Tree of Aeons

P68- Host

Year 83 Month 1

At the end of the first month, the heroes, long awaited, finally arrived.

I had a brief vision, like I always did. Twelve streaks of light, split into four groups of three, and then each landed at a different part of the world. This is important, because that meant the heroes are in smaller groups of three, and are scattered.

A vague reddish hand appeared in that same vision, it tried to swipe at the streaks of light. But another hand stopped it.

That was when I woke from the vision.

[Twelve reincarnators have arrived].

"I wonder where they are." Alexis wondered. I hope they dont make the same mistakes we did. She got the same ping as I did. And TreeTree, why do you get... the notification?

I have no idea. I do see a vision. Hmm, is she wondering why I know about the heroes? Well, I suspect its because I came from their world, too.

Maybe TreeTrees like some kind of super-entity thats why the gods send the ping to him too. Meela came to the rescue, she got the notice as well, thats why she came over. Her hotel/inn can run itself quite well, she hired quite a few treefolk to work for her.

I wonder how many will survive this time. The worlds in a shittier state than it was.

"TreeTree, I have a request." Meela said. "I know you didn't have a good impression of us heroes, so, let me deal with the next generation of heroes. If they ever swing our way."

"Hmm?"

"I assure you that I won't bring you any harm. The heroes need to be educated in the ways of the world, and both myself and Alexis have seen more of the world, without the distorted lenses as a hero. We should be the best placed to advise the next generation, so they do not walk the mistakes we did." Meela sounded like she's begging.

"Fine. But keep me updated."

"Sure."

"You know where they are?"

"No. But I will tell you if I do."

Other than the return of the reincarnators, another month of mostly defensive battles. Quiet. The southern parts, where it is warm, are battling demons daily. Up where we are, where the winter is relatively mild, we focused efforts on research and making more anti-demon weapons.

I am also gradually extending my trees to where the legless walker is. But I am taking it slow, as the terrain is unfamiliar, and theres demons walking all over the place, so I have to clear out the area before expanding.

Year 83 Month 2

Theyre with me. Meela said, a week or so after that announcement.

Huh? Honestly it felt like just yesterday that I had that conversation with Meela.

Three heroes. Reincarnators. They arrived somewhere near our borders. Theyve just been summoned and are still getting used to their new powers. One of your patrols picked them up.

Oh.

Ill take care of them, dont worry about it. Meela assured. Its only been a week since they arrived. Theyre still a bit confused and lost, but theyve managed to survive thanks to their special powers.

At this point, I remember my titan souls, and I think, well, since they are so vulnerable, they could die around me easily, isnt it?

[Divine : Moratorium on Hero Killing. In Force until Demon Kings death. Those who murder a hero before the demon kings death will receive a divine curse, and be marked as a hero-killer, inviting the wrath of other heroes.]

The fuck?!

Hmm. Looks like the gods already thought about it.

So, what did you talk to them about?

I gave them an overview of the world, what they are facing, and... what the previous heroes did, without telling them I was a hero. I think they bought it, they are just... 13-year olds after all. Unlike me or Alexis.

Thinking about it, if they arrived at age 13, and its been close to 13 to 14 years, does that make them pretty much 26 year olds? Well, thats good. Hope they dont put New Freeka in danger again. Do you feel old talking to them, since you are their... senior?

Honestly, yes. I feel a bit afraid. Of course, we cant be older than you, TreeTree. You must be centuries old now, or millennia?

Im not answering that.

Meela continued anyway. But yeah. Theyre still in a state of panic, and they are just relieved that we are here to give them some... cover. The two girls are just sleeping in for days, and just exploring New Freekas markets and shops.

Its not a holiday, though. Alexis popped in. They need to start levelling soon. The demon king wont wait for them, and TreeTree, you need to make preparations. The demon king can sense us, and they will send men after the three heroes.

I know I know, Alexis, but I think taking care of their mental state is important too. We made that mistake of rushing from battle to battle, and that made us fight each other, remember?

Alexis sulked. They need experience, and they need it soon. We do not need to nanny them. They need to level up and gain full access to their star mana and heroic tier skills as soon as possible. And find some items of the right tier.

Oh, yeah! Items! TreeTree, erm... can I get some of your anti-demon weapons? The one that Lausanne has? And a wooden anti-demon shield too.

Only the normal ones. And theyll need to buy it like anyone else. There are the regular-series wooden weapons that are distributed to the patrol force, so I think thats fine.

Ill pay for it then.

I soon learned, thanks to Ivys updates, that the three heroes in New Freeka are, Harris, the [Shield Guardian], Becky the [Horde Summoner] and Mirei the [Lightning Guardmage]. Of course, I took some time to watch them, as they walked around New Freeka.

