“I’ll follow you.”
Well, I expected this.
I already knew this kid was stubborn.
Roka stared at me, testing my resolve to let her come along. Not long ago, I decided to treat her as an adult and respect her wishes, but this time, it’s different.
So, I tried to persuade her, but she just flopped down. Not metaphorically—she literally lay flat on the ground, limbs splayed out, glaring at me with a defiant expression, as if saying, “If you want to go, step over me first.”
“Roka, the place I’m going to is really dangerous.”
“Roka doesn’t care.”
“I appreciate your courage, but the Phoenix isn’t an enemy you can defeat with just that.”
“Roka can’t hear you.”
I instinctively raised my hand to my forehead. Rowena, who was watching, chuckled.
This was the first time Roka had thrown such a tantrum with me, and I was at a loss.
“Honestly, I don’t want to send you to such a dangerous place.”
Roka squinted at me.
“But even if I tell you not to go, you’ll still go, right?”
“That’s right…”
Just as I understood Roka, Roka also understood me.
Living together must be like that. Just as I got to know Roka, Roka got to know me. I thought she didn’t think much, but Roka was deeper than I expected.
“So, I won’t tell you not to go. Let’s go together. Is it that hard to grant me this one request? I won’t let you go alone. No, I can’t.”
What should I do? Should I tell Roka that I can revive even if I die?
If I use the “Galaxy Blooming Night,” the day of departure might come sooner… but even so, I still have time.
However, with Rowena here, I can’t reveal that secret, and my worries only deepened.
“If you don’t take me, step over me.”
Being this stubborn left me speechless. Stepping over her was out of the question, and I couldn’t get angry or scold her over this.
“If you really leave me behind, I’ll become twisted.”
This time, she puffed her cheeks and turned her head away. I couldn’t bring myself to coax her, and no matter how I tried to calm her, she remained unmoved. I hadn’t noticed before, but Roka was more persistent than I thought.
In the end, I gave up. I even considered sneaking through the gate without her, but no matter how I thought about it, that wasn’t right.
On the other hand, if Roka went to a dangerous place without telling me, how would I feel? I couldn’t bear to do that.
Because Roka really might become twisted.
“So, take me with you. At least I can protect myself. Don’t you trust me?”
Now she was tearing up, and I had no choice.
Finally, after reluctantly agreeing to take her, she smiled, dusted herself off, and stood up. Roka was more cunning than I thought.
The kid finally smiled, and I laughed because I couldn’t cry. I really didn’t want to take her, but with her throwing a fit, there was nothing I could do.
“Then, before you follow me, let’s maximize your strength.”
All I could do was use the Phylogenetic Seedling to push her abilities to their limit. It wouldn’t be enough to defeat the Phoenix, but it might help her survive.
Pah.
Rowena watched curiously as the seedling bloomed between my hands, and Roka, having used it before, reached out without hesitation to grab it.
Once again, we were in that place with no sky or ground. Only possibilities stretched out before us, dense and overwhelming.
But this was my third time, and Roka’s second. She wasn’t as surprised as before.
‘She’s grown a lot.’
The kid, who was smaller than her peers, had grown steadily after absorbing magical power. Of course, mental growth was more important than physical growth.
Having gone through many things, Roka no longer feared or panicked. She just stared at the phylogenetic tree before her, pondering which path to take.
“There’s so much I can do?”
I was surprised too. Many of the branches were active, ready to be chosen at any moment.
Roka hadn’t done much, but her accumulated achievements were more than I expected.
This was the third time using this miracle. I didn’t understand the detailed mechanics, but I had a rough idea.
The Phylogenetic Seedling is a miracle that rewards all the efforts one makes in life. It exists because of a prayer I once made.
“Life is a series of pains, and misfortune is something everyone has. But this child has lived a sorrowful and painful life. May I, your humble servant, ask for a small reward for her life?”
The Phylogenetic Seedling is the Lord’s response to this prayer. It takes what people accumulate but cannot use and grants them usable grace instead.
But people are different, and their accumulated achievements vary. Even those who live the same amount of time do different things and can achieve different things.
‘Duke Shimira.’
As I wondered what Roka had done to accumulate so much, my thoughts turned to Duke Vlad Shimira.
Right. The reason we found Roka collapsed in the bathroom was because of the bright sunlight. That light led us to her.
‘So, that’s why we couldn’t find her—she was killed by the sunlight Roka created. That’s why she has such a large accumulation.’
A regional lord and queen of vampires, a duke of the empire who allied with the Demon Emperor. If Roka turned her to ash, this result makes sense.
