Chapter 134: The Oak and Hughes (Fifth Update, an Extra for Our Beloved Readers)

The Barna Federation.

At dawn, as the first rays of sunlight filtered down through the forest canopy, the entire woodland seemed to come alive.

At this moment, beneath the great oak, Hughes arrived immediately after breakfast to offer his morning prayers.

“Great Sacred Tree, Hughes greets you once again today. May you be healthy and all remain well.”

“Today, I plan to go with Ophelia to acclimate to the skies above, for I sense that future monsters may dwell in the air. To protect you, Great Sacred Tree, I will hone my skills diligently and, together with Ophelia, Nick, Donna, and the others, stand guard over you.”

Bowing his head beneath the oak, Hughes spoke softly to himself, recounting the trivialities of his daily plans—what he intended to do today and tomorrow.

In short, Hughes laid bare every detail of his life to the oak before turning to leave.

Adam, the guardian of the tribe, naturally paid special attention to Hughes, for this young man possessed a rare gift unlike most others in the tribe.

It was an extraordinary closeness to nature, an ability that drew birds and animals to him with an innate sense of familiarity.

Under the influence of this gift, Hughes had become the tribe’s most unique figure. Even the tribal priest Barton treated him with exceptional leniency and special care.

By now, many animals had gathered around Hughes. Alongside numerous birds, there were three massive pythons and a giant otter.

These three pythons were the unique green pythons of the Yasun River Basin.

Initially measuring around nine meters in length, within the tribe’s domain under the oak’s powerful influence, these pythons had grown to fifteen meters each.

Throughout this time, the three green pythons coexisted harmoniously with the humans and birds around them.

Thanks to Hughes’s presence and their growing awareness, even when seeking food, these pythons ventured as far as ten kilometers away to the great river.

Accompanying them was a giant otter, nearly three meters tall when standing upright.

The giant otter was also a rare creature native to the rivers of the Yasun Forest.

Typically, adult giant otters ranged from 1.5 to 1.8 meters in length, but this particular otter had grown to about three meters in just one week living beneath the oak.

It had no pack, for when Hughes discovered and brought it to the tribe, it was an elderly outcast, expelled from its group.

At that time, its skin was riddled with parasites and scars, its appearance pitiful and worn.

Yet Hughes accepted it, tended its wounds, and kept it by his side ever since.

With its intelligence awakening, the giant otter’s affection for Hughes became fiercely loyal.

Hughes was now the sole individual in the forest to have forged such intimate bonds with all the animals. He was universally recognized by the tribe as the sacred child.

Yet despite this, Hughes remained humble, continuing to diligently train his combat skills.

The battle in the Violet Moon World had profoundly changed Hughes, maturing him beyond the years of his peers.

The tribe held great hopes for him.

And Hughes was not only the object of the tribe’s expectations but also of Adam’s.

Adam felt a deep sense of pride and admiration for Hughes, the bright and sensible youth.

Unlike others, Hughes approached the oak not with mere reverence but with a genuine closeness.

Every day, after Hughes came to pray and share his plans, Adam listened with keen interest, quietly watching with a hidden gaze.

For Adam, this routine was entirely natural.

Now that he had entered the peak of the second-level life state, simply activating the spirit of the oak and his followers freed up a great deal of his time. Thus, observing Hughes had become his greatest pleasure.

The more attention Adam paid, the more fond he grew of Hughes.

Under Adam’s watchful eye, after concluding his prayers, Hughes moved to an open area beneath the oak.

With a whistle blown between his fingers, a flock of birds swiftly descended from the dense canopy nearly five hundred meters above.

Among them was the largest—a magnificent eagle. Though still at the pinnacle of a first-level life form, its immense size was striking.

Standing on the ground, it measured nearly 1.8 meters in body length, with wingspans stretching almost five meters.

Such a colossal creature could easily carry the little boy, barely 1.5 meters tall, into the sky.

Adam had no fear for Hughes’s safety.

Besides Ophelia, the female eagle, Adam’s territory was protected by dozens of large birds including Nick, Donna, and others.

With such companions, even if Hughes fell from the eagle, the flock would surely save him.

Moreover, since it was his first flight, Hughes would remain close to the oak’s heights. Should any accident occur, Adam could rescue him with his roots.

Now that Adam had reached the peak of the second-level life state, more than ten roots extended deep underground, each surpassing 1,500 meters in length.

These roots penetrated subterranean rock layers, some even reaching underground rivers.

Beneath the earth, Adam’s roots sprawled in all directions, dense and intricate.

Aside from the transformations in the oak and Hughes, the tribe itself had undergone dramatic changes.

Every member had reached the peak state of a first-level life form.

Combined with the thousands of radiation-affected people brought by Simon from farther away, the power concentrated around the oak was formidable.

On the tribal training ground beneath the oak, many no longer confined themselves to idle prayer.

Having experienced the Violet Moon World, they now practiced combat skills vigorously.

With strong support from America and the efforts of Fanny Campbell, all had learned military-style boxing.

Here, they sparred continuously.

Fist met flesh in genuine, forceful clashes.

Though they tempered their strength, bruises still marked those struck.

Fortunately, the forest’s herbs, amplified by the radiation of the oak’s influence, healed injuries rapidly.

Besides hand-to-hand combat, the tribe also trained with firearms.

Under the guidance of American officers, they underwent a profound transformation, shedding their former image of prayerful inaction.

During this period, the American soldiers stationed here also reaped great benefits from the oak’s radiation.

Three thousand troops on the outskirts were all advancing toward the peak of first-level life forms.

Influenced by Fanny Campbell, and after experiencing their own gains, these soldiers developed a fervent faith in the oak.

Thus, all around the oak, everything moved toward a future of greater strength and well-being.