“I saw Rubaegia’s body color similarly changed to the human I fought in the inner forest earlier.”

“I’m sure she must have been infected by the dark energy you said.”

“And you said this Bond Sprout has a power to ward off those plague…”

“My question is, the dark energy is contagious? Wouldn’t it be dangerous for any living things then?”

[You are correct.]

[The Dark Energy is a foul power. It stimulates the host’s both mind and body granting them increases in senses and power.]

[But. This unnatural force comes with deadly tolls.]

[Though it grants unbelievable and unimaginable power, the users will gradually lose their minds and souls and eventually become a mindless and senseless creature.]

[As you have witnessed before, the tri-horn wolf was partly infected by the dark energy, yet it makes the beast much more ferocious.]

While examining the Bond Sprout, D’Atch carefully analyzed what had been happened until now.

“So it’s like a drug? Except that it could spread around like spores?”

After the device explanation, a chill suddenly ran down his spine. He was both fearful and unable to believe that such a horror and dangerous thing really existed.

“How though?! I’ve never imagined that such a horror really exists!”

[They must have crossed the portals to here…]

[I’m afraid that there will be more like them passed through to this world.]

[Although the Dark Energy could spread like a disease, they would normally get destroyed by a star’s heat.]

“A star’s heat?”

[Look above your head. Those shining lights are what I call a heat of the star.]

“……Ahhh!”

When D’Atch looked to the sky like the device said, he immediately shut his eyes in pain.

[What’s the matter?]

The device asked in a seriously concerned voice with a surprise.

“….I…I have never realized or noticed until now!”

[You ok?]

Hearing D’Atch hardly spoke with a pant, the device was even more confused.

“We, N’prinien, don’t have an actual Mel’ha.”

[Me-la?]

D’Atch inspected his arms then his legs then other parts of his exposed body.

“Mel’ha is what we used to call the shining star which could produce heat.”

[Ahh…that is what humans call a sun.]

“You see, as we don’t have a real sun we could actually be called a nocturnal race.”

“N’prin used to be a very cold planet before. One day a great genius had found a way to create an artificial sun, and they made it. From then, we have a nice heat and many new plants could grow.”

“But since our birth body was meant to be nocturnal, we cannot withstand too much heat. Good thing that the artificial heat star could be adjusted.”

“But now….I have never realized or noticed that this planet’s Mel’ha was a real thing and cannot be adjusted.”

“My skin….has slightly changed to darker color as well…”

D’Atch had finally noticed that his skin got darker after many days had passed. From his previous pale purple skin, now the pale had faded away. His skin had changed into dark lavender with a hint of blue color.

[So, your kind actually have a blue skin, not a purple huh?]

“Yes….”

“When I was treating my broken hand, I thought my eyes deceived me from a tiredness…”

“Anyway, where were we? The Dark Energy normally gets destroyed by a star’s heat, right?”

After being done with checking his body’s color, D’Atch sat beside the Bond Sprout.

[Right. Those vulnerable Dark Energy are just like spores of plants or pollens of flowers. If more concentrated Dark Energy could spread throughout this planet, that moment will spell a doom for any living things here!]

The device sounded very concerned and serious.

“More concentrated Dark Energy?”

“If this foul thing works like spores or pollens, then the concentrated you said is fully corrupted host?”

[Correct. Any living things that have been contaminated to the point of turning into senseless beasts could spread this foul toxin further. Eventually, a whole inhabitant or planet would be turned into Death planet waiting its final day or a chance to spread across an entire space.]

D'Atch’s eyes shrank in horror. If the Dark Energy had already trespassed to this world, that meant many planets must have been destroyed before this one.

“I…..This is unbelievable…..Such a horror do exists and has already come to this world…how are living things going to defy it?!”

[Believe it, son. This is but an only a small plague. You have yet seen what you called earlier, the outer ones.]

D’Atch went speechless for few minutes not knowing what he should do.

[Oops. I shouldn’t have said that. Might lead to more questions duh.]

[Hey, I know it’s sudden. I won’t blame you-]

“Then this plant is this planet’s only hope, right?”

The device spoke up regrettably because the man was silent for a long time before it got interrupted.

[You don’t have to take this burden.]

“What are you saying? How could I sit here and watch that god-cursed disease tainting this planet?”

“Didn’t you say earlier? Anything can happen! If there’s a chance to win, I’ll gladly risk it!”

Feeling that the N’prinien had a plan with the plant, the device reminded him.

[Aren’t you afraid?]

“Does it matter?”

[….]

Hearing the man’s plain answer, the device was left speechless as it was confused and slightly surprised.

“Now, tell me. If this marvelous sprout is a plant then it should be able to reproduce right? Tell me the method.”

