Chapter 1008: The Divine Tree and the Master.

The corpse of the chillingly deceased Yusa. I frowned while touching it.

“This bastard really died, huh?”

Died.

The guy who was just chatting normally until a moment ago suddenly died from his heart exploding.

As if to prove that the guy had died, I could feel the life force that had been emanating from Yusa rapidly disappearing.

“What the…?”

Why did he suddenly die? Moreover.

“Why of all ways to die, did he have to have his heart explode?”

His heart had burst.

What could this mean? Even if others didn’t know, I knew.

This is.

‘…The same effect as the Heavenly Demon’s restriction.’

That restriction the Heavenly Demon had placed on all the demonkin.

One couldn’t dare undo it, and if one even attempted to break it, they too would explode and die – an absolute restriction.

Thanks to it, even if tortured, they could not reveal anything.

If they tried to speak, it led straight to death, so who would possibly talk?

The Orthodox sects’ brilliant formation masters dedicated themselves to researching the restriction, but…

The result was disastrous.

No one could break the Heavenly Demon’s restriction.

This was the case even until the moment I died.

The manner in which Yusa had met his death now was identical to the Heavenly Demon’s restriction.

‘…Whether it’s a restriction or not, I don’t know, but.’

If it weren’t that, there was no explanation.

To die the moment the location of the Sacred Tree was prompted! If this isn’t a restriction, what else could it be?

‘Ssk.‘

I stroked my chin. This was troublesome.

Yusa dying out of the blue? That’s a problem too, but that’s not what I’m concerned about right now.

‘I lost a valuable pawn.’

The fact that Yusa died before I could even use him properly.

That was the biggest problem for me.

Even if I lost Baekseok due to my own mistake, Yusa’s case wasn’t like that, which means I’m in a bind.

“…Ssk.“

I stroked my chin while looking at Yusa’s corpse.

What should I do?

‘I didn’t intend to kill the General.’

No, honestly, I did have the intention to kill him, but if I had succeeded in turning him into a demonkin, I had planned to use him more effectively.

Since he died like this, my head’s gotten a bit complicated.

“Hoo.”

As if tired, I ran my hand through my hair and moved my fingers.

Sparks flew from my fingertips and stuck to Yusa’s body.

Hwarurururuk—!!!

The blue flame flared up, engulfing Yusa’s body. Before long, it erased him completely, leaving no trace, not even bones.

Watching the flames incinerate Yusa’s body, I wondered.

‘Is it like the Heavenly Demon’s restriction?’

The thing that was placed on him. If that was indeed a restriction, could it be the same as what the Heavenly Demon had placed on the demonkin?

If that’s the case.

‘It means the restriction wasn’t erased even after I turned him into a demonkin.’

How could that be possible?

When corrupting others, I used to wash away whatever restriction they had and overlay my demonic energy on top. This was because the energy called demonic energy took precedence over any other restriction. In fact, there were several instances where I used it to erase restrictions.

‘Under those circumstances.’

The fact that Yusa, now a demonkin, died due to a restriction means…

‘It means it was a restriction with a higher priority than demonic energy.’

If we’re talking about a being capable of imposing something like that…

‘…Could it be Mother?’

Mother, the current master of the Myriad Worlds.

Perhaps she placed a restriction on Yusa?

Judging by the circumstances, it was the most probable thing, but strangely, I couldn’t bring myself to believe it. Rather than not being able to believe it, it was closer to not wanting to believe it.

I hoped Mother wasn’t the type of person to place such a dreadful restriction.

Recalling that, I clicked my tongue.

‘A futile wish.’

Hadn’t I already come to terms with it? She is my mother, and yet she is not. A being lost in oblivion, having forgotten everything about me. She was someone who might even harbor hostility and try to eliminate me the moment she faced me.

She is not my mother.

I cannot see her as my mother. Therefore, do not concern yourself with the restriction either.

‘Thinking about how such a thing was possible is meaningless.’

In the first place, one needs to know something to even begin judging whether it’s possible or not. I knew very little about this place.

‘For now, focus only on the information I’ve uncovered.’

Demonic energy works even on Generals. I can corrupt them too, but the process is slow, and even if they are corrupted…

‘Loyalty doesn’t arise.’

It was inefficient compared to humans.

Furthermore.

‘The restriction isn’t overridden either.’

Even corrupting them with demonic energy couldn’t override the restriction. It meant a power existed that had higher priority than demonization.

What could it be?

What had been imposed on him? That continued to bother me, but…

‘For now.’

Putting Yusa’s death and the restriction aside.

‘I need to take care of the main objective first.’

I looked up at the sky. The fully risen moon shone its light upon the world. My body as a member of the Moonlit Night Tribe proves it, even though I erased Fire Wheel Castle.

‘Where did he say it was?’

The location Yusa mentioned.

‘Under the Banquet Hall.’

The place he mentioned before dying. Fortunately, it was a place I knew.

I put strength into my feet.

Sparks flew as I soared into the air.

The ground viewed from the sky was truly a complete mess. Parts of the forest that had looked pristine were completely gone. The aftermath of battle. Seeing that, I moved.

