The Wiggle and the World Tree
I examined the branch. A round, bright red fruit was hanging there. 'Has it grown a bit more?'
There was a routine I had followed every morning lately: checking the fruit. According to Luan, it was growing at a steady pace. It would still take more time before it was fully ripe, but there was no need to rush.
'But,' I thought, staring at the fruit. 'Who should I give it to?'
That was the problem. The Evolution Fruit was one of a kind, so I could only give it to one person.
'One person...' I slowly brought the residents of the village to mind.
'Rin and Jini.' Both were middle-grade spirits. They were strong enough as it was, but if they grew further, they would certainly be a great help. However, I wasn't even sure if spirits could evolve, or if the fruit could even be used on them.
'Next is Khan.' He was already A-rank. If I gave him the fruit, he would likely become A+ or S-rank. That would mean the safety of the village would increase accordingly. I had already seen how much of a central role Khan played in battle.
'He's a strong candidate, but...' It was still hard to make a final decision.
'And Hylen.' My assessment showed he was B-rank. Giving it to Hylen would be helpful, but it didn't feel like it would lead to a dramatic change. So, I put that on hold for now.
'Riri.' She was already S-rank. The problem was... I didn't know the upper limit of the ranks, or if the Evolution Fruit would even apply to her. But if there was something beyond S-rank, then Riri, who was already incredible, would become even stronger.
'She would be unstoppable.'
I was lost in these thoughts when—
"Kkung!"
Tori walked over to me, holding a tomato in each hand. Waddle, waddle. I watched the sight. Small, round, and with chubby cheeks. The little sprout I had first met when he was so frail was now walking around so healthily. The thought warmed my heart in a strange way.
'Right. There's Tori, too.'
Tori’s rank was B+. If I gave the Evolution Fruit to him, his rank would go up. But Tori’s main role was growing crops rather than fighting.
'Does a higher rank mean the crops grow better?' That would be nice, but... 'I’m just not sure.'
I kept agonizing over it because I wanted to make the best use of the first fruit I’d ever produced. As I was thinking, Tori looked up at me. He tilted his head, then—
"Kkung!"
He beamed, his cheeks squishing together. The sight was so cute that I couldn't help but laugh.
Early morning. The village was still quiet.
"Kkung!"
Tori wiggled his body and stepped outside. The grass was covered in dew, and the sunlight flowed in softly. The air felt sweet as I breathed it in.
-It's morning!
-The weather is great!
The small spirits giggled and flew about. Over there, I could see the elite goblins returning from their patrol.
"Kkung!"
When Tori bowed his head slightly, the elite goblins greeted him with a "Kiet." Walking a bit further, the elves approached when they saw Tori.
"Good morning, Tori."
"I hope you have a wonderful day!"
They then placed a small flower crown on Tori’s head. It was woven from wildflowers and was truly beautiful. Tori blinked his eyes and laughed, "Hehe."
"Kkung!"
Just as he parted ways with the elves, there was a buzzing sound from above. It was the Honey-Ring tribe. Six or seven of them circled around Tori, then—
"Kkuriring!"
"Kkurong!"
They dropped a small honey droplet into Tori’s hand and flew away. Tori tasted the honey on his finger.
"Kkung!"
It was so sweet. It was sweet enough to make me wonder if it was even real. A hum escaped his lips naturally.
"Kkung~"
Meanwhile, the other Totori began to move. It was time to tend to the crops.
"Kkung! Kkung!"
The head Totori, Tabu, raised his hand and called for them to hurry, and Tori ran over to stand beside him.
"Kkuung!"
At Tabu’s signal, the Totori began to keep time. Wiggle. Wiggle. Wiggle-wiggle. One step to the left. One step back to the right. A spin of the hands. Two claps. As the Totori moved, the crops began to stir.
The dance continued. Wiggle-wiggle. Today, Tori put more heart into his movements than usual. It was the day his benefactor, who had saved him and gifted him this warm land and village, had produced its first fruit. He wanted to celebrate. But his best skill was the Dance of Abundance, so he wanted to offer this dance to his benefactor.
Wiggle-wiggle. Wiggle-wiggle-wiggle.
As the dance reached its peak, the crops began to sprout and grow vigorously from the soil. Suddenly, a Totori next to him stared at Tori with wide eyes.
