Chapter 421: 38. Tree (5k)
“Please get in the carriage, everyone, if you don’t mind.”
“Thank you.”
In a nation that values etiquette, even the method of bringing Fisher and the others back is quite interesting. Lu An sends a few other Deerfolk to fetch a carriage from outside the forest; the Deerfolk themselves generally do not need carriages, as these are prepared for other races.
Outside the forest where Fisher and the others had previously landed lies a broader expanse of woods, as if this entire continent were an endless jungle, though relatively speaking, the trees are not spaced as closely together as before.
After expressing gratitude, Fisher and his group got into the carriage. Tang Zeming Asuka tilted her head slightly and secretly glanced at the many Deerfolk accompanying them. Intrigued, she turned to Gouwen and Fisher and asked,
“Since they are Deerfolk, are there Centaurs in this world? Or Foxfolk or Dogfolk or something?”
“Yes, but not on this continent.”
It was Gouwen who spoke. Fisher had noticed earlier that he was very familiar with everything on the Tree Continent, which seemed related to his previous visit for so-called “medical exchange.”
Tang Zeming Asuka nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then asked,
“Won’t the Centaurs be angry watching us use carriages? I mean, seeing us treat horses as tools and so on.”
Gouwen opened his mouth, speechless, while the nearby Hela began to laugh, making Tang Zeming Asuka feel a bit embarrassed. She seemed to realize that she might have asked a foolish question. Fisher, leaning against the corner of the carriage, did not lift his head and simply asked her,
“Are there monkeys in your world?”
“There are in my era, let alone in hers.” Mikhail, with a fierce appearance but expressionless, responded. Tang Zeming Asuka nodded her agreement.
“Do you get angry when humans force monkeys to perform?”
“Well, only if it’s a panda, because they are truly adorable. I heard that Chinese people each have a panda.”
Although Fisher didn’t know what a panda was, he understood the sentiment. He decided not to speak further, mentally noting this as a possible clue related to the contributors of the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans.
Ever since the conversation with Hela just now, she had strangely quieted down, seemingly moved by Fisher’s inner thoughts, and no longer pursued his interest in Sub-Humans, just gazing at the scenery outside.
Fisher also did not probe further. He was suddenly inclined to verify a matter regarding the nature of the Supplement Handbook.
He remembered that previously it had been mentioned that the Supplement Handbook could not be seen by anyone other than its owner, but the higher the rank, the more one could vaguely sense its existence. For instance, when Fisher first met Eil, she could smell the scents of both of her handbooks on him and suspected he was the Life Queen, which led her to return to the research institute with him.
In contrast, during his first encounter with Renee, she was able to see the Supplement Handbook he possessed directly, suggesting that her being must be of a rank higher than the Mythical Rank. Moreover, the term “Authority” she mentioned seemed to imply that she was a deity hidden in the Spirit Realm.
Currently, Fisher knew of two deities from the Spirit Realm: the crimson unidentified mist, and the Mother Goddess who had once granted humans magic. He often dreamed of the Mother Goddess’s symbol, the “Moon,” especially when beside Renee. He felt that there was a deep connection between Renee and the Mother Goddess, and he suspected that the oath Renee currently followed, along with the gods, was related to that mythological war in which the Mother Goddess intervened.
So, the nature of the Supplement Handbook was that it could only be seen by divine-level beings and other owners of Supplement Handbooks, while beings of Mythical Rank could sense the aura of the handbook but still could not see it.
Now, Fisher wanted to verify whether, if all the Supplement Handbooks originate from the Creation Society founded by Tang Zeming Asuka, she, who has not yet learned magic, could still see the Supplement Handbook? And what about Mikhail, who was a suspect in the eyes of the first Mechanism?
Fisher discreetly took out the Soul Supplement Handbook he had hidden in his arms and spread it in his hand, casually chatting with Tang Zeming Asuka about the Deerfolk Luk Ming she had seen earlier. During this time, both Tang Zeming Asuka and Mikhail looked over at him, but through Fisher’s covert observation, they had no awareness that he held the Supplement Handbook.
As for Gouwen, he was even less aware, as he did not sense anything at all due to not being of Mythical Rank. Hela, however, surprisingly did not seem to sense anything either, quietly humming a tune as she looked out at the scenery.
It appeared that both Tang Zeming Asuka and Mikhail were still following the rules they had established when forging the Supplement Handbooks. Consequently, Fisher could now feel assured to check on the matters regarding the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans.
He first cautiously bypassed the World Tree droplet and the items left by Renee, and as he turned the golden light, several lines of illusionary text akin to Mikhail’s appeared before him, and the pages of the book automatically flipped to a new page, revealing a new title.
[Deerfolk]
[Please select research subject: 0/1]
[Bindable object: Luk Ming, underage female Deerfolk]
Fisher hesitated for a moment but prepared to consider binding, intending to leverage the sequence system provided by the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans to pry open a corner of the past, as he gradually discovered that the entries written by the contributors of the Supplement Handbook often reveal useful information, as had been the case in the Northern Region.
