When they said they'd show me memories, I thought it would be something like a hologram.
But it turned out to be more serious than I expected.
Bringing me to an entirely different space.
By the way, is the floor I created with my compression authority safe?
If I'm considered to have escaped, I'll actually cry.
Rustle.
A small sapling appeared before my eyes.
It looked no different from any other tree.
The sapling grew rapidly, spreading its branches in all directions.
'Oh.'
I thought it would be fully grown by now, but it kept growing endlessly until it covered the sky.
But everything was different from what I saw in the Tower of Despair earlier.
The sunlight filtering through the branches was warm, and the sap seeping from the World Tree overflowed with life force.
Thanks to that, the area around the World Tree was literally a sea of flowers.
I wondered if I'd ever seen this many flowers in my life.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?"
Elia, who had walked up beside me, also let out an exclamation.
Even the Star Alchemist, who had lived for three thousand years, seemed to find it spectacular.
"It's a butterfly!"
Khancho chased after a butterfly fluttering gently, holding a butterfly net.
I'd told him to take good care of Nia, and he'd hung her securely from the tip of the net.
But did he really have to carry her dangling like that!?
Thump!
"Why are you catching butterflies with a butterfly net!!"
Momo fiercely chased after the Yodel Ranger.
She looked ready to chase that butterfly to the ends of the earth.
"It keeps growing."
Elia, arms crossed, watched the World Tree with a satisfied expression.
As time passed, various animals and plants gathered one by one, and the World Tree grew larger and larger.
Before long, it took on the ideal form of the World Tree I always imagined.
'It's not real.'
I reached out toward a rabbit that had come nearby.
My hand passed right through it.
It was vivid enough to make me think it was real, but it had no substance.
Whoosh.
The clouds moved faster, and countless days and nights passed by.
Even after so much time, the World Tree still stood in its place.
"Its range of influence is absurd."
I slowly looked around.
Elia was right.
The roots and branches of the World Tree extended beyond the vicinity to everywhere my eyes could see.
Everywhere I looked was a spectacle, and I couldn't help but smile.
If Utopia existed, wouldn't it feel like this?
Whoooosh.
Camilla walked through the smoke.
She carefully reached out her hand toward the World Tree.
"A tree that touches the sky. I've seen many sacred trees, but this is the first time I've seen something so absurd."
"Is it similar to the guardian tree that protects the village?"
"Similar, but the range it sustains is different. A part of the world relies on this tree."
The explanation that it supported one axis of the world wasn't an exaggeration.
I thought about planting one in my hometown, Guunri.
Then I heard footsteps.
The first thing that caught my eye was pastel-colored hair braided into a single strand.
Hair that reflected the moonlight, creating a beautiful color.
"Hello."
The woman who walked right up to the World Tree smiled and spoke.
She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against the trunk of the World Tree.
Jinhyuk and his friends held their breath as they watched the scene.
On the surface, it looked calm and beautiful.
But anyone present in this space couldn't help but notice.
The World Tree was terrified of this woman.
"World Tree Nemesis. The tree that monopolized even the love of the ancient dragon who lived for over a thousand years."
The woman opened her eyes and wore a strange smile.
"Because of you, there's no room for me to enter. To become the princess, I need to make this place mine. What should I do? Huh? World Tree. Can't you share just a little of the love you receive with me?"
Nemesis's agitation grew stronger.
"Don't tremble. It won't be painful. I'll dye you very slowly and gradually."
The woman's palm pressed against Nemesis.
A green liquid seeped from there and spread to Nemesis's roots.
It was the same contamination I'd seen in Nemesis's graveyard.
"...Tch."
Camilla clicked her tongue, frowning deeply.
It had been a long time since I'd seen Camilla make such an expression.
If it were anyone else, I'd say she was cursing up a storm inside.
Thud.
After letting the contamination seep in, the woman leisurely walked away.
Then the World Tree began to change.
Into the form I'd seen so often in the graveyard of the Tower of Despair.
Craaaaaash—!!
The Ancient Dragon that came to help the World Tree was swallowed by the contamination, and that was the end.
Whoosh!
The space surrounding us scattered.
That was the end of the memory held by the World Tree Nemesis.
[You have returned to somewhere between the 92nd and 100th floors of the Tower of Despair, the 'Graveyard of the Corrupted World Tree Nemesis'!]
The system was unusually kind today.
It had taken me out of the sanctuary and placed me back up here.
I peeked my head through the crack I had opened earlier.
Lumend's sanctuary was being completely wrecked by the Blue Knights.
But I didn't see Nekiel.
'Did he run away?'
I frowned.
The so-called god of Lumend abandoned his sanctuary and followers?
That was a fitting ending for a cult.
I rubbed my chin.
Judging by the glow of something resembling an altar, it seemed Min Soyul had used that 'Descent' thing she mentioned to escape.
It had sounded absurd, but apparently it was actually possible.
That meant Nekiel might be in Korea right now.
I needed to go catch him quickly.
First, this World Tree...?
Thanks to the seed's influence, Nemesis's contamination had weakened considerably.
I was about to take advantage of that gap and strike, but something was off.
Crack!!
Cracks spread from the center throughout the entire World Tree.
It wasn't because of the seed.
The World Tree was destroying itself.
Craaaaaaash!!!
