NOVEL SIMPLE 236
Chapter 236 : Tree And Town
The scene which unfolded before the group was unexpected. If one word could describe the scene it was busy. Unexpectedly so. When the word dungeon came to mind for Agni, she couldn’t help but think of the countless anime or manga she read. Even her own experiences here in Adventia lent a certain expectation of grime or gloom, battles with life or death stakes. And yet, the scene which unfolded before her was more like a tradepost.
All around were people going about their daily lives. Salesmen and adventurers bartering for goods at street stalls. Stalls that lined the expanse of a great dirt road which led towards a gigantic tree. Every direction that Agni looked was hustle and bustle. That and an unexpected amount of nature’s bounty. The place resembled a clearing in a forest, one where buildings had been erected for the sole purpose of settling near the base of such a massive tree.
Agni gazed upwards in awe, the tree was just that tall. It reached into the heavens and even further still until the clouds swallowed it whole. It’s trunk was easily several thousand kilometers in diameter. Simply gazing upon it she could feel a certain sense of majesty -- and something else. Never before had Agni felt the pulse of life so strongly. Perhaps it was due to her mysterious light harnessing skill, but she could almost see a vibrant aura of golden light emanating from the gargantuan tree if she focused enough.
“Agni, let’s step aside so Oliver and the others can follow.” It was Katrin, the voice of reason. Despite this Agni could tell she too was keenly interested in everything happening around them.
Moments later Oliver Pagnal arrived with a small group of rank three adventurers. Apparently there were only two others in the chapel and although Oliver himself wasn’t rank three, it was safe to say his power was comparable. The two people next to him couldn’t have been more different. A blond haired woman, beautiful in appearance, who looked like a traditional mage. She was garbed in flowing cloth and adorned with a witch’s hat. The other was a stern looking middle-aged man , his grey hair and piercing gaze gave him a sophisticated look. It also gave the distinct impression that he didn’t want to be bothered.
“Welcome to Yggdrasil.” Oscar said as he took his place at the head of the large gathering of Mystic Tower members. Despite the fact that almost the entire chapel was standing on the road, there was still ample room for carriages and other people to come and go. Yet, by comparison to the tree, this road was small.
“A bit on the nose. But you know how us elves are. Ha.” Oliver said, rubbing his nose gently with pride. It was one of the few times Agni saw him openly show any emotion, aside from annoyance or anger. Upon taking another look around Agni did indeed notice, there were many elves. Most of them manned the street stalls in simple clothing made of the earth. There were some mixed amongst the shoppers as well, clad in adventurer’s gear.
“The massive organism you see before you is a particular kind of tree known as a World Tree. They take thousands of years to mature properly into the kind of specimen you see before you.” Oliver explained as he motioned to the massive tree in the distance.
“And Yggdrasil is actually the name of the town that has sprouted up around the World Tree -- not the tree itself for point of fact.”
“Oliver. You’re getting off task.” The lady magician whispered, though audibly enough that anyone could hear. The expression she wore was pleasant enough, but it was obvious that she felt the current task may have been beneath her standing.
“Anyway--” Oliver said, correcting himself. “Follow me.” He said, motioning to the groups as he began to walk along the dirt road.
“There is a dungeon here, perhaps in one of the most unexpected of places. You see, the World Tree itself was affected by the encroachment of a shard. Because this happened within the tree, it went undetected until the overlap occurred and a dungeon spawned.” Oliver explained as he walked along. Due to the noise of passersby and commerce he seemed to shout.
“This created a natural wonder of sorts. Most Dungeons, we assume, don't generally form inside a living organism such as this. This occurrence allows for the dungeon to be contained within the confines of the World Tree. The result is one of the world’s most organized dungeons, as you’ll see once we enter.”
“But before we go any further, I’ll allow those of you who expressed a desire to prepare to do so.” Oliver said, causing the group to come to a halt in front of a large circle of nearby stalls.
Once more the blond woman seemed impatient while the grey haired man almost snorted, folding his arms. It was clear that he too felt the same way as the woman. Oliver, however, ignored this entirely and pointed towards the group of stalls.
“Here you can find just about anything you need, and some specialty items you may have never heard of. If you have the coin, I recommend you prepare properly and if you don’t--well try not to worry too much.”
With that roughly two thirds of the crowd dispersed, filtering over to the bunch of recommended stalls that Oliver mentioned.
“I can’t believe there’s a dungeon inside that tree.” Katrin said, her eyes alight with interest. It was rare to see her express an interest in anything aside from reading or Scribe-smithy.
“It is rather impressive…” Agni said, allowing her eyes to trail upwards towards the rising tree. Even from their distance some kilometers away, she could see the large roots of the tree jutting out from the ground. Respectfully and with reverence it seemed the elves which established the town of Yggdrasil only built in places that would not hinder growth of the tree. Rather, their influence seemed to imply a certain type of unity. In the areas that there were structures near the tree’s roots, the growth seemed to bend around or hug the man made elements.
Along each side of the road were natural “fences”, just behind the stalls. These fences were actually the World Tree’s roots, jutting upwards and then plunging back into the earth. It resembled a series of arcing wooden vines which alternated side by side. Occasionally there were vibrant buds of large flowers that seemed to open and catch the sunlight. Despite this Agni realized for the first time that she was standing beneath a canopy.
Then the thought occurred to her that she couldn’t *see* a canopy, let alone the World Tree’s branches. Nor even it’s leaves.
*Exactly how tall is this thing?* She wondered.
Eventually they moved along and Oliver explained a bit more about how the dungeon-city of Yggdrasil worked. The place was , for the most part, governed by a coalition of elven adventurers. They safeguarded the land and ensured that no dangerous creatures left the World Tree to threaten other places.
According to Oliver, it seemed that the most dangerous of creatures lived higher in the tree while the weakest were forced to the ground floor. This was most likely due to the fact that adventurers regularly entered the first two of five floors -- at least according to Oliver.
In his words, “It makes sense that the strongest would take the best positions.” And it did make sense. This was an inescapable truth that Agni had come to learn in her past life. Those who learned to navigate the world’s unseen set of rules and amass a fortune could, for the most part, do almost anything they desired. It seemed even Grimlock adhered to this sort of instinct as well.
Regardless, one other thing was clear to Agni -- Oliver Pagnal rarely talked about anything with such enthusiasm. It was obvious that he was proud to share more about his culture as an elf.
Along the way he also touched on several points relevant to their current task.
“Today’s visit to Yggdrasil is an extension of our lesson from a few days ago. While you can certainly focus on improving your level within these walls, your main focus will be to acquire practical battle experience. At the same time, you should seek to master the use of all skills and abilities at your disposal. Your goal is simple in theory, but will require much effort. Master yourself, and come one step closer to uncommon strength.”