ASS 18

The words of the Eldest bore some truth as the magic he taught Will was hard to understand and slow to learn. It was more difficult than the two he already knew, and he could admit as much. However, the... way the Eldest spoke could also be attributed to the speed Will learned at. Not to mention how the old god liked going on long tangents whenever any type of flora was brought up.

Admittedly, Will learned a lot from that, and his Herbology skill grew just from listening to the Eldest. The old god would go into explicit details about absolutely everything regarding the flora he spoke about.

How much and what type of soil it needed, the amount of water it had to absorb at any given time, the specific reason for its coloration, the effects of each of its parts, when it could be safely harvested, and how to replant it correctly.

Really, the Eldest was a treasure trove of information when it came to flora. Will already had many ideas on how to improve the small garden he had set up in his shop, just from listening to him. However, the progress of learning the magic the Eldest was teaching him was nowhere close to what he hoped for.

A part of him also worried as the old god hadn't called it God Slayer Magic even once. For that matter, he hadn't named the magic at all during their long conversation. Though it wasn't that alarming since, whatever he was being taught, was definitely worth it.

"Your time... is running short..." the Eldest said just a moment before Will felt a slight tug.

"Yeah," he grimaced in response, not even bothering to check his status since he knew he hadn't learned the magic from the Eldest. He was disappointed with that, to say the least.

"Return... as soon as you can... we will continue... with your lessons..." the Eldest told him, seemingly unbothered by this intervention. "Before... you leave..." he then continued, interrupting whatever Will was about to say. "You should... pay your respects... to Bran Bwa," the Eldest said as he looked at the great tree in the middle of the dimension.

"Bran Bwa?" Will quietly questioned as he moved his gaze towards the tree. On a whim, he tried looking up that name through the multitude of information he had downloaded from the internet. Surprisingly enough, he did find something, and that name meant, "Great Wood."

"You..." the Eldest sharply turned towards him, a noticeable tremble in his usually steady voice. "Understand?"

"I do?" Will replied, a bit uncertain about it. Bran Bwa, also referred to by a few more names, was an African deity, sometimes described as an elemental or a spirit representing trees, plants, and herbs.

"Um, how do I pay my respects? Do I need to make an offering?" Will asked after checking the general information about the Loa. He wasn't sure if the information he found was accurate, considering this was a god from another Universe, but it didn't hurt to ask.

"You have... already done that..." the Eldest replied, reminding him of the plants he presented them earlier. "You need to... just thank the Parent..."

"Thank you for allowing me to enter your world, Bran Bwa," Will said, bowing his head to the great tree. "And for letting me stay here," he then added before peeking at the Eldest. The tree god had, surprisingly enough, a smile on his wooden face as he nodded at Will.

The tugging sensation he felt earlier turned into a pulling one, making it a struggle for him to stay in one place. Will knew it was time to leave, but before that, he had to ask. "Can you not come with me?"

Having a god of all things living in his home would be just the best. He wouldn't have to worry about anything on Earthland. Acnologia? Zeref? Those wouldn't even be an issue with the Eldest around.

"No..." the tree god replied as he took a step towards him. "My place... is here..." he tapped Will on the chest with his ligneous hand, and a warm feeling spread throughout his entire body from the touch. "You will return... when you can... I have... given you access... to leave and enter... our home..."

The Eldest then lightly pushed Will, cannonballing his astral form out of the dimension. He turned around after, slowly walking back towards the spot Will initially saw him at. The Eldest paused in his steps, making a motion with his body resembling that of a sigh.

Black roots sprang out of the earth, massively growing in size as they reached for a black and green blur in the air. Korakora was fast, but the roots were even faster, easily catching up to him and wrapping around him in a tight bind.

"Let me go!" Korakora yelled, but his screams and struggles had no effect as he was slowly brought over to the Eldest.

"You played with the human the entire time!" Korakora accusatory stared at the Eldest. "I wanted to play with Liam too! Now he's gone!"

"You will... get to play... with Liam... when he returns..." the Eldest spoke as he placed the young god on the ground.

"Oh, yeah? And when will he return?" Korakora asked, hands on his waist as his tail angrily slapped the ground behind him. "Never?"

"He will return... soon," the Eldest calmly replied, unbothered by the rebellious stage Korakora was going through. He'd seen that a few times already, practically having raised the past few nature gods.