Binding.
He thought to himself, preparing his body for the pain as was his instinct, but the illusionary text before him only flickered briefly, revealing a new line of text.
[Binding successful, congratulations, you have unlocked the DLC (Downloadable Content) of the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans: “Shadow of the World Tree” partial information]
?
As usual, Fisher couldn’t understand the bizarre and deviant content of the strange text left behind by the author of the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans, seemingly in a different world’s vocabulary. However, he understood that the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans seemed to have unlocked some brand new functions.
[The World Tree that perished in the First Living Beings War still stands on the earth. Before the Chaos Race invaded reality, the Phoenix Race that entered the Northern Region crawled beneath her vast shadow. Now, you who have traversed time and space have also entered the land rooted by her. Of course, more Subhuman females will be waiting for you.]
[You have unlocked a new sequence for Subhumans, unlocked earlier material rewards, and unlocked a panel for all ancient clues.]
The first two were not difficult to understand, but the third one…
He recalled that he had seemingly encountered the so-called “Ancient Clue” once before, which was in the cavern left behind by Mother Jasmine Xu at the bottom of Nali Lake. When he saw the crown adorned by Xu, this supposed hint from the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans had appeared for the first time, but afterward, it never reappeared (Volume 2, Chapter 134). He thought it was an error with the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans.
Now it seemed that was not the case; rather, it was because the things he had encountered previously were not “ancient” enough, with only Xu’s crown barely qualifying?
Had Xu been born in such an ancient era? Or did she leave her crown in the depths of Nali Lake when she inherited her elder’s belongings?
Both possibilities exist, and Fisher was uncertain, but he leaned more toward the latter, intending to ask Gouwen when he had the chance.
Fisher redirected his gaze back to the illusionary text before him, seeing that the floating Deerfolk had been assigned a new label.
[Deerfolk]
[Eastern Continent Species], [Beastmen], [Beneath the Gift], [Silly]
Yet another one of these strange labels. Initially, Fisher might have made some sarcastic remarks, but now he seemed unbothered by them.
Having completed these matters, Fisher did not relax; he glanced at those around him resting and gradually flipped back the pages to where it recorded the location of the Demon.
Yes, since Fisher learned that the Demon did not exist in the present day, he had some doubts. His first thought was Emhart; after all, he had been confined by Baemon for so long and should have a deep understanding of Demons. Secondly, there was the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans. When unlocking the sequence labels, there was a label for Demons.
At that time, he had fully read many annotations of the labels. Perhaps he could obtain more secrets about this “post-born race” from the contributors’ notes on these labels.
[Demon]
[Mythical Being], [Destruction of Worlds], [Royal Selection], [Immortal Race]
For the other three labels, he had read about “Royal Selection” before, knowing which Subhumans were included in this sequence label. The other two labels, from their literal meanings, revealed their implications. However, the label [Destruction of Worlds] was somewhat perplexing.
His consciousness gradually connected with the label [Destruction of Worlds], and as a flicker of golden light passed, the information contained within the label burst forth.
[Destruction of Worlds: They worship the chaos that the world and gods cannot tolerate, thus, like their master, they symbolize danger and destruction, possessing unimaginable powers.]
[Contained Race: Demon]
[Because this column only contains one race, no sequence rewards are set.]
In contrast to the other sequence labels, beneath that illusionary golden subtitle, there was an additional line of bold red warning.
[Contributor’s Notes: Please be sure to be very very careful of ‘%@#%&￥’]
Looking at the familiar, unidentifiable garbled text, Fisher opened his mouth, and his frown deepened, seemingly completely understanding why garbled text appeared before him.
First, he must rule out the possibility that the contributor of the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans had intentionally written garbled text; otherwise, there would be no point in writing this sentence. Then, what content could she have written here?
A person’s name? A race’s name? A concept’s name?
Last time, the garbled text for Valentina’s race had emerged solely because she was not a complete Phoenix, so the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans had deviated when recognizing her as a complete individual. However, this was the personal annotation of the author of the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans, yet garbled text appeared again.
Of course, there is also a possibility that the name she wrote was interfered with by an external force, thus unable to reveal its true appearance before him.
Then, what could be the external force that interferes with the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans?
Fisher did not pause further, slowly closing the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans and putting it back into his arms. He then leaned back against the carriage wall, gradually merging with the chaotic thoughts and the silent environment within the carriage.
“There are so many trees here; Earth surely doesn’t have trees this big.”
Tang Zeming Asuka said. Although she was usually quite reserved, the kindness of the people around her had gradually led her to lower her defenses. She had shifted back to the demeanor of most young people in the 20th century—innocent yet foolish.
She looked excited, like a school student visiting on a field trip, watching a giant tree that was getting closer in the distance. This giant tree was about 100 meters high. Though it was far from as massive as the illusory World Tree at the edge of the continent, to her, it was already a rare spectacle.
