Chapter 233
Chapter 233
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Spirit of the World Tree
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Turquoise Heart.
The World Tree's abode, nestled at the deepest heart of the elves' lands.
Recently, silence had reigned there due to the World Tree's illness, but for the first time in ages, a spark of vitality was blooming.
It wasn't merely because crowds had gathered, stirring up a commotion.
No.
Right now, in this very moment.
The elves could sense it clearly.
The World Tree's energy, which had withered away so gradually that it could no longer even support its own form.
It had regained its former fullness, now overflowing with life force that scattered in all directions.
"Ah... Aah..."
Some of the High Elves forgot their surroundings entirely, lost in the sensation.
"I-It can't be... This is...!"
"The great World Tree has regained its vitality!!!"
Feeling that wondrous life force, which they thought they'd never sense again, the High Elves were overcome with rapture.
Tears of emotion welled in some of their eyes.
"How... How could this be!? This must be the World Tree's energy...!"
Others stared at the massive tree in confusion.
Its thick trunk, which had grown drier and more cracked with each passing day.
Only now could the elves finally admit and accept the truth.
That the great World Tree had exhausted its life and was withering away.
And that now, at last, it had met its end.
The colossal tree before their eyes no longer symbolized infinite life.
It held no immeasurable significance.
The meaning of that parched trunk was simple and clear.
Death.
The great being the elves had served for eons had lost all meaning, reduced to merely a gigantic tree.
Yet why?
Why could they still feel that great being's energy?
Even now, it pulsed as if extending new roots.
The great entity, plummeting helplessly toward death, seemed to be turning back toward the path of infinite life.
And—
That energy wasn't coming from the colossal tree.
"It's not the World Tree..."
The High Elves, gazing at what had once been the World Tree, murmured in daze.
Their heads and eyes turned toward a new source.
There was no hesitation.
The energy was as full and uplifting as the World Tree itself, holding up the heavens.
"That's..."
The elves' gazes converged on the human.
More precisely, on the seed held in his hand—
The abundant energy filling the space emanated from that seed.
"What in the world... is that...?"
One elder muttered, entranced.
"Ah...!"
Rishir, who had been lost in a daze from the "Mommy" attack, finally snapped back to reality.
He quickly pieced together the situation—
And felt a sharp twinge of headache.
One absurd possibility flickered before his eyes.
'No way... It can't be, right?'
He alternated his gaze between the seed and the massive tree.
No matter how he thought about it, only one possibility emerged.
The revival of a new World Tree.
Or its germination.
-Mommy!
Then, the voice of the turquoise girl spirit rose again from his feet.
Rishir felt another sharp headache.
It wasn't because of that bewildering title, now stated with utter certainty, no question mark in sight.
Rather, the spirit's behavior, clinging to him as if he were truly her mother, completed a new sentence in his mind.
World Tree.
Reborn through a human.
'This is driving me insane.'
In any other circumstance, it would have been a purely dizzying moment—
But a cheerful smirk had already crept onto Rishir's lips.
"So, what will you do now?"
"...!?"
Rishir suddenly muttered while staring into empty space.
His abrupt action left everyone in the area stunned.
The elves, of course—
And...
"...!"
Even the fake World Tree spirit.
Kroen, the Night of Deception.
A massive ripple stirred in her violet eyes.
"You bastard—how...!"
Kroen had already realized it.
That Rishir, that human, was aware of her existence.
Otherwise, his repeated provocations wouldn't have led to this situation.
But.
She hadn't expected it to this degree.
To think he didn't just sense her but was openly acknowledging her!?
"Human! What's going on!? What's there!?"
Even the High Elf elders, under the influence of her perception impairment magic, were shocked beyond measure.
Rishir didn't miss the opening.
Seizing the moment while the Night of Deception faltered, he pressed his advantage relentlessly.
"What stands there is the being you've all believed to be the 'World Tree's spirit' until now!"
"The being we believed to be the World Tree's spirit...?"
Prophetess Salea echoed in a trembling voice.
"That's right! What stands there is a human! A human deceiving you all with perception impairment magic!"
"Th-That can't be! My eyes see—"
"Salea!"
"!!!"
It was a voice to snap her from her flailing shock.
Rishir stared straight at her and shouted with force.
"I'm not saying you're wrong!!! You were simply deceived by an overwhelming, uncontrollable power!!! Look here! Look at this child!"
Rishir pointed at the turquoise girl spirit at his feet.
"With this child right here, can you still call that thing the World Tree's spirit!? Can it dare claim to be the World Tree's spirit!?"
The prophetess opened her mouth wordlessly.
He was right.
The moment the prophetess laid eyes on the turquoise girl spirit—
She became the one and only World Tree spirit in her mind.
No words or explanations were needed.
The pure, abundant energy emanating from the turquoise girl could only come from the World Tree.
"..."
Salea gazed at the turquoise girl for a long while.
Then she turned back toward where Kroen stood.
The mature green woman.
The being she had believed to be the World Tree's spirit until moments ago stood there as expected.
She still exuded a mystical aura.
One that evoked vast forests at a mere glance, profound and enigmatic.
However.
"Ahh..."
