Atesh kept his eyes peeled as he explored this weird island. He avoided getting crushed by the tree people. He resisted the call of the sirens. He dodged the roots that had spread throughout almost the entire island.

He found in the center of the island. There was a giant tree. This was like a world tree. There were houses on the branches of this tree.

"Elves?"

Atesh's soul had suffered damage when he tricked reality. Somnus's grasp over the body was slipping. So he retreated into the subconscious mind.

He was still in control as the real Atesh was trapped in his puppet body. But his state was unstable. Somnus had to intentionally seal his memories in order for his soul to not collapse. At this moment he was confused and thought he was truly 'Atesh'.

Despite his soul suffering damage. His body had actually been enhanced by the abyss. It had fully recovered. But his foundation was ruined spiritually.

One thing Atesh noticed was his weird recovery ability. He lacked shoes and had cut his foot on some rocks when crossing a small stream. He could see the wound heal in real time.

"Why am I healing so fast?"

Atesh thought about his journey to this point.

Somnus was in the background of his mind. He was constantly calculating and performing mental gymnastics to hold the soul together. Without soul and without a working eternal thread. This body would become essentially brain dead.

"I must find a way to fix the soul. I am barely holding it together. Tricking the abyss was a risky move indeed. But I had no other choice!"

Atesh was excited to see he wasn't alone. He walked towards the 'elves'. The tree canopy was multiple football fields wide. There were hundreds of these elves living on the branches. From far away, it looked like they were insects and the tree wasn't so huge.

But once you got close. You could tell that this tree was an abomination. The scale was ridiculous.

The elves looked at Atesh with curiosity. But he wasn't allowed near the tree.

Atesh tried to communicate with them. But he was unable to understand the language.

[ECHO]: Stage 370 - 99%

With his failed attempts at communication. He built a small mud hut about half a kilometer away from the trunk of the tree.

He visited the kids and tried to learn the language over time.

[ECHO]: Synthezing language: Elven Tongue (1%)

Atesh was shocked.

"Echo? What is that?"

Somnus mentally rolled his eyes.

Every single day. Atesh gained experience learning the elven language.

[ECHO]: Soul stability is at 15%

[ECHO]: Synthezing language: Elven Tongue (39%)

"Soul stability?"

Just like how Somnus had Echo estimate his brain death. He ordered it to keep track of the stability of his soul. When he tricked the abyss. It had dropped from 100% to around 30%. He had spent a month living near these elves. He could get a gist of what they said and could communicate with them now. But his soul hadn't recovered at all!

Somnus tried sealing even more memories. Letting his body do whatever it wanted based on instinct. But the stability continued to decrease.

In another month. It would collapse completely. Forget controlling mental energy or energy particles. He would be a genius if he was able to still move when that time came.

[ECHO]: Unlocking memory fragments.

Atesh felt a headache as his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

[ECHO]: Consciousness restored!

[ECHO]: Admin access granted...

The intelligence returned to his eyes.

"I'm back!"

[ECHO]: Soul stability is at 14%

"In this state. I have around 10 hours to find a solution versus a month. But it is ME after all."

[ECHO]: Soul stability is at 13%

"Alright. Probably only an hour or two..."

Somnus had a plan.

"The elven race is split. There are normal elves and then there are dark elves. The difference isn't simply race. When they are in their infancy. Elves are baptized by Gaia."

"This 'world tree' decides whether or not they will be noble elves or whether or not they will be at the bottom of elven society. Whether they can live on Gaia or have to live elsewhere."

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"I am an outsider and not an elf."

"But what if I were one?"

Somnus theorized about bloodline transmutation. He hadn't ever done something like this before.

"The problem is... I'd need a lab and a steady supply of elven blood."

"I am on the clock and have less then two hours to resolve my soul instability."

"But I have a trick up my sleeve."

"Abyssal energy!"

Somnus carved a formation into the ground of his hut. This one actually wasn't based on his game world. He had learned a decent chunk of the elven tongue. He used the characters he had learned when asking some of the children to teach him how to write.

"The magic circle is constructed."

"Now I just need a source of blood."

Somnus had unsealed all his memories. While he didn't have all the knowledge of humanity. He had the packet of information he had sent himself.

The elven language itself was also magical. Somnus could feel the energy particles fluctuate in the air whenever he spoke using it.

"Based off what I have seen. These elves don't know magic. But their bodies are blessed with great magical potential."

"I simply have to do something most would consider impossible."

"I must perform a 'spell'."

That's right! Somnus had never seen magic in this world. But he planned on using this. This was his arrogance! Any wizard would consider him a madman. Magic took years of study and understanding of the universe.

This wasn't a cantrip like a speck of flame or hint of frost. This was a bloodline changing ritual!

This was essentially a normal person with no medical experience... performing heart surgery! This was absolutely ridiculous!

But Somnus wasn't an ordinary human.

He felt he could brute force through the technical mumbo jumbo. He would perform this ritual in a mud hut using the elven language and his pendent as a medium to facilitate it.

"I'll synchronize the abyssal energy I have left with the elven tongue to cast a spell."