“Indeed.”
Mikhail also made a rare comment, but unlike Tang Zeming Asuka’s simple admiration, he seemed to consider how such a large tree sustains its life.
“That’s our Chuan Kingdom’s capital over there! The palace of Duke Chuan lies beneath that tree. And that tree is extraordinary; it is the giant tree transformed from the ancestor of Duke Chuan. We worship there every year outside the palace.”
“Really? An ancestor transformed into a giant tree?”
Not only Tang Zeming Asuka, but even Fisher who had been struggling to find answers opened his eyes, looking at Luk Ming, the Deerfolk, who had spoken with Tang Zeming Asuka. She seemed young and inexperienced, just like Tang Zeming Asuka, and felt shy as the people in the carriage turned to her because of her words. She shook her deer hooves and stammered,
“Um, that’s what my father and mother told me. My grandparents said so too.”
Fisher was somewhat surprised. After all, Elf Race is a Mythical Being, a high-level Subhuman created by the World Tree using the Authority of life. They should, like the Angel Race, be an immortal race, but it seems otherwise. So he asked,
“Do Elves also die? Aren’t they Mythical Beings? Aren’t they supposed to be an immortal race?”
Upon hearing Fisher’s question, Luk Ming’s stutter intensified, and after a while, she could not respond to Fisher. Instead, Gouwen, who was nearby, laughed and took over the topic, providing an answer for Fisher.
“To be precise, Elves are also an immortal race, but they are not beings like Angels that are virtually immortal. Their lifespan is roughly twice that of ordinary Whale Folk. Ordinary Whale Folk can live around three to four thousand years underwater, but on land, they can only live a few decades before their life force is exhausted. However, the Elves can live for seven to eight thousand years. After their lifespan ends, they will die, which is distinctly different from Angels.”
At the end of his explanation, Gouwen glanced at Hela, who had remained quiet but didn’t seem bored at all. For some reason, Fisher felt that Hela being quiet for half an hour in the carriage was quite an unusual behavior, and as the topic’s main subject, Hela smiled and waved her hand, self-admitting,
“Yes, I’m one of the old geezers.”
It was unclear to whom that remark was directed.
Gouwen continued, “Legend has it that Elves were created about 11,000 years ago, and Angels likely also appeared around that time. Therefore, in theory, most Elves must have undergone a process of iteration. This is why Elves, as Mythical Beings, had to establish ‘Rite.’ It’s also a preparation for their unique iterative mechanism. The descendants of Elves inherit everything from their elders: titles, fiefs, and even names.”
Fisher seemed to have discovered a blind spot and asked Gouwen, “But you previously mentioned that Mythical Beings have difficulty producing offspring. Their iteration shouldn’t theoretically make sense.”
Gouwen smiled and nodded but simultaneously pointed to the enormous tree in the distance.
“That’s right, and that’s also the reason for them planting trees. ‘Rite’ places great importance on funerals and sacrifices. When an Elf dies, other Elves will use his body as material to plant a tree from him. The deceased Elf’s body will be absorbed and decomposed by the giant tree, becoming incredibly robust. After experiencing four springs and four summers, and bearing fruit four times, a new Elf will emerge from that giant tree grown from the ancestor’s body, becoming his [descendant].”
Fisher opened his mouth, suddenly realizing something, but just before he could speak, Gouwen seemed to anticipate his thoughts and spoke first.
“You guessed it right; this process actually bypasses the normal life birth process. The souls of the Elves do not return to the Spirit Realm, and their bodies do not perish. Instead, a new cycle is produced by the giant tree planted by the Elves. The soul remains that of the deceased Elf, but it gets thoroughly cleansed, devoid of any memories. The body remains that of the Elf, but the appearance and gender can change.”
Gouwen raised his hand, making a circle in the air to demonstrate the extraordinary culture of the Elves.
“They refer to this process as [Reincarnation]. The deceased Elf is called [Former Body], while the newly born Elf is referred to as [Future Body]. The two are one yet not one, resembling a cycle in which, although seemingly unchanged, it continuously produces new content. The reason that the ‘Rite’ emphasized veneration and funerals so much comes from this; in their eyes, the cycle of life is important and irrefutable. Understanding this is crucial to grasping the Elves’ thoughts and culture.”
“There are many cultures similar to this, as the saying goes ‘What is done above will be done below.’ Although for the other beings on the Tree Continent, when they die, they do not reincarnate by planting trees on their bodies, all races do this here; they honor their ancestors and inherit the wisdom and experiences left behind by their ancestors.”
“Um, of course, there are also some not-so-good things; for instance, they like to eat the fruits that grow from the trees of their deceased relatives. I tried one; it was a bit fishy and not very tasty.”
Gouwen clicked his tongue, his expression turning bitter as he seemed to recall an unpleasant memory.
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(End of Chapter)
