World Tree (2)

World Tree (2)

Through Researcher Jung Jae-hyun’s explanation, I had a rough idea of how amazing the World Tree was.

But I still didn’t know exactly why it was so great or what it was doing precisely.

So when the researchers and related personnel let out screams of joy the moment the World Tree regained its vitality, I couldn’t help but be a little bewildered.

“The World Tree is alive! How on earth did they revive it?”

“Quickly contact the relevant departments! Stabilization team! Start the stabilization process right away!”

“It’s you again…! God of normalization! Great Ha-eun!”

 

Many adults are cheering here and there, which is a bit scary.

I knew they were all doing it out of joy, but still, when sudden loud noises came, I couldn’t help but feel scared.

Kkori gently approached me and snuggled tightly into my arms.

‘Looks like Kkori is scared too.’

Despite being so playful usually.

Thinking that at times like this, it’s no different from a baby, I was patting it gently when.

Chae-a, who was next to me, exclaimed with sparkling eyes.

“Saessaki has now become an even bigger saessaki!”

Maybe because Chae-a is a spirit, she really likes the World Tree that’s full of life force.

She seemed very happy that the World Tree had grown.

As I watched Chae-a getting excited, thinking it was fortunate that the World Tree had come back to life, Yuna, who was next to me, calmly added.

“It’s good. It’s growing well. You know?”

Then she gently stroked the World Tree, nodded with satisfaction, and stood up.

I was giggling at the two of them and was about to return to my original spot when.

Woong woong.

 

An unidentified sound similar to a vibration filled the space.

Then, a strong cyan light burst out from the World Tree and started shooting mana at Somteol.

“…!?”

I froze for a moment, too surprised.

I blinked and watched, wondering what on earth Saessaki… no, the World Tree had done to Somteol.

Unfortunately, as the World Tree couldn’t speak, it just swayed its trunk gently, showing its affection towards me.

‘What could it have been?’

Judging by the lack of malice, it doesn’t seem like the light was shot at Somteol with bad intentions…

Without an explanation for why this light was sent, curiosity and questions keep arising.

As I was tilting my head in confusion at the situation, Chae-a spoke to me with great surprise.

“A sprout has grown on Somteol’s head…!”

Blinking at those words, I felt Somteol’s crown and indeed, I could feel a single sprout had grown.

“?!?!”

What is this?

I was flustered, looking back and forth between Yuna and Chae-a, expressing my bewilderment.

The small leaf of the sprout that had grown on Somteol’s head sparkled and began to flutter.

I really don’t know what’s going on.

Just as I was thinking it would be nice if someone could come and explain,

Han A-rin, who was behind us, came running over urgently and said,

“Are you kids okay?”

It seems she was quite startled by the light emitted from the World Tree.

I nodded to Han A-rin to indicate we were fine, then showed her Somteol’s crown…

“A sprout?”

Her reaction was one of extreme surprise.

“Did this happen because of that light?”

“Yes…!”

“I see… Somteol, do you feel any pain anywhere?”

“Beep?”

“She says there’s nothing.”

“Really?”

After translating Somteol’s words, Han A-rin made a complex and subtle expression, pondering for a moment.

She sighed and patted Somteol’s back.

“It’s good that nothing hurts, but let’s get a check-up just in case.”

“Bbeok!”

“She says she doesn’t want to.”

“You have to, even if you don’t want to.”

“Beeeep…”

The moment Somteol heard about having to get a check-up, she flattened like a slime and then became all wobbly.

I was thinking it was cute and funny, giggling to myself.

Then a thunderous voice came from beside me.

“Of course, Ha-eun, Chae-a, and Yuna are also scheduled for check-ups, so be prepared, okay?”

Unexpectedly, Yuna was the first to react to those words.

Yuna, seemingly scared of getting a check-up, raised her tail nervously and fidgeted.

Then she quickly hid behind me and started to resist.

“No. Yuna scared.”

“Ah, no, it’s okay. I said check-up, but it’s not a painful one. It’s just to see if there’s anything wrong…”

“Last time, they hurt Yuna with a sharp metal needle.”

“Iron needle? Ah… syringe. That was an unavoidable vaccination back then… This time you don’t need to get one, so there’s absolutely nothing to worry about!”

Han A-rin waved her hands frantically, indicating that it absolutely wouldn’t happen.

Yuna, having experienced it before, didn’t seem to believe her at all.

Seeing this scene, I thought this wouldn’t do and tried to calm Yuna down.

“It’s okay. It won’t hurt.”

