‘…Is it over?’
I gazed at Hellheist, now reduced to scattering ash.
The skeleton left standing resembled something akin to an excavated fossil.
I swallowed my breath, hiding my trembling hands as much as possible.
‘…We almost perished for real.’
I glanced back.
Rudine still stood there, completely paralyzed, her face blank.
The cause? None other than Intimidation.
In essence, it’s a mental assault.
It’s a basic skill that Demon Beasts of the ash-class radiate instinctively, and Rudine had stiffened due to the effects of this very Intimidation.
No matter how strong Rudine is, this is why defeating Hellheist was impossible at this point.
Of course, it had no effect on me since I lack mana.
But if I hadn’t absorbed the Rune of Time?
We would have met our end effortlessly.
There’s no other way to describe it—just pure luck.
When the final incantation succeeded, relief overwhelmed me to the point where laughter bubbled out uncontrollably.
I lack mana.
This is because I gave up my mana in exchange for the ability to absorb runes.
Even so, the reason I can use abilities is that absorbing runes allows me to utilize a unique personal resource called 心象 (Sim-sang).
Here’s the crucial part: 心象 is a consumable resource.
Mana can recharge with time, but once 心象 is used, it doesn’t recover.
The combination of Acceleration, Rewind, Time, and End is one of the miracles that can instantly kill any ordinary Demon Beast without fail.
Of course, the amount of 心象 consumed is immense, so I drained what little remained.
If I run out of 心象, there’s no choice but to absorb another rune.
But that’s not easy.
Runes aren’t common, being one of the few treasures in this world.
Of course, there is a way.
If I gain a special connection to Mirckdrasil, it would allow me to recharge 心象 without needing to absorb runes.
“Rudine.”
Walking towards Rudine, who stood like a statue, I called out to her. The effects of Intimidation clearly hadn’t worn off yet.
“Can you move?”
“…Yeah.”
She managed a nod, her body still visibly trembling, but at least she could move.
“…How did you…?”
While brushing the dirt off my clothes, Rudine suddenly posed a question. Despite her usual emotionless, detached eyes, her voice clearly trembled.
‘Is she asking how I moved?’
Or how I managed to exterminate that monster with a single strike?
Given her naturally curious personality, I understand why she asked. Such a powerless defeat must be unfamiliar to her. She’s probably never experienced any sense of danger in her entire life.
And then look at her eyes—filled with curiosity. To have used strange magic to instantly kill a creature that she couldn’t touch naturally raises questions about me.
Moreover, as a member of the group, she probably feels frustrated that she couldn’t help at all.
Honestly, it’s not surprising she’s shocked.
But…
‘How do I explain this?’
Shall I tell her I gave up my mana to absorb the rune?
Or that I knew how to use the rune because I read the original story?
After a moment of deliberation, I opened my mouth.
“Among Demon Beasts, ash-class and above often radiate Intimidation purely through their existence.”
“…Intimidation?”
“Yeah. Similar to killing intent, but it triggers a deeper, more primal fear.”
Rudine blinked, standing there blankly. It was understandable—she probably never encountered an ash-class Demon Beast in her life, so it’s no surprise she didn’t know.
“However, I lack mana.”
“…You lack mana?”
“Yeah, so it didn’t affect me.”
“…Lies.”
It’s understandable she doesn’t believe me. There’s no better explanation than this at the moment.
It’s futile to glare at me like that.
We don’t have time to linger here anyway, now that we’ve reached Westmarch; it’s time to look for Mirckdrasil.
“Let’s go.”
“…Okay.”
*
Walking along the path between dead trees.
After our encounter with Hellheist, fortunately, no other Demon Beasts have appeared.
But something felt off.
The forest was too silent.
Not a single insect chirped, and the wind had ceased entirely.
‘This really is a ruin.’
The atmosphere was different from the usual Blackmore. Too oppressive, even.
All we could hear was the sound of our footsteps echoing through the air.
The brighter side to all this was…
‘We’ve arrived at the right place.’
I slowly glanced around.
The trees were all the same—charred black as though scorched by fire. Not just the trees—everything was damaged: the dirt, the stones, the shrubs were all scorched in a similar manner.
