Part TIme

Part TIme

Year 108

The important equation is how much demonic sludge we can process, versus how much demonic sludge is expanding in the area. As long as my processing rate is higher than the sludge, were taking back territory from the hybrid demons.

Were doing so, very very carefully.

Because well, we lost a few people when some of the demonic monsters exploded. The forest of demon trees have a few types, and these demontrees actually feed and help sustain the firestorm, because weve discovered some of them spit out some kind of flammable gas, that gets ignited super easily. Another kind of tree is just perpetually smoking, and it constantly released dark smoke like an ancient superpolluting smokestack. The smoke-trees create so much smoke that it creates a perpetual layer of dark smog that hangs over the entire area, and causes the lack of sunlight.

The exploding gas trees added to the mess, and created areas where these gas might just suddenly ignite and blow up, and yet those trees are quite resistant to the effects of the explosion.

Not a pleasant environment to be in.

So, slow and steady. Thanks to the microclimate generated by these kinds of demonic trees, the weather is perpetually hot and stormy. The effects of the seasons was subdued.

We reclaimed the area immediately around our valley and the hole, mostly by me pushing back at the sludge. Its a long process, one week I could clear and clean the area the size of a football field, but the speed slows the further away it is, because a larger area means an increase in the overall root surface area with the demonic sludge, so it takes up more of my demonic sludge processing ability.

In order for the expansion to continue, it is paramount. Crucial. That the giant attendant trees are able to add to the demonic sludge processing capacity.

Else, the rate of expansion will stop the moment once I hit the sludge processing limit. Unless my roots get stronger.

Its just the math of the matter.

-

During this time, the survivors also brought back a lot more of the demon tree specimens back to me. Its a slow process, and my ability to assist is limited because the demonic sludge essentially blocked my roots from interfering. I have to reclaim the territory from the demons for my abilities to work in that area.

Its quite difficult to bring the specimens back, of course. They are after all spawned of demonic matter and the survivors abhorred the idea initially. But I just convinced a few of them to play a part, and thats all I needed. The survivors are not all uniform, some are more cooperative than the others.

I studied them like an obsessed scientist.

I wanted to know everything about them, and I wished I had a soul forge to look at them in far greater detail. For now, I will have to make do with analysing them with my [biolab], and hope to understand these demonic plants.

Firstly, like the demonic hound, its inner structure is dry. And instead of a spring, there is a barren one. When I look at the structure of the plant specimens, it has odd flames throughout the entire space. Every now and then, there would be flares.

How does it get the skill? Is that like some kind of basic racial or species ability, if it doesnt have a soulspring and the stones that signify the skills around it?

Clearly, this exposed one flaw of my understanding of the soul system. Sure, if you gain levels, the skills you gained are around the soul spring. But for these demons, they dont seem to be gaining levels, and they also dont seem to have a soul. They resembled automatons, machines, and yet they are not.

So, where are the skills? Or is it something elsewhere. Or if they are some extraterrestrials like the earth heroes, then they must have a mind somewhere that helps them to do things. Or is it biological, in the sense that their abilities are not born out of skill, but out of their physical design?

Again, the flaw of my understanding is quite obvious. My [biolab] allowed me to look at their inner structure, if they have one. This worked well with the natives of this world, since they have souls. But with demons, they dont seem to have one, and using this [biolab] to examine them, in hindsight, is clearly an incomplete picture of the whole story.

But!

I do know that when I flooded their bodies with my mana, like with the demon walker, and prior to that, with the hellhounds and Alexis, I was able to take control of them. So, its either this soul thing existed as a higher-order control system, and the demons base structure is on a lower tier... or something. Which I dont know what.

I need a living specimen.

These dead demonic trees are not good enough.

But the survivors are not able to capture a demon while alive. They do not have the strength to do so, and its too high risk for them.

"You could dig and reclaim the area around a demon tree and then uh, capture it that way?" Lausanne suggested. In short, encircle-and-siege.

Which is exactly what I did. Over 20 years these demon trees have massively proliferated and they occupy huge chunks of the terrain. And it wasn't hard to find many of these demontrees near our valley.

It took a bit of time, but essentially I would go around the target, and then once I trapped it, I would spawn a [giant attendant tree] next to it, and pull the targeted demontree into the [biolab] inside my tree.

And soon I had live specimens in my labs.

-

The survivors have been trying to message any nearby civilisations, but they had no idea who survived, so all their messages so far bounced. They wanted to try cities that are further away too, but those werent getting anywhere thanks to the interference from the demonic sludge. The survivors were in a meeting.

We know which direction the demon king came from. One survivor presented, and he pointed. So, logically, if we head the other direction we will eventually find lands untouched by the corruption. I dont believe the demon king destroyed the entire world.

Why not? We dont know whether anything survived!

Of course, I do. 5 heroes survived that demon king, and went on to beat the next 2 demon kings too! Surely there are survivors.

Still, I propose a squad of us go on an expedition.

We cant even get far without losing people, and you want an expedition?

