Chapter 21: More refugees and a baby

Year 73 Month 9 Week 1

Eriz has been updating everyone what’s happening, almost daily. She just could not keep her anxiety to herself.

I kinda stop following after a week. I mean, its just people fighting and dying far away. And, running, of course. Its kinda like me switching on my television, and watching world news about some bombing or fighting in some distant land. It gets tiring, and shit like this happens all the time in this world. I suppose I should feel somehow for them, since they are elves, but I personally feel obligated to the 7 elves under my care, and… that’s it I suppose?

“Wisp. Any idea how do I speed up this uh.. powering the soul forge? Isn’t 1000PUs too much?”

“I thought its quite little. A small forest would have more than a 1,000 trees, easy.”

“But that implies I have all the trees as a subsidiary tree!”

“Do you have to?”

“Uh. What?”

“I said too much.” The Wisp floats. “I cannot give you that answer.”

“Oh come on.”

“There are some things a Tree Spirit must learn on their own.”

“Tree. Smart!” Meela bobs in. “Tree. Good.”

“Yes, yes.”

Okay, so there must be a trick to this. So if I did not have to have all of them as my subsidiary tree?

Is it via rootnet?

Let me try it on a shrubs and trees that now spawn throughout the valley.

[Local Rootnet Access connecting to nearby trees…]

[Connected.]

And I hear spam again. Spam. So much. Spam.

Spam…. [Filtration activated]

But can I extract power out of them?

[Attempting to connect. Energy drain initiated. Rootnet function obtained : Tre-energy.net.]

[Connecting to 64,5XX grasses, 367 shrubs and 141 normal trees, producing an estimated 18.4 PUs. Normal trees produce 0.1PU, shrubs 0.01PU, and grasses 0.00001 PU.]

Ah, I need ten thousand normal trees to hit 1,000PU.

But!

It’s very doable. The entire valley is within my rootnet! All I need to do is to actively use my tree spirit mojo and grow this entire valley into a forest like it once was.

I feel like dancing. Weeeeeeeee…

Now I need to work on my mojo.

Year 73 Month 9 Week 3

Massive! Massive burst in tree growth in the valley. The number of normal trees surged by 300 in two weeks! If I keep this up, I can hit 10,000 normal trees by Year 75.

The elves are especially surprised to see the sudden surge in tree growth, and what is sparsely covered valley is starting to look dense again.

But there is a trade-off, though. In using this ability, my essence and material extraction slow tremendously. It seems essence and materials are not extracted and instead used in the creation of these trees.

But no matter, I have been hoarding essences and irons since I had the auto-extraction function.

Oh, and the olive oil merchant actually came. And I get me some of that coin, too. It seems an ongoing non-human genocide does not stop merchants from doing business.

Ah, those who worship the coin are probably the most devoted of devotees. So I leave a path of some kind for the merchants, and an area where the trading can happen.

There is a small hut, made using wood magic, at the side of the path. Jura and Laufen helps to make a wooden panel that says, “Freeka trading post”.

Eriz is still on about the chaos in the kingdom, and there’s some sparse resistance, as most choose to flee. Anyway, distant matters.

Year 73 Month 10 Week 1

More trees! Another 300 plus trees spawn, bringing the valley’s normal tree count to 762. This is the single indicator I follow for the next 1 year until this damn [soul forge] comes online.

Animals appear now. It's actually a curiosity how animals appear when they were not here before, but according to the elves, there is a god that “creates” animals in the lands where trees appear, in the same manner as how monsters appear out of nowhere.

Well, it is logically consistent. If monsters are just magical versions of animals, and monsters can “spawn” out of nowhere, it should be the same for animals.

Maybe they are both creations of the same gods.

But can sentients spawn out of nowhere?

Ah anyway, Jura’s out hunting. Apparently spotted one of his favourite food, a deer or something like that.

There is a new mild annoyance.

Birds.

I mean, birds. They make nests on your branches, and they poop everywhere.

And some of them are brazen enough to attack my iron-reinforced warbeetles.

But they are just irritants.

“TreeTree using magic?”

“Yes Lausanne. It will be a forest once more.” Lausanne likes trees. She likes flowers too, and some of the shrubs have flowers. She likes the yellow flowers the most. She says it looks like the sun.

“Wow. Teach me, please?”

“I can’t. I just… feel it. It’s like a primal urge I just have to let out, and it happens.”