She lacked the abundant energy of the turquoise girl.
Impersonating it without the true source was simple enough.
Discerning the truth, on the other hand, was exceedingly difficult.
But.
With the true source now present, everything had reversed.
Salea now knew exactly which was the real World Tree spirit.
"You're right... The true World Tree spirit is..."
The prophetess looked at the turquoise girl with reverence.
And then, that awestruck expression slowly twisted.
"...Then what in the world—"
The prophetess turned to the green woman.
What in the world was that thing, daring to impersonate the World Tree's spirit?
"That's not what's important right now!"
"...!"
Rishir's shout snapped them back once more.
His gaze fixed on Kroen, guiding them all.
"That one is dangerous! And it's not just because she's impersonating the World Tree!!! Her perception impairment magic is blinding all of you! It's an outrageous power that defies reason! We must subdue her before it affects us in other ways!"
Grind.
Kroen ground her teeth.
She had no intention of standing idle.
She knew exactly how she'd reached this point.
And she knew this was a chance that wouldn't come again if lost!
The World Tree and the High Elves.
Absorbing their energy would open endless possibilities before her.
Kroen desperately tried to claw back what was slipping from her grasp.
But—
'This damned bastard...!'
Rishir's relentless onslaught stripped her of any chance to counter.
In front of the elves!
Boldly!
Declaring their revered World Tree spirit a fraud!
What mad human would spout such nonsense before elves—
Before High Elf elders, no less!
"I-Is that true...!?"
The elves shared the sentiment.
Even High Elf elders of their stature were rattled by a mere human's words.
'You idiots! What are you doing!!!'
The Night of Deception seethed with frustration.
When dealing with humans, wasn't their way to crush them utterly under the weight of elven nobility!?
How could they be swayed by such lowly humans!?
And of all things—
In a matter involving the World Tree!
Then.
Kroen's gaze shifted to one spot.
-...~~~
The turquoise girl gleefully bouncing in time with Rishir's shouts.
'Because of that thing—... Wait.'
Kroen's violet eyes, which had been filled with helpless resentment, sharpened like a blade in an instant.
The Night of Deception realized.
This wasn't the time to blame the culprit idly.
'Calm down, Kroen. It's simple, isn't it?'
The source of the problem had appeared before her.
Then all she had to do was eliminate it.
"...!"
At that moment.
Karoer widened her eyes and stared at where Kroen stood.
The Night of Deception.
Even her near-divine perception impairment magic couldn't fully conceal her surging power.
Karoer finally perceived Kroen's presence there.
Faintly, but clearly.
"Rishir! The thing you mentioned—"
"My goodness, even Lady Karoer can see it! Yes! That's what was about to do something!"
A perception impairment magic that held firm even in this chaos.
How had he pierced it perfectly from the start!?
Karoer suppressed her burning curiosity.
This wasn't the time for idle questions.
"You—"
Kroen's violet eyes, swirling like a vortex, fixed on Rishir.
"If I could, I'd turn your brain to mush—but it seems my mental interference doesn't work on you."
She clenched her teeth throughout her words.
Hard enough to stain her pristine white teeth with blood.
What troubled her most wasn't the plan going awry, but that her perception impairment had been fully seen through.
By some no-name punk, no less!
"Whatever trick you pulled, spill every detail with that mouth of yours."
Drip.
Her violet eyes reddened, vomiting blood.
"...!"
Rishir felt every hair on his body stand on end.
A deep, viscous night energy crashed like waves, brutally crushing the room.
It easily brushed aside the immature World Tree energy, domineering in its hegemony.
"To dare impersonate the World Tree..."
"Unforgivable..."
Voices of the elves followed.
"This is..."
A trembling sigh escaped Rishir's lips as he took in their appearances.
The princess and prince.
The prophetess.
And even the elders.
Like Kroen, they bled from their eyes, spewing words of resentment.
The target of their wrath: the wicked being impersonating the World Tree.
-Mommy?
The turquoise girl.
The night spirit's mental interference dominated them.
"Ugh...!"
A few elders focused their minds to resist the interference, but that was all.
Kneeling in place, they struggled just to hold onto their sanity.
"..."
Only Karoer endured it, her eyes bloodshot.
It had happened the moment the bearer of the night's name partially absorbed the World Tree's energy and obtained an artifact infused with archdemon power.
"How can she wield such power...—"
"Lady Karoer!!! Stay calm!!! She's overexerting herself now! This state won't last long!!!"
"...Understood! Rishir, give me orders!"
"...!"
Rishir was momentarily stunned by the proud High Elf's proposal.
"Get down!"
-Mommy~
Rishir scooped up the turquoise girl.
"Lady Rapita!"
"Impersonating the World Tree..."
Rapita had loosed wind arrows at the turquoise girl.
And that was just the beginning.
"Rishir! Drop!"
Karoer rushed to Rishir and erected a magical barrier.
Attacks poured in from all sides, hammering the barrier fiercely.
"This is insane...! She's truly dominating all their minds...!"
Karoer shuddered at the force and malice in the assaults.
To fully control the minds of High Elves, beings of pure mana and energy—not mere mortals.
