Chapter 364: The Path Through the Roots

"Wait. I think we can use the World Tree to help."

Everyone turned toward Eden.

Luna blinked in surprise. "Use the World Tree? How?"

Eden looked toward the golden branches stretching above the clearing, gathering her thoughts before answering.

She was still recovering from the exhaustion caused by Future Manifestation, but the idea had come from something she had noticed during the final battle.

"The World Tree isn’t just a source of mana," she explained. "Its roots extend throughout the Secret Realm, and its energy circulates through the five Mirrors. Now that the network has been restored, those connections are working together again."

Athena immediately became interested. "You’re suggesting that the roots form a network connecting distant regions?"

"Yes, although I don’t know how much of that network we can access." Eden pointed toward the ground beneath their feet. "During the battle, I could feel the Tree’s rhythm changing whenever the five streams synchronized. It wasn’t random. There was a pattern, almost like the Tree was responding to something happening throughout the Secret Realm."

Metapholes adjusted his glasses. "An interconnected circulation system with a recognizable rhythm. If that rhythm corresponds to the movement of mana through the roots, it might allow us to identify pathways beyond our immediate surroundings."

"That’s what I was thinking," Eden replied. "If we can recognize the right pathway, perhaps we can find Luna’s village."

Luna looked between them, uncertainty written across her face.

"Even if the roots reach my village, how would we know which path to follow? It’s far from here, and I don’t know whether the corruption damaged the connections in that region."

"That’s why we need your help," Eden said. "I can recognize the Tree’s rhythm, but I don’t know your village. You remember its surroundings, its paths, and the places that made it different from other settlements. If we combine what you know with what the Tree shows us, we might be able to identify the correct route."

Luna hesitated. "But can the World Tree really show us something that far away?"

"I can’t promise that it can," Eden admitted. "And I don’t want you to think the Tree will simply grant us whatever we ask for. We need an existing connection to follow. If the roots no longer reach your village, or if the corruption has damaged that part of the network too badly, we might not be able to find it this way."

Kong scratched his cheek. "So we’re asking an enormous tree for directions, but it might refuse to give them?"

Melo glanced at him. "That’s a remarkably crude way of describing it."

"Is it inaccurate?"

"Unfortunately, not entirely."

Sun raised his staff thoughtfully. "Then we must approach the World Tree with the proper respect. Perhaps a formal declaration of our noble intentions would encourage it to cooperate."

Mithra gave him a flat look. "If you start giving speeches to a tree, I’m leaving without you."

"I was merely suggesting an approach!"

"And I’m suggesting you keep it to yourself."

Arthur smiled at their exchange before turning back to Eden. "Before anyone touches the network, we need to know whether this attempt could destabilize the Mirrors."

Vedas immediately nodded. "Agreed. We have only just restored the Tree. I would prefer not to discover another problem by creating one ourselves."

"That’s why we should examine the mechanism first," Athena said. She turned toward the professors. "If the network can reveal distant root pathways, we need to determine which parts of the system regulate that function. We shouldn’t activate anything until we’re confident that the five connections can withstand it."

Professor Roland crossed his arms, considering the proposal.

"We can conduct a limited test using the nearest root connection. No attempt to force the network open, and no drawing additional power from the central heart. If the readings become unstable, we stop immediately."

Scolding nodded. "And nobody proceeds beyond the initial test without our approval. I would rather disappoint Luna than explain why the expedition damaged the World Tree a second time."

Luna lowered her gaze. "I understand. If this is too dangerous, we don’t have to do it."

Arthur looked at her. "We haven’t determined that it’s too dangerous. We’ll examine the mechanism, test the connection, and decide based on what we learn. There’s no reason to give up before we’ve even tried."

His words brought a little color back to Luna’s face.

"All right," she said. "I’ll help however I can."

The group moved toward a broad root extending from the World Tree’s trunk. Several ancient markings had been carved into its surface, their golden lines now glowing steadily. Athena and Metapholes examined the inscriptions while Roland checked the energy readings. Scolding watched the surrounding mechanisms, ready to stop the attempt if anything changed unexpectedly.

Eden stood beside Luna, explaining what she had felt during the battle.

"The rhythm isn’t a sound," she said. "It’s closer to a sequence of changes in the flow of mana. When the five streams synchronized, I could sense the Tree responding to each connection. Some pulses were stronger than others, but they followed a consistent pattern."

"Can you still sense it now?"

"Yes, although not as clearly as I could during Future Manifestation. I’m not going to use that ability again unless we absolutely need it. I can feel the rhythm without forcing myself to look into possible futures."

Arthur nodded approvingly. "Good. We aren’t going to solve this by exhausting you again."

Eden smiled. "I know. I learned my lesson."

Vedas raised an eyebrow. "Did you? Because I recall hearing something similar before the final battle."

"Vedas!"

"What? I’m pleased that you’re recovering. I would simply prefer that you continue doing so."

Melo chuckled. "He has a point. Eden, if you collapse while we’re trying to find Luna’s village, I suspect Arthur will spend the entire journey worrying about you."

"I would not," Arthur replied.

Everyone looked at him.

Arthur paused. "All right, I would. But that doesn’t mean she should overexert herself."

Eden giggled, and even Vedas allowed himself a faint smile.

Meanwhile, Athena finished examining the markings.

"The mechanism appears to regulate the flow through this root rather than draw directly from the heart," she reported. "If we maintain the connection at its current level, we should be able to observe its response without significantly affecting the other Mirrors."

"Then let’s begin with the smallest possible activation," Roland instructed. "No one increases the flow unless we understand what the previous adjustment did."

