CHAPTER 113: Vow of Mana
As Jinwoo opened his palm, an image of the glass bead floated up above it. It slowly rose in altitude, circling above the sapling like a moon.
Basking in the gentle moonlight, the sapling began to grow at a visibly rapid pace. You could see it getting bigger just by watching it.
“Hoh.”
Kalesian watched in wonder, and Jinwoo quietly observed the progress. He had acted on a whim, but no one knew what the result would be.
A small tree. Compared to Silbaern’s forest or Akram’s fire, it looked so small and insignificant. Nevertheless, the sapling that held the moonlight was, little by little, growing its presence.
“…What are you doing?”
A voice full of suspicion suddenly came from above. It was a voice that seemed to echo through the cave.
Even though it was the border, this spot was closer to the land of fire. Akram had come immediately upon seeing them doing something suspicious near his territory.
“As you can see, I’m just planting a tree.”
“A tree? A treeeeee?”
A growling sound, like that of a wild beast, came from Akram’s mouth.
He had been trapped and tormented by Silbaern’s forest for over a hundred years. It was no wonder he had a phobia of trees.
“I’ve been trying so hard to push back Silbaern’s domain, and you plant a tree here? Right now…!”
Akram raised his head threateningly and gathered flames. A single nod from him would send a rain of fire, devastating not only the sapling but the entire area.
But just before he gave the signal, a peculiar fragrance made Akram pause.
Something was different. The scent coming from the small sapling before him was completely different from the monstrous trees of Silbaern’s forest, which were filled with hostility and malice.
“This isn’t one of Silbaern’s trees,” Jinwoo said to soothe him.
“It’s a sapling of the World Tree.”
A small sapling of the World Tree, the God of the Moonlight Forest, the Spirit Tree of the Spirit Realm.
The terrifying flames that had been swirling around Akram fizzled out and scattered. The glare in Akram’s eyes also softened slightly.
Still, he didn't let down his guard completely as he asked, “The World Tree? This sapling?”
“Yes.”
The World Tree was a tree that governed souls. It was the great tree that supported the elf species, but it was also a very friendly tree to spirits. Acting as a bridge to the spirit world, the World Tree was a being that allowed spirits to approach the world more familiarly.
Therefore, it was normal for a spirit to be drawn to the World Tree and feel at ease. The emotion now washing over Akram’s heart was exactly that.
“…It doesn’t seem like a lie. Where did a human like you get a sapling of the Spirit Tree?”
“I got it on the 3rd Floor… in the world below. From a temple that looks after elves.”
“So that’s why it’s a sapling and not a branch. You haven’t met the Spirit Tree directly, I see.”
“Do you know where it is?” Jinwoo asked, just in case, but Akram shook his head.
“I have only heard stories; I do not know its location. I have never left this land since I was born from a torch.”
Akram’s harsh voice had calmed down significantly. It was much softer than before, even softer than when they first met. Perhaps the World Tree’s sapling had soothed him.
“Is it alright to plant it here?”
“That is fine, but… can you protect it?”
The power of the World Tree was beneficial to Akram. For now, as it was just a sapling, it would only calm his mind and body, but it would be a different story once it grew into a great tree. Its power as a Spirit Tree would bring even greater strength and stability to Akram, a spirit, and his domain of fire would become more firmly established.
From the perspective of the Water-Forest Dragon, who sought to swallow the fire and devour Akram whole, it was an obstacle. It would naturally rush to destroy it while it was still a sapling.
“I’ll try. It’s not like we have a way to escape anyway.”
If they could have escaped, he wouldn't have planted the precious artifact of the World Tree here. Right now, this was his only option.
“If that tree grows safely and protects our land, I will mobilize all my power to help you escape this forest. I promise.”
He had received a firm vow. Spirits were beings who valued contracts, so they did not treat even a small promise lightly.
“I understand.”
He would stabilize Akram’s land so that not even a dragon could attack recklessly. Then, a way to escape the forest would surely present itself.

A day passed.
The sapling had grown to about 50cm.
Although they watered it consistently, the water didn't seem to matter much. The moonlight-like bead hovering above the sapling had a far greater effect.
‘Is the God of the Moonlight Forest sending her power?’
Communication with her was cut off, but the connection itself was not severed. Her power, transmitted through the glass bead, was shining down on the sapling and making it grow.

Another day passed.
It seemed the enemy had also noticed the sapling's growing presence. Tree roots began to tear up the ground, and Dragon Tooth Soldiers started to charge.
"Hmph."
However, their scale was still small. A single snort from Akram was enough to sweep them all away.
Akram even gave up a portion of his territory on the opposite side to pull his power over and protect the sapling. His flames easily blocked the clumsy invasion.