Somnus wasn't aware of the classification of spells in this world. He wasn't even aware if there were spells in this world. But what he was about to do wasn't a rank 0 spell. It was a rank 1 spell at minimum. This required the caster to be a rank 1 wizard! An official wizard!

But Somnus was getting around this by brute force. It is possible to cast spells beyond your rank if it is assisted by magic stones and formations.

His pendent here was going to serve the purpose of the magic stone. His language the role of the chant. The symbols in his magic circle, being the final spell model.

All he was missing was the catalyst...

"Elven blood!"

"I am an outsider..."

"Killing one of them wouldn't be beneficial. I need to be baptized by Gaia. If I have blood on my hand, the chances of them even allowing that will become zero."

Somnus walked out of his hut and ran towards Gaia. He was stopped by the surrounding elves from reaching it.

"Help me!"

Somnus kneeled and spoke in their tongue.

The elf looked at him with an indifferent expression.

"I am dying! My body is fine. But my spirit is not..."

"I require the blessing of Gaia..."

Somnus slammed his head down to the ground.

The elf was silent.

"I am sorry. But only our kind can survive the blessing."

Somnus had a look of panic on his face.

He lifted his head and looked at the elf.

He had nothing to bargain with. He didn't have extraordinary power. He didn't have reality warping abilities.

[ECHO]: Soul stability is at 7%

His expression froze and he stood up. He reached for the shoulder of the elf. The other elves drew their weapons. Elves were in tune with nature and didn't often carry weapons. But these people needed to protect Gaia.

"Ahhh!"

Somnus screamed and ran into the drawn sword. He was secretly calculating. His organs weren't fatally injured. The elf that had drawn his sword was confused.

'Why seek death?'

[ECHO]: Soul stability is at 6%

Somnus pretended to be in immense pain as he collapsed to the ground.

"Back in my homeland. There is a procedure that can save me."

Somnus had an ugly smile on his face.

"But your technology is too backward..."

"Will you let me die?"

The elf laughed. Everyone sheathed their weapons and walked away. Somnus was suprised.

"Wait! You're going to let me die?"

The elf that had first stopped him looked at him with contempt.

"I am over 2,000 years old. That little act wouldn't fool a child."

"An insincere outsider is better off dead! Good luck."

Now Somnus really panicked.

"Wait! I have payment!"

[ECHO]: Soul stability is at 5%

The elf didn't stop. Not to mention the hole in his stomach was starting to actually hurt. He was being ignored!

"Fuck."

"I'll give Gaia a boon! I'll give them three! An ancient entity isn't always at the top of their game, right? One day. Maybe in the future... you will need my help! If you let me die here. I will not be reconciled!"

The elf stopped. His companions looked at him and encouraged him to ignore this waste. But he turned around and looked at Somnus.

"Remember your promise."

The elf smiled.

"Our seers saw that you helped our origin a long time ago."

Somnus was confused.

"What?"

"Gaia. It is the source of all elves on this island. It is said that this is merely a seed from the real tree. It comes from a world tree."

"In the memories of the seers. It is said that a being once gave Gaia multiple boons. Perhaps this being is you!"

Somnus pupils constricted.

"That's impossible!"

"Don't be so dismissive. Our seers have never been wrong before. I would never help an outsider. But you must remember your promise. You must help Gaia!"

"Maybe one day. You will be a being that ignores cause and effect. An entity that can retroactively change destiny!"

Somnus frowned.

His heartbeat quickened. But he denied this.

"I am just a mortal."

The elf took out a bottle of blood and handed it to Somnus.

"Alright 'Atesh'. Good luck!"

"How did you!?"

The elf winked and walked away.

[ECHO]: Soul stability is at 3%

"Thank you!"

Somnus went back to his mud hut. He got on the ground. His face was facing away from the magic circle. He started to use the abyssal energy to carve runes into his body. He plunged his hand into the hole in his stomach.

He began to chant.

A new declaration was made.

He then sat up and poured the elven blood on top of his head. It ran down his body and filled in the runes carved into his skin.

His ears became pointed.

[ECHO]: Soul stability is at 2%

The changes in his body were massive.

Gaia felt the birth of a new 'elf'.

It baptized Somnus despite him being half a kilometer away from the tree. The roots still reached him.

He felt a warm current in his body as he passed out. His wounds healed and the pendent he used to channel the abyssal energy finally couldn't withstand the strain.

It turned to dust.

[ECHO]: Soul stability is at 3%

[ECHO]: Soul stability is at 5%

[ECHO]: Soul stability is at 10%

[ECHO]: Soul stability is at 20%

[ECHO]: Soul stability is at 30%

[ECHO]: Soul stability is at 40%

[ECHO]: Soul stability is at 50%

[ECHO]: Soul stability is at 75%

[ECHO]: Soul stability is at 100%

[ECHO]: Blessing of Gaia acquired

[ECHO]: Life level has been changed!

[ECHO]: Lifespan estimated to have increased to 10,000 years!

Somnus opened his eyes.

He felt a little emotional.

"Gaia..."

"I will remember this kindness..."