Almighty Summoner System

"I'm truly sorry for my rude behavior earlier Elder Red-Panda… But what do you mean by how did I do it? What are you referring to?" 

The Elder Red-Panda tilted its head before saying, "So you already know me, huh?" 

"Uhm, sort of… The person who sent me here talked briefly about you, but he was also not sure if you were really true. It's only some kind of rumor that the Guardian of the Elder Monk Trees was an Elder Red-Panda. And when I saw you earlier, I instantly realized that all those rumors were true." Ban said while wiping the sweat that rolled down his temple. 

His tense nerves had already calmed down a little earlier, but when the Elder Red-Panda spoke, he could not help but feel nervous again so he hurriedly explained. 

The Elder Red-Panda only nodded its head while it kept on stroking down its beard. "Alright… I am really an Elder Red-Panda, but you can call me just Elder instead. However, the rumors about me being the Guardian of the Elder Monk Tree were actually not true. Well actually, just half the truth!" 

Ban was curious about what's the other half of the truth, but afraid of being rude again, he just shut his mouth as he listened to the Elder Red-Panda. 

"Well, back to the topic, what I meant was, how did you manage to pluck my Elder Monk Trees branches without damaging the base? I haven't been around for more than twenty years, have humans already advanced that much? And for you to have a Dimensional Storage already while only at the F-Apprentice Rank, can you enlighten me what has happened for the past twenty years that I have been away, young-one?" The Elder Red-Panda said. 

Ban stopped for a second to collect his thoughts. He could only answer the first part of what the Elder Red-Panda asked, while the remaining parts, even he doesn't know of it himself. He was isolated from the outside world with his gramps after all.

"I don't know about the others but… I have only chanced upon the method of harvesting Elder Monk Tree branches by chance along with the Dimensional Storage!" Ban said after careful thought. He was worried that the Elder Red-Panda might have a skill that can detect lies, just like how it could detect him scanning it with the System's help. What he just said can be considered as the truth so he thought that he should be safe. 

The Elder Red-Panda nodded its head while stroking its beard. What Ban had guessed was actually true as while Ban was talking, the Elder Red-Panda actually slightly opened its closed eyes to observe the movement of his lips. 

"Well, I also guess so! I just came back from seclusion a few weeks ago and I saw some of the branches were already harvested in a brute way. I don't know who came here before you, but I'll surely give them a beating if I see them." The Elder Red-Panda said while it rubbed its small fist on its other palm.

Ban swallowed a mouthful of saliva as he thought that Grandpa Kuys might be in for big trouble. He noted to himself that he should warn him if he ever managed to leave this place alive. 

"For my hundreds of years of existence, I haven't seen someone harvest and treat Elder Monk Tree branches as flawlessly as you, young-one. But, what do you need for the Elder Monk Tree branches, young man? I see that even though you act harshly, you also seem to be calm the next moment, just like the little fella in your hands. Elder Monk Tree branches only have one used, to calm an individual's mind, may it a Human, a Monster, or a Beast."

"I am doing a Quest, Elder… the rewards are also Elder Monk Tree branches as I need them for myself as well..." He then proceeded to tell the requirements and the rewards upon completing the Quest. 

"Interesting… What if you decide to just turn in the exact number for the Quest requirement and pocket the remaining ones you can harvest?" The Elder Red-Panda asked. 

Ban was taken aback by what the Elder Red-Panda had just said. What the Elder Red-Panda said was actually possible. If he manages to harvest 40 branches, and only turn in the 30 branch requirements, he will be able to obtain 6 branches for the Quest reward, and another 10 from the branches that he just pocketed. He has Dimensional Storage so it was all the more possible for him to do this method. He could just then sell them at the Adventurers Market anonymously.

When he thought about it, he guessed that the Adventurers Guild should have also already considered this part. However, he thought that they might have just let it be, as they are not worried about the Adventurers cheating or pocketing the gathered materials. Much more because a low-rank adventure has a Dimensional Storage in their possession. 

"I am enlightened, Elder… However, I personally knew the person who issued this Quest so I can't do that to him. I'll just receive my rewards as I also only need that many anyway." Ban said after thinking about it. He might have discovered, or the Elder Red-Panda might have discovered a loophole on this kind of Quest, but he doesn't have any intention of abusing it, at least, not with the Quest that Kuys had issued.

It was also still a question, whether the Elder Red-Panda would allow him to leave, or even harvest more Elder Monk Tree branches.

The Elder Red-Panda shrugged its shoulders as it turned its back from them. "I have an offer for you, young-one. I'll let you harvest as many Elder Monk Tree branches as you want, but in return, I want you to treat the dying ones, and make them healthy again." 

Upon hearing what the Elder Red-Panda had just said, a smile suddenly surfaced on Ban's face behind the broken Ant Mask. However, he calmed down the next moment, as he asked a more important thing. 

"Will you also allow me to leave, Elder?" 

Hearing that, the Elder Red-Panda turned around and faced him with a smile on its face.