Chapter 333: Apostle. (4)

To others, it was an event from hundreds of years ago.

But to the ancient tree, it was a distant past, immeasurable and countless.

In that place, the ancient tree…

…still remembered the cry of a young man.

It was so desperate.

He dug into his own eyes, spitting blood.

His tears were red, like the blood of his own child.

[How… How could this happen….]

The child, whose brilliant golden hair was now stained entirely with blood,

continued to cry out, as if demanding an explanation.

[What did we do wrong…. What on earth did we do wrong!]

Clutching the bodies of his dear friends,

and seeing the blood flowing from his family members’ bodies,

he continued.

[My Lord….]

A desperate cry filled with resentment.

At the end of that sobbing call,

the ancient tree could offer no answer.

[What are we supposed to do….]

The world was burning.

The endlessly blue sea had turned red with blood.

Even now, life on this land was perishing one by one.

It was a Blood Calamity (血劫).

A Blood Calamity caused by a single being.

It had grown so vast, erasing the world.

[My Lord….]

Where did it all go wrong?

Was it because I only wished for the children to be happy?

Or because I didn’t try to do anything, unlike other Lords?

The ancient tree did not know.

It only knew.

That its child was crying out before its very eyes.

And it was so heartbreakingly sad.

All it could do was extend its branches to wipe away the tears.

[My child.]

As if responding to the call, the golden-haired youth lifted his head, but…

…the eyes within his gaze were utterly vacant.

The world was collapsing.

And the child before its eyes had already crumbled.

[…Tell me. What wrong did we commit.]

[You have committed no sin.]

[Then, how could the world become like this…!]

Was it called the Blood Demon (血魔)?

The being that tore through the void, as if expressing its very existence,

expanded its domain in an instant.

The ancient tree could understand.

All life born upon this land…

…was like its own child.

Sharing consciousness.

However, the ancient tree knew nothing of the Blood Demon’s existence.

This meant…

…that the Blood Demon was not of this world.

And the ancient tree vaguely understood the reason for that being’s appearance in this world.

Thirty to twenty years ago.

Or perhaps even earlier.

It was around that time that change came to this world, which the ancient tree thought would always remain the same.

From a rift that appeared in the void,

beings from other realms, not the life the ancient tree observed, began to appear.

The ancient tree believed that was the reason.

Originally, connection with other realms…

…was an act against the principles established by the world.

And since such a violation of principles had occurred in the ancient tree’s world,

it was a transgression against the ancient tree, the current Lord of this world.

It was a sin.

If an anomaly occurred, it was also the Lord’s fault.

The connection with other realms was the price for that sin.

It didn’t matter who committed it.

Or what problem arose.

Since sin had appeared in this land,

the ancient tree had to receive its punishment.

However.

[…Everyone… died.]

What the ancient tree could not bear was precisely this.

[The children’s limbs were severed.]

[The children’s parents met death with their heads severed.]

The ancient tree considered everyone on this land…

…as its own children.

Death was like a flow.

For the ancient tree, which lived for countless ages, their deaths were like fleeting moments.

Whether it was aging and dying over time,

or its children dying in conflict with each other,

these were the world’s principles and flows.

The ancient tree could only swallow its sorrow and bless new life.

It believed it could not interfere.

Furthermore, if the current rift…

…and the need to correct the world’s principles required its own demise and the birth of a new Lord,

it thought it could understand that as well.

[…It is sorrowful.]

Seeing the child weeping so sorrowfully,

the ancient tree felt only indescribable emotions.

Soon.

The being called the Blood Demon would arrive here.

Whether it called itself the Blood Demon,

or if the children called it that, the ancient tree did not know.

But it could sense such a being approaching from afar.

Thud thud thud.

The extended branches wrapped around the youth’s body.

It was not for protection.

If one had to express it, it was closer to offering comfort, but…

…it was uncertain whether the ancient tree’s touch could reach the youth.

Even now, within the ancient tree’s embrace, without rest,

the deaths of the children born and raised in this world were being felt.

[How can this be so cruel….]

Truly cruel.

That new beginnings could only come after erasing so many lives.

And that it could do nothing.

To merely remain rooted in this land.

And have to watch its children die.

Was this the principle?

To say the world desired this…

…was it not too sorrowful and cruel?

In that gap.

Being unable to do anything.

That was the saddest part.

Far away.

The approaching crimson sky could be seen.

Beneath the sky stained red.

He was approaching.

To erase the ancient tree from this land.

And to correct the world’s order.

