Dale stood in the courtyard, gazing at the towering ancient tree, her silver hair gently billowing in the wind.
The tree’s branches were sturdy, its roots buried deep underground, appearing as if it had been growing on this land for hundreds of years.
But Dale knew this was her "Ailan Mama."
"Sister Lily, when will Ailan Mama wake up?"
The Little Sea Siren looked up, her purple-blue eyes filled with longing and anticipation.
She reached out her small hand, gently stroking the rough bark of the ancient tree, just as Ailan used to caress her head with vines.
Lilia squatted down, hugging the Little Sea Siren’s shoulders, feeling a bit flustered.
Although she had been living in the workshop for some time, she actually knew very little about the transformation process of tree spirits.
Ron had only told her to take good care of Dale, and he would handle the rest. As a student, she wouldn’t ask about the core secrets of others.
"Well..."
Lilia carefully chose her words, her mind racing to find a suitable explanation.
She didn’t want to disappoint the Little Sea Siren, but she also didn’t want to give an inaccurate promise:
"Sister Ailan needs enough time to complete her transformation, just like a butterfly needs to rest in its cocoon. But I believe she will soon come back to you."
At that moment, the door of the laboratory was pushed open, and Ron came out.
His eyes were bloodshot, and his lab coat was marked with traces left by various materials.
"Master!"
Dale immediately turned to Ron, her eyes filled with even stronger anticipation:
"When will Ailan Mama finally wake up? It’s been so many days, I miss her so much."
Upon hearing the inquiry, Ron walked over to the ancient tree, frowning slightly.
He extended his right hand, pressing his palm against the rough surface of the trunk, and activated his "Extraordinary Recognition" ability.
His Spiritual Power, like invisible tendrils, penetrated into the trunk, sensing the life state and energy flow within.
The energy flow inside the ancient tree displayed an orderly spiral pattern, indicating the transformation process was stable and healthy.
The core consciousness of the tree spirit was in a dormant state, but its Life Energy was more vigorous than ever before.
He could clearly sense the ancient power within Ailan being gradually awakened, reshaping her entire existence bit by bit.
"Don’t worry, Dale."
Ron withdrew his hand, showing a rare gentle smile:
"Ailan is undergoing an important transformation. Based on my observations, her state is very stable; she should return to us in a brand-new form within two weeks at most."
"Really?"
Dale’s eyes lit up, and she tightly hugged Ron’s leg:
"I miss Ailan Mama’s juice and petal candy so much! Sister Lily’s is delicious too, but the taste is different."
This comment brought a flicker of embarrassment to Lilia’s face, but she quickly smiled, considering it the innocence of a child.
Besides, she knew that her talent in gardening and dealing with plants was far inferior to Ailan’s, especially when it came to those homemade floral sweets.
Ron gently stroked the Little Sea Siren’s silver hair, his gaze remaining on the ancient tree, his thoughts drifting back to half a month ago...
.........
It was another weary night, and he was conducting experiments on the energy isolation layer.
After a brief nap while leaning on the lab table, he planned to rest for a moment before continuing the next round of tests.
Yet the door of the laboratory was gently knocked, and when it opened, Ron saw Ailan standing outside.
The tree spirit’s vines swayed with a hesitant rhythm, and a hint of unease showed between the branches and leaves.
"Ailan? Is there something you need so late?"
He was somewhat surprised, as the tree spirit had always respected his work schedule and rarely disturbed him during experiments.
Ailan’s leaves danced lightly in the air, writing a line of words:
"Master, I have an important request."
Sensing the abnormal emotional fluctuation of the tree spirit, Ron stepped aside to let her into the laboratory.
Under the cold light of the Magic Crystal Lamp, Ailan, usually calm and serene like still water, exuded a near-anxious aura tonight.
Her vines trembled slightly, the edges of her leaves even appearing a bit yellow—symptoms of intense emotional fluctuation in a tree spirit.
"What’s happened?"
Ron closed the door, a touch of concern flashing in his eyes, with some guesses already forming in his mind.
Ailan’s thick vine trembled slightly, seemingly hesitant, but soon, a resolute line of text emerged on the leaf:
"I want to request a Bloodline Modulation from you, just like the one for Dale."
Ron wasn’t particularly surprised; he had long noticed the subtle changes in Ailan recently.
Since Lilia came to the workshop, many tasks originally handled by Ailan had gradually been transferred to this human girl.
Though Ailan never showed a hint of dissatisfaction, anyone attentive enough could notice her increasingly frequent solitary times and the occasional complex gaze directed at Lilia.
Even Lilia herself had sensed this behavior.
Typically, tree spirits were known for their calm and detached nature, rarely experiencing intense emotional fluctuation.
This was why many of them became Elder Tree-men and Sages, possessing a mindset that could be described as innate recorders.
Yet, looking at this once silent and non-contentious tree spirit, who could even be described as Zen-like.
Now tormented by negative emotions, she developed a strong desire for self-change.
He was somewhat surprised by the intensity of Ailan’s emotions hidden within; her current behavior truly resembled that of a human.