Daera stood in the courtyard, gazing at the towering ancient tree, her silver hair gently fluttering in the breeze.
The tree's thick trunk and deeply buried roots made it seem as though it had stood on this land for centuries.
But Daera knew, this was her "Mama Valenwood."
"Sist Layla, when will Mama Valenwood wake up?"
The little Sea Siren looked up, her large violet-blue eyes filled with longing and hope.
She reached out a small hand, gently caressing the tree's rough bark, just like how Valenwood used to stroke her head with a vine.
Layla crouched down and hugged the little Sea Siren's shoulders, feeling a wave of panic inside.
Although she had been living in the workshop for some time now, she actually knew very little about the transformation process of a Dryad.
Robb had simply told her to take care of Daera, and that he would handle everything else. As a student, she also wouldn't take the initiative to ask about matters related to someone's core secrets.
"Well…"
Layla carefully chose her words, her mind racing to find a suitable explanation.
She didn't want to disappoint the little sprite, but she also didn't want to make an inaccurate promise.
"Miss Valenwood needs time to complete her transformation, just like a butterfly resting in its cocoon. But I believe she'll be back with you very soon."
At that moment, the laboratory door opened, and Robb stepped out.
His eyes were bloodshot, and his alchemy coat was stained with various materials.
"Master!"
Daera turned toward him immediately, her gaze filled with anticipation.
"When will Mama Valenwood wake up? She's been like this for days. I miss her so much."
Hearing her question, Robb walked over to the ancient tree and frowned slightly.
He placed his right palm on the rough bark and activated his "Extraordinary Appraisal" ability.
His mental energy reached into the tree's interior like invisible tendrils, sensing its life state and the flow of energy within.
The internal energy of the tree was flowing in an orderly spiral, indicating a stable and healthy transformation.
The Dryad's core consciousness was dormant, but her vitality was more vigorous than ever.
He could clearly sense the ancient power within Valenwood awakening bit by bit, gradually reshaping her entire being.
"Don't worry, Daera."
Robb withdrew his hand, showing a rare gentle smile:
"Valenwood is undergoing an important metamorphosis. From my observations, she's in a very stable state. In at most two more weeks, she'll return to us in a brand-new form."
"Really?"
Daera's eyes lit up as she hugged Robb's leg tightly:
"I miss Mama Valenwood's juice and flower petal candy! Sis Layla's are yummy too, but they taste different."
This made Layla's face flash with a hint of embarrassment, but she quickly smiled, children always spoke their minds.
Besides, she knew her talent in gardening and plant-based skills was nowhere near Valenwood's, especially in crafting sweets with self-grown herbs and flowers.
Robb gently stroked Daera's silver hair, but his eyes remained fixed on the ancient tree, his thoughts drifting back to half a month ago…
It was another exhausting night, and he was experimenting with an energy isolation layer.
After dozing off on the lab bench for a moment, he prepared to continue testing.
Suddenly, the door to the lab was lightly knocked, and when it opened, Valenwood stood at the threshold.
The Dryad's vines trembled with a hesitant rhythm, and there was unease hidden among her leaves.
"Valenwood? What brings you here this late?"
Robb was a little surprised. Valenwood had always respected his work schedule and rarely disturbed him during experiments.
Valenwood's leaves fluttered in the air, forming a line of text: "Master, I have an important request."
Sensing her emotional disturbance, Robb stepped aside and allowed her into the lab.
Under the cold glow of the magical crystal lamp, Valenwood, usually calm and docile like still water, emitted a rare aura of agitation.
Her vines trembled slightly, and the edges of her leaves were tinged with yellow, a physiological sign of intense emotional fluctuation in Dryads.
"What happened?"
Robb closed the door, a flicker of concern in his eyes. He already had a guess.
One of Valenwood's thick vines quivered, hesitating for a moment before the leaves displayed a determined message:
"I want to ask you to perform bloodline modulation on me, like you did for Daera."
Robb wasn't particularly surprised. He had already noticed the subtle changes in Valenwood lately.
Ever since Layla joined the workshop, many of Valenwood's previous responsibilities had shifted to the human girl.