Metapholes recorded the initial readings while Athena positioned herself beside the mechanism. At Roland’s signal, she carefully adjusted one of the ancient markings.

A soft golden light spread across the root.

Nothing else happened.

Sun leaned forward. "Is that supposed to happen?"

"Yes," Athena replied without looking at him. "The mechanism is responding."

"I meant the part where nothing happened afterward."

"Patience, Sun."

Kong folded his arms. "For once, I agree with him. If we’re going to spend the morning talking to a tree, I would at least like to know whether we’re making progress."

"We are observing the response," Scolding said sharply. "That is progress."

Kong immediately straightened. "Of course, Professor."

Arthur hid a smile and turned toward Luna. "It’s your turn."

Luna stepped closer to the root. For a moment, she simply stared at the golden markings, unsure where to begin. She had spent years studying her grandfather’s records, but describing her home to an ancient mechanism felt strangely different from translating an inscription.

Eden gently touched her arm.

"Don’t worry about getting everything right at once. Start with what you remember most clearly."

Luna nodded and placed her palm against the root.

"My village was built in a valley surrounded by low hills," she began. "There was a river running along its eastern side, and an old stone bridge crossed it near the entrance. The road from the southern forest led directly to the village square."

The golden markings brightened faintly.

Luna drew a slow breath.

"There was a well in the center of the square, surrounded by small houses and workshops. My grandfather’s home stood on the northern side, close to a slope covered in white flowers. Behind it was a narrow path leading toward an old observation platform."

She closed her eyes, recalling the details.

"I used to go there when I was younger. From the platform, I could see the river, the hills, and almost the entire village. My grandfather said it was a good place to observe changes in the surrounding mana."

The root pulsed beneath her hand.

Eden immediately noticed the change.

"Luna, keep going. The rhythm is becoming clearer."

"The village had an old road leading west, too. It passed through a stand of enormous trees before reaching the outer forest. My grandfather used that road when he went to investigate the ancient ruins."

The golden light flowed farther along the root, spreading into several thin lines beneath the ground.

Athena watched her readings with growing interest. "The mechanism is responding to her description."

"Not to the description alone," Eden corrected gently. "The Tree is following the details she remembers. Each time she identifies a landmark, the rhythm changes."

Metapholes hurriedly recorded the readings. "Then the memories are helping establish a reference. The network may be matching her information against the existing root pathways."

"Can you tell whether the connection is stable?" Arthur asked.

"At present, yes. The energy flow remains within the limits we established."

Luna continued describing her home. She spoke about the river’s bend, the trees that marked the old road, and the rocky ridge beyond her grandfather’s observation platform. Each memory brought another faint pulse from the root.

Then she mentioned something she had almost forgotten.

"There was a large, twisted tree near the western entrance. Its trunk split into three branches, and its roots rose above the ground like an arch. My grandfather said it was older than the village itself."

The ground trembled softly.

Star bounced on Arthur’s shoulder, its surface reflecting the golden light. Kong immediately took a step back, while Sun tightened his grip on his staff.

"Is that normal?" Sun asked.

"Nobody move," Roland ordered.

Arthur watched the root network carefully. "Eden?"

"I’m all right," she answered, focusing on the changing rhythm. "The Tree is responding, but it’s not pulling more energy from the heart. I think we’ve found something."

A golden line emerged from the root beneath Luna’s hand, traveling across the ground before branching into several smaller paths. The light moved slowly at first, then gathered strength as one pathway brightened above the others.

Athena leaned closer to the inscriptions.

"This isn’t the central circulation route. It’s a secondary connection leading away from the nearest Mirror."

"Can it reach the village?" Luna asked, her voice trembling.

"We don’t know yet," Athena replied. "But the mechanism has identified a pathway that matches the landmarks you’ve described."

The golden light continued spreading, tracing a winding route through the roots beneath the forest. Some branches remained dim, while others illuminated one after another, forming a continuous path toward a distant region of the Secret Realm.

Eden watched the sequence carefully.

"There," she whispered. "The rhythm is consistent. The Tree is showing us a connected route."

Arthur glanced toward Roland. "Is the network still stable?"

Roland checked the readings before nodding. "For now. We can maintain this level of activation, but we shouldn’t increase it until we understand the destination."

Vedas remained watchful. "Then let’s see what it reveals before anyone decides to celebrate."

Luna barely seemed to hear him. Her attention was fixed on the golden path, following it as though she were retracing the roads of her childhood.

The light gathered above the root network, forming a shimmering image suspended in the air.

At first, the details were indistinct. Then the outlines of hills emerged, followed by the curve of a river and the remains of an old stone bridge.

Luna stopped breathing for a moment.

"I know that bridge."

The image sharpened.

Beyond it lay a ruined village. Several buildings had collapsed, their broken walls scattered across the streets. The central square was barely recognizable, and the old well stood cracked beneath a covering of dark, corrupted growth. The western forest had become a mass of twisted branches, while black veins spread across the surrounding ground.

Even the distant hills appeared stained by the lingering corruption.

Mithra’s smile disappeared. Sun lowered his staff, and Kong stopped fidgeting with his provisions. Melo’s tails grew still as she watched the ruined settlement, while Athy slowly closed her book.

Arthur moved closer to Luna, who stared at the image without blinking.

The golden light revealed more of the village, showing the remains of the old road and the slope where her grandfather’s house had once stood.

Then Luna recognized the three-branched tree near the western entrance.

Its twisted roots were still visible beneath the corruption.

Her lips parted, but no words came out.

They had found her village.

And whatever had happened there, the darkness covering the land had not disappeared with the restoration of the World Tree.