Chapter 1833: Chapter 1833
"It worked. And I've advanced to a Level 7 Enchanter."
Jenkins pressed a hand to his forehead, taking a long moment before he finally spoke. Then, with one hand, he lifted his cat high into the air. As the feline splayed its four paws and let out a mighty "roar," he settled it back onto his shoulder. Thıs content belongs to novel※fire.net
He smiled at Sigrid, who was helping to steady him, then turned to Miss Bevanna.
"There were a few surprises, but this time, nothing went seriously wrong. It was a success. I think we can start looking to see if the next Doomsday Document is somewhere nearby."
A look of relief washed over Miss Bevanna's face, a suppressed joy shining in her eyes. The people behind her broke into smiles as well. Alexia came forward and embraced Jenkins, while Papa Oliver gave him an encouraging and gratified nod.
"That's more like it. Things can't always go wrong, can they?"
Jenkins then addressed Mr. Yassen, the "Left Hand of the Sanctuary."
"The matter you came all the way from Bel Diran to Nolan for... that was a success, too."
The demigod knew Jenkins was referring to the Tree Soul. He closed his eyes, a look of profound relief on his face, before very solemnly making the holy symbol of the Sage across his chest.
The coalesced World Tree Seed vanished as Jenkins officially became the World Tree Seedling. "Vanish" wasn't quite the right word; Jenkins could feel the seed fusing with him, becoming a part of his very being. The essence it contained—the divinity of the World Tree and certain rules he could not comprehend—all merged with him completely.
These powers transformed his body and soul, elevating him to a new level of existence. His physical form could no longer be considered a mortal shell, and while the growth of his soul was limited, Jenkins knew a subtle but significant change had taken place.
Every Savior qualification required the candidate to be worthy. The unique nature of his body and soul fulfilled the conditions for [Twin Demons]; his divine nature satisfied the requirements for [Undying Man]; the intricate web of truth and falsehood woven by the Believers of Lies and their grand deception met the criteria for [Real Illusion]; his singular fate, the focal point of all cause and effect at the end of the 18th Epoch, qualified him for [Destiny's Stage]; being a solitary traveler from a foreign land made him eligible for [The Stranger]; and his determination, courage, and actions to save the world earned him the title of [Hero].
And just moments ago, the World Tree Seed had fused with a descendant of its ancient priests, elevating the priest in turn. The seed, influenced by the noble essence of that soul, had also been elevated, thereby breaking free from its seed-like constraints. It was a process akin to germination, but with a difference: the seed vanished after sprouting, leaving only Jenkins, who had inherited the World Tree's entire essence.
He was now the seedling that had grown from the seed, and so he had earned the qualification of [World Tree Seedling].
He murmured the words to himself, then placed a soft kiss on Alexia's cheek to express the joy in his heart.
"Soon, so soon. It will all be over."
The thought echoed in his mind, making his chest feel tight. He naturally stepped aside with Alexia and Sigrid, clearing the space where the Doomsday Slate lay buried just beneath the soil.
He approached Papa Oliver, who smiled with satisfaction and clapped him on the shoulder twice.
"Congratulations, Jenkins. For everything. Now, you are the only one qualified to compete with the Believers of Lies. The commotion here was huge, so I imagine the Believers of Lies and every other cult will know what happened. But don't feel any pressure. You may not be as powerful as them, but the Twelve Orthodox Churches are all behind you."
"I'm not feeling any pressure, Papa Oliver."
He said this just as he heard gasps from behind him. The slate, buried just beneath the surface, had been discovered. It was the seventh slate heralding the end, corresponding to the Savior qualification [World Tree Seedling]:
[Myths and epics are reenacted,]
[Those legends, those stories;]
[The ancients watch from afar,]
[Awaiting the ancient tree to sprout once more.]
[The spiral of life and death,]
[Together forge the eighteenth calamity.]
[In the recurring cycle of fate,]
[That ancient tree still bears witness to all.]
[The falling seed symbolizes the end of all things,]
[The gray mist of calamity already hovers above.]
[When the seed sprouts,]
[It signifies new life,]
[When the calamity sprouts,]
[It symbolizes the end.]
Jenkins had been prepared to spend the entire Tuesday in the Evergreen Forest, but to his surprise, the whole affair was over in half an hour.
