Chapter 560: Chapter 559: The Value of a Smile

The home was completely silent. Everyone’s attention remained fixed upon the tree.

The countless branches stretching throughout the chamber seemed almost ethereal beneath the soft glow radiating from Pandora’s body.

It could be seen that even monsters appreciated beauty.

However, none of them was aware that it was something different about Pandora’s presence that affected them.

And it was something that Gwen was especially aware of.

The elf monster, or perhaps better described now as a Druidic monster, stood there more stunned than everyone else.

Because what she was witnessing was even more groundbreaking than all of the mutations she had seen so far.

What she saw was a dryad aging years ahead of her time.

Growing in size wasn’t something that could be compared to a monster becoming larger.

The two weren’t remotely the same.

For a monster, to grow in size was directly tied to their physical capabilities and was normally a sign of aging.

For a dryad, growth itself was tied to their existence, strength, wisdom, and understanding.

Every dryad, regardless of where they were born, regardless of their strength, and regardless of the conditions they were raised under, came into existence carrying knowledge within them.

That knowledge was limited, while the rest would gradually reveal itself as they matured.

And that knowledge was rarely the same between individuals.

One dryad may come to understand how to cultivate forests. Another may learn how to nurture life. Others would inherit entirely different responsibilities.

Yet according to everything Gwen had ever been taught, none of that knowledge was inconsequential.

Every instinct, every revelation, all of it ultimately existed for the same purpose.

The Awakening of the World Seed. That belief was shared amongst dryads regardless of where they originated.

Which was exactly why Gwen found herself struggling to comprehend what she was witnessing.

Pandora had essentially skipped a portion of her life. And considering the size the dryad grew to, it was at least by a decade.

Gwen’s heart pounded from the realization.

Gwen found herself staring at Noah.

The ’Evil’ devil was just standing there. Instead of being shocked, he was just admiring Pandora’s growth.

A troubling thought suddenly entered her mind.

Was it intentional? Or had he simply stumbled upon the result without realizing what he had accomplished?

The more Gwen thought about it, the more questions appeared.

’No.’ She quickly shook her head.

Those questions weren’t the important part, not right now. The important question was far more unsettling.

How could a being like Noah exist at all?

The stories she grew up hearing resurfaced within her mind.

Stories of devils.

Stories of beings capable of twisting the natural order of the world itself.

Stories that humans feared enough to pass down for generations.

Was Noah truly one of those beings? The thought should have been absurd.

Yet standing within this territory made it increasingly difficult to dismiss.

Every day she spent here seemed to challenge another piece of common sense she once believed to be absolute.

And despite her loyalty to Pandora...

Despite the lingering fear and respect Noah inspired within her...

Gwen found herself wanting answers.

Not because she intended to betray them, but because she wanted to understand.

Gwen found herself wishing she could speak to a human to understand their faith and to learn the history of their religion.

Because if Noah truly was the devil humanity feared so deeply... Then, for the sake of the World Tree, she wanted to know why.

—

Noah, meanwhile, remained completely unaware of the accusations forming within Gwen’s mind.

He was too preoccupied with what he could see, or more accurately... What he couldn’t see.

There were very few things that Noah’s Nexus Eye failed to understand.

Even when observing creatures stronger than himself, the eye would usually reveal something.

Yet every so often, he would encounter something that even his "divine" eye failed to properly comprehend.

The Grimoire was one such example. The Seraphim had been another.

And now, Pandora has joined that list.

Noah used to hate it when he didn’t understand something, but now the unknown spurred his curiosity.

Unfortunately, there was only one other person who would possibly understand anything about dryads.

That person was currently standing several feet away while staring at him as though he had committed a crime against nature itself.

He was therefore left to wait for Pandora to stabilize. The waiting itself quickly became unbearable.

His curiosity only grew the longer he looked at the tree. Then finally, the fluctuations began to settle.

Before Noah could even begin asking the questions accumulating within his mind, Pandora’s illusory body formed directly in front of him.

