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Year 84 Month 6

“Master, right now on your dashboard, there’s the following outstanding items. 

One, extending to Giant Lilypod city. Two, finding a new location to set up a second town. Third, finding more magical leylines for more soul-forge upgrades. Four, acquire research and upgrade materials for us. Five, demonic research and telco tower further research. Six, blood ritual observation and related hex research. Seven, prepare for demon king surprises. Eight, work on Jura’s soul vitality and level cap. Nine, research potential anti-demonic objects to create super-anti demonic weapons. Ten, upgrading the faeces, refuse processing and absorption. Eleven....”

Trevor went on. But I had gotten it. I had a lot on my big wooden plate, and well, I tend to forget things a lot. Even though trees are supposed to remember things, because of how they are ‘burned’ into our tree rings. 

So, let’s go back on the list.

I’m working on the extension to the Giant Lilypod city, and well, I should be there in one month. After that, I’m hoping to establish some means of contact, if we are able to ‘telepathically’ connect, if not, I might try to connect my roots directly. 

Would that be too risky? What if it’s more powerful than me and the energy in it’s roots attempt to take over me instead? A direct root connection is after all a two-way exchange of information, magic and nutrients... it’s almost as if two trees are ‘married’. Thinking about it, I decided I probably should not connect my roots directly.

But then again, my roots are everywhere. Even treefolks have been somewhat connected to me, their roots frequently touching and making contact. It’s only thanks to my [rootnet] that so far, I’ve not been massively disturbed.

Perhaps, a fellow tree spirit of that level can overpower and brute force through my [rootnet]’s defenses. 

And what do I even say to a fellow tree spirit? Like... hi? 

Feeling a little bit concerned about my competence at communicating, I asked Jura. “Jura, do we have historical records of past encounters with great spirits? Can I have their stories?”

“Oh... we’ll need to ask the various guilds, but sure.” Jura nodded. “Is something happening? Last month was about demon king’s movement, and this month ancient spirits...”

“I just have some... thoughts.”

Jura nodded. “It’s costing us a bit of money to do these sort of searches, since there’s no central library where all these things are stored.”

And that’s a problem, isn’t it? Wikipedia’s awesome. This world needs a wikipedia. Maybe I can set up a large network of trees that function as terminals for people to upload information. I’d call them... treeminals. Wait. Sounds too much like criminals. Intreeface? No, sounds too much like In Tree’s Face. Or maybe, Wikitree? Treewiki?

Eeek.

Never mind. I’m getting distracted. I need a 101 on how to communicate with other spirits. 

-

Second, was the location expansion. Some of them didn’t get the idea of why I wanted to search for potentially habitable locations, but it was quite obvious to the more clever ones. 

“Aeon’s looking to germinate?”

“Will there be a second Aeon?”

“Can Tree Spirits multiply? Is Aeon making a special tree?”

Okay. I think they misunderstood. I have giant trees, why don’t they ask whether those are my babies? I even have subsidiary trees, or do they think those are just ‘normal trees’. Or is it the way I asked?

There’s actually a few places, a bit further, that’s in sort-of no-mans land thanks to the fall of some cities to the demons. After all, if demons happen every 10 years, your continent isn’t going to be densely populated all the time. There’s going to be large patches where the fires have burned for so long, for so much, that 10 years won’t reverse that kind of damage. It’ll take a lot longer than that.

Far north, there’s another valley where there’s a river running through it, and some metals in the gentle, rolling hills. A rather pleasant valley, but uninhabited. There’s also a few others, but I like this valley the most, so I decided to also stretch a few trees there, and then placed one [giant attendant tree] in it. Over time, I would like this to be like the Valthorn’s actual ‘academy’, the Root Camp, where young Valthorns learn their roots. 

These [giant attendant trees] are wonderful in their own way, their large number of [customisable rooms] meant one giant tree could house easily 100 people, and another giant tree could be converted into barracks and all the other things the Valthorns need. I recall having trading cards where massive trees were the superstructures and skyscrapers of the world, and these giant trees are my closest attempt at them.

Perhaps, one day these giant trees could even be ancients, like in Warcraft, and fight wars on my behalf. 

