At this moment, Xia Yan was counting his spoils, and Manling happened to recognize all of these items. She proceeded to explain the names and functions of each precious herb to Xia Yan one by one.
"Mandela Grass is an herb that can quickly stop bleeding and coagulation. Purple Orchid can effectively treat liver diseases. Flame Tail Flower is one of the materials used to create magical potions that enhance fire attributes. Comet Fruit can temporarily enhance magic power when consumed, and long-term consumption can lead to permanent enhancement. However, after the permanent enhancement, further consumption will be ineffective..."
Xia Yan specifically took out a string of purple berries and asked Manling, as this was something he almost mistakenly ate when he first arrived in this world.
"This is Pifut Berry, which is used specifically to produce Pifut Wine dedicated to the royal and noble families. Just one berry can make a person extremely drunk. It is said that this type of berry only grows in the White Night Forest on the entire continent."
So, this fruit is used to produce a type of wine. Xia Yan had already witnessed its effect, but he didn't expect it to only exist in the White Night Forest. It must be worth a lot if it were available outside.
"What about these things?"
Xia Yan picked up several bottles and jars on the ground and asked Manling. He noticed that they contained various strange crystals of different colors, some of which had fresh red bloodstains on them.
"These are the magic cores of magical beasts, which are the cores formed by magic power. The reason why magical beasts can use some low-level magic is because they have magic cores inside them. However, magic cores only appear in B-ranked or higher magical beasts. In the human world, they are usually used to make magical items or as fuel for magic power."
So, these magic cores must have been taken out from inside the magical beasts. Otherwise, how would they have bloodstains on them?
Suddenly, Xia Yan noticed a jar shimmering with blue light. Out of curiosity, he picked it up and found a water-blue magic core inside that was several times larger than the other magic cores he had picked up earlier. This magic core emitted a profound blue light.
"What is this..."
"This is the magic core of an S-ranked water attribute magical beast. I never thought those four people would be able to hunt down an S-ranked magical beast! But it seems like this magical beast had intense battles with other magical beasts and suffered severe injuries. It happened to escape to the outer region of the White Night Forest and was picked up by these guys. After all, the magic core already has cracks, so I believe the battle must have been fierce."
"An S-ranked magical beast's magic core... Does it have any use for you, Manling? I want to give it to you."
Xia Yan proposed giving this magic core to Manling, surprising her: "Although the magic core already has cracks and has lost a lot of magic power, it is still water attribute magic power that I need. So it should still be effective, and it is not insignificant... But this is ultimately your spoils. Is it really okay for you to give it to me?" (Note: The World Tree requires two types of magic power, earth attribute and water attribute.)
"This is not just my spoils alone. It's clear that you contributed the majority of the effort, and I simply benefited from it... Besides, this magic core is useless to me. Since it benefits you, just take it without hesitating!"
"Well... Since you put it that way, I'll accept it."
Manling then extended her vine, took the S-ranked water attribute magical beast's magic core from Xia Yan's hand, and opened the jar to absorb the magic core into her body.
The immense magic power once again nourished Manling's vine, making it even more delicate. The leaf that Xia Yan had previously picked and handed to her had also regrown.
...
"Thank you, Xia Yan. In my entire life, I have only encountered two interesting humans. One was the human hero who snapped a branch off my tree three hundred years ago, and the other is you."
Hearing Manling say this, Xia Yan felt a little embarrassed. How could he feel like he had gained its recognition?"After spending so long in the White Night Forest, you're the only friend I've made. Even though you're not human, I will do my best to help you!"
"Friend..."
Manling was encountering this word for the first time, and although it couldn't understand what a friend truly was, the feeling of having made its first human friend seemed nice.
"Oh, of course, this might just be my assumption... After all, Manling, your true identity is the Great World Tree, and I am just an ordinary human..."
"No, I'm happy to have made my first human friend!"
To Xia Yan's surprise, not only did Manling not reject him, but it was also very willing to become his friend. In the past three hundred years, Xia Yan was the only person on the entire Arislan continent who managed to befriend the World Tree.
In the following time, Xia Yan and Manling became friends who could talk about anything. Xia Yan learned a lot from Manling about the systems and structures that made up this world, including the characteristics of other races besides humans.
At the same time, he began using the weapons he acquired from the Lande to embark on adventures in the White Night Forest, but always within the area where Manling's vines could protect him. He fought against monsters to hone his own battle skills and gradually become stronger.
Time flew by, and two years later...
Manling was now able to extend its vines up to a kilometer away, and almost all the monsters in the White Night Forest within that range had been hunted by it.
Xia Yan, on the other hand, had grown from a weak human child to a fourteen-year-old teenager.
However, he still lacked magical power.
...
As Xia Yan lay leisurely on the tree bed formed by Manling's vines, counting the clouds in the sky, suddenly all the vines dispersed and Xia Yan fell to the ground. Rubbing his sore head, he looked at Manling with some irritation and asked, "Manling, what are you doing? I was comfortable lying down, why did you remove the tree bed?"
"It's about time..."
Manling's unexpected words left him puzzled. What was going on?
But before he could question further, Manling continued, "Xia Yan, you've worked hard in these past two years! If it weren't for your help, I wouldn't have regained my power so quickly. Now, it's about time for you to leave here."
Hearing that Manling wanted him to leave, Xia Yan's heart tightened. He thought Manling must have felt he was useless and wanted to drive him away.
So he pursed his lips, lowered his head, not wanting to show his weakness, and asked with great sadness, "Manling, do you think I'm no longer useful to you, so you want to chase me away?"
?
A question mark formed in the air with the vines.
"When did I say I want to chase you away?"
"But you just said it's about time for me to leave. Isn't that the same as driving me away?"
"You fool, I did say you have to leave, but I didn't say I won't accompany you."
Xia Yan was stunned for a moment before he finally realized that Manling actually planned to leave with him!
