The Martial Unity

How did the Elder Tree detect various creatures and lifeforms that were not just important to its survival in some way or another but also experiencing deep fear when it was almost completely spatially isolated from the rest of the world?

The answer was that its roots were connected to the roots of other surrounding flora, which in turn were in networks of flora spreading across enormous portions of the Beast Domain. It received a massive flood of sensory data pertaining to light, sound, odor, the chemical composition of the air, and several other parameters.

Of course, plants were far from the best sensors. They weren’t able to convey detailed information about the outside world such that the Elder Tree could be able to accurately get a view of the Beast Domain like it was there itself. It was why it needed to rely on lopsided ways, such as fear, of evaluating the necessity of saving a creature or not. Fear that plants could detect based on the changes in odor and other chemical substances that left a distinct signature.

“It’s far from perfect,” the Divine Doctor clinically remarked. “But it’s still vastly better than any other known source of intelligence within the Beast Domain. In comparison to you, the Adventurer’s Guild is incompetent. You’re almost like a Beast Domain version of the Beggar’s Sect!”

The what?

“That is the aid I require from you.” The Divine Doctor’s smile remained frozen and dispassionate as he ignored the Elder Tree’s question. “Information. I need access to the vast intelligence that you have by virtue of being connected to the largest intelligence network of the Beast Domain. Perhaps then I can learn more about the illness that ails my latest patient.”

Your rationales are incoherent to me, but if you are able to prove the skill and knowledge that you claim to have in medicine, then I am open to sharing my information with you.

Of course, the Divine Doctor, to a certain extent, had already proven that he was far from normal. However, the Elder Tree was far from a fool; it would not budge on a deal until it had seen proof.

This was the difference between its then agreement with the Divine Doctor and its current agreement with Rui.

Rui was unable to hide his mind from the Elder Tree. Thus, the tree knew that Rui was extremely sincere about his offer and intentions. As such, it was willing to be more liberal with its conditions.

The Divine Doctor, on the other hand, was able to protect his mind and consequently was unable to earn the trust of the Elder Tree as easily.

First, you will have to prove your skill and knowledge. Second, you will have to prove that I am able to learn and master the skills that will help me treat wounds and other surrounding conditions as optimally as possible. Third, you will have to ensure that I actually do learn all of it, and only then will I be able to give you what you need.

“Your incompetence is not my problem.” The Divine Doctor’s frozen smile never once flickered. “I’ll do my best. If you are still unable to, then that is on you. However, I will get the information I seek, regardless.”

…Those are acceptable arrangements.

“Good.” The Divine Doctor stared at the Elder Tree with detached eyes. “Let us, for both our sakes, hope you are not retarded.”

…

WHOOSH

The scene melted away as the world around them returned back to normal.

That was my first meeting with the Divine Doctor.

Rui’s eyes swam around, deep in thought. “…He wanted an intelligence network that spread across the entire Beast Domain to diagnose his current patient?”

A deep frown emerged on his face. “…What?”

He had tried his best to avoid thinking about the reason that the Divine Doctor had even gone to the Beast Domain. Most of the time, he was able to ignore it completely and not care about it.

It wasn’t relevant to him.

He just wanted the man to heal his father.

But now that he had understood what the Divine Doctor wanted from the Garden of Salvation, it just blew his mind.

How in the world could access to information across much of the Beast Domain from a flora intelligence network possibly help him diagnose one specific patient’s ailments?

It didn’t make sense.

“Not unless…” Rui narrowed his eyes as an extremely strange and bizarre possibility entered his mind.

Yet, it was far too absurd for Rui to even utter it out loud. Just doing so would make him feel incredibly stupid.

“Huff…” He shook his head, turning back to the Elder Tree. “What else? That was just the first meeting, correct? That is … insightful, but it is not what I am looking for.”

…From then on, the doctor spent many years teaching me and training me in medicine. He taught me the foundation of biology at the cellular level and gave me many broad, holistic understandings of different kingdoms and classes of species.

That was to be expected. One did not just become a doctor without going through med school.

Then, he taught me, species by species, how to treat many different wounds and related conditions and how I ought to diagnose and approach the art of healing. He also taught me the principles of healing and rejuvenation potions and how I could create my own. It was thanks to that that I was able to heal both of you and save your lives.

Rui’s gaze softened as he recalled the critical condition that the two of them had been in after the roar of a powerful Master-level creature, even though they had faced a fraction of the dispersed power.

After he completed the end of the deal, I naturally kept my word and gave him what he wanted. I obliged all his demands for data.

Finally. “And just what did he want?” Rui eagerly asked.

Normality.

“…What?”

He asked me to help him find normality in a world of anomalies.

–