Chapter 6 - The Strange Flowerpot (6)

If it had been a real mosquito, no matter how small, she would have exterminated it without mercy—a horrific, disgusting mana beast. And facing off against that mana beast was a single elf with golden hair whipping in the wind. She leaped off the ground to dodge the mosquito charging at her, thrusting its needle-like proboscis forward like a cavalryman on a lance charge.

The tactic she chose next was to use her own house to her advantage. Her plan was to fight from inside the sturdy miniature house, where the mosquito couldn't harm her, shooting arrows at the enemy while staying safe.

Perhaps because it had become a mana beast, the ferocious predator of a mosquito thrust its snout through the miniature house's window and flailed wildly.

'It's eating it.' I watched the intense battle scene vividly as the mosquito shuddered its wings and pulled its face free, where a wooden arrow was deeply embedded. She had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠landed a solid hit.

But she couldn't let the mosquito escape now, so she stepped back outside and used her own body to lure it in.

'Fast and strong.' If its movements weren't restricted, her arrows wouldn't have hit easily. The mosquito's wingbeats alone were enough to deflect them off course. It didn't seem like an enemy she could take down ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with just one or two wooden arrows, so she needed some clever way to catch that monster several times her size.

"Can't catch it?"

Eventually, she retreated back into the house again, and now the mosquito—perhaps having learned its lesson—didn't charge right away. It just circled warily around the perimeter. I started feeling anxious as tension built.

If she couldn't take down that mosquito like this, the worst-case scenario would unfold. I could just swat it with my hand if it flew out of the flowerpot, but as if it knew it couldn't leave the pot, the mosquito kept turning back at the edge of the boundary.

In a panic, I briefly considered spraying insecticide, then slapped my own cheek. Insecticide meant to kill bugs couldn't possibly be harmless to her.

"Water." That thought flashed through my mind in an instant, pushing aside the stupid insecticide idea. Instead of poison, rain—give them water. I'd tried it once before and seen its effect. Bugs can't fly with wet wings, so it would seal off their greatest advantage: flight.

I grabbed the spray bottle and misted water right away. My eyes, of course, stayed glued to the flowerpot. Soon, thick raindrops began pouring down inside the pot world.

"Go catch it."

The tension melted away, replaced by a laugh. She must have figured out my intent—she set down her bow, picked up the steel pipe and hand axe, and stepped out into the soaking rain.

The mana beast mosquito clung to the underside of a thick bonsai branch to avoid the rain. But that put it at a huge disadvantage. Its movement was sealed off now.

With a resolute expression, she glared at the mana beast mosquito, tucked the pipe into her belt, and began climbing the bonsai. Whether the mosquito knew she was coming or not, it didn't budge.

By then, she had effortlessly scaled to that high spot. She stepped onto the branch, drew the pipe, and swung it with all her might, smashing one of the mosquito's legs that was hanging on.

One by one, its legs were crushed like that until finally, the mosquito spread its wings and took flight. But launching into the heavy downpour meant an inevitable crash. Unable to control its waterlogged, heavy wings, it wobbled to the ground. She leaped down from the bonsai in one fluid motion and charged with pipe and axe in hand.

Now the real fight began. The flightless mosquito crawled across the ground, swinging its needle proboscis like a spear, while she met it head-on with her faintly glowing blue weapons.

But the outcome was overwhelmingly one-sided. She batted away the proboscis stabbing toward her belly with the pipe, then smashed it in half with the hand axe. She rushed into its embrace and pummeled its face wildly with axe and pipe. Unable to withstand the barrage of blows to its head, the mosquito put up no real resistance and died.

"Got it."

And finally, when the mana beast mosquito's massive body toppled over unsteadily, she—and I—shouted in joy. It wasn't some ordinary foe; it was a genuine strong enemy we'd defeated.

It gave me hope that someday she could take down that giant ant that never left its lair, too.

The moment I stopped spraying, the rain in the pot ceased. But she, drenched to the bone, swept back the hair clinging to her face and looked up at the sky in greeting. She knew I'd helped and was expressing her thanks.

Seeing her excited, joyful smile made me grin too. Resonance, bond, unity... I'd never really bought into those words before, but now they felt a little different.

Not only had she grown, either. As I started to stand from my seat, one of the letters ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠floating above the flowerpot updated its message.

"Got the work. Rest up well today."

"Yes. See you tomorrow."

That evening, I barely met the deadline and wrapped up. I still had to go in tomorrow anyway, but at least I had some free time now. After scarfing down some food, I plopped back down in front of the flowerpot.

The balcony, now neatly cleared, was fully equipped with a comfy cushion, a blanket for warmth—everything for lounging and staring at the pot.

Inside the pot, she seemed to have settled into life there somewhat stably. She wasn't making anything or working; she was just kneeling quietly in front of the bonsai.

"What in the world..."

I let out a hollow chuckle, tearing my eyes from her to gaze at the bonsai. This twisted, gnarled thing, born from the landlord's hands, looked like it had never been withered and dead. It had regained full vitality, as if mocking the very idea.

And that was just the start. Like some game character leveling up, now its trunk and branches glowed faintly with intricate patterns. In the dim balcony, the bonsai shone like a lantern, pulsing and swaying gently.

An unbelievable sight. Even snapping pics with my phone didn't make it feel real. The tree was alive—of course trees were living things anyway—but it felt like it had a will of its own.

'Life.' The World Tree's power was spreading steadily around it. Where once there had been only dark soil except for the trees and crops she'd planted, new life was sprouting rapidly.

I stared in a daze, phone still recording—a beauty and brilliance no computer graphics could replicate. Unknown moss and grasses grew, literally creating nature itself.

She rose and guided the World Tree's power. At the spot she'd dug out with a spade beforehand and lined with pebbles, clear, transparent water began to pool slowly.

Seeing that, I realized the World Tree controlled the entire flowerpot. Whether that was an innate power of World Trees or not, it was a miracle straight out of fiction—power matching the legends.

I couldn't help thinking what if that World Tree weren't in a bonsai but a real colossal tree.

'You're growing too.' She dipped her hands into the little spring as if it were the most natural thing, cupped the water, and drank deeply.

It wasn't just the World Tree growing. She was too, unmistakably. I couldn't quantify it exactly, but compared to the beginning, she was definitely stronger now.

If this life continued... If the World Tree and she kept growing, trampling mana beast ants and expanding even more...

Maybe, just maybe, I could meet her in person someday.

I watched until she went back inside her house. I couldn't see the interior, but the light she took with her didn't go out, so she was definitely doing something.

I didn't stoop to peeping inside—that would be too low. But I couldn't deny wanting to keep watching the growth and changes in her pot world.

"Oh, right, you were gonna buy a camera..."

"Ah, yes, that's right."

So the next day at lunch, I used a secondhand app to meet up near the office and buy one.

"Bought it and never used it once. They said the performance is good."

"Thanks. I'll put it to good use."

I checked the item. It was a camera made to monitor pets left home alone. The view could move around freely, and most importantly, it had solid zoom. No need for voice transmission or anything.

'This is just to help her out.' I felt a twinge of guilt, but since I was already watching openly, no point pretending otherwise.

The moment I got home, I set up the camera in front of the flowerpot and checked what she was up to.

'Should I toss in another handkerchief.' She was lounging on the wooden chair she'd made in front of the house, cutting the handkerchief I'd given her into uniform sizes, turning it into ready-to-use cloths, and stacking them neatly. She even rubbed her face with it now and then, clearly loving the soft fabric.

With a smirk, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I activated the finished setup. It wasn't as good as seeing with my own eyes, but now I could watch her on my phone too.