Single Planet Life World Tree (1)
Conversations with the Outer God proved surprisingly helpful. Even setting aside whether I could trust that statement about impossibilities being virtually nonexistent, I caught a glimpse of my potential future.
If I kept living so carelessly, I might end up like that—half-mad, periodically destroying and recreating the world. An unsettling prospect. Of course, that "period" might span hundreds of billions of years by mortal standards.
No matter how vast the power gap becomes, where distinctions of good and evil lose meaning...
[Advice noted.]
[No more questions? This lady is prepared to shower any favor upon you, the first rational kin I've laid eyes on.]
She phrased "holding good intentions between man and woman" in such a way.
[Then tell me your name.]
[My true name?]
[You said 'cosmic spirit body' as a joke. Can't call you by the species name Outer God. So...]
As I sent my will that far, the surrounding currents shifted. More precisely, the area was reacting to that Outer God's emotions. The universe trembled.
Whooooosh—
[Ah. Ahahaha! So this is kin. No one has ever dared to ask for my true name!]
Joy. Novelty. Strangeness. Curiosity. Inquisitiveness. Surprise. Shock. Freshness. Bewilderment. Admiration. A whirlwind of emotions washed over me from all directions.
Not from the avatar before my eyes, but from her true body. Amid those vibrations, I sensed countless gazes turning this way.
Emotions from Galaxy Spirits trembling in surprise and fear. Terror from deities ruling numerous star systems. Did the dimension shake from this emotional upheaval?
This would cause a major incident. I was just a mental body, not my true form. Any more shaking, and I'd be flung back to my original dimension.
Time to calm her down.
[Stop right now before I return to my dimension. What a nuisance...]
In that instant, everything halted as if the speaker's mouth had been sealed. Astonishingly swift emotional control. Was that a light chuckle?
[It would be troubling if you left... We must spend eons together.]
[You gonna try to hold me here?!]
I released my mental body and briefly shifted my true body's gaze to that dimension.
The gap between her and me was probably like the difference between a human with decades in special forces and an ordinary one. Was she intending to restrain just this mental fragment? Or breach the dimensional wall and come here herself?
I couldn't read her exact intent, but I wasn't about to comply meekly. As I scowled and glared her way, laughter echoing through the cosmos filled my mind.
[Ahahaha! How can you be so adorable! I have no desire for your hostility, nor the ability for it.]
[...Then at least tell me your name before I go. This state is reaching its limit.]
[That's what makes you even cuter. My true name is...]
My mental body, reaching its limit, began to dissipate. As golden dust scattered, her final words reached me.
[...I'll tell you next time.]
Next time, I've got to ask all sorts of things.
The tiny fragment of spirit I'd sent returned.
The side effects of descent lifted completely—the stifling sensation like wearing ill-fitting clothes vanished.
Descending too often would be too suffocating. The descent body mimicking an ordinary human male hadn't been comfortable.
Very occasionally. Just once in a while, and I could maintain my mind to some degree. Though not perfectly.
My species had already changed. I could feel myself shifting bit by bit.
Still... as long as I didn't end up periodically going mad like that Outer God I'd just met, it would be fine.
The rest was up to me. I'd try to hold onto my humanity as much as possible.
Thanks to that Outer God leaking a bit of emotion during our chat, her dimension was in quite a uproar.
Space waves or whatever detection devices monitoring abnormal waveforms had glitched simultaneously.
Federation official broadcasts wouldn't shut up about it.
Naturally, my avatar back on Ratan Planet, Yuna, knew about it too.
"Constellation... do you happen to know what happened last time?"
Along with a faint unease. Yuna, rolling around at home, asked.
She knew me as a Galaxy Spirit from another dimension, so she probably suspected a connection.
"The other day, the Senior Strategic Secretary visited and said if there's anything making you uncomfortable, Constellation, to let her know?"
The Federation brass thought the same. Councilors like Alserian must figure I'm involved.
Which I am, but it'd be better if I stayed in that Outer God's good graces.
Was the Senior Strategic Secretary sent by Silent Starlight's something-or-other, Kai... whatever? No idea. Didn't particularly care to know.