"Kkung! Kkung-kkung! Kkuuung!"
Everyone stopped dancing and fixed their gaze on Tori. And with good reason—the crops around Tori were growing the best. The lush crops had thick grains and were larger than usual. The colors were so vibrant that they looked delicious just by looking at them. Tori’s sincerity had reached the crops. The other Totori showered Tori with praise.
"Kkung!"
"Kkuuung!"
Tori laughed at the praise, his cheeks puffing up. Then, it was time to harvest. Picking bright red tomatoes, sweet carrots, and refreshing strawberries—the crops had grown evenly and well. After finishing the harvest, Tori held a bundle of crops in his arms and headed straight for his benefactor. He wanted to show off that he had grown so much. Of course, getting praised would be even better.
Tori ran over and stopped in front of the massive World Tree. His benefactor had grown much larger than when he first saw it. Huge and solid. But it wasn't intimidating. If anything, it felt more reassuring.
Tori carefully held out the crops he was carrying.
"Kkung! Kkung!"
His sparkling eyes showed he was expecting praise. Rin, who was flying nearby, opened her eyes wide.
-Oh? Tori! Did you grow all of this?!
Tori nodded with a bright smile. "Kkung!"
-Wow! That's amazing!
At the same time, my benefactor swayed its leaves. Swish-! Swish-! The sound of the leaves brushing against the breeze was so soft and kind that I wanted to listen to it forever. Jini, who was nearby, said quietly.
-My friend... says you did a good job.
Tori jumped for joy at those words. "Kkung! Kkuung!" He was so happy to be praised. As expected, my benefactor was kind. Rin giggled, finding Tori cute. Then, Rin looked at my benefactor for a moment and said.
-That's right. Tori is cute!
Jini added a word as well.
-Tori... is cute.
They were probably talking to my benefactor. Then, Rin giggled at something funny. Tori blinked at the sight.
"Kkuung..."
Actually, Tori was envious of Rin and Jini. They could talk directly to my benefactor. Of course, Rin, Jini, Khan, and the elves were strong, so it made sense. Compared to them, he was just a Totori who could only grow crops. It was natural that he couldn't hear it. As he thought that, Tori’s expression turned a bit gloomy.
"Kkuung..."
His head dropped naturally. That was the moment. A branch slowly descended and gently stroked Tori’s head.
"Kkuung?"
It was a warm touch, as if it were comforting him, saying it was okay. Tori blinked. The sensation felt so good that he couldn't help but smile.
"Kkung! Kkung!"
Right. So what if he couldn't hear his benefactor’s voice? That wasn't what was important. What mattered was that he loved his benefactor this much.
"Kkuuung!"
Tori hugged the World Tree tightly with a wide smile.
Inside a hidden space. There was no sound there. Just a dark, silent void. And in the center of a place as large as a temple, an egg was placed. It was a dragon egg.
It pulsed slowly. Very slowly. Like a heartbeat.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The rhythmic, deep sound filled the space. The egg looked very different from when it was first found. When Aselia and Lilia first discovered it, the colors were mixed and shifting, but now, more than half of its surface was covered in a dark, reddish-black hue.
Ssssss.
Black smoke rose thinly around the egg. It hadn't been completely eroded inside yet, but it was only a matter of time. And that was when it happened.
The finger of the golem standing in front of the temple twitched. At the same time, the core embedded in the center of the golem’s chest began to glow faintly.
Beep-beep. Beep-beep-beep.
The golem lifted its head. And its massive body, made of stone, began to move.
Creak.
The entire space vibrated with a heavy, dull sound. The golem’s head turned rapidly toward the egg. It was the appearance of something waking from a long slumber. The golem slowly scanned the surface of the egg. Then, seeing the dark, reddish-black light of the egg, it made a sound as if startled.
Beep-beep-beep! Beep-beep!
The golem slowly reached out and placed its hand on the egg. As the massive hand touched the egg—
Ssssss-
The black smoke began to spread slightly onto the back of its hand.
Beep-beep..!
It felt pain, but the golem did not pull its hand away. Instead, it picked up the egg as carefully as possible and cradled it in its arms. As if trying to protect the egg at all costs. And in that position, it stared down at the egg. For a very long time.
And at that moment, the surface of the egg pulsed one more time.
Thump.