Insignificant events are often overlooked. If we think about the causality of every situation, it almost always starts with an innocuous event. A tiny spark can create enough chaos to start a forest fire.

~Balor, The Primordial God of Chaos

Hair-like roots penetrated the contained space. They extended carefully until they’d reached the planet’s surface far below. The process wasn’t fast and had taken a few years to accomplish.

Now that the root touched the surface, it penetrated the soil, digging in as deep as possible. Using the planet’s Origin energy to strengthen its connection, the vine-like root thickened until it was large enough to deliver a seed deep into the core.

The effect wasn’t much different from human reproduction. The seed drilled its way into the core, and time slowed to a crawl. Origin energy mixed with the power of Yggdrasil infused created a vortex of power. By the time it dispersed, an embryo had already become aware of itself within the core.

Mugna opened his eyes inside a fleshy sac deep in the heart of Father Oak and started laughing. Power rippled beneath his flesh, and the thin membrane burst open, spilling his naked body into the treant’s massive oaken heart. His tiny body wasn’t much larger than a ten-year-old child, but this one didn’t have the bark-like flesh, unlike his old man’s body. If it wasn’t for the vital Wood Essence that oozed out of him, he’d appear no different from a human child.

The roots extracted themselves from the Soulscape because he no longer required the physical connection. Like Crow’s Soulscape, it was part of him and his power. The difference was that he shared it with Father Oak and the embryo god growing with the core.

Father Oak suppressed the ripples of power, preventing them from escaping Litavis. It didn’t stop the guardians and the hidden powerhouses throughout the planet from noticing. How could they not when a lower realm planet suddenly was infused with Origin energy? The changes wouldn’t be detected by most, not right away. However, he had essentially refined Litavis and turned it into a treasure. In the future, it would produce more and more cultivation monsters. He figured he had a few hundred years before the upper realms started paying attention. During that time, he needed to make preparations.

First, now that he was no longer tethered to Father Oak and had a mostly human body, he could climb the tower. He had access to a lot of power, but he couldn’t risk touching it. Instead, he had to become a cultivator himself. Luckily, it was almost time once more for the Shield trial. The most crucial task was Crow. He had to help that boy bring the Droaidh back from the dead. Only by aiding him would he have a chance to pursue his precious Danu once more.

Mugna sensed a familiar presence trying to enter the heart of Father Oak and allowed it. A humanoid covered in black scales and glowing purple eyes stepped out of the void and looked around. The seed-like pod with the thin membrane was still present, as well as the thick fluid that the young Mugna sat in.

“I sense Yggdrasil flowing in your veins… does this mean you succeeded?”

“I did, old friend.”

“And this world?”

“It cannot ascend because of all the formations and restrictions, but it’ll be no different from the upper realms.”

“Now that Litavis is yours, what of us guardians?”

“I cannot undo your restrictions—at least not yet. Primordial powers created those, but I won’t prohibit you from benefiting from this planet’s awakening. The only thing I’ll have to insist on is that you all maintain the balance. Let the people we are protecting fight their wars inside the tower.”

The other guardians had arrived, and the nine of them stared at the child-like Mugna in fascination. Other than Mugna, the most powerful guardian was a tall, broad-shouldered woman with bright white hair and sun-like orbs for eyes. Her people called her the warrior saintess of the frozen sun. The other guardians looked to her as if she was the only one worthy enough to question Mugna.

“Why prevent war?” Along with being a sun goddess, she was also a war god. The thirteen Sunfrost Knights under her were a terrifying force for any nation to face. Mugna didn’t fear them because none of the other nations knew the Druids had many hidden powers that surpassed those thirteen.

“Do you think any of us would survive if the upper realms took notice of this planet?”

“You… want us to protect your Source,” Brada said. Understanding what Mugna intended to do, she could only admire the wily old fox and his planning.

“I am the last of the Oaken Treants, a noble people, and I have reached Yggdrasil. This is our last chance at survival and was the primary reason I agreed to become a guardian. The core of this planet was unclaimed and close to awakening on its own. In another five thousand years, it would gain its own sentience. With the power of Yggdrasil, I decreased that time and took the Soulscape as my own. It’ll seed itself if it has time to grow, and the Oaken Treants will exist once more.”

“How does that help us?” Brada asked, her spear point sweeping across the other guardians.

“Simple. Most of you are bound here for hundreds of thousands of years. Once my embryo gains power and control of this planet, your pledge of guardianship is rescinded because it’ll be unnecessary.”

“Why not let us go now?”

“I can’t because I currently lack the power.”

“And when will you have that power?”

“In less than a thousand years.”

“Old friend,” Nidhogg said. “I believe the Origin energy of this planet will become noticeable in less than two hundred years. At that time, the upper realms will destroy us, tower or not.”

“And that is why I’m asking for your help. The nine of us can absorb enough that of the Origin energy to lessen the impact.”

“I understand now,” Brada nodded. “Preventing war and having all of us enter closed-door cultivation is to prevent Litavis from getting noticed by those watchers. The one thing that isn’t in our control is Tur Briste. The tower’s spirit will definitely sense the changes. Especially the cultivators that enter because of this kind of change will create all kinds of mutated powers and purify their Source to resemble those bastards from the upper realms. Can you stop that old fire from acting?”

“Not me,” Mugna said in his child-like voice. “Crow, a young Druid can. The Blood Ember sect cursed him with Soul Burn before gaining his Shield, and he now has Night Fire inside him. In a way, we can consider him that bastard’s disciple.”

Brada’s spear disappeared, and her glass armor made of solidified light also dispersed. She looked like a pure and naïve teenage girl without armor and weapons. The other guardians followed her lead and lost their aggressive stance.

“Brada? Are you actually agreeing to it?” Another guardian asked.

“Don’t be fooled. I agree because there is no other choice. We can’t leave, and this fucking old man knows it. However, the benefits he’s offering are good. This event will help our cultivation, and I still have over seventy thousand years left on my indentured contract. If Mugna holds true to his word, which he always has, then one thousand years of helping him keep this secret is worth it.”

“Does anyone not agree?” Nidhogg asked. They all agreed long ago to work together to prevent any major mishaps. The Guardian Conclave existed to avoid serious conflict among them. The first rule was that they weren’t allowed to leave their continent unless invited or announced they were visiting. They could not interfere with continental conflicts unless their Keystone was in contention. Last, they could aid their people with resources, techniques, and guidance for their cultivation. There were other rules and precedents, but those weren’t as important.

This did not mean they all got along. Brada had a forceful personality, and most guardians did not even like talking to her. However, they respected her strength, and she mostly minded her own people and stayed out of other nations’ affairs.

“Then we are all in agreement. For the next thousand years, all wars on Litavis are to cease. We will aid Mugna in attempting to absorb as much of the Origin energy as possible to slow down the changes and hopefully avoid the notice of the upper realms. Anything else to discuss?”

“I have one thing to bring up,” Ghede said, and the other guardians winced.