Gazing at that surging darkness,

the ancient tree thought.

Was such a principle truly right?

It must be right.

The order and principles set by the world were absolute.

And its own bestowed position remained the same.

Because the world exists, there is a Lord.

And because there is a Lord, life can be born.

The meaning of the ancient tree’s existence was that the world existed.

Recalling each of these points,

the ancient tree spoke towards somewhere.

[I acknowledge it.]

That a problem arose in the world where it was rooted.

And that phenomena violating principles occurred because of it.

It acknowledged all of it as its own sin and would accept it, but…

[The children bear no sin, do they?]

Was it speaking to someone?

Perhaps it was advice that would receive no answer,

like a monologue spoken alone by the ancient tree.

If there was a sin,

even while bearing the name of Lord,

perhaps the old ancient tree, harboring love for its own life, was the sin.

[…My child.]

the ancient tree whispered softly.

Between the surrounding branches, a presence could be felt.

[My child.]

[…Yes….]

Already broken as if about to shatter,

the face of one who had given up on everything was clearly visible through the gaps in the branches.

Seeing that, the ancient tree spoke.

[I shall give you a choice.]

[A choice… you say?]

The roots embedded in the ground trembled.

The branches began to shake violently.

[To be swept away and disappear like this is also your choice.

And to hear another story and seek an opportunity is also your choice.]

At the ancient tree’s words,

the man’s eyes wavered.

It seemed the meaning contained within the word ‘opportunity’ had clearly resonated.

Seeing that, the man’s choice…

…could likely be known without needing to hear it.

The ancient tree slowly extended a branch.

And stroked the man’s head.

This choice could not be said to be the right one.

It was a choice made to defy the world’s principles,

a method chosen while forgetting its own position and the meaning of its existence.

Subsequently, the man chose.

To embrace the opportunity.

By any means necessary.

He said he would do anything if given a chance to escape this disaster.

Even if his soul were shattered.

And even if he received great punishment.

He said he would do it if he could.

That was the man’s reply.

Hearing that, the ancient tree…

…from its high-reaching branches,

slowly dropped its beautifully bloomed white leaves.

[…My child, this is all I can do for you.]

As the leaves began to pile up thickly on the ground,

something that writhed as if protecting the tree…

…slid down its trunk and tightly embraced the man’s body.

It was shaped like a snake.

Amidst the slow falling of leaves,

an anomaly also occurred within the ancient tree.

Its life-filled roots began to gradually wither.

And the surrounding area started to distort and decay.

The world had noticed.

What the ancient tree was trying to do.

Sensing this, the ancient tree spoke.

[I shall bear this as well….]

To turn back someone’s time.

Is to accumulate karma equivalent to that.

Even if it was merely turning back the time of a small human,

Defying principles…

…was a grave sin.

The ancient tree felt a bitter premonition about the punishment it would face.

[…My child.]

[My Lord…. This…]

[May there be a small blessing upon the hardships and adversities you will face…]

The man looked at the ancient tree as if asking what it meant, but…

…at that moment, the white leaves piled thickly on the ground…

…swirled rapidly around the man like a gust of wind.

It was like a white vortex.

Crackle… rustle.

As the man was enveloped by the vortex,

the ancient tree calmly endured the anomaly occurring within itself.

Different from simple death.

It was punishment poured down because the Lord had acted against principles.

Sensing that anomaly,

the ancient tree slowly held its breath.

At that moment.

Whoosh!

The vortex surged upwards into the sky.

And not long after, above the land of Sichuan,

a man returned to the body of a boy.

The boy looked around desperately with a bewildered gaze, but…

…the giant ancient tree that should have been there no longer existed.

Moreover.

The world seemed to have forgotten the ancient tree’s very existence.

Or perhaps, as if it had never existed in the first place.

The world had become one where the existence called the ancient tree had vanished.

---

As soon as I heard the story, I let out a breath of disbelief.

Because it was that kind of story.

“You’re the Lord of the world I came from?”

The World Tree before my eyes…

…was apparently the Lord that should have been in our world.

[Yes. I was the Lord there.]

“Past tense, huh?”

[…Because I have lost my qualifications now.]

Lost qualifications.

‘Did it say it received punishment while regressing someone?’

What flashed through my mind was, naturally, Yeon Ilcheon’s name.

The heroes I’d met so far had mentioned it.

Even Yeon Ilcheon’s own thoughts had mentioned that he had undergone regression.

Then.

It was this tree that regressed Yeon Ilcheon,

and it was here because of the sin of causing regression?

