Episode 30. Face to Face with the World Tree (End)
“Contractor? You, my?”
The World Tree vigorously nodded its head.
So the source of my power is the world tree?
Thinking about it, I didn’t know where the power I had came from until now. I didn’t even think about it.
If you look at the works of possession, you receive preferential treatment from the moment you possess and gradually become the best. Or the best from the start.
I tried to use this power to make things easier, but I never thought about where it came from.
But the source of this power is the world tree…….
I don’t know how many times I was surprised in a really short conversation.
“The mana that Lee Hangyul has used so far is part of my power. It might be unpleasant to sign a contract without permission, but I couldn’t help it. Prause wasn’t born with my blessing like the warriors, so he couldn’t lend his strength outside of contracts.”
“…… Then why did you choose Prause as the person who possessed me?”
“That’s not what I picked. The soul has gone to the body.”
“…… Then did I originally steal Prause’s body?”
“Okay. To have Prause’s memory means that the assimilation of the soul took place. It is a phenomenon that only occurs when the owner of the body allows it. Thanks to that, I can have the memories of Prause.”
A soul fairy tale…….
It was the setting of an area that did not appear in the game.
“Right now, whenever Phasma is possessed by Praus, he can’t read your memories, right?”
“Yes.”
“That’s because soul assimilation didn’t happen. In addition, usually when the soul is assimilated, one side of the ego is to be destroyed.”
Does it really disappear?
Remembering the way I treated Parocco, I also felt that Prause was in my thoughts and emotions. It wasn’t certain, though.
“Then why did Prause accept me? Doesn’t giving up mean dying?”
“I don’t know either. However, Prause has been living a helpless life since before Han Kyul came to this world, so he might have needed someone to replace him.”
As the world tree said, Prause’s memory was intact with the feeling of wanting to give up on life. But he wasn’t prepared to die.
There was something strange about him handing over his body to me.
But since the World Tree said he didn’t know, I had no way of knowing. Unless it was to revive Prause’s soul.
“This is probably all the information Prause wanted. Has your curiosity been resolved?”
“…… After I came to this world, I understood why I was possessed by Prauss and where my power came from. I don’t know if I can believe it or not.”
I’ve praised the developer so far, but in fact, the World Tree was just a manipulation. It was a bit of a shock.
“Please believe me. I hid it if I hid it, I don’t lie.”
I looked at her indifferently. Conscious of my gaze, the world tree wiggles his fingers and examines his eyes.
“Come now…… I know there’s no point in apologizing, but……. We sincerely apologize for bringing Lee Hangyul into this world without any explanation and for trying to use him without consent. Sorry.”
The World Tree bowed down and showed a different shrunken appearance than when it first appeared. Is the existence at the top of this world bowing to me…….
I stared at her and said.
“Prause’s mother…… No, don’t apologize in the form of a mother.”
I understand that the temporary release of the expression management skill only appears when I sincerely feel emotions for a person in this world.
Then I had to think that I had become the real Prause and act like I was hypnotized.
“Joe, good. Since he’s my contractor, it’s only natural for me to show you what he really is.”
When the world tree snaps her fingers, it transforms into a woman with turquoise hair color.
He had a very youthful appearance and was a little taller than a lower level spirit. She is wearing a fairy suit like any other spirit king, but her sleeves are flapping because the size doesn’t fit at all. Her skirt was also dragging. But she doesn’t get dirty.
Her turquoise fabric shimmered as she moved. And I knew a man who wore this guise.
“The spirit of the beginning…… ?”
At my murmur, the world tree’s turquoise eyes came to life.
“I remember it well. That’s right. It’s the first elemental I made. Then do you know his name?”
“Initina.”
“That is correct.”
Initina.
He was the original Spirit King and one level higher than the current Spirit King.
“Are you saying that the spirit of the beginning is your true self?”
“It is a little different. The reason I look the same as Initina is because I made it with the thought that Initina would act on my behalf in the future.”
“Then, what will happen if you, the World Tree, and Initina, the primordial spirit king, are together in this place?”
“A being in my form becomes two, right?”
It’s not even twins…….
“Anyway, I will show my true self and apologize sincerely.”
“Isn’t it meaningless to apologize? It’s not like I can go back to the other side—”
“You can go.”
Before I could finish my words, the World Tree spoke resolutely. I couldn’t understand her words for a moment. He stared blankly at her, narrowing his eyes.
“…… What?”
“You can go.”
As if to emphasize once again, the talking world tree.
Only then, the accident that had stopped is back again.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. But…… We cannot give up on Lee Hangyul now. I know that you will be angry at the unreasonable treatment Lee Hangyul received, and I know that you have no shame. I would like to ask you nonetheless. Could you please save this world together with the warriors?”
Even if you say so…….
I can’t accept the request to kill the demon king with the warriors. Unlike the legionnaires of the demons, even if the demon king approaches, he will be encroached on by demonic energy and die.
Even if I canceled the facial expression management skill, unlike the heroes, I didn’t have magic resistance, so if I dealt with the demon king, the world tree’s mana was only robbed.
That said, it was impossible for me to deal with the demon lord with all the fragments of the stone of purification. Even the warriors wouldn’t be able to get close to the Demon King without the Stone of Purification.
“If Mr. Lee Hangyul fails to subdue the demon king and the world perishes, I will not blame Mr. Lee Hangyul.”
“…… But if this world perishes, won’t I die in the end too?”
“No. Mr. Hangyul Lee is my contractor. He will never let you die. If you think this world is doomed, I intend to send you back to your original world.”
“What?”