He watched as the Church carefully boxed up the Doomsday Document and transported it away. Then he accepted everyone's congratulations, listened to an ecstatic Miss Bevanna detail the advantages the Church might gain in tomorrow's meeting, and then, with a sigh, had to stop his cat from chasing after some squirrels that had appeared from nowhere.
"Speaking of squirrels..."
Jenkins glanced at his right hand, where a single pinecone rested in his palm. It had been there when he woke up, seemingly a gift from the friendly, bushy-tailed squirrel he had met while communing with the World Tree.
"But wasn't that just a vision in my mind?"
He was puzzled by it. The pinecone was perfectly ordinary, so Jenkins casually tossed it to his cat. The cat sniffed it, then disdainfully kicked it aside with a hind paw. It would likely be a treat for some other squirrel that happened to pass by.
[World Tree Seedling] was an innate Savior ability. Having evolved from [Life Source], it had grown tremendously more powerful. Jenkins had never truly understood the records that described innate Savior abilities as "immeasurably powerful," having only glimpsed their potential through the Mad Poet's "Child of Disaster."
Only now that he wielded one did he understand. The power of a Savior ability stemmed not just from its uniqueness, but from the fact that the Epoch's End granted it new strength. This additional power would accompany the Savior—and only the Savior—through the final days. After the Savior was gone, anyone else who obtained the ability would never be as strong.
[World Tree Seedling] retained all the functions of [Life Source] while also granting Jenkins the ability to perform large-scale healing. In the past, spreading his life spirit was a form of area healing, but it was highly inefficient. Now, he needed only to reveal the emblem of [World Tree Seedling], and it would unfold like a ritual array, allowing him to heal multiple selected individuals within a radius determined by his spirit reserves and control.
Moreover, Jenkins now possessed the ability to bestow life. This didn't mean he could create life—the world's definition of life, after all, included a soul. Nor could he make a roasted seed grow again or turn a stone into a living creature.
What he could do was create simple life from nothing. He needed no seeds to spontaneously generate any simple organism. For plants, this ability filled the gap left by his [Creation Pencil], which could only draw inanimate objects. For animals, it meant Jenkins could sculpt the body of any animal at will, complete with a fully functioning biological system, though it would lack a soul.
While it might not sound very useful, it was an authority akin to that described of the gods in religious texts. Jenkins didn't have any other innate Savior abilities, so he didn't know if they were all this powerful, or if [World Tree Seedling] was exceptional because it had absorbed the entire World Tree Seed.
Regardless, the ability he had possessed since his arrival in this world had finally reached its ultimate evolution.
At the same time, the essence of the World Tree contained within the seed had settled into his soul. Much of it remained undigested, lying dormant alongside his divine nature. But as long as Jenkins lived, he would one day gain the full power of the World Tree—an achievement no previous [World Tree Seedling] could have ever managed.
After all, Jenkins now understood that the normal process of sublimation required only a single tender leaf from the World Tree. Not every body and soul was capable of containing the immense power of the entire seed.
The explosion of life force when the seed coalesced had been a spectacular light show, but its actual effect on the surroundings was merely to triple the size of the Evergreen Forest. Beyond that, even the people watching from close by felt no change in themselves. The inverted Saint's Shadow under the tree and the [Panacea] in the pool remained as they were.
It seemed all the power had been absorbed by Jenkins and the forest. This was a good thing; it would make explaining today's anomaly to the public much simpler.
Before today, Jenkins had set aside the entire day for the World Tree Seedling affair. With it resolved so quickly, he suddenly found himself unsure of what to do.
Two major meetings were underway in Nolan, both of which he was qualified to attend. After some consideration, he chose to go to the Tri-King Summit at City Hall, since he had not been in a long time.
He returned to the city just in time to catch the afternoon session. People were somewhat surprised to see him, assuming an important issue was scheduled for discussion. But he was truly just there to observe and offer a few of his own opinions during the speaking portion.
After the meeting, Miss Windsor curiously asked him why he had appeared today. Jenkins simply replied that he had some free time.
Now, the Tree Soul and Dragon Soul were his. The Ice Soul was within easy reach. And although the Dark Soul was still gestating, Jenkins believed it would not be long now.