Madman’s Retirement

After a few more attempts at circulating the qi through their circulatory system and Natalie was now able to sense qi, and once he was satisfied with their level, he decided it was time.

“And thus, you will be known as Honey Ursa!” said Grant and the bear nodded furiously, obviously delighted that his name had honey in it. Grant felt the qi and mana leave his body and watched as Honey Ursa grew larger and stronger. Before Honey Ursa had been the size of an average man, and had indeed been big, but he had grown a little more, and was now Grant’s size. Cultivators were often taller than your average man and at times like this, the statement rang true more than ever.

“You’ve gotten so huge Honey Ursa! Hug!” Natalie spread her hands and hugged the bigger bear. The bear happily agreed, carefully using the clean spell it learned from its new master and returning the hug.

Dain on the other hand, chose to ask “why Honey Ursa? Doesn’t that just mean honey bear? “

Dain received a nod “It does indeed mean honey bear. I considered calling it ursa honey but that was just bear honey, which sounded weirder when turned back to the original word. Honey Kuma was considered, but I decided it’d be best if we stuck to using words from this general area, rather than pulling on Japanese.”

“What’s “Japanese?” Asked Natalie who was done hugging the bear, who had gone back to start stirring whatever was in the pot, Dain and Natalie certainly didn’t know.

“An eastern language.” Grant waved his hand dismissively. “Instead of cultivators you’ll find a mix of Shinto users, mythical beings and some mana users. No point in trying to reach it as it’s a group of islands near the land of the cultivators. Too dangerous.”

Dain started scribbling and Natalie nodded. At some point they found Dain made better notes and the two just read the notes together. Grant missed phones on days like these, so he could record cute pictures. Maybe he’ll make one someday.

“Alright, alright” called Grant as he clapped catching their attention.

Seeing as he had the student’s attention he started. “As you know, I’ve promised to teach you the divine realm technique. I’ve told you all about how the technique allows you to start creating your divine realm earlier than others and that in your domain, you’re king. Now, it’s time to start showing and stop telling. So,” as Grant faltered, he began opening his domain realm, through which a burst of qi and mana flowed through into the real world, and a patch of mushrooms began growing as well.

To them, it looked like a tear in space, through which a whole other environment existed. They stepped through reluctantly once Grant walked through. Once there, they looked around, seeing huge mushroom trees and mushroom wolves prowling around. They both had the same thought.

“Just like a dungeon.”

Grant chuckled hearing that. “Just like a dungeon you say? Well, you’re both right and wrong in that regard.”

“First off, it only looks like this because I decided so. It only has life because I decided so. A divine realm is derived from your greatest desire, or your greatest inspiration. Some have made volcanic regions, others make grand palaces, others make torture areas, and I make…” Grant swung his arms dramatically.

Dain and Natalie looked around. Mushroom forests everywhere.

“Mushroom forests?” asked Dain cautiously.

Grant gave him a funny look for a moment, before realization came about. “Look up”

And they did.

And they froze in awe.

One often hears stories from elves about the tree that forms the core of their kingdom, a tree so large that it towers over all trees, a tree which makes mountains blush. A blessing from the goddess of elves. To HEAR that, and to SEE that, are two different things.

A tree lurched over them, so massive they could barely see it. And yet, there it was. A tree so large, that perhaps even a continent couldn’t compare. Each leaf seemed to be the size of a small city, each one different in appearance, and each a world in of themselves. The sky itself was not the sky, but a roof of colors, an aurora without a sky to reflect against. Leaves as far as the eye could see. And now they understood. How great a divine realm could be.

“I create life!” Grant declared.

Once they had calmed down, Grant proceeded to explain. “A divine realm is often derived from your desires, hopes, hates, vengeance, etc. Whatever is strong enough to create the first part of your divine realm. I, saw a tree larger than the little sapling the elves use for their kingdom.” Dain looked incredulous, as did Natalie, but looking at the tree behind them, they could believe it. “You sure it wasn’t perspective?” asked Dain, just in case.

Grant shook his head. “The tree I’m talking about, happens to be a god, and also the progenitor of the tree the elves use. Yggdrasil.” Dain furrowed his eyebrow as he thought. “Then why hasn’t anyone else seen this tree? Especially if it’s a god tree. If its so large, others must have seen it.”

Grant responded. “That’s something you only know if you know the legend. Yggdrasil is the tree that holds up 9 different realms. The reason people don’t see it is because one isn’t supposed to see it. It holds up our realm, and thus usually isn’t able to be seen. It exists in the spiritual, not the physical.”

Grant reminisced a little, as he thought of the past. “When I was young, I was different from my brothers. The other two sought glory, victory and eventually death by combat. I wasn’t like them. At a young age, I sought to learn from a mage who lived nearby. And I learned. But there was something missing. I lacked a goal as firm as the others. I was interested in magic, not devoted to it. And that’s when it happened.

One day, I met a one-eyed man. He called himself a sage, but I would come to know him by a different name. Odin. He asked me to help him, and promised me a sight that I may never see again. So, I helped that man. Even as he created a noose by which he would hang himself.”

Dain and Natalie gave him a slightly horrified yet confused look. Grant shrugged.

“If the man wished to die so disappointingly, who was I to stop him? We all have the right to choose our own death.

After he died, I was preparing to leave unsatisfied but having seen something new nonetheless, when it happened. A tear in space in time opened, through which the man’s spirit walked through. Curious, I took a look. And that’s when I saw it.

A tree so huge, I could not fathom it. The branches were holding something out of sight, and yet I could not help but bow out of pure reverence. Then I saw them. Ratatoskr, Nidhoggr, Hraesvelgr, and I realized what I was looking at. The world tree, that which holds all of reality. Of course,” he added dryly “I came to learn that wasn’t quite as I thought, but nonetheless, my world view had been shaken. I had seen that which I had never thought I could see, and desired to create something of the same scale. To copy the beauty of such a thing. To create life to populate my own realm how Yggdrasil had life on its own.” This whole time he had been rather dramatic, and he was happy to see some awe on the faces of both of them. “Those leaves up there” he pointed up “are supposed to be biomes. They will act as reflections of each environment I make.” Realizations dawned on their faces as they realized the purposes for each of the leaves looking so different from one another.

“One of the greatest things about the divine Earth technique” called Grant in his teacher voice, shaking the 2 out of a daze as Natalie listened and Dain scribbled notes, “is that you won’t need to comprehend the laws to create your divine realm. Of course, laws can still sharpen your realm, as understanding how it works allows you to make improvements on what you make, but the sheer fact that unlike true cultivators you won’t need laws immediately is already a head above them. You merely need to focus on a conviction or desire you have, or a goal.

Since my first major inspiration was Yggdrasil, my divine realm began with this huge tree. What you choose to make the center of your realm, and your desires will affect how the whole realm so make sure you choose carefully.” He said that last part with a serious emphasis, causing a serious reaction from them. This was more than enough for them to understand the severity, especially as they were standing in his divine realm.

“Good. I knew too many people who designed their divine realm in the name of vengeance and lived to regret that afterwards. Never a good look when your divine realm is a torture chamber.” Grant clapped and then pointed at huge jars that seemed to be quite the distance away. “I think it’s time for a break. How about we look at my treasures? It’s not a bad idea to get a firm grasp on cultivators have.