Chapter 187: Thanks and Undercurrents
After coming back with food and a few other useful items, Ash stayed by her side the entire time.
Even though Elysia was sleeping, it wasn’t because she wanted to.
Deep down, she was desperate to talk to him, to hear his voice again, to ask the thousand questions that were clinging to her heart like vines. But Ash had gently asked her to rest.
He didn’t want to risk anyone overhearing their conversation. Because he already knew—the very first thing she would ask him would either be about his transmigration or his past life.
Those same thoughts haunted him as well. He was just as desperate to know the truth.
How had she ended up in this world? How did she adapt in this world? How was she living this entire time? There were too many tangled emotions inside him, too many questions with no answers yet.
After explaining to her that they were inside the inner space of the World Tree, and that the World Tree herself had been the one to heal her wounds, Ash had also warned her that their conversation might be overheard.
Only after hearing this did Elysia finally give up on speaking, although she never let go of his hand. She held it firmly, her fingers curled around his as if trying to anchor him there, afraid that if she loosened her grip even a little, he might leave her alone again.
Thanks to the thick and gentle waves of life energy that constantly filled the space around them, it didn’t take long for her body to recover.
The environment played a vital role, soothing her wounds from within. Her recovery was astonishingly fast—much quicker than anyone would have expected. In just under an hour, she was already back to full health. Not even half a day had passed.
Then, as if someone had been waiting for that very moment, a portal shimmered into existence. The World Tree, still appearing in Serena’s form, stepped through with the real Serena beside her.
What a perfect timing... she was definitely listening...
Ash let out a silent sigh in his heart, though he kept his face calm.
Elysia’s expression only showed a flicker of annoyance. She had just woken up and already someone had arrived to interrupt the precious silence she wished to share with him.
Ash was right. They were definitely listening to everything...
Though her heart grumbled with annoyance, her face held a warm and cheerful smile.
The World Tree greeted them with her usual grace, her voice smooth and flowing with an air of amusement and authority.
"Hoho, it looks like you are fully recovered. Congratulations on regaining your health."
As she spoke, Elysia quietly observed both of them. One of them stood tall, speaking with natural confidence and carrying an invisible authority that felt ancient and deep. It was evident that this was the world tree.
While, the other remained thoughtful and quiet, though her eyes were far from idle. Every now and then, she stole subtle glances at Ash.
This bitch...
Elysia picked up on it instantly. She didn’t need a second to figure it out. Her instincts as a woman were keen, honed not just by logic, but by an emotional intuition born from experience and obsession.
The way Serena kept sneaking glances at Ash—it wasn’t casual curiosity, and it definitely wasn’t innocent admiration.
Still, Elysia kept smiling.
"Of course," Elysia replied with a soft laugh, "I feel like I could run a hundred laps around the training grounds right now. But it’s all thanks to you."
Her voice was sweet, her tone light, but her words were as carefully chosen as a sharpened blade hidden beneath layers of silk.
"Without your help, I wouldn’t have recovered so fast... and I wouldn’t have gotten the chance to see him again."
She turned toward Ash as she spoke the last part, letting her voice linger ever so slightly on the word him ’.
The emotion that passed through her eyes was subtle, but unmistakable. Then, with that same calm expression, she glanced toward Serena.
Serena remained composed, her face showing no cracks. She returned Elysia’s gaze steadily. And for a brief moment, their eyes met. The atmosphere seemed to pause for just that second.
Then Elysia smiled again, wider this time. A smile that only another woman would understand.
And then, as if nothing had passed between them, she turned back toward the World Tree.
"Well, if you truly wish to express your gratitude, then it should be directed toward him," the World Tree replied gently, her ancient gaze shifting toward Ash.
"If not for his actions, things could have turned out far worse for my childrens than any of us could have imagined."
She began recounting what he had done, each word woven with quiet reverence.
She also mentioned what he had asked in return — it was to heal her.
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The room grew quiet as her voice carried through the space, layered with reverence and subtle emotion.
