The following Celtic Knot posed no issue, and Crow quickly discovered the trick. After another thirty minutes of confirming all his math, he followed the new trail. Arriving at what he felt was the last stone, he infused his mana into it but didn’t find a puzzle this time.

The ground rumbled, and wooden pillars rose from the ground. Each had a face carved upon it, but Crow wasn’t sure what they were trying to convey. The totems created a path forward, but he continued to memorize the content of the Ogham rune first. Inside were theories on formations that helped solve questions that had stumped him recently.

The book on Henge formations he got from the Clocktower was something he spent time slowly absorbing. His efforts weren’t at the top of his focus because he’d had a lot of other things to worry about recently, but he had continued to study it when he got a chance. The information in the rune overlapped some theories and explanations inside the Ogham runes providing him with greater insight. Multi-layer formations of any type were not something even someone with a Sage’s Mind could directly absorb.

After he mapped out the rune, he moved down the path toward the center of the flower pattern he’d walked. The further he went, the more he felt the aura of something ancient. While walking toward it, he noticed his energy levels increasing and aches disappearing. It was like the air was vibrating with vitality and anyone that inhaled it would feel their body’s condition improving.

Entering the clearing was like walking into a plaza paved with smooth stones. The shape of the plaza was a twelve-petal flower, and the pistil almost looked like a fountain with its low circular wall. In the center of the pistil was a small tree with a thick, oversized trunk. The top looked like roots more than branches, and Crow knew this was a tree from the ancient era. There was a chance it had gone extinct, so it had to be priceless.

Hanging from its branches were several fruits that hadn’t ripened, but he knew it was those fruits that provided him with vitality. Their essence filled the area, allowing anyone in the vicinity to benefit just by being close to it.

“Do you know what this is?” Crow asked Lily, but she frowned at him as if he was an idiot. Crow could only smile deprecatingly because he knew what she was trying to say. If he didn’t know what type of tree it was, did anyone else qualify to expound on its virtues?

Probably very few people had greater knowledge than him over the various variety of known trees. Song Lin might be an exception because she had an inherited legacy from her ancestors, which contained an inordinate amount of information related to all plants.

“That is your reward for solving the Ogham Flower Knot formation,” Mother Danu claimed, appearing beside him. “Don’t worry, I’m just an echo, not the real me. Once you take this gift, I’ll fade away.”

“What is this tree?”

“Some call it the Tree of Life, but there are many of those out there. It might be accurate to call it an Adansonia, but back then, people called it the Baobab tree because that was the name of those fruits.”

“What are the benefits of the fruit?”

“By themselves? Not much. It can cure minor wounds, soul damage, and low-level ailments. If I were you, I wouldn’t harvest them until they are ripe and you have someone that can convert them into pills or potions. Their real value is as alchemical ingredients.”

“And I can just take it?”

“Yes. You are one of my children, and this reward isn’t much. It’ll be more of an investment for you. A tree long thought extinct is now in your possession. I’m sure you can imagine how many people may pay for the things you can produce from it, including the unprocessed fruits.”

“Where did this come from?”

“One of the Vodun brought the seed back with them from the upper realms. They later sold the seed to the Draoidh, and a tragic princess planted it here. The Hex Vodun wanted the seed back and chased her down to this place. She killed them all but was fatally wounded. Rather than harbor hate and grievance in her heart, she embraced something greater than herself. While she bled out, she shoved the seed into the soil soaked in her blood—blood filled with her hopes and dreams of a beautiful forest utopia.”

“And her will gave it life?”

“That’s a good way to say it. Her will was like yours, strong and resolute. No matter how much happened to her, she never quit trying to realize an ideal. Tragic as her life was, her ideal still resonates with people of the upper realms to this day. I think they even have a holiday named after her.”

“Did her blood change the tree in any way?”

“That I’m not sure. I sealed it away, and before you entered the formation, time moved much slower inside. Technically, it’s still a sapling. It feels like it has more vitality than normal, but other than that, I didn’t notice anything off with it. It is definitely safe to consume.”

“But…?”

“Don’t assume it’s the same Baobab fruit from the ancient era. Its potency is likely better. Since you have a Soulscape, just put it there and don’t touch it for now. The vitality alone will help refine your world. After a time, even chewing the leaves will provide minor healing—better yet, steep it in tea. But let me be clear, the healing effects and benefits will diminish as you climb because it wasn’t all that valuable in the upper realms. Then again, as an ingredient, and with the potential changes, this information might not be valid. You’ll have to test it to see.”

“How do I collect it?”

“Take the whole thing. This entire plaza folds up and shrinks. Just find a suitable location with plenty of open land and a semi-arid environment. Your Soulscape is not bad, just don’t put it too close to the Fireheart Oaks, and it’ll be fine. They grow enormously and will look majestic on a hill.”

Mother Danu performed a few hand gestures, and the petal-shaped plazas folded up. Crow dodged out of it before he got caught inside. A large sphere floated in the air before spinning and shrinking to the size of a small, round fruit. It landed in Crow’s hand, and he carefully looked at the formation pattern.

“The moment that touches the ground, it’ll unfold, and the petals will reshape the area to level the ground. After that, you don’t need to do much except ensure it doesn’t dehydrate.”

“Thank you, Mother.”

“It is a small thing, but the healing properties will help you greatly for the lower fifty floors. Beyond that, I’m not sure. Every piece of that thing is a treasure, even the bark. Find an alchemist as soon as possible to produce various products which will help you ascend.”

After saying so much, Mother Danu’s echo disappeared, and the clearing was empty. However, the original formation was also gone, and he suddenly didn’t feel so safe hanging out in this forest. The tranquil feeling had disappeared, which meant he was no longer protected.

After hesitating, he turned into Silver-Eyed Crow and launched himself into the air. He took the risk because the canopy of the Twilight Forest blocked the view of most people on the ground. And… Crow really wanted to reach the eleventh floor and catch up with his wives.

Under the moonlight, he glided above the canopy and below the stars. Lily rode on him and enjoyed the view. Two days later, he approached the ascension wall and landed. He didn’t want to appear directly at the stairs in his bird form, so it took another few hours on foot to reach the ascension point. There were a handful of people cultivating around the stairs, but his Source had long surpassed the necessary level to ascend. He practically sprinted up the stairs and entered his first zero-floor test called the Soul Trial of Vitality.