Though Valenwood never showed any discontent, anyone attentive enough could see her increasingly frequent solitary moments, and the complex glances she occasionally cast at Layla.
Even Layla herself had begun to sense it.
Normally, Dryads were known for their calm and detached nature, which is why many became elders and sages, natural recorders of time.
But now, this once-silent, non-competitive, saintly Dryad...
Was being tormented by her own negative emotions, yearning for change with a passion that shocked Robb.
Her leaves continued to write:
"I know my limitations. As an ordinary Dryad, the help I can offer is too limited. Miss Layla can care for Daera, manage accounts, handle daily tasks, she even learned to make petal candy."
It seemed Valenwood had mustered great effort to write these words.
Her leaves paused again, as if searching for the right phrase:
"I see little Daera growing stronger after bloodline modulation. I also want to…"
The leaves hesitated, then wrote a few simple but direct words:
"...be more useful."
Robb could read far more between the lines:
A yearning for belonging, a need for purpose, and even a quiet fear, of being replaced, of losing the "home" she had finally found.
"I see..."
Robb sighed. Valenwood had always been the most silent and diligent member of the workshop, tirelessly working without ever asking for anything in return.
His tone turned serious:
"You know that bloodline modulation is a dangerous process, especially for a being like you. A Dryad's life structure is complex and delicate. And unlike Daera, who is still in her juvenile stage, you are fully mature. The risks are much higher."
He paused and looked Valenwood directly in the eyes:
"Also, a full modulation would imprint you with my exclusive mark, just like Daera. That means if I ever wanted to, I could completely control your life."
It was not just a warning, it was a test.
Robb needed to ensure Valenwood fully understood the depth and permanence of the connection.
This was a fundamental aspect of bloodline modulation.
Which was why, after understanding this, he never considered purchasing other people's "pre-modulated" creatures.
Valenwood's vines moved firmly. The words on her leaves appeared more defined and resolute than ever, as if etched with her very will:
"I fully understand and accept this, Master. In fact, I long for this bond."
Robb fell silent, calmly weighing the pros and cons.
Objectively, the potential of a Dryad's bloodline was astonishing.
Valenwood had already shown signs of awakened bloodline traits and increasing humanoid behavior.
Now, with the help of Extraordinary Appraisal and Primal Tracing, he confirmed her bloodline contained the ancient Forest Nymph, a star-tier lineage.
Once fully activated, she would gain powerful control over plants and forests.
If successful, this would be a qualitative leap, not only enhancing the workshop's defenses but also supporting Robb's long-term plans.
More importantly, among all his bonded beings, Valenwood had the highest initial loyalty.
Unlike Daera's innocence or Layla's early self-interest, Valenwood's connection to him was born from pure gratitude and admiration.
That purity had now become the strongest bond.
"Very well, I'll help you."
Robb finally made his decision:
"I'll design a gradual modulation plan to ensure safety. But you must follow my instructions exactly, any deviation could be fatal."
Valenwood's vines danced joyfully like a child receiving their favorite toy. Her leaves displayed a message full of gratitude:
"Thank you, Master. I will follow every instruction faithfully."
Robb activated both Extraordinary Appraisal and Primal Tracing to examine her further:
[Dryad "Valenwood"
Bloodline Lineage:
Forest Nymph (Star Tier)
→ Golden Oak Queen (Quasi Star Tier)
→ Ancient Tree Fairy (Gold Tier)
→ Ordinary Tree Spirit (Silver Tier)]
The Golden Oak Queen was said to be a nature-born lifeform blessed by the Earth Mother herself, evolving step by step from sacred flora. They possessed the power to rule forests and commune with all plant life.
Ancient Tree Fairies were diluted descendants of that lineage, still retaining strong plant-control abilities.
There might be other evolution paths, but until Primal Tracing advanced further, only the most compatible evolution route was visible.
Over the next several days, Robb devoted himself entirely to Valenwood's bloodline modulation.
Tree spirits were fundamentally different from other creatures, rendering conventional modulation methods ineffective.
Robb finally settled on a three-stage plan:
Bloodline Awakening – Using special catalysts to activate the dormant bloodline within Valenwood.
Energy Reconstruction – Guiding the awakened energy along specific paths to reshape her internal structure.