"Soon? You said the same when I asked you when I would be allowed to leave!" Korakora stomped on the ground as he walked in circles. "Yet I'm still forbidden from leaving!"

"Humans... are always in... a hurry... Liam will... return soon..." the Eldest calmly informed him.

"Really?" Korakora jumped in excitement, a happy smile growing on his grassy face. "I remember you once mentioned humans had short lives!" His smile grew even wider as the Eldest nodded to him. "Ohhh! I can't wait! I can't wait!" He paused for a moment, a mischievous glint flashing in his eyes. "Ohhhh, I'm gonna prepare a surprise for him!" And with that, he merged with the grass under his feet before disappearing from there.

Seeing that Korakora had calmed down, the Eldest returned to his spot, planting himself on the ground and transforming into that unamusing tree. The face on his trunk affectionately gazed at the Parent, Bran Bwa, as he stayed quiet for a moment.

"Is this... how you felt... when you found... me?" The Eldest asked, not expecting to receive a response. Bran Bwa had already returned back to its slumber, quietly continuing its growth. "It's... enjoyable..."

Will's return was more... bearable, so to say. At least the impact against the dimensional walls of Earthland was. Though maybe that had to do with him expecting it this time and having prepared himself for it.

He also had a bit more control, so he was able to glimpse at the world from above, noticing there were a total of three large land masses. One was Ishgar, and the other he assumed was the continent the Alvarez Empire was based on. However, the third was a complete mystery to him as it hadn't been mentioned even once in the story he knew.

Will tried slowing his descent, wishing to use this chance to see more of this world. His attempts were mildly successful, but he couldn't stop himself entirely. He did, however, gain a whole new perspective on exactly how big this world was. Just the continent he was being dragged to looked enormous, though the other two were just as large if not even larger.

Everything he saw, Will put to memory, using Super Archive to make sure of that. He wasn't sure if it would ever be useful, but familiarizing himself with the place he now called home seemed like a good idea.

Magnolia Town appeared in his sight, recognizable by the rivers that passed through it. However, he wasn't dragged towards the city and instead was pulled towards a tiny forest just outside it. His astral form passed right through a tree and into a room before slamming into his resting body.

A herbal smell assaulted his nostrils as he abruptly got up, pushing the blanket covering him out of the way. The breathing of three people rang in his ears as his eyes scanned the room, immediately noticing how much clearer his vision now was.

"A very abrupt and... unusual way to wake up," an older woman with pink hair noted, staring at him with squinted eyes. Porlyusica was her name if he recalled correctly, which he did.

"Will!" Erza called out to him, taking a step towards him with a relieved look in her eyes. Porlyusica, however, raised her arm, blocking her from coming closer. Surprisingly enough, Erza obediently stayed in place, listening to her unspoken command.

"I suppose your description of what happened might've been true," Porlyusica mused to herself, still inspecting him closely.

Unbothered, Will got out of bed, noticing he was wearing only a pair of boxers, but his gaze was focused on something else. He used to be neither fat nor skinny. He was just average, with maybe a little bit of muscle from his first job. Now, he was ripped, looking like a professional athlete that had just finished his preparations for the Olympics.

"I feel incredible," Will said to no one in particular as he stretched, enjoying this new sensation of power.

"And you look incredible," Mira murmured to herself, his newly enhanced hearing picking that up.

"Why thank you," Will replied, a smile growing on his face as his confidence had just skyrocketed. Mira raised her delicate eyebrow in response, cutely tilting her head to the side.

"No flirting in my home!" Porlyusica put her foot down with an annoyed frown. "And you," she stared Will down. "Do you not know the dangers of taking a potion with unknown effects?"

"I do," he replied, looking around the room and seeing the alchemy table placed neatly in the corner. "Probably more than you even," he said as he turned to Porlyusica, seeing her right eye twitch at his words. "Has my alchemy table served you well?"

"It... has," Porlyusica gritted her teeth as she replied. "But my point still stands," she continued before quietly adding. "Stupid human."

"I knew specifically what the potion's effects were," Will replied as he looked at Erza, shooting her a comforting smile to relieve her worries.

"Oh yeah?" Porlyusica looked doubtful, to say the least. "That's why you turned into a... ghost and flew away?" She sounded as if she couldn't believe her own words, even though she witnessed him fly back into his own body.

"Well," he scratched his head with a chuckle. "I was hoping to avoid that particular effect," he said with a shrug. "Though I did end up going on a very informative trip between dimensions."

