Arachnomancer 20 Gearing Up

This time I don't wake up to an emergency. Everyone else is still asleep so I quietly move around them to not disturb them. Set is still binded to me so I can't tell if she is conscious or not. Some of the metal spiderlings salute me as I make my way out.

Some of the eldritch ones see that and sloppily copy them..... Anyways I head towards the exit and sit in front of the nest. The air quality is not the best in there. I look up at the fake sky and decide to scout a little. I should probably wake Set up.

I rub the tattoo on my shoulder and start talking to her through telepathy.

'Set, time to get up' Gin

'Ohhhh~ master not there~' Set

Note to self, don't touch Set randomly. She sent an influx of.... Something through telepathy along with her message.

'SET' Gin

'whosa whasa, ohh it's just master' Set

She unbinds herself and looks at me with a weird gaze.

"Good morning" Gin

I pat her head and, she doesn't convulse this time but, her eyes gloss over and she starts drooling.... Didn't know a liquid creature could drool normal drool. Shouldn't it be ink or something. Anyways, I wait until she recovers and tell her my plan.

I want to quickly scout out the treant base. I didn't get much out of Xelu other than the direction and distance. I also want to see if there is anything worthwhile there. I can't imagine the treants collecting valuables like the harpies.

We both enter stealth and make our way to the base. It's not a very far distance so we get there within 20 minutes. It's a basin about 30 meters in diameter and, is filled with several small ponds. There are stones arranged so that they make a half circle around the basin. I don't see where they would keep their valuables....

An hour of searching bears nothing. They have to have something right? I walk up to the largest pond. There is a lot of displaced dirt, probably from where the treants uprooted so the footing here is not the best. Hmmmm? There is a network of roots branching out from the pond. I don't know how deep it is since it's murky but it may be worth checking out. Should leave Set here as liquids areas are probably not good for her.

I slowly wade into the water to not break stealth and dive down. Closed system allows me to breathe longer as well so I should be fine in that regard. The only issue is it's hard to see. I reach the bottom and start following the outbranch of roots with my hands. Stealth is still active so it shouldn't be a monster.

The origin of the roots is weird. It looks like an upside down tree trunk but in the center of it is a small wooden chest. I grab it with both hands, clutch it to my chest, and start swimming up. Set saw me break the surface and she raises her front legs up and down celebrating.

I swim out and lay the chest down. Should I open it now? Might be better to wait until we get back to the nest....

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We made it back before the others woke up. When Kess learned that I went out to the treant base she freaked out a little. She was checking out if I had any wounds and was relieved to see I was fine. Honestly, I'm a little suprised and happy. She usually is only centered on food.

Going towards the rooms that were converted to treasuries I place the chest down on a pile of coins and open it up. Kess and Set are a little curious too and try to take a peek. A little green root ball lies inside. It reminds me of the red egg I was forced to eat. When I pick it up I get a notification.

*Heart of The Forest(rare)

- no equipment restrictions

- reduces hostility on wearer

- nature loves you( is permanently applied on only the first wearer)

- bark-skin spell can be used every 24 hours

I put it on. Apparently it is a necklace that wraps its roots around the wearers neck. This is the first peice of equipment that I have ever looked at but the effects are pretty good. Just the reduced hostility would be immensely helpful. An enemy that would attack you on sight, now will just look at you. A short-fused person will not get angry over little things. However, this effect can't be omnipotent so, it probably can't effects strong people and creatures.

Not sure what this is about nature loving me. Can't everywhere but cities be considered nature? How can it love me? I test out bark skin and it's really weird feeling.

It does not turn skin into bark but it stiffens it up and makes it really hard. I try hitting my legs a couple times and no damage is done. Admittedly, I am really weak physically so this may not be the best way to test it out.....After about 5 minutes the spell ends returning me to normal.

Even though it was the only thing in the treant base it is super useful. Next I'll look over the loot from the harpy base. There is a lot of coins. Probably in the tens of thousands. Copper, silver, gold, blue, and weird black ones.

Next would be equipments. There is a lot of them as well but most are common. There are about a dozen uncommon and a single rare. The rare is a pair of black gauntlets that have s.h.i.+ny rubies socketed in the palms. Inside the rubies are runes. Wonder how they did that?

*Gauntlets of The Battlemage(rare)

-Equipment restricted to those who can use spells and have hands

-increases damage done by spells without a staff by 20%

-Prevents damage to hands(reduces durability if damage is above a certain amount)

-Barely there

I don't understand what 'barely there' means until I put them on. The gauntlets seem to be able to fade away and I can touch things with my hands un.o.bstructed. They only appear when I want them to or if damage is going to be done to my hands.

The rest of the gear is unimpressive only having armor effects. Special effects only appear after rare-rank it seems. I equip a green uncommon robe over my clothes, a common pair of boots, and I an uncommon knife that looks like a machete. Luckily that came with a sheath so I don't have to carry it everywhere.

Now that everything is settled it's time to hunt.