Reincarnated as a random race, of course I got goblin.

Chapter 126 - Ashmarrow Sapling

"Void Sealing Light..." Delpha mutters as her eyes seem to focus on something far away. Tears begin welling up as she looks back at me. "Are we truly at the beginning of the end?" 

"We might be. But that doesn't mean we should just give up and wait for our deaths." Yggdrasil staunchly asserts, her voice echoing around the cave since she's focusing all her power on creating a new sapling. 

I look up from where I sit, having absentmindedly drawn in the packed dirt floor as I wait for Thorncutter to finish 'marinating' in Yggdrasils sap. She chose her new nickname herself, and I suppose it perfectly embodies her. 

I did wish to have Valena name her as well, but Thorncutter refused. "I will be bound by no-one anymore! Except for you, Master~" She'd said with a wink. 

So here we sit, waiting for the microwave to ding, so to speak. Although we're not idling. Shadow and I are brainstorming on the optimal design of the Labyrinth of the Gods.

"We're discussing the best aesthetics to incorporate in each area, since each piece of the Labyrinth will be of a different element."

... As she said. How Dungeons work is that they are assigned a 'theme' upon creation, which is decided largely by what event created the Heart, and secondly the environment around the location the Heart was created in. This theme guides the Dungeon in how its expanded areas will look and which monsters will inhabit it. 

To take the Rimefrosted Mine as an example, it was themed to Cold due to the monster that caused it to appear was the Cold aligned Morke, and it was secondarily themed to be a mine since that was where the Morke made its lair.

Due to this, monsters with an affinity to Cold would appear, as well as monsters that typically are found in tunnels and caves. 

So going off of this knowledge, we're hoping to influence how the Labyrinth looks for, well...

"Maximum cool."

Yes. Something like that. If we're going to make something as permanent as the Labyrinth, it needs to look cool. And also making each area of the Labyrinth distinct will drastically help navigation. 

From what I'm able to discern from the internal logic of the Labyrinth, it's going to need periodic culling in order to work properly. There's even a function to upgrade gear left there for a time. A sort of honeypot, but it's the improved upon belongings of adventurers who died in the Labyrinth. 

Our thoughts are interrupted by Thorncutter as she wraps her wet body around mine. Seems she's done marinating. "Sharing is caring~" Her eyes glint with mischief as I untangle her from me. 

"Yes thank you for the sap. Now we both need a bath." I grumble as I wrangle the living weapon wriggling in my grasp. Her struggle intensifies as she realises what I mean. 

"No, please not the river! It's cold!" Thorncutters telepathic cries for mercy are only heard by me.

[Millibelle, it is done.]

I look up from the rune-circle I've etched in the bedrock. Digging the central chamber, where the restoring effect takes place, is complete. All that's left is to finish the energy in-takes and outlets, and I can start building the relay system.

Of course, I'll have to take a break from this in order to build the Divine Spring in Wanderer's End. 

Teleporting me And Thorncutter back to the cave, Yggdrasil appears before me cradling a... Well, it looks more like a pulsating fleshy lump with a bony twig sticking out of it than anything resembling a tree sapling. 

I warily accept the sapling, grimacing internally at the sensation of rubbery flesh pulsing against my arms. "I'll hurry to Wanderer's End, then." I bow to Yggdrasil before leaving the cave. I dislike the business-like tone we've taken with each other, but the stress of the situation is evident in both of us.

Indeed, from what I've heard and seen, the entire known World is in an uproar over the appearance of the Void Sealing Light. Even the nations of the far north are preparing. 

The landscape blurs beneath me, the diverse patchwork of biomes in my Domain giving way to a large stretch of increasingly sparse grassland before finally yielding to the Yo'ud desert. An uniform expanse of undulating waves of sand.

I tune out the sights below me, only refocusing once I reach my destination. 

"Ah? We're only at the edge of the Wanderers End. We're planting the sapling here?"

Seems so. This is the optimal spot for them according to World Knowledge. 

Placing the sapling into a hole I've dug, I feel some of the Faith I'm storing in my body be drained as the sapling grows rapidly into a young tree.

*Ashmarrow Tree
A legendary tree born of the Demigod of Plant to stand watch over one of her fellow Demigods. The combined power of Plant and Heat courses through it. As it grows, the outer layer of its bark sheds away like ash. This powdery substance can, when prepared properly, strengthen resistance to Heat damage. The fleshy fruit of the Ashmarrow grants complete immunity to Heat damage and Statuses related to Heat, such as Overheating, for a time. However, the sap of the tree is incredibly poisonous when ingested, causing the consumer to lose control of their internal temperature and will before long pass due to an incurable fever.*

Well, that's certainly incredibly useful. 

"And certainly less ominous than the 'Fruit of First Sin' that Peach makes."

Yes... Quite a bit so. 

A light emits from the Ashmarrow as the tree manifests their Avatar. I would say the light is bright, but... We're in the middle of a desert. Everything is blindingly bright.

A young boy appears floating in the air. His face is hidden by a skull-shaped mask, and he's wearing a garb that fits loosely around his body. The few parts of his body that aren't covered in cloth reveal a chitinous appearance. 

The child bows before me, before wordlessly waving his hand.

*Status Applied: Steady Mind (True) - Grants complete immunity to mind-altering statuses for its duration.*

"Thank you. This will make things easier." I smile, grateful that I won't have to endure the dizzying effects of the Wanderer's End. 

The young boy waves goodbye. Seems he's a child of few words. I wave back before heading towards the centre of Wanderer's End. I have to rebuild the Divine Spring before returning home. 

Once there, I notice something's different. The curtain of roots has diminished somewhat, and those that remain have a dull colour to them. I also notice the absence of the Ittan-Momen I created to act as a proxy.

The Dream Mote is still here, and I've received no notification of their death... 

*Searching...*

*Target found. It is currently engaged in combat in a lower level of the tunnels.*

I sigh and grit my teeth. Why is this happening? Whatever. They can have their fun. 

Turning to the Dream Mote, I override the Ittan-Momen's settings with my own, flushing the area with more ambient Magic. Then I get to work with rebuilding the Divine Spring.