Well, today Im taking you to some of the bars and restaurants, and have some local food. You may be on a mission, but if you feel overwhelmed, dont hesitate to demand a break. You only live once, even in a magical world like this. Revival magic only works if one of you is a hero-grade specialist-healer, and it must be used within the same day. So if you feel your team is moving too fast, say it. Honesty matters.

How do you know all this, Mistress Mika? Mirei seemed impressed.

I worked with the heroes. The last generation of heroes at least. All of them died in their final battle, but they told me to help where I can. Meela pulled off the act swimmingly. Its part of her skill, as the proprietress of the hotel, shes got superb acting skills. In many ways, working as a hotelier really made her more... mature.

Its something I dont realise, of course, because to me, the months just flip by so quickly, but Meelas hotel has been open for the past 4 years, since year 79. So shes had a lot of experience dealing with people, and customers. I suppose its strange for them to change, when Im the one still being the same. 4 years is long for them, but not for me.

They stopped at a restaurant with an alfresco frontage. Meelas restaurants was one of the first to feature al-fresco dining, but soon, many other restaurants caught on.

The waiter bowed and quickly let Meela and the three humans in. Right this way, Lady Mika. Meela, as the owner of the best hotel in town, is pretty much a local tycoon, a respected member of the hospitality industry. Shes apparently even the chairwoman of the local innkeepers guild. Things I forget, of course, since Im focused on my own things.

Maybe if Alexis wasnt so... rebellious, maybe... Ah. Never mind.

They sat and had a cup of local tea with milk. And some snacks. So, Ive arranged for some anti-demon weapons, that should be your starting equipment. You will outgrow them quite quickly, with experience multipliers from your blessings.

Harris sighed. Honestly, Im a bit... uh... how do I say this... intimidated by what we went through. Why cant people like Lausanne fight the demon king, we saw her crush the demon knights like nothing.

Meela shook her head. Lausannes impressive, but she doesnt have the special gifts. Heroes are needed, because of the cheat-skills. Its also important that you think about the cheat skills that you have, and figure out how to maximise it. The last demon king was a giant castle that had a few forms, lastly, an exploding demon-crystal.

Were here. And youre talking about something like that. I dont see how we can face something like that.

Meela smiled and sipped her tea. Baby steps. You must first be able to take on demon knights, like Lausanne.

Can she accompany us? I mean... Id feel much safer if shes with us. Becky said.

Even if she does, she can only stay with you for a short while. With the blessings, you will gain levels very, very quickly. When the last generation fought the demon king, all of them were at least level 100. Lady Lausanne, if Im not mistaken, is only around level 40 to 50.

Were level 10 or so. We need a babysitter. Harris said, and he ate a cookie. Meela asked for some local potato slices, with olives.

Meela nodded. I can have a skill that can give you a [Bodyguard], but I feel that will hobble your growth. You must realise that leveling and experience is scaled to difficulty.

Cant we like... uh... have some practice first? Mirei asked. I mean, if you see those RPG games, we usually have tutorial or practice stages so that we get a good hang of how things work. I mean...

Meela sipped her tea, and thought for a moment. At this point, I had a hunch Meelas going to ask me for something. And she did. She telepathically pinged me.

TreeTree, can we borrow the Orders Training Rooms? Ill have the Captains and Yvon spar with them. Madeus too, if he is willing.

Hmmm... When are they leaving New Freeka?

When they are ready. The faster we can get them up to speed, the faster they will leave. Meela insisted, and well, she has a good point.

Fine. Only the one in the Order Quarters.

Meela then turned to the three heroes. Well, Ive arranged for the three of you to use the Valtrian Orders Training Rooms. That will be a suitable practice session, for you to know your limits. Unfortunately, you can only use them for a few days, and after that, its out to the field as an adventurer, or join the patrols.

Huh, so short... The three looked reluctant, but soon accepted that it was better than nothing, and then they walked back to the hotel.

So, do you want to watch some practice today?

Oh, can we?

Magic or swordfighting?

Uh... magic? The two girls said together.

Meela brought them to one of New Freekas magic academies. The Council runs one academy, as part of the mages guild, and the Order runs another one, led by Madeus. Theres also a third independent academy, but its mainly for merchants, smiths and others, as its more of a craft-focused magic academy.

They watched some children practice some basic magic.

Both of them though, instantly learned a spell. Oh. Thats... thats easy.

Meela shrugged. Thats your advantage. You wont learn much from the children if it comes to you so easily.

