Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert-Chapter 521

Chapter 521

All of the High Elves were gathered in the wide clearing before the World Tree.

Their gazes were fixed on Brielle, who stood with the World Tree at her back.

The reason they had all gathered here was simple.

Brielle had said she had something important to announce.

Because of that, everyone—adults and children alike—had assembled in one place.

Ratrisha, Brielle’s mother and the leader of the World Tree village, opened her mouth.

“Now that everyone is here, speak quickly. Tell us why you gathered us.”

“Okay, Mom!”

Brielle took out a glass vial she had brought from the seed repository, pulling it from her cone-hat subspace.

At first, the High Elves blinked, wondering why she was taking out a glass bottle. Then, one by one, their expressions changed.

As High Elves sensitive to the aura of nature, they realized what the object inside the vial was.

“Could it be…?”

“Seeds?”

The High Elves’ eyes widened.

Thanks to the World Tree, the entire village had regained its greenery, but edible crops were still scarce.

Just because the land had been restored did not mean grain seeds would suddenly appear.

To cultivate proper grain seeds, one had to invest long periods of time, research, and painstaking effort.

Because of that, even the High Elves had not dared to try developing or creating grain seeds.

And yet, Brielle had suddenly taken out a glass vial filled with grain seeds from her subspace—it was only natural for them to be shocked.

Ratrisha hurriedly asked,

“Is this what I think it is?”

“It is.”

“Real grain seeds?”

“Yes! I’m sure of it.”

“Where did you obtain these?”

Brielle told them, without omission, the entire process of acquiring the seeds from the seed repository. After hearing her whole story, Ratrisha clenched the glass vial tightly and said,

“It must be Lady Ciela’s blessing upon you. Are these all the seeds?”

“Of course not. I brought back all the ones that still had vitality.”

Brielle took out all fifty or so glass vials from her subspace.

“Waaaah!”

The High Elves embraced one another and cheered.

With tears in her eyes, Ratrisha said,

“You’ve done something truly great. To bring back so many seeds…”

“Thank you, Brielle!”

“So much grain… You keep saving us.”

Even the elderly High Elves approached and praised Brielle.

Brielle said to them,

“It’s too early to relax. We still need to grow the crops and obtain more seeds.”

“Don’t worry. We were the finest farmers even back in Kuran.”

“And with the World Tree’s blessing on top of that, growing crops will be nothing.”

The elderly High Elves hugged the glass vials of seeds as if they were treasures.

To them, seeds were treasures beyond compare.

Ratrisha said to them,

“Cultivating and propagating these crops is the responsibility of all of us. Leave protecting the village to the younger elves, and all of you focus solely on growing this treasure Brielle brought back.”

“We heed the lord’s command.”

The elderly High Elves replied in unison.

Ratrisha evenly distributed the glass vials of seeds.

The High Elves who received the seeds immediately began preparing to plant them.

Under the World Tree’s blessing, the land had been restored, so there was no need to spread fertilizer or clear the fields separately.

However, since there were over fifty different types of seeds, dividing the land into proper sections was important.

Using spirits, the elderly High Elves swiftly divided the plots and neatly prepared the land.

This was the role of the High Elves contracted with gnomes, the spirits of the earth.

Drdrdk!

As the gnomes exerted their power, the earth was overturned in an instant, becoming ideal for planting seeds.

Next, the High Elves contracted with sylphs, the spirits of wind, stepped forward.

“Sylph, please!”

— Okay!

The sylph carried the seeds on the wind and scattered them across the land. Then, undines stepped in to sprinkle water.

In this way, the High Elves used their contracted spirits to sow and tend the seeds.

The young High Elves watched the work of the elders with faces full of curiosity.

For the young High Elves, watching the elders work was part of their learning.

The older High Elves knew this as well, so they deliberately worked slowly, ensuring the children could observe and learn properly.

Smiles never left the faces of the High Elves as they planted and cared for the crops.

It felt as though the final missing piece had finally been filled.

“Looks good. That’s the essence of the High Elves.”

Tesserina watched the High Elves’ work with a smile.

Levin, standing beside her, asked,

“Essence?”

“Yes. To cultivate, preserve, and pass on to future generations—that is the essence of the High Elves.”

“Isn’t that the same for regular elves?”

“If we use a human analogy, High Elves are like researchers, and elves are more like mechanics. High Elves dig into the essence like researchers, while elves adapt and develop with the times like mechanics.”

“Ah!”

It was such a perfect analogy that Levin understood it instantly.

The sight of the High Elves farming while communing with spirits was beautiful. It felt as though they were communing with the seeds themselves as well.

“Don’t be afraid, little one. This is your land.”

“Please grow strong.”

They whispered as if the seeds were alive.

Perhaps because of the High Elves’ earnest wishes, the seeds sprouted after just one day.

Something that would be absolutely impossible elsewhere had occurred.

It was only possible here, where the earth’s energy was abundant thanks to the World Tree’s blessing.

When the sprouts emerged, the High Elves tended them with even greater care.

Brielle walked alongside Zeon through the land where the sprouts had risen.

