Yes.
In fact, after Zebi Ortega explained the key points of druidic meditation to him, Allen was already able to communicate with the will of the Mother of Nature within the Mayena Druid Circle.
After all, druidic meditation was merely the most basic entry-level practice for druid apprentices.
It was completely different from how witchers needed to train for years with the Wolf School's two-handed sword.
Strictly speaking, druidic meditation was only equivalent to the Wolf School's two-handed sword training at the level of holding each basic stance correctly—static postures only, without requiring smooth transitions from one form to another, let alone instinctively using the most appropriate technique at the most suitable moment in real combat.
Moreover, the witcher's meditation method itself had been adapted from druidic meditation, incorporating certain features of sorcerers' meditation.
It simply removed the ability to commune with the Mother of Nature and to sense elemental magic, instead strengthening the aspects of perceiving time and rapidly restoring stamina.
As Zebi Ortega had said, druidic meditation existed only to sense the power of nature and draw closer to the source of the Sacred Grove—and Allen had already communicated with the Mother of Nature several times through Beast Roar: Wild Speech.
There was no way he couldn't learn it.
He had merely held back out of caution, remembering the huge disturbance caused on his very first day when he stepped into the inner ring of the Mayena Druid Circle, and thus had never truly tried.
There was nothing he could do about that.
Most of the druids of the Mayena Druid Circle were indeed venerable elders worthy of respect.
But Allen himself still hadn't figured out what exactly had happened when he first entered the Sacred Grove through the "Leshen's essence." What exactly was the water of the Sacred Lake he drank? And why was his image within the Sacred Grove a red-quality treasure chest that had opened the path of Beast Roars, the golden-furred feral beast—Kanu, King of Kanu—from the cutscene?
How could he possibly expose all that so foolishly?
Although he felt a little sorry toward Zebi Ortega, Allen still chose to conceal it and wait patiently for the right moment.
Until today…
Through casual conversation and probing with Zebi Ortega, Simmons, and Olga, he had already clarified the impact of the anomaly caused when he first entered the inner ring. Although it had alarmed the Grand Druid of the Mayena Druid Circle and other druids, they had not pinpointed the source of the disturbance as being inside the druid circle itself. Instead, most druids had gone outward, into the lands encompassed by the Sacred Grove beyond the Mayena Druid Circle. After all, it was hard for them to imagine that an "otherworldly grand druid who arrived at the Conjunction of the Spheres" would, on his first meditation, enter the Sacred Grove while his true body sat there completely unguarded inside the Mayena Druid Circle.
He had also figured out the recent "daily routine" of the Grand Druid.
In addition, Zebi Ortega would be dispatched to the Skellige Isles in a couple of days. If any problems arose during meditation after that, there would be no one to seek answers from.
Today was the most suitable time.
"Huu—"
Allen let out a long breath. No longer hesitating, the tendrils of his consciousness immediately reached out to touch that benevolent and majestic will.
The next second—
Buzz~
The wolf medallion on his chest hummed.
The mental tendrils that touched that vast will were instantly wrapped in a gentle, warm current, spreading, flowing, extending…
Tiny, tiny sounds arose—maternal, soft, kind, bright… coaxing him to sleep, making him feel as though he were lying in the most comfortable and safest cradle in the world.
He did not resist…
—
The inner ring of the Mayena Druid Circle.
Beneath the towering canopy of the Sacred Mayena Tree, a reindeer of pure, holy white, with magnificent branching antlers, lay upon the soft grass.
Golden light from the setting sun shone upon its ebony-like antlers, from which moss hung down. Lapis-colored hues interwove—rather than antlers, they looked more like a crown bestowed upon this being by the lakeside.
Solemn, beautiful, and majestic.
Well…
It should have been solemn, beautiful, and majestic—except that at this moment, the reindeer had its head tilted.
A raven with glossy feathers stood atop its massive antlers, as if the reindeer were listening to the raven's whispers, creating a rather comical sight.
"Survival of the fittest… natural selection…"
The reindeer murmured softly, its aged, hoarse yet powerful voice echoing, as though savoring those words.
"Yes, Grand Druid," the raven replied in human speech. "Even among bears there are brown bears and gray bears—natural selection, survival of the fittest. Though they are both bears, those living in snowy mountains grow thicker fur, while those on plains are thinner. Butterflies may be beautiful, but at the beginning they are only caterpillars…"
"Could it be that the golden-furred beast simply hasn't grown yet, or that, to adapt to the Mother of Nature and this world, it is currently in another form?"
The reindeer lowered its head in thought for a few seconds, wisdom gleaming in its dark, lustrous eyes.
