“Actually, about three months ago, a dungeon appeared at the roots of the World Tree.”
“Priestess. That story…”
“It doesn’t matter. After all, you witnessed the humiliation of Elvenguard first-hand. There’s no need to be embarrassed further.”
Despite the elders’ reluctance,
Mia steps forward and continues to speak.
The elders give up persuading her and fall silent.
It seems the Priestess’s power is stronger than expected.
“Please explain in more detail.”
“Three months ago, while I was resonating with the World Tree as I usually do, I sensed demonic energy. Feeling an ominous presence, I dug into the ground for investigation and discovered that a gigantic stone door had formed at the roots of the World Tree.”
“A dungeon, then.”
“That’s right. Since it formed right beneath the sacred tree, there was naturally a movement to try and rescue it. Brave elves volunteered to form a combat team and entered the dungeon. The result was a crushing defeat. No one was able to surpass the third room of the dungeon. Many casualties occurred, and attempts to conquer the dungeon gradually decreased before ultimately stopping altogether. That’s how we got here.”
So it’s a dungeon that was abandoned for conquest.
But since it’s not on the mercenary’s map, it’s not the Black Star Dungeon either.
“How many people know about this fact?”
“Besides the high-ranking officials of Elvenguard and you, no one else.”
I pause for a moment, crossing my arms as thoughts race through my mind.
A dungeon emerging at the roots of the World Tree.
I’ve never heard anything like that in the game lore or even in the last 12 cycles.
That means it’s a plot point the system arbitrarily added to fit the narrative.
So what was the previously missing setting?
It’s obvious.
‘The thought that the World Tree could fall into Kali’s hands overnight. That seemed a bit strange.’
A tree that has received divine status being corrupted and controlled by one of the Four Heavenly Kings?
Even if Kali was a former druid, it feels excessive.
But what if it wasn’t Kali who appeared out of nowhere six months later to seize the World Tree?
What if, starting three months ago, she had been slowly eroding the World Tree through the dungeon for a full nine months?
Then the puzzle starts to fit together.
Moreover, it was said that demonic energy was leaking from the dungeon.
In typical dungeons, demonic energy isn’t detected.
That means one of the Four Heavenly Kings is inside.
“I kept this a secret from the Great Spirits… but for some reason, the Great Spirit of Fire learned of it. The Great Spirit of Fire insisted on burning the World Tree entirely, claiming it could endlessly revive anyway. But since we continuously rejected, it seems they tried to push through by force…”
Mia, seemingly embarrassed, lowers her head as she speaks.
Now I finally understand the situation.
From Ifrit’s perspective, a dungeon forming at the World Tree would have been very concerning.
After all, who knows what effect it could have on the World Tree later? Hence, the stance of wanting to burn it down completely.
Considering that the World Tree eventually falls to corruption, Ifrit’s instincts were spot on.
In contrast, the elves would have had to become nomads if the World Tree disappeared.
They wouldn’t have agreed with the suggestion to burn it down, knowing they’d have to embark on an endless journey to find a resurrected World Tree.
It makes sense why Ifrit was frustrated and wanted to burn it all down.
‘If I had overlooked this, it would have been a huge issue.’
After 12 regressions, I’ve obtained valuable information that I didn’t know.
A chance to prevent the calamity coming in six months.
And I’ve gained the opportunity to eliminate the Four Heavenly King Kali early on.
“Will you not let me take on the commission? I will eliminate the dungeon.”
“Y-Yes…?”
We need to hurry.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking we have six months until the corruption of the World Tree, but that’s not the case.
In fact, the corruption could have already ended, and it could take six months just to transform it into the Tree of Death.
There’s no way to ascertain how much time we truly have left.
All we can do is prepare as quickly as we can, break in, and eliminate Kali.
That’s the best course of action.
“Please hand over whatever information you have regarding the dungeon. Testimonies from experienced adventurers would also be beneficial.”
“Wait a moment…!”
At that moment, Alicia grabs my sleeve and pulls me back.
She looks quite flustered.
I briefly ask for patience and lean in as she whispers urgently.
“Are you really going to do this? You know how much the elves value the World Tree, right? If a dungeon appears beneath it, it means they were willing to go to any lengths to eliminate it and still failed. That indicates an unimaginable level of difficulty.”
“Why? Scared? If you’re scared, you can back out.”
“Yes, I’m scared. So why don’t you handle this alone?”
“But if we solve a problem that the elves are too embarrassed to discuss with anyone else, what kind of reward do you think we’d get? Together with the credit of stopping the Great Spirit, I bet we’d receive an incredible reward. And if you really don’t want it, well, I could just hog it all for myself…”
“Y-You know what? I’ve changed my mind. I want in too.”
Alicia suddenly gasps and hurriedly changes her tune.
Of course.
Having traded the reward for saving Elvenguard for information about the dungeon, it would be a shame to just abandon it now.
A mage has joined the combat party.
“Mia…”
“Uh…?”
Mia, who is gazing up at me with something smeared all over her mouth.
No need to ask.
If the master is going, then she’s going too.
I wipe her mouth with a napkin and turn back to face Mia.
