Chapter 52

The ground was spongy, squelching under his bare feet as Kai followed the group into the jungle. The wet leaves of the trees and shrubbery reflected the sparse rays of light that made it through the green canopies.

The smells of greenery and earth were intensified by the recent rain. The occasional droplet trickled down with a quiet tap when it met leaves or their heads. The sound added a new note to the melody of the jungle, made up of the rustling breeze and the early calls of the numerous inhabitants of the forest.

The Veeryd expanse certainly had its charm. Looking around, Kai could forget about everything else. The air was filled with the smell of life and new growth.

It wasn’t anything special and yet it was. How many times did he get the chance to visit a completely untouched place back on Earth? Even here on the archipelago, there were few places as immaculate and filled with life.

Everything felt perfect. Then the whispers of the other kids broke the spell. A few were giving him weird looks, others chatted among themselves. Elder Soluli resigned himself to the fact this was the best he could achieve. Not even the gaze of the spirits was enough to keep a bunch of seven-year-olds completely quiet.

“Keep up,” the hunter closing the group told him, giving him a light shove. Kai barely stopped himself from glaring and increased his pace.

A child from old town asked how much farther they needed to go. No more than two minutes had passed, but patience was not something kids knew of. A hard look from the elder was enough to tell him that he was pushing the line. The kid fell back amidst his chuckling companions with a castigated expression.

No one else raised the question, even if Kai could feel they were all wondering about it.

Kai walked beside Telu. The chubby kid threw him a look, trying to start a whispered conversation, but a grunt from the hunter behind them was enough to silence him.

Chill out, dude. Even Moui is more affable than this guy.

He threw a sympathetic look at his chatty fellow, internally glad to be spared from making small talk.

As the minutes passed and they went deeper, Kai became aware of the suffocating humidity; sweat on his skin and insects buzzing annoyingly close to his mouth and ears. What he wouldn’t give to possess Moui’s skill to keep away any sort of flying nuisance. The hunter guy he was stuck with appeared to be an inferior copy even in that aspect.

The hike went on longer than was comfortable. Two more kids attempted to ask how much farther they had to walk before the elder finally stopped. Kai looked ahead, curious. He couldn’t see anything that stood out, only more trees and vegetation. There must be something, since Elder Soluli assumed an even more solemn and pompous tone when he turned to address them.

“We’re almost there. Must I remind you to show respect?” His gaze lingered on every single kid. “You don’t want to dishonor your family and ancestors, do you?”

The mayor’s stern gaze lasted for a few more seconds before he softened his tone a little. “If you behave properly and show promise, you might gain the favor of the great spirit, Yatei. There is no honor greater than that.”

After his words had time to sink in, Elder Soluli straightened his posture and led them forward. The kids did their best to imitate his gait with varying degrees of success. Kai fought hard to suppress a chuckle. That would most certainly be considered disrespectful.

As they moved beyond a thick bush, pushing aside a branch, Kai almost bumped into Telu. Raising his gaze, he understood why he had stopped.

A colossal tree towered above everything else. Its trunk looked bigger than his house. A sea of roots extended for dozens of meters in all directions, forming some kind of open meadow in the thick jungle. Its branches stretched overhead, covering the sky with a vibrant green ceiling.

The canopy was closer than he expected. Since the trunk was so massive, he imagined the tree would be impossibly tall too. Vines hung from its branches all the way to the ground. With a glance, Kai saw birds and monkeys moving among the large green leaves.

His skin tingled, even the mana was slightly thicker around here. Activating Mana Sense, Kai was astonished by the thick currents moving through the roots. The main trunk was outside the range of his skill, which was probably a blessing in disguise. He needed to tune his ability carefully if he didn’t want to cause himself a splitting headache.

Elder Soluli cleared his throat, getting their attention. Kai closed his mouth and recomposed himself. He didn’t know if the spirits were truly watching, but this place had an undeniable sacred feel to it.

Soluli performed a deep bow to the tree, before moving his attention to them. The children from old town imitated the gesture almost in unison. Kai rolled his eyes inwardly and did his most elegant bow. The kids from new town quickly caught on. Their bows had not been prepared beforehand, they were clumsy and not nearly as synchronized.

Kai heard a chuckle from the opposing group of children, but the elder kept quiet.

So much for being silent and respectful. Not sure who is the kid in this situation.

He gave Soluli his most disapproving look for the pathetic power play. He did not want to attract attention to himself, but sometimes it was worth taking the risk.

For better or worse, the elder had already turned around. “Follow me in a line and be careful where you step.”

As they moved closer, the roots of the massive tree combined into thicker and larger knobby wooden columns. The ground was becoming more wood than dirt, the wetness of the jungle not making it any easier. Being barefooted helped a little, but more than one kid slipped despite all the caution. Kai saved Telu from a fall in the nick of time.

“Thank you,” the bowl haircut kid said gratefully.

“No problem.” Kai smiled. “Let me go first and look where I step.”

He took the lead and kept a close eye to make sure Telu didn’t trip.

The base of the tree wasn’t far, but as the roots began to reach his waist, the elder led them through a complicated looping path. Confidently walking through the maze of roots like it was a morning stroll in his backyard. Kai wasn’t impressed.

A bit easy when you’re against seven-year-olds with a fraction of your stats.