"Zebi Ortega, this is not something your druidic path alone can uncover," the reindeer said, raising its head as if to look at the raven, only to have its view blocked by the moss hanging from its antlers. "From where does this insight of yours come?"
The raven, clearly accustomed to this, flapped its wings and hopped down, landing on the grass before the reindeer's chest. "From a rather interesting apprentice I took in a few days ago…"
"An apprentice you just took in?"
"Didn't Visenna tell you?"
"For some reason, Visenna has been avoiding me these past few days…" The reindeer's tone carried a hint of helplessness. "As soon as routine matters within the druid circle are discussed, she claims to be busy and hurriedly leaves."
"The other druids are also in a rush, and you know—they're a little afraid of me, so they don't talk about other things either…"
"So what's special about this apprentice?"
"I remember that this isn't the time for assigning mentors to apprentices…"
"Uh…" The raven thought of the man Visenna had brought back and inwardly marveled at how much effort she had gone to in order to hide him from the Grand Druid.
After an almost imperceptible pause, the raven spoke, "They're not afraid—just too respectful of you."
"That apprentice wasn't trained by the druid circle. He was originally a Wolf School witcher. After being saved by Visenna due to certain accidents, he seems to have taken an interest in the druidic path and is now seeking instruction from me."
"The words 'natural selection, survival of the fittest' that I just told you—I was repeating exactly what he said today, not a single word altered…"
"A witcher… that really is rare. Still, he did choose the right mentor," the reindeer said, raising its brows in a very human manner, curiosity evident. "How far has he walked within the Sacred Grove?"
"Five days already, and he still hasn't entered the Sacred Grove. Hardly what you'd call choosing the right teacher…" The raven shook its head with a bitter smile.
The reindeer froze for a moment, then comforted him. "Killing can cloud the Mother of Nature's compassion, but it will not obstruct the path of a druid who truly believes in the way of nature within the Sacred Grove. Perhaps he simply needs more time."
"That's what I think as well. It's just a pity that in two days I'll be going to Skellige." The raven was quite satisfied with his new apprentice—aside from his talent being a bit lacking, there were no other problems at all.
"But enough about him. What do you think?" He pulled the topic back.
The reindeer considered for a moment, then asked in return, "What do you think, Zebi?"
"If that golden-furred beast truly changes form according to environment and stage of growth, then the scope is far too broad. I can't have the children search for every species they've never seen."
The raven gently tapped the grass with its beak, thinking for a while.
"It probably won't change too drastically. Changing from a bear into a spider is possible, but the chance is very low," he said softly. "Perhaps we can start with fur color, body size, and the density of the fur. The golden fur is too distinctive—when the children search, they'll likely only focus on color…"
"If nothing turns up after checking those three aspects, then we can broaden the scope…"
"Mm, that works," the reindeer nodded, approving the idea. "I'll inform Visen—"
Beneath the shade of the Sacred Mayena Tree, a fresh forest wind suddenly arose out of nowhere, stirring the branches of the surrounding oaks, their leaves rustling and interrupting the reindeer's words.
When the reindeer lifted its head to sense it, the forest wind vanished just as suddenly.
"What is it?" the raven asked.
The reindeer lowered its head in thought for a moment, then raised it again. "It's nothing. I'll inform Visenna. When you go to Skellige, be a bit more careful as well…"
"I will." Seeing that there was nothing else, the raven prepared to take his leave.
"Wait," the reindeer suddenly called out to stop him. "Tell me a little more about that new apprentice of yours. I'd like to hear about him…"
——
The forest was singing.
Sunlight pierced through the dense, emerald-green canopy of oaks, dancing across leaves, strange stones, and soil.
Wrapped in waist-high grass, Allen stared at the scene before him in a daze. His right hand sank into the soft earth as he propped himself up.
He had arrived at that mysterious woodland—consciously arriving at the place the druids of the Mayena Druid Circle called the Sacred Grove.
His first reaction was to cautiously look around.
This patch of grassland was roughly an irregular circle. It wasn't just waist-high grass—there was also soil, stones, and flowers of various colors. To the naked eye, it looked just like a real meadow in the physical world.
But farther out, there was a clearly defined boundary of oak forest. Within that oak forest, there seemed to be not a single blade of grass or flower—something distinctly different from the outside.
After confirming that there was no one around, Allen relaxed slightly.
"Maybe the druids have all been dispatched outside the Mayena Druid Circle…" Allen thought. "No, that's not right. In most parts of Temeria, druids can enter the Sacred Grove as long as they meditate."
