This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 649

【Yoonseo’s Perspective】

So it’s been confirmed, but what kind of noise is that all of a sudden?

At first, I couldn’t possibly understand what that meant. After all, there was simply no context to grasp it.

And I wasn’t the only one thinking that way. As everyone took a light breath to steady themselves after the battle, question marks started popping up over their faces in unison.

Unable to contain the bubbling curiosity, one brave soul stepped forward and took the lead.

“What do you mean it’s been confirmed? What does that even mean?”

There was a hint of dissatisfaction on their face, albeit small, which was understandable. If Miss Almighty had jumped in with both feet from the very beginning, we wouldn’t have had to struggle like that in the first place.

Maybe that’s why. The emotion was present in the tone of their questioning. Well, their opponent was clearly not paying any attention to that fact, though.

“It’s about Another.”

“I asked what that means. I really did.”

“Can’t you tell yet?”

A blank expression. Yet, to those engaged in the conversation, it made them feel like their own foolishness was being highlighted. I could see the veins beginning to pop out on the neck of the brave one who had taken the lead.

Meanwhile, through some unknown means, Miss Almighty brought forth a piece of the root that lay shattered in ice along with part of what once was the ‘Girl,’ and slammed it onto the wall with a bang.

Then she spoke, gesturing as if to direct the others.

“Take a look at this. You’ll understand what it means.”

It seemed obvious to say, but the reaction was far from pleasant. When you tell someone with already brewing dissatisfaction to examine something, it would only exaggerate their resentment.

“No, even if you say to take a look…”

Did they want to say something like I’m out here in the field, not in research? No matter how you looked at it, their mumblings were occupying the space around them as if to be deliberately loud enough to be heard.

But that didn’t last long.

The reason was simple. After speaking so much, someone bent their head forward in something resembling interest, and just like that, the murmurring that had been echoing abruptly went silent.

“What is this… What on earth is this?”

Then the voice that filled the moment was of someone unable to believe what they were seeing.

A shaking voice. The emotion held within it was not dissatisfaction but sheer shock.

Thus, all I could do was become even more curious. Just what had they discovered that made someone so openly disgruntled change their attitude in an instant?

Reflecting back on our conversation, it was certain it related to Another, but what could they possibly have seen?

What did they see that someone who had operated as a Hero and experienced so much was now looking pale?

I could feel curiosity wriggling within my chest.

However, I didn’t have to wait long to resolve it.

The opportunity to find out came much quicker than I had expected.

Someone who had been standing quietly, peering at the remnants of the Another Ones, staggered back slightly.

“If you’re curious too, everyone should take a look.”

As soon as Miss Almighty made that suggestion, no one declined. They were all consumed with curiosity at that moment.

Naturally, the order to check drew closer, and after being pushed to the very back of the line, I finally stood in front of the remains left by the Another Ones.

Standing before those remnants, I began to observe them quietly, just like everyone else did…

It didn’t take long for me to realize.

I understood what Miss Almighty meant.

It was… similar.

The cross-sections of the shattered roots frozen within the ice and the flesh that once possessed the form of a ‘Girl’ were chillingly alike.

But that wasn’t all.

Such traces were found among the higher entities’ shards, and even among the lower entities as well, unchanged as if they all suggested the truth that they were in fact one being.

“Now, I think everyone understands, right? These are not individual entities. They were merely pretending to be individuals; they were one from the very beginning.”

“How could this happen…?”

Did they want to express their disbelief?

Their softly uttered mumbling was packed with an emotion of incredulity.

And who could blame them?

The ones we had thought were individual entities turned out to be mere puppets controlled by a singular, enormous will.

“Do you remember the explanation we heard before?”

“The explanation we heard before…?”

“It was about the scene Lightning Lady witnessed in Heogye.”

Hearing that, something clicked. How could I forget, when I had explained it myself?

“Are you talking about how people are trapped inside that giant tree without being able to die or live?”

“Exactly.”

“But why suddenly bring that up…?”

“Doesn’t it seem odd? Why would monsters that enjoy devouring humans keep them alive in the first place?”

“That’s…”

“The description we heard indicated they even seem to supply energy to ensure they don’t die.”

Thinking back, that was indeed strange.

Many had speculated about Another, assuming they hunted humans to absorb the energy they needed for survival, but to keep captured humans alive and even supply energy to sustain them was beyond comprehension.

If you consider how many thousands of people are supposedly trapped within that tree, how much energy would be required to keep them from starving?

It was unfathomable, and the more I thought, the deeper the questions grew.

And Miss Almighty’s comments directly targeted those inquiries.

“So I entertained a hypothesis: what if that giant tree is some kind of supercomputer?”

A heavy silence settled around us.

It wasn’t surprising.

Those who were more knowledgeable could easily predict what would come next.

“And if that’s a supercomputer, what would the role of the people trapped inside be?”

“… Parts.”

“Exactly. They’re likely chips, to enhance computational power.”

Hearing that made me recall a particular scene from a variety show I had once watched with Dogun.

It was a program where experts from various fields freely discussed topics, and one guest, claiming to be a professor of computer science, had said something along those lines before.

He mentioned that the most efficient CPU in the world might just be the human brain. Apparently, due to its low heat output compared to performance levels.

What if, as that professor said, the giant tree is using the people it has trapped as a sort of CPU?

It would explain why Another could behave as if they were individual entities.

It would be easy to accomplish by assigning just a portion of the brains among thousands of people to ‘compute’ for them.

And that implies…

“What we truly need to confront is…”

“Not the Another but that tree; no, the Heogye itself.”

If we can’t do something about that grotesque giant tree, humanity won’t escape the threat of Another.

“The problem is… it’s not going to be as easy as it sounds…”

Will simply dealing with that visible tree suffice?

It couldn’t be that easy.

Unless we completely erase not just the exposed trunk but also the roots extending into the unknown, ‘it’ would surely recover to the current state eventually.

“And for that, we need your power, Miss O.”

“Me…?”

“Yes, with your talent, you should be able to perceive the existence of the roots sprawling everywhere.”

Didn’t you see how when those roots were severed, a clear liquid like sap flowed out from the cuts?

If we use that, it should be possible to track down every last one of the roots.

At that remark, I instinctively swallowed.