Chapter 545 – The Opening

Thud!

The King’s ‘limb’ burst through the sturdy concrete wall and hurtled like a dart towards my forehead.

[Watch out! Zuin!! No!]

A cry of terror from Eleanor. When I showed no signs of moving, she flung herself towards me, wings flapping in a desperate attempt to shield me.

“Be still.”
[Pardon?]

I caught Eleanor mid-flight, holding her head and tilting it slightly.

The King’s ‘limb’ missed its mark, shooting past me and into the void behind.

Thud-thud-thud!

The subsequent onslaught was relentless.

Like bars raining down from the ceiling, the independently acting ‘limbs’ swooped down to pierce my throat. I summoned my magical power, transmuting the internal mana into a surge of demonic energy.

“Eleanor.”
[Yes!]

Elemental Fusion. My eyes flared with an intense green light.

Had my goal been to shatter the King, it would have been right to wield the Heavenly Demon Divine Power. But that wasn’t my aim today.

I could see the flow of mana. As the spirit’s vision fully assimilated with mine, my perception fragmented like an insect’s compound eye.

I saw the air splitting under the onslaught of the ‘limbs’. With fluid, wave-like movements, I evaded all of the King’s ‘limbs’.

Oomph!

The Elemental Fusion was tailor-made for evasion and unpredictable movement. At this moment, it was difficult for the King to land an effective blow. I issued a command to Lucy, a spirit in the distance.

“Lucy.”
[Yes, Master.]
“Release all the spirits in this vicinity.”

In addition to Lucy and Eleanor, several subordinate spirits were spread out around here. They weren’t individually contracted, but Eleanor, a superior spirit, had beckoned them from the spirit realm.

Eleanor, the royal princess, had the ability to summon numerous spirits to the human realm without a spirit contract.

As a result, I had more spirits at my disposal than any spiritualist. I shared my vision with countless spirits, compensating for blind spots that were inevitable in one-on-one combat, and establishing control over the space without wasting mana. Each spirit entity was imbued with my magic, enabling them to use destructive spells. Effectively, this building was now teeming with A-class wizards.

【 Noise Suppression 】
【 Shock Absorption 】

The entire building was layered with magic. It would be problematic if a Hunter, aware of the conflict, decided to intervene. To accomplish my objective, I first needed to quell the King’s aggression, and for this, I chose Elemental Fusion.

Thud! Thud!

I maintained a defensive posture, fending off the continuing attacks.

“Today, I’ve no intention to fight. Come down peacefully when I ask nicely.”

Before long, the King, sensing a change, descended from the ceiling, using his ‘limbs’ like a spider’s web. The one-eyed monstrosity looked at me, his attire in tatters.

A dreadful chamber with two bodies laid bare. Unceremoniously, I kicked the rolling head to a corner, letting the situation unfold without interference.

A rolling sound. A thud.

The King of Trees shattered the tumbling head with a swift ‘branch’ strike.

– Kwajik!

“Seems you were amusing yourself with my daughter.”

I had been aware from the get-go that the king had taken an interest in Shiba. Initially, I contemplated driving him away immediately, but events unfolded rather differently. His goal was to eradicate all life forms within this dimension. Observing him hesitate in Shiba’s presence, I discerned a glimmer of potential for dialogue.

The reclaimed humanity, specific to Shiba.
Though its durability was uncertain, the information possessed by the king was of undeniable value.

“Lee Si-heon.”

The king murmured.

“Yes. Ready for a conversation now?”

Though not cordial, I retained a semblance of affability, questioning him without concealing my disdainful smile.

Truth be told, it was a gut-wrenching ordeal.

“Or perhaps, do you now feel the stirrings of paternity?”

A harsh retort incites a surge of malevolent speculation.

“Watch your words. You, of all people-”
“I understand.”

I refused to relinquish control of the conversation.

“I don’t deserve to be a father. You know everything, being with Shiba. How I abandoned my daughter, leaving her without a father.”
“…….”
“But I do cherish our daughter, don’t I?”

My emotions contradicted the King’s intentions.

Why couldn’t he muster the courage to end Shiba’s life?
The answer was evident. No matter how corrupt and twisted I was, Shiba was my flesh and blood, an entity this king could never harm.

Likely, the arrival of the trial’s demon in this world was connected to this.
While it was premature to draw conclusions, the evidence was compelling.