But, there wasnt much I could do about the demons and heroes. Not with my powers. So after my anger, I grieved for my lost time. I felt sad. I felt lost. I wondered what the purpose of living was, Aeon. Have you ever felt like that? Wondering why do you even exist in the world, like... why was I born into this world? I wanted reason, I wanted to know. I wanted to see a bigger picture.

Well... honestly, for me, its an accident. One that I accepted quite willingly, which is extremely strange in hindsight. How did I accept it so easily?

Maybe its different for you, because youre this great tree spirit thats always been here. But for me, I felt lost. I have this... power. Your gift. But why? Why did the fates conspire for me to receive such gifts and power? And yet, its insufficient in the face of such great evils. So, I wallowed in that misery for a few years, every day just fighting the damned demonic monsters that came for our lives.

Okay...

But I eventually moved past that grief, and into acceptance. Ive accepted that Ive lost 22 years being here in the valley. So I spent time just honing my skills. Even if our levels are capped out, its still possible to upgrade our skills to be stronger versions. And then, now my goal is different. I just want to see the world, and appreciate whats out there. I mean... Ive accepted that Im not a hero.

What. Okay, how is that related.

Surviving this disaster, then hitting my level cap. I realised that I wasnt meant to be a hero, and that well, lifes not that great. You know, before this whole thing, I used to think I was special. I mean, mom told me I was special, and everyone treated me like I was special because I had your special powers, and I even believed I was special. But Ive come to accept that I am not that special. Special, but not much.

Well, thats not a bad place to be.

Yeah. It isnt. I wanted more at a point, but I believe its not really what I actually want. So... Aeon. Uhm, TreeTree. I will leave with the group that wants to make the journey. I had to have this conversation with you, because I recalled how well you treated me, and all these special powers and blessings youve given me. Im leaving, and I want to thank you.

Huh.

Thank you, Aeon. For all youve done for me so far. But it is time I go out there, and find my own place in the world. It may not be much, but Id like to think Im like a bird. Finally freed of this cage, I should try to fly away. Maybe I might return, or maybe I may just drop by, but I have to take this chance.

I felt... betrayed. And yet I felt that feeling of betrayal was wrong. I am a tree, and it is normal that animals occasionally stop by, and maybe in the larger scheme of things, everyones just a transient contact for the tree.

She waited.

I didnt know how to feel. Is this reality for a tree?

It didnt feel that long ago that I thought she was going to be loyal to me! This is betrayal! BETRAYAL!

Or is it? I mean, why do I feel like I own her? I dont. Even if I helped her, and watched her grow up, does that mean I own her? Am I like a parent that watched a child grow up and now that the child has grown up, the parent refused to let go? Am I like that?

But if I lose even her, then who can I trust?

I felt frustrated. And it was then some quotes from my human days came.

If you love someone, set them free.

So corny, and yet something tells me this is the truth. Strange. I have trust issues, clearly. Is that why my relationships as Matt failed? How do I trust her?

Aeon? She asked. I think she waited for half an hour already.

I inwardly sighed. I shouldnt be like this. Is this me being upset and possessive? Im a freaking tree damned it. Shouldnt I be more magnanimous? What would Treebeard do? What would Grandmother Willow do?

Ah. Go, Lausanne. It is fine.

Even though I said those words, I felt difficult. I didnt quite accept that time moved so slowly for the rest of them, and so quickly for me. Its strange and uncomfortable to think others have far different expectations of the world and their life, and that I cant expect loyalty from them. At least, not on a longer term.

Is this why Lilies is a lot more big-picture about things? They arent attached to individuals, and maybe because it's like that whole elf thing in Lord of The Rings, we are doomed to watch those we love grow old and die before us? Is this our fate for living so long?

Are you sure, Aeon? Lausanne asked.

No, Im not sure. Why cant I let go? I dont own her! Im not even her parents, but then, I have showered her with powers and care. Is it because my investment, my sunk cost, that I care that now shes pulling away? If so, I shouldve seen it coming.

So I decided to speak to Laufen, her mom. Twenty years have passed, but she aged only slightly.

Lausanne is finally leaving.

Yes, Aeon. Its something Ive always expected to happen. I remember they used to say, that young adult elves have a calling to see the world, to see more of it. Its something they must do to get out of their system. I remember I used to do it, then I met Ricola and settled down.

Oh. An elven thing. Is it like humans back home, where parents kick their children out once they turn 21?

I hear human adults have that too, though like us, it is stronger in some than the rest.

And you are not sad or worried, or well, disappointed?

Children must grow up, and Lausanne has been talking of this day for many years. Trapped in this valley for so long, it is quite a waste for her. Besides, how would she find a mate if she doesnt visit the other elven cities! Im sure Ill still be worried sick, though.

Trapped? But they are here with me! Okay, thats a fairly selfish and ignorant statement. Im a tree. Im a freaking 100 year old tree. I should act like one.

Lausanne was still in her room. I decided to just calm myself down, and well, do some breathing exercise. For a tree, that meant actually taking in the air and well, making oxygen, I suppose. I have to let her go, or do I force her to stay?

Would you ever consider staying?

Lausanne paused, well, very briefly. Maybe after Im done?