Maybe I should get some Treefolks into the Valthorns too.

Speaking of Treefolks... my research into their fallen was quite insightful. They are built just like any normal ‘flexible’ limb, just that their texture is woody, and their organs are distributed. They do have organs, and their means of absorbing nutrients via their rooted form is a very fancy thing. 

But, the younger treefolks, those who benefited from my special saps and ‘milk’, are growing up and now we are able to get a clearer comparison of those who went for the longer ‘pregnancy’ versus those who went for the shorter ‘external’ gestation period. The saps close the gaps by close to 50-60%, so the saps significantly improve the treefolk’s reproduction, because now the ‘drawbacks’ of the high-volume external gestation is reduced.

Of course, the whole point of looking into them was to find out how to ‘develop’ flexible wooden parts. Yet, I believe Meela’s tree-form was a lot more interesting, in that Meela’s treeform resembled a quasi-liquid thing with a wooden layer, whereas the treefolks have more distinct ‘muscles’. 

What I’d like to do is incorporate these muscles and stuff into the giant trees, and essentially build my own ‘treant’. With an artificial soul in it, I could probably get a super-tank.

Which reminds me... what happens if I fuse an artificial soul with a giant tree? Do they become mini-versions of me?

Anyway, back to the list. The leylines... well, I think the nearest one to me is where the demon supercannon was, but the heroes had already placed a telco tower there after they defeated the demon. Maybe the Giant Lilypod’s spirit will know more.

Research and upgrades are on the way! The merchants need some time before things get back to ‘business as usual’. The presence of demons and demon kings are still quite disruptive, and the long period of when businesses essentially were ‘dead’ meant alot of merchants ran into financial problems. Ah, the realities of business. I suppose it’s harder to be a billionaire in a world where the demon king might just wipe you out every 10 years. Businesses need long periods of growth, stability!

Unless one’s a war merchant. There should be bankers or war merchants, right? I don’t believe a world like this doesn’t have it’s Rothschild’s equivalent. 

“Are there... merchants who fund wars?”

Jura scratched his chin, “Uh... yeah? But usually they are a nobility as well...”

Yup. This world is fucked.

Year 84 Month 7

“Pleased to meet you, Lady Lausanne, the Chosen of Aeon.” The baker boy bowed. He wasn’t good at it. 

Lausanne didn’t react. She merely got into position, and lifted her sparring short-spear, Thorny’s on her back. She’s getting taller. “Come.”

They were sparring. 

The baker boy nodded, and attacked with a wooden sword. He swung with all his might, but then somehow his leg got tangled with Lausanne’s spear and he fell flat into the soft wooden floor. 

Lausanne shrugged. “Again?”

The baker boy got up and nodded. “Yes.” And he was easily defeated. Multiple times. 

“Alright. Time’s up.” Lausanne said, and then walked away to spar with the next person. There’s many more to train. 

Then Jura walked in. “Everyone, we’ve got new instructions from Aeon. We’re forming a squad. Lausanne, pick 50. We’re going on a trip. Everyone pack up enough supplies for 2 weeks.”

“Where are we going?” 

“Aeon’s instructions is to head to a giant tree grove located at one of the northwestern valleys. There’s accommodation, but we will camp out there.”

“That’s...”

“I’ll give you further details. Later. Aeon did tell me a bit.” In public, both Jura and Lausanne referred to me as Aeon, because well, it’s just my ‘public’ and ‘divine’ name. All of them were given about two hours to pack for 2 weeks, and off they went. As Valthorns, they are all expected to be deployed as soon as they can. 

The Valthorn quarters are now vacant, and the baker boy is left with the rest who wasn’t selected. A young girl, about the baker boy’s age came up.

“Hi, I saw you just now. Let’s practice!” 

The baker boy nodded. “Okay.” He wasn’t that good, but he’s improving. 

Roma walked in a bit later with Yvon. “Oh, where’d everyone go?” Yvon asked, and one of the older caretakers explained Jura’s instructions. 

“Oh, mom, this is the friend I’m talking about. Nero. Meet my mom, Mom, meet Nero.”