Its true. That spawning trees this is kinda like something I do naturally, and its only suppressed by the materials and essence extraction. Once I activate it, it just… happens. Weird tree spirit mojo.

Lausanne shakes her tiny toddler head. “No no. Do you know druid magic?”

“No I do not.”

“But best druids learn from Tree Spirits!”

“I… I can’t. Maybe someday.”

Did I say she’s too young? She’s too young. I don’t think she should be learning magic at 3 to 4 years old.

But I frankly do not know how to teach my kind of magic. Ironic, considering I have [learning aura] and [dream tutor].

This valley regrowth boom led to my subsidiary tree leveling up. I think the subsidiary tree ability is just linked to me doing tree-like things.

[Subsidiary tree leveled up. Limit increased to 90 trees.]

[Some of your stored iron materials and essence of nature has been consumed. Six inner circle subsidiary trees upgraded. They are now able to support 3 external rooms each.]

Progress!

The elves gained some skills in [olive oil making], Laufen apparently already has [trading] and [coin management] from her past experience, so she’s the elves primary treasurer at this point, assisted by Belle.

Progress for the elves!

Sadly, bad news from Eriz. The resistance spreads and the country descends into a civil war of some kind, with the humans overwhelming on one side, and the non-humans, outnumbered and outgunned.

Prince Galan, their benefactor is killed in an assassination, which is quickly framed on their mistress.

So, the non-humans are fleeing in large numbers.

Year 73 Month 10 Week 3

[Rootnet is now connected to 1,000 normal trees. Local rootnet access upgraded, range extended]

The valley now looks like a forest, and I am no longer easily visible from afar. On hindsight, I should have done this a long time ago. The tree cover this forest of normal trees help hide my presence.

With the increased [subsidiary tree] amount, I scatter about twenty of them across this new forest, and have them as home for my [insect warriors].

This brings up my total warbeetle population to 78, so I have a small army of beetles in my hands. I mean, it seems like my abilities are derivatives of what a tree does in my real life, doesn’t it, so I wonder whether I can get an air force of some kind, perhaps these birds or some kind of bees.

The beetles occasionally get attacked by the animals, but they are tough enough to shrug it off.

Anyway, air force. How do I lure new creatures? Why can’t they just give it to me like the beetles?

Year 73 Month 10 Week 4

Elves, dwarves, halflings, treefolk, gnolls, minotaurs, centaurs, lizardmen. A lot.

Maybe two thousand.

“How long do we have to keep moving?”

“As long as we need to. The armies are still after us.”

The only thing uniting this ragtag bunch of nonhumans is the humans. Once things settle down they will all split up.

“After this is the old demon king territories…”

“Safer than being hunted by an army. Lesser demons remain now, so it should be safe...”

“Should.”

One discussion came up with the elves recently. About accepting these refugees, if it ever comes to it.

The view amongst the 7 elves is that they are not comfortable with them being too near, and that is defined as the two rings of subsidiary trees. That space, to them, is still “their” space.

But, they understand the need of these people, so they are open, and willing to share the valley with them. Perhaps these refugees could base themselves at another part of this large valley, after all, with trees now popping out everywhere, it won’t be a problem in terms of cover or protection.

“There’s a path.”

“We should take it?”

“Yes.”

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“No.”

In the end, some take the path, some decide to wade through the forest. It took them a few days, but eventually, of the 2,000, about 300 or so elves, treefolk and centaurs decide to stay in the forest. Being different races, they split up and start to make some housing in their own part of the valley.

For the others, a forest is not their ideal “place” and so they decide to move even further. Perhaps the army is still a bit too close for comfort.

Thanks to the cover of the forest, they don’t know about me or the elves presence, yet. And that’s fine. Some of them saw the Freeka Trading Post sign, though, and probably wonder whether its still used. After all, the merchants only come by quarterly, and its going to be winter. To some, it is better to gather food and shelter before winter.

“Oh.. there are treefolk, elves and centaurs in the valley?”

“Yup. The treefolk is near the small pond, the centaur near the valley’s slopes, and the elves at the far end.”

“Whoah.”

Treefolks. They are part tree, part humans, part insect, apparently a creation of the nameless mother to give trees some variety. Looking at them using my vision of the valley, they resemble insects that disguise themselves as tree branches and leaves.

And for them, when they sleep, their legs must touch the floor, so they often sleep upright, or slightly tilted, leaning against the wall. Living in multiple stories is a strange and uncomfortable concept for them.

And in a way, they are the first to detect my presence.

