12. The Straw Got Plugged In Too
The jungle path finally opened out. With the nagas’ priest guide leading the way, we reached the main altar. It looked like hell itself.
*CRRRRRROOOOM! KABOOM!*
Towering over us like veins of blood, crimson lightning struck the heart of the central giant tree with savage force.
I glanced sideways. The naga priest shuddered like a snake tail caught in a hurricane, while the elves hurriedly cast protective spells to keep the toxic energy from seeping in.
“Grruuuh…! The toxicity is far too intense…”
Heibrin wailed the words, and the naga priest beside her slammed his fangs together in a roar.
“We were holding it back, but the corrupted power just exploded! The rampaging lizard-sorcerer brats are trying to smash the altar to pieces!”
“How can such a horrible thing happen to the World Tree…?! How can our Mother be so different from us?!”
“It’s something completely different from the trees we saw on the way here, isn’t it?”
I clenched and unclenched the fingers that had only just recovered from the last crack after the battery snack. The vibration of the Mobius Core flowing through my entire body made my mouth water.
**[SYSTEM: Massive high-density external impurity charge detected!]** **[Relay circuit linked… Mobius Battery remote purification and circuit scan activated]**
“All right, Snake Uncle. That’s enough guiding. Now let’s eat.”
I lightly tapped the shoulder of the terrified naga priest and walked straight into the red thundercloud.
“Receive the World Tree’s blessing! I will purify all of you!”
At the altar’s peak, the rampaging sorcerers spotted me and shook their staffs.
*WHUUUAAAAA!*
Dozens of crimson lightning bolts slammed straight toward me.
“Ara-nim, it’s dangerous!”
“Run!”
A scream tore from the elves behind me, but I threw both arms wide and met the lightning head-on.
*ZZZAP! ZZZZAP! ZZZZT!*
**[Massive impurity charge inflow detected!]** **[High-tree relay circuit linked… Mobius Battery remote purification and absorption mode activated!]**
The red thunder piercing my body didn’t burn my skin—it flowed straight through the previously treated World Tree branches into the power plant’s batteries.
The Mobius Core’s purification filter strained out the impurities and evaporated them, then delivered only pure high-voltage power straight to my body.
“Whoa, that’s spicy! Real mara flavor!”
It really had been smart to keep the lightning giants I mistook for World Tree branches busy treating them on the way here. If I hadn’t set up those bio-relay machines to pull the Mobius signal deep into the forest, even the Mobius Core couldn’t have swallowed that much corrupted charge in one gulp.
*SWAAAAA!*
The blue current I spat from my hand spread along the World Tree roots and flooded the entire jungle. The altar’s blood-red surface turned clean and transparent blue in an instant.
“N-no way…”
The naga priest’s eyes bulged. He turned to Heibrin.
“Elves! What is this spirit master’s true identity?! My tens of priests and I threw ourselves into blocking the corruption, and this… this just gets swallowed whole and turned into pure World Tree energy?!”
Heibrin pressed a trembling hand to her chest, eyes shining with rapture.
“…That person is the high spiritist sent by the World Tree to save our race…”
No, what? I reached out my fingertips toward the mentally shattered sorcerers. It was time to pay them back for the delicious meal.
“Since you ate well, it’s time for payment, right?”
*RRRRRRROOOOM—!*
The blue lightning storm ripping through the altar shredded the red thunderclouds and wiped out the sorcerers in a single blast.
“The forest… is breathing.”
“That’s a sacred ground.”
The naga priest spoke in a shaking voice.
“A sacred ground for the high spiritist who accepts the corrupted power of lightning and transforms it into pure life force…”
“Wait a second.”
I turned my head with difficulty.
“It’s not a high spiritist.”
“It’s a cycle even the spirit king can’t imitate.”
“No, it’s not—”
Before the words finished, a sharp pain exploded inside my body.
*Gah.*
“Are you all right?!”
Ibrin rushed over and supported me.
**[WARNING]** **[Mobius purification capacity: 89%]** **[Temporary block on additional impurity charge inflow]** **[Additional upgrades to the Mobius Core are required]** **[Body synchronization rate: 50%]** **[Body circuit damage rate: 48% ↑]** **[Recommended to disconnect]**
“Now?!”
The purification didn’t stop. Corrupted charge kept rushing in from the World Tree roots. The amount that could be handled at once was gone, and because the root circuit was connected, the purification itself could never be cut off.
If I stopped now, the corruption would pile up again.
“I told you. Don’t try to purify it all at once.”
I panted heavily.
“Just pull a little bit at a time.”
The thick root circuit at the center of the altar was visible. A single massive root stretched from beneath the main altar toward the power plant.
At its end still lingered the charge of Erkion, the one I had captured.
The trace I had left when Erkion fed off the World Tree.
“There it is.”
I reached out.
A blue current followed the root.
I was using the straw Erkion had plugged in.
**[Sustained absorption path set.]** **[Target: World Tree Main Altar]** **[Relay point: World Tree branches]** **[End point: Mobius Core]** **[Purification and power intake system linked]**
“There we go.”