“Hello, Nero.” Yvon smiled at the baker boy, he’s slightly taller than Roma. “Finally I get to meet the boy that’s been making my son gain all that weight.”

“Uh...”

“I’m kidding. Alright. Come, let’s practice. Let’s see whether you can learn some combat skills.”

-

It’s quite therapeutic to use my ‘bloom’, and create new patches of trees. Vast barren, destroyed lands, and with a bit of tender loving care from me and my artificial minds, transformed into scenic watering holes and oases. 

As my network of trees stretch further, I’m now exposed to slightly different climates as well. Further to the south, the air is hotter, drier, and so my trees have to adapt. They share a portion of my environmental adaptations, so they won’t die, just not functioning at 100%. It’s interesting to see the subtle changes in vegetation further south, and I wonder whether there’s been any proper studies into the effects of magic, and the multiple-moons, on this world’s plants. 

Warmer, warmer. Another tree, another tree, and every other day I cross a chain of hills, on the way to meet another spirit. 

But it seemed that we met a lot earlier. 

< A visitor from afar , yet so familiar > 

Huh? There are voices. Not one, but many. It’s as if it’s a choir in the background, with one person occasionally taking the lead. The sudden presence of that voice jolted me from my usual daze. I feel like I’m in a trance when I’m expanding my presence and network, so, that voice really knocked me out. 

< He brings the greening of the lands , and yet also it’s destruction >

Wait, I’m about 2-3 days away from Giant Lilypod. Is this the voice of the Giant Lilypod? Who am I talking to?

< One of us , one of many >

Is that the Giant Lilypod? I attempt to respond. > Hello! <

< The words of mortals , and he speaks like one >

I paused. Maybe I should speak the same way. > I come in peace <

< Peace is but one of many states. But it is welcome >

What? > I am Aeon, A Tree Spirit. I greet thee < I tried to respond, but it’s hard to even speak the way they do. They clearly understand the language differently. I hope, if anything, that I do not offend them.

< A greeting like a mortal. Strange, but we accept. Greetings, Aeon. > 

I didn’t know what to say. Is this how the others are when they speak to me?

< We are the Lilies of the Lake, We are one and We are many >

So... the Giant Lilypod City is a hivemind? I kept on my journey. I want to physically see their body, how they are like, how they look like. 

< Come , the world is for all of us > 

It seems the Lilies have a larger telepathic communication range than I do, since it picked up my presence long before I did, is it because it’s a hive mind? 

< Tell us of the world outside the lake >

It talked while I kept up my network of trees. > It is big and there are monsters everywhere <

<Beasts roam wherever we go >

> And there are demons < Well, I thought of testing it’s knowledge of demons. 

< ... > I heard a long droning sound in my head, and I had to forcefully cut it off using my [grand mind tree]. It went on for quite a while, and it lingered. 

> Heroes have appeared to fight them <

< ... >

The droning continued, and then faded. I wonder what’s on such a hive mind’s mind, and clearly, I fail to understand it. 

‘Perhaps it is like us, master. Only that they all get to speak.’

< A Medicine That May Kill , A Choice of Desperation >

I’m starting to suspect I’ll struggle to get along with this fellow.... Tree spirit. Or tree spirits? 

> How should I refer to you <

< We are Lilies , We are many >

That’s... > Hello Lilies <

< Hello... Aeon> It sounded like those two words really took a lot of out of them. Perhaps they are not used to this sort of interaction?

And silence. I was quite comfortable with the silence, and clearly, so was Lilies. It seemed both of us being... plants, silence didn’t make us uncomfortable. In fact, it was quite... relaxing 

< You sought us out , why? >

> My... disciple needs your blessing < I wasn’t sure how to refer to Lausanne. Is she my minion, or is she a disciple? Or is she... a personal representative? What would she call herself in reference to me? Is she a subordinate then? Or just an employee?

< A blessing from us? >

> Yes <

< Strange. >

Is it strange? > Why? < Do people not get blessings from their tree spirits?

< Bless? Why? > 

> Why? < What. Trees don’t give blessings?

< Seems the mortal minds have tainted the thoughts > 

I am starting to think I made a wrong decision of talking to this tree spirit. Or even attempting to get close. Their lake is still far away, and yet it already knows I am here? It must have something similar to subsidiary trees. 

