Yarra's Adventure Notes-Chapter 1437 - 223 The Seed of the World Tree

"The seeds of the World Tree are an item most cherished by the Elves, nurtured for thousands of years within the Tree of the Beginning, representing the power of plants and the continuity of life. They are not Sacred Items, but to the Elves, they are far more significant. For over seven thousand years, these seeds have been guarded by the Queen of the Elves, with even the members of the Elder Council having no right to touch them," Pannis gestured toward Finche and the shrunken Luscia, who were busy at the ritual’s gateway, signaling them to disregard the situation here before quietly explaining to Catherine, who was holding the cloth bag, "To the Elves, this seed has many, many uses, so many that I can’t remember them all. But to lives outside the Elven race, the seed actually has only one use."

"What use?" Lina asked curiously, "Does one become a small tree after eating it?"

"Ha, ha, you really should read fewer strange books. A seed with such vast vitality, if eaten, would make one explode from the sheer force of life." Pannis looked at Lina with an expression that clearly conveyed, ’What were you thinking,’ and after a while, he pointed to his nose and said, "If worn on a person, one would become somewhat like me. Of course, aging would still continue."

"Not die?" Catherine’s eyes widened in surprise, "To continue like this, indefinitely?"

"One chance, only one chance to escape death," Pannis explained, "As long as a being’s lifespan is not exhausted, that is to say, in the case of an unnatural death, the seed can pull one back from death, regardless if the head is chopped off, the heart is pierced, or even if the body is utterly crushed into the finest dust, one can revive in the next second, in the nearest safe location. Remember how I was when I resurrected? That’s similar to when the seed takes effect. Of course, to say it has only one use is an oversimplification. There are other less obvious benefits, such as those carrying it will have vigorous vitality, they will never fall ill and can live healthily until the end of their lifespan. However, these are all side products. The main use is the chance of revival after an unnatural death. So, it can be said that Yuktiraxil truly favors the Elves. It has too many uses for them compared to other races." ƒreewebɳovel.com

"That’s already quite astonishing," Catherine felt her hands tremble. Such an item, capable of preserving health forever and averting death once, would incite a terrible and bloody storm if released into the world of humans, "This is too frightening; it must be kept secret."

"Actually, a small number of people do know of its existence, but since these seeds have always been kept deep within the trunk of the World Tree, to steal or rob it, one would first have to eradicate the Elves, then cause Yuktiraxil to fall, and finally cut down the World Tree to get them. Thus, nobody would even think of scheming for it. Tifa was far too impulsive earlier; she didn’t consider the impossibility of someone stealing it," said Pannis with a snort, "So you don’t need to be nervous, just don’t let others know you have it and that will be fine."

"I understand," Catherine carefully cradled the cloth bag and said, "But you still haven’t explained why Tifa ran off after hearing what you said. You mentioned that the conditions for using the seed were much more stringent than those of the Hunting Arrow. What are the conditions?"

"Since the seed is an extension of the Forest Goddess’s divine body, to activate it for members of another race, naturally, one needs the approval of the Forest Goddess; that is the only condition," Pannis stated, nonchalantly revealing surprising information, "Given the Elves’ regard for the seed, it would never be allowed to be lent out. It’s only possible that Flare snuck it out by deceiving the Elder Council and using her authority. Followers of the god of rot and decline are an outlier among the Elves, with a poor relationship with the Elder Council. They don’t care if the Council approved; what they care about is Yuktiraxil, which is why she said she was going to accuse Flare of blasphemy to the goddess. But she was too hasty and forgot that without the approval of Yuktiraxil, giving me the seed would be meaningless. Flare’s actions obviously had the goddess’s consent. After my reminder, she realized immediately and felt so ashamed that she ran away in panic."

"I see," Catherine nodded thoughtfully, repeating her earlier words, "She really does care about you."

"Cough, cough, let’s continue talking about the seed," Pannis said with a cough, "Whether or not I succeed, there’s the possibility that I won’t make it back alive. When that time comes, the rest will be up to you. I’ve already instructed Finche and Luscia on what to do; they will tell you. Theoretically, even if I fail, you should have plenty of time to leave safely without encountering any battles. But there’s always the unexpected beyond theory. If something unforeseen occurs and you have to fight amidst the Undead Tide, you carrying the seed is the best choice, because you are the most likely to encounter danger, more than all of them combined. And if you fall, the rest won’t last long, so it’s essential that you carry it. I believe nobody will object to this."

"But, the person who most needs to carry it is you," Catherine countered, "Her Majesty Flare’s original idea was for you to carry it to avoid the possibility you mentioned, that you might not be able to return."

"She was too concerned and failed to think clearly," Pannis shook his head, "Think about it, it really doesn’t make sense for me to carry it. It has an effect that overlaps with the Reversed Death Curse on me, and there’s only one chance. If Danacus can’t successfully remove my curse and I die once, the seed’s effect will activate first, thus being wasted. If Danacus can lift the curse, then it depends on whether he can kill me quickly before I shoot that arrow. If he can’t, he will die instead, and I won’t need the seed. And if he’s terrifying enough to kill me before I can even shoot an arrow, in collaboration with Nellie, then having the seed is still pointless, because the outcome would be the same the second time. So, giving me the seed is a waste of a precious item and only brings her unending trouble."

"Is that all?" Catherine expressed her doubts, "Knowing you, I feel like there’s another reason you’re not saying."

"I don’t want to owe that favor, not to Flare, but the favor Nellie would owe to Yuktiraxil," Pannis sighed, "Just a minor thought, let’s not delve into it too much."