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#225. The Last Forest (5)
The world tree was perplexed.
This was an absolute space where he ruled everything.
Visitors had no influence whatsoever, and could not even leave at will.
But how on earth?
How did you exercise physical force?
The World Tree, who had been unable to contain his confusion and doubts, suddenly felt his feelings of foreboding towards the boy intensify.
Clearly, I met a boy at some point in the past and experienced a similar situation to now… … .
“You’re afraid that those who remain will be sad, so you’re going to face death with hatred?”
When I raised my head at the sound of the voice, I saw a boy holding a book approaching me with a heavy step.
widely.
The boy stopped walking in front.
“That’s irresponsible talk.”
─… … .
“I also had someone precious to me die. It wasn’t even a year ago. He was like a parent to me. Until the very last moment before he died, he worried about me more than himself.”
─… … .
“I can’t erase that person from my memory. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that person again. So, since that day, have I been suffering from sadness and longing?”
─… … .
“Not at all. On the contrary. I went up the Elton River without stopping, remembering the words he left behind. There were times when I felt sadness and longing, but it never once became a shackle. Rather, it became a driving force to move my body harder. If it weren’t for him, I would have been stuck in the mud of Sector 50 and never been able to get out.”
Long sentences and emotions poured out like a river without a single break in breath.
Although he was a boy who was immature in emotions and relationships, he seemed like the person who could give him the most certain advice in this situation.
“Who said that the people left behind will live their whole lives in sorrow? Even in the same situation, everyone deals with their emotions in different ways. So, help them. Do your best for those around you until the very end. So that they remember you well. So that you can have a positive impact on the rest of their lives, in their memories.”
─It’s finished… … .
“You won’t help your child because you trust him. That’s not trust, it’s indifference and neglect. Where in the world are there such irresponsible parents? No matter how much a child grows, he is still a child in the eyes of his parents.”
The boy, who had been thinking carefully for a moment, added:
“That’s what my friend said.”
─… … .
There was silence for a long time.
The World Tree’s appearance, made up of a silhouette of light, remained unchanged.
However, the emotions of the world tree surrounding the space were constantly changing.
“Do you know what I mean?”
─My thoughts are a little… … .
Swish.
─I understand.
The world tree, which answered immediately as soon as the boy picked up the book, was lost in thought for a moment.
─In the eyes of parents, a child is still a child no matter how much he or she grows… .
That was right.
Because no matter how old all living things in the forest became, they were still children in his eyes.
Gwendel.
When that child, and even younger sprouts, hid in the labyrinth, he couldn’t help but hesitate greatly.
Should I break the silence and give a lecture?
Or should I just pretend I didn’t see it?
Although I ended up choosing the latter, I still felt uneasy and regretful in my heart.
The World Tree, who had been thinking for a long time, spoke as if he had made up his mind.
─Take responsibility for the children until the end… I understand. What do you mean? But it is true that I cannot help the children in danger right now. I am dying. It means that I do not have much strength left. Instead of influencing the entire forest like before, I am only busy blocking the black raindrops. It is not just because I am angry that I remained silent when the elves called. It is because I use a lot of energy to talk.
“I will give you strength.”
Ray put his hand into his bosom and after a moment took out a green gem.
─How on earth do you do that?
“I just imagined it and I could hold it in my hand.”
─Hoo… Anyway, the Life Stone is a method that other children have already tried. No matter how much mana I inject into it, my lifespan itself is running out…?
The end of the idea became a question.
This was because the light emitted by the green jewel was different from that used by the elves.
The world tree had a gut feeling.
If it’s that much mana.
Maybe, one more time.
─It might be possible… … .
The World Tree slowly raised its body and grabbed the throbbing mass of life force that the boy was holding.
Kookookookook!
As the World Tree’s spirit became fully focused on the jewel, the room began to collapse.
The field of vision begins to turn white.
The world tree that the boy last observed inside had the shape of a small sprout.
A faint thought resonated.
─I remembered. It was you.
*
The boy opened his eyes to find himself standing with his palms against the wall of the labyrinth.
‘I remembered…?’
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I had doubts about the World Tree’s last words, but I didn’t have time to think deeply about them.
Wooooowow──!
Green mana that originated from the jewels within the body was rushing towards the wall.
The situation was quickly assessed.
‘The output is weak.’
The boy’s curiosity immediately reached its peak.
What a beautiful sight a rainbow-filled sky would be.
What’s on top of Sky Island?
Where on earth is the city of wizards located?
What kind of face does Curiosa have behind the mask?
If we take Kelly apart, can we figure out how it works?
Veronica is wearing light makeup, so why is she crying with her face bare?
…and, above all else.
‘What does this whole world look like?’
Wooooowow──!
Mana output has increased.
The stream of mana that sprang from the green jewel became a river in the stream.
However, it still felt like it was far from enough to boost the energy of a giant tree like the World Tree.
‘This won’t do.’
Next, it increased the sense of belonging.
The mansion in sector 37.
A place to return to.
The warmth held by children.
Friends who can help, like Veronica, Ayla, Ain, Curiosa, Jang, Kelly, Lacria…
‘I think I missed someone.’
Well, it wasn’t supposed to be a big deal.
