Chapter: 332
All living beings in the world must vanish.
Can a new master make themselves at home on this land?
The words spat out by the World Tree make my head spin, dizzy~
‘… What sort of bullshit logic is that…?’
If it’s said that there’s no master in the world I inhabit, then the world will, of course, end up producing a new master.
That means, in order for that master to take their place, all living beings on the land must be wiped out.
“Who decided that?”
Who on earth came up with such a crazy idea?
It was ludicrous.
[It is not something that someone decided, it is the way the world works.]
I let out a sigh of resignation at the words the World Tree told me, sigh~
Is that the way logic works?
“That’s just ridiculous.”
If that’s what logic insists, then.
Also, if there’s no master in the world I live in, according to reason, a new owner will be chosen.
If that happens…
Doesn’t that mean that all life on earth must disappear following this absurd logic?
‘You want me to believe that?’
It truly was a ridiculous tale.
Not only was it something I’d never heard of before; it was absolutely absurd.
“I’ve never heard of a master. My world was doing just fine without one.”
They say life can’t be born without a master, but isn’t life still thriving just fine?
“If your words aren’t lies, don’t you know there’s a master in my world?”
If you say that the master is the connecting point for all living beings.
Shouldn’t that mean he’s like some kind of god?
Is the god worshiped by Shaolin or shamans that same being?
I just can’t tell.
The information was so outlandish; it seems like understanding it will take quite a while, sigh~
It’s hard to believe such a story.
[Apostle.]
The World Tree calls me, but it doesn’t reach my ears easily.
[We call the world that has gone beyond reason a crack.]
“It’s a crack.”
[Yes, since there is a crack in the original framework, logic isn’t being applied properly.]
“… What the hell is that crack…?”
Ah.
The moment I was about to speak, something brushed past my mind.
A crack is when logic isn’t applied correctly.
If there’s anything that could be called a crack in my world…
There’s no way…
“…Magical Gate?”
A crack emerges in the air.
An alien space that unleashes numerous monsters as another dimension opens up.
Long ago.
The start of a calamity said to have been initiated by the ancestors of the Gu Clan.
What if that disrupted the logic the world was supposed to have?
‘No way…?’
That can’t be!
No, it can’t be.
The absence of a being called the master.
The reason the expected order has been thrown off.
What if that is the Magical Gate’s influence?
‘… You mean, it was the mess my ancestors caused?’
If the crack the World Tree is talking about now was caused by the Magical Gate…
It backs up the records of the Gu Clan.
A part of the sins of the Gu Clan.
The consequences of opening the demonic gates are crawling back right here.
‘But can we really call it a sin?’
If I think about it from a different perspective.
In a world that never had a master, new life can’t be born, but
Due to the crack formed by opening the Magical Gate, if the logic flips and life can continue to be born even without a master,
Then in essence, it’s not truly a bad thing…
‘That can’t be…’
I was about to try to wrap it up nicely, but realized it was futile and shook my head.
No matter what I do,
The opening of the world’s Magical Gate can’t be neatly packaged.
If our ancestors tried to break this logic, who knows.
Other than that,
Our ancestors committed a sin, and
That sin remains to this day.
There’s no way to sugarcoat it.
What we need to contemplate now is about the World Tree.
It’s all about calling to mind the most essential part.
“Everything’s great. Let’s say it’s logic and crack and all that.”
Not a single part makes sense to me, but
Let’s pass over that for now.
What remains from that is this.
“The master who should be in our world in the first place. Then where is he?”
If every world should have a master,
Where exactly is the master who should be in the Central Plains right now?
If we’re going to seek a problem, we need to start from there.
Because it’s said that the absence of that master is precisely why this mess has occurred.
[…]
The World Tree remains silent in reply to my question.
Does that mean it doesn’t know either?
Isn’t it possible for a world to exist without a master in the first place?
That could be the case, right?
[There is no world without a master.]
“Be honest with me; I can read your mind too.”
[The world hates anything that deviates from the established principles.]
Ignoring my words, the World Tree continues talking.
[That’s why they’re doing everything they can to revert it back to the original state.]
“Does putting effort mean that you’re repositioning the master?”
