Magic Ball: the Billionaire in Ranch

6 The world tree?

Noah staggered close to the mysterious pond. Mik jumped right into its crystal-clear waters. Noah watched as he paddled his feet and swam with the orange-colored fishes like he was one of them. The liquid was so transparent that Mik looked like he was flying instead of floating. Usually, ponds were moldy and yellow in appearance, but the one inside the Magic Ball can clearly compete with top-quality beaches. He has never encountered a pond whose waters were as bright as the beaches in the Bahamas and in the Maldives.

Noah wondered how Mik learned how to swim. Did he think that maybe it was an innate skill for dogs? Perhaps all three of his puppies discovered their talent for swimming while he was busy dealing with matters inside his office.

Observing Mik from a distance, Noah’s eyes fleeted to Cole and Ginger, who are lazily rolling on the weeds underneath the enormous tree’s shade. Did he wonder if all three of his puppies consistently drank from the same pond? It’s not like there were more ponds around, though he hasn’t really explored yet how vast this place is. Come to think of it, it’s been three—no, four days since he left them here. He would always bring them food and water because he believed the pond’s water to be lethal to animals, given that its color wasn’t really standard for a healthy pond.

It never occurred to him that his puppies would be tempted to drink from the mysterious pond.

Noah looked above and spotted the tasty looking wild fruits hanging on the enormous tree’s branches.

“Have they also ate those?” the fruit was obviously out of their reach. Noah had this ridiculous thought that maybe they have also learned to climb trees. If they also happen to eat those fruits, Noah thought that it must have something to do with their growth spurt. After all, the three of them would only fit half the length of Noah’s arms.

Peering slowly on the water’s surface, an expression of both amazement and delight reflected on Noah’s face. He hadn’t had the time to discover what this mysterious pond is capable of. He was too busy gushing about and finding ways to sell the Renaissance paintings he found inside the iron cabinet that he had overlooked that there were also other resources in this place that will be of great use for him shortly.

His business trip to Mapple city in the United States is due to happen in a month. That meant he had precisely thirty days to prepare for a presentation and look for an Art Appraisal Institution around the city that would cater to his requests about the Renaissance paintings. He has yet to know the exact value of those landscapes.

The reflection of his brown eyes stared back at his own. He had this urge to scoop water from the pond and see what will happen if he poured it over the grass beneath him. He stood and walked towards the wooden cabin. He noticed that he was becoming familiar with the locations of the rooms inside as he casually made his way to the kitchen near the back door. He was sure he had seen a bucket somewhere here. He dunked his head underneath the kitchen sink and was thrilled to locate the silver bucket on the corner. He grabbed hold of its handle and jogged back to the mysterious pond.

Noah carefully dipped the bucket on the water’s surface. The pond’s crystal clear water slowly entered inside the bucket. He decided to only fill half of it. Ginger nudged her head on his elbows.

Noah turned to face her. “You want water?” Ginger showed her tongue and barked at him. Noah had the impression that she was telling him to give her some of the pond’s water.

“So, you do like drinking from the pond,” Noah confirmed. “Alright, girl. I’m getting you some water,” he scooped a handful of water to his palm and let Ginger drink it. She took her time drinking from his palm. Noah noticed the glow Ginger’s furs emitted—it transformed into the color of strings of gold and copper. Her body length elongated, and her paws grew about a few inches. She now looked as big as Mik.

Noah’s eyes glinted at the revelation. He can now settle that the pond’s water really has an effect when it comes to his puppies’ growth.

Whistling, Cole awoke from his mater’s call. Noah watched as he lazily took his time walking towards them.

Laughing when he arrived, Noah caressed his head, “Aren’t you the sleepy type now?” he scooped water on his palms again and reached it to Cole’s nose. He looked hesitant for a bit, but when he smelled what was in Noah’s palms, he immediately drank every last drop of water he can.

Cole’s hair turned shiny. It darkened to a midnight color, though it didn’t lengthen like Ginger’s. He also grew much more than Mik and Ginger.

“Woah, boy! You’re bigger than your siblings now!” Cole wagged his tail in answer, looking as if he was—if Noah interpreted his actions right—embarrassed, but pleased at the same time. It seems that his puppies, who now looked like they are already months older than they initially are, can also answer and understand what Noah’s telling them.

Enclosing his dogs in a gentle embrace, he said, “Looks like I need to train you so that we could better understand each other!”

Both Cole and Ginger licked each side of his face. Mik noticed the commotion and suddenly swam fast to the surface. He jumped out of the water and shook his fur. Droplets of water splattered on Noah like sprinklers. Mik ran to his side and jumped on him. He got his shirt wet as he laughed heartily.

