After enjoying dinner, Russell decided to personally head to Magic Medicine Tun to keep watch through the night, ensuring that the three cordyceps could safely make it through their first night.
"Russell, as a lord you are too diligent, but in fact, there is no need for such tension," Charles said, unable to understand, "With Tom and the other armed knights on night watch, and Eric joining them, there won't be any mistakes."
Russell smiled, "I understand, Mr. Charles, but I have made up my mind."
Seeing Russell's determination, Charles could only spread his hands helplessly, "Of course, you are the lord, all is as you wish."
"Mr. Charles, you stay in the manor's guest house, there's no need for you to come along."
"Is that alright?"
"There is nothing wrong with it, you are the civil officer of the territory." Russell didn't require Charles to join him in keeping watch through the night, understanding the difference between civil and military roles; Charles's job was to help him manage the territory, so he didn't need him to stay up late as well.
Moreover.
Russell wasn't truly going to keep watch just for the sake of it; he had other plans in mind.
Charles, moved, bowed deeply, "Russell, I truly see the shadow of Lord Baron in you, you have completely inherited the excellent qualities of the Fluorescent Fungi Family... may Great Dragon watch over you, you will surely become an excellent lord in the future!"
"May Great Dragon watch over me, I will strive to be an excellent lord." Russell too knew how to speak formally, after all, a nice sedan chair is carried by everyone.
As for whether the Shadowflame Great Dragon of the ducal family could watch over this place, that was not important.
"Eric, take good care of Russell, and stay vigilant at night," Charles also instructed Eric with a few words, showing his deep concern for Russell.
Eric really wanted to roll his eyes but in the end just responded in a muffled voice, "Of course."
Tents, campfires, sleeping bags.
Next to the thickest birch tree in the Birch Forest, Russell chose to camp here for the night, with Knight Attendant Jack squatting beside him.
Though it was called night watch, he had only come here to sleep; it was truly Eric and the four knight attendants who needed to stand watch all night.
"Jack, if there is any rustling of leaves or grass, remember to call me."
"Yes!"
Yawning, turning over, Russell peacefully lay down in his sleeping bag, beginning his night watch in the Birch Forest.
In a daze, his consciousness descended once more into the desolate and gloomy environment.
Undoubtedly, he had entered a new Gloomy Dreamland, devoid of the line-drawn castle and the line-drawn guest house of the manor.
This time, the Gloomy Dreamland was situated amidst a forest outlined in lines.
Before the Little Dream Dragon made an appearance, Russell's view of the Gloomy Dreamland was completely silent and pitch black, with no light present at all.
"Ga!"
The Little Dream Dragon arrived as expected.
Once Russell mounted the Little Dream Dragon, it was like flipping the switch for the Gloomy Dreamland, and suddenly, three bright lights rose within the line-drawn forest.
Russell could easily distinguish: "This light on the tree must be from the Youguangxun Mushroom Bug's cordyceps; that one pacing about is Jack; and over there, the glow must be from my side-sword—the Green Ceramic Sword—especially this emerald, it's so bright."
The Green Ceramic Sword was a birthday gift from the Baron to Russell two years ago.
Its main body was ceramic, forged from clay nourished by the Clay Dragon and fired in a kiln. Additionally, a swordsmith master was commissioned to carve a slot and inlay an emerald that had the effect of channeling Battle Qi, which is why it was named the Green Ceramic Sword.
The name might not be very refined, but its value was quite substantial, with just the emerald alone being quite valuable.
"It's strange, I can see the Magic Power light emitted by my side-sword, but not the Magic Power light from my own body… Does this mean I'm no longer in the sleeping bag, but rather my real body has entered this Gloomy Dreamland?"
Russell could not understand.
He still remembered when he lived in Fluorescent Castle, on the very day he had crossed over, feeling unwell and going to sleep early, he wandered aimlessly while riding the Little Dream Dragon.
Then he saw his mother Meryl, who had quietly entered the room and sat by his bed for a long while.
If his real body had entered the Gloomy Dreamland at that time, Meryl would have definitely noticed the anomaly, but apparently, Meryl saw him sleeping soundly.
This meant that he was indeed just dreaming and his real body didn't enter the Gloomy Dreamland.
Looking down at his cartoonish self, Russell gave up on finding an answer for now, believing he'd eventually discover it as he slowly explored.
"There's so little light."
Apart from three bright spots, Russell saw nothing but darkness in the forest.
Eric and the others were probably beyond the bounds of the Gloomy Dreamland, so he couldn't see the magical light they were emitting.
"Take off, Little Dream Dragon!"
"Gah!"
Centering around his tent, the Gloomy Dreamland included a part of the birch forest and the Glowing River, and he and the dragon flew through this patch of woods, slowly searching for any unusual light, especially the dim kind.
Sadly, they found none.
So Russell rode the Little Dream Dragon to the riverbank, hoping to get lucky and find another clam that could bear pearls.
But after searching, he still found nothing.
"No gain at all, Ice Cream," Russell said as he patted the Little Dream Dragon's big head, deciding to call the Little Dream Dragon Ice Cream from now on.
He remembered that before he crossed over, he was flattened by a dump truck while eating Dream Dragon ice cream.
It must've been fate; he figured the heavens gave him a Little Dream Dragon as a divine favor to compensate for the unfairness.
After all, back on Earth, he was about to finish paying off his mortgage and live a good life.
"Gah?" The Little Dream Dragon twisted its head 180 degrees, not understanding the name "Ice Cream," "Gah gah?"
"What's all the 'gah' for." Russell yawned, not sure why he could still yawn and feel sleepy in a dream.
"Gah!"
"Let's go back, you little silly," he said.
"Gah gah!"
The human and dragon flew back to the tent, with Russell planning to wait until the Little Dream Dragon got tired and then automatically dispel the Gloomy Dreamland.
However, the Little Dream Dragon started flying circles around the thickest birch tree and kept making continuous 'gah gah' noises, seemingly trying to indicate something.
"Dummy, that's the Fluorescent Mushroom Cordyceps I planted."
"Gah gah!"
The Little Dream Dragon continued circling the birch tree, not understanding what Russell was trying to say. Its dimwitted behavior was so irritating that Russell felt like slapping it.
But as the Little Dream Dragon kept making its circles, Russell gradually realized he may have misunderstood its intent.
The Little Dream Dragon wasn't focusing on the Fluorescent Mushroom Cordyceps but on the tree itself, the thickest birch of all.
"Stop, stop, stop, no more circling." Russell grabbed the dragon's horn, and with some effort, he managed to get the Little Dream Dragon to stop.
He got close to the birch tree and inspected it carefully from the roots upwards.
And then...
About three meters up from the ground on the tree trunk, Russell noticed a glow so faint it was almost imperceptible. The shine from the Fluorescent Mushroom Cordyceps had drawn too much attention, so much so that he never considered the possibility of the birch tree itself emitting light.
"The birch tree is glowing, like something is being nurtured within its trunk... could it be, Spirit Insects?" Russell suddenly felt a surge of excitement.
Great Dragons, Bipedal Flying Dragons, Elves, Magic Potion - all forces originated from the earth.
And now, naturally, the birch tree was soaking up the earth's energy, fostering a new, magical being of magic power - Spirit Insects.