The value of sleep is never apparent until you cannot have it anymore.

Thankfully, I was able to catch a decent two year nap finally.

Although in most cases I rather detest Adventurers, in this case I have to say thanks.

Thank you for sacrificing your sanity for my own.

May you rest in pieces.

Connecting myself to the Garden’s sensor network I view the progress so far.

Interesting.

It appears that all six of them are still alive.

Ah, that’s because the children are being bribed.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

Tsk, so those brats will be nice to anyone that offers slices of roast meats, eh?

Unbelievable.

They obviously get this shady behavior from Devon.

I mean how else could they carefully lead their prey in circles, all the while milking free meals from them?

Devious true, yet somehow, it almost feels evil.

Meh, whatever.

They have decades to grow up, no need to rush things.

I mean, if they rush to grow up then I don’t have a chance to spoil them properly.

Still, since the children are having fun at the moment I guess I can finally try a new experiment.

5,888 Mana used. Mana Augmentation cast.

Yes, I’ve been a red mini-bonsai-like tree for long enough, it’s time to Grow.

First my color.

All the shades of red bleach away leaving my form a pure alabaster white, the color that you might see on the finest jade stones.

Slowly, ever so slowly the veins within my trunk turn deep ocean blue shades. As the mana rises through my whitened form, the coloration extends further, until even my leaves are veined in light blue.

I carefully rework each leaf adding a sparkle to every single one, courtesy of my Lightning Root. Meanwhile, on top of the hover artifact I’ve always sat upon like a throne, my roots alter.

They turn bright red, then orange, and finally molten lava red. Within the molten lava ground that I now lay, three Roots are clearly visible. One extends directly into the molten liquid magma held in place underneath me. Another, with the deep blue of a shifting sky drinks from the magma, without being burned. The final Root sparkles with a white crackling glow.

Any onlooker can clearly tell these are my Fire, Water, and Lightning Roots. Manifesting them like this actually upgraded my powers, something I wasn’t quite sure would work.

Well, at least now the children will be surprised when they come back from playing with their toys.

Ah…they probably won’t mistake me for an intruder…right?