Our Dharma Masters are like this.

Chapter 83 Walking Trees

While Marcus was busy, Zellier squatted under a big tree.

He spotted a bright red mushroom shaped like a rooster's comb and immediately became interested.

"What treasure are you looking for this time?" Gray asked curiously, peeking out.

“I’m wondering… is this mushroom edible?” Zellier poked the umbrella with his finger.

It looks very tempting.

"Of course, I've tried it, it's delicious."

Gray beamed, "And it can make you feel like you're floating on air, it feels amazing!"

"Really?" Zellier was skeptical.

"He was hallucinating due to food poisoning; he's just incredibly lucky to be alive."

Vales said coldly, "This is a Blood Crown Mushroom. It has hallucinogenic effects, and eating too much can even cause people to fall into a coma. Every year, people die from eating this mushroom because of their cravings."

"Really... I was wondering why I hadn't been drinking that day; my head was still spinning." Gray said thoughtfully.

Zellier glanced at Gray.

“In our tribe, shamans sometimes collect these mushrooms.”

Gak scratched his head, as if remembering something.

"But it's not for eating. Instead, it's dried, ground into powder, and inhaled during sacrifices. It's said that you can see the souls of your ancestors who have died."

"You shamans all use this stuff as a hallucinogen, of course you can see it when you're high!" Zellier thought to himself.

Marcus finished his exploration and stood up.

"The treant colony should be not far from here."

Vales closed his eyes, his slightly pointed ears twitched slightly, and after a moment, he nodded.

"Hmm... I can sense that the smell of the plants and trees around here is a little different."

“Aren’t you listening with your ears?” Gray said.

"I can't breathe while listening, is that it?" Vales resisted the urge to roll his eyes; sometimes he really didn't want to talk to Gray.

Zellier looked around and shrugged.

They both agreed that it was fine, and that finding the way should be left to the professionals.

In Zellier's eyes, the surrounding scenery was almost unchanged, all green on top and gray on the bottom, which made his eyes a little blurry.

The team continued their advance.

Sure enough, not long after they started walking, some unusual signs appeared before them.

New trenches appeared on the ground, clearly traces of something dragged by a huge object.

The trees nearby also had many scratches, and some green plants that should have been rooted in the soil were also roughly crushed into the soil.

The group exchanged glances and immediately went into battle alert.

Marcus held his shield in front of him, and Gak instinctively tightened the arm shield on his left forearm.

Since his last injury, he has specifically purchased an arm shield to enhance his defensive capabilities.

"Boom...boom...boom..."

A muffled, rhythmic sound came faintly from ahead, causing the ground to tremble slightly.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw that it was a group of trees moving!
More than ten trees, each four or five meters tall, are using their thick roots as legs to clumsily move forward through the forest, with dark crevices slowly opening and closing on their trunks.

Adventurers' Guild General Monster Encyclopedia

[Sequence 9]: Tree Monster

Individual Threat Rating: [Simple]

Appearance features:

A monster transformed from an ordinary tree, possessing a movable root system and thick, branch-like arms.

Lifestyle habits:
A plant-type monster without independent will, its sole purpose in existence is to obey the tree spirit's commands. Special abilities:

While its strength isn't as astonishing as its size, it's still considerable; be careful to dodge.

Core weakness:

They move slowly and are afraid of fire.

Association Notes:

A group of troublesome wooden lumps, considered one of the more difficult types to deal with among easy-rated monsters, so proceed with caution.

Additionally, it should be noted that when the tree monster is stationary, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary tree and extremely difficult to tell apart.

Never step into their ambush zone.

In the forest, the group of tree monsters stood like ancient guards, surrounding an even more esteemed being—the tree spirit.

Like the tree monster, the tree spirit has no legs; its intricate network of roots is its means of transportation.

Each time it is pushed forward, it plows deep furrows in the ground.

However, the tree spirit is larger and more weathered than the other tree monsters.

Its weathered surface resembles a cracked rock, covered with thick moss and parasitic fungi, with countless thick vines hanging down from the branches, swaying gently in the wind.

Three or four meters above the tree trunk, there are two eerie spots of light shining through the cracks, which are the manifestation of its spirit and will.

Adventurers' Guild General Monster Encyclopedia

[Sequence 34]: Tree Spirit
Individual Threat Rating: [Difficult]

Appearance features:

Similar to the tree monster, but much larger, with two bright spots of light appearing on its trunk.

Lifestyle habits:
The guardians of the forest almost never leave the forest area where they were born.

special power:

Tree spirits can transform ordinary trees into tree monsters that obey their commands through long-term catalysis. If left unchecked, some ancient tree spirits can even create an army of tree monsters.

Core weakness:

They are no different from the strange trees.

Association Notes:

When the tree spirit is enraged, it can suddenly extend its vines and branches to strike, so adventurers must be careful.

"If I didn't know I hadn't eaten the Blood Crown Mushroom, I would have really thought this was all a hallucination..."

Gray murmured, "It's quite a sight to see a group of big trees walking in broad daylight."

Zellier squinted and made a visual assessment, then shook his head.

"It's not easy to decapitate it. The tree spirit is surrounded by a bunch of tree monsters, and it's too big. The blast radius of the arcane missiles isn't enough to seriously damage it. We have to get close and use the Flame Breath spell."

“I’m about the same. Tree spirits aren’t like flesh and blood creatures. With a body that big, they could withstand a dozen or so thunder arrows without any problem,” Vales said.

"Then let's clear out the tree monsters outside first, and then approach them little by little, creating opportunities for Zelier."

Marcus quickly made up his mind.

In any case, the squad's tactics are basically all designed around Zellir.

"Gak, you'll come with me later."

"Alright!" Gak gripped his broad axe, his fighting spirit surging.

The tree spirit suddenly stopped moving forward, its branches and leaves swaying slightly, as if it had sensed something.

The two orbs of light moved from the front to the back, facing Marcus's team.

The ball of light first narrowed slightly, then suddenly widened, causing the leaves to tremble violently, and a roar full of anger echoed through the forest.

"Ow!!!"

The roar contained the command to attack, and the dozen or so tree monsters immediately received the order. They turned around and charged towards the team!
(End of this chapter)