The duke was a master-level powerhouse, and her social status was equally high. Killing her was a big deal.
As a result, Duke Shimira and Princess Kamira were killed, leaving the vampires without a progenitor. All of this added up, making Roka’s achievements quite heavy.
…Let’s not tell her. There’s no need to let her know she unknowingly turned a mother and daughter into ashes.
‘……’
I thought she’d choose her path boldly again, but Roka looked conflicted, staring at two branches.
One was a large branch formed by many smaller branches. Choosing this would allow Roka to grow comprehensively, advancing from expert beginner to advanced, or even beyond.
She seemed to favor this branch but couldn’t take her eyes off the other.
In contrast to the large branch, there was a single, slender branch. It was more like a line of sunset light than a branch, stretching straight without connecting to anything else.
‘Can such a branch exist?’
It was so different from the others that Roka seemed drawn to it.
‘Where…’
Even within the phylogenetic tree, this branch stood out. Curious, I reached out and touched it. Since unselected branches are just possibilities, I was merely exploring a potential path.
Did Roka have this possibility? I didn’t notice it last time, so I was a bit puzzled.
‘Sunset… Slash?’
Where did she learn this? My curiosity was short-lived. My eyes widened.
A path of madness, forsaking all else to train in this one technique. The Phylogenetic Seedling supports it, but it’s a twisted path one shouldn’t walk if they want to remain human.
This is that kind of branch. The branch suddenly glowed, showing me a vision.
In the illusion, I saw a familiar face, more mature than now. But there was no expression, no life—just a blank, almost desolate face.
“I wanted to become not the god of malice, but malice itself.”
A voice like countless babies chattering.
Of course, it wasn’t Roka speaking.
In fact, it didn’t even seem human.
A boy, looking exasperated, glanced at Roka and chuckled. In his eyes, countless shadows of babies reflected.
That was just a possibility, and I was merely a viewer peeking into it.
I couldn’t be sure what that boy was, but I knew one thing: he wasn’t normal either.
“But you, sister, are even less sane than me.”
Facing something beyond human, it was the boy who looked exasperated.
In some future possibility, Roka quietly watched him. No favor, no hostility—just a calm, almost silent gaze.
Older, with longer hair and taller, Roka’s eyes showed nothing. No emotion, no heart, not even thought. Only emptiness reflected within.
“How does it feel to pursue the end and become the end itself? You probably can’t hear me now, but I still want to ask. Are you satisfied?”
Roka didn’t answer or retort. She just crossed her arms and lightly gestured toward the boy.
At that moment, the sun, shining brightly, turned into sunset hues, and a single line fell like lightning toward the boy. A beautiful sunset line split the sky and bisected the boy.
Sssk.
The strike, more like an execution, resembled the sunset branch I held. The moment it struck, the light in the boy’s eyes vanished.
The sunset severed everything, bringing an end to all that should have one.
The twilight sunset that annihilates everything. This branch seemed to represent a possibility where one becomes one with the sunset.
Showing me this possibility was a warning. The Phylogenetic Seedling can grow any part of a person, but the result isn’t always good.
‘If you pull something that should be learned step by step directly with the seedling’s power, this happens.’
That Roka was no longer human but something consumed by the concept of sunset.
Choosing this branch now wouldn’t immediately cause that, but the possibility of Roka becoming like that in the future was concerning.
Someone left a part of their thoughts within Roka. The sunset imagery should have naturally melted into her as she grew, becoming part of her.
But pulling it out with the seedling’s power without preparation or conditions would make Roka part of the sunset, not the other way around.
The person disappears, and only the power remains. You can gain power, but it’s a path you should never choose.
“Roka. Don’t choose that.”
Coming to my senses, I saw Roka hesitating between the two branches. Unlike the future possibility, our Roka’s eyes were full of life.
“If you must choose, pick this one.”
“Okay.”
Thinking either choice was fine, Roka seemed relieved when I made the decision. Soon, the large branch formed by many smaller branches was selected.
Her basic power level and magical control improved significantly, and her skill with the Moonlight Blade increased. Her understanding of the sun, moon, and her own magic also rose somewhat.
Whether this growth would matter against the Phoenix was uncertain, but it gave me some peace of mind. These small things, though not so small, can save a life in the end.
“Are we going now?”
“No. We should say our goodbyes first.”
Back in reality, Roka, enjoying her newfound changes, asked. I smiled and answered.
“Since we’ve come this far together, we should at least inform the Princess.”