Ignoring the elder’s nonsense, he focused on the growing mana currents flowing through the network of roots that stretched underground well beyond his range.

If the quantity of mana was anything to go by, the tree must have reached three or four grades higher than him. Kai was confident that wasn’t the case. Its massive size must be part of the answer. He had been endlessly frustrated by the fact a smaller body meant less mana.

Is it heretical to study a sacred tree?

Such a powerful plant would be invaluable no matter what little use it had. The Republic had already shown they would not be stopped by religious or cultural significance to make a profit. So there were probably other reasons why it had been left alone.

The roots were now taller than him, forming a veritable maze. Before Kai could come to any conclusion, they reached the trunk. The elder led them through a huge arc of roots reaching a surprisingly empty area.

The mana was twice as dense here and Kai could finally take a closer look at the trunk. A wall of knobby wood that spoke of ancient times. He wouldn’t be surprised if the tree was thousands of years old. He carefully opened his senses to the blinding pillar of light in front of him.

How foolish and arrogant he was to think he could understand it. Even using Mana Sense at the minimum possible level, his mind was overwhelmed. He could only stare in complete awe, confident the tree was yellow grade or higher.

Kai would have loved to bask in the presence of the tree for hours, but the mayor was about to start another long-winded speech. “I’m sure you can all feel the presence of the spirits,” Elder Soluli started, bringing him back to reality.

“All over the entire Baquaire Archipelago, on their seventh birthday, children thank Yatei for giving them a home and ask for guidance to lead their steps into adulthood. Greenside does this too, but our town has a special relationship with the great spirit of the land. Some of you might already know this story.” His gaze moved to the old town children fondly. “Some of you do not, so listen to every word carefully.”

Waiting for all the children’s focus to be on him, the elder started narrating. “Hundreds of years ago, many generations before mine, our ancestors were shipwrecked on these shores. With nothing but jungle for miles and miles in every direction. Desperate for a solution, they prayed to the spirits for guidance.

“After three whole days, there was still no sign. The little food they managed to salvage from their ship had been consumed to the last crumb. However, our ancestors had faith in the spirits. Even when their conditions worsened, they continued to wait for the spirits’ sign, swearing they would spend their life repaying the debt if they were saved.

“Taking pity on their plight, Yatei sent them a vision on the seventh night. A path through the jungle they had to take if they wanted to be saved. The path led them into the Veeryd jungle, a place none of them had dared venture into before. Trusting the spirit vision, they didn’t hesitate to continue.

“No beasts dared attack them. Yatei protected them, leading them here.” The elder reverently touched the trunk. “As they saw the great tree, they knew their prayers had been answered. From its branches hung large juicy fruits, a single bite enough to satiate them for a week.

“Thanking Yatei for his generosity, our ancestors understood they didn’t need to fear the jungle as long as they remained faithful to the spirits. They spilled their blood on the great tree, swearing an oath they would make this place their new home. In honor of the great spirit who saved them, they founded Greenside.

“It’s tradition for each new generation to come here after their seventh birthday to thank Yatei and ask the great spirit for guidance. Now it’s your turn.”

Elder Soluli concluded his story, the children making sounds of awe.

Kai wasn’t convinced. The story left out a lot of details. For one, he saw no sign of fruits. Greenside had been a completely unremarkable village before the Republic stuffed it full of people. Some may argue it still was. Not really screaming the chosen town of the great spirit.

Maybe he was just annoyed by the elder’s attitude. Hiding his thoughts with Acting, Kai listened in silence as the mayor sang the praises of the spirits and Greenside for a while longer.

After he was finished, the seven-year-olds formed a line before the trunk to say the oath and thank Yatei. Kai was the last of the new town kids, which meant the last of all. Elder Soluli pricked the index finger of each child with a knife to spill a drop of blood on the trunk.

When it was his turn, Kai stepped forward and offered his hand. His lips pressed into a thin line as the mayor pierced his finger deeper than felt necessary.

Damn, old geezer!

Suppressing a curse, Kai stepped closer to the massive trunk. There was a darker spot where generations of children had let their blood spill on the old wood. Kai put his hand in the same spot. Eager to get this over.

“I thank the great spirit of the land, Yatei, for giving us a home and a land to live on. I swear to honor him with my actions. May his wisdom light my path into adulthood,” Kai recited with a clear voice.

This close to the tree, he could feel its powerful mana tingle on his fingers. He was small and insignificant in front of such an unfathomable entity.

A small filament of mana separated from the current and reached out from the tree for his hand. Before he understood what was happening, the tendril connected with him. A wave of mana swept through him, his brain unable to form any coherent thought.

When his mind cleared, he found himself staring at the leafy branches of the great tree above. Then a much less pleasant face appeared in his vision. Elder Soluli looked down at him.

He must have blacked out for a few seconds. An uncomfortable root was digging into his spine. Kai slowly climbed back to his feet, checking himself over. Everything felt fine, other than a small bruise on his arm from the fall. The cut on his index finger hurt worse than that.

The mayor was saying something, but Kai’s thoughts were focused on the pinging light of a new notification.

*Ding*

The great spirit, Yatei, has heard your oath and judged you worthy. A blessing has been bestowed upon you!

You are awarded: +3 Favor!