episode_0116

─Tell me. I’m really looking forward to hearing about your experiences outside.

The group looked at the root snake with thoughtful faces, but Jules ignored it. Soon, the big and small things that Juul had experienced over the past 14 years began to pour out.

From the story of his younger brother being killed by an ogre, to the story of being hit by an arrow while frosting fruit in a human village, to the story of finally meeting me.

It’s a story that lasted 14 years, but why did I keep repeating my story, even though we only met for half a year, to the point where I embarrassed the person next to me when I blurted out everything.

Of course, those people don’t know the terminology, but if it’s embarrassing, it’s embarrassing.

“At that time, as he was held in my arms… he cried and said, ‘They shouldn’t be mixed like water!’ It’s like this───.”

“No, please!!! Stop it!”

I got so angry that I slapped Jules’ butt.

Jules chuckles and avoids my hand. Then he looked at me with a relaxed expression.

He made a face telling me to hit him if I could…

As the corner of the root snake’s mouth rises, the old scales around its mouth fall off.

─It seems like you’ve been doing well so far. So now… I’d like to ask why you brought the group with you?

Jules turns around and looks at Dennis and Julias.

It’s still a secret to both of them. Jules looked at the two, and then his gaze immediately turned to me.

“I do.”

Julias, who was looking at me following Jules’ eyes, had an expression that said it was no big deal, but the expressions on Dennis and Shir’s expressions were extremely ironic.

Juul looked at me for a long time and then turned his attention to the root snake, and from then on he started telling a story about Shir. Amor, the loss of Shirga’s name, Goddess of Earth’s protection, Immortal, and the meaningless words spoken by the owner of the Calinarden.

Because we talked in terms, other people don’t know what it means.

Only me and Juul know.

I was planning on getting simple advice, but the root snake’s face began to become more frowning as time went by. I’m not sure if he’s smiling or angry, since he doesn’t have eyebrows…

Now I think I’m smiling.

―Hehehe…Okay. Now you’ve finally revealed your tail…

Because the root snake began to laugh viciously, showing its teeth.

The group froze at the sound of laughter. Even Jules.

But I got goosebumps in a different way than my companions. Juul said he couldn’t see the root snake’s eyes, but strangely enough, I felt like the root snake was looking at me.

– Rat rate. What went into your child’s body was not the Mother Goddess’ protection.

“What does that mean?”

―What is engraved in that child’s heart is a totem.

totem?

“Can you explain what a totem is?”

The root snake’s head twists slightly and looks at me with its invisible eyes.

―You are the human child that Juriul was talking about… Okay, let me explain.

Jules looks in my direction.

Since my words are not terms, there is a risk of being heard by the group behind me. However, I couldn’t bear it without asking.

-There are eleven totems in Pangea. There is one erected in Inoemagyeong. A totem is a plant created by thirteen servants under the leadership of the Twin Goddesses with their ideals in mind, and is a plant that benefits Pangea.

Is that beneficial? That flower that ruined Amor’s life and made him live in pain and despair?! That is the power that ruins the human relationships of the parasites. In fact, Amor’s personal relationships also broke down.

Over 500 years, only one Grace remained!

I was so angry that I couldn’t stand it.

“Is that something that benefits the world?!”

-Of course. I know what you’re thinking. I was also quite close to Amor 2000 years ago.

···2000?

How long has this evil practice continued?

―Venus··· Ain calls Venus a servant in charge of emotions, but Venus is actually a servant in charge of beauty and love.

Venus? Why does Venus appear?

Venus is a servant who has no relation to the Mother Goddess.

“Why does the story of Venus come out?”

-The totem is not that of the Mother Goddess, but that of Venus.

That ability is not the protection of the Mother Goddess?

However, Grace told me that the power of the Precious Blood was a blessing from the Mother Goddess. why?

―I am a creation created by the seven servants of the beginning. I’m not proud of being old, but my six servants were born later than me.

I turned my head towards Jules. Jules eyes widen as he snoops around at the root snake. Why is this dragon suddenly coming out like that?

-I have met Maal, and I have seen him name six servants. The name given by God and the power of God passed down through oral tradition among demi-humans are quite different.

Distortion of word of mouth is a common occurrence.

“I just don’t know what Venus has to do with immortality.”

The root snake continues speaking leisurely.

-Don’t be hasty. There is a lot of time…

My mind is spinning because all the hypotheses I had come up with have been thrown into the trash can.

―Totems were originally a power that benefited the earth, but Prometheus and Venus did not want that. They both loved Ain. Therefore, I decided to create a totem to benefit Ajin.