Even with her vast knowledge, it was incomprehensible—a power that defied all logic.
"..."
Rishir felt a similar despair.
The elves expressed full hostility toward the turquoise girl as if she were their mortal enemy.
No way to subdue them without injury came to mind.
In the first place, worrying about their safety in this situation was a luxury.
"Kuh...!"
"Lady Karoer, are you alright!?"
No matter that they were favored by the forest's night—
They couldn't guarantee victory against so many High Elves.
Especially with one already pushed to her limits resisting mental interference.
'Damn it, what now...! No, calm down, Rishir!!! Lady Karoer is buying time!!! I'm the only one who can think straight! I have to come up with a plan in her stead—'
Rishir forced himself to calm down.
"Lady Rapita! No!!!"
"Enemy of the World Tree... Die..."
"...!"
Shock crossed Rishir's face.
Not because the princess ignored the pained pleas of Gondola to focus on attacking.
No.
'Why is she leaving Gondola alone?'
Kroen was overexerting her mental interference.
At this rate, it wouldn't last long, and the moment it ended, Gondola and the others unaffected would rush her.
'Wouldn't it be easier to eliminate those who can't resist first, rather than us resisters?'
Rishir scanned his surroundings.
Their concentrated assaults were effectively wearing them down, but—
'If she just split her forces a little, she could remove the threats more easily...!?'
Rishir spotted the flaw in Kroen's strategy—
And didn't attribute it to mere incompetence.
'A monster of her caliber wouldn't slip up on something so trivial—'
His focused thoughts caught another inconsistency.
"Rishir... Why are you helping that thing...?"
"Karoer... Why you..."
Murmurs from those under mental domination.
'No way!?'
Rishir's mind reached a conclusion.
'What if she's not fully controlling their minds, but manipulating specific thoughts!?'
Focus.
The most common way to maximize magical efficiency.
If the same applied to mental interference—
'That explains this illogical power!!!'
Rishir immediately shared his insight with Karoer.
All the while, his gaze remained locked on Kroen—
And...
He detected a flicker of unease on her face.
But it quickly vanished into a leisurely smile.
So what?
Her expression seemed to say.
Karoer reacted similarly.
"Rishir!!! In this situation, hiding the World Tree spirit!? Impossible!"
Send the spirit to the spirit realm for isolation.
Then, those without a target might break free from the interference.
That was Rishir's proposed plan.
"A spirit contract isn't something you can do so casually on the spot!!!"
"How about an abbreviated version!?"
Kuhuhu...
The elves burst into mocking laughter at Rishir in unison.
"How an ignorant fool like you resisted my power, I'll never know..."
The mental interference responded to Kroen's will.
She projected leisure despite the strain of using her power.
At this rate, they'd hit their limit first.
The moment the elves killed the World Tree spirit with their own hands.
The manipulated memories implanted in their minds would become reality.
The Night of Deception's spirit magic.
The pinnacle: the power of 'Mental Parasite'.
"Damn... We're at our limit! Rishir! I'll buy time—go back to Lavella! Use what she gave you!"
The barrier was fading.
Karoer shouted urgently to Rishir.
-Mommy!!! The moment the barrier opens, I'll burn that bitch's eyes out!
Then.
A gray-white fireball appeared inside the barrier and spoke to Rishir.
"...!"
Rishir's eyes widened.
'Wait. Another way to isolate the spirit...!'
He looked at the turquoise girl in his arms.
-Mommy?
"No, I'm not your mommy—argh, damn it! Whatever! Baby! Listen to Daddy for a sec! How about staying inside Daddy for a bit!?"
Hahahahaha!!!
Kroen roared with laughter alongside the elves.
"That utter fool—"
Even after the High Elf so kindly explained—
-Okay! Mommy!
The turquoise girl vanished.
"..."
The elves froze.
Their aimless assaults halted.
The barrier, at its limit, crumbled just in time—
Whoosh!
Black flames obscured Kroen's vision.
Slash!
Somewhere, the sound of flesh tearing rang out.
"Gahk...!"
Kroen clutched her throat.
Her face twisted as if possessed by a vengeful spirit.
From the mage's sudden assassination strike?
No.
'Wh-What's happening...!'
Because the turquoise girl had suddenly vanished.
Whoooosh—
"...!"
Then.
Kroen's eyes snapped open.
Rishir's sword.
She sensed the natural energy dwelling within it.
Kroen met Rishir's eyes directly.
Was it his imagination?
He felt as if the turquoise girl stared back at him from those eyes.
'No way...'
Only an absurd assumption could explain this absurd situation.
The Night of Deception reached one conclusion.
The turquoise girl.
That mighty spirit embodying the World Tree's will had been stored inside a mere human's inner world.
Like pocketing gold coins.
"You mad... bastard..."
The injury from the assassination blade.
Followed by the mental shock—it proved decisive.
Kroen lost consciousness.
The Night of Deception met its end.
A moment of joy. Relief.
Rishir wanted to share the feeling with her.
"Lady Karoer!!!"
"Rishir! Brilliant! How—how did you handle the World Tree spirit!?"
"Ah! I just put her in my inner world for now!"
"..."
The moment was not shared.