Chapter 1026: The Divine Tree and the Master.

A fragment of a crimson jewel.

That is being used to maintain the current sorcery of the Magic Spirit Cave.

It was said that it was once used to communicate with the Master of the Myriad Realms.

‘I felt something when I first saw it.’

The energy contained within that fragment is incredibly potent. It was impossible to tell just how much power was inside.

I heard that they cast sorcery around here using the power dwelling within.

‘If I just look at the energy, it’s enough to explain how that sorcery was cast.’

If they used that much energy, it wouldn’t be impossible. It was a profound energy, enough to make me think that.

But.

“Are you trying to give that to me?”

“…….”

At my words, the Spirit’s hand trembles.

“It is everything we can offer to the great being, the Master of the Otherworld…….”

“If you give this to me, what will you guys do?”

You won’t be able to maintain the barrier that makes up the surroundings. Is it okay to give it like this?

The Spirit says to such a question, but.

“……If you save us. There’s no longer a need to maintain this space. That wouldn’t be a big problem…….”

“No, that’s not what I’m asking.”

I cut off the Spirit’s words like that. That wasn’t what I was asking now.

“If you give this to me, the channel for communicating with the Master of the Myriad Realms will disappear. Are you okay with that?”

“…….”

Hearing my words, the Spirit hesitates.

If there’s no fragment, you won’t be able to communicate with the Master anymore. Is it okay for a Shrine Maiden to do that?

When I asked about this, the Spirit said to me after a brief silence.

“It’s fine…….”

“Really?”

Hearing the trembling answer, I nodded.

“Well, if so.”

I slowly reached out my hand. The moment my fingertips were about to touch the fragment the Spirit was trying to hand me.

Whoosh-! Grasp-!

“Oof!?”

My hand didn’t go towards the fragment, but instead went straight for and grabbed the Spirit’s neck.

The small frame was lifted, floating in mid-air.

“Shrine Maiden-nim!”

At the sudden situation, the beast-shaped soldiers deployed around tried to rush in, but.

“Stop.”

“!!!!!!!!”

At my whispered words looking at them, they all had to freeze in place.

Dragon Speech burst forth, binding their feet.

“Don’t move around annoyingly. Anyway, nothing will change even if you all rush in. Before I snap the neck of this thing you all cherish. Just stay put quietly. Understand?”

“…….”

“If you understand, nod your head.”

At my words, the soldier at the front cautiously nods.

Seeing that, I smirked and released the Dragon Speech.

“Ugh…… Gurgle…….”

The Spirit, with their neck caught by me and floating in mid-air, lets out pained groans.

Seeing that, I said.

“Normally, I would have just let it slide, you know? But I don’t have time, and right now, I hate dealing with bothersome things, so I’ll just ask you directly.”

“Gack…….”

“What are you hiding from me? What do you really want from me?”

“……!”

Hearing my words, the Spirit’s body trembled greatly.

Seeing that reaction, I was convinced once again.

“That’s right? You were harboring other intentions towards me.”

There is something unsaid.

That was admitting it to me through its reaction.

“Th-that’s…… not…… not it…….”

“Don’t kid yourself. Do you think I’m an idiot?”

Squeeze-!

“Ggggh……!”

“I can tolerate other things, but I can’t tolerate you trying to mess with me when it’s obvious. Especially when I’m already in a sensitive state, making me pissed off like this.”

I came back from outside with no gains and only deeper questions, so I was completely annoyed.

In such a situation, with things I’m seeing for the first time pretending to worship me in front of me while trying to pull a fast one behind my back, how could I possibly tolerate it?

“I’m really sorry, but I’m really busy. I don’t have time to deal with tricks like these one by one.”

“Gack…….”

“So, just tell me. Before I burn you all to a crisp.”

Rumble rumble rumble—-!!!!

Killing intent burst out from my fingertips, engulfing the surroundings.

“Gggghhh–!!!!”

“Ggggrrr……!!!!”

Those around me started foaming at the mouth and collapsing one by one from the killing intent imbued with pressure. Although I tried to control and release it as much as possible, the killing intent I unleash has become incredibly strong now that I’ve reached transcendence.

Even with control, there was a limit.

So, just in case, I adjusted only this part so that it wouldn’t affect the Spirit.

“Gulp…….”

Just by feeling the ripple effect from the surroundings, the Spirit’s body shivers uncontrollably.

“I’ll count to three. If you don’t speak within that time, I’ll kill everyone.”

To show I was serious, I increased the killing intent further.

“One.”

I started counting.

“Two.”

I wrapped energy around my empty left hand. I’ll burn them all away and finish my business at the Sacred Tree before leaving.

Having decided that, as I counted the last number.

“Three-.”

“A, a sacrifice…….”

The Spirit said.

Hearing that, I asked with a smirk.

“What did you say?”

“A sacrifice…… I…… I needed a sacrifice…….”

As soon as I heard that, I slightly loosened my grip. Meaning, ‘Go on, tell me slowly.’

“A sacrifice?”

“That’s right…….”

“A sacrifice…”

For starters, it’s definitely not a pleasant word.

“In detail.”

“…….”

“Don’t make me ask twice.”

Whoosh-!

As I spoke while igniting fire, fear was evident in the Spirit’s reaction.