Another day passed.
The invasion of the Dragon Tooth Soldiers grew larger in scale.
A number that was reminiscent of a war charged forward to break this single sapling.
Most of them were swept away by Akram’s flames, but some managed to break through the fire and finally approach the sapling.
A Dragon Tooth Soldier, made from a mixture of dragon fangs and tree bark. Its rough grasp reached out to snap the sapling, but—
Shhhk—
Jinwoo’s sword, which was guarding the sapling like a loyal samurai, cut the creature down in a single strike.
‘They’re starting to get serious.’
It meant the other side was beginning to fight in earnest.
From that day on, the Dragon Tooth Soldiers began to swarm in hordes. Many were reduced to ashes by Akram’s flames, but plenty of others made it through unscathed.
It was Jinwoo and Kalesian’s role to stop them.
BOOM! KWAANG!
Without a moment's rest, the two swung their sword and magic. The area around the sapling was never free from the roar and clamor of battle.
“Hoo… They’re made from teeth, so why are so many of them coming? She must have pulled out all her fangs by now.”
“Kuhahat!”
Even while catching their breath, the two fought on, throwing out trivial jokes. Amidst the struggle, a gradual change began to occur.
The sapling had now grown enough. Once it became a proper tree, it began to drive out the Dragon Tooth Soldiers on its own.
Its roots rose up, and it spat out seeds that unleashed vines to bind the soldiers. The entangled soldiers were either finished off by Jinwoo or Kalesian, or they were absorbed directly into the earth for the tree to use as nutrients.
Not only that, but the seeds it spat out began to sprout, forming a colony.
It was still too small to be called a forest, but a community centered around the World Tree was beginning to rise.
A unique, third-party territory that was neither Silbaern's forest nor Akram's fire.
It began to expand, embracing Akram’s fire and pushing back Silbaern’s forest.
It reached a point where the Dragon Tooth Soldiers could no longer even scratch the colony the World Tree had formed.
"Looks like it's on the right track," Jinwoo said.
"So it seems," Kalesian agreed.
The phase of just defending was over. It was now time to go on the offensive, using the well-established ground as a foundation.
Jinwoo looked up at the top of the grown tree. The glass bead was still there, emitting a gentle light.
Just then.
KUUUUNG—!
The surrounding air suddenly grew heavy and pressed down. It was a phenomenon that neither Jinwoo, Kalesian, nor even Akram had anticipated.
Startled, they looked up to see shadows gathering in the sky. Small shadows that existed on the ground, in the stones, and between the leaves and branches converged to form a gigantic figure.
Taking the shape of a dragon, it opened its great maw and swallowed the glass bead that had been circling above the World Tree.
CRUNCH~!
It chewed and shattered the bead.
Grinding it down. As if crushing a mortal enemy, the creature spat out the hated fragments. "Ptui."
Soon, its voice echoed through the heavy air.
—Insolent fools… How dare you bring such a seditious element into my forest.
With its mere appearance, the surroundings distorted and the natural cycle began to fall out of sync. A race that twists, dominates, and ultimately devours a place simply by existing—a Dragon.
The reason the 5th Floor, where dragons live, was called the Dragon Star Realm was that each one of them possessed a gravitational pull like a star, creating their own ecosystem.
And yet…
"That thing is a clone," Kalesian stated.
"A clone? You mean it's not the main body?"
"She wants to inspect this place herself, but it's too damaging to her pride to move her main body. So, it seems she sent a clone instead."

It exerted this much influence, and it wasn’t even her main body. Just sending a clone could do this much.
"Are all dragons from the Dragon Star Realm like this?"
"Not a chance. Even there, only a few are this powerful."
"…So there are others."
At that moment, Silbaern’s clone looked their way. It focused specifically on Jinwoo.
—You. Are you the one who planted that tree?
"Are you Silbaern, the master of this forest?"
—Hold your tongue, human. I forbid you from asking questions before you have answered mine.
"Like I care."
Akram, Kalesian, and he himself were all victims trapped in this forest. And she was the perpetrator.
There was no reason to listen to what the perpetrator had to say.
“Silbaern. Let us talk for a moment,” Kalesian interjected.
—And you are?
"Kalesian, of the Red Horn bloodline. I may look like this, but I am an adult dragon."
—Ah, a hatchling.
Kalesian bristled for a moment at Silbaern’s blunt remark, but he remained calm.
"We wish to leave this forest. Could you let us go? If you promise to do so, we can uproot this tree that bothers you and depart."
If it could be resolved through dialogue, nothing would be better. That was why he attempted to talk before fighting.
—If I make a promise, can you trust it?
“Give me an Oath of Mana. Swear that from this moment until we leave the forest, you will not touch us. We will likewise swear to depart with the tree.”
What sustained a dragon's colossal body was its powerful heart and the massive amount of mana it pumped.
Without mana, a dragon's body would necrotize and crumble. At the same time, it would lose the trinity of balance between body, mind, and soul, causing its very existence to fade away.
In other words, an Oath of Mana was an oath upon a dragon's very existence.
—Very well. I swear it.
An unexpectedly cheerful answer came back. The reply was so brisk that Kalesian wore a dubious expression.
—I swear on the mana that constitutes my existence. You, and you, and you. I will not miss a single piece of prey that has entered my feeding grounds, and I will devour you all.
Silbaern cackled as she answered.