Chapter 355: Leaking Secrets(3)
Chapter 355: Leaking Secrets(3)
If I had to pick the most flustered moments of my life, they would undoubtedly be the success of Xenon’s Life and the "Why Is This Real?" incidents.
The Xenon’s Life series, which I published merely as a hobby, brought about an unexpected sensation and completely overturned the public's perception of the Demon Clan.
Then there were the "Why Is This Real?" moments that began to pop up one after another, starting with the pollution of the World Tree's roots. Back then, I wasn't just flustered; I was utterly bewildered.
So, aside from the success of my novel, I could say I’ve rarely experienced pure, unadulterated shock—until today.
Would you believe me if I told you that the World Tree Seed, a gift from Hirt, the Goddess of Nature, had split in half?
No. Believing it is one thing, but how should one react if such a thing actually happened?
Should I worry about receiving divine punishment for failing to care for Hirt's gift, or should I ask her what on earth is going on?
Right now, I was so stunned that I couldn't even think that far ahead.
"..."
"..."
Arwen and I stared blankly at the World Tree Seed sitting neatly on the bed. It was a seed that had radiated a brilliant golden light from the moment I received it.
Snap!
A change had occurred in the seed that had made that ominous noise. If you only heard it, you’d think it had split completely in two.
Fortunately, it wasn't completely shattered as I feared; there was just a slight crack.
That alone would have been a major disaster, enough to justify divine punishment, but what if a very cute sprout was poking out from that crack?
A green sprout, the symbolic color of nature. Arwen and I stood there, speechless, as we looked at it.
Normally, for a seed to sprout, it needs to be planted in the ground. After planting, you water it, and it absorbs nutrients from the soil and water to grow.
However, this golden coconut... no, this seed, had sprouted without any of that. It hadn't been watered, let alone planted!
I wondered if even the basic laws of nature were being defied just because this was a fantasy world, but looking at Arwen's expression, that didn't seem to be the case either.
Her pupils were trembling, clearly showing she had no idea what was happening.
She was likely going through the same mental turmoil I was.
"...Arwen?"
"..."
"Arwen?"
"O-Oh?"
She answered in a flustered tone when I called her name softly. I looked at the shyly blooming green sprout and asked.
"What were you doing while I was gone?"
"I... I was just holding it. Any plant would be sensitive to the cold, so..."
"Anything else?"
"My love. I haven't even reached two hundred years of age yet."
In short, she was still young and wanted to live a long life. Of course, I wasn't doubting her.
I just wanted to know why the seed had split and why a sprout was emerging from the gap.
Even if it was a phenomenon that ignored the laws of nature, it wouldn't be strange for a seed to sprout if the conditions were met.
However, no matter the seed, the need for 'water' remains constant. I knew this from growing beans on cotton balls back in elementary school in my previous life.
'...Surely not.'
For a moment, memories of our intense first night and the aftermath flashed through my mind, but I quickly shook them off. I had hidden it in a safe place back then because things could have gotten truly dangerous.
Besides, this wasn't an ordinary seed; it was a World Tree Seed, so it might not necessarily need water.
The problem was what it had been given instead to end up like this. I scratched my head and questioned Arwen.
"How exactly were you holding it?"
"I simply cradled it dearly. That was all."
"Did you give it mana?"
"I did."
"Hmm."
It still didn't make sense. Even if she had started holding it the moment I left for the temple, it hadn't even been three hours.
It absorbed Arwen's mana and sprouted in that short time? It was a phenomenon I couldn't wrap my head around.
When no plausible reason came to mind no matter how much I racked my brain, I got up from the bed. In times like this, it was wisest to ask the person involved—or the relevant authority—directly.
"I'm going to go see Lady Mora for a moment."
"What about this?"
As I stood up, Arwen pointed at the seed and asked. Since it had just sprouted, leaving it like this was out of the question.
