“What’s a wife five roader?” Zenth asked, equally confused as Thnari and the other elders.
“Never mind that. Let me do some more testing.” I dodged the question.
As I examined the World Tree’s leaf, I was genuinely amazed.
Inside it was an interconnected network of Runes, communicating with each other in real-time. The tree used these leaves as its eyes and ears, perceiving the world in ways far beyond my understanding. There were countless Runes I had never seen before, their purpose and usage were equally mysterious.
I mentally added “analyze World Tree Runes” to my ever-growing to-do list.
What truly caught my attention, though, was the Conservation Runes within the leaf. They didn’t just store energy, they stored faith. They freaking stored faith.
The power of faith looked like a swirling amalgamation of every shape imaginable — chaotic yet symmetrical — shimmering with all seven rainbow colors.
That was when it hit me. These leaves weren’t just the tree’s sensory tools. They were also its arms. The tree channeled this faith-based power through the leaves to the Elf, granting them blessings.
I had never had the chance to study a World Tree's leaf like this before. The tree's network was such an interesting way of communication.
Then, the realization hit me.
If the tree acted as the central hub for the power of faith — basically, the main server — then its leaves were like wireless routers, distributing that power to its people. And if the leaves could distribute faith, then theoretically, they could also deliver Runes. Runes containing sound, images… even more complex data.
Suddenly, my dream of spreading culture through songs and movies across this world didn’t seem so insane.
These leaves could act as the perfect medium for culture. The challenge would be convincing the Elves. and the World Tree itself, to part with these invaluable leaves willingly.
But that was a problem for another day.
For now, I had to focus on finishing this Qi-siphoning method.
Using the same method, I stored a small amount of life force inside the golden leaf, then carefully pushed it toward the infected piece of wood. The elders behind me were getting a bit too close for comfort. I could feel their breath hitting my back. It was distracting.
Standing up, I moved ten steps forward, turned back, sat down again, and resumed my test. This way, the elders could still see what was happening without breathing down my neck.
When the leaf made contact with the wood, I activated the Runes to pull the Parasitic Demonic Qi into the subspace. To my surprise, the leaf stabilized the subspace, holding the Demonic Qi in place until the life force stored within it was depleted.
Once the process was complete, I carefully set the now cleansed piece of wood to my left and the golden leaf to my right.
The piece of wood showed no signs of crumbling. It seemed I succeeded in drawing out only Demonic Qi, and not the tree's life force.
The leaf, however, began to shake violently. It trembled as though it might explode, quivering under the strain of containing the malicious energy. Yet, against all odds, it didn’t burst.
After about a minute, the leaf stopped moving and became still. I picked it up, inspecting it closely to understand what just happened.
*Ding
[Rune Crafting Level up: Level 3 –> 4]
“It’s a success,” I mumbled. Without any life force to feed on, the Parasitic Demonic Qi, isolated within the subspace, withered and dispersed.
Looking up at the elders, I smiled.
“Lucky for you, there’s a way to get rid of the fog in your Wolrd Tree now.”
For a moment, the elders stood frozen like statues, then erupted into cheers. Thnari walked up to me and extended his hand to help me stand.
“What do we need to do?” His expression was so serious it seemed like his eyebrows were ready to spell out “I’m serious.”
“Gather as many people skilled in crafting subspace Runes and as many World Tree leaves as possible. I’ll teach you the method.”
The room fell silent.
Sensing something off, I asked, “What’s the problem this time?”
Instead of answering, Zenth questioned me. “How big does this subspace need to be?”
“At least half the size of your World Tree. To pull out all the crimson fog, we’ll need a subspace of that scale, a significant amount of life force, Mana, and a lot of World Tree leaves.”
Their faces collectively twisted as if I’d just delivered a gut punch.
“Hah,” Aaron scoffed, his tone dripping with disdain. “Your so-called solution is just as impossible as anything we’ve come up with. And here I thought our little savior had all the answers.”
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This guy's worthless remarks are seriously unproductive. They added nothing to solving the problem.
In the Murim world, someone as insufferable as him would have had their head ripped off by now for spewing such useless nonsense. However, this world wasn’t as violent, and Frost Elf valued kinship deeply. Silencing him permanently without anyone noticing would be... challenging.
Wait, no. That line of thought is no good. A bit too murderhobo. As a civilized modern citizen, I cherished peace and tranquility. Yep. Definitely. No ripping heads today.
“Aaron, shut up.” This time, it wasn’t Thnari. It was the ever-calm Zenth who growled.
Aaron opened his mouth to retort, but Thnari raised a hand, silencing him. The oldest elder turned to me and said, “We won’t be able to do that.”
“Which part of it is impossible?” I asked. “The subspace, the life force, or the leaves?”
“The subspace and the life force,” he replied, pausing briefly before continuing. “We can ask The Great Tree for its leaves, but… you must know it’s impossible to create a subspace that large since you’re a [Transmuter] yourself.”
No, I didn’t know that. Also, I’m not a [Transmuter]. You should probably get your facts straight first, buddy.
I didn't correct him, though.
I simply shrugged. “I’m new, so.”
His misunderstanding wasn’t entirely bad. It provided some good information.
It seemed that even high-level individuals could only see my level, not my Class. Similarly, I was only able to see others’ levels.
So, seeing just levels must be a constant in this world. Interesting.
Thnari let out a heavy sigh.
