Chapter 230 Tree Restoration

Joseph and Stella returned to the tree, at the exact moment that Stella's blood hit the tree and right when EMIT grabbed Joseph. The tree was quickly covered in dark red veins, from the roots all the way to the sky. A great thud shook the ground, and then another. Mana was pouring from the red veins as they swelled and pulsed. All of the corrupted mana around them was pushed back. The pulsing lasted only a few moments, before the black nasty bark covering the tree began to shimmer and disappear. Soon, a beautiful white trunk shone for all to see.

A bright flash erupted from the tree trunk, shooting out past them. Green grass immediately began to sprout on the dead brown ground, following the wave of cleansing. The corrupted stood up strait, confused and dazed, no longer looking mangled and twisted as the corruption within them was driven out and destroyed. Understanding was still gone, as it had been too long since they were first corrupted.

<Champion. I always believed you would return and rescue me from the children who betrayed me.>

A massive root rose up.

<Here, my champion. I have protected those whom I could among my children until this day, hidden from even the gods who helped to corrupt me.>

A dozen ancient fey slowly emerged from a large crack in the root. They looked weak and sluggish as they warily looked around.

<TIBBLES was able to help me protect these few. I restore your title as champion, and grant you my blessings.>

A pulse of rich green light emerged from the world tree and traveled in every direction, as far as the eye could see.

The millions of people were suddenly restored. They muttered in dozens of languages, "Finally", "At last", "Let me die", before finally fading away into dust. The corruption was gone, no longer forcing them to live a corrupted form of life, and thus they were able to die.

Wherever the dust fell, flowers began to bloom on the lush green grass.

Stella glowed in a deep emerald light, and underneath her, flowers and grasses began to bloom. She wasn't paying attention, however, because she had her hand over her mouth as her eyes teared up. One of the ancient fey, that stumbled out of the tree, looked up and saw her.

"Sister?"

XxxxX

Joseph reclined on the beach, sipping his drink out of a coconut shell. The wind was blowing just enough, to keep him cool and comfortable in the shade of the palm trees. Down at the water's edge, Stella and her sister were splashing and playing in the waves. He had never seen her like this, and the most amazing part, was that she didn't even mind wearing the bikini he had provided, that showed off all of her tattoos.

No one else was around for miles, to see his woman, and Joseph was pleased with that.

Stella's sister was expecting, a gift from the world tree, and she had agreed to come, when Stella asked her to. Not even during their time in the bubble had Stella been so carefree and happy. She smiled and laughed, splashing her sister with tiny droplets, before running away through the tall waves as her sister tried to splash her back.

They would take her sister back after sunset, to the world tree, where the ancient fey had set up a small town of their own, to be close to the world tree until things calmed down. Then, Joseph planned to take Stella off for their honeymoon, up in the northern tundra, where they had planted her orchard. He was looking forward to it. There had been so much to do after restoring the world tree, that it was nice to just lean back and relax for a couple of days.

Everyone was excited and busy after he had moved the entire kingdom south to the vast plains of the wastelands. Each beast-kin was given their own area to expand into, which helped with some of the overcrowding issues immensely. Each member on the council had their own area to oversee, and for the ones that had too large of an area to handle by themselves, they were allowed to appoint someone over smaller areas to report to them.

To keep corruption from occurring, Joseph had set up a system, where he would deal with council issues three days out of the week, and the rest of the time was spent between visiting each area to check in, and visiting with his various trade partners. Teleport gates were set up all over the kingdom to make travel easier, and he had permanent gates set up to each of his allies' kingdoms, to make trade easier.

Once his honeymoon was over, Joseph planned to visit the world tree on the dwarven home realm, because he heard the flower bud that had formed was close to blooming. He couldn't wait to see PLANT's baby with the world tree. The world tree here, had assured him, he didn't want to miss out.

He had wanted to fuse the two realms, to make travel back and forth easier, but the world tree had told him it would cause difficulties between the two of them, so he held off.

"Joseph, are you going to lay there all day? Come play with us!" called Stella, laughing as her sister splashed her and ran off.

"And get all wet?" he cried back, looking horrified. "No, thanks! I'll just stay here, where it's all safe and dry. Besides, it looks like there are sharks in that water."

"They don't bite too hard! And besides, shark meat is delicious when you cook it!" she called back, popping another shark into her bag as it splashed in the shallows. It could easily have eaten her in two bites, it was so large.

"I hope you don't intend for me to cook all of that," he laughed at her.

"Of course, I do! That way I can have some whenever I want."

Shaking his head, Joseph stood up. "I guess I better get cooking then!"