All the while, Ash kept his eyes on Elysia.
There’s definitely something different about her...
It wasn’t something he could describe clearly. Her posture was straight, her expressions gentle, and her voice was still the same soft melody he remembered.
Yet she carried herself with a quiet confidence now, and the way she spoke felt just a little more deliberate, more composed, as though something within her had settled... or shifted.
At first glance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But a small voice in the back of his mind whispered that something had changed.
I don’t know what it is that changed in her... only time will tell. I just hope whatever this change is, it doesn’t affect her too much.
"Either way, I am truly grateful to him," the World Tree said with a voice full of sincerity. "If he had not intervened, every elf in this Continent would have suffered. That is a fact I cannot deny."
"I see," Elysia replied politely, her voice calm, but inside her mind, there was nothing but quiet turmoil.
He went through all of that... all of that pain... just to heal me? He risked himself again. He endured it all—for me...? I... oh no...
Her heartbeat grew faster—not the erratic beat of panic, but the steady thrum of something deeper.
Just then, Serena took a step forward. Her movements were elegant and precise, her presence dignified as she stood before Ash. With calm eyes and a composed tone, she spoke, "As the Queen of the Elves, and as the representative of our entire race, I sincerely offer you my gratitude. If not for your help, I cannot even imagine what kind of disaster might have fallen upon us."
Ash shook his head gently. His voice was calm and straightforward. "I did what I had to. It’s not like I helped out of kindness or goodwill. I needed help too. It wasn’t a favor."
Serena didn’t step back, nor did she break eye contact. She wanted to continue talking to him, as if some invisible force was pushing her forward.
Deep inside, she felt a need to prove something in front of Elysia.
However, before she could say anything more, the World Tree stepped forward.
Her voice was gentle and calm, but there was an undeniable firmness in her tone, a quiet strength that made it impossible to ignore her words.
"Regardless of the intentions behind your actions, the truth does not change. You stood between us and a disaster we could not even see coming. And for that, we are grateful to you."
She reached forward and took hold of his hands, her grip firm yet respectful. She bowed her head slightly as she repeated her thanks, not for formality, but because she meant every word.
It was at that moment that Elysia’s expression shifted. It was subtle, just a small flicker across her face, but a faint scowl made its way to the surface as she watched World tree holding Ash’s hands.
The first such expression she had worn since waking up.
And as the world tree had appearance of Serena, it felt more itchy to her.
After a few more moments of respectful handshakes, Ash gently freed his hands. Yet even as he pulled away, he felt something strange.
Why do I feel...
His gaze turned instinctively toward Elysia. She was smiling, just as before, but he could not ignore the feeling that something invisible had just pierced the back of his hands.
Not physically—but something far more difficult to explain.
Shaking off the strange thought, he looked back toward the World Tree. But before he could say anything, she met his gaze and asked, her tone calm and direct, "So then, when are you planning to perform your first Purging?"
The ’Purging’ she referred to was the purging of memories. He had already absorbed everything that could be taught verbally.
The next step was no longer something that could be explained. It had to be experienced, carried out by him alone.
Elysia, hearing the unfamiliar term, looked at Ash with a puzzled expression. She was clearly confused and wanted an explanation. But Ash did not speak to her.
But instead of offering her one, Ash spoke to the World Tree directly.
"I will do it tomorrow," he said without hesitation. "Right now, there’s someone I need to catch up with." As he finished the sentence, his eyes gently met Elysia’s, the meaning behind his words crystal clear.
The World Tree nodded slowly. "Very well. We shall begin tomorrow. Rest well tonight and prepare yourself."
Without saying anything more, Ash stepped forward and took Elysia’s hand into his own. In a flash of soft light, the two of them vanished from the inner world, teleporting away.
But just before leaving, Elysia turned her head slightly and gave a soft, radiant smile to both the World Tree and Serena.
A smile that was polite.
A smile that was courteous.
But for Serena, it carried a warning hidden in the warmth.
***