A single minute passed.
Then five.
Then ten.
Soon, twenty full minutes had slipped away.
Yet throughout all that time, the World Tree remained perfectly still, towering in eternal silence as though it had never noticed Leo's presence—or perhaps as though it had deliberately chosen to test the limits of his patience.
Nothing happened.
No light.
No tremor.
Not even the faintest whisper of mana disturbed the tranquil night.
Leo released a slow breath.
His patience was beginning to wear thin.
"Should I simply take one of its roots... and leave?" he wondered to himself.
The very instant that thought settled in his mind...
It happened.
The familiar radiance emerged once again from deep within the World Tree.
At first, it appeared as nothing more than a delicate thread of light.
Then it gradually intensified.
Brighter.
Wider.
Until its brilliant glow swallowed every shadow beneath the ancient branches and bathed the entire forest in sacred light.
Before Leo could fully comprehend what was unfolding...
The world around him disappeared.
The trees vanished.
The sky dissolved.
Even the whispering wind ceased to exist.
It was as though reality itself had folded away.
And for the second time...
He found himself inside Ava's domain.
It was exactly as he remembered.
An endless expanse bathed in gentle radiance, devoid of any recognizable landscape, yet strangely serene.
There was neither earth nor sky.
Only an infinite sea of tranquil light that inspired both comfort and reverence, making it feel less like a place and more like the heart of nature itself.
Only a few moments passed before Ava appeared before him.
She stood with the same graceful dignity as before, surrounded by a soft divine glow that made her seem less like a living being and more like the very embodiment of the World's Will.
Her calm eyes rested upon him before she spoke in her serene, melodious voice.
"Welcome back...
...Child of Fate."
Leo showed no surprise.
Instead, he answered immediately, his tone calm and composed.
"Let's skip the greetings."
A faint look of surprise crossed Ava's elegant face.
Then a gentle smile curved across her lips.
"Oh?
It seems you've become much more straightforward than before."
"I learned my lesson from our previous meeting," Leo replied without hesitation.
Her smile widened slightly.
"I see."
"Very well."
"Ask whatever you wish."
"I shall answer... to the best of my ability."
Leo wasted no time.
His gaze sharpened.
"I'll be leaving the Elven Forest soon."
"I need one of the World Tree's roots."
Ava answered without even a moment's hesitation.
"That will not be a problem."
"The moment you leave my domain..."
"...you will find the root in your possession."
Leo gave a slight nod.
"That's the first matter."
"Secondly..."
"I want more answers."
Silence lingered between them for a brief moment.
Ava let out a nearly inaudible sigh.
"I'm afraid..."
"There isn't much more I can tell you at this point."
"Most of what I was permitted to reveal..."
"...I already shared during our previous meeting."
Leo remained silent for several seconds, carefully arranging his thoughts.
Then he looked back at her.
"You once mentioned that a great catastrophe is approaching."
"Can you at least tell me approximately when it will happen?"
Ava closed her eyes briefly before replying.
"It will occur..."
"...within the next ten years."
Silence followed.
"Ten years..."
Leo contemplated inwardly.
"That's a narrow window if I intend to recover all of my former strength."
"Still... it isn't impossible."
The answer remained frustratingly vague.
Yet it was enough to become the foundation upon which he could build his plans.
After another pause, he voiced the question that had lingered in his mind ever since their first encounter.
"How did you know my true identity the first time we met?"
For the first time since their conversation had begun...
Ava hesitated.
A subtle change passed through her expression.
Then she answered quietly.
"That question..."
"...I cannot answer."
Leo studied her in silence for several moments.
Then he spoke, not with accusation, but with quiet understanding.
"It seems something prevents you from answering certain questions."
"In fact..."
"I suspect that most of what I truly wish to know..."
"...you aren't allowed to tell me."
He released a slow breath.
"So..."
"I'll stop here."
Silence returned.
But this time...
Ava was the one who broke it.
She looked directly into his eyes.
There was no mystery in her gaze now.
Only sincerity.
"I know you have many doubts about me."
"And perhaps you see me as someone lacking credibility because I cannot answer the questions you ask."
"But..."
"There is one thing I want you to remember..."
"...no matter how much time passes."
She paused.
Then spoke each word slowly, as though engraving them upon his soul.
"Leo..."
"Do not cling too tightly to what you already know."
"And never forget..."
"The greatest power..."
"...is never inherited."
"It is earned."
"And never allow your strength..."
"...to become the chains that bind you."
Leo said nothing.
Not because he fully understood the meaning behind her words.
But because he felt something that could not be explained through logic alone.
He couldn't describe it.
He couldn't prove it.
Yet he could sense the sincerity hidden within every word she spoke.
For the first time since meeting her...
He became certain.
She harbored no ill will toward him.
A faint smile appeared upon his lips.
A smile carrying both relief...
...and quiet satisfaction.
At that very moment...
The surrounding light began growing brighter once again.
Ava lifted her eyes toward the expanding radiance.
"It seems..."
"Our time has come to an end."
A gentle smile graced her face.
"If fate brings us together again..."
"I look forward to seeing just how far you'll have come."
The moment those words left her lips...
The brilliant light swallowed everything.
---
Leo's eyes suddenly opened.
He found himself standing exactly where he had been before—
Beside the colossal trunk of the World Tree.
As though nothing had happened.
At that moment...
He felt something rough resting against his palm.
Lowering his gaze, he opened his hand.
There it was.
One of the World Tree's roots.
He examined it quietly before allowing a faint smile to appear.
"At least..."
"This visit wasn't without value."
He lifted his gaze toward the towering World Tree, his thoughts already racing ahead.
"The most important thing I gained..."
"...was the approximate timeframe of that catastrophe."
"Ten years..."
"But that's still dangerously vague."
"It could happen next year..."
"Or exactly ten years from now."
"I can't afford complacency."
His fingers tightened around the ancient root.
"And with this..."
"Alongside the remaining ingredients I've gathered..."
"I can finally brew the elixir."
"The one capable of helping me overcome the bottleneck between the Sixth Circle and the Seventh..."
"...and step into the realm of a Grand Mage."
He understood the significance of that breakthrough better than anyone.
Countless magicians—
Even those blessed with extraordinary talent—
Spent decades trapped before the Seventh Circle, unable to advance despite exhausting every conceivable method.
Yet now...
He possessed a genuine opportunity to surpass that seemingly insurmountable barrier.
Still...
That solved only one problem.
Too many mysteries remained unanswered.
Too many secrets continued to lurk beyond his reach.
And with every answer he uncovered...
He realized even more clearly...
That time was slipping away faster than ever.
Leo raised his head and cast one final glance toward the majestic World Tree.
Then, with unwavering resolve, he quietly declared—
"I'll leave the forest..."
"...tomorrow."