[Yes, if there’s a world and living beings, there must also be a master.]
“… So for that, does every original living being have to be erased?”
[It is said that this is necessary for a new master to take root.]
“You’re outta your mind. Seriously.”
What’s this logic of yours?
Hearing it time and again has already driven me to exasperation, ugh~
“So, if life continues to be born due to the twisted logic, what’s the plan to erase it? Should the heavens rain fire upon us?”
They claim that only by obliterating all living beings can a new master take their place.
The method of eliminating life through the death of the master.
If that’s true, it means it isn’t happening because of the cracks.
So what exactly does the world propose to establish a master?
In response to my inquiry, the World Tree delivers an oddly cold voice.
[If the logic is twisted and fails to flow as it should, then I will make it flow.]
“How?”
[It’s a simple story. If life is to continue, then it can be wiped out artificially.]
“… You’re saying you’re going to erase it artificially?”
I frowned at the World Tree’s words.
The idea of an artificial erasure is unsettling.
Because it started to feel like it was piercing me uncomfortably.
“… That….”
[If the world cannot flow according to logic due to a crack, it will summon a deputy to rectify that flow.]
Deputy.
A being that can revert the logic back to its original and mend a twisted framework.
Contrary to logic, if life keeps on being born,
It means that artificially erasing all life can indeed happen.
“When did that begin happening?”
It’s a cruel and outrageous tale of life being wiped out.
If the World Tree is telling the truth, then it’s a serious matter.
‘Is there any historical account of such an event in the past or in a previous life?’
At least in my memory… it doesn’t seem there was.
Then does that mean this won’t happen in the future?
That’s what I’m thinking.
[… the world is not very patient.]
The World Tree uttered as if capturing my thoughts.
“What does that mean…?”
[If a crack occurs and the logic becomes distorted, we will take swift action.]
To set things right.
“But…”
Even through another thought, this kind of event does happen.
[Do you truly believe that nothing like this has occurred? Apostle.]
“Something like that…”
To grasp the twisted logic, to erase all life on the Central Plains.
That action cannot be achieved naturally.
So, an entity acting on its behalf.
An incident that coincided with the outbreak of the Magical Gate.
“… That’s just absurd; really.”
I found myself cursing without thinking.
I hope it doesn’t send chills down my spine.
It’s an anxiety that arises from recalling the interconnected events with certainty.
It emerges.
What actions were taken to correct the truth the World Tree is discussing?
Because the world is impatient.
An event that is already said to have occurred in the past.
To claim that there hadn’t been such a scenario would be a lie, wouldn’t it?
That’s right.
“… Blood Demon War.”
As soon as I uttered those words,
Cold sweat trickled down my cheek.
Centuries ago.
Not long after the Magical Gate had opened.
A period when there was no core faction of the current sect known as the Murim Alliance.
When we were battling against the Magical Gates forming in the air and the creatures spilling out of them, slowly seeking peace as we continued our exhausting struggle.
Amidst this teetering establishment of order in the Central Plains,
As if to assert that peace wasn’t desired,
Something brought a tempest into the world.
The very first bloodshed, still recorded to this day.
That was the emergence of the Blood Demon.
“… So, the Blood Demon is the deputy?”
A deputy sent by the world to eradicate all life.
Could it possibly be the Blood Demon?
Yeon Il-Cheon said it before.
This world is predestined for destruction.
The calamity leading to that destruction was the Blood Demon.
Though the Blood Demon was sealed successfully,
The calamity will not cease to appear.
And I have also been labeled a calamity.
[Apostle.]
At the moment the World Tree calls my name,
I jumped up from the root on which I was sitting.
[Your eyes have noticed something.]
“… Why do you call me an apostle?”
[Apostle…]
In that sense, the Blood Demon is indeed calamity.
If they declare that the calamity hasn’t ended,
It’s only natural to consider Cheonma as a calamity too.
That’s a given.
In my previous life, it was Cheonma who provoked the Blood Disaster.
The overwhelming power and presence were so great that I could hardly believe they were human.
If they are true calamities to describe, nothing fits better than this.
Even after ultimately facing defeat at the hands of the divine sword, Cheonma was still a being sufficient to be dubbed calamity.