More precisely, it wasn’t fear of their own death, but rather fear that I might kill those around them.

“To leave this place…… and escape our karma…… a sacrifice was needed.”

“Karma?”

“It’s the duty of guarding the Sacred Tree…….”

The Spirit turned their gaze to the black Sacred Tree rising on the hill.

“To guard that Sacred Tree…… I can never leave this place. Because that is our karma.”

“But wasn’t this place made to escape the eyes of the leader?”

Yet you said it was needed to escape.

“What’s the truth?”

What is the truth? I asked, frowning.

Then the Spirit, maintaining their trembling body, says to me.

“Both are true…….”

“What does that mean?”

“We…… made this place to prolong our lives. And we also wish to escape from here.”

“That’s a contradictory statement. Go on.”

“Since the day the General appeared and started taking all our kin. Being able to hide here, thanks to the Master’s grace, is indeed grace, but…… it is also a curse.”

As I listened to the explanation, I slowly lowered my arm.

“……Bound by the Sacred Tree, we became unable to escape this arduous and pitiful place until the Master permits…….”

“Does being trapped in Demon Spirit Mountain mean that?”

“Yes.”

“Then, you see.”

My eyes gleaming, I said to the Spirit.

“That sacrifice you just mentioned?”

That was clearly a term referring to me.

“If you have that, will your karma be nullified or something?”

“…….”

“If you hesitate and can’t answer again, I’ll kill you.”

“……Yes.”

“Hmm.”

If there’s a sacrifice, karma is nullified, huh.

“How?”

“The karma the Master decreed is…… for the Shrine Maiden to guard this space without leaving until the time comes.”

“So the time has come, right? But why are you trying to escape?”

If the Spirit’s words are true, there was no need to resort to tricks.

“If I take care of that guy, wouldn’t that solve it?”

“……That’s…”

The Spirit seemed unwilling to answer, but because of what I just said, they spoke as if they had no choice.

“Because…… I no longer trust the Master.”

“What?”

At those words, this time, my eyes widened.

“Hundreds of years have passed since the Master disappeared. During that time, we were unable to leave this place even a single step, and time passed. I could no longer bear it.”

“So…… since I don’t know if it will happen as the Master truly said, I was devising a way to escape. Is that what you mean?”

“…….”

“Answer me.”

“Yes…….”

“So, the sacrifice you found is me, you say. What is a sacrifice?”

“It is a being who can transfer the karma…….”

“That’s me?”

“……Yes.”

“If you transfer karma, how do you do it?”

Hearing my question, the Spirit looks somewhere. The location was their hand.

There, the fragment they were trying to give me just moments ago was held.

No way?

“……If you do something with that, does it transfer?”

“……Yes-.”

“Hah.”

“……!”

At the sound of my laughter, the Spirit shrinks back again.

‘I told them I didn’t want to work for free, so were they trying to give me that and make me do the Shrine Maiden’s work?’

I don’t know what would change by holding that, but if the Spirit intended to do that, it seemed like there was some method.

“You really tried to hand that over to me.”

“I’m sorry…… I’m sorry. Please…….”

The Spirit hurriedly kneels down and bows their head.

Bending my knees to meet her gaze, I asked.

“What should I do with this?”

It’s a mess.

Even what I heard about the plan, everything was strange.

‘There’s no way this could have gone according to plan.’

It’s strange enough that holding that fragment would make one the master.

And it was also strange that they would try to foist it onto me out of the blue.

Everything doesn’t make sense, but.

‘If you put it another way.’

Is it right to think that they were that cornered/desperate?

A situation where they were so cornered that rational thought wasn’t possible.

Should I understand it that way?

‘Well.’

Easier said than done. Understanding it or not is another matter.

“…….”

Seeing the trembling Spirit, I nodded.

They could no longer trust the Master. That statement sticks with me.

The Master left word that I would appear and take care of the leader, but.

For hundreds of years after that, there was no change. The Master disappeared, and communication became impossible.

In such a situation, trapped in a confined space with sorcery cast, unable to leave, they spent their time.

‘Is it natural for things to turn out this way?’

I quietly looked at the Spirit.

If you were to count this too, should I call it my fault?

Or should I say it’s because of Mother?

‘Regardless, I have no intention of overlooking the fact that they tried to do something to me.’

I just felt pity.

“Hmm.”

I stood up.

“Normally, I would have just killed you.”

Swishhh.

At my chilling words, the surroundings instantly froze over with cold.

“……Since it seems like it might be my fault, even if it’s just a speck of dust…….”

I turned my head.

“Be waiting.”

“Yes……?”

“I have no intention of letting this slide easily, so don’t expect anything like that.”

I bent my knees slightly.

“I think I have something to do for a moment, so just wait.”

Just like that, wrapping myself in flames, I moved towards the entrance again.

The surrounding scenery changes in an instant.

Like before, I came out of the door and flew up into the sky.

“…….”

Feeling the high air, I looked up at the sky.

‘How much time is left until night falls?’

It probably wasn’t much longer, but it didn’t seem short either.

‘I should prepare a bit in the meantime.’

Closing my eyes, I circulated my energy.

From now on, I need to prepare to welcome guests.

Very roughly, that is.