When they sleep, their feet would extend small feelers into the ground, and this would exchange their bodily waste for nutrients. This leads to contact…

[Foreign entities attempted to connect. Treefolk presence detected. Isolating…]

[Treefolk successfully isolated.]

“Huh.” They jolt from their first night of proper rest. “This place… the ground…”

A group of beetles appear outside their makeshift settlement. The few warriors quickly take up arms, but there’s too many. Easily 40 of these beetles.

“Hello, treefolk.” It’s nighttime, and treefolk’s vision is rather poor, but an elven voice is strangely welcome.

“Who goes there.” There is a de facto chief among the treefolk, he steps forth.

“I have been instructed to visit you. Welcome to Freeka, and this is our valley.”

The treefolk look at each other, “We see no Freeka, no settlement.”

“Ah yes, razed by the Salah kingdom. But some of us survive, protected by our guardian spirit.”

“Guardian spirit?” The treefolk instantly connect the dots. “A tree spirit, here?”

“Yes. He’s been watching all of you. This valley is under his domain.”

A few of them gasp, but the leader then asks. “Does he want us to move away?”

“No. At least, not yet. We are just a greeting party. If there’s no unpleasant events, our tree spirit will not take any hostile actions…”

The leader breath a sigh of relief. “Ah. As treefolks, we would be greatly honored to live in a land watched over by our ancestors.”

“We hope so. Try not to chop too many trees down, and if you encounter any beetles, please do not attack them. They are the minions of the tree spirit.”

The leader nods. “Certain.. certainly.”

The beetles and Jura disappear back into the night, and the treefolks quickly huddle together to discuss this revelation.

Back home, Jura looks at me. “Was that necessary?”

“Yes. It is important they know who they are dealing with, and treefolks seem like the ideal candidates to make that first exposure. And I won’t want them randomly attacking my beetles.”

Treefolk and elves have an awkward relationship, and are often tense with each other. This is because though they share the forests, they have different ideas of what an ideal settlement is like. Elves, especially the high and sun elf variants prefer to build tall structures, carved from the trees, whereas the treefolk prefer to have vast sprawling settlements that allow contact to the earth at all times. Elves also have good night vision, whereas treefolk vision is generally poor, and they depend on a wide range of other senses like touch, gravity, vibrations.

The elven group are quick to start working, tying their cloth and whatever vines they find to form a kind of makeshift shelter, while a few of them use some kind of magic to bend and shape the normal trees into a house. It’s a slow process, whatever wood-forming magic these elves use, and from my observation, it reduces that tree’s energy output, in exchange for greater structural integrity.

The centaur group live near the sloped areas of the valley, where there is a mix of shrubs and trees. Unlike treefolk and elves, they erect large tents, and they prefer to be out of the woods. Any trees in their vicinity is used to anchor the massive tents, and one of the taller normal trees become the center core of their chief’s tent. The tents themselves are made of their leftover hair, mane and fur, cloth and whatever animal fur or skin they can find.

“So what do we do with the elves and centaur?”

“Watch them. I’ve instructed my beetles to stay away from them, and since both elves and centaur are at the forest's edge, its still fine… for now. But once they grow, I will need to make myself known.”

“It would be easier to let them know now, though?” Laufen thinks. “If we wait too long, they might feel defensive.”

“Hmmm.. true. True. Let’s be proactive then. Jura, can you visit the elves?”

“Certainly.”

And so Jura goes close to the elven settlement.

Everyone is so busy working on their new place that they did not notice Jura walk right through their makeshift gates.

“Hi everyone.” He shouts, and everyone turns. They quickly panic and grab their arms.

“Who are you!” Their posture is poor. These are not warriors. They are exhausted from their long walk that they just want to rebuild.

“I am from the village of Freeka. Its a really really small village, but thought I’d still let you know we exist.”

“Village? Freeka?”

“That unused trading post?”

“Its.. rarely used.” Jura laughs, and opens his hands. “I come in peace and, know this, that a tree spirit watches over this valley. It is for his presence that a forest is now here, so quickly after the fall of the demon king.”

“What do you want?” A young elf quickly shout. Even amongst elves, the youth can be rude

“Nothing much.” Jura smiles, and thirty warbeetles appear next to him. The elves all feel a shiver of fear. “Just know that this valley is protected, and behave accordingly. Something elves should already know, in the presence of a tree spirit.”

