Paulownia Forest.
The sky was perpetually tinged with a faint red hue, and the sprawling forest stretched as far as the eye could see like a verdant sea. A gentle breeze rustled through millions of leaves, creating a thunderous sound akin to ocean waves.
Standing atop the towering central tree of the Paulownia Forest, a colossal tree hundreds of meters tall, Logan once again marveled at the majestic landscape, unable to suppress the surging emotion in his chest.
"The existence of the world is indeed not singular. For instance, our Paulownia Forest is connected to the outside world, yet remains relatively independent... Under certain circumstances, different worlds may even overlap. Speaking of which, uh... let me see here... 'Each world is distinct and cannot be generalized or directly compared'..."
An elderly voice, steady yet laborious, floated across the enormous platform made of intertwined tree branches. A few coughs interrupted the narration, accompanied by the rustle of turning pages.
The sound of parchment rubbing together blended with the ambient breeze of the square, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of an ancient, unending story.
"Though numerous, they all follow their own paths, which is a universal law that is immutable. Unless... well, unless the existence is like ours, but based on your description, that doesn't seem possible. This scenario where one world reflects another, hmm…"
More flipping of scrolls and pages ensued as the elder continued searching.
Logan leaned against a railing formed by tree branches, the warm wind brushing against his face. Sunlight cascaded over him, and for a fleeting moment, the elder's soothing voice transformed into a professor's lecture in a spacious classroom.
Pages flipped endlessly in his mind, accompanied by an unclear, monotonous drone that resumed after brief pauses. Chalk screeched against a blackboard, which is an oddly vivid and familiar scene.
"Raiden Hattori, are you even paying attention? Can't you see the elder is looking up information for you?"
A sudden, discordant voice shattered the tranquil, dream-like atmosphere. This voice is distinct from the elder's aged tone, and it was youthful, robust, and brimming with life. Yet, it carried a sharp edge of disdain and impatience.
Perched respectfully beside the elder, Akiyama shot a sharp glare at Logan, who was lost in thought, and scolded him with a commanding flap of his wings, complete with a fiery trail for emphasis.
"Hey, watch it!" Logan's reflexes, honed through training, kicked in as he dodged the flame that almost singed his clothes. His startled shout was met by Akiyama's dangerous glare. Snapping back to reality, Logan hastily mumbled, "Oh, uh, I'm listening. I'm listening..."
Akiyama snorted, his displeasure evident. It wasn't the first time Logan had received such treatment from him.
Since their first meeting, Akizawa had seldom shown him any kindness.
Logan cast another glance at the elder, who was deeply engrossed in reading, and shook his head, clearly baffled as to why the venerable leader would go to such lengths for a mere human.
The elder, seated at the head of the platform, placed his cane aside, adjusted his glasses, and calmly read aloud, "Found it. This might be somewhat applicable... Hmm, 'matter determines consciousness'..."
Logan discreetly rolled his eyes but adjusted his posture, sitting upright to feign attentiveness under Akiyama's strict gaze.
The elder furrowed his brow and picked up another scroll, squinting at it, "It doesn't feel right..."
... Thus continued the elder's slow, methodical lecture in this otherworldly classroom. The ancient, deliberate cadence of his voice echoed through the air as Logan leaned against the natural tree-branch railing.
To one side lay the fantastical, red-tinged world visible through the mystical window of the Paulownia Forest. Logan admitted that he had been distracted by the breathtaking scenery, but he firmly believed it wasn't entirely his fault.
To unravel the mystery of his transmigration, Logan had made up his mind after careful consideration. Utilizing a Reverse Summoning Technique, he ventured into the world of the Divine Bird Clan, the Paulownia Forest. (T/N: Change the cross over to transmigration.)
Unlike traditional Summoned Beasts' territory such as Mount Myoboku, the Paulownia Forest appeared to exist in a separate space.
Furthermore, based on his interactions, Logan discovered that the Divine Bird Clan's summoning contracts were not exclusive to Ninja, making them a unique and promising avenue for answers, so sharing his situation with them didn't feel as outrageous as it might have with other Summoned Beasts.
Just as Logan expected, after sharing his recent experiences with the elder, the latter remained incredibly composed.
The elder's demeanor exuded the steadiness of someone who had weathered countless storms, and he appeared entirely unshaken by the notion of two worlds intersecting.
But that warmth in Logan's chest quickly turned to a cold chill… because the elder's method of 'researching' was essentially monotonous recitation!
If not for his inability to decipher the Divine Bird Clan's writings, which differed from the Summoning Techniques shared with outsiders, Logan would have rolled up his sleeves and done the work himself.
'No wonder I kept flashing back to memories of teachers giving lectures in class...' Logan sighed.
The scattered bits of information offered no coherent logic to follow, and the slow, steady rhythm of the elder's speech, combined with the warm breeze, sent Logan's thoughts spiraling back to his most dreaded math classes.
Back then, it always felt like every individual word made sense, but string them together, and comprehension vanished. He even wondered if he had missed something important early on.
He remembered how, during his first-ever math lesson, he had bent down to pick up a pencil, and then everything had gone downhill from there.
Logan's mind wandered again, 'Would the elder's page-turning pace eventually fill a full forty-five minutes? Perhaps the elder's initial calmness was simply the normal pace of an elderly being, and his sluggish actions were just par for the course.'
His expectations steadily lowered. Akiyama, however, remained dutifully focused, keeping a strict eye on him.
Logan had no desire to bicker with him, especially since Kotonami was nowhere to be found.
'She's likely flying around the forest as usual, patrolling the territory out of boredom.'
Speaking of which, after signing the summoning contract, Logan had gained access to various techniques that allowed him to reach new heights.
The best among these was the Divine Bird Clan's Sage Mode, which represented a gateway to even greater power. However, his training had been delayed due to the unexpected transmigration. The Earth's unique environment made him unable to continue training.
Clap!
The sound of a book snapping shut suddenly broke the monotony. Logan's eyes lit up when he heard the sound of clear water, which was completely different from the endless rustle of pages. His attention also snapped back to the present.
'It's really like the end of get out of class bell…'
"Raiden Hattori..." The elder raised his head from the sea of books and adjusted his reading glasses, "Your situation is exceptionally rare."
Logan nodded eagerly, clinging to a glimmer of hope, 'After all this time, surely the elder would finally provide something substantive, right?'
However, the elder merely gathered his things and gestured to Akiyama. Akiyama immediately understood and began tidying up the scattered books.
Perched atop the colossal Paulownia Tree, hundreds of meters above the ground, the semi-open red-and-green square fell into a silence that stretched on for several seconds.
'That's it?'
Logan stared blankly at the elder and Akiyama, who were now cleaning up the area as if he didn't exist.
'Can't you update more! I can't stand it!'