Noah found himself pausing. Because the Pandora standing before him was different than what he had grown used to.

The inhuman appearance she had chosen as her form was now mixed with something noticeably closer to a person.

Noah stared until his brain caught up, then his thoughts immediately shifted toward the source of his built-up excitement.

"Is this the ability you gained?" In Noah’s mind, this couldn’t be the ability that his eye was unable to see through. There had to be something else.

Unfortunately, the question escaped him before he even realized he asked it.

The moment the words left his mouth, Noah knew he had made a mistake.

Pandora’s excitement diminished quickly; her humanish face became so downcast that it was visible to all.

Only then did Noah realize that the improvement to her form wasn’t merely visual.

Before, Pandora’s expressions were practically nonexistent.

Even if she felt emotions, she rarely had the means to convey them properly. Most of the time, Noah was forced to rely on their bond to understand what she was feeling.

Now, however, that small frown carried enough disappointment that Noah didn’t need it at all.

Pandora had been excited and wanted to share that excitement with him.

Regardless of whether this was all she gained or not, the ability to properly express herself should have been enough to celebrate.

And yet the first thing he did was treat it as though it wasn’t enough.

Noah’s earlier curiosity vanished almost instantly. In its place was a crushing guilt.

"...Pandora."

Noah called out to her, only to receive a reaction that was even worse than her hurt frown.

She looked away.

Noah didn’t say anything. Instead, he stood there for several moments before exhaling.

"I’m sorry. I got caught up in the moment and thought you had learned something besides... what you showed me."

Pandora’s eyes immediately shifted back toward him. There was a hint of surprise, and then understanding.

"I did." Her earlier sadness disappeared so quickly that Noah almost suspected she had learned how to fake emotions from Eve.

But the emotions through their bond couldn’t be faked. He had to consider that Pandora just might be more fickle than a human. Or if he wanted to be optimistic, she was more understanding and just a tad too trusting.

Noah found himself lost for words again. Moments like these were always tough for him. ’Do I ask about it now?’ Was his first thought, but he shook that thought away.

Even if Pandora turned out not to mind it, he would feel as if he was being inconsiderate.

He rubbed the back of his neck while he slowly formed what he wanted to say.

"Well... even if you did, that doesn’t excuse what I did. Honestly, I should be happier that you can express yourself like this. Being able to see your happiness is more important to me than whatever ability you gained."

Now it was Pandora’s turn to freeze.

Noah could feel the happiness exploding through their bond. It was almost infectious.

An innocent, blooming smile appeared on her face. And this time, Noah made sure to appreciate it properly.

For now, that was enough.

Whatever ability Pandora gained could wait. He was simply happy to see her expressing herself so openly.

Truthfully, Noah was already considering using the opportunity to finally discuss the origins of everyone’s names before Eve started another rebellion.

Unfortunately, Pandora appeared to have other plans.

Perhaps because she was in such a good mood. Or perhaps because she wanted to see his reaction.

Either way, she suddenly spoke before Noah could change the subject.

"I can make them grow."

Noah had to take a second to backtrack what they were talking about. Despite her growing, she was just as vague in her speech.

"Are you talking about the trees?"

Pandora nodded, but then she frowned before shaking her head.

"Everything... connected to me."

Noah’s expression became increasingly complicated. To grow could mean anything.

Pandora’s explanation somehow managed to become less informative the longer she continued.

Fortunately, the dryad seemed to realize this herself.

After a moment, she paused before trying again.

"Your blood... I can do it too. I help them all grow."

— 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

It took more time than Noah realized to fully understand what she meant.

Pandora could guide the growth of all plant life connected to her, helping them grow until they eventually evolve... or even mutate.

That alone was groundbreaking. Because when Noah included Gwen in the picture, the two could help completely change their territory.

He was already imagining exotic and legendary plants and fruits. But Pandora wasn’t finished. And what he learned next left him with a conflicting expression.

Because what Pandora was helping them evolve and mutate into were plant monsters.