Anyway, the sense of belonging that the boy thought of was similar to trust and stability.
But the feeling I got from the last forest was a little different.
Belonging was a much higher concept than stability or trust.
The creatures in the forest that I observed closely while drawing the picture were living within a huge organic cycle.
Plants are eaten by herbivores.
Herbivores are eaten by carnivores.
And the carcasses of animals return to the ground and become nutrients, and sprout… … .
Life in the forest was tightly interlocked, like the gears of a clock that would not turn if even one was missing.
Animals and plants soon became the forest.
The individual was soon the whole.
However, the flora and fauna of the forest that held green mana seemed unaware that they were part of such a huge flow.
Just living naturally.
So the boy guessed.
Green mana might mean an attitude or perception rather than an emotion.
I closed my eyes and thought.
‘…I am also a part of the flow.’
It was at that moment that the point of mana that was building the fourth ring explosively accelerated.
At the same time, the output of the jewels has been strengthened.
Woofwoofwoofwoof───!
The river became the sea.
The rippling green waves of mana crossed over to the World Tree, using the boy’s body as a stepping stone.
The boy attempted sensory synchronization.
Does the sense synchronization of the ministry magic work on trees, and what theories and formulas should be used?
Miscellaneous questions did not exist at the moment.
The boy’s imagination and will simply took precedence, and the elements simply moved their bodies accordingly.
And the next moment.
… … !
The boy could contemplate the forest.
I wasn’t even looking.
I wasn’t even listening.
It wasn’t even my responsibility.
Yet I could see the forest, hear the animals crying, and smell the grass.
It was an indescribable feeling, something I had never experienced before.
But the surprise was short-lived.
The boy noticed homunculi slaughtering people all over the forest.
*
Homunculi had no self-consciousness.
How they were born.
What do you live for?
I had no right to know such things.
Their role was to simply follow orders and occasionally be true to the emotions that surged up to the point of bursting their hearts.
Bam!
He clenched his teeth so hard that red blood flowed down his lips.
Current emotions are anger and hatred.
I felt like my body would explode if I didn’t let out the fire inside me.
And fortunately, there were plenty of suitable targets all around.
Wedge─!
Kkieeeek! Kkaeaaeng!
He swung his sword at the animals.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
They set fire to everything they saw.
The world dyed red was quite beautiful, but it was still not enough.
I have to erase from the world the green scenery that spreads out before my eyes.
The homunculi instinctively realized that only then could they be satisfied.
“Kuuuuu! Great! What a great view…!”
“Burn! Burn more…!”
Those who were about to advance to the next area with mad laughter stopped for a moment at the sight of their feet not moving.
A vine sprouted from the ground and caught his ankle.
The moment I tried to reach out and pull it away.
Chorus!
The vines that climbed up my legs wrapped around my entire body.
I tried to free myself by strengthening my muscles with magic, but the vines were as unyielding as chains.
It was just slowly tightening my whole body with strong pressure.
It was hard to breathe.
The bones began to crack.
“… … ?”
“… … !”
The moment they realized that they could not escape, emotions that were not originally permitted began to well up in the vessels of the homunculi.
Black mana, that was fear.
Chomp!
The vines even covered his face.
The homunculi looked through the slowly covering field of vision.
Bam.
It was a raindrop.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
It was raining in the forest.
*
The elves fighting in the village were amazed to see the vines rising from the ground instantly subduing their enemies.
Bam!
I looked up, feeling puzzled by the raindrops falling on my face.
“rain…?”
“It’s going to rain…?”
Swaaa …
The water drops that had been falling one by one soon turned into heavy rain.
“Oh my god, it’s raining…!”
“It was a very clear rain…!”
The elves could not hide their deep excitement and joy as they were hit by the rain.
Grinne explained next to Veronica, who had a somewhat confused expression on her face.
“It never rains in the Last Forest. The black rain that falls from the sky is all blocked by the World Tree. Sometimes, when relatively clean rain falls, the leaves open to let the raindrops pass through… but clear rain doesn’t mean much because the amount of precipitation is so small.”
Grinne stretched out his fingers and felt the falling raindrops.
“So the role of watering the forest vegetation has been taken up by the elves. They do this by using magic to condense water vapor to create water. However, the current number of people is limited, and the forest vegetation is gradually drying up… With this amount of rainfall…”
“Supplying water to the forest was the original role of the World Tree.”
The person involved in the conversation was Gant.
“The world tree…?”
“Yes. The World Tree, the Mother of the Forest, standing behind us now.”
Gant met Veronica’s gaze for a moment, then raised his head above the pouring rain.
The branches and leaves of the World Tree were reflected in the distance.
“According to the records, that’s right. When the World Tree was at its peak, it would make rain directly. Like a wizard would, it would pull the vapor in the air down its branches, causing water droplets to fall. That’s probably what it’s like now. Judging by the way the mana in the air seems to be sucked upwards.”
“Ah, that means…!”
“I guess that means breaking the silence of the World Tree. And perhaps, using the mana contained in the Life Stone… .”
Rustle.
Just then a sound was heard from behind.
The place where everyone’s eyes turned.
A figure emerged from a hole in the World Tree’s trunk.