Chapter 192 A Profitable Deal
We cannot meet the conditions you have proposed.
The old Ohmu initially refused the deal outright.
While eagerly anticipating the continuation of the fascinating story from the Erdtree, the Swarm wouldn't put itself in danger because of a single tale.
Mu En wasn't annoyed; he had already devised a plan before even speaking. The Ohmu wasn't just about brute strength.
"Then let's change the terms."
"You molt your shells every few years; the useless old shells just decompose naturally in the depths of the Sea of Corruption. I need these shells."
"I will not intentionally harm any of the Ohmu. I only require you to molt your shells in the designated area Sea of Corruption, that's all."
"In exchange, I can tell you a brand new story every month, just as exciting as the one I just heard."
The swarm of Ohmu began to discuss amongst themselves, and the Sea of Spirituality was plunged into an unprecedentedly heated debate.
[A fixed molting location is unsafe.]
[But he's right, molting is useless to us.]
Have you forgotten those guys from three hundred years ago?!
I want to hear exciting stories!
The Ohmu holds absolute authority in the Sea of Corruption, but greedy humans always covet their shells, resulting in countless attacks after molting.
But for most of the population living deep in the Sea of Corruption or younger members, they don't care about those useless molts and humans; they just want to know what happens next in the story.
Upon hearing this, Mu En added, "Of course, I have no intention of making enemies of the insect swarm. My people will be responsible for protecting the forest you have chosen from any external threats, and this Ohmu is proof of our friendship."
"I'm preparing to return it to the Sea of Corruption; you should be able to see it."
At the same time, in the real world.
The flying pot was descending along the ridge, soon arriving at the wasteland between the edge of the Sea of Corruption and the towering peaks, hovering two meters above the ground.
Nausicaä flipped and leaped, landing lightly beside the Ohmu and untying the ropes.
The Ohmu shook its head, the pale gold in its compound eyes shimmering in the morning light.
Not far away, countless eerie blue lights shone among the giant fungal trees on the edge of the Sea of Corruption —the compound eyes of the Ohmu.
Hundreds of Ohmu lay quietly dormant on the gentle slope covered by insect food trees, summoned by the calls made by the injured Ohmu.
If Nausicaä hadn't intervened in time to save the Ohmu, these behemoths would probably have already stormed into City of Pejite and utterly crushed the entire city into dust.
Nausicaä's figure was instantly reflected in the entire mental network through the vision of the Ohmu and all the Ohmu present.
The boiling sea of the spirit suddenly quieted down.
[It's her----] Ohmu's mental state fluctuated for the first time.
[It's that girl.]
[Friends of Insects.]
[Children of the Forest]
Wearing a disinfectant mask, Nausicaä's expression was obscured, but the emotional fluctuations emanating from her heart told Mu En that the girl was filled with emotion and joy.
They still remember her.
( Nausicaä rescued Ohmu larva when she was young)
The two, one human and one insect, stopped at the edge of the forest. Nausicaä gently nudged the Ohmu's ventral exoskeleton.
"Go home."
Its short tentacles extended and gently swept across her palm before it nimbly darted towards the ethereal blue light.
The Ohmu also extend their antennae from beside their mouthparts, the antennae sweeping across like golden waves of wheat, both to welcome the lost child home and to examine its body.
The Ohmu were astonished to discover that this child, born from a human laboratory, was stronger and more lively than most Ohmu of the same age, showing no signs of having been tortured.
"This child was a bit weak before, so I shared some of my power with it. I hope you don't mind," Mu En explained briefly.
The Ohmu ' thoughts intertwined, gradually shifting from initial wariness to acceptance.
[You saved our kin, and you're also that girl's friend; therefore, you will also be a friend of the Swarm.]
The old Ohmu rarely spoke such a long sentence, and the other Ohmu echoed his words.
We accept your terms.
[All Ohmu that molt in this area will leave their old shells at the location you specify.]
[Furthermore, we will keep other insects away from that area so they won't disturb your harvesting.]
They can distinguish between enemies and friends; the swarm is not stingy with its friends.
But the Ohmu then launched into a series of demands:
In exchange, you must finish telling the story you just told.
[Then immediately proceed to the second one.]
[This day every month is story time.]
Mu En chuckled; these big guys were really adorably naive.
Don't think this is a hoax. For the Ohmu, the shed old shell is useless, and driving away ordinary insects around the collection point is just a casual command.
In exchange for these things, they received a fascinating story unlike anything seen in a thousand years—a benefit that seemed to have fallen from the sky.
Conversely, Mu En's story is also "worthless," and there are so many that they could be told for a thousand years without finishing.
The movies, novels, and games they had seen in their past lives were all spiritual feasts that the Ohmu had never experienced before, and the Ohmu's molting was an irreplaceable treasure.
In this deal, each party feels they've gotten a great deal; it's a win-win situation.
"No problem." Mu En was in a great mood. "I can continue now. Do you want to listen?"
[want!]
The mental network erupted with a unified response; the younger Ohmu couldn't wait, while the older Ohmu quietly raised their mental tentacles.
The enthusiasm was so intense that even Ohmu turned his head slightly away; he always felt that the young insects were too impatient.
"Let's continue from where we left off. Dola agreed to Pazu's request, but on the condition that he become a member of the air pirate crew."
By the time the two stories were finished, the sun had already passed noon and was shining obliquely on the fungal canopy of the trees at the edge of the Sea of Corruption.
The Ohmu, located at the edge of the forest, remained motionless, still immersed in the scene they had just witnessed.
But they quickly sprang into action. While the other Ohmu could stand idly by, these behemoths had the task of escorting their young. They began to slowly retreat into the depths of the forest.
The returned Ohmu perched on the back of one of its kind, its antennae raised high, gently swaying towards Nausicaä.
See you next time.
Nausicaä raised her hand.
See you next time.
The swarm of Ohmu disappeared into the giant fungal trees, and the edge of the forest returned to silence, with only the spores stirred up by the Ohmu slowly drifting down.
Nausicaä remained standing, watching the Ohmu depart.
After a long silence, the girl spoke softly, "By the way, Mr. Tree, are the stories you told true?"
She had never seen a world like this before, neither the ruins floating in the sea of clouds and blending into the trees in the first story, nor the mountains and forests guarded by the White Wolf God in the second story.
"Perhaps only unpolluted places could nurture such wondrous creatures." "Of course it's true; my roots can extend to other worlds."
Mu En a little white lie: he could indeed travel to other worlds, but so far he had only confirmed that he would go to Castle in the Sky.
"That's wonderful—I really want to see that kind of world too."
Nausicaä stood at the edge of the forest, at the crossroads of two worlds; at that moment, she was just a sixteen-year-old girl yearning for distant landscapes.
Yes, there will be opportunities.
",