She was asking what should be done—whether it should be planted in the ground or kept cradled as before.
I spent a moment deliberating before deciding on a temporary measure.
"For now, keep holding it like you were. It won't take long anyway. Alright?"
"I shall hold it dearly so it does not come to harm."
Arwen cradled the sprouted seed in her arms as she spoke. She looked like a young girl holding a baby, and a smile naturally formed on my face.
After waving goodbye to her, I headed back to the temple. This time, I planned to seek out Luminous instead of Mora.
Luminous would likely know about this situation as well, and unlike Mora, he would probably give me a kind answer.
Not that Mora was unkind, but in times like this, the more mature Luminous felt more reliable.
[I cannot tell you that.]
'Eh?'
And that trust was thoroughly betrayed.
I couldn't help but react dumbly when Luminous gave me a negative answer.
It wasn't even that there was a specific reason; he just said he couldn't tell me. It went beyond bewilderment into the realm of the incomprehensible.
He was a god. A god who could reveal the future of the world and individuals through oracles.
The conditions were having divine power and the proper qualifications, but I was an exception. I met the conditions so well that I could learn about my future whenever I wanted.
Yet, even I couldn't be told about the World Tree Seed. I couldn't understand it no matter how hard I tried.
'You can't tell me? Why on earth not?'
[I cannot tell you that either.]
'I mean...'
I let out a deep sigh, stuck in a situation where I wanted to say something but couldn't—the most frustrating and baffling feeling for any Korean.
Mora said I could do as I pleased, but Luminous said he couldn't speak at all. My head was starting to ache from this paradox.
What exactly was that seed that even the gods couldn't breathe a word about its future?
Had Hirt pressured them not to speak? Since she was the Goddess of Nature, it wasn't impossible.
But why? For what reason were they keeping me in the dark?
'...Is there nothing I can offer to make you tell me?'
[No. Do you happen to know the term "Revelation of Heavenly Secrets"?]
Revelation of Heavenly Secrets (天機漏洩).
It’s a metaphorical expression for the secrets of heaven leaking out—secrets that would cause literal catastrophe if revealed.
Normally, I would have taken it as a mere metaphor, but hearing an actual god use the term gave it a different weight entirely.
Thanks to that, my irritation and frustration were somewhat resolved, replaced instead by a sense of unease.
If it was significant enough to be called a "Revelation of Heavenly Secrets," it meant some major event was going to happen in the future. I asked in a much more cautious voice.
'...Am I going to face some kind of disaster?'
[Not immediately.]
Not immediately. To put it another way, it meant I would face something big in the future.
But there was no need to specifically call that a "Revelation of Heavenly Secrets." I had already predicted as much, given that I'd revealed myself as Xenon and was being threatened by Demon Worshippers.
Furthermore, I couldn't see how that was connected to the World Tree Seed. Unless...
'Does the future change depending on what I do with that seed? And you can't tell me because it's a change so massive that even I shouldn't know?'
[That is correct.]
'Even though it's already sprouted?'
[You could still smash it to pieces with a hamm—Ack!]
Luminous let out a scream in the middle of his sentence. Startled, I called out to him urgently.
'Lu-Luminous?'
[Ouch... My apologies. Mother told me not to say anything useless.]
It seemed it was Luminous's turn to get a smack on the back, just as Mora had before.
Even while showing the authority of a god, they occasionally displayed such human sides that I couldn't help but feel a sense of kinship.
[At any rate, treat the seed with care. Don't go hitting it with a hammer like I just mentioned.]
'I'm not crazy; I'd never do such a thing. So, whether I plant it in the ground or just leave it be, it's up to me?'
[Yes.]
'Is there anything I should be careful of?'
[Just raise it with love.]
Raise it with love. It was such a vague answer that I couldn't help but tilt my head.
Regardless, I realized the gods had no intention of telling me the future.
I didn't know how that seed would change the future, but as Luminous said, the fact that I had to raise it with love remained unchanged.