While Yuna might not believe Han A-rin’s words, she seemed to trust mine.

Hesitantly, she emerged from behind me and then mumbled.

“Okay.”

I’m glad she accepted it.

I sighed in relief and held Yuna’s hand tightly.

* * *

On the way to the association for the examination.

The fluffy one sleeping in my arms suddenly trembled and opened its eyes.

Wondering why, I looked at it, and it started to tell me something.

“Peee!” (My head is itchy!)

Thinking that’s why it woke up, I was about to scratch its head.

But then I noticed something strange.

‘The sprout has disappeared?’

Wondering where it could have gone, I ruffled through the fluffy one’s fur, but couldn’t find anything.

“Why isn’t it here?”

Panic started to set in as I wondered if we might have dropped it along the way.

Ha-eun was swallowing her confusion, thinking she might have lost something extremely valuable, when someone started poking her cheek from her shoulder.

Wondering what it was, she turned her face to the side and saw a seed with a small sprout on its head rubbing against her cheek.

‘A seed?’

While Ha-eun could somehow understand ants, it was hard to accept a seed shaking its body and poking her cheek like this.

As Ha-eun was trying to calm her dazed mind and hold onto her sanity.

The seed stared at her intently and then fell onto her palm, saying something.

“★☆○＊!”

Since it was a language she had never heard before, she couldn’t understand what it was saying at all.

But strangely, she could intuitively grasp what it wanted her to do.

‘Plant me in the ground.’

Ha-eun was conflicted, wondering if she had understood correctly.

After all, if she had misunderstood, she would be burying a living creature alive for no reason…

‘I don’t like that.’

As Ha-eun was asking the seed a few questions to prevent a terrible mishap.

Chae-a, who had just woken up, rubbed her eyes and said to Ha-eun.

“The sprout… wants to be buried. It says it can become like Ha-euni then.”

Chae-a’s pronunciation was quite slurred due to having just woken up.

Still, Ha-eun could understand what she was saying, so she nodded in gratitude for the information.

Seeing this, Chae-a smiled brightly and continued speaking.

“Can Chae-a also become like Ha-euni if she’s buried together?”

“Huh?”

“Then Chae-a can also have a tail… like this and go ‘angnyangnyang’ and giggle while being all cute…”

With these incomprehensible words as her last, Chae-a fell asleep.

As I carefully laid Chae-a on her back and tidied her hair,

The seed on my shoulder started bouncing up and down in its place as if in agreement.

“I got it. Then I’ll plant you in the rare soil.”

The seed seemed to like this, bouncing even more vigorously.

Watching the seed, I blinked as I decided to plant it next to the flower that the little black ones had gifted me.

* * *

Before going for the examination.

I planted the World Tree seed next to the flower given by the little black ones.

‘This should do it, right?’

Thinking it might be good to water it too, I sprinkled some water around and patted the mound of soil.

Chae-a, who was crouching next to me, looked at this curiously and expressed a question.

“Why do seeds like being buried in the ground?”

It was a question I had never thought about before, so my mind went blank for a moment.

Planting seeds in soil was… just common sense to me.

It wasn’t a topic I had ever needed to dissect or explore.

So as I remained silent, unable to say anything,

Yuna, who was next to us, answered instead.

“They go into the soil to stay warm, like being under a blanket.”

True to Yuna’s nature of liking warmth, her answer was related to warmth.

Chae-a spoke with sparkling eyes as if she had realized something.

“Then when it’s cold in winter, should we be buried in the ground too?”

Chae-a calmly utters words that would make Han A-rin scream in horror if she heard them.

Yuna nodded at those words and rummaged through her pocket.

She spoke to Chae-a with a voice full of determination.

“Good. Let’s bring snacks… and Kkamang-i and bury them all like this.”

Listening to this utterly confusing conversation, I wanted to say it’s not allowed, but.

I had to keep my mouth shut, feeling that if I said it’s not allowed in this situation, I’d unnecessarily ruin the mood.

‘They’ll probably forget about it by winter.’

Kids tend to forget things even after a week, let alone a month.

Just as I was giving up on thinking, assuming they’d forget on their own if left alone.

Han A-rin, probably thinking it was time to leave, started calling us.

“Kids? Shall we go now?”

At those words, Chae-a suddenly stood up.

She approached Han A-rin with a triumphant face and proudly said.

“Chae-a thinks she might be buried in the ground in winter, so A-rin unnie needs to cover us well…! Ha-eun and Yuna too?”