Complete Metamorphosis – Entering a cocoon-like dormant state to complete her final transformation.
To execute this plan, Robb gathered rare natural materials from the market:
Essence of Morning Dewflower to enhance vitality.
Sun Tree Root filled with solar energy.
Light Crystal Shards to stabilize bloodline energy flow...
Each ingredient was meticulously purified and mixed in a 1:3:7 golden ratio to create a bloodline enhancer tailored for Dryads.
When he injected the compound into her root system, Valenwood's vines twisted in pain, and the edges of her leaves showed burn marks…
By the tenth day, Robb noticed subtle changes in her condition.
Her energy fluctuations became unstable, her vines occasionally shrank or swelled, and the runes on her leaves flickered faster and faster, signaling an impending transformation.
"Master, I feel a calling."
Valenwood's message appeared on flickering leaves, distorted by unstable energy:
"My bloodline is urging me to enter a special dormant state, to complete my final transformation."
Robb immediately recognized the sign of the third phase: complete metamorphosis.
In his research, Dryads needed to undergo a true "death-and-rebirth" process to unlock their full potential.
"Are you certain you want to begin now?"
Robb asked cautiously: "Once it starts, there's no stopping it."
Valenwood's vines danced with resolve:
"Yes, Master. I can feel the energy reaching its limit. If I don't start now, the overload will harm me."
After verifying her condition, Robb agreed.
Valenwood chose the center of the backyard, a place with rich soil, abundant sunlight, and underground water veins, perfect for transformation.
When her final leaf finished growing, Valenwood's consciousness entered dormancy, beginning her ultimate transformation.
She now appeared as nothing more than an ancient tree.
But Robb knew, a new life was forming beneath that bark.
Back in the present, Robb sighed softly and looked at the ancient tree before him, a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes.
With Extraordinary Appraisal, he could sense the immense energy potential within the tree.
Valenwood's bloodline was evolving toward Ancient Tree Fairy, and perhaps even the higher tier Golden Oak Queen.
"Will Mama Valenwood be different when she wakes up?"
Daera asked, tilting her head, worry sparkling in her violet-blue eyes:
"What if she... doesn't remember us?"
Sensing her anxiety, Robb smiled and gently shook his head.
"Her appearance might change, but deep down, she'll still be the Valenwood who loves you. A soul doesn't vanish just because its form evolves. Just like how you've become stronger after eating all that 'special food,' but you're still our Daera."
The little Sea Siren seemed comforted by the answer and nodded happily before bouncing toward the house:
"I'm going to draw a picture for Mama Valenwood! I'll give it to her when she wakes up!"
Robb and Layla exchanged a glance before heading back to the workshop together.
"Teacher, I've finished organizing today's accounts, but I'm unsure about that order of Starcore Grass…"
Layla said, taking out a thick ledger, looking a little uncertain.
Since Valenwood entered her transformation, Layla had taken over the workshop's daily operations.
Despite her impressive learning ability, she still struggled with tasks that required experience.
Robb scanned the ledger and pointed out a few necessary corrections:
"When pricing Starcore Grass, you need to consider the lunar phase. Harvested during a new moon, it's worth 30% more than during a full moon. This batch was gathered during the waxing crescent, so the price should be 15% below base, not 20%."
Layla took note of the details, though fatigue was written across her face.
She was giving it her all, but managing purchasing, sales, inventory, and maintenance was overwhelming for a beginner.
"Miss Valenwood always kept everything running so smoothly…"
Layla sighed softly: "I just realized how much she silently handled. Never boasting, but making sure the entire workshop ran like a clock. I'm trying my best, but still feel…"
Robb nodded, sharing the sentiment.
It was the seemingly insignificant daily routines that formed the foundation of the workshop.
Valenwood kept everything in order. That kind of quiet contribution was only truly appreciated in its absence.
At that moment, a sharp screech echoed from afar.
A large parrot flew into the courtyard, its feathers shimmering in the sunlight. After circling a few times, it landed on Robb's outstretched arm.
"Master Robb! Urgent message! Urgent message!"
The parrot cried out in its exaggerated tone, by now, it was very familiar with the young man.