[Constellation, Whispering Star Cluster says not to worry about it.]
"R-Really...? Beatrix contacted me too, asking if it involved you, Constellation..."
Who's Beatrix again? Wait, Beatrix? They're getting chummy fast.
-_-_-_
Federation officials visiting Yuna's home or Beatrix's palace was temporary. Proper business came my way soon enough.
"Yunaaa... Our Constellation wants to meet Star Cluster-nim."
"Oh. Oh. Right!"
"I heard you descended in a temporary body. Photos were up on the avatar community..."
During the avatar exchange Yuna attended. The Constellation she'd later scheduled a meeting with—Sky-Supporting Great Tree. His avatar, Beira, had come to Yuna's house.
[Constellation, Whispering Star Cluster requests of his first avatar.]
"Yesss. Go to that planet and help the Constellation descend, right?"
"Constellation says he understands? Ooo..."
I could only descend near my avatars. And only for very short times, so no helping it.
Its official name: Single Planet Life World Tree.
A Single Planet Restricted Spirit Body, but nearly a full Planet Spirit Constellation. Also called the Planet World Tree, this deity was the tribal god worshipped by Beira's people, the Elrita.
Elrita this, Elrita that. To my eyes, they just looked like elves.
"...Wow. Your Constellation is really huge."
"Huh...? I heard Whispering Star Cluster-nim is a Galaxy Spirit, so isn't he way bigger~?"
Admiration spilled from Yuna's lips as she gazed at the Elrita planet from the fleet's window.
And rightly so. The Constellation's form rooted in the material world was quite majestic.
A deep blue planet. A colossal tree occupying much of its surface. Roots visible even from space. The treetop piercing the atmosphere. The whole planet seemed made of soil around the tree's roots.
"But, Beira. We're the same human species, so why do you Elrita planet-folk have long ears? Because the Planet World Tree protects you?"
"Yeah. I heard it's a genetic mutation from the start..."
Pale skin. Elongated ears. Beautiful features, nature affinity. And so on. Elrita planet-folk bore all the traits of elves I knew, influenced strongly by the Planet World Tree from birth.
Mutations at the genetic level from distant ancestors, breeding of the mutated stock, growing up eating plants and animals influenced by the Planet World Tree... Repeated cycles made their appearance diverge from standard humanity.
"Doesn't the Sky-Supporting Great Tree only contract with your planet's people?"
"Of course! People from other planets couldn't wield the Great Tree-nim's power properly anyway?!"
Yuna and Beira disembarked the fleet and headed somewhere. Even in this SF setting, the Constellation's autonomy shone in the cityscape.
Houses using the Great Tree's body featured magnetic elevators. An avatar stroked a plant while chatting with it on the street. Planet-folk in cutting-edge nano-clothing mimicking ancient leaf garb smiled as they passed. A merchant hawked cyber-core stabilizers made from the Great Tree's fruit; tourists bought autonomous wooden figurines elsewhere.
"We're heeere... This is the 7th audience chamber where you can talk to Sky-Supporting Great Tree-nim!"
"Audience chamber?!"
"It's called that, but really, just apply for a visit and he'll see you! The conditions are a bit... strict, though. Hehe."
At the entrance to a building large enough to occupy a city block. Beira, the Great Tree's avatar, pulled out her ID and passed inspection.
"Ah, Avatar Beira-nim. Hello."
"Off to see Sky-Supporting Great Tree-nim again today?"
"As expected, so favored..."
Beira exchanged greetings with those who recognized her. The final spot she paused was connected to the Planet World Tree's base. Known as the audience chamber.
> [Avatar Beira confirmed.]
"Hello! Sky-Supporting Great Tree-nim!"
Evidently very close to her Constellation, Beira greeted energetically as she entered. Then, to Yuna cautiously following...
"I told you not to call me that. Tsk tsk."
The voice boomed from part of the massive tree. From an endless pillar occupying one side of the building. The tone of an aged man, weary with annoyance and displeasure.
"Tch. I said call me World Tree-nim...! These days' High Templars are so..."
A familiar speech pattern from somewhere?