Chapter 268 : The Withered Tree Encounters Spring
Chapter 268: The Withered Tree Encounters Spring
After that, Janna continued to communicate with several trees, and just as she had expected, trees, as beings that survived purely on instinct, expressed emotions in almost the same way.
"Joy in spring, delight in summer, regret in autumn, and silence in winter."
Their emotional fluctuations were extremely subtle; if Janna had not carefully attuned herself, she would not have perceived these emotional shifts.
At the same time, when Janna was communicating with the trees in the Misty Forest, she did not sense the collective will of the "Misty Forest" from these "individuals," the sorrowful emotion that had previously been transmitted to her.
It was as if the emotion of the Misty Forest’s will was severed from the trees that made up the forest, making it impossible for Janna to find a point of resonance between the two.
"From another perspective, perhaps the sorrow of the Misty Forest is directed only toward the trees that have already died outside the Magic Tower’s barrier."
This point also puzzled Janna.
What she found strange was not the emotion of the Misty Forest's will, but rather, why the trees inside the Magic Tower’s barrier were still able to survive.
After all, based on the memories transmitted by the will of the Misty Forest, the "Laws of Nature and Life" in the "Primary Material World" were incomplete, even broken.
As one of the most important "Primary Laws" in the "Primary Material World," if the "Laws of Nature and Life" were fragmented, then even if the Magic Tower’s barrier could resist pollution, life in the "Primary Material World" would still gradually wither away—
Until, like the "Water Elemental Plane," it became completely extinct.
Yet, Janna looked at the thriving plants in the Duling Witch Gathering Grounds and other witch settlements, along with various life forms that remained completely unaffected.
A heavy doubt, like a dark cloud, lingered over Janna’s heart.
It was as if the two ends of the Magic Tower’s barrier belonged to two entirely different worlds.
One side was withered and desolate, the other teeming with life.
Even though this boundary was maintained in a very balanced state, Janna’s spiritual intuition continuously conveyed an ominous premonition—
"Perhaps this is also a kind of early warning granted to me by the 'Affinity with Nature' talent—"
Aside from the aura of "Friend of Nature," Janna also possessed the ability to listen to the "Will of Nature" and perceive natural calamities.
Although the current natural premonition Janna received was not obvious, the faint sense of oppression, like an overcast sky, never allowed her to relax.
"Sure enough, the more I know, the more troubles I have—if the 'Affinity with Plants' talent hadn’t advanced, perhaps I could have lived my life steadily like the other apprentices."
Thinking of this, Janna quickly shook her head, dispelling the thought.
Whether it was the advancement of talent or her tireless pursuit of truth, it had always been her own initiative.
No matter how arduous the journey or how cruel the truth, all of it was Janna’s own choice—heartfelt, and without regret.
"Whoo—"
The wind softly sighed, lifting the cold remnants of snow on the ground.
Although it was already March, patches of stubborn snow still covered the decayed branches in the Misty Forest.
Looking at the darkening sky and having finished testing the "Natural Communication" ability, Janna took a step back.
Then, she gently raised her hand.
"It’s time to try the ability of the 'Growth Law Fragment'—"
Since successfully activating the "Growth Law Fragment," Janna had not yet used this Law ability.
"Buzz—"
A verdant green glow slowly bloomed from Janna’s palm, and a wave of vitality, like the breeze of early spring, flowed from her fingertips throughout her body, gently lifting her long hair from behind.
"Growth—"
Janna’s target was still the tree in front of her.
No incantation, no gestures, just a directive that was almost like a command.
As the light in Janna’s palm grew stronger, vibrant green shoots quickly sprouted from the previously bare tree.
"Crack—"
The sound of tender buds breaking through continued to ring from the branches. In no time, the foliage burst forth, and the once barren tree became lush again.
"Amazing."
Retracting the power of the Law from her hand, Janna looked at the luxuriant branches and leaves in front of her, which formed a stark contrast with the surrounding withered trees. A strange sense of joy swiftly washed away the repressive emotion brought by the "Natural Warning."
"Hmm?"
Just as Janna was preparing to continue her experiments, a faint sound suddenly came from the nearby trees.
"Is someone coming—"
Receiving a communication signal actively sent by the tree, a verdant green light bloomed again in Janna’s hand.
As the branches and leaves continued to grow rapidly, in a short time, the leaves turned yellow, and the once lush foliage quickly fell, returning the tree to its original barren state.
"So it’s apprentices from the Mist Tower."
After restoring the tree to its previous state, Janna, holding the "Hidden Nook," quietly hid behind the tree trunk.
Before long, Janna saw two apprentices in standard Mist Tower witch robes walk to the spot where she had just stood.
"Wait!"
Just as Janna thought they would leave quickly, the male apprentice closest to her suddenly stopped and called out loudly to the female apprentice in front of him.
"What is it now?"
Seeing the male apprentice startle so suddenly, the female apprentice walking ahead turned around with an impatient expression.
"Look over here—"
Hearing this, the female apprentice followed the male apprentice’s pointing finger and looked at the ground.
"What? It’s just some grass—"
At first indifferent, the female apprentice gradually realized something was off as she looked at the few tender green blades of grass.
"Why would grass be growing here?"
It was still winter in the Misty Forest. Although the weather was not as cold as it had been a few months ago, it was still not time for grass to sprout.
Especially when the grass looked so fresh and tender.
"Could it be that something is hidden underneath?"
"We’ll know if we dig."
The two exchanged glances and quickly reached a consensus.
Soon, both of them took out iron shovels from their dimensional space tools and began digging vigorously where the grass was growing.
"Uh..."
Hiding behind the tree trunk, Janna watched the Mist Tower apprentices tirelessly digging at the spot where she had just stood. Her expression revealed a trace of awkwardness.
"I didn’t expect that when I used the 'Growth Law Fragment' ability, grass would even grow beneath my feet—"