It had been a while since the shrine was placed on the eighth floor, but immediate changes were not forthcoming.
The World Tree itself was special. Leveraging the tree’s properties allowed it to regulate the flow of ley lines, causing spirits to gather quickly in response. This, in turn, promoted the World Tree’s growth, creating a virtuous cycle.
On the other hand, regarding the shrine, it was merely a building that had been installed. Unlike with the World Tree, spirits were not expected to gather immediately. However, it was said to be far more effective than leaving it in its natural state. Colette believed that time would eventually resolve the issue.
By the way, if no one tended to it, it would truly become just an inanimate object. Therefore, it was crucial to manage it properly, unlike ordinary shrines. The buildings constructed in the floors inhabited by summoned monsters had been neglected until now, meaning they had become dirty.
While there were no plans for humans to use them in the future, leading to their neglect, the shrine on the eighth floor could not be left in such a state. This was because neglected structures were eventually considered natural objects, which would diminish their effectiveness. Proper management and further enhancements were necessary to attract spirits.
Consequently, personnel were needed to manage the shrine, and it was decided that Wanri would be trained for this role. Silvia would serve as the instructor for the time being. Though “instructor,” it primarily involved teaching how to clean the shrine. The goal was to gather spirits, so there was no point in introducing human religious practices. The objective was simply to prevent the shrine from being damaged. As an imposing shrine had been built on impulse, more hands might be needed in the future. Silvia mentioned that it should be fine for the time being, so that matter was set aside for later consideration.
In addition to the shrine, various improvements had been made to the floors where summoned monsters resided. While no significant changes were expected, the number of summoned monsters themselves and the Sacred Rocks had been increased. Each floor now had over a hundred summoned monsters. Consequently, the subjugation of Intermediate Monsters summoned through summoning circles had also increased. The levels of the summoned monsters had risen due to the subjugation of Intermediate Monsters, leading to a steady increase in the number of higher-tier summoned monsters.
The current state of each floor is as follows:
* **7th Floor:** Grey Wolf pack, [Small Spring (Holy Water), Stable] x3, Sacred Rock x6, Tens of Black Wolves (approximately 100 wolves in total)
* **8th Floor:** Fox spirit pack, [Small Spring (Holy Water), Stable, Shrine (very small)] x3, Shrine (large), Sacred Rock, Fragment of the Sun, Fragment of the Moon, Fragment of the Stars, Multi-tailed Fox, Tens of Tenko, Tens of Jiko (approximately 100 foxes in total)
* **9th Floor:** Grey Wolf pack, [Small Spring (Holy Water), Stable] x3, Sacred Rock, Tens of Black Wolves (approximately 100 wolves in total)
* **46th Floor:** Luan flock (60), Small Spring (Holy Water), Stable, Sacred Rock
* **47th Floor:** Grey Wolf pack, Small Spring (Holy Water), Stable, Sacred Rock, Moon Jewel, White Wolf (100 wolves in total)
* **48th Floor:** Fox spirit pack, Small Spring (Holy Water), Stable, Shrine (very small), Sacred Rock, Fragment of the Sun, Fragment of the Moon, Fragment of the Stars, Multi-tailed Fox (100 foxes in total)
Although the number of Sacred Rocks on the 7th Floor was increased, it currently stopped at six. It seemed to be a hidden feature; after placing the sixth one, a description was added stating that the amount of Divine Power generated from the sixth one onward would decrease. It was unclear from the description whether the reduction began *from* the sixth one or if the overall balance caused a decrease. Therefore, the placement was stopped there for confirmation.
With the increase in higher-tier summoned monsters, the number of Intermediate Monsters being subjugated by summons had also become considerable. Currently, multiple summoning circles were installed on each floor, not just one, to carry out the subjugation. Thanks to the increased subjugation of Intermediate Monsters, the Divine Power obtained from them had also become substantial. While it was still inferior to amounts obtained from the World Tree or Vermilia Jewels, it was the next highest source of Divine Power.
Unfortunately, the Divine Power obtained from the adventurers’ activities around the village on the fifth floor was negligible in comparison. This was understandable, as no measures had been taken to install summoning circles within the adventurers’ range of activity.
As a result of these efforts, the Divine Power obtained in a single day exceeded 100,000 points. For Kousuke, it felt as if it happened unexpectedly. However, considering the steady growth of the World Tree and Vermilia Jewels, combined with the summoned monster floors, it was somewhat inevitable.
Along with this, Tower LV reached 7. In addition to the usual summoning circles for Intermediate Monsters and the addition of installations, new major categories had appeared: “Layer Expansion” and “Layer Synthesis.”
“Layer Expansion” allowed for increasing the size of a floor itself. Once a floor was expanded, it could not be returned to its original size. The cost for one expansion was one million points. Considering the current income, it was not an unaffordable amount. However, “Layer Expansion” was not being considered at the moment. This was because the upcoming “Layer Synthesis” was deemed more practical.
This feature allowed for the merging of individual layers. Unlike “Layer Expansion,” “Layer Synthesis” allowed for the separation of merged layers. When Kousuke saw this function, he thought it might cause a flow of monsters between floors if they were combined. Currently, the unused floors were completely segregated, with no battles occurring other than those resulting from natural death or the food chain. While this was natural order, “Layer Synthesis” might bring about a change. “Layer Expansion,” on the other hand, would simply enlarge a floor, offering little in that regard. Therefore, Kousuke concluded that “Layer Synthesis” was more practical.
However, when these two newly added functions were explained to everyone, an alternative application, different from Kousuke’s, was discovered. Colette was the one who proposed it.
“Could that possibly be used for the World Tree’s growth…?”
“Hmm? What do you mean by that?”
“You know that the World Tree grows by influencing ley lines, right? In the end, what the Elves are doing is activating the ley lines.”
According to Colette, activating ley lines meant increasing the flow of spiritual power within them. An increase in spiritual power would lead to the growth of the World Tree, which utilized it. By connecting layers, the ley lines would increase, naturally leading to an increase in spiritual power, she hypothesized. Kousuke nodded in understanding upon hearing this.
“Also, the simple fact of the space expanding is significant.”
“Does that really have a connection?”
“It does. Simply put, even physically, the current size is sufficient for a single tree. But the World Tree also draws power from its surroundings.”
“The surroundings, like other trees?”
“It’s not necessarily limited to that. Simply put, the nature of ley lines changes depending on the environment, so what can be obtained from them also varies greatly.”
“I see.” Both Kousuke and the others were impressed by the opinion of the Elves, who were considered the caretakers of the World Tree.
“We don’t know the extent of the effect, though.”
“That’s unavoidable. Well then, for now, let’s conserve our Divine Power with the premise of expanding the Elf Village’s layer. We’ll think about further additions later.”
While it wasn’t possible to completely stop accumulating Divine Power from summoned monsters, significant savings could be made by refraining from installing other items.
“Are you sure? It’s not guaranteed to work, you know.”
“That’s unavoidable. I intended to try ‘Layer Synthesis’ eventually anyway. And if we can test the World Tree along with it, that’s more than enough.”
“I see. In that case, I’ll inform the villagers on my end.” It was important to inform them in advance, as suddenly expanding a world (layer) could cause confusion.
“That’s right. Also, please decide which layers to combine.”
“Understood.” There were still unused layers available, so it was, in a way, a free choice. Kousuke thought that once they started using “Layer Synthesis,” they might actually find themselves lacking enough layers.
Tomorrow, there will be two uploads at 1 PM and 8 PM.
May 11, 2014, 24: Shrine Layer Revision
June 14, 2014: Typo Correction
