Planting the Devourer Tree
1124 Words
"The planting of the Ancient Priest Tree doesn’t require much effort. Just find an open area, stick the segmented branches into the ground, and that’s it. After that, you only need to harvest it regularly," Ira explained.
He pointed at the "wood" in front of them, which truly looked just like an ordinary tree trunk. This crop also had branches, twigs, and a trunk, but it lacked leaves, making it appear rather bare.
As the little fairies obediently listened to his explanation, Ira thought it might be best to demonstrate. He softly chanted, activating his ability with his voice:
"[Fourth Winged Pillar: Giant Bee—Wingspan]."
Golden-black mana gathered in the air, forming a slender rapier that Ira grasped in his hand.
Swish, swish, swish—With swift, clean strokes, he sliced off several branches growing from the tree. The Ancient Priest Tree was now reduced to a bare rod, stripped of everything except its main trunk.
"These branches, once inserted into the ground, will take root and grow… assuming there’s sufficient rainfall," Ira continued, smiling as he added a reminder. "Of course, there's no need to deliberately water them—it's unnecessary. When there's enough moisture, the Devourer Tree will sprout on its own."
"Oh, and one more thing—you must never eat them out of curiosity. The Ancient Priest Tree hasn’t been processed yet… Consider it ‘raw.’ And raw Devourer Trees are highly poisonous."
Hearing this warning, a few eager fairies and imps who had been itching to take a bite instantly became obedient. Satisfied, Ira then called out:
"Vera, come here for a moment!"
Upon hearing his summons, Vera pushed past Satania and Shilina, carefully avoiding Mr. Lime, who was keenly observing this new ingredient. She hurried over and asked, "What is it? You need me to accelerate its growth?"
"You're really smart… but before that, bring some rain first."
Ira’s praise earned him an eye roll from Vera. She grumbled, "Even for me, using magic to accelerate plant growth is pretty draining. You were a Royal Mage before, so you should know that my mana recovery rate is one of the slowest among all the Royal Mages."
Despite her complaints, seeing that Ira and the other demons had already backed away, Vera sighed. She closed her eyes, and within her mind, thousands of lines of sacred text and countless formulas flickered. Then, she began to chant:
"Master of All Creation, cast thy gaze upon us. Sun and moon in reverence, heed the call of thy messenger. By the power of my mana, wielding the authority of illusion and fantasy, I weave them together—let miracles manifest!"
As the [Weather Manipulation] spell activated, a concentrated downpour covered only the small patch of land in front of her—an almost comical sight.
But it was precisely because of this level of precision that the skill of a Royal Mage like Vera was undeniable. Her mana recovery might be slow, and her total mana reserves might not be particularly outstanding, but her battles never lasted long anyway.
However, the spellcasting wasn’t over yet.
"Born beneath the stars, mankind exalts the verdant realm. Before the World Tree and the Goddess of Mana, I offer my blood so that Gaia’s vessel may flourish. By the wisdom of the ancients and the brilliance of civilization, I beseech the earth—let the oaks bear their bounty!"
As Vera recited this invocation, she extended her hand. The lifeless blood of a lich, infused with mana, flowed down onto the soil, soaking into the land.
In this world, except for elves, plant-based magic required blood as a catalyst.
Perhaps this unique requirement was tied to the origin of the world’s power—the World Tree.
This was also what set "mana" apart from "magic power."
Although people generally referred to both as "mana," the World Tree itself made a distinction: only the mana of elves was true mana, freely wielded without incantations or additional components. They could manipulate it effortlessly, without any verbal triggers.
"Magic power," on the other hand, was a term derived from "the power of demons"—it was a force learned and adopted by non-elves, all of whom were treated equally under the World Tree’s discrimination.
Or rather, it wasn’t so much discrimination as it was favoritism toward elves.
Over time, however, as "magic power" became widely accepted, even elves began using this term in place of their original distinction.
As Vera’s blood and magic power seeped into the ground, the scattered branches of the Ancient Priest Tree began to grow visibly.
Their roots dug deeper into the earth, greedily absorbing the rainfall and nutrients, transforming into starch-rich, nourishing matter. The tiny twigs and cuttings stretched upward, thickening into proper trunks, until they became identical to the Ancient Priest Tree Ira had previously displayed.
"Hey! Ira, is this enough?" Vera asked.
She was still standing with her arm extended, palm downward, but even though losing a bit of blood wasn’t a huge deal for her, the heavy mana expenditure was beginning to wear on her.
"It’s enough. Thank you," Ira replied.
At the sound of his voice, the rain stopped, and so did the accelerated plant growth. In that instant, dozens of new Ancient Priest Trees stood tall, bearing thick, leafless branches—a bizarre yet impressive sight.
From here, the process would repeat: Cut the branches, plant them, and wait for the next harvest.
This crop was incredibly low-maintenance.
"Haah… haah… I’m exhausted. Seriously, just for your demonstration, I’m completely drained," Vera complained. She hunched over slightly, feeling as though her mana reserves had been sucked dry, then shot an accusing glare at Ira.
"You owe me for this, big time!" she declared.
"…"
"!?"
Satania blinked in confusion, while Shilina’s eyes widened in amusement. She glanced between Ira and Vera before smirking. "Oh? So that’s the kind of relationship you two have?"
"…"
Without missing a beat, Ira met Vera’s gaze, narrowing his eyes dangerously. Then, he suddenly smiled and spoke in an unsettlingly calm voice:
"Alright. Be prepared."
…Prepared for what?
For what exactly?!
In that moment, Vera froze, a sense of dread creeping up her spine. She shrank back slightly, stammering, "W-wait! Ira, I was just joking! Just a joke!"
"Oh?"
Ira chuckled softly, tilting his head as he mockingly stared at her. "Then next time, watch your mouth."
"Otherwise…"
He let the silence stretch before adding with a smirk, "…I'll make you cast Plant Growth every single day."
"…"
"I OBJECT! I OBJECT!!"
"Objection overruled."
"I overrule your overruling!"
"Heh."
To the onlookers…
Ira and Vera’s relationship seemed pretty close, didn’t it?
- Writer