Meela led them to the back area of the guild, and theres multiple sparring areas, for mage-adventurers to practice.

Go, participate. You might gain some levels.

And they did. How many levels can we gain like this?

I dont know. Depends on the system.

I was wondering, why doesnt the gods just give us all our levels from the start. Then we dont have to struggle like this. Harris watched, and asked Meela.

I dont know that too, you can ask them the next time you see them. I guess its some restriction on the gods, that anyone new starts from level 1.

The heroes practiced a few times, the two girls were visibly outclassed, even with their overpowered abilities, but with each battle, they improved, very quickly.

According to Alexis, its a gift. Heroes, when they start out, have a special blessing, on top of their overpowered ability. I dont recall seeing these blessings in their soul spring, but then again, maybe Im not able to see divine items. The blessings do a whole lot of things, like improve their rate of experience gain, the ability to choose the direction of the skill growth, meaning heroes can actually select what kind of skills they want to learn, a natural affinity to combat, enhanced recovery rates.

And, theres usually a few gates, which unlocks star mana at different amounts. At level 100, thats when their entire mana pool is converted into star mana, which means, they have way more star mana than I have. Like.... easily 10 to 50 times more.

Meela then brought the three heroes to one of the Orders militia practice yards. And where the soldiers practice. SImilarly, they also had a few spars.

Why are you bringing them to all these places? I mentally asked Meela.

Yeah. They can gain levels from practice, and its a safe way to gain these early levels. Ill ask Jura for permission to include them in a few patrol missions, so they can fight some demons. Ill send my [bodyguard] with them, just to be safe.

Well, more spars. Meela then led them back to the hotel to rest, and the next day, they were at the [Training Rooms].

Were fighting Lausanne? The three looked surprised.

Yeah. I asked whether shes willing to spar, and she said sure.

Does she know?

Nope. Its my first time watching Lausanne in action too. Meela smiled.

Uh... I dont think we can take her alone. Unless shes fighting handicapped. Becky said, and Lausanne obviously heard it.

I wont be using my familiar. Dont worry. And were just using wooden swords.

But you whooped the demons with those wooden swords! Harris seemed visibly panicked.

Meela clapped. Oh come on. Just fight. If you cant face Lausanne, youll have trouble facing demon walkers and the demon generals. Meelas pep talk worked, and they started to spar.

Indeed, theyve seemed to have gained levels from yesterdays spar, and their performance was much better than before. But, the heroes arent good at sparring, in the sense that they cant seem to control their powers. Its 100% on all the time, so, Mirei accidentally loosed a lightning blast and it hit the Training Room walls. Thankfully, no damage. The training room is exceptionally sturdy.

Still, as one who watched their fights yesterday and today, their progress is unnatural. Its like theres a genius that guided their growth, they instinctively knew what to do to improve. For now, Lausannes still better, but I would think within a month they would be able to stand toe-to-toe with her, without her familiar powers.

All of them took turns to spar over the course of the next week, and for Lausanne, whos usual sparring partners are Yvon and Jura, this was a welcome change. In fact, Lausanne had her first loss on their last day. Their exceptional growth was very humbling for Lausanne, even if it was just a sparring match without Lausannes full skillset.

After the week was over, and their time was up, Lausanne came back to me. TreeTree, who are those people? They... they make me feel like Im stupid.

Why?

I mean... I took so many years of practice to get to this point, but they just got from newbies to be able to do that in a week.

Well, its all relative, isnt it? To the other Valthorns, Lausannes an exceptional fighter. But as with all things, there is always a higher mountain out there.

Theyre the gifted ones, blessed by the gods themselves. Dont hold onto your defeat too hard.

Are they heroes?

I think so. I know the truth, but Im not sure whether I should tell her.

Lausanne paused. Shes in my [secret hideout], her home. She sat in bed, and looked at the wooden spear next to her bed. Is this what heroes need to be able to do? I suddenly feel like... Im not good enough.

Hmm. Shes 14, and feeling demotivated and discouraged? Should I inject her with some [psychedelic dreams]? Is this puberty? Or teen angst? Should I give her a pep talk? Or should I ask Laufen to do it? Maybe I should ask her mom to talk to her first.

And indeed, Laufen came into her room and sat next to her bed.

Hi darling. Laufen smiled, and patted her leg. I heard you lost.

Losings fine. But its just that... I dont know... erm... facing genius.

Laufen moved herself a little closer. Every now and then the gods create people who are so exceptionally good, that they blow the rest of us out of the water. There are those born with a [unique ability] or [unique skill] since birth. These are champions.

I want to be a hero, mom. I just feel like... suddenly... that dream feels very very far away.