'Oh, fuck...' Will cursed in his mind. 'I forgot to ask the Eldest about the other dimensions and the tendrils attached to the main ones. Fuck! Well, that's one more reason for me to learn how to enter my astral form or make portals. I really need to return to that dimension.'

"A trip between dimensions?" Porlyusica asked with a doubtful look. "Really?"

"What? You, of all people, don't believe that?" Will shot back. Super Archive proved very useful at that moment since, without it, he wouldn't have remembered that little tidbit about her being from Edolas. "You know, I saw your old home out there," he told her, watching her eyes widen.

"W-wha-how?" Porlyusica's words were barely a whisper, but he faintly heard them.

"And," Will ignored that, however, and turned towards Mira. "And I might have a way to get there sooner than I anticipated."

It took her but a moment to realize what he meant. She marched over to him, her sapphire eyes quivering as her gaze never left his. "You're... not joking, right?" Mira asked with a trembling voice.

"No," Will softly replied, raising his hand to ruffle her hair. "I did promise I would help, didn't I?"

"You did," Mira quietly responded, her lips spreading in a sweet smile.

"I said," Porlyusica regained her usual self as she stomped on the ground, ruining their little moment. "No flirting in my home!"

Will rolled his eyes as Erza stepped closer at that moment, still slightly concerned, judging by how she nervously bit her lower lip. "You're okay?" She worriedly asked, though... her eyes did glance him up and down in appreciation.

"Yup," Will nodded. "Feeling better than ever," he said, his body bursting with energy. The herb had definitely done its job, increasing both his physique and magical reserves. He'd have to do some tests to see how strong he currently was, since the strength of a Super-Soldier wasn't exactly specified.

"How long was I asleep, by the way?" Will then asked, dread filling him at the thought of his shop being closed for days, or even worse, weeks!

"24 hours," Porlyusica was the one to answer, relieving him from his fear. "For 24 hours, your body was unresponsive while it underwent some drastic changes," she looked at him oddly. "Are those permanent?"

"Should be," Will easily confirmed. "It's what the herb is supposed to do."

"And what kind of a herb is that?" Porlyusica asked, throwing her hands in the air in exasperation. "I've never heard of such a thing! How could a herb possibly cause such drastic changes!?"

"A magical one?" Will chuckled. "It also improved my magical reserves," he cheekily added, just to see her reaction.

"No," Porlyusica said. "NO such herb was even mentioned in that book," she continued as she walked over to the table in her room and picked up the first alchemy volume. Heavily breathing in annoyance, she flipped through it, searching the section with magical ingredients for any mention of such a herb.

"You won't find it there," Will helpfully informed her. "Or in the next volume, for that matter," he said as she sharply turned towards him.

"You have it," Porlyusica noted, her words sounding accusatory to his ears, especially with that frown on her face.

"Yeah," he smugly confirmed. "Alongside one more that lists all kinds of different flora and how to properly grow them," he added, seeing her frown deepen. "Anyway," he turned to Erza, ignoring the old woman for the moment. "I do believe we had plans for today."

"We did?" Erza asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Yup," he nodded. "That date I promised you?" Will asked, receiving a bright smile in response as Erza's face lit up in happiness.

"And later, we're going to have dinner with Mira?" She asked, turning to her white-haired rival.

"Yes, we will," Will confirmed as Mira turned to him questioningly.

"Absolutely not!" Porlyusica's voice echoed inside as she stomped on the ground. "You just recovered from whatever that..." she shook her hand as she pointed at him. "Whatever it is that you recovered from, and the first thing you want to do is go on a date? The stupidity of you humans never ceases to amaze me!"

"It might be better if you rest for now," Mira gently added. "You did wake up just a moment ago."

"Yeah, you should definitely rest," Erza agreed, though she did look a bit reluctant. "We can go on our date tomorrow," she then added, brightening the room with her smile.

"And you ruined it," Will sighed as his head dropped to the side with a dull expression aimed at Porlyusica.

"We can still have dinner with Mira later?" Erza said with a hopeful look as she gazed at her white-haired rival.

"I won't mind," Mira smiled back, gazing back and forth between the two.

"Fine, fine," Will said, his shoulders sagging as he was bullied into accepting. "Around seven thirty at my home?" He asked to which Mira nodded in agreement. "I have some dishes I'd like to try."