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

“It is.”

“Zeon!”

“Go on.”

“I want to stay here for a while. I want to stay and see what kind of crops are born. Is that okay?”

It was a High Elf’s desire.

Brielle wanted to remain here and watch the seeds she had brought bear fruit.

Zeon readily accepted her request.

“Do so.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you! When the seeds bear fruit, I’ll bring them to Neo Seoul.”

“I’ll be waiting, so come back anytime.”

“Okay!”

Brielle nodded vigorously.

Zeon smiled as he looked at her.

When they first met, Brielle had been like a wounded cat.

She had been hurt by humans, bristling with hostility, but none of that remained now.

She had matured that much.

Having experienced both humans and High Elves, Brielle would one day become a fine bridge connecting the two worlds.

Zeon pressed down firmly on the cone hat Brielle was wearing.

“Hehe!”

Brielle let out a cheerful laugh.

＊＊＊

Kwarrr!

At the unusually powerful tremor, Tagol, captain of the Pankrena Rangers, snapped his eyes open.

He was not the only one who felt it.

All of the rangers stationed beneath Mount Pankrena leapt to their feet and scanned their surroundings.

What caught their eyes was the summit of Mount Pankrena, belching thick smoke as if it were about to erupt at any moment.

“What is it?”

“It’s not going to erupt, is it?”

They stared at Mount Pankrena with uneasy expressions.

Kurrrr!

As if amplifying their anxiety, the mountain’s tremors grew even stronger.

Though they had been stationed here for a long time, this was the first time Mount Pankrena had trembled so violently.

After a brief hesitation, Tagol made a decision.

“Everyone, pack only the essentials and leave the camp.”

“Yes, Captain.”

The Pankrena Rangers replied in unison.

Under normal circumstances, they would have argued or suggested waiting a bit longer. But the vibrations coming from the ground right now were anything but normal.

It felt as though a gigantic magical beast were growling beneath their feet.

Standing still felt like they would be swallowed whole.

The Pankrena Rangers packed only the bare essentials and immediately left the camp.

It was when they had put some distance between themselves and Mount Pankrena.

Kwaaaang!

At last, Mount Pankrena erupted, spewing fire.

Pitch-black smoke shot high into the sky, and lava poured forth.

The lava spewed by Mount Pankrena swept over the rangers’ camp in an instant.

Had they been even a little slower, they would have been engulfed by the lava and melted away without a trace.

But it was too early to breathe a sigh of relief.

Bang! Kwaaang!

Volcanic rocks hurled from the eruption rained down where the Pankrena Rangers were.

“Everyone, dodge!”

“Damn it!”

The Pankrena Rangers ran this way and that, avoiding massive boulders.

As if under bombardment, huge craters formed where they had stood, and rock fragments lay scattered everywhere.

Tagol shouted,

“Don’t look back—run!”

“Waaah!”

“Ghk!” 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

The Pankrena Rangers sprinted at full speed, following Tagol.

Even in that moment, Mount Pankrena continued to spew black ash and lava.

The crimson lava flowed toward them at a terrifying speed.

Tagol and the Pankrena Rangers ran with everything they had.

Fortunately, all of them were awakened, possessing far greater physical abilities than ordinary elves.

Thanks to that, they managed to escape the lava’s reach.

“Hah…!”

“Huff! Huff!”

Having escaped the lava’s range, the rangers collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.

Their legs trembled, and their hearts pounded so violently they had no strength left to run. They had truly exhausted themselves.

Though they had escaped the lava, their expressions were far from bright.

Once they had recovered somewhat, the Pankrena Rangers stared blankly at Mount Pankrena.

The area where the volcano stood was dark.

Ash and dust spewed from the eruption blanketed the sky.

Flash! Kurrr!

Lightning flashed within the ash darker than storm clouds, and thunder boomed without pause.

Mount Pankrena was spewing lava and ash like a mad thing.

It truly looked like the end of the world.

Tagol muttered blankly,

“So it finally erupted?”

He had always thought it would erupt someday. But he had never imagined that day would be now.

That was because he believed the World Tree was controlling Mount Pankrena well.

Until now, Elharun had maintained Mount Pankrena under the World Tree’s blessing, suppressing its eruption.

There was a reason Del Roa, the leader of Elharun, had chosen to become one with the World Tree himself—to suppress Mount Pankrena.

He knew that if Mount Pankrena fully erupted, Elharun would be destroyed. That was why he had sacrificed himself to support the World Tree.

Because of that, the Pankrena Rangers had been able to station themselves beneath the volcano, trusting Del Roa and the World Tree.

But that trust was shattered today.

Even now, Mount Pankrena continued to spew lava.

More frightening still was the feeling that the true eruption had not yet begun.

This was not the full destructive power Mount Pankrena possessed.

If this were all there was, Del Roa would never have chosen to become one with the World Tree.

Tagol bit his lip.

“Has something happened to Lord Del Roa? Or has something gone wrong with the World Tree?”

The anxiety he could not hide was clearly reflected in his voice.