“So, will you hand over the commission?”
“What kind of compensation do you expect?”
I’ve just finished pondering that as well.
Elvenguard could easily hand something over, but it couldn’t be anything trivial.
“I will take a portion of the rights to the World Tree. How about using that as compensation for receiving all future prophecies?”
“….”
Even with her white veil covering her face, I can see Mia’s expression stiffening.
The elders can’t hide their bewilderment either.
The prophecies of the World Tree.
Each one alone might seem less accurate than a charlatan’s tarot reading.
But when dozens or hundreds of those prophecies come together, the story changes entirely.
By the time I go to face the final boss, I’m bound to go through at least five near-death experiences.
Four Heavenly Kings and one final boss.
Each time, I’ll have to gamble with my life.
If I can know the future even slightly and prepare, it would be invaluable.
“Can you give me a moment…? It’s hard to answer right now.”
“Of course. Take your time to think it over. But don’t take too long, because who knows what might happen to the World Tree if you do.”
“…”
With a slight warning, I stand up.
After shaking hands with the stony-faced elders, I leave the dining area.
Alicia, who has somehow followed me, asks with a worried expression.
“You… did something happen with the dungeon? Why are you so fixated on it?”
“Nothing you’d understand. Even if I told you, you wouldn’t get it.”
“….”
At this point, knowledge of the existence of the final boss or even the Four Heavenly Kings is non-existent.
No matter how many times I shout that the world will end if we don’t smash the dungeon, they’ll just think I’m crazy.
“I think I can understand.”
“Sure you can.”
As I chuckle and turn away, Alicia puffs her cheeks in a sulk.
Now’s not the time to be digging into that.
“Get ready. The moment they say they’ll commission us, we’re heading straight into the dungeon.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I made an offer they can’t refuse.
Although I said I’d take some time to think, I can already predict their answer.
It’s just a matter of time before we accept the commission.
So, we need to get stronger quickly.
“Let’s rent a training ground. Teach me magic based on elemental affinities.”
Now’s the perfect timing to learn magic.
*
“Absolutely not. Handing over all the prophecies of the World Tree is tantamount to selling Elvenguard’s future.”
“There’s a risk of exposing national secrets. It could be a significant threat to our security.”
“Still, the prophecies of the World Tree seem to be a bargain, don’t you think? Without that human, we’d be leading a hundred thousand refugees, wandering aimlessly.”
“That’s true, the price is low. But eliminating the threat to the World Tree itself…”
Opinions split.
Mia sits in the midst of the arguing elders in the conference room, letting out a quiet sigh.
While the prophecies of the World Tree may be somewhat ambiguous, their accuracy is undeniable.
Because of that, Elvenguard has a significant dependency on the prophecies.
And they have reaped substantial benefits because of that.
Thus, the option of permanently selling the rights to the World Tree prophecies couldn’t be taken lightly.
Both sides have their merits.
But Mia already had an inkling of what conclusion would emerge.
“Ugh.”
“Are you alright, Priestess?”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll take a short break.”
Sudden headaches plagued Mia’s mind.
The meeting does not seem like it will reach a conclusion anytime soon.
Quietly standing up, Mia presses her hand against her throbbing head and exits the conference room.
“Priestess. Let me check whether that human is still outside…”
“Enough. We’ve already met. That human won’t do anything reckless.”
Her head was pounding, yet the attendants hovered around, peering outside.
Frustrated, Mia pushed past the attendants and stepped outside.
– A lowborn human will take the Priestess.
What a terrifying prophecy.
The priestess losing her purity at the hands of a human male.
Thus, caution was warranted, but there was no need to treat every human male she encountered with disrespect.
Although the encounter was brief, it was enough to gauge his character.
He wasn’t the kind of trash that treats women like objects.
That was the conclusion Mia reached.
Ugh…
Before she knew it, she arrived at the base of the World Tree.
Entering the dark tunnel, Mia couldn’t suppress the pounding in her head, moaning in agony.
“World Tree…”
After passing through the tunnel, a massive cavern is revealed.
The roots of the World Tree intertwine and entwine the walls of the chamber.
Fireflies within softly illuminate the dark space as they flicker to the rhythm of Mia’s throbbing headache.
“Please calm down. My head feels like it’s splitting…”
The minds of the World Tree and the Priestess are connected.
When one experiences extreme pain or intense emotions, the other feels it as well.
So right now, the World Tree must be feeling countless times more pain than Mia does.
Stumbling, Mia walks forward and places a hand on the wall.
To resonate with the World Tree.
To have a conversation.
|Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!|
The World Tree’s screams flowed into Mia’s mind.
Mia squeezed her eyes shut, furrowing her brow.
The deal proposed by Michael Jackson surfaced in her mind.
‘Just how much did he know?’
The right to hear all future prophecies descending from the World Tree.
Just looking at that alone, it’s a deal that Elvenguard couldn’t offer without going insane.
But if Elvenguard was unable to solve a problem and, out of pride, couldn’t ask for external help for a troublesome issue, then the story changes.
“Michael Jackson… just who are you…?”
It was a dead end.
There was no choice but to accept this unbelievable trade now.
