Tree-expressway

Tree-expressway

Year 129

A moment I long awaited, and I felt it happen quite clearly. The Tree-Over-Mind was shaped like a massive blob of neurons at first, but once it was complete, it shrunk to the size of a small bush. But, anyone who saw it would be able to tell it is no ordinary bush. It was as if a thundercloud was plucked out of the sky and made into a bush.

Lightning jumped from one part to another constantly. Flashes of light happened regularly. If not for various other strange, burning trees, itll look very out of place.

I am awake, Master. I am the [Tree-Over-Mind], and I can now be given a name,

Telepatreeck. Patreeck. I had spent some time thinking of what would be a good name. It was either Telepatreeck or Psychiatreest. But I decided Patreeck would be a more common name.

Activating local area [Mind Access]. Patreeck said, and my mind was assaulted by the thoughts of almost everyone in Freshka. Freshka was the nearest town to the Valley. A lot of people suddenly jerked when they felt the [Mind Access] happen. Its like a sudden headache.

Jura was quick to detect its presence. Aeon... did something happen. I felt my mind was suddenly touched.

The Mind Access felt quite like a version of the memories that the [souls] have. When the dead souls arrive in my [soul realm], and after 3 additional colors to my soul forge, the quality and quantity of memories I can see from the dead has increased over that time.

This was a very similar feeling. I can feel little bubbles of thoughts. Not everything, quite surely.

That was when I could feel Juras worry. He was wondering whether that feeling was a mental attack. It was the same throughout Freshka. Faris was back in Freshka after a stint at the Six Ports, and he felt it too. Those who are higher level can feel it, something touching their mind. They dont know what, though.

A deluge of random thoughts. Stupid things.

Patreeck, can you filter those that are irrelevant?

Define irrelevant, master?

Uh... anything that doesnt have to do with me.

Everything has to do with you, master. Eventually. Please narrow down your choice.

Exclude thoughts about love lives, friendships, and issues of sanitation, food. What else could I exclude? Or more like, what should I focus on?

Or is it better that I go about this in a machine-learning way?

So, Patreeck spent quite a bit of time with me, as we went through the thoughts of the people around me, grading those thoughts using a not interested vs interested criteria, he would develop a framework of what would be relevant to me. But of course, this required training data, so I was swamped with random, silly thoughts for a long time, because though he had my knowledge, he still needed my decision making to properly assess what would be relevant to me.

Most of the thoughts are mundane. Thoughts about family. About their work. About food. I wasnt interested in things like that. I wanted things that were a risk. There was a context to it too. Like, I would be interested in more mundane things from Jura, than a random person I dont know?

But you do know them, master. Jasmine added. We have knowledge about so many people. It is just a thought away.

Ah. Its weird.

Its like one moment you dont know them, and the next, all this knowledge gets downloaded. Its uncanny and weird.

So weird. For a human. But so natural for them.

Trees take forever to get to know a person. For us, interacting with a person for a year is good enough to make us relate to that person, and makes him feel like were good friends or sworn enemies. For a Tree, one years interaction is probably just a one-liner in the story of their incredibly long life. Yvon was giving a talk to the new batch of Valthorns. So, dont feel discouraged and wonder why Aeon still treats you like he doesnt know you. I believe this is actually a common feeling across all of us normal mortals, when we interact with ageless creatures.

Theres actually a segment or class in their curriculum called, Interacting with ancient spirit trees. Apparently Gerrard helped them with the syllabus when he was here, and was mainly for those who had a druid specialisation.

Druids must learn how to manage spirit trees. They are the creatures of the land, given power by their age or special events. The theory of how spirit trees came to be is complicated and as druids, it is best not to presume each of their origins. According to one rare ancient script, spirit trees used to be far more common. This, of course, is a highly contentious statement.

A young boy raised his hand. His name was Eiran, and hes a 10 year old [Druid]. Why?

The ancient script implies that there was an era before the constant destruction and war. If you believe this, then the theory that many trees surviving and achieving sentience would be true.

But do we know whether its true?

No. Other than one rare ancient script, we have no other descriptions of spirit trees from the old era. Many records were lost to the numerous wars and battles. It could well be that this ancient script is a story of fiction, as this script was incomplete. Or the work of a speculator or troll. Most of the more recent [Great Druids], or [Arch Druid], believe that Spirit Trees are not created by the age of the trees, but more of unique magical circumstances.

That would be fair, like me. I am not an old tree, just unique.

For example, records about Aeon did not exist prior to 50 to 60 years ago, when Freeka was founded. Yvon said. Where was Aeon before that, we did not know.

