Tesilim teleported down to the lobby, where a grinning Grover awaited him.

“Come along, she's waiting for you.” He said smugly.

Tesilim just rolled his eyes, hopped over the counter, and passed through the intangible wall. On the other side, everything instantly changed and they were in the same forest as before. The sky was tinged green and glowed with warm light; the breeze blew, the trees swayed, and the birds chirped—a classic magical forest. Unlike before, Tesilim quickly composed himself, remembering why he was there, and rushed forward in a quick but respectful walk.

Like before, he came out of the trees and into the expected grove where he knew Jolly would be. The problem was that it wasn't the same as last time. There was no trunk, no beautiful long dress, and no sitting dryad. Instead, there was a small pond that was fed from a small stream of water that sprouted from a pile of rocks on the side. Jolly was taking a bath in said pond. She still wore her crown, her eyes still glowed green, and she was still beautiful, her wavy green and luscious hair hanging down her sides as she erupted from the water.

Seeing her fully, Tesilim goggled before forcing himself to look away. The last time he saw her, it was hard to tell what was under the dress, but it was obvious that she had plenty more chest than her daughters. And now, as she erupted from the water, her whole body was as clear as day, and she was gorgeous. Beautiful curves and more than enough junk in the trunk to keep anyone staring, anyone.

She was barely covered up, only two single leaves covering her breasts, which were positioned right over her nipples, with a larger one down under. He had only gotten a glance, but he already felt something stirring deep inside him. Still, he was there for a reason and needed to focus. It was obvious this was part of the dryad's plans. Something that was confirmed when she giggled happily.

“This isn't funny! I don't know why you are laughing! You know why I am here, so stop messing about!” Tesilim yelled his gaze still on the ground and to the side of him.

“I am not messing about, as you put it. At first, I didn't even think anything of you messing around with my daughters. They are their own dryads and can do as they wish. It's not like you're their only partner.”

“Okay. Yeah. Why not keep it like that? Why the sudden change in attitude? Even going after my pet or son or whatever he is.”

Sighing, the dryad took a second. “Right, I forgot you're not from around here,” Then, after a small period of silence, she spoke again her voice much more serious now, “Tesilim, it's fine. You can look now.”

Tesilim heard this and took a quick peek, and sure enough, instead of leaves, the dryad was now wearing a proper bikini. Both garments gave the same coverage, but seeing actual clothing he was familiar with put him at ease.

Even so, Tesilim hadn’t forgotten Jolly's statement. He didn't know if he had told her about being from another world. At this point, a lot had happened in such a short time that some information was going a bit wonky. Ultimately, it didn't matter, and he kept silent, waiting for the dryad to explain herself. The dryad noticed, smiled at him, turned some water into a chair, and sat all lady-like, legs crossed.

At the same time, a chair of roots grew under him, and he followed Jolly's example. Then, once they were both seated, she continued.

“Tesilim, what do you know of bloodlines?”

“Not much, something about them being the reason for creatures getting their Innate Magic.”

“That is correct. Now, what do you know about souls?”

“They store and refine mana. They are the reason why we can grow in power. They can be corrupted, which changes the body in the process. Overall, the soul is the most important part of our existence.”

“Yes. Now, what do you know about how they are made?”

“Not much, I have to admit. Why?”

“Well, other than when a world is originally populated by its World Crystal, and it creates a whole bunch of souls, souls are normally made when two creatures have a kid. It's a whole process and the reason why bloodlines are a thing. This really means they should be called soul lines, but I guess the name didn't stick. Anyways, to dumb it down, when two creatures have a kid, pieces of their own souls merge and grow to become something new. This process is what allows parents to pass down their powers. Now, with that in mind, do you understand why I am suddenly interested in you?”

“You want to see if my children inherit some of what makes me special.”

“Exactly.”

Her answer made Tesilim sigh in defeat.

“You know, I am starting to regret letting you see my soul. It doesn't feel like it was worth it.” Tesilim said in a joking tone that they both knew held some truth.

“Tell me, are any of your daughters pregnant from our latest encounter?”

“No. They weren't fond of the idea of giving someone children that they didn't ask for. Even if I tried my best to convince them.”

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

“Well, glad to see at least they are less devious than you.” An answer that made Jolly chuckle.

“At my age and power, sometimes it's hard to remember that those weaker than you should actually have a choice. Or maybe that's just me. Who knows?”

Tesilim just gave her a raised eyebrow and decided to move the topic back on track.

“Look, don’t get me wrong, your daughters are great, but it was just something we did for fun. I don't want to be responsible for kids.”

“And you won't,” Jolly interjected, “You see us dryads raise our own children. In fact, we prefer it that way. It's been our custom since long ago.”

“Really? How come?”

“Well, for one, we aren't usually found in cities. We are beings of the forest. This city being an exception. Out in the forest, however, you will be hard-pressed to find any male who wishes to live out in the woods. So, we end up having fun with whoever we want, and if we like them enough, we have their child. However, they often leave before they ever find out, and we aren't inclined to tell them. So, we end up raising our kids ourselves. There are other problems like gestational times, but that's not something you should worry about.”