“···What is that?”

―The Prophet’s Tree that stood alone in the burned-out Hibi Desert. And it is a flower that blooms in the heart.

I don’t know anything about the Prophet’s Tree.

First, you need to focus on the flower that blooms in your heart.

―When Venus created her totem, she wanted absolute beauty. Because love and beauty are very closely related that no one can deny. But beauty is not fixed.

As the root snake says, beauty is determined by the world.

······The reason Amor can transform into other people’s ideals is because he possesses a totem containing Venus’ ideals?

-I realized.

“···First of all, I would like you to explain the flower that blooms in the heart.”

-The flower that blooms in the heart…

The root snake interrupts and sticks out its tongue.

Eyes like jade beads that have become blind are rolling around.

-···go away!! Spy!!!

“──────?!!”

The entire cave echoed with shouts.

The cave rumbles and shakes with a simple sound.

It feels like an earthquake has occurred!

Kkwajijik!!! Twist!!!

Tree roots resembling snakes began to protrude through the stone walls from all directions. In an instant, snake-shaped tree roots blocking the ceiling and entrance attack the group. The group’s screams were not even heard as they were drowned out by the sound of the cave being destroyed.

Tree roots continued to gather from somewhere inside the cave, and began to surround the group as if forming a dome. Thanks to this, not even sunlight was visible.

In the meantime, the roots were moving around here and there, and soon everything except the place where the party and the root snake were standing was blocked.

“Grandpa! What are you doing all of a sudden!”

─The spy began to look around. He’s still in here. If your life is precious, stay still. If anyone moves, they die.

As soon as the root snake finished speaking, the group began to scream in fear.

“Seollang! What should I do!”

“Aunt?! What is this?!”

“Jwiyul?! What did I say that caused the root snake to suddenly act like this?! Are you sure you weren’t gossiping about me?!”

“Don’t move because you might die!!!”

People stopped as if they were dumbfounded by my shouting.

Spy? That’s a nickname for a servant who doesn’t exist anywhere. But he’s one of the thirteen servants, right? The dome became denser and darkened the world, and soon it became completely dark.

Occasionally the roots of a root snake would start to probe my body, but then they would pass by. It’s dark so I can’t understand the situation. When I had no choice but to turn on the light with an oil lighter, the surroundings seemed bright as they were dark.

Everyone’s eyes instinctively focused on me.

Everyone was terrified.

Because inside the dome, snake roots were crawling everywhere.

To relieve their tension, we shed farmland streets.

“As expected, Deberg’s technology is world-class──.”

uh···?

There is something. But I can’t see it. It’s clear. You can’t see it… but there is only a shadow on the floor. The shadow is moving! Pay attention to that… come on…! Why… why doesn’t anyone pretend to know?! There’s something standing over there?!

“Jul… Can you see that? There are only shadows… There are only shadows on the floor!”

─Where are you?

The answer is not Juul, but Root Snake.

The shadow turns its head and looks at me. Well, it’s coming this way…!

“···In front! In front of me…! Come to me!”

The roots of the root snake shoot out from all directions, attacking without blind spots. That moment. The shadow disappeared beneath the dirt.

─You’re stupid! The dirt is my stage!!!

Soon a huge earthquake began to rumble.

“Aaagh?!”

Everyone who was standing was completely lost in the tremendous amount of progress. The root snake unwrapped the dome it had made and drove all the remaining roots into the ground.

Now even Jules has fallen.

Jules was right! This is an irresistible force, and the Root Snake is destruction incarnate. The vibrations now echoing through this cave explained everything. How many roots are digging under the ground?

‘If this continues, won’t the entire ground collapse?!’

When I came here, I wondered why the wild people didn’t build a village around here. Of course, I was informed of this fact, but I still did not understand it. But now I understand it desperately. We will never establish a country.

Something pulls me.

It was Julias. Julia hugged me, Shir, Jules, Dennis, and the cockatrice and wrapped them all with her tail.

─Boom!

“No!”

Julias groans and feels arrogant.

I got hit by a falling rock! I immediately took out the canteen from my waist and handed it to Julias. The cave shook like an old rag, with holes here and there, and rocks fell.

How long did that last?

─···I missed it.

The root snake lets out a sad voice.

Soon the recovered roots began to return to their original places, and the cave began to recover as if rewinding. Because I encountered so many abnormal things in an instant, I didn’t even have time to look into the rewind cave.

─···Now, shall we continue what we were talking about?

The root snake that had finished restoring the cave looked at me in the same way as before, making a gentle voice and rolling its invisible eyes.

······It felt that way.