dodder to save a tree, or watches wolves hunt sheep, she is a part of this process of natural selection. No matter what she chooses, it won’t really affect nature as a whole.

Nature may favor plants, especially trees, so when she saved a tree and killed the dodder, she received experience as a reward.

She can intervene in the struggle between trees and dodder simply because she likes trees, but she doesn’t have to do it for the sake of her profession or to “help” nature.

Rather than saving a single tree that would have died naturally, it’s more beneficial to nature to plant more trees, remove blight monsters that act like tumors, or prevent actions that damage the natural environment.

Cutting down a few trees or hunting a few animals for survival doesn’t count as destroying the environment, but large-scale deforestation or overhunting is harmful to nature.

It’s all about balance. Those who disrupt the balance of nature are the true targets for a druid’s elimination. Such acts of elimination are also part of a druid’s cultivation—like destroying blight monsters that spread dark plagues and devastate vegetation.

Mu Ying felt a gentle power surge into her eyes, and her vision seemed to change once again.

But she didn’t have time to think about it, because the Nature Bracelet on her wrist also reacted—a massive black scythe, taller than she was, materialized before her.

Despite its size, the scythe felt light as a feather in her hand, as if it were an extension of her arm.

She checked the item information for the Nature Bracelet again.

[Nature Bracelet]

[Quality: Orange—Mythic]