Meanwhile, far away from the camp, in the forest near the massive tree that seemed to touch the sky, stood a house grown out of a living tree. Inside it, Princess Aersith spoke in a calm voice, "Mr. Alexander, do you know the basics of elemental power from the human world?"
Alex simply shook his head.
Princess Aersith frowned in disgust. "Humans are truly a waste of nature's energy."
Alex didn't respond. He kept staring at her silently.
Coming back to her senses, Princess Aersith continued in a haughty tone, "It can't be helped. Humans are really the lowest species. I don't know much about them, but I'll impart to you some of our knowledge under the Mother Tree's orders. We have cores in our bodies where our elemental power resides. Higher-rank monsters like A-rank and above form their cores around their hearts.
"The wood element in humans is different from that of elves. Human wood element is inferior; it can only perform healing. Healing also depends on how much elemental power one has. To heal, humans must learn spells—spells originally from elves, which they stole from us. Without those spells, they can't heal using raw wood elemental power."
Alex raised his hand, confused. "But Ms. Princess, I don't perform any spells, yet I can close most wounds with the wood element. I'm only at two circles."
Princess Aersith remained composed, gesturing her hand said"Can you show me, Mr. Alexander?"
"Sure," Alex replied, making a small cut on his finger with a shadow dagger and healing it instantly using his wood element.
Seeing this, Princess Aersith screamed, "By the Mother! You have the Mother's wood elemental power!"
Alex nodded thoughtfully, "Oh, so that's why my wood element feels a little different."
Unable to control herself, Princess Aersith grabbed Alex by the shoulders and started shaking him, "How did you get that? No, no! Why do you have that? Are you the one corrupting the Mother?!"
Alex thought silently, Hello there, Mother Tree. I know you're there... please calm this girl.
Princess Aersith continued rambling and shaking Alex until she suddenly stopped, backed away, and dropped her head.
She looked at Alex with a stern face and teary eyes, speaking calmly, "I apologize for showing you my unsightly behavior."
"It's okay," Alex replied calmly with waving his hand.
"Let's continue this tomorrow. Where should I stay?" Alex asked.
Princess responded firmly, "I suggest you stay here and do not go out."
Alex nodded and shrugged.
Day 2
The next day, Princess Aersith arrived while Alex was sitting at the table, playing with Hati.
In a calm and collected voice, she began without delay:
"Most elves possess only one elemental affinity—wood. However, a rare few are born with a second element: air. Those who wield both wood and air become warriors and hunters among the elves, blending agility with control over the forest's breath.
"For elves, the wood element extends far beyond healing. It is a way of life. With it, they nurture trees, shape plants, and remodel their surroundings into elegant homes—like the ones you've seen—without harming the natural world. Their connection with nature is so profound that they can craft entire dwellings, bridges, or even delicate tools simply by guiding the growth of living plants.
"Elven warriors use wood-elemental magic to forge organic armor from bark and woven vines. They can camouflage themselves seamlessly in the forest, blending with tree trunks and foliage. With enough focus, they can erase their presence, becoming one with the woods.
"Among them, the High Elves possess a wood element unlike any other—one that echoes the divine essence of the Mother Tree. This elevated power grants them remarkable abilities:
They can grow fully-formed trees in moments if their elemental reserves are sufficient.With a single branch, they can create powerful wooden cages or barriers.Most notably, the wood conjured by High Elves carries a sacred property—it burns dark creatures on contact, as if imbued with the Mother's wrath.High Elves like myself can also enhance their vision by channeling the wood element into their eyes."
Curious, Alex asked, "Then how was such evil corruption able to affect the Mother Tree itself?"
Princess replied with anger in her voice, "I really am not sure, but Mother said something is absorbing her power after corrupting it."
She continued in a stern tone, "You should start practicing now. I'll be leaving for a mission with the remaining adult elves around five. Only three will stay to protect the village, and one will be assigned to guard you at the door."
"Where are you going?" Alex asked.
"That's a secret. We can't share it with outsiders," Princess Aersith replied authoritatively.
Alex remained calm. "No problem."
A voice echoed in his mind. You should go with them.
Alex replied silently, opening his hand in a helpless gesture, They're not letting me.
I'll tell them, the Mother Tree responded. You should go if you want to understand your other power.
"Okay. I'll go," Alex agreed.
After a short moment, Princess Aersith said in a resigned tone, "I'll tell the others that our Mother Tree wants you to come with us."
Alex simply nodded.
He began practicing. When he connected his wood element to a nearby plant for the first time, he formed a clear image of it in his mind. He could feel its life force and link with it using his strong mental energy. Thanks to his second stage in mind cultivation, Alex could do this with ease.
Princess Aersith had said he would only be able to accomplish this after at least a week of practice.
But Alex did it in a few hours. He then began forming vines, manipulating them with ease. He playfully chased Hati with them, the wolf darting around the room trying to escape. After half an hour, Hati was panting and barking from the corner of the room, finally realizing it was Alex.
Laughing, Alex said, "You need some exercise. You've gotten quite unfit. Let's start running together every morning. I need to increase my stamina too."