The moment Kroya sensed its consciousness and yearning, he waved to the Phantom-Feather Cloud Snake and Mir, dismissing them.
"Go get some rest. Perhaps before long, you'll be able to see your friends and companions again."
He needed to focus on dealing with this now, and his consciousness would have to enter the bottle. That required an absolutely safe and quiet environment.
Naturally, that meant asking the two of them to leave.
Both could tell that Kroya still had work to do, so they tactfully said their goodbyes and left.
Although it was already late at night, an apprentice was waiting when they stepped out of the laboratory and led them to their quarters.
Kroya was willing to offer plenty of conveniences to someone who had done him such a great favor.
Talented people deserved special treatment, no matter the circumstances.
Once they had left, Kroya looked at the leaf on the divine tree and extended his consciousness into that sea.
Perhaps it was because the tree had absorbed so much mana this time, but one of its main branches had lit up, illuminating a vast stretch of the surrounding sea.
However, since Kroya had only put this power through a simple conversion, the light it emitted was a remarkably clear blue-violet rather than red or orange.
The three different colors of light were surprisingly harmonious, together bathing the roughly hundred-mile expanse of sea centered on the divine tree.
"It really has gotten a lot bigger. Wait... this feeling."
As he looked at the divine tree, Kroya felt as though he could control it.
"Could it be..."
He tentatively beckoned.
Whoosh-
The leaf, which had already been swaying on the tricolored branch, fell straight off. Its enormous, crescent-moon-like form slowly shrank to the size of his palm.
Finally, it landed