“Ehhh, still, I don't think it's a good idea.”

“Oh please, the only reason you haven't said yes is because I haven't offered you some recompense.”

Tesilim stayed quiet, his eyes never leaving the dryad.

Would he trade his future children for a magic item? It was tempting, but his earthen sensibilities won out. When he thought of children, all he could think of was the ingrained ideas of Earth. It was 18 years. Maybe even longer in this world. Not to mention, if he did have kids one day, he wanted them to come from a partner he loved, not just some fling.

Honestly, in the end, he could just tell Drex no, and apparently, the dryads weren't willing to just get pregnant without his consent so they could still have their fun. He could even find other solutions to the issue. Actually, the more he thought about it, the less he actually needed to speak with Jolly about it. If she kicked him out, he would just find a different place to live.

Kidnapping him wouldn't end well either, not with Alyx and Lili around. So, with that in mind and with the dryad staring at him, waiting for him to say something, Tesilim shook his head and turned around.

“Wait!” Jolly yelled, causing him to stop after only a few steps, and he half turned to look at the dryad, his gaze conveying the question of, “What do you want now?”

“Look, don't be hasty, alright? I admit I could have approached this better. Here, take this.” the dryad said, plucking an acorn-sized seed from the air and throwing it at him. He caught it and threw her another questioning look.

“It's an S Rank magical item. Imbue it with some mana, and you will know what it does.”

Hearing this, which was a bribe, he was going to respond rudely but was cut off by Jolly.

“Listen, just take a look at the item, go speak with your friends, and think about things. I am sure they can agree it would be worth it. I don't understand why you are so against it. It's a pretty good deal that many would be happy to take. You get to make love to a bunch of willing dryads, me included, with no emotional strings attached. In addition, you will have kids to carry your blood and won't need to take care of them. All the while gaining a powerful magical item in the process.”

As she spoke, there was a slight bit of desperation in her voice. Tesilim knew she didn't need to ask; her magic was strong enough, and she could compel him to do as she wanted. However, here she was, an S Rank entity seemingly desperate to get a hold of this power. It made him question just how powerful Chaos Mana was and whether it was worth spreading it around. Additionally, thinking about her plea made him wonder why he hadn't taken the deal already. Truly, most males would have done so in a heartbeat.

Tesilim guessed Earth's culture was still embedded in him. However, more importantly, he wasn't being dumb. This had all occurred because he didn't ask his friends about the consequences of letting Jolly see his power. Now, though, he wanted to ensure he wasn't setting himself up for failure. As such, he looked over to Jolly, who was waiting quietly, and he gave her a simple nod. Instantly, he saw her body relax, and he turned around, walking toward the exit of the realm while pulling up a notification that he had ignored when Jolly tossed him the seed.

🔷 Crystal Notice 🔷

Attention! The Goal – A Seed for a Seed - has been added.

Check your Goals for more information.

🔷

----------------------------------------

Jolly had told her mother about Tesilim, and the Demi-Dryad's reaction was not what she had been expecting. Her mother was someone who traveled the cosmos. She was old and powerful and had been alive since the very founding of their world. The tree standing in the city was one of her bodies. It was a way for her to return to her home planet from anywhere in the Astral.

Her mother had seen many things while in the Astral, and apparently, one of those things was exactly what someone with Tesilim’s power could do when they reached the higher ranks.

So, she had wanted Jolly to get along with the elf, and Jolly agreed to give it a try. Well, not really. It was hard to believe this elf could become a being capable of the things her mom had mentioned. So, instead, she was content watching him. Her influence could extend well beyond the city, and that was what made her change her mind. Every time the elf used this mana, the results baffled her.

The effects created by the supposed random event were so flawlessly done she couldn't sense the magic at work, it would simply come to be. So, the things that had come to pass had led her to act. The chaos shield being the turning point. She had felt its aftereffects. Her mouth had tasted of fruits and sweets all the way back to where she was in her tree. However, she hadn't really felt a drop of power. The effect had just happened.

Further adding to the shield event and what had truly convinced her was when time had stopped. It had been done flawlessly as well, and she had been shocked. Just what kind of entity was capable of such a thing?

Of course, she had gotten the answer in the following conversation. It was then that she knew what she had to do. If she could get his children, it would be a boon to her family. Of course, she would keep quiet about his connections, not wanting to give anyone else ideas. However, she needed to figure out how to get things moving. Any sudden expression of interest would make him suspicious. Luckily, her daughters had already been on it, though just for fun.

Still, Jolly had approached them, and they had declined. She had raised them to be honorable in such things, and it was coming to bite her now. However, she had decided to keep pushing and was now facing the backlash for it. She hadn't honestly expected him to be so uncooperative. Most males would be jumping at the chance, and in a way, that was what had caused her to fail; she was thinking with her world's mentalities, and he was thinking with his.