episode_0046

It shook violently.

The leaves, the leaves at the top of the World Tree, were shaking violently even though no wind blew.

The mana, the World Tree’s mana, screamed as if in pain at Faust’s command.

The thick walls of the World Tree, which had protected the throne, were now being controlled like puppets by Faust’s command.

One by one, thick, gigantic hands emerged from within the walls and grabbed the orcas dancing and moving about.

‘…..! Was it possible to forcibly activate the World Tree’s gimmick…?’

There was one gimmick in this World Tree that would activate irresistibly to players.

A gimmick that would activate if the World Tree took more than a certain amount of damage.

The masters of that gimmick soon became known for difficult patterns and no rewards, making people avoid fighting around the World Tree.

If they appeared after a pointless fight, it would only lead to item consumption with no gain.

Giant hands and bodies made of wood, with faint glimpses of their annual rings.

Even the two red eyes, aiming to sweep away the intruder.

Were they perhaps looking for the orcas causing trouble inside the World Tree?

Their eyes moved rapidly, using the World Tree’s walls as a bridge to move as if teleporting here and there.

The previous chimeras, while undetectable by mana, had low inherent power, so expanding the range to the limit was fine. But now, the orcas were struggling, caught in the golems’ hands.

Moreover, did they instinctively know that those orcas were connected to me?

Or were they simply programmed to attack the [Player] first?

Their fists were already aimed at me.

Were they saying there was no escape for me?

They surrounded me from all directions.

But did they know?

That they were an easier opponent than the chimeras that hadn’t been visible until now.

[Heart Sword]

I didn’t call the orcas back here.

If I could see what was in front of me, a sword was enough.

A single slash.

The long Heart Sword drew a circle around me.

Had the golems not even noticed the slash?

They didn’t dodge, they simply split in half on the spot.

Tendrils.

Then, tendrils shot out from their split bodies, rejoining them.

Perhaps they thought small golems would be difficult to deal with.

Now gigantic, they seemed to be trying their best to expel me again.

Now, wooden thorns acted as gauntlets, turning everything they touched to dust, but

Could those fists possibly reach me?

The golems’ ultimate gauntlets only had their fists torn off and scattered on the floor.

As I utterly crushed the single move someone had brought out, my mana finally detected one person.

An executive of the Demonic Cult, whose mana was fluctuating wildly.

“Hey, you can show me more, right…?”

She stood on the throne where the World Tree’s avatar should have been.

Gripping a line tightly in her hand, as if controlling an [Garment].

‘Is it okay to grip that so tightly…? If she does that, it might run wild…?’

The moment she pulled the line, not only the guards but also the monsters I’d seen at least once in the [Garden] began to appear, borrowing the World Tree’s body.

The World Tree, as if not in its right mind, directly merged various animals, and soon they squeaked and craned their necks to look at me in front of Faust.

However, I could feel it.

That the mana residing in each of these dolls was twisting, gradually reaching a level difficult to call the World Tree’s mana.

Did Faust know?

That she was no longer controlling the World Tree, but that the World Tree was running wild.

“Oh…?”

Along with Faust’s flustered voice, the line snapped.

What did this mean?

That the World Tree now had no discernment and could slaughter everything it saw.

No, this prediction was now becoming reality.

Was the [Garment] too uncomfortable?

Now that Faust had no control, it must have been enraged enough to want to turn what was binding it into dust immediately.

Before, due to the World Tree’s resistance, it could only control guards and creatures from the [Garden], but now, it was the World Tree’s will.

An incomparable amount of mana to before surged within the World Tree.

The World Tree’s tendrils, which had previously only served to connect the guards, now formed sharp, spear-like shapes from the walls, aiming at everything within, as if it was time to fulfill their true purpose.

[Heart Sword]

The wooden tendrils intertwined with each other, dancing.

Drawing circles, drawing lines, or drawing indescribable shapes.

Were the golems no longer useful either?

The golems, which had stood prominently in place, had their hearts pierced by the tendrils and slumped.

Had Faust not anticipated this situation?

Or did she know and still let her personality get in the way, creating this spectacle?

She threw various medicines from her pocket into the air, but only the tendrils directly in front of her stopped moving; she couldn’t stop the enormous dance.

[Cetus-style Form 1]

[Deneb Algenubi]

The scurrying orcas had somehow transformed into waves, shattering the tendrils that came near me.

I could stay like this.

If I just stayed like this and waited until the World Tree’s rampage ended, at least I alone could survive.

But I saw it.

That the tendrils were now trying to affect not just inside the World Tree, but even the [Garden].

Although small tendrils, they were embedding wicked thorns into themselves and heading towards the entrance.

Isn’t it shameful if you say you’ll heal something but can’t?

As if to destroy the life of any living things or the utility of any objects, I felt that this ruthless attack, unfitting for the name “mother,” was now the Maginot Line.

‘If not now…’

And so I ran to the throne.

Blocking each medicine Faust threw with [Heart Sword].

When I finally reached the throne and Faust was within reach, I pushed her away from the throne with [Heart Sword].

Only then did I see it properly.

The World Tree’s avatar, nothing but bones, so withered it could be mistaken for a mummy, silently screaming in every direction.

[Inventory]

I thought I heard Brownie’s voice from outside, but

I simply dismissed it as a hallucination and took out a wheel from my inventory.

That fiery wheel, from which sparks flew one by one.

***

Ellicia stared blankly at the wolf standing beneath the full moon.

It must have been a small puppy trotting on the ground, but its true form was such a colossal being.

“What on earth is Rapier’s true identity…?”

Given the ability to separate chimera souls and the skills used, she had already suspected a most unusual human, but carrying something like this made her even more curious about his true identity.

Moreover, carrying means to heal her mother made Ellicia’s mind increasingly complex.

“Hey, who on earth is your master? An envoy of the gods?”

She sat down where she had been fighting and shouted at the giant wolf, who was only looking at the World Tree.

Even though it was far away, perhaps it heard because only silence filled the [Garden]; the wolf turned its head towards her and replied.

[I don’t know either. Other than that he’s strong beyond common sense, and seems to know information only gods would know.]

As soon as it finished speaking, the World Tree’s leaves began to move even more violently than before.

Instinctive movement.

Ellicia could instinctively feel the World Tree’s mana.

Just a moment ago, the tremors were mostly confined to the inside, not easily felt outside, but now she could distinctly feel the World Tree speaking.

That it was in pain, that it would kill everything,

It seemed to be speaking such words through its mana.

It was her mother.

Why was her mother, who cared for the [Garden], saying such things?

It was clearly a situation where she should step forward and stop something immediately, but Ellicia’s body froze solid.

[Hey, Master, is that right?]

Was it looking inside through the hole made by the previous beam of light, using the full moon as a lamp?

The giant wolf, stretching its neck, was speaking to someone in a flustered voice.

‘Is Rapier going to heal it…? Then everything should be resolved, right…?’

At that moment, her heart, which had been filled with despair by the mana emitted by the World Tree, was filled with a little hope.

Perhaps she had gained courage from the words that Rapier intended to heal the World Tree; she nocked an arrow to her bowstring and moved forward.

Until something appeared before her eyes.

“What…? What is this…? This is…healing…?”

A dazed voice.

Her hand, which had tightly gripped the bowstring, seemed to lose strength, no longer able to hold the bow.

Her eyes, her blank eyes, were staring only at the World Tree.

Fire.

That fiery red flame, just like the giant wolf’s red mana she had seen earlier.

A massive fire, as if to engulf the sky, was fiercely burning the World Tree.

With a thud, the bow in her hand dropped to the floor with a sound.