Giant Tree Island

After nearly two months at sea, the people aboard spotted signs of the One-Eyed Giant Bird, and it was as if they had seen the light at the end of the tunnel.

If finding the direction of an island was the most crucial problem,

then that biggest problem had now been solved. All the effort and waiting from then on would amount to nothing more than waiting for an answer that was bound to come.

They knew clearly that the moment when the answer would be revealed was fast approaching.

It was around dawn.

Their companions nudged the drowsy people awake, and they opened their eyes in a daze.

Whatever they saw made their sleepiness vanish without a trace.

One after another, they came out onto the deck.

Some breathed rapidly, while others gaped and dropped to their knees, as if silently praying.

Still others kept slapping themselves in a daze, as if trying to make sure they weren't still dreaming.

At last,

as the dark shape drew closer and closer,

everyone aboard stopped what they were doing, held their breath, and stared at the scene before them in stunned silence.

Even from far away, looking across the sea,

the coastline was already nearly three times the length of the island they called home.

But the island's enormous size wasn't the only thing that left them in awe.

The island was covered in towering trees.

It was a Giant Tree Island.

As far as the eye could see,

towering trees rose densely from the ground.

Endless dark green covered the entire island.

Although the trees didn't seem as tall as the redwoods bestowed by the gods,

their average height still exceeded twenty meters, with some reaching nearly thirty.

As that vast sea of deep green drew closer,

the first light of dawn soon began to spread across the treetops, one patch at a time.

The breath of vibrant life washed over them.

Several blue-green One-Eyed Giant Birds circled high above the sea of green. They descended into the sunlit treetops and vanished from sight.

Ned stood motionless by the ship's rail.

"Father, can you see? I haven't failed to live up to the gods' grace."

"This is only the first island, the beginning—the first island conquered in our mastery of the sea."

"From now on, the god's brave followers will discover more and more islands."

Ned gripped the Rot Spirit Staff tightly. The indescribable joy in his heart gradually gave way to something more resolute and determined.

He would make sure the god's glory shone over every corner of this sea.

Soon, Ned let out a deep breath, doing his best to pull himself out of his emotions. Then, in a steady voice, he addressed the others.

"Take your bows and arrows. Come ashore with me."

Only after the God-Chosen gave the order did the others come to their senses and begin to move.

There were no mooring posts on the shore, so the ship had to stop some distance from the island.

But that was no problem. Everyone who had made it aboard was a strong swimmer from their tribe.

At Ned's command, a few tribespeople stayed behind on the ship for the time being. The rest followed him and the Shell Insect, leaping overboard and swimming to the island.

Ned didn't release more Rot Spirit Insects to scout ahead.

The Rot Spirit Insects he had sent near the island earlier had already caught the attention of some insect-eating creatures along the shore.

The forest on this island seemed to be home to many kinds of birds, not just the One-Eyed Giant Bird.

Of the Rot Spirit Insects they had brought on this voyage, only a dozen or so had survived the past two months. If the birds ate them all, he wouldn't be able to use them to infect the other insects on the island.

After all, the Rot Spirit Flower wasn't with them. The only way to create more controllable Rot Spirit Insects was to have the insects on this island eat the Rot Spirit Insects themselves, allowing the mycelium inside them to parasitize their hosts.

Of course, this method wasn't guaranteed to work. A single Rot Spirit Insect contained only a limited amount of Rot Spirit Mycelium. To ensure the parasitism succeeded, it was best for an insect to eat several Rot Spirit Insects at once.

Thus, the Rot Spirit Insects that had once been everywhere on their home island had now become a precious resource.

Ned temporarily recalled his other insects and directed the Shell Insect to his side. Then he took several Black Stone Arrows from his back.

"Decay."

Ned spoke softly.

A strange change soon came over the sharp Black Stone Arrows.

The Black Stone arrowheads seemed to crack slightly, shedding some fragments, yet they also looked sharper.

At the same time, the palm of Ned's hand darkened slightly, as if it had been burned by fire.

Ever since the Rot Spirit Flower had grown once, Ned's abilities had improved as well.

This improvement wasn't limited to controlling insects and commanding the Rot Spirit Flower's servants.

It also showed in his more precise understanding and control of the Decay Power.

Now,

as long as he held the Rot Spirit Staff,

Ned could slowly channel the Decay Power through contact with his palm.

The Decay Power he channeled could cling for longer to sturdy objects capable of holding it, allowing them to wield the power of decay as well.

To be safe, Ned had slowly infused a substantial amount of Decay Power into the sturdy Black Stone in advance.

This Decay Power was formidable. On contact, it spread rapidly, and its effects lingered for two or three days.

That turned these Black Stone Arrows into powerful Decay Arrows.

If someone was hit by one of these Decay Arrows,

even a giant beast like the Hermit Crab would have its sturdy shell soften and shatter in an instant.

With the Shell Insect's great strength, Teacher Barlow, and a group of skilled archers who had already helped slay a giant beast once,

Ned was confident that even if there really was a monster as huge as the Hermit Crab on the island, they could fight it.

They were no longer the weak, timid people who had been helpless against giant beasts.

But

using this power also caused his hand to turn black very quickly.

That was the necessary price.

They had to proceed with caution.

If they waited until a giant beast attacked before slowly channeling the Decay Power, many of their people might die.

Even Ned himself hadn't noticed

that, without realizing it, he had become more and more like his father. He no longer acted so recklessly on a whim. Instead, he gave more thought to the people in the tribe.

Although Ned was still deep in thought, the other tribespeople could no longer hold back. One after another, they jumped off the ship.

In their eyes, this enormous island was a wondrous new world, filled with endless treasures that thrilled them.

They swam to the bright, soft sand on the shore. Looking at the island's magnificent forests, they burst into a thunderous cheer.