Now that the two have used up the energy contained in the [Energy Sac] of their Morningstar Mushrooms, they don't have a chance of catching another fish.
Since that was the case, they immediately went back to the tribe to rest.
When they returned, Wyden called for the other two mid-level Transcendents of the tribe, informing them about the source of the water stone and where how they could obtain them.
"Who would have thought that the lizardmen are actually sitting on such a treasured river!"
"Right! If they had more than one water stone, when their chief attacked us, we might not have survived!"
They were lucky that Rezar managed to snatch the lizardman chief's water stone, but if he hadn't, they would have faced great danger.
If the lizardmen had more than one water stone and they were able to use them, even with the help provided by Nexus, they would still be the ones who would have been annihilated.
Just thinking of it caused the two nymphs to break out in cold sweat.
Fortunately, the worst did not happen!
While Wyden was teaching the two nymphs what to do to catch the water stone fish, Nexus was eavesdropping. Fortunately, these three are talking inside the range of his mycelium.
Perhaps, this was to protect Nexus, but the three mid-level Transcendents of the tribe all have their tents placed the nearest to him.
This gave him a chance to 'spy' on them, and he learned what important thing these three were talking about.
"We should gather as many water stones as soon as possible! We can use half of the stones as our cultivation resources and sacrifice the other half to our great Guardian Totem" Lino suggested, and Wyden nodded his head.
He had indeed planned on sacrificing some of the water stones to Nexus, and their plan greatly pleased their Guardian Totem.
"These nymphs are indeed reliable. They never forget about me" Nexus thought in satisfaction.
It seems like his effort of growing Morningstar Mushrooms to aid these nymphs was not for nothing.
When they obtain good things, they never forget to include him.
"It's just too bad that we can only catch at most four of those fish in a week. If we can catch more, that would be for the better" Ygro said with a sigh.
"What if we ask the Guardian Totem if it could help us?" Lino suggested, and they unconsciously turned to look in the direction of Nexus's main body.
While Nexus is their Guardian Totem, they haven't yet developed a closer relationship with each other. It was mostly the relationship between a 'supervisor' and a 'rank and file employee'.
They revere Nexus, but they are not confident in asking for his help without the former actively doing it.
Even Wyden was unsure. Compared to the power and help that Nexus already provided to them, the sacrifices they offered don't seem much.
Fortunately, Nexus was also interested in the water stones, and he indeed does have a way to help the nymphs.
"Wyden, Lino, Ygro, come to me" Nexus said to these three mid-level Transcendents of the tribe.
Since they are inside his mycelium network, they can directly hear him, and for a moment, they were startled, but they soon realized who was speaking.
The three calmed down, did as they were told, and entered deeper into the mushroom's territory.
Even Rezar was called upon. While he is not yet at the same realm as these three, his innate magic at the very least makes his speed comparable to high-level Transcendents.
Only the four of them could catch the fish with water stones.
"Your Highness" the four greeted while bowing their heads at the mushroom on the ground.
While Nexus was the progenitor of the now approximately a hundred mushrooms both in his territory and in the hearts of the nymphs, his main body's physical appearance didn't change much.
He grew a bit bigger, now as tall as four inches, but aside from that, there were no other physical changes.
But physical appearances alone can be deceiving. If his normal Morningstar Mushrooms can release three energy beams at once when fully charged, what more for the main body?
Before his transformation, or rather ascension to the Transcendent Rank, his mushroom progeny only contained 30% of the total amount of mana he could store in his main body.
After his ascension, that didn't change. Which means that his main body was still superior compared to the mushrooms he grows.
Nexus didn't bother to speak after these four arrived, and he directly controlled his mycelium.
The mycelium emerged from the ground and climbed on Wyden and Rezar's legs. While it was not exactly the most comfortable experience, they didn't dare resist.
Even if they do try to resist, would their resistance even be successful? Just look at the tens of mushrooms surrounding them. If these mushrooms release their energy beams, even if they were to try to exert all of their strength, they still wouldn't be able to keep their bodies intact.
The mycelium soon reached the chests of the two nymphs, and they became a bit tense as they sensed the mycelium penetrating their skin.
Soon, Nexus connected his mycelium to the Morningstar Mushrooms inside Wyden and Rezar.
Through his mycelium, the energy reserves of two nearby mushrooms were depleted and transferred to the mushrooms inside the nymphs.
Nexus always had the ability to store and utilize the mana stored inside his mushrooms. It was a simple matter for him to transfer energy from one mushroom to another.
In this way, the nymphs didn't need to wait for a week before being able to fill the [Energy Sac] of the mushrooms they assimilated with.
If Nexus wished to, he could fill the mushrooms with mana. Of course, if there is no good reason, he would not do this kind of transfer regularly.
After all, his growth relies on mana. The more mana he has, the more mushrooms he can grow. With the growth of enough mushrooms, Nexus's realm would be automatically elevated to the next realm.
"Go, gather as many water stones as you can" Nexus said after filling the mushrooms' [Energy Sac], much to the pleasant surprise of the nymps.
"Thank you, Your Highness, for your blessing!" The four said at the same time, and Nexus didn't even bother to reply.
He just focused on his own growth
—-
With the help of the Tribe's Guardian Spirit, the collection speed of the four nymphs increased rapidly.
As of the moment, they had already caught twenty fish with water stones,
Today coincides with the day that the tribe was to offer their weekly sacrifices to Nexus. Aside from the bodies of a few magic beasts that they managed to catch, the nymphs offered an additional ten water stones.
In any case, offering ten water stones didn't harm their interest. After all, if not for the Guardian Spirit constantly 'recharging' their mushrooms, they would still have only four water stones at most.
The beasts' corpses were laid on the ground, being covered and devoured by mycelium. As for the water stones, they were placed next to Nexus while the nymphs offered their prayers.
With the offering of ten water stones, Nexus can be a bit extravagant. He decided to absorb a water stone to see if it would result in an unexpected surprise.
If it does, then he might even use [Gluttony] on all the water stones sacrificed to him.
Even if the water stones simply provide him with mana, it wouldn't be much of a waste. Nexus could at least create more mushrooms with the mana he would absorb.
Deciding on this, mycelium also gathered and covered one of the water stones, and Nexus used his [Gluttony] on it.
Soon, a wave of cool energy was absorbed by his mycelium. This energy feels different than the free mana particles that are always present everywhere or the life force of trees and other living creatures.
Nexus felt like he was actually drinking water, and a single water stone provided substantial energy.
He could fully charge at least twenty mushrooms with just the energy reserves of one water stone, even higher than what he initially expected.
The stone was small after all, yet the energy it contained was many times superior to the body of the lizardmen.
"Aside from mana, I can also sense my water affinity increasing. If I evolve again or if I were to absorb enough faith energy, I might condense a new skill or ability."
"Is this the reason why the stronger the tribe was, the stronger the Guardian Totem is? The worshippers offer sacrifices and faith to the Guardian Totem. If certain conditions are then met, the offered treasures and faith would give birth to the Guardian Totem's power. The more power the totem has, the more support it could give to the worshippers, creating a positive cycle."
Of course, Nexus's explanations are oversimplified. A Guardian Totem cannot really control what power they will obtain, nor can they accommodate all types and forms of power.