Chapter 150: The Ambrosial Arbor: It Has Already Achieved the Form of Immortality.
「 "Lady Fu, if I am unable to return, I entrust you with the important task of relaying the full account to the other Xianzhou ships."
Jing Yuan was uncharacteristically solemn. Fu Xuan took a deep breath, steadied her heart, and answered gravely, "…I won't say anything like 'please come back and report in person.' Your order—I will not fail it."
"Ha, sounding a bit like a general yourself." Jing Yuan smiled, relieved.
After the final instructions, Jing Yuan nodded to the group—permission to set off.
They descended the long flight of steps. At the gate of the Scalesbound Depths, they met two lingering Vidyadhara mirages gazing at the vast scene before them.
Old voice: "Use Scalegorge Waterscape to seal the Arbor? Treason! Blasphemy!"
Old voice: "Have you lost your mind?! You think this will win Luofu's trust? Those who are not of our kind can never be of our mind!
High Elder's voice: "I understand your misgivings, but my decision is made. That is the course we must take."
Old voice: "I... very well. In that case, I will report you to the Preceptors and have you stripped of the name and power of the high elder."
Though the mirage was only a hazy blue shadow, everyone could almost see the Vidyadhara elder's beard quivering in rage. 」
「 .....」
〜Shingeki No Kyojin World〜
"Not of our kind…"
Reiner rolled the four words over his tongue; a sourness welled up inside.
He had grown up in the internment zone—those four words were no strangers to any Eldian in Marley.
The elder's words were a sharp knife, twisting in the already-riddled heart of Reiner.
He drew a breath and looked at Bertolt, not far away.
"Hey, Bertolt… even if we finish the mission and bring Eren back, will we Eldians ever be accepted by Marley?"
"…Mm, Reiner."
Sensing the tremor in Reiner's voice, Bertolt soothed,
"We've believed it since the day we were chosen as Warriors, haven't we?"
"Don't think too much. Once we bring Eren home, we can go back to our hometown."
"Is that so…"
Reiner exhaled a sigh so faint it felt damp, like the rain about to fall in the forest. Hometown—a word they never spoke aloud, the place they longed for yet could never return to.
"Annie, what do you think?"
Reiner looked toward the girl curled far away on a branch thick as three men, a book covering her face.
Annie rarely voiced an opinion; in memory, she was a silent machine. Though they had grown up and trained together, her jade eyes had always been an unfathomable pool.
"I don't know."
Annie's reply was dry.
"I used to think dying any day was fine, but now… I just want to go back to my father, that's all."
—
「 "This… is the first High Elder who accepted the mission to suppress the Arbor…" Dan Heng was shaken. "According to tradition, from then on, successive high elders were obliged to return to the Dragonvista Rain Hall. They would guide the tides of the ancient sea to guard and strengthen the Arbor's seal.
"You remember?"
"…Yes." Dan Heng nodded. " 'reverence to the three talons, the path to the great roots...' It's the way to the root depths."
"Is that some kind of riddle?" March 7 scratched her head. "Reverence to the three talons, the path to the great roots...' what does it even mean?"
"No need to worry—just follow me." Dan Heng said calmly.
Since Teacher Dan Heng said so, she stopped worrying. She glanced around, clicking her tongue in pity. "What a huge palace — completely abandoned... That must have been difficult for them — imagine how upset you'd be if you had to abandon me!"
Under Dan Heng's guidance, they undid three seals in turn, and the route to the root was restored.
"The reverence to the three talons is complete... now we must head for the roots of the Arbor." Dan Heng's face was grave. "The roots of the Arbor are still growing..."
"It's Phantylia… we must hurry."
At the end of the path, a colossal dragon-head loomed in the clouds, its brow dotted with divine light, majestic and holy.
"What is that? A dragon?" March 7 gaped, wishing she could snap a photo.
"We've reached the end. These are the roots of the Ambrosial Arbor, where the vestiges of 『 Abundance 』 lie." Dan Heng explained.
"'Reverence to the three talons, the path to the great roots...' This is it. Under the power of the high elder, the Arbor's roots have formed into the image of a dragon."
"Now, I will break the final seal…" 」
「 .....」
〜Dungeon Meshi World〜
"I thought this dragon was some kind of Vidyadhara guardian spirit… Turns out it's just a piece of wood."
Marcille's expression was quite regretful. She thought Dan Heng could command that dragon spirit to fight alongside them.
Looking at the various murals and bas-reliefs, as well as the numerous palaces within the Scalegorge Waterscape, Laios couldn't help but exclaim,
"It would be great to adventure here. I feel like there would be a lot of Vidyadhara treasures…"
"Speaking of that faintly glowing egg…"
"—Cannot eat!"
Marcille immediately made a big X gesture on her chest:
"General Jing Yuan specifically emphasized this. It's called a Vidyadhara egg, and the Vidyadhara are all hatched from these eggs."
"Hatching into humans from eggs?"
Senshi's eyes widened.
"That's truly incredible."
"But then again… I remember the Ambrosial Arbor is a miracle from 『 Abundance 』, right? Can 『 Abundance 』 be affected by the power of Immortality?"
Laios looked up at the towering giant dragon head in the light curtain. Just by meeting its gaze, he, a being from beyond the sky, could feel the vibrant life force within it.
"Perhaps it's related to the Paths?"
Marcille pondered slightly.
"I remember Paths can devour each other; narrower Paths are eaten by broader ones. In the Scalegorge Waterscape, the 『 Abundance 』 represented by the Ambrosial Arbor's Profound Root was gradually influenced and consumed by the power of Immortality, wasn't it?"
"Besides, the Ambrosial Arbor was already severed by a single arrow from the Star God of The Hunt before it was sealed. It's not surprising for a withered piece of wood to be transformed like this."
—
「 Dan Heng raised his hand and pointed to the forehead of the dragon head formed by the Ambrosial Arbor's Profound Root.
In an instant, a brilliant light erupted.
All Stelle saw was a dazzling white light flash before their eyes. When they opened them again, a few of them were in a misty space.
This place was covered with the Ambrosial Arbor's roots, with thick branches intertwining, as if they were in a celestial realm.
The ground beneath their feet was also empty; they seemed to be walking in mid-air. 」
「 .....」