“Did she die?”
“…….”
“Your daughter.”

Power surged into my clenched fist.
Despite the alien world, I remained myself.
Empathy for one who suffered a desolate future was an inevitable feeling.

– Bang!

I didn’t dodge the ‘branch’ that the king launched from his body.
The sharp branch pierced my palm. Blood seeped out, staining my hand.

“We surely have many queries for each other.”

– Crack.

With a firm grip on the ‘branch’, I broke one of his weapons.
With a nonchalant toss, I discarded the shattered branch on the floor, taking a step forward.

In an instant, my hand healed.

“Let’s converse.”
“…What?”

A flicker of intrigue lit the King’s eyes.

“One of us is destined to perish. You know this.”
“…….”
“However, the situation in this universe is quite complex, wouldn’t you agree?”

A proposition.

With the last drop of blood washed away, I fixed him with a stern gaze.

Death has been a companion for a long time, and even in death, my people sought a way to survive.
The King of Trees too, has left no stone unturned in his quest to save his daughter.

Every moment teeters on the precipice of chance. The King’s gaze and mine align in an unbroken line, magic pulsating between us until the walls crack under its weight. Unable to negotiate the intricacies of our respective wills, we find ourselves intertwined — as inevitably as when the sun and moon share the same zenith, however ephemeral this connection might be.

The air of twilight seeps into the building, a chill snaking around my waist.

The day cloaks itself in shadow, blurring the distinction between the dawn’s first light and the moon’s pale ascent. Time loses its meaning in this ambiguity, my watch neglected.

“Every secret you hold.”
Silence.
“And every knowledge I possess.”

A coward’s laughter escapes me.

“Let’s exchange.”

The King’s pupils dilate in surprise.

“Are you serious?”

To his gruff inquiry, I nod with uncharacteristic gaiety.

Consider this. If survival is fated to only one, isn’t it more beneficial for the survivor to inch closer to their objectives? It’s a matter of efficiency. The King of Trees, you see, is a cornucopia of information, an archive spanning countless worlds. Just acquiring those memories would bring me leagues closer to my goals.

Demons, Flowers, The World Tree… perhaps even Trials.

“Ask first,” the King of Trees suggests. Our conversation continues, unbroken by the need to change locations.

‘Lucy, Eleonor. Enter.’

[Chirp!]
[Yes, Master.]

The King, having summoned the spirits and deemed my intentions non-hostile, withdraws his ‘Branches.’

“How is it that Shiba still lives?”
“I suppose I can enlighten you, once I comprehend your circumstances.”

We are to juxtapose our experiences from our respective worlds. The King nods once, then embarks on the tale of his world.

“There has never been a timeline where Shiba lives.”
“What?”
“Our responses were inadequate. Blocking one side caused the other to crumble.”
“Responses? Regarding the World Tree? Or the Flower?”
“Both.”

The King murmurs, enveloped by his ‘Branches.’

“Shiba is… a catastrophe they cannot afford to keep alive. Be it her potential or any other aspect, the Flower or the World Tree, they invariably target Shiba’s neck.”

It was among the scenarios I’d feared. Shiba’s targeting could impose constraints on my actions, potentially hindering the growth of my power. It was one of the factors that led me to part ways with Shiba three years ago.

“Yet, for some reason, this world seems to disregard Shiba unusually. Regardless of the woman who has Shiba’s back…”
“The woman?”
“The World Tree of Purity.”
“I do not even recognize her countenance.”
“What?”

Shiba used to call her ‘Mother.’

In response to the King’s continued words, I offer my retort.

“Shiba’s mother, Azalea.”
“…?”
“Why?”
“No, I need a moment to think.”

Indeed, that was it. Leaving the King to his ruminations, I pose a question.

“Have you ever encountered the World Tree of Purity?”
“Of course.”

A flicker of regret momentarily danced in the king’s eyes.

“She never once doubted me, not even in the moment when I seized her heart.”
“You killed her. It doesn’t seem like it was a particularly pleasant ending, hearing the circumstances.”
“…If it were a pleasant ending, I wouldn’t be here.”
“Indeed.”

I was brimming with curiosity about purity.
I had many more questions for the king. With a wave of my hand, a makeshift chair materialized from magic, and I sat down.

“I think I need some advice.”

He was hesitant to speak. Perhaps he was wrestling with some sentiment?
If he willingly provided the information, I would be grateful.

