Chapter 790: The Last (23)
It wasn’t like Lee Jihye.
The news was brought by Jung Hayan, Han Sora, and Hwang Jeong-yeon, and not from Lee Jihye.
-What do you mean, Hayan?
-Let me explain it to you, Cho Hyejin. I think it’s better to tell you that the world is in a very unstable situation.
-…
-Think of it as the Word Tree suppressing its energy inside. It doesn’t seem to have any problems externally, but inside it, there is a conflict between the expanding and suppressing properties.
-…
-It’s hard to explain. Even I can’t understand Hayan’s explanation properly… The important thing is, there’s not much time left before the World Tree- no, that monstrosity will burst.
Blue Guild wizards surrounded Cho Hyejin in the meeting room.
Hwang Jeong-yeon smiled a little anxiously, elaborating Jung Hayan’s poor explanation and even drawing pictures, but Cho Hyejin and I still couldn’t understand. Of course, there was no need to understand. The only thing that mattered was the fact that it would explode soon.
-Exactly how much time do we have left?
-Three… three days?
-…
-…
-Does Elios know about this?
-I hadn’t told him yet. I thought Cho Hyejin had to be the first to know. I’m sure you have a purpose for going here… Wouldn’t it be better for you to tell Elios in person?
-It doesn’t have to be like that…
-I think you should be the one to tell him. We are currently conducting an additional investigation. The issue that Cho Hyejin mentioned is also being looked at… I’m thinking about cooperating with the wizards of the tower… I don’t think it’s going to be possible to get permission for this, though…
-Can you do it?
-I-I don’t know…
Cho Hyejin, who was conflicted due to Jung Hayan’s uncertain expression, caught my eye.
‘Should we evacuate them?’
That was what she probably wanted to ask. She was most likely worried because Jung Hayan wasn’t sure.
Under normal circumstances, evacuating troops was the right action. Even if there was a little extra time left, we weren’t sure about anything.
The problem was that they weren’t at Lindel. Eberia had its own procedures, and Elios was the supreme commander of the kingdom. It’s him who could make judgments, not Cho Hyejin. No, in the first place…
‘Will it even really explode?’
I thought it wouldn’t. That was from how Jihye worked.
She couldn’t have prepared everything already. How should I accept the idea of blowing up a whole kingdom at this time?
From the start, she revealed that there was a group threatening the continent, then she would announce her declaration of war?
Rather, it felt more realistic that Jung Hayan was doing a self-written play. Inevitably, I could see Jung Hayan smiling at the danger of the kingdom. She didn’t even look anxious.
-I think it would be better to let him know of the details.
-Will you do that? Then take your time. I need to prepare a few things.
-Yes. Thank you for your hard work, Jeong-yeon, Hayan, and Sora.
Perhaps she wanted to create a crisis in the Kingdom of Eberia so she could stop it nicely, amassing her divinity. Was there any chance that everything was a self-made play?
The brief meeting seemed to have ended while I was thinking.
Of course, Cho Hyejin looked worried. She was probably thinking about how to take this problem.
-What do you want me to do?
“Well, honestly, I don’t think it’s going to be that extreme… I think it would be better to watch the situation for a few hours. As Hayan said, we still have time… Oh, of course, you’d better tell Elios first. Hyejin doesn’t have to go there herself. It would be best to go through Elena. Let’s go outside. I think we deserve a breather.”
-Wouldn’t it be better to evacuate them right now?
“The problem will be solved by Elios and Elena. I told you. We need to find another clue. If we try to control the situation right now, it will only add to the confusion. There will be a manual in case of an emergency in Eberia… Well, let’s respect their ways. We just have to do what we have to do.”
-Okay.
Immediately after going outside and standing in front of the decaying monstrosity, Jung Hayan began to explain multiple details.
After carefully removing a piece of the World Tree, she locked it in a magical sphere and uttered words that we didn’t understand.
“If the expanding and suppressing properties keep clashing, it’ll explode. Like this…”
Whoo!
The small piece burst, breaking the container made by Jung Hayan.
‘It’s not a self-made play, is it?’
-T-The magic in here is very pure. Even the point of expansion is. It’s all different. In this case, we have three days. It’s not dangerous right now, but… If a big external shock is applied to it… L-like this… Whoo!
“Ask her something else.”
-Can you tell me where the magic in the World Tree comes from?