An elderly elf appears. “Ah… I did not know Freeka has a tree spirit. That is a pleasant discovery.”

A younger man appears, he looks like a warrior and he glances at Jura. “Are you the chieftain of Freeka?”

Jura laughs. “We are so few, so small, we have no need for a chieftain. But our tree spirit guides us, and speaks to us. Our tree spirit sent me to greet you.”

The elderly elf pats the younger man on the shoulder. “This is our chief.”

“Well met.”

“How do we find you?”

Jura pauses. He did not want to answer that.

“How many are you?”

“Less than ten.”

“Then you should stick with us. We have more. Help us. Your warbeetles too.”

Jura shakes his head. “These warbeetles, they belong to our tree spirit, and they do not listen to me. Our tree spirit, is our guide.”

The young chief shakes his head. “I have never heard of elves who obey tree spirits. Tree spirits are our guardian spirits, but we, elves, are the true masters of the forests. Tree spirits will follow the will of great elves!”

Jura smiles, and he want to ask why is he running, but then decide that would ruin the relationship a bit too much.

“Ah, you are free to believe what you please. I am here to greet, and welcome you to the valley of Freeka. And warn, that the forests you see, is under the protection of our tree spirit. You are free to test our tree spirit’s patience and kindness, if you feel that is a hollow threat.”

The young chief winces. “Ugh.”

Jura smiles, turns around and leaves with the warbeetles.

Tense. But I have more free [subsidiary trees] now. If necessary I can place more of them facing both the elves and centaur, so that there is always a beetle group ready to respond to any…. uprising. But lets see how the centaurs are…

“An elf?”

The centaurs spot Jura the moment he peeks out of the forest.

“Hi. I wish to speak to your leader.”

Two centaurs appear, one male and one female.

“We are the leaders. Speak, elf.” The female one speaks first.

“I am here at the request of the tree spirit of the valley, to welcome you to Freeka.”

The male one then speaks. “Are you here to threaten us?”

“Yes, and no.” Jura smiles, such negotiations are getting easier. “The tree spirit has reasonable expectations of proper conduct from the valley’s inhabitants.”

The female centaur looks at the male and whisper to it. The male centaur nods, and then turns to face Jura.

“A tree spirit, you say?”

“Yes.”

The male centaur nods. “May we meet the Tree Spirit?”

“Yes. We will arrange a day for the chiefs to meet.”

“Chiefs?” Both centaur ask simultaneously.

“Chief of the elves and treefolk too.”

“Ah.. so there are other refugees that seek to make this valley their home. Greenery in what we thought is demon-wrecked lands is a pleasant development.” The male centaur turns to look at the female.

“If we meet the tree spirit, we will decide whether to comply.”

Jura nods.

Eriz, during this time is still on about the fighting happening in the kingdom. Her mistress is trying to flee too, as her protector, the prince is dead. But it is difficult to flee when she is the main suspect, and the target of widespread human propaganda.

Anyway, I’m more focused on the new valley-mates, and also wonder how to best use my additional [subsidiary tree] slots. If there is going to be tension, I will want more beetles to fight off their numbers, and I have no indication of how strong the leaders and warriors are. Maybe they are as strong as Jura, or maybe more.

Year 73 Month 11 Week 1

Normal tree counts grow to about 1,400, the elves and centaur did eventually cut a few trees to build their homes and other structures, but otherwise the growth rate is stable. The new trees mainly grow nearer to me, increasing the density in the middle of the valley, and I didn’t want to take away the kind of sloped spaces that the centaur enjoy.

Eriz is upset.

She’s been crying for days.

Her mistress stopped communicating with her magically, and she fears for the worst.

Laufen on the other hand feels sorry for Roma, the baby who’s away from his mother. And his body is rather weak, probably lacking nutrients as he is apart from the mother, so, Laufen brings him into the biolab, into the pod, where I can nourish his body and channel nutrients in via the vines and feelers in the pod.

Roma’s small baby body is frail, and needs to be constantly comforted by one of the ladies, and Eriz is too attached to the conflict back home to properly care for him.

“Can you do something, Tree spirit?”

“I’ll try…” Hmmm… I suppose what hospital have is some kind of incubation facility.. perhaps my medical room or the biolab pods can be modified…

[Secret hideout upgraded : Childcare corner obtained]

[Childcare corner produces a special infant friendly syrup, similar to baby and milk formula. Infant-syrup can be further upgraded with various kinds of materials and minerals, if available]

Ah! The system to the rescue!

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