Nemesis didn't just crack; it shattered into pieces.
I watched calmly.
This floor was already a mess anyway.
Whatever the outcome, it wouldn't be surprising.
"Maaaaaster!!"
Squealing, the Great Mother Emperor slammed on the brakes.
Momo urgently pointed her chubby finger.
"There's something really good over there! You need to grab it fast!"
Poke, poke, poke, poke, poke, poke, poke, poke!!
Even though I was already looking, she kept jabbing me fiercely.
"If I go, will I get squished?"
"I don't want Master to get squished! But you still have to pick it up!"
The Great Mother Emperor had spoken.
I'd better do it quickly.
I took out the Soul Reaper from my bag.
My soul power was running low, so I'd been saving it, but I had no choice.
[Resonance - Extreme Speed]
I flew toward the place Momo had pointed out.
The collapsing World Tree made visibility a mess, but I could find it without difficulty.
Because even as it crumbled, it was desperately shielding something.
The stems and branches of Nemesis that had broken free from the contamination.
As I approached, Nemesis withdrew the branches that had been shielding it.
Without even checking what it was, I grabbed it and used Resonance - Extreme Speed again.
Ding!
[The Corrupted World Tree Nemesis has chosen to self-destruct!]
[Somewhere between the 92nd and 100th floors of the Tower of Despair, the 'Graveyard of the Corrupted World Tree Nemesis' has been cleared!]
* * *
On a deserted island off the east coast.
Eun Gangseok hid behind a rock, keeping low.
'I feel like I've seen something I shouldn't have.'
A wry smile formed on his lips.
The Yodel Compass that Jinhyuk had given him before entering the Tower of Despair.
Following that compass, he had infiltrated this deserted island, and thanks to that, he had been able to observe the entire process of setting up and preparing the altar.
Just then, the Player Hunter Agency, alerted by Generos CEO Jin Seoyeon, had also caught wind of what Cheonilgyo was planning.
Permission had been granted, so he planned to step out at the right moment and catch them all in one fell swoop.
But then Karen Whittaker and her Transmigration Investigation Team from the US arrived, complicating the situation.
'This isn't good, Americans.'
He had naturally expected them to stop Min Soyul, but instead, Karen Whittaker had tacitly struck a deal with her.
The team members Karen brought were all skilled, so it wasn't easy to just step out.
He carefully took out his phone.
Not only the communication but even the navigation was messed up.
The only thing working properly was the compass Jinhyuk had given him.
But since it only indicated the direction and distance to the target, it was impossible to pinpoint the exact location here.
"Found you."
He looked up at the English coming from above.
Drake, an American agent, was looking down at Eun Gangseok from the top of the rock.
"Hello?"
Eun Gangseok greeted him cheerfully as he removed his eye patch.
BOOOOM!!
He used his demon eye to blast the rock and the ground.
A thick cloud of dust rose, obscuring visibility.
A sharp wire shot through the dust.
THWACK!
"You'd better stay still, young man. If you struggle, you might get cut."
"If I stay still, I'll die."
"Let's not go too far. From Korea's perspective, what you're doing is dirty, but it's only for an information advantage. We're not crazy enough to kill the forces of an allied nation."
"That's good to hear. I was confused myself."
Eun Gangseok, wrapped in the wire, smiled.
"About whether to kill you or not."
"!?"
Drake frowned as Eun Gangseok's form scattered like mist.
He thought he had only met his eyes for a moment, but it seemed he had already fallen for an illusion.
Eun Gangseok, who had freed his body, caught his breath.
One by one, the American team approached and surrounded him.
"You're Eun Gangseok from the Player Hunter Agency, right? I've heard you're extremely troublesome, regardless of raw combat power. Those eyes."
"I'm honored. You even know my name."
"Like Drake said, we have no intention of harming you. Just stay quiet for a while. Until we get what we want and leave for the US."
After that, they didn't care what happened.
Once they left this place, no matter what Korea claimed, it wouldn't reach Karen.
"So I just need to sleep on that ship for a while?"
"You could have a cup of coffee with us here instead."
"That sounds better. Then I'll take you up on that."
Mana seeped into Eun Gangseok's demon eye.
"After my mana runs out."
Karen's lips curled upward.
"This really is a difficult country. Subdue him. As gently as possible."
The American investigation team nodded and stepped forward.
At that moment.
BOOOOOM!!
Light burst from the altar behind them.
Their gazes instinctively turned.
Karen frowned.
Something was wrong.
It was faster than the time Min Soyul had recalculated.
And for some reason, Min Soyul, who had been leading the ritual, was backing away with the most flustered expression.
"Ah... Ah..."
Terrified, Min Soyul stared at the beam of light in front of her.
The offering was still not fully prepared.
Yet reaching this stage meant one thing.
The god did not wish to descend into that offering.
What the god wanted was...
"My god. Why have you forsaken me..."
Min Soyul was the one who had received the faith and devotion of Cheonilgyo followers worldwide.
CRACK!
The dozens of holy relics that had been floating shattered simultaneously.
BOOOOOM!!!
An immense amount of light poured from the altar and engulfed Min Soyul.
And not long after.
"Haa...!"
A sigh filled with ecstasy burst forth.
The sole god of Cheonilgyo, the leader who had guided Lumend, had descended.
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T/N:
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