Brain bloom

[Level 1 - Time Sprite - Shan]

Time sprite? Sen Shi slowly digested this shocking word; its impact was too powerful.

“…Fufu, could you come down and help me with something?” Sen Shi wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Ok?"

"I'm not asking you to set a trap, it's just that I saw something called a Time Sprite, you know?"

She wasn't really hoping for it; she was just asking casually. But a Time Sprite… this was a Time Sprite! Even though she didn't know what it was, just judging from the name, it was far more sophisticated than anything like the Little Mermaid or the Salt Sprite!

The spirit of time! It can probably modify time at will.

Like the ancient king of demons, he possesses godlike authority. In a single thought, he can reverse the course of time!

Since it is such a terrifying existence, perhaps there is hope... Mori was both surprised and delighted. Hundreds of thousands of words flashed through his mind: how a time spirit from the realm of gods suffered countless hardships and was sealed away, and how it waited bitterly until Mori finally broke the seal.

Finally, the Time Sprite took the initiative to tell Sen Shi—

"Thank you for saving me. I can grant your wish... to save this human girl, right? Okay, a simple curse, I can keep her alive."

Imagining this, Mori couldn't help but stand up, feeling a sense of boundless freedom. This was the benefit of being incredibly lucky; from now on, with this skill, she would be invincible in the world.

"Time sprite? Ugh... Time sprite." Fu Fu's tone was unlike anything she had ever heard before, sounding extremely uneasy and anxious.

"What's wrong?" Just as Morishita was about to ask for more details, something unusual appeared in the corner of her eye. In the dimly lit room, where the doors and windows were tightly closed, a strange light was flickering faintly.

Immediately afterwards—

A dry, clicking sound rang out, barely audible.

It seemed to have come from that pocket watch... But where is the Time Spirit? Mori's earlier joy gradually faded, and his rationality slowly returned.

The Time Sprite's name box has disappeared.

And strangely enough, even though she hadn't picked it up yet, the badly damaged pocket watch seemed to have a life of its own. The clearly visible gears were trembling and meshing little by little.

The faint sounds kept pounding in her eardrums, making Sen Shi's scalp tingle. She felt she would rather listen to the dragon's angry roar, at least then she would know what it meant. Unlike now, which made her feel inexplicably uneasy.

To dispel his unease, Mori said to the pocket watch.

"The Time Spirit... is called Shan, right? A lovely name. You're here, aren't you? I've freed you from the seal... I meant you no harm."

"12:21." The voice had the quality of a piano sonata.

"Why do you need to tell me the time?" Mori was stunned.

"12 o'clock... 21 minutes—ah, it's already 22 minutes." The voice repeated.

Left with no other choice, Mori grabbed Fukufu and obediently turned the brightness up to the maximum. Only then did Mori notice a small, soft-looking figure hiding among the intersecting gears of the pocket watch.

Summoning his courage, Mori picked up the pocket watch. It seemed to be made of silver, and had a very smooth feel to it.

She could see clearly what was hiding inside the gears... a pointer-shaped sprite, much smaller than Fufu. Its luster was silvery-gray, and because the light it emitted as it breathed was very similar to Fufu's, Mori was certain that this was a sprite's characteristic.

It's small, but its sound is quite interesting.

It's like a piano playing a melody, but it's understandable.

"Shan." Sen Shi repeated the name he had just seen.

"12:22." The voice clearly came from it, and it sounded a little shy.

Unable to understand the other's way of thinking, Mori sent his own Pokémon to negotiate. Fufu, being very sensible, stopped above the gear.

"Time Sprite, I am Salt Sprite."

"Salt Spirit, I am Time Spirit."

"I am Fufu."

"I am Shan."

"Is this pocket watch your home?"

"Yes, I'm curious. This isn't the ocean, so why are there salt sprites here?"

"Because I've grown up, and it's time for me to leave home and travel far away."

"I'm so envious, I'm still so young..."

Senshi's eyelids twitched, and he couldn't help but kindly tap Fufu, signaling it to stop this fairytale-like conversation. Fufu had no choice but to obediently comply.

"The one who was mean to me just now was Mori-shiki-nee, a Four Seasons Being, she's terrifying—" Mori-shiki pinched Fukufu and sealed its mouth shut.

"Hello, Time Sprite."

Mori revealed what was perhaps the most beautiful smile of her life, as sweet as a warm winter nap.

If she were to wear a custom-tailored evening gown, she would captivate everyone, regardless of gender, at any occasion. Even a time-manipulating fairy would recognize her friendliness.

"Listen, I mean no harm, I just want to ask you for a favor."

"...What is it?" Shan asked, puzzled, finally able to have a normal conversation.

"You're a great time spirit, right? The kind that can easily stop the world from functioning and prevent someone from dying."

No, that's not it.

Sen's smile froze, turning sinister. The time spirit named Shan sensed the awkward atmosphere but still tried to explain its role—

“I…we time spirits are spirits who report time…we can’t do what you’re talking about. If you want to know the time, I can keep telling you the time…that’s the only thing I can do.”