D’Atch stared hopefully at the glimmering Bond Sprout.

[I told you it’s a sprout. It needs sometimes and foods to grow enough to produce seeds.]

“I can help you with that.”

A girl voice came from behind.

“Rose? Sorry, did I wake you up?”

“Nah. I’ve been listening to you two for a while now. I can make this sprout grows in no time!”

“By the way, is this the thing that made you risk your life before?”

Rosetta pointed her finger at the device on D’Atch’s left wrist. She was both surprised and curious.

[You will not regret it.]

“Rosetta…you saw what that foul disease did to Rube…”

“I don’t want you to risk-”

“That’s what makes me wanna help even more!”

“I will not lose my homeland and my precious friend to such an outsider evil!”

D’Atch tried to have her stay out of this fight for her own good but after seeing how strong her will was, he felt guilty that he was a bit selfish and bossy.

“Then please tell me how can I help you make this tree grow?”

“Plants need foods, water, and light just like animal.”

“Please gather more foods from dirt around here. A lot of them…….that’s right! I remember there is a big pile of dirt not far from here. We already have water nearby. Leave the rest to me!”

“Got you!”

…

“Wait!”

Before D’Atch could go out to gather the material, Rosetta suddenly called out to stop him.

“Your hand…..”

“Ah…I totally forgot about this…it’s probably broken.”

“How are you going to gather the soil if you can use only one hand?”

Rosetta showed a pity face as she was looking at his broken hand.

“I..don’t know? One hand could still dig up some dirt though! Don’t worry about me! We need to hurry and make the tree produce seeds!”

“No way! You go sit and rest there. I can do this my own.”

“How? You have the ability to manipulate the tree not super strength like Rubaegia!”

“I have my own way! I’ll just….have some roots flicked the dirt up for me!”

Rosetta opposed solemnly with a serious face. She was afraid that if D’Atch got infected from his wounds, she’d have to put him down like she did with her best friend earlier. That will be a pain sight for her.

“That’s not gonna work! Besides, uprooting the tree suddenly might cause a landslide or environment changes!"

When D’Atch tried to imagine her digging up dirt with roots, he estimated that it’s gonna take forever to gather a lot amount of dirt.

[You can try using the Fang Hammer.]

“But I could barely pick it up with one hand!”

[Have her helped you then, duh!]

“Haha! surely it’s not a regret!”

Rosetta couldn’t help but laugh at the device.

…..

After the two travelled for few minutes, they found a mound with a few trees growing on it.

“I honestly couldn’t imagine how would you flick this mound with roots.”

The mound was 5-7 meters tall. Seeing how big it was, D’Atch was absolutely certain that Rosetta couldn’t do it.

“Well, sorry then! Where’s the hammer? I’ll lift it for you.”

Rosetta made a moue then she looked around to find the hammer.

[There you go!]

“Wh-How?!”

A large two-handed hammer fell out of an air beside D’Atch making Rosetta shocked.

“Apparently human created something far more difficult to comprehend…..even better than my homeland..”

D’Atch came closer to the hammer and grabbed it with his left hand.

“Wait wait! I didn’t expect it to be this heavy! I don’t think I could support you with trees….it’s gonna break em!”

When Rosetta tried to move the hammer, she could feel that it’s very heavy. If she manipulated some trees to hold the hammer, they wouldn’t be able to hold it long and would break down eventually.

“What should we do then….”

“By the way, how will this hammer destroy this big mound though? I know it’s heavy and looked powerful but I don’t think it could break this small mountain of dirt!”

[A weapon has their own unique skills too!]

“A tool has a skill?! That’s so fantasy….”

[Indeed.]

[Fang Hammer]

[A two-handed hammer made from one of the tri-horn wolf’s horn. It shapes just like a fang of a beast.]

[The horn is very tough. The blunt side won’t be easily scratched or destroyed even hitting with the large rocks. With great strength, it could split the ground easily.]

[Since this hammer has a shape similar to beast’s fang, both sides could be used to attack.]

[Unique skills:

 - Earth Splitter (Active)

   - Depends on the strength of the attack, the hammer will deal damage accordingly. It could shatter even a mountain with good amount of forces.

 - Sharp Tooth (Pointed side only passive)

   - The hammer’s attack will penetrate any defenses with toughness below a stone level.

Beware! Using this side to attack any objects with a stone or greater toughness would make it dull and possibly broken.]

“That is so…..out of very fantasy….”

Hearing the device’s explanation, D’Atch felt that it was very absurd.

TheProphet

Sorry for late episode. If you haven't checked out the last ep, I got Covid and just recovered from it. Also the last ep got some changes too. Please check it out. Thank you for reading!