Its okay. Laufen gave her daughter a hug. I felt a bit guilty spying, but then again, I do want to check on Lausannes mental state. Its a privilege, that you could even attempt to dream such a dream. I wouldnt have dreamed of what we have today, my dear.

Mom. Thats not helping. Lausanne still sulked.

Laufen just hugged. Think of it as a challenge, then. No great things are achieved without great obstacles.

But then why the heroes get such great powers?

They have the burden of defeating the demon king. Would you want that burden?

Lausanne sulked.

Year 83 Month 3

The heroes, annoyingly, made Meelas Oakwood Hotel their base of operations. At least, they are now participating in the Orders patrols, and are helping to defeat demons that they encounter, and within a month, they have gained about 30 levels, so they are now about level 35 to 40 and seemed to have unlocked their first quarter of [star mana].

This means they can now stand toe-to-toe with multiple demon knights, just like Lausanne. What seemed crazy to them a month ago, is now something they can do.

The first 50 levels are easy. Alexis explained. We got it within a month too. Its the grind up to level 100 that took a whole lot longer, and past level 80, we only seemed to gain levels when we fought champion-level monsters.

Good thing is, I think they will leave New Freeka soon. Meela, their de-facto nanny, said. Thanks TreeTree. Im happy to have helped them get on their feet. After this, they must find other places to go, other monsters to fight. I told them about the demon walkers, and that they need to start attempting to fight them.

Can they? I would recommend level 50 before trying the walker. At least they get their 2nd quarter of the [star mana].

Its mostly a conversation between Alexis and Meela, both of whom have differing views of whats the optimal strategy for heroes.

At the rate they are going, they will encounter demons and level up along the way. And all of them has summoned units. I think the gods gave them all a mini-army like ability.

I didnt watch their battles, especially those that happened with the patrols. So this really piqued my attention. Explain.

Yeah. Harris has a defense aura, and can summon living armors, with massive shields. Mirei has lightning elementals, and thunderstorm rods. Becky has like... an squadron of magical knights.

This means something. Did the gods intentionally delay the summoning of the heroes, so that they know what they are facing? And then, they tailor the gifts to the heroes based on what they see the demons are doing?

What if the demons know this too? I didnt see how the previous heroes abilities were tailored to the demon king at all. Or its just a coincidence, that this roster of abilities lean towards the heroes being a one-man-army?

In any case, after a week or more of fighting, the 3 heroes eventually decided to make a move for the next town. As advised by Meela, they are going to head south, towards the stationary walker.

-

The heroes took one of the beetles to head south.

A magical ball appeared in front of them.

Hi guys. Everyone alive? A voice came out of the ball.

The 3 heroes jumped, but then nodded. Astra, is that you?

Yeah its me alright. Sorry it took so long. I had to reach my Level 30 perk to unlock the [Hero-Chat] communication ability. Everyone here?

Yup. It seemed that they could see each others faces in the magical ball, but my spirit vision is able to only see the presence of a pure-white magical orb, and not whats on it. Kinda like an overexposed camera facing a television. Its all white to me. But at least I could still hear the message.

Good. Hows everyone? Ill start. We had a rough first month, we got ambushed by multiple demon groups, but luckily a group of knights helped us out. Were based in one of the kingdoms in the far south.

South? Harris asked. Isnt the South in very bad shape?

Not gonna lie, it totally is, it is. The Southern Continents entire northern half was, and still is, lost to the demons, and the far-southern kingdoms, thankfully, through luck and some good strategies, managed to keep the demons away, however barely. The Kings are super relieved to see us. Were trying to gain levels as fast as we can, and thankfully we met some locals who are very willing to help us. This Astra person explained.

Your story sounds similar. We got saved by the locals too. Another voice. Totally not what I expected. If I see the gods again, Im gonna give them a piece of my mind for dropping us in the middle of nowhere.

Harris and Mirei nodded. Yeah. We also got saved by the locals.

Hmm... were in the east, and were quite lucky. We didnt see many demons, and we fought whatever we could. Were now based in one of the towns. There are some helpful locals as well.

Ah shit. This skill drains my star mana faster than pokemon go does. My star mana is running out. Alright, well catch up again once my star-mana recovers. Sorry! Astra complained.

Its fine. Good to know everyones alive. Someone said.

Yeah.

And the magical orb vanished. And the three of them shared glances, while still riding the beetle.

Thats like... a skype group-video conference call.

Who uses skype these days? Becky looked puzzled.

My dad does. Mirei shrugged. For work.

For me, this meant the hero's star mana is able to overcome the demon kings magical interference.