"But isn't Yggdrasil just a big old tree?" Asked Miranda.
"This woman… and even if she could be, she's just a dream at the end, right?" Benladann asked.
"No… She's not really a dream." I sighed. "I kind of figured it out at long last. This whole dungeon, it was a trial, a test she made through my own powers… I don't know exactly how she did this but when I created the dungeon based in the Yggdrasil's Branch "dreams", her true consciousness leaked inside. I've finally figured it out…"
"You've figured out a bit but not completely." Said Yggdrasil. "You're sharp though, to realize the truth to this extent…"
"Then what exactly are you?" Benladann asked, crossing her arms
"I am a part of Yggdrasil's consciousness. Perhaps the embodiment of the memories she's trying to forget, about the long gone past that torments her." She said. "The Orbs you've brought… They're old, forgotten Fragments of the true things, lost in Dreams long ago. It is a miracle your powers were able to bring them back, I had thought of them as lost forever."
"Shards? So these orbs truly exist?" I asked. "Also, can you explain me more?"
"Yes, those Orbs truly exist- or well, existed. You recall each time you heard my voice when you defeated a Guardian? Those were tales. The Guardians protected the Five Primordial Treasures of this world… The Yggdrasil's Garden of Origin, the Dunes of the End, the Jungles of Beginnings, the Ocean of Time, and the Spatial Volcano. They embody the simplest of elements yet the most complex elements of them all." Yggdrasil explained.
"Five… Primordial Treasures?" I asked in shock. "Why are landscapes treasures?"
"It is how I called them, because they were the treasures I was born with which brought he concepts of Life, Death, Time, and Space, the ultimate pillars of existence within the world." Yggdrasil said. "They're special places, hidden within separate dimensions of your own."
"But the God got there?" I asked.
"Yes…" Yggdrasil sighed. "The Ancient Gods, in specific the Asgardians were the ones that broke the balance of the world. They not only provoked war but they broke the rulers and defeated the guardians of these treasure realms, trying to steal their powers and dominate the world on top of my head."
"Did they… accomplish it?" Asked Benladann. "Well, I know they say they're dead…"
"It could be said they did…" Sighed Yggdrasil. "However, Ymir and Tiamat, my faithful and eldest children fought against them, defeating them while also falling before their might, it was a fight where both opposite groups perished against one another… However, even when the Asgardians died, well, the majority. The damage they dealt was irreparable. The Realms ended merging together into a catastrophe, eons later, the world as you know it was born…"
"So the balance was broken, and all Realms ended falling apart and twisting, so the war by itself wasn't the one that made the ancient realms merge into a catastrophe…" Benladann said.
"Indeed, this must be the actual reason." I said. "But these Orbs… what is their true purpose?"
"They have a variety of purposes… And power. Each Orb possess a Primordial Elemental Power, and they can also converge together and bring out my true form… However, because the Gods absorbed their power sand shattered them afterwards, I was unable to achieve my truest form, staying in my tree form as they devastated everything…" Sighed Yggdrasil.
"I see…" I said. "I still haven't forgotten the beef I have against you. You've been annoying me all this time, haven't you? Using Fate to try to kill me while I was a kid, and even giving me a Curse…"
"The Curse has been lifted by your own powers, I cannot truly control you as I once wished, Drake." She sighed. "I apologize for that, but because this world is part of my own body, I am worried about every little thing that gets inside, especially without my permission. Your powers were too dangerous, I couldn't simply let you wander around, even if you were born as an Ancient Dragon, guardians of my world…"
"Tch… Well, whatever." I sighed. "Not like I would kill you for it or something, but it really pisses me off. Anyways, can't you lift Alma's curse at least?"
"My connection with my true body is faint here, but even if I could, that would only kill her." Said Yggdrasil.
"Huh? Really?" I asked.
"That girl has a curse that inhibits the growth of her Mana Core because if she had none, her Mana Core would absorb all the mana it could and then explode, killing her." Said Yggdrasil. "Not only I sealed her Mana Core for the world's sake, but for her own. She has a special ability to lets her seamlessly absorb the world's Mana, if overused without a curse restraining her… she could destroy the entire world. Do you understand how dangerous Unique Skill Users are?"
"Alma… Could destroy the world?" I sighed, quickly realizing the immense and devastating potential that her powers had.
"And even if I didn't cared, the Curse cannot be lifted anymore, it has been ingrained into every inch of her very self now." Said Yggdrasil. "When you gave her Divine Power, her body absorbed it with the Curse, so it has now melded completely. You've greatly improved her base strength, but at the same time, her Curse will now remain with her forever."
"Damn. I better never tell her that…" I laughed slightly nervously.
"You're a truly intriguing being, Drake. At the beginning I did had ill intentions against you, I really wanted you gone… I truly apologize for my reckless and desperate behavior. I am someone prone to panic. After everything I've gone through, I don't want such things to repeat themselves once more. And with so many dangers in this world, it is hard to keep myself on check… Through this time, I've realized you're one of the few people I can truly and completely trust, you're a person of an incredibly good heart, a very rare thing nowadays." She said. "And because of that, Drake, I want to entrust you with a mission… Don't worry, the rewards will be plentiful."
