Chapter 45 - Gallery Browsing, Elf Awakening Plan
Roll roll roll, rolly polly roll roll.
All undead clusters in the surrounding area have been eradicated. The bunker vicinity should remain safe for the time being.
Thanks to Sora's scolding, Hero and Heroic had finally stopped their wild dashing around. With that as the backdrop, Sora explained the recent work she'd been doing with the two of them.
"I knew you were up to something, but I didn't expect it to be undead cleanup. Were there that many around?"
> Corpses that can't be properly cremated will eventually turn into undead. Those undead naturally form clusters.
> It's only thanks to the sacrifice of the Five Pillars that survival is possible at all. Exposure to corruption remains unchanged.
"What a harsh world to survive in. Thanks, Sora."
> You're welcome. I merely did what needed to be done.
In a world where famine was the default, starving to death meant turning into an undead. Those undead lurked, eyeing the living for any opening. And magic beasts empowered by corruption rivaled entire armies. Every race on the continent, dwindling from famine, clashed against unaffected magic beasts and undead. The fertilizer that dropped into this crumbling world like a miracle seemed a massive boon to all races.
You could tell just by looking at the Gallery.
Fertilizer posts had completely taken over the general threads. Amid that, some troll got banned for their tiny mischief. It was an incomprehensible standard, but since everyone else agreed, I must be the weird one. Honestly, seeing such low-effort trolling made me consider dusting off my unused alt account. Feeling like the two-eyed guy in a one-eyed village, I started lurking for intel.
This fertilizer stuff seems legit? Normally wheat sprouts in about 10 days, right? And on our shitty barren fields, even those sprouts are all weak and limp lol.
But here in the greenhouse—even accounting for that—it's growing insanely fast? It's only been 6 days since planting. (Fresh green sprouts pic)
The sprouts look super sturdy too? Dug up a pre-cataclysm farming book, says under perfect conditions, sprouts in 4 days.
But the imperial palace greenhouse is still affected by corruption, slowly dying like everywhere else? Temp aside, everything's the same as outside, but with fertilizer? Boom, like this.
Her Highness the Crown Princess is seriously considering spreading it on the fields she's planning to sow winter wheat on soon. Next year, we might eat way more than just baguettes?
Experiments seemed to be going smoothly. At this point, did I even have a role left? I hit recommend for the Gallery user who sacrificed themselves for solid info. After a silent prayer for the unnamed soul, I checked the next eye-catching post.
OP is a knight drafted for this experiment. Carry fertilizer sack near magic beasts, scatter, mission done.
Today went near rough boars and spread some. (Gif of knight dashing between pig-like things)
Yesterday did orcs and goblins nearby too. But they ignored the fertilizer completely. Only plant-types react? No info on undead clusters from other units, but probably same?
A knight's post about dashing through magic beasts scattering fertilizer. Precious info that animal-types are unaffected. But are all these people total chads? Like seasoned predators never missing a chance to flex even in tough spots.
Anyway, with a rough idea of fertilizer effects confirmed, I moved on to the next task. Saving the ailing World Tree. For continent races getting overwhelmed by sheer numbers, rousing the elves would be the biggest help. Before messaging the World Tree guardian, I checked the concept post that had just hit the top to gauge elf reactions.
Just as the title says!
This fertilizer will greatly aid the World Tree's recovery!
Even bearing World Tree fruit—elves' staple—might become possible!
The World Tree said fruit-bearing was too taxing, so we elves entered hibernation! (Pic of massive tree with somethings stuck to it like toothpicks)
If it recovers power, it'll bear fruit, and everyone in the pic can wake up!
Hate the old fogeys waking, but it'd be nice if the city got lively again!
Hope we get fertilizer soon!
"Eww, gross..."
I'd learned a horrifying fact I never needed to know.
"So elves' staple is World Tree fruit, the Tree couldn't bear it anymore so suggested hibernation, and elves are... parasitizing? No, clinging to the World Tree in hibernation?"
Did they have to hibernate looking like that? World really is creepy. Worse than the casus getting banned right now? That gross pic would haunt my brain for a while. Still, I messaged the World Tree guardian.
Tree Nutrient 20L - 500P (x10)
Oh? Tree spirits exist too, huh. That'd make things easier.
I immediately bought and sent the tree nutrient. A 5000P flex possible because everyone steadily gifts me 1P each. With this much, I'd achieve financial freedom, so what greed did past Moderators have to get home-visited? Maybe some standard I don't know. No way to find out, so I shoved the question aside and opened my notebook.
On the open page: Current plans in progress. Fertilizer tests, dwarf coughs, saving the World Tree. If these resolve, reclaiming corruption-overrun lands might be possible? I prayed no issues arose until plans finished and Gallery users regained some breathing room.