The Mobius Core was already connected to the power plant. And now the World Tree and the Mobius Core formed one single circuit.
Erkion’s straw was yanked out of the World Tree and replaced by my new straw.
Of course, I wasn’t taking everything.
The corrupted charge was purified. Only the necessary power was sent to the power plant. The rest was returned to the World Tree.
**[Sustained absorption path set completed]** **[World Tree network linked with Mobius Core]** **[World Tree impurity purification rate: 0.001% per hour]** **[Power plant supply rate per hour: 0.01%]** **[As purification continues, output increases]** **[Automatic power intake system established]**
“Done.”
I pulled my hand away.
This time, even after letting go of the altar, the connection stayed. At least the emergency was over.
The blue current flowed slowly along the World Tree roots. When red corruption came in, it was purified. The purified current flowed back to the roots.
The World Tree began to breathe—very slowly.
*Uuuuuuung.*
It was far steadier than before.
**[World Tree scan complete]** **[World Tree network sustained purification mode]** **[Power plant automatic power supply mode]** **[Current power plant development progress: 5%]**
Only then did I drop to my knees.
My strength was gone. My body felt like solid lead.
Ibrin caught me.
“Ara-nim!”
“It’s fine.”
“It’s not fine!”
“This time it really is.”
**[Body state: Unstable]** **[Body synchronization rate: 50%]** **[Body circuit damage rate: 48%]** **[Recovery time: Unmeasurable]**
The System finally opened its window.
**[New facility lock released.]** **[Power Plant: Automatic Restoration Room]** **[Activation conditions]** **- Maintenance power 100kW** **- High-purity refined steel** **[Stored power: 612MWh]** **[Resources available: Scrap metal, coolant, magic stones]**
**Automatic Restoration Room** Analyzes and repairs damaged machinery and facilities. Using available resources and registered designs, parts and equipment can be reassembled.
“Huh?”
My eyes snapped open.
“You can build a restoration room?”
I had been about to die of exhaustion a moment ago. The moment the words “Automatic Restoration Room” appeared, my mind cleared.
“Let’s go back quick!”
“Ara-nim, calm down!”
“I can fix my body!”
This body that exhausted instantly with even a little use was simply not okay.
“Is that important?! It’s extremely important!”
I looked toward the power plant. The blue current connected to the Mobius Core was visible even from here.
Heibrin was still staring at the kneeling nagas.
“What will you do with them?”
“They can decide for themselves. I’ve already done as much as I can.”
“But the priest has started worshipping you.”
“So just go.”
I could speed up the purification here through Mobius improvements, but first I had to build the restoration room.
The naga priest clasped both hands together.
“Oh great spirit master! Owner of the sacred ground that will save us! Please help us!”
*Ah, that felt weird. What more help do they want from me?*
I looked up at the sky. The red thunderclouds still lingered in patches.
“Let’s go.”
I stood and walked toward the power plant.
Heibrin and Ibrin followed quietly, whispering to each other. Their voices were so soft I could barely hear.
“Unnie, if we keep following her, maybe we’ll get clues about the silent spirits.”
“I think so too. Whether she’s a high spiritist or the spirits themselves… but looking at how she’s acted so far, she’s clearly sincere about protecting nature and the World Tree.”
They were probably talking about something else.
Ah, the mara-flavored electricity is new again. When I get to the power plant, I should increase the purification amount?
***
After purification, I returned to the power plant and checked the control room monitor.
**[Automatic Restoration Room]** **[Research database activated]**
The monitor was packed with scrolling bio data and gene analysis charts—creature body structures, synchronization with modern humans… expert terms assaulted my eyes.
“…Insane.”
I skimmed the summarized core data after only a few lines and let out a low sigh.
The future humans hadn’t just built one power plant and sucked out electricity. They had fused this bizarre ecosystem with the human body, researched the planet’s fundamental energy circuits, and were running massive mega-projects to transform humanity itself or establish permanent settlements.
I glanced at Heibrin directing the elves to collect resources and Ibrin gently stroking Sirne.
“By the way.”
“Yeah, gather up all the scrap metal.”
Heibrin turned from talking to the elves and answered.
“Speak.”
“Yes, Ara-nim.”
“Among your ancestors or yours… have any of you ever seen humans who actually lived inside this power plant building long ago?”
Heibrin tilted her head, then frowned as if deep in thought.
“I’ve never seen them directly. We never interacted with this place. When our ancestors were born, they saw this land as a dangerous area and avoided it.”
“So nobody ever came here?”
Heibrin nodded.
“This is our first time. We didn’t even know another World Tree existed.”
As I thought… no one has ever seen them directly.
The records from 2177 would be the future, but the traces look like past records.
Is there a time confusion between inside and outside the Gate? Then if I leave the Gate…
I smiled bitterly and tapped the main console of the unlocked restoration room. It was time to investigate the legacy of this massive project left by humanity.
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**END OF TRANSLATION**