I had sustained internal injuries and my energy had dropped considerably, but it didn’t matter.

Since it was night, my body as a member of the Moonlit Night Tribe would quickly resolve the situation.

I believed that.

Flying as if swept by the wind, I glanced at the blaze burning on the ground. The embers, having burned out completely, dissipated in the wind’s current. I glanced at the remnants of what was originally Yusa disappearing.

By then, in my eyes…

It was just after any interest or emotion towards the existence called Yusa had subsided.

If there was anything left at all…

‘What a pity.’

The fact that I won by using my power in the end.

That is what I regret more than Yusa’s death.

Just about that much.

The sentiment felt towards the fading Yusa…

Was only that much.

---

Carried by the embers, I arrived at Yawoel. As expected, even after flying such a short distance, my body had recovered considerably.

Stepping onto the castle wall, I shook off the remaining embers from my body.

Then.

“What the-!”

As a soldier on the castle wall reacted, I flicked my finger briefly.

Tung-!

“Keok!”

The soldier, struck in the jaw by the energy, collapsed. Seeing that, I gave a slight nod.

‘The troops have increased.’

The troop presence surrounding the area had increased considerably. Originally, even if there were many on the ground, there were almost none on the castle walls. Now, soldiers were visible here and there.

‘Hmm…’

They might be able to hide if they suppressed their presence, but since there was no need for them to bother, I just flew straight ahead.

Hwarururuk—!!!

Leaving trails of flame, I flew up onto the tallest building inside Yawoel. This wasn’t the location. It was a slightly lower place than this.

‘Found it.’

Glancing around, I pinpointed the location. Not the highest place within Yawoel, but the largest building. That was the conference hall Yusa mentioned.

Floating lightly, I landed on the conference hall’s ceiling, then immediately descended softly to the floor. I naturally knocked the soldier stationed below unconscious. I pulled the conference hall’s doorknob.

Kkirik.

The door was locked. So, emitting heat from my hand, I reached for the door.

Chi-iik.

I melted the door. My hand pierced through and pulled the doorknob inside. The locked door opened.

I opened the door and stepped inside.

It was a spacious, dark space.

After closing the door, I melted and fused the iron shut so it couldn’t be opened again. Anyway, if I’m discovered, I won’t last long, but I should still be able to buy some time.

And…

‘I wouldn’t care even if I got caught, though.’

By now, I wouldn’t feel much even if I were caught. I’d just accept it.

Hwareuk.

Creating a flame in the air to illuminate the area like a lantern, I surveyed my surroundings.

Ttubeok.

Maybe because the space is large, the sound echoed.

‘It seems there are no troops inside.’

There was no sign of patrolling or anything. It just seemed like an empty space. In fact, I scattered my aura detection widely, but nothing registered.

I scanned around.

Where could it be?

‘Since he said underground, there must be a way down.’

Obviously, there wouldn’t be an entrance right out in the open. I figured there might be some kind of hidden mechanism. So, just in case, I was looking around the area with my Mind’s Eye activated. My Mind’s Eye should be able to detect any sorcery or formations, you see.

I looked around completely for quite a while, but…

‘…I can’t see it?’

I couldn’t feel it, nor could I see it.

Is there really a way down to the underground?

Or perhaps…

‘The conference hall isn’t this place?’

There’s also the possibility that the conference hall Yusa mentioned is somewhere else. Because he didn’t explicitly say it was this place.

The problem is.

‘There’s no reason for that.’

Would there be any reason to refer to another place as the conference hall instead of this one? I concluded there wasn’t. Common sense dictates this is the place, no matter how I look at it.

‘Where on earth could it be?’

Where could the place leading underground be? I felt like I had checked every room imaginable.

‘This is strange.’

It really is strange.

What on earth could it be?

I couldn’t get a grasp of it at all, so I stood there for a moment. Stopping right there, I looked around. It wasn’t for any particular reason.

Just standing still.

As I was just standing still, staring at my surroundings without doing anything…

“Ah.”

A thought occurred to me. It was something that happened at the Volcano Sect. The changes that occurred in my body after eating the Divine Fruit. I recalled that.

‘The Sacred Tree’s energy.’

The Sacred Tree possesses an energy. Remembering the immense presence I felt regarding the Sacred Tree at the Volcano Sect, I slowly closed my eyes. I thought maybe I could sense it this way.

After a short moment passed like that.

Ung.

“Ah.”

A faint sensation brushed past, and I immediately opened my eyes.

“Found it.”

I felt it.

I clearly felt it beneath my feet.

‘It really is underground.’

It really is underground. It seems just as Yusa said.

But what should I do?

‘Even if it’s like this, isn’t it the same?’

If there’s no way to go down, it’s all for nothing anyway. Ultimately, it means I still have to find the entrance leading underground…

How should I handle this?

“…Hmm.”

After pondering with my arms crossed.

“It can’t be helped.”

Nodding my head, I decided on a solution.

“I’ll just break it.”

Let’s just break it and go in.

Moving my fist, I slammed it down towards the ground.

Kung-!

Kwaaaaaaaa—!!!

The ground collapsed from the impact.