"It's more likely that the druids of the Mayena Druid Circle are busy searching for the Kanu beast. Or perhaps at this time of day, the druids need to eat as well—there aren't many people meditating to begin with…"
"Mm, it's also possible that this area is exclusively for novice druids, and there simply wouldn't be anyone else here…"
He had actually asked what one would encounter after entering the Sacred Grove.
But the Mayena Druid Circle seemed to have some sort of convention or custom. Zebi Ortega, Simmons, and Olga had all answered mysteriously, saying only that he would know once he learned the meditation method.
To avoid arousing suspicion, he hadn't pressed further.
"It really hasn't been easy," Allen sighed as he gazed at the breathtaking scenery before him. "It's been almost three months since absorbing the Leshen's essence and first coming to this woodland—and only now have I returned to this pure land."
This was the first time he had spent so long trying to learn a new ability.
Of course, the Wolf School's two-handed sword didn't count—that was something he obtained immediately after transmigrating, after which he simply relied on experience orbs.
In the past, whether it was alchemy or ritual studies, nothing had taken this long.
Mainly because Vera knew so much—if there was something he wanted to learn, he could usually just ask her directly. There was no need to spend such a long time searching for a single skill.
To be honest, this time learning druidic meditation was the normal pace—no, by the standards of the Northern Continent, it was actually quite fast.
Not everyone could simply open a portal and go wherever they wished. And although druids claimed to "teach without discrimination," their requirements and assessments for accepting new members were extremely strict—let alone directly becoming the disciple of the Grand Druid Zebi Ortega.
In the witcher's world, the farthest most common folk ever traveled in their entire lives was the city nearest their village.
If not for his identity as a witcher and the good reputation of the Wolf School, learning druidic meditation would not have been easy for him at all.
No supernatural organization would casually spread supernatural techniques.
After reflecting for a bit, Allen was just about to walk around this meadow when something suddenly occurred to him, and he extended his hand.
The marks left by wearing leather gloves year-round around his wrists; the deep and shallow scars on the back of his hand; the hardened calluses at the tiger's mouth and the joints of his fingers…
These were the hands of a witcher, honed through countless trials—but they were not the hands that should have appeared at this moment.
His steps halted. He quickly touched his face.
"What's going on?!" The witcher's azure, catlike pupils suddenly constricted into slits. "Shouldn't I… be appearing in the Sacred Grove in the form of the Kanu King?"
He clearly remembered that the first time he entered the Sacred Grove, after passing the reindeer and looking through the surface of the unnamed lake, what he saw was a massive beast with brilliant golden fur, sharp fangs protruding from its lips.
If he wandered through the Sacred Grove in the form of a witcher and was seen by other druids, how was he supposed to hide his identity?
"Wait!"
Allen thought of a possibility.
"Could it be that in this initial area of grassland, all druids appear in their own original forms?"
"That's right—it must be that. Although Zebi Ortega, Simmons, and Olga never said it outright, from what Ida Emean mentioned, only druids who have obtained the method of transforming into beasts—that is, those who possess a 'Sacred Form'—can be called Grand Druids."
"When learning the meditation method, Instructor Zebi didn't have me visualize any form either. Entering the Sacred Grove must naturally mean appearing as oneself…"
The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Allen let out a small sigh of relief.
"If that's the case, then my earlier guess should also be correct," he looked around once more at the lush grassland before him. "This meadow should be a 'birthplace' that belongs only to druid apprentices—there won't be a second person here…"
Having sorted it out, Allen no longer lingered and stepped forward.
But even though he believed this empty meadow belonged exclusively to him as a birthplace, Allen didn't stride forward carelessly. Instead, he bent low, using the waist-high grass as cover, cautiously exploring outward.
Rustle rustle
The blades of grass brushed against his bare body, producing a soft rustling sound. Not only was it not itchy—it was extraordinarily comfortable, as if countless hands were massaging his tired muscles.
Allen didn't know whether other druid apprentices experienced the same thing, but he soon reached the edge of the meadow without encountering any obstacles.
"Huu—"
Letting out a long breath, Allen looked at the thick oak trees just ahead. He took one step forward, stepping onto the level ground of the oak forest.
At that very moment—
The witcher's step faltered, and in an instant, countless streams of information flooded into his mind.
[Ding! Detection complete—****. Do you accept the divine technique "Boiling Blood"?]
................
📢Advanced chapters on p@treaon📢
For advance chapters: [email protected]/Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)
1. 20 advanced chapters of The Witcher: Wolf School's Hunting Notes.
2. 30 advanced chapters of What year is this? You're still writing a traditional diary?.