“Do not harbor any doubts about her. If you recall the sight of her affinity window, you’ll understand.”
“I understand.”

The World Tree of Purity. Her affinity had always been steadfast at 100.

“I’ve traversed countless worlds. Each time, I ended her life. Yet, she never once resisted me. Despite having the power to stop me if she had desired. On the contrary, she even apologized.”
“Apologized?”
“…She said she was sorry for letting it come to this. That woman possesses the power to alter fate. For some reason, she was always in a different dimensional line, thus unable to fully wield her power.”

A being capable of changing destiny.
An old memory brushed past my thoughts, but that was not the matter at hand.

“The narrative has veered off considerably. Shiba’s death. Let’s return to that matter.”
“Revisiting it is no simple feat. Let’s keep it brief. Shiba died from a disease. In a brief moment when she left her position to fetch a mana stone, she was cursed by Sephirot.”
“….”
“Sephirot, that woman showed interest in Shiba. The power of the elf. The gray magic. All of it was unknown to her. And soon, it’ll be the same here. Once the power of an elf manifests, she’ll quickly take an interest.”
“So she was interested, and then she cursed her?”
“It wasn’t an ordinary curse. Sephirot toyed with Shiba’s body. She gave her a disease and conducted all sorts of biological experiments. I was helpless. Until she died. Right till the end.”

The king’s eyes were speckled with anger and sadness.
Despite being able to maintain calm while crossing worlds, it seemed he could not discard the feelings of a father who had lost his daughter.

“Back then, the sage suggested a plan. He said he would devise a way to save Shiba. But I was betrayed. He smashed the potion meant to save her and left Shiba to die.”
“Why?”
“…I had surpassed the boundary by taking that route.”

The sage of this world and the sage of other worlds are not the same entity.
Moreover, the current sage was Marronnier. The circumstances were different from before.

“Shall we summarize?”

One, Sephirot took an interest in Shiba and performed all sorts of experiments using a curse.
But in this world, Sephirot has not yet shown interest in Shiba.

“Also, a few things. The fertilizer and water obtained via the status window were laced with poison.”
“…This has nothing to do with my world.”
“If Shiba’s identity spreads rapidly, she dies just like that.”

Is that so?

I didn’t involve Shiba in any significant events.

“And. There were many instances when I was abducted where I nearly starved to death.”

This seemed to be a reference to the time when I was ensnared by Alpha and Beta, and forcibly relocated to an uncharted dungeon.

In those days, Se-Young and Azalea alternated in caring for Shiba’s budding life. Without them, Shiba may have already perished.

“Azalea claimed to be her mother. I apologize, but I hardly know anything about that woman. It’s been too long a memory. And… well, it wasn’t a pleasant conclusion.”

Had Azalea’s survival been linked with Shiba in some intuitive way?

“And here’s a personal thought… The World Tree of Purity might find Shiba useful.”
“Why?”
“Well, if not, there’s no need to keep her alive. You’ve essentially abandoned Shiba. Doesn’t it appear that way?”

The World Tree of Purity isn’t all-seeing.
It might exert its power occasionally to inspect certain scenarios, but monitoring my every move is beyond its reach. Hence, it took time to become aware of Shiba. Even when it did, I chose to abandon Shiba and stand on my own. And if Shiba harbors negative emotions towards me… it would likely consider her exploitable.

“…The balance of power also plays a significant role. I had no time to pay attention to myself.”
“Is that so?”

At my words, the king nodded in agreement.
The cold war between Flower and the World Tree of Purity continues. At that time, the threat posed by Flower was greater than mine. Had it chosen to corner me, the World Tree of Purity would have been destroyed long ago.

There were a multitude of circumstances that allowed Shiba to thrive.
The pressure from the World Tree of Purity must have been beneficial as well.

“The critical factors might be that I erased as much information as possible and that I entrusted Shiba to Azalea.”
“…It’s absurd. The solution to saving my daughter was to abandon her.”

The king laughed bitterly.
His forced, detached smile seemed incredibly strained.

“There’s still much to ask.”
“I feel the same.”

Essentially, it’s akin to getting a glimpse of the future.
I looked at the king with a sly grin on my face.

The future me.
Perhaps it’s time to reap that benefit.

This moment was nothing short of a divine opportunity that could turn my world and everything around me upside down.