‘It said this was a false world.’

Nothing in this world was true.

The monsters spreading and pouring down from all directions were close to illusions,

but the pain they inflicted was real,

and the corpses of those killed by monsters didn’t disappear like illusions.

If you ask why this place is a false world,

the World Tree itself said so,

and after everything ended,

when I escaped this place and returned to my original world,

seeing that not a single one of those who transferred with me had died, I…

…was inclined to believe that this world was a false one.

If not, how could that be possible?

But the truth is…

‘Is this some kind of confinement space?’

Does this mean this is the space the World Tree fell into after committing a sin?

I know there are various demonic realms in the world.

There are even four demonic realms recorded by the Martial Alliance,

and they manage the gates that allow passage.

However, this place does not belong to any of those four.

Such an unknown demonic realm…

…I knew of a few.

“…So, because you didn’t disappear and are here, the life in our world could continue… is that what you mean?”

Whether those words were true or not, I didn’t know,

but my tone of speech involuntarily changed slightly.

Even though I could speak my mind without caring whether someone was a Lord or not,

the faint emotion emanating from the World Tree interfered.

It felt similar to that of a mother,

making it difficult to speak harsh words, perhaps?

‘How many years has it been since I stopped feeling things like that?’

Was I feeling maternal affection now?

How old was I? It was just laughable.

Amidst that,

the World Tree spoke to me.

[That is not the case.]

Because you didn’t disappear and are here…

…was it possible for the birth of life to continue according to the principles mentioned earlier? This was the question, but…

…the World Tree denied it.

[Having lost my qualifications, I have also lost my value as a Lord.]

“I cannot understand… Then.”

How is the world being maintained?

Is it really the demonic realm gates that are the problem?

The Blood Demon… the one the World Tree mentioned…

Was it like an agent sent to erase life forms?

‘Then, what was the orb on the front line?’

The domain of Gu family, located on one side of the front line.

The orb that was there…

…was referred to as a seed by the beast within my body.

Tree and seed.

I truly disliked that subtly connected feeling.

‘Hey.’

Thinking of that, I tried calling him, but…

…he hadn’t responded since the time Shin Noya had a brief incident.

That applied to Shin Noya as well.

I raised my hand and swept my hair back, starting from my forehead.

My head hurts.

I wanted to know the truth,

but I hadn’t expected there to be so many hidden stories piled up so terribly.

When one originally wants to solve or resolve a problem,

they must find where the problem began.

Only by finding the beginning…

…can even a tightly tangled thread be unraveled.

But.

‘Then, in the end, wasn’t it the mess our ancestors made that was the problem?’

If the rift was the problem,

then ultimately, the one who opened the demonic realm gate is the problem.

In the distant past,

the ancestor of Gu family opened the demonic realm gate.

Because of that, the thing called the world’s principles…

…developed a rift.

And to fix something that went awry because of it, the being called the Blood Demon appeared.

The Lord of the world where the Blood Demon appeared…

…was this World Tree.

And for some reason, the World Tree regressed Yeon Ilcheon.

Here lies the question.

“…Why Yeon Ilcheon, of all people?”

Kwon Cheol-geumwang was the greatest under heaven at that time.

He was also the head of the most powerful family back then,

and just hearing Shin Noya speak, I knew how strong he was.

Yet, it was unavoidable that doubt arose.

Why was it Yeon Ilcheon?

The reason for such a question was none other than this:

The past heroes I had met so far.

Yeon Ilcheon, too.

Hwang A-bulyeongdo, too.

Even Namgung Myung.

All sought out Shin Noya.

If there was a question, it was ultimately because they acted as if Shin Noya was their hope.

Though the reason was unknown, if Shin Noya was the hope,

wouldn’t it have been a better method to regress Shin Noya instead?

To my question, imbued with such meaning,

the World Tree moved its branches and pointed.

As if telling me to sit down again.

[Apostle. I understand what you are curious about, but I apologize, I do not know much.]

“I am simply curious about the reason for regressing Yeon Ilcheon.”

[Yeon Ilcheon… Yes, that was the name.]

It was confirmed by the World Tree’s words.

The reason Yeon Ilcheon could regress was because of the World Tree before my eyes.

And it was stuck here due to that punishment.

[The reason… The reason.]

Was there some special reason?

[It is difficult.]

“Difficult?”

[Yes, how could it not be difficult? For one must find the reason.]

Hearing the World Tree’s words, I tilted my head.

What on earth is it saying?

Finding the reason is difficult?