"Oh, you will be cooking?" Mira asked, a slightly doubtful look on her face. "Are you sure? I do remember giving you quite a few tips," she teased with a chuckle. "Perhaps you have learned something?"

"I have a secret weapon," Will grinned as he tapped his head. He did have thousands of different recipes from cuisines all over the Earth downloaded into his brain. Surely, he could replicate most with the ingredients available to him on Earthland, even if some of them were missing.

"I said..." Porlyusica breathed heavily as her face turned red from anger. "NO FLIRTING IN MY HOUSE!"

"Yeah, yeah," Will waved her off as he rubbed his ears. His enhanced hearing made her screech even worse than it should've been in the first place. That also reminded him he had to get used to his all-around improved senses and physique.

"Well, I suppose we should go," he shook his head after calming the ringing in his ears. "Don't suppose you have any clothes my size around here?"

"No," they answered. "We had to remove your previous ones since they were getting a bit tight," Mira chuckled, daringly staring at him with a grin.

"I figured," Will shrugged. "Anyway," he turned to the old woman. "Thanks for taking care of me. I'll make sure to repay you with a gift that you will surely enjoy," her eyes widened in surprise at that. "No, it's not the books," Will quickly shot her expectations down, seeing her squint her eyes at him. "Just a few herbs you will enjoy playing with."

Ignoring the "Stupid human" remark, Will looked at Mira. "We'll see each other later today, and we will eagerly be expecting you for dinner," he told her with a pleasant smile. "But for now," he grabbed Erza's hand. "We should get home," and started pulling her out of the treehouse.

"Mind switching to a dress?" Will asked after they left since she was dressed in her usual armor.

"Sure," Erza seemed a bit confused, but she agreed nonetheless.

"Thank you," he said as he quickly grabbed her and lifted her like the princess that she was in one quick motion.

"Will?" Erza questioned as her arms wrapped around his neck.

"Let me enjoy this," he pecked her on the lips before he started running.

Will could've picked her up like this before, but definitely not with such ease. And he certainly couldn't have sprinted with Erza in his arms. However, it was a different story now, and he joyfully laughed as he ran towards Magnolia.

The wind brushed against his face as Erza nestled against him, deciding to enjoy the moment for what it was. Will leaped over anything in his path, landing gracefully without even stopping his momentum, showing off a sense of balance he lacked before consuming the herb.

The distance between Porlyusica's house and the city wasn't short, but they quickly reached it with his newly improved speed. He wasn't even feeling winded as his body was full of energy despite running such a distance, sprinting the entire way at that.

Accomplishing such feats filled him with confidence. He'd been just an average guy even with the Ethernano in this world giving him a slight boost. But now? Well, he could proudly consider himself as someone strong. He wasn't naive enough to believe to be amongst the most powerful—especially not after seeing what the two gods were capable of—but he was far from being weak now.

Not to mention he would no longer just drop dead if he was hit by a random spell. The Black Panther did have his Vibranium suit in the movies, but he was shown to take some heavy hits and get up without any visible injuries even without it.

'I'm no longer weak,' Will gleefully thought, overjoyed with his improvement. 'And I'm even learning a powerful type of magic!' Though he still didn't know it's name. 'At least I think so.'

There was the tiny issue of him currently being unable to return to the forest dimension, but he at least wasn't without options. He just had to learn how to open portals or access his astral form without outside assistance. No biggie, right? Right? He would surely get it down in no time! Right?

After entering the city, the reaction they received was surprisingly tame, considering Will was wearing just a pair of boxers while carrying Erza in his embrace. Then again, this was the place Fairy Tail resided, so they were probably used to their... uniqueness. This was most likely not even the weirdest thing they've seen this week.

They soon reached his home, receiving a few wolf whistles on the way. Pecking her one the lips, he let her down as she stared at him with a weird look in her eyes.

"Next time, I'm carrying you!" Erza declared with a large grin.

"Ahh," Will nervously smiled. He wasn't sure how much he would enjoy that, and his pride would surely take a hit with her carrying him like a princess throughout the town. "How about we race instead?" He offered an alternative. "See which of us is faster, eh?"

"I will not lose! I promise you that!" Erza exclaimed as her competitive spirit was ignited.

"And I don't doubt that," Will quietly said as he unlocked the door. His physique might've massively improved due to the herb, but he had a feeling Erza was just on a completely different level.