'I understand for now. It's really okay for me to raise it however I want, right?'
[Yes.]
'Then...'
[I don't care what you do with that girl in bed, just don't break it. Though, you probably couldn't even leave a scratch on it anyway.]
Apparently, the seed was harder than steel. It looked like a coconut, so that seemed fitting.
I'd have to be careful not to accidentally hit my head on it.
After some more small talk, I cut the connection and returned to the Queen's chambers. When I arrived, Arwen was cradling it very dearly.
"I'm back."
"Ah. You've returned. Can you tell me what the gods said?"
"They said I can do as I please. It's a special seed, so it seems it's fine even if it's not planted in the ground."
"Then I shall keep it safe for the time being. I will hold it so the seed does not shiver in the cold."
"Alright. Before that..."
With a mischievous smile, I slowly walked toward Arwen, who was lying on the bed. Seeing my smile, her face flushed, and she set the seed she was holding aside.
Soon, I climbed onto the bed, hovering over her. Directly beneath me, Arwen looked up at me with her hands demurely folded.
"Is it okay?"
"As I always say, I am a gift for you. So..."
Arwen opened her arms wide to welcome me.
"You may do with me as you wish."
Even though we hadn't even had dinner yet.
"Then, shall I unwrap you again?"
"Unwrap me whenever you... Ah!"
The passionate night began then and there.
*
The intimacy that had begun in the early evening didn't end until dawn. The bed, which the attendants had meticulously tidied, was a mess, and the sheets and blankets were soaked with various fluids.
It was a time when both Arwen, who had opened her eyes to new sensations, and Isaac, who had exhausted his strength satisfying her, were fallen into a deep sleep.
However, there was one thing shining alone like a lantern: the World Tree Seed, placed neatly beside the bed.
It had been moved to a desk further away, just in case it got damaged during their activities. Especially after Luminous mentioned it was harder than steel, Isaac had moved it even further than before.
Twitch—
But a change occurred in that seed. To be precise, it was a movement.
Without any contact, the seed shook once. Between the cracks, the newly bloomed sprout peeked out shyly.
Roll, roll, roll—
Surprisingly, the seed that had twitched once began to move on its own. It was rolling like a ball.
Thump—
Soon, the seed fell off the desk. The heavy sound it made gave a hint of its incredible density.
The seed swayed left and right like a pendulum for a while before it began to roll again. The direction it was heading was none other than the bed.
The very bed where Arwen and Isaac were deep in sleep after their fierce battle. The sight of the seed, glowing alone in the dark chamber and rolling by itself, was quite a marvel.
The Queen's chamber was a space no one could enter. Not even Siris, Arwen's hidden guardian knight, could step inside, so no one could stop the seed.
Hop—
Rolling on its own was surprising enough, but something even more shocking happened. The seed didn't just roll; it jumped high like a flea.
It jumped so high that it landed lightly on the bed. There was no way Arwen or Isaac would sense such a small presence.
The seed then circled around the bed, which was a mess of various secretions, and then...
Slurp— Slurp— Slurp—
As if it had a mouth on its surface, it began to cleanly absorb the fluids on the blankets and sheets.
Though some time had passed and most of it had dried, there were still several spots remaining.
It was sucking them all up. If the two had seen this sight, it was a situation so nonsensical they would have dismissed it as a mere dream.
"Burp—"
After some time, a satisfied burping sound could be heard, despite it being a seed.
Could this truly be considered a mere seed? Even after finishing its meal, the seed circled around the bed.
Then, as if it had found its place, it tucked itself right between Arwen and Isaac. Coincidentally, there was an empty space for it to fit.
Snap—
As soon as it settled, an ominous sound came from the seed.
Snap— Snap—
Very slowly, truly slowly, the sound of something breaking could be heard.
Crack!
Right next to the sprout, a tiny little 'arm' shot out vigorously.