Looking out at the vast, boundless forest, Odin simply felt satisfied. William had delivered—truly delivered. For the king of Asgard to lower himself and seek favor had not been in vain.
Kristin, on the other hand, was experiencing something altogether different. Bathed in the immense, surging aura of nature, she felt almost as if she were floating.
After riding her rainbow deer around the nearly 1,000 square kilometer valley, she turned back to William, eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Thank you, Lord Devonshire. This is absolutely the best place the World Tree could ever grow."
William nodded with a pleased smile, then turned to Odin.
"Since the environment checks out, we should now talk about security."
With that, he pulled up the surveillance footage Sunday had collected over the past three days.
"Three days was tight," William explained. "I only had time to let the droids and scout probes fully scan this valley. As for the broader surveillance and defense work, I suggest we have a dedicated Asgardian unit stationed here."
But Odin didn't respond immediately. His gaze remained fixed on the distant rivers.
"You've done a preliminary scan of the surrounding forest, I presume?"
"Of course," William nodded. "That's the advantage of machines—as long as they're powered, they don't stop. The results are promising.
For ordinary creatures, this forest is full of danger. But for beings with magic or divine power? It's hardly a threat."
"That's good," Odin chuckled lightly. Then, to everyone's surprise, he added,
"If possible, I'd prefer not to dispatch Asgardian warriors here."
Kristin turned sharply, shocked.
"Why not?"
Odin replied solemnly, "Since only the three of us know about this planet, let's keep it that way—at least until the World Tree fully matures."
Kristin felt a surge of relief at Odin's caution. But then, just as quickly, doubt crept in.
"The Forest Guardians alone won't be enough. I'm afraid there will still be gaps in our defense."
"Then bring your magic sprites as well."
Unlike other sentient races, both William and Odin had immense trust in those little beings. As long as they were treated well, they'd never betray anyone.
So when William made the suggestion, Odin didn't even hesitate.
"I've already paid you. This planet is yours. So if anything happens... I assume you'll be responsible?"
William twitched slightly at that and could only nod. Still a bit annoyed, he muttered,
"So you trust me more than your own people or your own children?"
Seeing that as agreement, Odin just smiled smugly.
"I know you're selfish and calculating, but you keep your word. Besides... I've still got something you want."
The Reality Stone, William thought, curling his lip in silence. He turned to Kristin instead.
"So? Do we plant the World Tree now, or wait until the sprites are brought over and settled?"
Kristin hesitated, but seeing how cautious Odin was being, she agreed,
"Let's plant the World Tree now. Once we're sure everything is stable, I'll bring over the Forest Guardians and the sprites."
With that decided, the three descended into the valley.
Kristin walked over to an open clearing and pulled a fist-sized seed from her storage device. Then, under Odin's watchful, furrowed brows, she uncorked a vial of crystal-clear green liquid.
The air immediately filled with a rich, vibrant scent of nature.
She poured just a few drops over the seed. Within seconds, it took root and began to grow—its sprout rising visibly, until it slowed around two meters tall.
"Lord Devonshire!" Kristin shouted urgently. "Now! Use your nature magic!"
But William didn't act immediately. Instead, he called out to Odin,
"Stay sharp. I can feel the wildlife around us getting restless."
He then gave Sunday an order:
"Deploy the droid battalion. We're about to get company."
Sure enough, Odin soon sensed it too—the growing number of curious, perhaps agitated, creatures gathering at the forest's edge.
Just as he was about to contact Heimdall, Kristin stopped him.
"No need. They're just being drawn by the World Tree's life essence. Once it matures and starts emanating its own aura, all plants and animals nearby will instinctively protect it.
Please, just begin the spell."
William wasn't entirely convinced. He opened four portals, and watched as his droid army stepped through. Only then did he lift into the air and begin his incantation.
Natural energy from all around began to converge.
With this surge of elemental power, the World Tree once again started to grow—rising 10 meters, 20 meters—until its demand for energy outpaced the local supply.
William was forced to fly higher, drawing in nature essence from a 2-kilometer radius.
And once that radius began to empty, energy from farther away rushed in to fill the void—creating a vortex in the sky like an hourglass, funneling energy directly into William.
Then something unexpected happened.
The incoming elemental energy began to first flow through William's body, before passing into the World Tree.
"This… This is… Elemental Baptism!" Kristin gasped in awe, staring up at him.
Even Odin's eyes narrowed—his expression complex.
Still, he said nothing. He understood very well: this wasn't his destiny. Even if he stood where William was now, he couldn't have drawn in the natural world like this.
So the two of them could only stand there—watching, envying—as William underwent something rare, possibly once-in-a-lifetime.
"Sigh…" Odin whispered. "With this kind of encounter, the shackles of mortal lifespan have been shattered. It seems we must now welcome a new power to the universe."
A lifespan of a hundred years was nothing to long-lived races who lived for thousands or even tens of thousands of years.
Even if a human was powerful for a while, they'd still wither and fade—nothing but dust a century later.
Those who had envied or feared him would simply nod in reflection, maybe raise a toast, and then life would go on as if he'd never existed.
But now?
After this Baptism of Nature, William's lifespan had likely increased by several hundred years, if not more.
After nearly an hour of this intense vortex, Kristin suddenly noticed something.
"The World Tree is now emitting its own natural energy. William—stop! That's enough!"
William gently ended the spell. The vortex faded. The sky grew still.
As he descended, Odin and Kristin looked at him in stunned silence.
He looked like himself. And yet... not.
It was as if he'd been touched by a divine filter. More refined. More alive.
They could feel it—his life force had been elevated. This man, this mortal, was mortal no more.
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