What’s the scent of the fruit like?
It’s extraordinary.
Could this be the fragrance of ambrosia and nectar, the food of the gods?
It makes my mouth water involuntarily. Even though I’m primarily a carnivore, to think it could emit such a tempting aroma.
Fortunately, I kept it in my subspace storage.
Now that I think about it, when I met the monkeys, there was also a sense that something smelled good.
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[Unripe Root Fruit of the World Tree]
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As it’s described as ‘unripe’, it probably won’t have the full effects of a fully ripe fruit.
Naturally, the fragrance would be less intense too. Even so, it’s truly magical.
I must, I must eat it now.
「Due to the trait ‘Indomitable’, you are immune to mental attacks.」
It was as if I’d been doused with cold water, my mind suddenly clear.
Mental attack? It seems certain that this fruit’s fragrance has the power to attract monsters.
“As expected of the World Tree.”
Pelerian exclaimed in admiration.
“To think I’d be able to directly observe the festival before my very eyes.”
‘Isn’t the World Tree supposed to be some kind of sacred tree?’
I asked, bewildered.
‘It seems a bit odd for a sacred tree to attract monsters with mental attacks like this.’
“What’s sacred is sacred, but that doesn’t mean sacred things are good. Evil gods are still gods, aren’t they? If everything sacred were good, there would be no evil in the world.”
Pelerian posed a theological question.
Actually, that’s not my concern, but it suddenly made sense that the World Tree doesn’t need to be good.
‘Well, fairies are said to be born from the World Tree too.’
“What.”
The fruit was right there in front of me.
There was no reason to hesitate any longer.
Crunch.
I bit into it and swallowed it whole.
Ah, it’s not just the aroma that’s good.
How can this be called an unripe fruit?
The appropriately elastic flesh crunched like an apple.
And then a sweet and tangy juice spread throughout my mouth.
It’s truly a heavenly fruit.
「Your body stiffens.」
Didn’t they say you ‘stop’ when you eat the fruit?
It really was true. My body wouldn’t move.
I should eat it in a safe place next time.
The effects of the fruit gradually became apparent.
「The unripe root fruit of the World Tree burns away the impurities in your body.」
It feels like my insides are boiling.
It’s like the feeling of secretly taking a swig of the cheap whiskey from father’s cabinet.
I felt a burning heat, and then.
“Urgh.”
Something pitch black came out through my mouth.
“You filthy thing.”
Surprisingly, my insides felt refreshingly clear.
「Inefficient body structures are being improved.」
The real effects of the World Tree’s root fruit came after that.
Inefficient structure.
No living being can evolve to be perfectly efficient.
Even though the average human lifespan exceeds 70 years, the natural lifespan of teeth is only 40 years.
The airway and esophagus are unnecessarily connected, causing people to choke to death even while eating rice cakes.
I, the ‘Crystal Double Horn Python’, also have inefficient body structures.
Despite being able to use poison scales, the venom glands are only inside the head.
This limits the amount of venom that can be secreted.
What about the teeth? Unlike other snakes, even though I can bite and tear, inevitably some teeth break.
When teeth break, I have to wait until the next evolution for them to be restored.
「Now broken teeth fall out and grow back.」
And that ‘inefficiency’ has been improved.
My gums are tingling.
In the case of sharks, whenever a tooth breaks, a new one grows from underneath.
That’s how it’s become for me too.
「As the fruit was unripe, the effect is diminished.」
If this is the diminished effect, I was amazed.
When I explained what I had just experienced to Pelerian, he was also amazed.
“It’s a discovery, a great discovery! So that’s why monsters that survive the festival become so strong.”
‘Indeed!’
“The improvement of inefficient body structures. The grace of the World Tree is truly remarkable.”
The World Tree seems somewhat dubious, but it’s undeniably amazing.
Right now, it’s just teeth growing back, but what if I ate a truly ripe fruit instead of an unripe one?
And what if the efficient improvements were really powerful?
For example, if small venom glands were to grow on each and every scale…
Then I wouldn’t be able to hug or make friends. That’s a problem.
“However, it’s certainly different from what I knew. Perhaps the effects of the World Tree’s fruit aren’t limited to this. Or maybe each fruit has different effects.”
If that’s the case, there could be fun in collecting fruits.
I looked at the remaining fruit.
There’s the option of simply swallowing it.
But it seems there might be another use for it.
‘We could use this to train monsters, couldn’t we?’
“Given how tempting the fragrance is… it might even be addictive.”
It’s a fruit with the ability of ‘Charm’, no less.
With just a few more of these fruits, I might be able to completely subjugate the monsters in the indoor zoo.
But I also feel reluctant to share it.
‘At times like this, there’s always a plan.’
“A plan? What plan?”
「Using Slash lv2.」
I cut the fruit in half with my tail.
Eat one half, and use the remaining half to train the monsters.
A truly snake-like cunning move.
“That was just nonsense.”
I quickly gulped down the half of the fruit.
==
Training monsters with half an unripe fruit.
To describe the result in one word.
It was a ‘great success’.
Pelerian’s explanation of the three elements of taming were ‘affection, respect, and fear’.
But I succeeded in supplementing that outdated theory.
It should be four elements, not three. Adding ‘desire’.
“Huff, huff, huff, huff, huff.”
A monster stuck out its tongue, panting roughly, and showed its submission by exposing its belly to me.
That loyal creature wasn’t Spot.
Spot had already eaten one-third of the half fruit, which is one-sixth of a whole fruit, and was gallantly carrying me.
Spot always had his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth, drooling.
But it seems the one-sixth of the fruit slightly increased his intelligence.
Even now his tongue is out, but his eyes have become sharper.
No, maybe he’s just putting on airs because his rank has risen.
“Whine, whine.”
The one exposing its belly in front of me is the ‘Smoke White Fox lv19’.
I quite like its white fur color.
It had been acting so haughty that it was about to become my meal, but now it’s completely changed its attitude.