Chapter 342: Time

The peaceful atmosphere of the upper World Tree did not last. Arthur noticed it first.

The golden leaves above them began trembling despite there being no wind, and the distant waterfalls of mana suddenly turned uneven.

Several streams that had been flowing peacefully along the branches began changing direction, while the Beasts scattered through the forest grew restless.

Arthur stopped walking. "Something’s wrong."

Vedas turned toward him immediately. "What do you sense?"

"I don’t know yet."

A deep vibration passed through the branch beneath their feet, and the ancient road cracked. "The Beasts are running," Luna said, looking toward the forest. She was right — creatures of every size were moving through the trees, some taking flight, others vanishing into the deeper forest. Even the peaceful Beasts they’d seen earlier were fleeing from something.

Sun tightened his grip on Long. "I knew it was too peaceful."

"You said that ten minutes ago," Kong said, looking around.

"Because I was right."

"You weren’t."

"I am now."

"Stop arguing." Melo’s ears twitched, her five tails spreading behind her. "The Tree is afraid." Everyone looked at her. "I don’t know what of," she admitted.

Another tremor shook the branch, and this time a massive root burst through the forest, tearing several ancient trees from the ground as it surged toward them. "Move!" Arthur jumped backward. Vedas grabbed Star and leapt aside while Mithra pulled Luna out of the root’s path, and Athena struck the ground with Heavenpiercer, redirecting the broken earth beneath them.

The root swept past and missed. Arthur landed and looked back — it continued on, smashing through the forest before disappearing into another branch.

"That wasn’t aimed at us," Sun said, staring.

"No," Athena agreed, shaking her head.

A second root emerged, this one moving straight for them. "That one is," Kong grinned, stepping forward to punch it. The impact shook the branch, but the root bent around his fist instead of breaking, then whipped sideways and sent him flying into a tree.

"Kong!" Athy rushed toward him. He climbed out of the branches, rubbing his head. "I’m fine."

"You said that very confidently for someone who just got thrown into a tree," Melo sighed.

"It was a tactical retreat," Kong said, standing.

"You got beaten by a root," Sun laughed.

"I was testing its strength."

"You lost."

"I gathered valuable information."

"He’s never going to admit it," Vedas said, shaking his head.

Arthur barely heard them — his attention had shifted to Eden. She floated several meters above the branch, unmoving, her eyes fixed on the roots. "Eden?" No answer. "Eden." She finally blinked. "I’m looking."

"At what?"

She pointed toward the root. "It’s going to attack again." Arthur glanced at it; the root was moving slowly. Then she shouted, "Arthur, move!" He jumped as a root burst through the branch where he’d been standing, landing several meters away.

Everyone stared at Eden. She looked relieved. "How did you know?"

"It was going to hit him."

"But it didn’t," Vedas frowned.

"It would have." Arthur looked at her. "What do you mean?" Her expression turned uncertain. "I saw it."

"Saw what?" Athena stepped closer.

Eden pointed. "The root." She looked at the massive branch twisting above them. "It could have gone left." The root moved. "It could have gone right." A smaller root shifted. "It could have missed." A branch snapped in the distance. "It could have hit." She turned toward them. "I saw all of them."

Nobody spoke. "You saw all of those things happen?" Sun stared.

She shook her head. "No." Frustration crossed her face. "I saw them before they happened."

Melo’s expression changed. "Possible futures."

"Yes."

Another root moved, and Eden turned at once. "That one." The group reacted on instinct — Mithra moved left, Athena moved right, Sun ducked, Kong jumped — and the root passed directly through the space they’d occupied.

"That was useful," Sun said. Eden didn’t respond.

Another root appeared. "Left." Everyone moved left. The root went right. Eden froze. "Wait." Another root emerged. "Right." They moved right. It went left.

Her breathing quickened. "Eden?" Arthur asked.

"I don’t understand." She looked around. "Before, when I looked into the future, I saw one thing." She pointed toward the moving roots. "Now I’m seeing everything."

Another root appeared, and she flinched. "It can strike." The root moved. "It can miss." It changed direction. "It can break." The root struck another branch and shattered. "It can turn." A second root wrapped around the first. "There are too many," she said, her voice quieter.

Arthur stepped toward her. "Eden."

"I can’t tell which one is real."

"All of them are." He watched the roots moving around them. "They’re possibilities."

She nodded. "But if they’re all possibilities, how do I know which one happens?"

Arthur didn’t answer right away. The others gathered around them. "You’re trying to predict the future," Vedas said, studying her carefully.

"I’ve always done that."

"But that’s not what you’re doing now."

