Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle-Chapter 624: The World Tree

"Mana Crystals?" Shane repeated as he realized that these Honey Jars are all quite expensive. After all, they only have one type of Mana Crystal, which is the one with the highest purity possible.

A single one could normally be traded for a Dwarven Weapon in the Fairy Realm Apocalypse.

"Is that the only thing you want?" Shane asked.

"No!"

The pixies then started giving him other options.

"Those buttons you have!"

"Broken glass!"

"That weird coin in your pocket!"

'Hmm? How did they—' Shane thought as he touched the Gold Coin in his pocket chest.

Shane upgraded two of these gold coins to a legendary item. As a matter of fact, the one in his pocket was one of his life-saving items, and he always kept it with him. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

Just like how he had upgraded his Ace of Hearts Card that he got from the Entertainment Gift Pack, he also upgraded two Versailles Empire's Gold Coins to Legendary Items. Unfortunately, upgrading common items to Legendary rank wasn't easy.

Even if it was him, there was still a chance of failing to upgrade from Epic to Legendary. Furthermore, it consumes a lot of Item Upgrade Crystals to do it.

[ Enchanted Versailles Gold Coin ( Legendary ): A radiant coin enchanted by a mysterious power, said to grant its wielder the resilience of a fire immortal."

Effects: +50% Fire Resistance, +15% Health Regeneration

Special Effect – Force of Will: Upon receiving fatal damage, the coin shatters and heals the user at 50% HP. ]

This gold coin was the one he always kept in his pocket.

[ Shielded Gold Coin ( Legendary ): This impossibly dense coin was blessed by a star. Holding it makes you as tough as the mountains.

Effects: +200% Physical Defense, Reduces all incoming knockback effects by 50%

Special Effect – Stoneheart: When HP drops below 30%, gain a temporary 50% damage reduction shield for 30 seconds ( 1 day cooldown ). ]

This defensive gold coin, on the other hand, was given to his little sister, Diana.

After some thought, he took out a handful of Zombie Cores. They weren't that shiny compared to the others, but there was still some luster on them.

"Is this enough?"

The pixies swarmed it, oohing and aahing as if he'd given them a diamond…

"We accept!" the violet pixie declared. "Now you're our human too!"

"Fantastic…" Shane deadpanned.

***

As the pixies celebrated, Shane noticed something deeper in the clearing—a circle of mushrooms with caps that pulsed like a heartbeat.

Of course, he immediately calculated whether this mushroom would be a good source of nutrition. It looked really tasty after all.

However, he also considered that it was the Pixies' home, so he had to be careful with his comment.

"What's that?" Shane asked as he approached the mushroom…

Axis gasped. "A Fairy Ring… So don't get closer!"

Too late.

The moment Shane's shadow touched the ring, the world around him rippled. He didn't feel dizzy, but his surroundings felt like it was warping. It wasn't a good sensation.

Then, for a split second, he saw a towering obsidian gate, half-buried in the roots of the World Tree. Furthermore, there was something moving behind it.

After that, he saw eyes. Dozens of them staring at him…

But as he squinted to understand what he was seeing, it was suddenly gone… Shane's senses returned, and the mushroom was gone…

It took him a second to realize that he had seen an 'illusion' or perhaps, he had seen a secret he shouldn't have.

"Ahh… Did I make a mistake?" Shane asked as he couldn't see any notification from his system, and even his A.I. wasn't helping him.

'What the heck was that just now?!'

However, the pixies had gone silent. Even Axis looked uneasy, as if Shane had just committed a grave mistake.

"Uh," she said. "Maybe… That's a secret of this realm?"

Shane exhaled slowly. "Yeah. Let's go. I don't need this secret anyway… Let's forget about it." Shane said as he felt that having this realm to harvest crops, fish, honey, mana crystals, and others was more than enough…

He didn't want any more unnecessary secrets that may tie him even more to this realm.

As they left, the honey jars in his inventory had doubled…

Of course, he also gave more jars to the Pixies or the bees so they could gather more… In any case, there were a lot of flowers in the realm, so they shouldn't have a problem filling them all.

