Mash-up Anime World: Creating the SCP Foundation to Contain Anomalies-Chapter 342 - 335: The Great Compassion Tree King — Nahida

When Haruto returned from the Illusory Realm...

The box marked "Here Be Dragons" (SCP**'Data Expunged'**) had been completely incinerated.

But afterwards, the box restored itself, its lining and exterior returning to their original state.

Only the writing on the top of the lid was permanently burned away.

A new inscription appeared on the box's lid:

"The Dragon Was Here" (SCP-1762-B).

From within the box, a roll of parchment was taken out.

From that point forward, the project became entirely non-interactive, losing all anomalous properties.

"The Dragon Was Here" was placed into a Foundation storage locker and sealed away. The parchment recorded the final message from the Dragon.

It was handwritten in ink and accompanied by a drawing.

The image depicted a mountainous region filled with trees and waterfalls. In the background, a winged dragon could be seen, seemingly about to take flight.

The written message was placed in the lower right corner of the scroll in black ink:

"Dear friends, thank you for your help — we've weathered the crisis, for now. But unfortunately, the Illusory Realm is no longer livable. We've decided to relocate.

When we arrive in a new realm, we will still remember you. In fact, no matter what, we will never forget you — the eternal friends of dragons!

We're sure we'll meet again. By then, who knows what your rooms will look like?

Farewell. As you once said — a short separation is for a better reunion!"

The project had shifted from "Where The Dragons Went" to "The Dragon Was Here" (SCP-1762-B).

In addition to the box, the Foundation also retained three now-inactive origami dragons (SCP-1762-B-2), all of the previously recorded documents, and the final parchment.

These items no longer held anomalous effects... ƒrēenovelkiss.com

But they faithfully preserved a tale of friendship between humans and dragons.

Before Haruto left the Illusory Realm, he had already noticed that the realm was breaking apart.

So he left a transitional coordinate to the Main World for the dragons.

Once they settled in a new Illusory Realm...

The friendship between humans and dragons would continue.

At that time, perhaps a new "Where The Dragons Went" might appear.

After compiling and categorizing all this information, Haruto closed the project's documentation file.

As for the parts related to forbidden knowledge, Haruto didn't upload them into the Foundation system.

He decided it was safest to keep that knowledge within his own cognition.

In truth, this so-called forbidden knowledge...

Was a vast stream of information filled with arcane insights.

It functioned as a complete system of knowledge. By understanding a single part of it, one could grasp the entirety. Much of the content was chaotic and disordered.

Or rather, Haruto couldn't comprehend it — thus, it seemed chaotic to him.

And he also couldn't understand why this knowledge attracted those monsters.

Still, there were some parts Haruto could grasp.

For example, he discovered an alchemical system among the forbidden knowledge.

This alchemy was divided into three stages:

Nigredo (Blackening), Albedo (Whitening), Rubedo (Reddening).

Nigredo referred to the primordial state of matter — or the process of reducing substances to their original essence.

For example, turning an apple into the atoms that make it up. This process was called "Blackening," but it went even deeper than atoms.

Albedo involved taking that primordial matter and reassembling it into a new creation.The new creation was referred to as "Whitening," or the process itself was called "Whitening."

Like reassembling the atoms of an apple into a Peashooter from Plants vs. Zombies.

Rubedo referred to the perfected evolution of the "White" creation. The evolved being was called a "Reddened" form, or the process was called "Reddening."

Like turning the Peashooter... into a moe girl version of a Peashooter.

Huh? You thought it would become a machine gunner? That's too cheap for Rubedo.

Mastery of this alchemy could theoretically allow one to create perfect life from nothing.

However...

Despite its apparent usefulness, Haruto hesitated.

It was worth testing...

But absolutely not in the Main World.

Using forbidden knowledge here could bring irreversible damage. That would be far too costly.

Aside from this unique alchemical system...

Haruto also discovered something strange in the forbidden knowledge.

A segment of information seemed completely out of place. As if someone had slipped an emoji into a long string of code.

When Haruto tried to extract this segment...

It was as though a gentle light shone into this world. He instinctively reached out his hand. Then felt a light weight settle in his arms — a sensation of holding something.

When Haruto looked down...

He found that he was cradling a sleeping woman in a princess carry.

The woman's face was so exquisitely beautiful, so perfect, that it stirred affection from the depths of one's soul.

Her long, white hair cascaded like a starry waterfall, shifting to pale green at the tips.

She wore a luxurious green dress, elegant and refined, like a goddess of nature.

Golden patterns adorned the surface, while leafy floral motifs decorated the inner fabric — it was dazzling.

On her feet were white stirrup socks, but no shoes — her pale, jewel-like toes were exposed to the air.

Most striking were her ears — long and pointed like those of a fantasy elf.

Seeing her, Haruto was momentarily dazed.

What the hell...

Where did this goddess fall from?

Even having seen many flawless beauties, Haruto was briefly stunned by her appearance. He even had the impulse to carry her home right then and there.

After standing dumbfounded for a moment, Haruto walked into a nearby containment room...

And laid the woman gently on the bed.

He began to ponder.

She looked vaguely familiar...

But not quite.

It seemed she came from that forbidden knowledge.

But something felt different.

At the very least, her appearance hadn't triggered any anomalies. Still — if she wasn't part of the forbidden knowledge, why was she recorded within it?

As he wondered...

The woman's long lashes fluttered.

Seeing this, Haruto immediately snapped to attention.

Under his gaze, the woman slowly opened her eyes.

Eyes one would never forget after seeing them once.

Her irises were light green, and her pupils a paler green, in a four-leaf clover cross shape, ringed by golden patterns — the most perfect work of art in the world.

Within those eyes lay deep, hidden knowledge and gentle compassion that embraced all.

Their gazes met.

After a moment, the woman blinked.

"¨¨ Hello〃ˇ."

Her voice was soft — the very embodiment of a gentle elder-sisterly tone.

"Hello... Though, aren't you a little too calm?"

Haruto couldn't help but comment.

A woman suddenly appears, wakes up in an unfamiliar place, sees an unfamiliar man — yet her first words are "Hello"?

That's some next-level acceptance.

The woman glanced around the containment room, then quickly looked back.

"You're right. Excuse me, but where am I? My name is Nahida, or you may call me The Great Compassion Tree King. I don't know you. May I ask who you are...?"

Hearing her soft voice...

Haruto froze.

Nahida?

The Great Compassion Tree King?

Wait — what!?

He'd heard the name before.

The Dendro Archon from Teyvat.

The embodiment of the World Tree.

But that was all Haruto knew.

When he transmigrated, only a PV about the Tree King had been released. After his momentary daze, Haruto gave a simple explanation about the Main World...

And the forbidden knowledge, he figured her appearance must be connected to that.

Sure enough — when he mentioned forbidden knowledge...

Nahida's expression visibly changed.

Her eyes filled with worry as she looked at Haruto.

"That knowledge... corrodes the world," she said solemnly.

Haruto nodded.

He had already seen the effect on the Illusory Realm.

Nahida also noticed — despite Haruto holding forbidden knowledge, there were no signs of corruption.

Previously, to counteract the disasters caused by forbidden knowledge...

She had tried to use the power of the World Tree — but it was ineffective. She couldn't eradicate it.

At most, she could delay the harm.

In the end, she had to erase herself, taking the forbidden knowledge with her. Only then was the threat finally quelled.

Yet now, this young man held that very knowledge... and wasn't affected.

It was simply unbelievable.

At the same time, Nahida suddenly realized...

Her own memories — once corrupted by forbidden knowledge — seemed to be healing.

The forbidden knowledge... had faded from her mind.