Chapter 11
The Evergreen Tree, a sentinel of ages past, shuddered with an unnatural tremor. Her ancient bark, normally serene and steadfast, rippled with a sense of foreboding. Something had disturbed the delicate balance she had worked so hard to maintain.
"Hmm! What's happening with the barrier?" The Evergreen Tree's consciousness probed the mystical barrier that isolated the forest from the outside world, detecting a slight disturbance.
Reaching out with her senses, she found the source of the disturbance. Her heart ached as she saw Igor in a critical situation, tears streaming down his face. The devastation he had caused was incomprehensible, a stark contrast to the otherwise serene forest.
"My son!" she cried out in distress. Seeing her beloved child in such agony that made her heart ache. She could feel his inner turmoil. The destruction caused by his uncontrollable power was vast, and she instantly understood the cause.
"So, your words came true after all!" she murmured, recalling someone's prophecies from the past. "Are you the reason behind his sudden awakening? Hahaha, and here I was trying to suppress it like a fool all along. You must be having a lot of fun playing me like this, right?" Her voice echoed with bitterness and sorrow.
She felt immense sadness, realizing what was to come. The destiny she had hoped to avoid for her son was now unfolding. "Why can't he live a normal life? Is it too much to ask? Or is it all predestined like chess pieces?" She gave a bitter laugh, her branches trembling with emotion.
Reaching out, she extended a small branch toward the disturbance, to stop her son's suffering as soon as possible.
***
Back at the scene of the destruction, the White Tigers Village Chief arrived in haste, responding to the distress call. His eyes widened at the sight before him: utter devastation and chaos, a stark contrast to the peaceful forest he knew.
"Oh Lord! What happened here?" he exclaimed, his voice filled with shock and disbelief.
"Village Chief, you're here! Finally!" Raelan called out, relief evident in his voice. "We all ate a strange fruit, and these mutations happened. It's also the reason behind Igor's strange transformation."
The Village Chief, Ryou, looked at Igor's devil-like form with astonishment. Igor's skin had turned a blood-red color, streaked with dark shades, his eyes glowing with an unholy light. He seemed caught between worlds, part human, part something else entirely.
"Evil and darkness together? What is this creature?" Village Chief Ryou muttered, barely comprehending the sight before him.
"Step back!" he shouted, deciding to take action. If the devastation continued, their village could be next. He couldn't allow that to happen.
Ryou gathered his strength, summoning the power of the White Tigers. "White Tiger's Holy Roar!" He opened his mouth and released a beam of concentrated holy light aimed at the black hole that Igor had created. The energy surged forward, more powerful than anything Raelan had demonstrated earlier.
However, to Ryou's astonishment, the beam was devoured by the black hole. The powerful attack seemed to vanish into the void, leaving the situation unchanged. "It's absorbing everything!" he realized, his voice tinged with intrigue.
Meanwhile, Igor's friends and Olivia watched helplessly, their fear and anxiety growing. Olivia's heart ached for Igor, who was clearly suffering from this uncontrollable power.
Just as Ryou was about to step forward personally to end this once and for all, a soothing melody of nature itself reached his ear.
"Leave!" A long tree branch appeared, startling everyone, her voice calm. However, if one listened closely, she sounded slightly angry.
"Mother Tree." Village Chief Ryou and others knelt down in respect.
Witnessing this, Olivia was in awe. "Why are they showing such respect to a tree branch?"
Without any chitchat, she arrived near Igor, who could sense her presence, bringing a wave of comfort. "Mama! Save them!"
"My son! You will be fine."
She reached out and gently touched his forehead as she began to transfer some of her energy to complete his awakening, despite not wanting to do so. Fate had rather a unique way of making a mockery of everyone.
Igor felt comfort spreading through his body and he felt really sleepy. What had happened took a toll on his body, making him somewhat exhausted. His mother's gentle caresses drifted him to sleep unknowingly.
After a while, everything came to a standstill as Igor's transformation was over, returning him back to his previous self.
The Evergreen Tree retracted her branch, her leaves rustling with a mixture of relief and sorrow. "You did well, my son," she whispered. "But this is only the beginning."
Olivia, seeing the change in Igor, stepped closer, her expression of relief.
Afterwards, the tree branch coiled around Olivia and Igor's body and started to move backwards where it came from.
"Ahh! Where is it taking me?" Olivia screamed in panic as her silvery white hair fluttered in the wind.
On the other hand, the village chief looked at Raelan and others before saying sternly, "Let's go."
All of them departed, leaving the deep crater of a pond as waters began to fill it from the underground. Maybe in a few days, everyone will see another pond here.
Olivia was stunned to see that they were back at the treehouse atop the Evergreen Tree once again. She found out that it was the Evergreen Tree herself who helped Igor personally. However, she was not given any explanation.
Igor was put on top of the bed carefully, while she was cast aside.
Then, she saw a humanoid spirit of sorts appear inside the house. She looked extremely gorgeous and divine, as if a goddess had descended upon illuminating the dimly lit room.
"So beautiful!" she muttered in awe. "What is her relationship with Igor, actually?"
As if reading her inner thoughts, the divine figure replied, "I am Esclara, I am his mother," the Evergreen Tree spirit said indifferently.
Olivia's mind rumbled hearing the revelation. "A human child of a tree, so strange!"
"H-Hello!" she replied stutteringly.
"Hm... So, Olivia, which continent are you from? Oh, you're from Ignisium Nation, Valeria Continent," Esclara said, revealing the answers as if reading Olivia's thoughts.
Olivia was scared out of her wits. "Can she read her mind, or just thoughts?" She tried to control her thoughts, but in a whirlwind motion, her thoughts became a jumbled mess while trying to control them.
"You have come quite a far way from your place," Esclara said in a grave tone, not caring about Olivia's reactions.
This caught Olivia's attention. "Where am I exactly, auntie?"
"Calling her auntie should be feasible, right?" Olivia thought in doubt.