< Nature’s cycles of life comes and goes. Individuals are but specks, motes on a sunbeam, so long as the whole continues to grow. Like leaves, shed them when they are no longer needed. Focus on the whole, the... ‘ecosystem’. To focus on individuals, a single tree, is but a mortals’ way >

> Then grant your familiar to this one, as part of a whole <

< He who wishes to taste the highest fruits must make the climb, the gates are open >

It took another few more days, and I eventually reached the edge of the lake. And I had to see it for myself, so I used one of my few physical eyes. The lake was vast, and it stretched really far. And the Giant Lilypod is essentially a city around a massive moat, the lake itself. 

There’s a ‘bridge’ that connected the shore to the main city, but the city is actually all built on massive, like... multiple-building-sized giant water lily leaves. The largest of those leaves are larger than city blocks, and there are smaller but still giant lily-pads that acted as a landbridge, and visually, these lily-pads closer to shore are more... thorny, as if they are ready to spring a trap at any time. 

< Welcome, Aeon from afar. This is Lake Lilypod, and the mortal city of Giant Lilypod stands on my 26,485 lily pads. Home to 615,000. > 

Each lily pads acted as it’s own ‘district’, and together they form the city. There are three landbridges, formed by the lily pads, and it’s clearly fortified. The humans that live here also build massive forts around the entrances of all 3 bridges.

At 26,000 lily pads, I’m inclined to think that it’s probably it’s version of the [subsidiary tree]? 

> What do you do, when the demons come for you? <

< Like fire, a cycle of destruction and rebirth. Let it be > 

Heh. Well, from what I can see, it looks like this spirit is more than happy to let the lily pads burn? 

> How many years have you been here? <

It didn’t answer me. Maybe it’s sensitive. We didn’t speak for days, as I went about my other tasks. 

-

Madeus and a few others were gathered, Lausanne was there too, since I think it’d be relevant to her. The history of the Giant Lilypod city in it’s initial stages is lacking, but it is said that the city and the lake is greatly intertwined. The lilies that blossomed in the lake had been attacked by demons many times, and often, the lilies would be destroyed. Some of the lilies, those further inland, are about to close and ‘submerge’ to hide-away from the demons.

This is of course, aided by the fact that the demons can’t seem to walk in water, and the waters of the lake are filled with monstrous vines and floating things. There are also giant fish and other lake-monsters living in there that would attack any demon that goes into the water. 

So essentially, they hide, and the massive lake act as a giant moat, because these stupid demons are not well adapted to underwater combat. The massive lilies are also extremely resilient and so they can take multiple hits and bombardments, they have to be, because the city is built on it. Even if the lilies are destroyed, because the core body of the lily is underwater and probably a large network of tubers and roots that’s not exactly destroyed, it can just regenerate after every destruction. It’s literally a water-weed, that waits for the demonic ‘disaster’ to go away. 

Of course, I wonder what level it is. 

No one knows, and apparently, no one knows whether the Lilies can communicate. The druids apparently has attempted to communicate, but they can’t even reach it, other than ‘sensing’ that it briefly exists.

So, hiding it’s main body is a smart thing. Maybe I should do that too. 

Of course, this also exposed one of the druid’s lies. They can’t communicate with other tree spirits and yet promise such a thing to me? Or is it just Lilies that is being unnaturally shy?

Or maybe it does communicate, but it just does so very, very selectively? 

After that conversation about the history of that city, Lausanne came and asked me about it. “TreeTree, do you think I should go to Giant Lilypod City? Nobody has even found how to communicate with the spirit yet.”

“Probably... not. Let’s see whether there are other spirits we can communicate with.”

The next one would be the elven capital’s tree spirit. I think that one is probably younger that the Lilies, but it also has a few hundred years of history to it. 

“But you won’t mind waiting, right?”

Lausanne nodded. “It’s fine. I want to learn more about travelling, before making the journey. I feel like all my life I’ve been here, mom says I need more... uh.. Life experience. I’m too young in her eyes.”

“Moms will always view you are their children. It is just the way they are. Talk to her and convince her otherwise.”