So close.

Perhaps, he was just asleep. Yvon obviously didnt think so, but she didnt know the answer. I vaguely sensed shes still trying to unravel this mystery, and I discovered that its been something she has been wondering for some time. Its just that no one knew the answer, and all Jura told her was that I was brought here by some druids.

Maybe its just magic, made real. Another boy said. He believes in magic, that it is possible for magic to take the form of things. Its a remarkably pure view of magic. And I felt embarrassed when I felt the part of that boys thoughts, that Im a magical existence. It was... weird and jarring to encounter these kinds of emotions. Its like being on the receiving end of a confession. Weird.

On the central continent, most of them view me quite favourably, and so, one of the projects I had this year was to cut a path across the Rottedlands.

Right now, if we take the Rottedlands as a one big pizza, Ive taken a large slice out. Same for the remnants of Harriss Empire. What I want to do now, is to cut across, and make a highway to the surviving kingdoms on the other side.

After analysing the maps, I decided to do it the politician and capitalists way. To the highest bidder.

Were going to launch a bid. I told Kavio and the council. I intend to use my powers to clear a pathway through and across the Rottedlands, and so, I want to invite the kingdoms who are interested in an alliance with me, to participate. This means a trade route, protected by my trees and beetles. We can also set up new towns and cities along the path.

A new silk road. A new... Tree Road. A Countree road.

The entire representative council was excited by what that meant. A pathway that crossed the Rottedlands would open up so many new economic opportunities for trade! It could massively reinvigorate the inland nations that bordered the Rottedlands.

So, invite the kingdoms to bid. What they are willing to offer for a connecting path? Were also willing to offer a conditional defensive pact, should a nation feel ever threatened by their neighbours.

Is this capitalism?

No. This is just me sending my roots to wherever thats juicy. Well open multiple paths eventually.

This task will involve me cutting across where the demons corruption is densest, but lately, Im feeling confident. I think its partly because of Patreeck. These Titans, they generate massive amounts of mana, and his psychic powers meant that he could help to offset the corrupting influence.

I can now dream of The Transcontinental Treeway.

The announcement was met with chaos. Even more than I had expected.

Does this mean Aeon is able to extend his reach as far as the entire continent? That was pretty much the number one political and military question on everyones mind. Because if that answer was a yes, they had to quickly revise my ability to project power anywhere on the continent.

Clearly the answer is a yes. Why else would the Freshlands put out an auction for a safe pathway across the Rottedlands? They must be able to do it.

No country on the continent is safe if this is true. If The Freshlands beetles are able to pop up on the other side of the continent, are we not sharing this continent with a monster? How is our throne and kingdom safe?

I think you mean, how are we still supporting the temples? This declaration is clearly a thinly veiled invitation to the rest of the kingdoms to switch sides.

The temples were quick to attack the plan as some kind of tree-imperialism. That this was me building an empire. Well, yes. Of course. Im fighting temples who can summon armies from all the continents. Surely Im going to retaliate by expanding to such a point that I can force a stalemate and a peace treaty?

The FFA was extremely busy after the bid went out, many kingdoms, previously uninvolved in the affairs of the Freshlands, now had this offer. Theyve previously ignored me simply because I was on the other side, the Rottedlands was this thick impenetrable wasteland. As a potential neighbour, everyone wanted to do their own due diligence, on what they were potentially inviting to their corner.

Some of the kingdoms quickly formed a coalition agreeing not to bid, and to convince others not to bid. Well, they dont want me next door.

But I just need one. Someone to agree. A kingdom desperate enough to agree. A kingdom thats been harassed, ignored and bullied. One whos willing to accept a new benefactor and patron. The temples were suddenly willing to open their purses and give aid to the border kingdoms, just to dissuade them from participating.

Ah, geopolitics.

Was it this chaotic when the Panama Canals or the Suez Canals opened? Surely the politics of having to skip a long detour for trade made everyone jump?

While the discussion went on, and the actual auction would happen one year later, I started to expand.

I have so many subsidiary trees. I pushed deeper into the Rottedlands.

[Skill : Hybrid Botany upgraded]

I pushed deeper to the center. Where is the Daemolite? The center should naturally be where the demon king fell. There should be daemolite. Instead I found a crater. A massive smoldering crater.

What in the world...

Oh. Is this because Harris and gang destroyed whatever that was trapping the souls of the heroes?

The air here was different. The energies were chaotic.

I wondered whether this constituted a magical leyline.

Spaizzer

Take me home, Countree Road,

To a place where I belong,

West Bauhinia, Mountain Momma,

Take me home, Countree Road