Ash had decided to spare the stag.
Even though it had almost killed him twice, and it had even erased Crimsy from existence, Crimsy was not permanently dead.
Moreover, for Ash's future plans, he would need someone to make sure Verdant Necropolis was safe while he returned to the city.
And who else would make the perfect guardian of the new Verdant Necropolis other than the same guardian who had kept it safe for decades?
But Ash just needed to make sure that the new guardian would be absolutely loyal to him.
And the knowledge in his head contained exactly the guaranteed way to make that happen.
Following the instructions Earth's will gave him, Ash called upon a certain disease.
Yes. The raw disease that he had been immune to. Not the ability he gained from them.
Just to be safe, Ash chose the very basic poison, the bloodberry poison.
The poison that gave Ash his persistent blood cough, an increased blood flow, and dizziness.
Ash was about to use more titanroot to open the Verdant stag's mouth, but as if understanding what he was trying to do, the deer opened its mouth on its own.
Ash's eyebrows rose in surprise. But then understood, "I guess it was one of the perks as the official ruler of this region…"
The tip of his finger hovered right above the deer's mouth, then the new silvery bright green aura glowed from Ash's chest.
When the aura flowed to his hand, it coated the liquid poison dripping from Ash's finger and entered the stag's throat along with the poison.
And just like that, Ash waited.
He still kept the titanroot cage despite the fact that there was no chance the Verdant Stag would suddenly turn on him.
It was just to make sure the Verdant Stag didn't go berserk and destroy everything else around it or hurt itself in the process.
Seeing the process as an observer really did give Ash a new perspective about how he looked when assimilating a new disease.
The Verdant Stag's eyes became bloodshot. Its muscles tensed. And the urge to kick its hooves and shake its head exploded in its heart.
And of course, the stag also started coughing blood.
It bleated and grunted.
Releasing all the urges through its voice due to its restricted body.
The sounds traveled through the forest far and wide.
Every other animal that knew of the stag began running away from the place.
Not wanting to even be close enough to the Verdant Stag, who seemed to be out for blood.
And that would be true if the stag were free.
But the titanroot helped keep the deer in place.
No matter how much it wanted to rage, the titanroot wouldn't budge.
'This proves it. There's no way I'm beating that tree if not for the slug's decomposition enzyme…'
The slugs kept screaming, seeming like it would continue doing so until every other animal in the forest was killed by it.
And of course, said animals that heard the screams had long evacuated the place.
Fortunately, though, just like Ash, after a minute of suffering, it just suddenly disappeared.
The blood cough was still there. The blood flow was still elevated.
But the stag found no discomfort in them.
In fact, it felt a newfound power inside.
Of course, it was the same ability that Ash had from the bloodberry poison.
====================
Crimson Pulse (Bloodberry Poison)
…
+Ability Unlocked : Toxic Surge I (Passive)
Increased body capability to exert strength. Boost in focus and muscular power.
==================
The Verdant Stag now had a passive ability that significantly boosted its muscular strength and also mental focus.
But that's not the only change for the Verdant Stag.
Now, a faint bright green aura began emanating from the stag.
The same one that Ash had.
The aura from the stag seemed to sway and flow towards Ash, showing its connection with him.
And other than the physical change, Ash could also feel a more subtle mental change.
As a ruler of the Verdant Necropolis, one that had been appointed by Earth's will themself, Ash was now able to understand the creatures inside the region.
He also had a connection with them. Something that would let him know if something had threatened them all at once.
For example, like an invasion from humans.
However, the connection that he had with the Verdant Stag now felt even stronger.
It was as if the Verdant Stag were a part of him.
A part of his family.
The same goes for the Verdant Stag.
When it saw Ash, a seed of reverence bloomed inside it.
The annoyance and helplessness it felt before had long disappeared.
The overpowering feeling it felt right now was gratefulness to Ash for giving it the ability to conquer diseases and make their power its own.
The feeling of being free from the disease's clutches and instead owning it.
Not being afraid of it ever again, these feelings felt liberating.
That and also a huge desire to spread Ash's gift to everyone else.
A desire that Ash himself also had back when he first received the plague god's blessing.
Ash could feel what the Verdant Stag felt.
They understood each other better now.
Ash released the Verdant Stag from the titanroot cage, letting it step closer to him and lower its head.
It was a weird feeling seeing the stag now.
He used to want to make the stag pay for what it did.
But now, all Ash could think of when seeing the stag was that it was his long lost family.
Someone he wanted to protect. And someone who will be there for him no matter the circumstances.
The whole thing felt unreal.
It couldn't be understood.
But Ash knew that what he and the stag felt was real. That urge to take care of each other was real.
Ash then took his hand and placed it on top of the Verdant Stag's lowered head.
"I welcome you home, Verdania."