This was exactly how the spread of Mirckdrasill’s corruption progressed in the original work.
I carefully examined the surroundings to gauge the direction, noting that despite being just a village, it was surprisingly wide.
‘Where exactly is the temple?’
Mirckdrasil is located in the center of one.
But my memory is fuzzy, and how to find the temple itself was mostly skipped over in the original story.
What can I do now but wander aimlessly?
Of course, Rudine just quietly followed behind me with her usual blank expression, making things feel a bit awkward.
After we rounded a bend several times, Rudine stopped.
Her gaze was fixed on a dead end where, upon closer inspection, cracks reminiscent of fractures ran through the wall’s surface.
“Rudine.”
“Yeah.”
“Could you break that apart?”
KAH-WUNG!
Hardly had I finished speaking when her dagger cleaved through the wall.
Beyond the broken wall stretched a gray, wasted land.
Broken columns thrust into the ground and broken statues were scattered about.
Given the vast scale and the characteristic Elven architectural style, the location was unmistakable.
This must be…
‘Kazukajit.’
Kazukajit—a forgotten age where Elves once gathered to worship the World Tree, the source of life.
As I stepped inside, a cold breeze caressed my skin.
Every step caused fragments of stones to crumble underfoot. Honestly, the path was in such disarray that simply walking was a challenge.
Not to mention, the ceiling had collapsed, black weeds grew from every corner, and gnarled roots coiled around the columns.
‘The atmosphere is insane.’
Glugging down some spit due to the eerie ambiance.
‘Around here should do.’
I carefully avoided debris and moved forward. From the moment I found the temple, I had the original story’s information to guide me, so there would be no more wandering around aimlessly.
After navigating several twisty paths…
By simply walking straight ahead from the last bend…
“Ah.”
I’ve found it.
Looking up, I saw the colossal silhouette emerge.
WHOOSH—WHOOSH
The desiccated branches creaked with the wind.
The blackened veins extended endlessly into the sky, while the roots spread out in all directions, splitting the earth like they did.
“Mirckdrasil…”
Finally, the tree, fed by the blood of Elves, stood before me.
“…Murals?”
Rudine mumbled, pointing to murals carved into the walls.
Two trees wrapped around each other.
One stretched upward, representing the Tree of Life.
The other grew downward, symbolizing the Tree of Death.
An interplay between Life and Death.
The flow of light and darkness intertwined between the two trees, with ancient letters inscribed at the center.
Sephirah and Kliphoth, the sacred symbols of the Elves’ rituals.
“Luke.”
Rudine’s voice rang through the silence. Turning around, I noticed her eyes beginning to glow red.
It meant her Celestial Slaughter was reacting to this place.
[O great pilgrim bearing a noble task, reveal your purpose for visiting this Holy Ground.]
Much like when I absorbed the Rune, an indescribably eerie voice invaded my eardrums, reverberating throughout my mind.
This was exactly as I’d remembered. Recalling the lines the protagonist uttered in the original story, I slowly spoke.
“I come to offer tribute.”
WHOOSH—WHOOSH
I barely kept my balance amid the gusting mana winds that sent my hair flying chaotically.
[State the cost of your tribute.]
“I seek the Ceremony of Oath.”
The moment these last words left my lips, everything around me turned pitch black.
The endless void was dotted with countless stars.
These celestial bodies began moving, as if imbued with consciousness, painting the image of a tree.
I slowly began reciting the incantations.
“In the name of Eternal Iphrashia…”
The space shivered slightly as I delivered the first line.
“Recalling the forgotten rites…”
The second line caused the constellations that formed the tree to faintly glow.
“I hereby perform the Oath of Life and Death.”
The instant the final line ended, space rippled as if distorted.
[O pilgrim carrying the burdens of Iphrashia. May the grace of life be bestowed upon thee, the master of all great magics.]
“…?”
The master of magics? Aren’t the only races capable of such a title dragons or elves?
KU-GU-GUNG.
When the grand ceremony ended, and my vision returned, Rudine was staring at me, her lips parting slightly.
And…
In the palm of my outstretched right hand lay a single ring.
“…Oh.”
The Ring of Iphrashia.
The only artifact capable of partially restraining Celestial Slaughter.
