Ieros forced his eyes open.
Three weeks had passed since he reached the branch.
Yet...
He still hadn't managed to move a single step forward.
His teeth ground together as he continuously absorbed the ambient mana around him, desperately replenishing the Qi being consumed every second. However, the moment he adapted to the pressure, the ancient tree responded by increasing it once again, as though testing the limits of his endurance.
He was exhausted.
His eyelids felt as heavy as mountains.
Sleep tugged relentlessly at his consciousness.
Still...
He refused to yield.
With a low growl, he clenched his fists.
His fingernails dug deep into his palms, tearing through flesh until warm blood trickled between his fingers.
The sharp pain bought him only a few more moments of clarity.
His body swayed uncontrollably as consciousness and unconsciousness blurred together.
At some point, he realized he was no longer consciously circulating his Qi.
His cultivation technique had become instinct.
His body moved on its own, automatically resisting the crushing pressure while drawing in whatever mana it could.
For the first time since awakening...
His Qi reserves were nearly empty.
Yet his core remained completely untouched.
Like an isolated sea he simply couldn't reach.
His vision gradually darkened around the edges.
The world became hazy.
Only one thought remained painfully clear.
Don't fall.
He couldn't even see the ground anymore.
The branch beneath him seemed suspended above an endless abyss.
Blood completely covered his clenched fists.
His breathing grew slower.
Heavier.
Then—
The pressure increased again.
His body trembled violently.
His will had finally reached its limit.
Unable to fight the overwhelming drowsiness any longer...
Ieros slowly closed his eyes.
For the first time in weeks...
He fell asleep.
The instant his consciousness faded, the remaining Qi inside his body erupted on its own, instinctively forming a protective layer around him.
His body rocked gently.
Then—
His grip slipped.
Slowly...
He slid from the enormous branch.
Headfirst.
His unconscious body plummeted toward the distant ground.
As he descended, the pressure released by the World Tree gradually weakened.
Down below...
Elle quietly watched him fall.
A faint smile curved her lips, amusement flickering within her emerald eyes.
"He lasted longer than I thought."
Her soft voice drifted through the air.
Moments before Ieros struck the ground, the wind suddenly gathered beneath him.
The violent fall slowed.
Invisible currents gently cradled his body before lowering him onto the soft grass directly in front of her.
Elle stepped forward and crouched beside him.
Without hesitation, she reached out and rested a delicate hand against his forehead.
Her smile widened ever so slightly.
Behind her, the giant ape let out a dissatisfied huff.
Elle giggled.
"Are you jealous because he has my attention?"
The playful tone in her voice faded just enough to make the ape shudder.
It immediately lowered its head.
Whatever jealousy it had instantly vanished.
Knowing there was nothing to gain by remaining awake, the enormous creature simply turned away before settling back into another deep slumber, conserving its strength for the future.
Several days later...
Ieros slowly stirred.
Every muscle in his body screamed in protest.
Even breathing caused a dull ache to spread throughout his chest.
Yet...
A gentle warmth rested upon his forehead.
It soothed both his aching mind and exhausted soul.
Without thinking, he relaxed.
A quiet sigh escaped his lips as the comforting sensation washed over him.
Gradually, his muddled thoughts became clearer.
Then—
His eyes snapped open.
Emerald eyes met his own.
Elle smiled down at him, absentmindedly running her fingers through his hair as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
Ieros stared blankly.
His mind struggled to process the situation.
How...
Had he ended up here?
"You finally woke up."
Elle smiled softly before withdrawing her hand from his hair.
She leaned back slightly, lifting her face toward the sky.
Sunlight filtered through the endless canopy above, illuminating her silver hair until it almost seemed to glow.
For a brief moment...
Ieros forgot to breathe.
...She's really pretty.
The thought escaped before he could stop it.
Elle lowered her gaze again.
"I got bored waiting for you."
She puffed out her cheeks slightly.
"So I waited."
Ieros slowly sat up, every movement sending fresh waves of pain through his body.
Only then did he realize...
His head had been resting on her lap.
His face twitched ever so slightly.
Suppressing the awkwardness, he rubbed his tired eyes.
"How long was I out?"
His voice was terribly hoarse.
Elle tilted her head.
"About one month."
She answered cheerfully.
Ieros merely hummed.
His mind was still sluggish.
Something felt...
Wrong.
He closed his eyes and inspected his body.
His Qi reserves were completely empty.
Yet his core remained untouched.
For the first time...
He could clearly feel numerous clumps of condensed Qi lodged throughout his meridians.
Like stagnant pools blocking a flowing river.
Even stranger...
Those clumps were continuously pulling ambient mana toward themselves.
His brows furrowed.
He turned toward Elle.
"My Qi..."
He paused.
"Why is it depleted?"
The question left his mouth calmly.
He already suspected the answer.
Elle's cheeks flushed pink.
She quickly looked away.
"I..."
She scratched her cheek awkwardly.
"I stopped the Qi in the air from gathering inside you."
The words tumbled out much faster than she intended.
Then, almost immediately, she hurried to explain herself.
"But I was trying to help you solve your core problem!"
She waved both hands frantically.
"Then I saw something interesting..."
"So I stopped."
She finished the sentence as quickly as possible before secretly watching his reaction.
Ieros' expression barely changed.
Only his eyebrows knitted together slightly.
"Something... interesting?"
He asked quietly.
His eyes remained fixed on her.
Something interesting enough to distract even her...
Is there really something inside my core?
Or have I simply been overestimating her this entire time?
Everything she's done so far... perhaps any High Elf could do the same.
Then again...
I've never met another High Elf.
So what exactly caught her attention?
The questions quietly piled up inside his mind.
Yet none of them had an answer.