“But, of course, it takes a lot of causality to send you to the other world. The world has to be turned back there too. Therefore, all memories in this world will be destroyed and no reward will be given. Please understand that.”
Unsurprisingly, I felt like I was writing all my lifelong surprises here.
If this is true, wouldn’t it mean that there was no risk factor for me to die in the first place?
“So what were you going to do if I died before I got here?”
“If it was something I couldn’t save with my own strength, I would have saved it by adjusting cause and effect. It’s like the main character’s buff that often appears in any other work from the other world. But if it was something I couldn’t save with my own strength, I would have sent you back to your original world. Since causality does not apply there, death can be reversed.”
Can I trust you?
Is it okay to trust her words that she won’t lie?
I want to believe with my honest feelings.
There is no risk of death even though I am experiencing experiences that others cannot.
What kind of person can refuse?
“Originally, I thought it would be right to tell you after everything was over, but I was the one who was wrong. Besides, revealing everything would be more voluntarily to save from the huge crisis ahead…….”
“But why did you appear as a mother when you knew you did something wrong?”
“Float, float! I wonder if he still thinks this world is inside a game…… ! Not with bad intentions!”
Because insulting the deceased is already bad.
It’s because I accept Prause’s mother like a character in a game. If she was the real Prause, she would have hurled all sorts of swear words at her.
“But even if the world is regressed, isn’t it not regressing because the demon king is out of cause and effect?”
“Fortunately, the memory was erased. Every time I met the warriors, I reacted as if I was meeting them for the first time, so that’s for sure. However, the strength of the previous world is carried with it.”
“That sounds like the demon lord getting stronger as he returns?”
“… ….”
From noble mtl dot com
She didn’t deny it. Is it real…….
Isn’t that why you can’t kill the Demon King?
“Do you really think you can defeat the demon lord?”
“Yes. I don’t think it’s impossible.”
“I’m just asking for reference. What number is this world?”
“It’s the tenth.”
f*ck. Tenth?
This doesn’t mean turning the puzzle over and putting it back together, does it mean breaking it up and putting it back together?
“Well, that doesn’t mean he’s ten times stronger than the demon king of the first world. The time to return is from the birth of the second hero until his death. It’s mostly done in less than 20 years. Besides, since there is no awareness, the Demon King does not train.”
If it’s from the birth of a hero, you’ll have to catch it for at least twenty years, so you’re saying it’s a maximum of two hundred years?
But wouldn’t two hundred years be enough time to become a munchkin? It’s a game.
“…… Even if that’s the case, even if I can’t kill you, I won’t have anything to say.”
“Yes… doesn’t exist.”
Ten times…….
…… Ten times?
“Wait a minute. Then, there are four more left until the facial expression management skill is unlocked…….”
“Right. Because this world is the tenth world.”
So, if it was the seventh world, I could have used the power of the world tree now. I’m trying to get some heat.
“Then, if I deal with the demon lord, can I get a proper reward?”
“Of course! You can make any wish for me, and you can return to the original world. Because I don’t need to regress.”
“I see… ….”
“Will you accept my apology and deal with the Demon King?”
It is a face of great anticipation.
To be honest, it was too tempting for me to refuse. It is true that the process of being dragged in was unreasonable, but I did not feel bad because there was no risk to me.
In addition, more than half of the episodes in this world have already been resolved. Is there anyone who says that he will come this far and return?
Absolutely not!
“Yes. Please accept it.”
“Really?!”
The world tree cheers and approaches me, holding my hand tightly. It was warmer and softer than I thought.
“Ah… Do you not like this?”
Just as the World Tree hesitated and tried to remove his hand, he said calmly.
“No. I just felt comfortable because your hands were warm.”
“!”
At my words, the World Tree blinked with its eyes wide open. Before long, he giggles with a sly expression and clasps his hands.
“Oh, you screwed up like this. Warriors.”
“…… I didn’t twist you.”
I forcibly released the pod.
“I accept it because I also want to see the end of this world. I wonder if it will really end that way, like the game, or if it will end differently.”
“I see!”
World Su reacts exaggeratedly and nods his head.
“By the way, what is your real name?”
It was one of the questions I really wanted to ask. In the game, the name only appears as the World Tree, so I didn’t know the real name of the World Tree.
“This is an outrageous question. Are you curious about my name?”
“Yes.”
She snorts at my answer. She seemed happy to be interested in her.
“My name is Yggdrasil Sequoia. Prause.”
Yggdrasil. It’s a very common name.
Speaking of the world tree, it is called that in most of the works, so do you think it is common?
“…… Okay. Please do well Yggdrasil.”
“Please take care of me.”
The problem at hand was how quickly I could release the facial expression management skill. In order to properly use the power of Yggdrasil, you need to disable facial expression management four times.
However, this was not something I could control according to my will, so it was just very embarrassing.
“Then, shall I undo what stopped the world?”
Yggdrasil said, bringing her thumb and middle finger together.
“Ah.”
“Why is that?”
Suddenly, a question came to my mind, and I uttered a sound without even realizing it. Yggdrasil was puzzled by me.
“I’m asking just in case, but did you manipulate the fact that you killed Dink by getting caught on the beak?”
I’ve done countless battles so far (most of them were Phasma), but there was a sense of incongruity when dealing with Dink. It was awkward enough to dismiss it as a coincidence.
“Oh, Dink? Whoops. You’re sharp. That’s right, I manipulated it. How could there be a stone beak there?”
“…… I guess so.”
Because the main character’s buff is something that can’t happen in real life after all.
“If the question is cleared, I will release it now.”
Yggdrasil laughed and snapped his fingers.