“We only have fourteen [Crafters] and [Transmuters]. Among them, the largest subspace we can create is barely the size of a person’s head. And five of them are still recovering from the fog. Even if we somehow managed to craft a subspace large enough, how would we gather enough life force and Mana to sustain it?
The Great Tree is simply too great. Even if our entire village offered our life force and Mana, it wouldn’t be enough to cleanse the fog in one go.” He shook his head.
Interesting.
It seemed that only two of the six support Classes could craft subspace Runes. This suggested the people of this world had failed to fully utilize the potential of every Rune, focusing only on those related to their Class.
What a waste of potential.
But it was a good thing for me. My understanding and usage of Runes gave me an unfair advantage. Maybe I should teach them and expand the knowledge of Runes to boost this world's overall fighting power. But that would be for later.
“We don’t need to get rid of it all in one go,” I pointed out, stating the obvious.
“Huh?” The elders all looked at me, confused.
I pointed toward the dome above our heads.
“Your World Tree has been fighting this whole time. Slowly getting rid of the crimson fog won’t be a problem. Just use as much life force and Mana as you can each time you pull the fog out, then rest. When you’ve recovered, do it again. Rinse and repeat until all the fog is gone.”
“That could work,” Thnari said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Wait… then why do we need such a big subspace?”
“To throw the leaves in and turn it into a giant tank for the fog,” I replied, rolling my eyes.
Zenth spoke up next. “Can’t we just put small subspaces into individual leaves instead of trying to do something impossible like creating a giant subspace?”
…And now I was the oblivious one.
“Yeah, that’s a great idea. Let’s do that,” I said, smiling as I gave him a thumbs-up.
Zenth laughed, returning the gesture with equal enthusiasm. Around us, the elders began chatting excitedly, their tones lighter and their faces brighter with hope that I hadn’t seen on them until now.
“Good,” Thnari said with a decisive nod before turning back to the group. “Elders, let’s start right away. I’ll convince the expedition team from NorthStar to join us every day until they leave. The more people we have, the better.”
“Yes, let’s. For the great tree.” I raised my fist.
For my Wi-fi, I thought.
“For The Great Tree!” the elders echoed in unison.
Aaron’s death glare bored into me, but I ignored him and walked out of the sanctuary’s core. When we reached the base of the stairs, Thnari suddenly paused and turned to me.
“You’ve shown us the path to saving The Great Tree. Thank you,” he said, bowing.
I quickly stopped him. “We haven’t even started yet. Don’t get too emotional. You can save the gratitude for when everything’s over.”
He didn’t respond immediately, but the contented smile on his face said everything.
Thnari suddenly said, “If there’s anything you want in the village, just tell me, and I’ll make sure you get it.”
“Are you still holding the festival?” I asked. There was something I had in mind.
“Yes,” he nodded. “The festival this time will be the second biggest in our village’s history. It has merely been eleven years, yet that crimson fog has caused us so much grief. We need to celebrate a future without it.”
“Why the second biggest?” I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.
Thnari laughed heartily, while Zenth stepped in to answer. “The biggest will be when the great tree recovers.”
“I can’t wait for that day,” Thnari said, his laughter growing even louder. This time, the elders joined in, their chorus of joy echoing through the wind and snow, carrying a sense of newfound hope.
Thnari extended his hand again, his expression earnest. “If there’s anything you need, just tell me.”
I shook his hand firmly and, while glancing at Zenth, said, “Actually, there is something.”
*****
The following day, I worked alongside the [Crafters] and [Transmuters], carving subspace Runes onto countless World Tree leaves. Each time we finished a sack’s worth, an Elf would take it away for storage.
While I was stuck doing what felt like endless chores, Sera was helping with the festival and working on something I had asked her to assist with one of the few things we could do for Elfina.
“I came here to go on an expedition beyond The Great Barrier, not to sit here carving Runes onto leaves. Dammit,” a human grumbled nearby.
“Suck it up. We all have to do our part. Plus, if ya don’t do this, ya won’t be allowed to go anyway,” a Dwarf retorted, his tone half-joking.
I chuckled, recalling how heavy-handed Thnari had been during the meeting between the Frost Elves and the expedition team.
“Sir Silvanus, you can’t force us to do this. That wasn’t our agreement,” a scholar protested.
“I promised your father; I didn’t promise you, brat,” Thnari replied bluntly, his tone was that of a seasoned thug.
Standing up, he slammed his hand on the table with enough force to make the wood creak.
“Do you think you can sit this out and avoid helping? If our Great Tree falls, The Great Barrier will break. When that happens, not only will our village be overrun by Abyss Crawlers, but your precious NorthStar will face their fangs and claws. Their tendrils will drag each and every one of you out and devour you alive.”
Sitting back down, he had folded his arms. “So, tell me, are you willing to help us, or not?”
It had been hilarious watching the expedition team grumble but ultimately comply. Not only were they forced to carve Runes, but they were also roped into preparing for the festival.
“Finally,” an Elf muttered as he stood and stretched. “That’s the last batch.”
“Can’t say it better myself.” “Agreed.” Others followed suit, stretching out their stiff limbs.
Their reactions were understandable. We had been at it since morning and only finished when night fell.
When I stepped outside, the stars sparkled brilliantly in the clear night sky. The twin moons hang high on the black canvas, appearing to share a warm embrace against the cold backdrop of the freezing night.
I was on my way to Elfina’s house to check on Sera’s progress when an energetic, silky-smooth voice called out behind me.
“Excuse me, are you the gentleman who came up with the method to remove the crimson fog from a patient’s body?”