Sen froze for perhaps ten seconds, then placed the pocket watch and Shan on the bedside table, next to Fufu, without saying another word. She silently took off her clothes and boots, and crawled into the bed Fufu had thoughtfully made for her… Time to sleep.

Volume 1, Chapter 176: Mori Toki is Asleep

She sighed and crawled into bed, hoping a good night's sleep would help her relax. Currently, the matter of the two great nations' plan to deal with the Four Seasons had been resolved thanks to her revealing her identity and the presence of Melia.

Now that she no longer has this heavy burden, her primary concern is fulfilling her wishes.

If Wish could be saved, his daughter would be overjoyed, and the ancient demon king would likely be grateful. Then, the restoration of the dandelion kingdom wouldn't be a major problem. Most importantly, Wish could live…

But the unboxing result was so disappointing...

Mori spoke softly under the covers, hoping for a flash of inspiration in her sleep. She had a deep enough understanding of "The Silent World" that perhaps there was something she had overlooked.

The weariness of last night slowly crept in, and in a half-dreaming, half-awake state, Mori heard two elves whispering on the bedside table—

"Salt spirit, how long have you been born?"

"I don't know, it's probably been there since the time the sea existed. And you, Time Spirit?"

"Oh, I'm actually very young. I've only been conscious for 8581 years and 11 months, plus 20 days..."

“You’re still a child, then I’m much older than you.” Fu Fu’s voice became proud, revealing the attitude of an elder.

"Yes, I'm still very young." Shan readily acknowledged the difference in their generations.

"You came later, I am your senior!"

"……what?"

"Anyway, I'm of a higher generation than you, so when you come out in the future, you have to take the initiative to greet me."

"I...I can't go out because my pocket watch is broken."

Hearing these helpless words, Fu Fu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, another listener, Sen, folded up her two pointed ears and pressed them onto her pillow halfway through the conversation. The two elves' conversation was like gentle white noise—not annoying, but the content was so boring… Thanks to this, she quickly fell asleep.

Soft breathing could be heard from under the covers; the room seemed peaceful.

But the two elves' conversation did not stop.

“Alright, Time Spirit… I have a question.” Fufu asked a new question with a worried tone, “Even though you are young, can you predict the countdown to the calamity? All the Time Spirits that appear with the calamity can do this, right?”

"Yes, predicting disasters is our instinct."

"So your appearance means..."

"However, I am still too young to see much. Unlike the elders, I cannot foresee more details. I can only vaguely foresee the greatest disaster." Shan said somewhat discouragedly.

"The biggest disaster? Tell me about it?"

Shan stopped hiding and stood behind the clockwork, adopting a proud and rhythmic voice—

"Time Elf Shan hereby declares that... approximately five months from now, the primordial evil of the world may awaken, likely by those 'traveling souls'."

"Oh, it's still early."

Moreover, Fufu didn't take it seriously at all, because Mori-shiki was a true god, and nothing could threaten her. Fufu's interest quickly shifted, and she became curious about San herself.

"By the way, why do you live inside a pocket watch?"

"As the tomb keeper wished, I have been recording time in this city of broken pocket watches."

"What time should be recorded?"

“I don’t know either… The gravedigger put me in here so I could start recording, that’s all. But I’m very grateful to Sister Mori, being locked up for thousands of years must have been very boring. Now that I can return to this world, even I am happy… It’s a pity that I can’t get out for the time being. This city of pocket watches is a bit dilapidated, and outsiders can’t get in.”

Fukufu was even happier to receive the praise, but when she turned her gaze, she realized that Mori Toki had already fallen asleep...

"Oh dear, Morishi-neechan is asleep... Let's not disturb her, shh."

"Okay." Shan nodded in agreement, then quietly went back behind the gears to continue counting the time silently.

……

Meanwhile, at the dining table in the cabin, a different scene unfolded. The warm midday sun was clearly delightful, but Dandelion would yawn from time to time, looking tired.

She brought out two plates.

On top were leftover bread from the day before yesterday, apples and wild berries picked casually outside, and a long-stored supply of cured meat. The meat was diced and cooked into porridge with coarse wheat. If you looked closely, you could see a few bland vegetable leaves floating in it.

This is the meal that Dandelion served to guests.

Dandelion's lunch is even simpler: it simply picks up a small bottle of clean water, pours it onto its branches and leaves, and then shakes its head like a dog after a bath—that's enough to replenish its nutrients.

Yuan didn't feel anything was wrong; on the contrary, she chewed her bread with gratitude, thinking that those who live through all four seasons really have it tough.

But the other guest was far more difficult to deal with. Melia kept a straight face, thinking that even the relief meals distributed to the poor in the Chaos Lands would at least have more oil than this...

She hated the subpar food to an unbearable degree, feeling as if she had been thoroughly insulted.

Melia crossed her arms and demanded sharply, "Who am I?"