She shook her head.
-Did someone else come in here?
She couldn’t seem to answer that question either.
Instead, Jung Hayan quietly chanted a spell. After uttering a fairly long incantation, she activated it.
Han Sora and Hwang Jeong-yeon were looking at her in surprise.
At that moment, transparent shadows appeared.
-…
They began to move on their own and do meaningless things.
One of the smaller ones ran around while a slightly larger shadow floated in the air.
No, looking closely, it wasn’t up in the air. If the World Tree had remained intact, wouldn’t the shadows look like the elves who were spending time around it?
-This is…
-The… The past…
‘Are you crazy? Is this even possible?’
I knew she was a monster, but now I was looking at Jung Hayan in a different light. The reactions of the others, including Han Sora, were no different.
Since she had authority on stalking magic, it was understandable for her to be able to complete that kind of spell, but who knew she would implement such unrealistic magic?
No, sh*t, it wasn’t weird. Spatial movements and gravity manipulation didn’t seem very realistic either.
-Amazing… Jung Hayan.
-You… you can do it too, Sora. I can teach you this one, and even invisibility that stays in effect when a person moves. There’s a week left. Sora is a magic angel.
-…
-I-it’s hard at first, but it… it’s easy… and simple…
The world called people like that geniuses. They made such deceptive remarks. But even with this, it was hard to find out what happened.
How could she distinguish between the hundreds and thousands of shadows surrounding the Wolrd Tree?
After a little more time, the shadows scattered. The time when the World Tree collapsed might be near.
Screaming, the dark entities fell in disarray and drifted away from the place.
They were only spells, but there was enough confusion to tell what they had gone through at the time.
“Back up for a second.”
-Wait. Rewind it a little.
One shadow was moving leisurely between them.
“Move a little more…”
-A little more…
Walking quietly, it stood out. While the others scattered in all directions, it even had its arms wide open.
-Can you play it back from the beginning, Jung Hayan?
It was clearly seen touching the World Tree while whispering.
I couldn’t understand what it was saying because I couldn’t hear it, but I could see its mouth moving. Once again, the shadows scattered as the Tree of Life collapsed.
The shadow that reached for it mixed in with the others as it moved. I followed it to see where it was headed, but the traces were cut off halfway through.
The last place where it was located was where the detained people were. It was an empty space at the time.
“What the fuck…”
Just in time, I heard a loud noise.
-Boooooooom!!!
-Don’t let them oppress us any longer! How long are you going to allow these filthy elves to keep us locked up like this?
-Let’s drive them out!
-Let’s get out of here, comrades! Let’s get out of this cage!
-Let’s move! Raise your weapons! Let’s show them the power of humans!
-Please comply with the law! Depending on the control… Oh no!
-If you don’t comply with us, we’ll overpower you!
-Fuck you, you son of a bitch! Hahahaha!
-Stop them! Don’t let them get out!
-You son of a bitch! Hahaha! Crazy! Hahaha!!!
-Call Elios!
-Evacuate the people!
-You filthy sons of bitches… Whoosh… Whoosh… Rip and kill all these elven bastards!
Cho Hyejin bit her lips tightly as she listened to the voices that were coming from all directions.
-Get ready for battle! Get ready for battle!
Ahn Ki-mo and Alps, who were nearby, immediately joined Cho Hyejin in arms, and she quickly moved and opened her mouth.
-Put the safety of nearby citizens first.
-Yes.
-Got it, Acting Guildmaster.
For a moment, I thought those bastards might be suicidal. They charged out of their cages, weapons in arms.
Those sh*ts weren’t doing that on their own, considering the way their eyes looked demented.
-Ahhhh… Our Goddess!
‘What the hell is this? What is this?’
-My life is for you, my everything… I will give you everything, from head to toe! Aaahhhhhhhh!
‘What the fuck is that… What the hell? I’m so scared. That is…’
-Goddess! My Goddess!!! I will dedicate their blood to you, my Goddess!!! Ahhhh!!! Ahhh!!! Ahhhhhhhh!!!
‘I’m scared, sh*t. Sh*t… Sh*t…’
-The Goddess is in the World Tree! Goddess is in the Tree of Life!!! Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhhhhhhhahaha!
‘What… What the fuck… Hey…’
-Prepare for combat!
“What? Combat? Fuck that! Just run, Hyejin!”