Eden looked confused. Vedas pointed toward the roots. "You’re seeing choices."

Mithra understood first. "She’s not seeing one future anymore."

"She’s seeing the branches leading to it," Athena said slowly.

Sun scratched his head. "That sounds complicated."

"It is," Melo said.

"Thank you for explaining."

"I was agreeing with you."

"I think I understand," Kong said. Everyone looked at him. He pointed toward the roots. "She’s watching where they could go." Eden looked at him. "But she doesn’t know where to make them go."

Her eyes widened. "Yes."

Arthur looked at her, and for the first time he understood what she’d been struggling with. Eden had always treated Time like a window — she looked through it, saw what had happened, saw what might happen, saw fragments of what could happen next. But she had never questioned the most important part: what did it mean to move through Time?

He walked closer. "Eden." She looked at him. "You’re not supposed to see the future." She blinked. "You’re supposed to understand it."

The words settled over her. She looked toward the roots again. One was moving toward them, and she watched it — the future branching left, right, missing, hitting, breaking, turning, countless possibilities appearing before her. But this time she didn’t try to memorize them. She watched. She understood. The root wasn’t choosing a future. It was moving through possibilities. And so was everything else.

Eden slowly raised her hand, and the golden light around her fingers began to change.

"What is happening?" Luna whispered.

"She’s doing something," Athena said, staring.

Eden closed her eyes. The world went quiet. She could hear the roots, feel the movement of mana, sense the Beasts fleeing through the forest, and see countless possibilities unfolding around them. But instead of chasing each one, she focused on the present — this moment, this exact moment.

The root moved. Her eyes opened. "Now."

Mithra moved instantly, drawing Dawn Sovereign and cutting through the root before it reached them. It recoiled.

"That was too easy," Sun stared.

"Because Eden told me when," Mithra smiled.

Eden looked surprised — she hadn’t predicted Mithra’s movement. She had understood the moment when it needed to happen.

Another root appeared. She watched it, then looked toward Kong. "Kong."

"Yes?"

"Jump." He jumped, and the root passed underneath him. "Now punch." He twisted in midair and struck it, shattering the root on impact. He landed with a huge grin. "I like this."

"Of course you do," Sun laughed.

"Athy." Eden turned.

"Yes?"

"The ground." Athy understood immediately, raising her hands as the earth beneath the group shifted into a stable platform while the branch cracked around them.

"You aren’t predicting us anymore," Athena said, looking at Eden.

"No." She smiled. "I’m understanding when things happen."

"Exactly," Arthur smiled.

The World Tree shook violently as a massive root tore through the forest. This time, Eden didn’t panic. She watched. The root had dozens of possibilities, but only one was happening now.

"Arthur." He moved. "Three steps right." He followed. "Vedas, jump." Vedas jumped. "Star, stay with Arthur." Star bounced onto his shoulder. "Luna, behind me." Luna moved. "Mithra, left." Mithra disappeared. "Sun, duck." Sun dropped. "Kong, now." Kong punched.

The entire group moved together, and the root passed between them without touching anyone.

For several seconds, nobody spoke. Then Sun looked at Eden. "That was amazing."

"Very useful," Kong nodded.

"She’s finally seeing Time differently," Melo smiled.

"What do you mean?" Eden asked.

Melo’s expression softened. "You’ve always been afraid of what you might see." Eden lowered her gaze. "But maybe Time isn’t something you’re supposed to fear."

She looked toward the countless possibilities around them. "Then what is it?"

"Something you move through," Arthur answered. She looked at him, and he smiled. "And eventually, maybe something you can move with."

A strange golden light appeared around Eden. It wasn’t enough to trigger an evolution, wasn’t even a new power yet — it was simply the first sign that something inside her had changed.

The World Tree went silent. For the first time since the roots had begun attacking, they stopped moving. Eden looked upward. She could still see possibilities, but now she understood something she hadn’t before: the future wasn’t a place waiting for her to observe it. It was a road, and every moment was another step along it.

Arthur placed a hand on her shoulder. "Ready?"

She smiled. "Yes."

"Then let’s keep moving before the Tree changes its mind," Vedas said, looking toward the path ahead.

"Agreed," Sun said, raising Long.

"I want to see what else is up there," Kong grinned.

"You realize that sounds exactly like something you would say," Mithra said, looking at Arthur.

"Maybe he’s learning," Arthur smiled.

"That’s unlikely," Melo snorted.

Everyone began moving again, but this time Eden walked slightly ahead of them. She wasn’t looking into the future anymore.

She was watching the present — and for the first time in her life, she understood that Time wasn’t simply something that happened around her. It was something she would eventually have to learn to move through.