Chapter 9 - The Strange Flowerpot (9)
It was late at night, past midnight. I usually didn't go to the flowerpot at this hour. She was probably sleeping in her house anyway. But tonight was different.
On my way home, I checked the camera, and there she was, still sitting blankly in front of the tree. The bonsai was starting to rot from the spot where the ants had wounded it, and now the dark blotch was visible enough to catch my eye. I wasn't sure if this method I'd thought of was what the World Tree wanted or if it would even work, but I had to try.
"I'm not certain, but it looked similar enough."
I uncapped the vial. That bluish power she wielded—whether firing arrows or swinging a pipe, it amplified her strength to its limits. It definitely resembled the power handled by the Awakeners of this era.
"---...!"
It was meant to be injected into veins, but I had no idea how to use it in this situation, so I tilted the vial and sprinkled its contents into the flowerpot world. Whether my choice was right or not, the change happened immediately.
Her eyes flew wide open as she sprang to her feet, and the moment the liquid reached the world inside the pot, it transformed into a brilliant swarm of lights, scattering like countless fireflies or pollen. The sparkling specks illuminated the pot world and were gradually absorbed by the World Tree.
Although not pure mana, the contamination is being neutralized by the urgently absorbed external power.
It wasn't the mana the World Tree desired, but it seemed usable. Using the purified mana I'd provided as another kind of poison to neutralize the toxin that had invaded its body, the World Tree rapidly healed its wound and regained its strength.
'She's happy. Of course she is.'
Having glimpsed a ray of hope amid despair, she rushed to check on the tree. The look of utter devastation—harder to witness than even her angry expression—was gone. She had her smile back. A smile that made her already beautiful face even more radiant. I quietly pulled out my phone and snapped a photo of that beauty.
This was enough for me.
Contamination Neutralized
Nameless World Tree Lv 3
The grown World Tree seeks to select its High Elf.
The underworld trembles with the World Tree's growth.
Just when it seemed she'd found some relief, the changes kept coming without pause. Right after snapping her photo, I was startled by the stream of rising text and turned my gaze back to the World Tree, now glowing once more.
"Taking the day off today?"
"Yeah, I feel pretty sick, ugh."
"Eh, not much going on anyway. Rest up, see you next week."
The next early morning after that eventful day, I called my team leader and secured the day off. Thanks to steadily handling my work lately, he approved without any hassle. Naturally, I'd taken the time off to watch over the flowerpot that had consumed all my attention lately. With so much happening yesterday, I needed to observe more closely today and prepare for any surprises.
'High Elf. What's a High Elf?'
Settling in front of the pot, I observed her as she began her activities. She was rubbing her eyes as if she'd just woken up, preparing something. It wasn't repairing the collapsed earthen rampart. Despite the rough labor of digging soil, tilling the ground, and splitting wood, she always maintained her neat, impeccable appearance with frequent washing—but today, she groomed and adorned herself even more meticulously. I soon realized she was preparing for some special ritual.
And the center of that ritual was none other than the World Tree. After yesterday's events and leveling up, it had declared it would select its High Elf. Of course, I had no clue what a High Elf exactly was. From what I'd observed so far, she shared both similarities and differences with elves from fictional works.
'Familiar with this?'
Judging by her unhesitating actions, though, it seemed this wasn't her first time. Lifting my gaze, I noticed something special on one branch of the bonsai, adorned with fresh green leaves: a small red fruit. Tiny compared to its massive body—requiring scale adjustment to see clearly—it was about the size of an apple that would fit perfectly in her hand.
"---."
Finishing her preparations, she stood before the World Tree and closed her eyes, offering a quiet prayer. Different from her usual morning and evening prayers.
Elf's Prayer - Grace
A prayer beseeching grace. But the target wasn't me—it was the World Tree. As if understanding her words, it gently shook its branch, dropping the fruit into her hands.
I watched the entire process, holding my breath. It seemed trivial at a glance, but I instinctively knew that fruit was no ordinary item.
'She ate it.'
She carefully brought the fruit to her mouth and bit into it slowly. I'd never imagined eating a fruit could feel so reverent. And when she finished it...
Exiled High Elf Hut
Something had changed. Both her and the floating text. My body froze at the words "Exiled." For the first time, perhaps, I'd glimpsed a fragment of who she truly was.
The underworld trembles.
Dungeon - Ant Den Fully Activated
And other things changed too. Along with the ominous message that the ant den had activated, the mana beast ants I'd surely killed reemerged from the den's entrance—not one, but two crawling out in succession, heading for the World Tree.
'She's fighting.'
But she grabbed her bow and stepped into battle once more. No trace of the previous fear or hesitation on her face. As if anchored by an unshakeable belief, she advanced without a flicker of doubt to confront them.
"No way."
And she had good reason to believe. Having eaten the World Tree's fruit and become a High Elf, her green eyes flashed as she exuded a strength utterly unlike before.
Wave 1 Ended
"...Wave 1?"
Less than 10 minutes had passed. I'd been mesmerized by her steel arrows flying wreathed in blue flames, exploding the mana ants' carapaces, but when the ants finally fell and the text appeared, I was stunned. Those two weren't all—Wave 1 implied Wave 2, Wave 3, and more. The monstrous ants would keep crawling out.
She'd overwhelmingly slain the two, but her expression was grim. She knew she couldn't win indefinitely like this.
The High Elf moves the World Tree's power.
Perhaps deep in thought, she returned home with a troubled look, pacing and agonizing for hours. Finally glancing up at the World Tree rustling its fresh leaves, she stood as if resolved and invoked her power—a force strong enough to notify even me.
Portal Opened
"Huh?"
What happened next was over in a blink. Dazedly watching her, something suddenly appeared in midair, and she threw herself into it.
"?!!"
And then she was gone. No trace left behind. The pot, once brimming with vibrant life from that single small being, now held only the bonsai, its branches twitching in the breeze.
"Sh-she'll come back, right?"
Stunned and hollow, I scratched my head. The mood didn't suggest she'd left for good, but could she come and go so freely like that?
'She's no fool.'
Steadying my shaken heart, I stood. She hadn't acted recklessly so far. Even in fear, she had the resilience to overcome it. As the World Tree grew, so did she—surely she believed this new power would let her conquer the activated ant den.
Portal Opened
"She's back!?"
With that mindset, I went about my tasks. Then, as midnight approached, the camera detected a glowing light inside the pot. I dashed to it from my computer.
She'd returned from wherever she'd gone, seemingly bringing a way to overcome this crisis.
Population: 03
'Young... elves?'
But strictly speaking, she'd failed to achieve her goal. Returning with a stiff expression, she was accompanied by two other young-looking beings: an elf boy with a similarly grim face and a little elf girl holding her hand.
"---."
In that moment, she ground her teeth and muttered something. Her fierce expression rivaled the one she wore fighting the mana beast ants.