Noah took the bucket and threw the water over the weeds near the enormous tree. It splattered on the ground nearby and started spreading through its sturdy bark. Suddenly, a hole on the bark started forming and stretched inches below the roots. Noah creased his brow and ran towards it. Water began coming out from the hole. Mik, Ginger, and Cole started barking excitedly at the sight of the water flowing out of the tree’s trunk like a mini waterfall.

Noah lightly glided his hands on the pouring water. It’s the same one with that of the mysterious ponds!

Cole was the first one to sprint towards the tree. Ginger and Mik followed behind him, their barks echoing around the farmyard. Soon, the three of them ran in the pouring water as they excitedly bathed like children who are having fun playing outside on a rainy day, each of them waiting for their turn.

Noah watched from a nearby distance how three of his puppies grew inches once more, their fur either growing, glowing or turning like the texture of silk. They are practically becoming adult-looking dogs by the time he yelled at them to stop playing as the ground around the enormous tree softened like dense mud from the water that came out of the spring inside the tree.

The mysterious pond’s water creates a hole at the tree’s trunk. Springwater comes out of the breach, and it can cover and dampen the ground around the enormous tree. It’s like a whole new world existed inside it: there’s water, soil, and wild fruits.

“I’m going to call you the World Tree,” Noah smiled as he pressed his palms on its bark. Was it too much to name the tree? He didn’t know what kind of tree it was. What better way than to name it himself? It did look like an oak tree, but it somehow also looks like the spooky, huge trees on a scary cartoon movie at night.

The following day, Noah left his three puppies with food before he went out to shop for groceries. He thought about strolling the puppies in his world so that their experience will not only be limited inside the Magic Ball. Noah also wants them to be familiar with the outside world—the human world, as he sees it now, knowing that he also has another world inside his room enclosed in a small box Noah bought at a stationery store a few days after he has found it.

The door to the grocery store opened automatically when he stepped on the welcome mat the store provided. He was greeted cheerfully by the cashier whose table was stationed next to the entrance.

After grabbing a small cart, Noah walked straight towards the food section. Several greeneries were displayed neatly in each part he would pass at. Noah grabbed variations of vegetables he plans on storing for an entire week. He watched earlier on the news that there was an upcoming storm tomorrow, so he decided to buy food in advance, just in case he wouldn’t be able to make his way to the grocery due to heavy rainfall. His mother would have been proud to see his son going around like a single father of three puppies. His siblings would have laughed, though. He would be teased by them to no end.

Grabbing three whole cabbages, Noah noticed that there was a section for planting on the rear corner next to the Eggs and Meat section. He turned his cart around and headed straight to the signage that says Seeds for Planting. He thought of the yard inside his Magic Ball. Noah estimated that the size of the yard could be suitable for planting at least one lane of a particular vegetable that’s easy to grow. He thought he better start cleaning the yard by taking out the tall weeds and flattening the ground. Maybe he should ask farmers how they can make their soil healthy and able to grow vegetables?

“Would that be a lot of work?” he mumbled to himself while scanning the section for Cabbage Seeds as he considers which type or brand would be the easiest to plant and tend to. He was a newbie at this kind of stuff. Testing the waters of what he can accurately do was the most he’s capable of right now.

In the end, Noah bought several packages of carrot, eggplant, and cabbage seeds. He would have to research more about planting, especially if he wants this mini-project of his to be a success.

The spring water that came out of the World Tree’s trunk came to Noah’s mind. He suddenly had this brilliant and exciting idea on how he can water his vegetables without going back and forth inside the Magic Ball. Although he has mastered quite a bit the telekinesis ability manipulating objects and animals inside it. He thinks that he can dig a hole around the World Tree, fill it with ample water gushing out from the hole on its trunk, and attach a tube that would connect to as a sprinkler to water the plants. 

After paying for his purchases, Noah stepped out of the grocery store filled with creative ideas for his farmyard.

When he went back inside the Magic Ball, Noah noticed that the spring water from the World Tree had stopped releasing water from the tree’s trunk. He’s fully geared right now. With his gloves and hat, Noah began plucking the weeds around the World Tree. Wiping the sweat around his forehead with a towel, Noah turned around as he heard Ginger’s energetic bark. Noah noticed that she’s beginning to be more active than when he first bought her from the family standing outside the fishing gear shop.

Noah patted her head and proceeded with weeding out the land around the World Tree. His eyes bulged when he noticed that the area he managed to remove the weeds had sprouted another in place of the one he plucked earlier. He tried plucking one, and in a blink of an eye, it grew another one in place.