***

After the encounter with the pixies, Shane and Axis returned to the cover of the World Tree to relax and wait for a time. Perhaps, he could also use his fishing skills there…

However, as soon as Shane lay down on the grass to rest, he saw the huge canopy of the tree, he had an idea…

'Right… It's so huge anyway…' Shane mused.

The World Tree was supposedly an ancient, colossal entity whose roots sprawled everywhere…

Right now, its leaves look so beautiful as they seem to be glowing when stared at for too long.

Shane couldn't help but look at Axis... "Axis."

The tiny fairy, still fluttering nervously after the Fairy Ring incident, perked up. "Yes, Master Shane?"

"I need parts of the Tree."

Axis gasped so hard she nearly tumbled out of the air. "W-What?! You can't just take from the World Tree! It's sacred! It's alive! It's—"

"Twigs. Branches. Leaves. Not the whole thing."

Axis hovered in place, her tiny face scrunched in thought. Finally, she sighed.

"Fine. But! Only the ones that have already fallen or are about to be! And only if you ask nicely!"

Shane raised an eyebrow. "You want me to talk to a tree."

"It's polite!"

'Seriously?' Shane thought, but still, he nodded.

Well, he had entered a magical apocalypse and had multiple lives already. It shouldn't be surprising to know that there was a sentient tree.

'Whatever...'

Shane stepped forward and placed a hand on the Tree's massive trunk.

As soon as he touched it, the bark seemed to have vibrated under his palm, as if to communicate with him… It felt warm and alive.

After a moment of pause, Shane spoke softly...

"…I need some of your branches... to fight against the Zombies and my enemies outside this realm. Please?"

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then—a single leaf drifted down, landing softly in his palm.

Then another.

And another.

Soon, a small pile of twigs, leaves, and even a few strips of bark had gathered at the base of the Tree, as if it had willingly offered them.

'It's kind, just like what Axis said.' Shane thought.

Axis clapped her hands. "It likes you!"

Shane wasn't sure if that was a good thing. After that, Axis also took some more branches and twigs that she had kept hidden all this time.

As Shane gathered the offerings, the System identified each one with its own unique properties.

[ World Tree Twig ( Epic ): A slender, golden-brown twig with mysterious power... Despite its delicate appearance, it is nearly unbreakable.

Effects: Can be used as a magic-conducting focus for spells, increasing their potency by 15%. If planted, it has a 5% chance to grow into a lesser World Sapling ( takes 10 years to mature ).

Remarks: "Handle with respect. The World Tree does not give its children lightly." ]

Shane read the effects and found this very interesting…

'Can I really grow a world tree outside?' Shane felt excited but also worried.

[ World Tree Leaf ( Epic ) ]: A single, radiant leaf that glows faintly with mysterious power.

Effects: When placed on a wound, it accelerates natural healing by 300% for 10 minutes. Can be brewed into Elixir of Clarity, which purifies toxins and cures minor curses.

Remarks: "The World Tree's leaves are said to hold the memories of the realm. Do not consume more than one per day." ]

"Thanks for the remarks, system…" Shane mused as he would certainly take the notes from the system seriously.

[ World Tree Bark Fragment ( Epic ): A small strip of bark covered with mysterious power. Touching it gives a small chance of receiving ancient knowledge.

Effects: When used in crafting, it grants a random enchantment to the item ( weapons, armor, or tools). If burned, the smoke reveals hidden truths (e.g., secret doors, disguised enemies).

Remarks: "The World Tree's bark is its armor—and its voice. Listen well." ]

[ Fallen World Branch ( Legendary ): A thick, forearm-length branch that still emits residual energy. The wood is dense, heavy, and warm to the touch.

Effects: Can be carved into a staff or wand with innate mana amplification. If used as-is, it functions as a melee weapon with holy damage against undead/demonic entities. ]

The bark fragment was definitely an important item since there was actually a chance that it would grant him knowledge.

That was definitely a priceless reward. Any knowledge passed down by the World Tree would be invaluable.

As he stored the items in his inventory, Shane considered their uses.

The twigs could be distributed among Eclipse Domain's mages to boost their spells.

The leaves would become invaluable for field medics.

The bark fragments—those, he'd keep for himself. Enchanted gear was always worth the investment.

The branch… however, he wasn't sure about it yet.