But.
“What do you want from me?”
So then what am I, exactly?
[Apostle.]
“What do you want from me?!”
If the existence before me claims to be a master from another world,
While bestowing upon me these truths,
And grants me something called the stigmata,
Then for what reason are they calling me an apostle?
“Are you telling me… to be a calamity?!”
The Blood Demon was sealed by the powers of others, along with Yeon Il-Cheon.
Let’s assume that’s the conclusion of the first disaster.
Yeon Il-Cheon stated.
This world doesn’t repeat the same mistakes.
There must be a reason behind my regression.
I am a disaster.
[It seems you’ve misunderstood something.]
“Misunderstanding? Whatever it is, it looks nothing like a mere misunderstanding.”
Stop the nonsense.
How the hell have I lived?
Through this miracle of regression,
How hard have I been fighting to live a different life?
To save those who died for me?
I desired to lead a life different from my previous one.
Yet if all these events ultimately point to leading the place I called home to ruin,
If this was predetermined by someone…
“… I’d be better off dying right here.”
[Apostle.]
“Don’t call me an apostle…!”
[Once upon a time, there was a child like you.]
Just as I was about to scream while grappling with my whirlwind thoughts,
I momentarily had to pause at what the World Tree spat out.
The emotions packed within those words felt particularly warm.
I found myself drawn in without realizing it.
Why?
[There was a child who screamed the truth and bled from the anguish.]
“… What kind of sudden, nonsensical tale is this?”
Now is not the time for a story about the past,
But I found myself wanting to cut it off regardless.
It was strangely hard to bring the words out.
[He cried so bitterly, and despite knowing he was his child, the incompetent old tree could not embrace him.]
“Your child?”
It’s a tree—does it even have children?
I found myself thinking vaguely before I even realized it.
[To the master, my life is akin to that of a child.]
“….”
If life can arise because a master has taken root,
Does this mean that life is like a child to the master?
[Do you know this, Apostle?]
“How would I know if you didn’t say anything?”
[There’s a master in your world.]
A master in the Central Plains?
Then in a situation declaring there’s no master,
With the Magical Gate having opened, does that imply the Blood Demon appeared to set things right?
“… Then? Did the master go somewhere?”
So where has the master of our world gone?
[Reversing time is said to require immense effort.]
That’s what I said previously.
[The resulting karma from this is said to be an impossible burden for one human to bear.]
“Impossible, you say?”
Then what exactly am I?
[It’s something humans cannot comprehend, endure or hope for. Even if a greater entity were to bear it instead, it is a power that cannot be sustained. Such is the nature of time.]
“What’s with this sudden, random chatter…?”
[Your master in this world isn’t absent. His existence has been erased.]
My eyes widened at the World Tree’s proclamation.
[The master, having gone against the flow, suffered punishment for reversing the flow of mere mortals. They lost their qualification and hence their existence has been obliterated. That’s why you’re unaware of the master’s existence.]
“… What do you mean? Are you suggesting the master of the world helped another human regress…?”
Uh?
While speaking, I lifted my head and turned my gaze towards the World Tree.
The being who was the master.
Is said to have reverted one human.
I am.
In a world devoid of a master.
There, they were aware of another regressor besides myself.
How could I possibly not know?
The human who halted and sealed the Blood Demon.
Was none other than a fellow regressor, much like myself.
So what’s the World Tree’s reason for suddenly bringing this up?
“You….”
[Apostle. Do you believe I granted you the stigmata to use you as a calamity?]
The voice of the World Tree resonated just as before.
But it was filled with profound sorrow.
[To the master, life is akin to their own child… How could it be any different?]
In excess of mere sadness, it sounded almost like weeping.
The branch, devoid of even a single leaf,
And the roots, which sought to block the incoming breeze,
Seemed somehow melancholic.
[Do you know this, Apostle?]
The World Tree spoke to me in a shaky tone.
[The master’s stigmata is inherently destined for…]
At long last, I believe I grasp the entire picture.
The World Tree right before me was indeed—
[I can’t pass it to anyone who isn’t my child.]
That we were the masters of our world.
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