Chapter 159: Earning Queen’s Trust
"I am not here to fight, O Queen of Elves. I’ve come to help you. I know why the World Tree is no longer responding, why the spirits have vanished... and I can also assist you in decoding that ancient language."
Hearing that, Serena froze. Her body stiffened, and her mind instantly entered a heightened state of alert.
How does this person know about all of this? Could there have been a leak?
She knew that only a few individuals were aware of the World Tree’s condition—herself, the members of the Elven Council, and a handful of other trusted figures. Every one of them had been carefully chosen and were people she had complete faith in.
As if he could read her thoughts, the masked figure spoke again, his voice calm and composed. "If you’re wondering how I came to know these things, I cannot tell you that."
Hearing his response, Serena’s hand moved slightly, and the vines and roots coiled more tightly around Ash’s body. But even as they constricted with greater force, not a single sound of pain escaped from him. He stood silent and still.
"Your words... How can I possibly believe anything you say?" Serena asked, her voice steady, though her heart was conflicted. In truth, she wanted to alert everyone right away. But the possibility of getting answers to the questions that had haunted her for so long... it made her hesitate.
"To show my sincerity," he said, "I can reveal the reason why the Great Mother is not responding to your calls. Will that be enough for now?"
"Tell me," Serena replied plainly, her expression unreadable.
"There is something beneath the World Tree, buried deep within its roots, that is forcing it into a state of sleep. That is the reason."
Serena didn’t interrupt him. She listened carefully, absorbing every word. When he finished, she slowly responded, "We have already checked the roots of the World Tree, and found nothing unusual. There was no sign of corruption or damage."
"If that is all you have to say, then you should just—"
Her words were cut off as Ash calmly interrupted, "Then allow me to go there with you. Take me to the roots of the World Tree, and I will show you what I speak of. If I fail to do that, you may take my life without hesitation."
Serena gave a short, humorless laugh as she looked at him. "I do not trust strangers, and with how confident you sound... it only makes you more suspicious. If you truly know that much, doesn’t that make you the prime suspect behind all of this?"
"If that is the case, then sign a mana contract with me," Ash offered without flinching. "Once the contract is formed, you will see for yourself that my words are true and that I have no hidden intentions."
This time, Serena didn’t answer immediately. Her thoughts grew silent.
Should I take this risk...?
But everything about him feels suspicious...
"What do you really want?" she finally asked, watching him carefully. "I find it hard to believe that someone would come here, offer their help with no demand in return, and risk their life in the process. You must want something, right?"
"I want nothing," Ash answered without hesitation. "But if you still doubt me, then prepare a mana contract at the highest level. I will sign it and prove everything I say is true."
"But why..." Serena started to speak again, but he interrupted once more, his tone calm yet serious.
"Words are nothing but noise unless there is trust. Without trust, nothing I say will convince you. So let’s skip the empty talk and go straight to the proof. Prepare the contract."
Feeling the weight and truth behind his words, Serena quietly reached into her space ring and pulled out an ancient scroll imbued with binding magic. She activated it with a gentle touch of mana, and the scroll floated between them, its surface glowing softly in the air.
Then Ash clearly stated the conditions. According to what he said, Ash would show her the true cause behind the World Tree’s dormancy. If his words turned out to be true, Serena must fully trust him and promise to hide his presence from others.
In exchange, Ash would help her decode the ancient language. And if it was within his power, he would also assist in solving the issue regarding the World Tree.
However, if what he said was false, the contract would activate and destroy his heart.
Serena listened carefully, but added one more condition herself. She removed the part that said "if within his power," and changed it to a clear and direct condition—Ash would have to help resolve the issue with the World Tree, no matter what.
Ash let out a quiet sigh as he noticed the stubborn determination in her eyes, but he still agreed.
In truth, all he wanted was access to the books related to Life Magic and the ancient text. Even if the contract ended up destroying his heart, it wasn’t like he would die.
"Now, can you remove these vines? I’m starting to feel a bit uncomfortable here."
Hearing his calm voice, Serena waved her hand without saying anything. The vines loosened instantly and slowly retracted back into the ground beneath his feet.
Ash rolled his shoulders lightly and adjusted his posture before speaking again.
"Follow me."
Though his outer expression remained steady, inside his thoughts were racing.
I only know that the cause behind the World Tree falling dormant and the disappearance of the spirits is linked to the demonic energy I sensed deep underground. But I don’t actually know what exactly is hidden down there. Still, it’s good that I never claimed to know the full details in the contract.
Ash made his way to a specific spot within the library—the one where the Demonic energy had felt the strongest. He stopped and looked at Serena, then pointed at the ground.
"Can you take us below from here? And if it’s possible, try to make enough space while going down. We don’t know what might be waiting for us below."
Serena glanced at him sharply, her tone turning colder as she replied, "Didn’t you say you already knew the cause?"
Ash replied calmly, without changing his expression, "And when did I say I didn’t? I said I knew the cause, not the exact details. There’s a difference. I know something is down there that’s connected to all of this. I never said I know what exactly it is."
Serena narrowed her eyes, clenching her jaw for a moment as she listened to his reply.
Does he really know what he’s talking about? But the contract hasn’t broken... so his words have to be true.
She took a deep breath and calmed her thoughts. Then, with a smooth gesture of her hand, she began to manipulate the ground. Slowly and steadily, the stone below their feet reshaped itself into a spiral staircase leading downward.
Even if Serena was unable to use Life Magic, she was still a genius born once a century. Her mastery over nature and terrain was exceptional, and her achievements in every magical field stood above the rest.
Ash began descending the newly formed stairs, with Serena following closely behind.
They walked down for several minutes, and eventually reached a dead end.
Ash paused, then looked at her and said, "We need to go deeper."
The roots of the World Tree were beginning to appear, thick and ancient, stretching out like massive pillars. Each root was as thick as a city wall, their bark rough and pulsating slightly with a faint green glow.
They continued creating paths downward, repeating the process of forming new spiral staircases through the dense layers of earth and roots.
Again and again, they reached dead ends, only to dig further.
This pattern continued for four or five more levels, each deeper than the last.
Finally, after the fifth descent, Ash raised his hand slightly and motioned for Serena to stop.
"Stop!! We have arrived."
Serena looked around carefully and said, "But there is nothing here..."
Ash responded in a calm tone, "The reason you all did not find anything beneath the ground was because it was hidden using illusion and spatial interference."
Illusions had no effect on Ash, and because of that, he could clearly see the hidden isolated space.
Hearing Ash’s words, Serena still looked unsure, but she didn’t interrupt and simply replied, "I see... but how are you able to sense it?"
"Me? It’s simply because illusions don’t work on me."
Serena was about to scoff at the way he said that, but her reaction paused mid-thought as her eyes fell on the sword that suddenly appeared in Ash’s hand—emerging from its ring form.
The sword shimmered softly with a rainbow-like glow, its presence alone enough to make her instincts alert.
I can feel it... there’s something deep and mysterious hidden in that sword, Serena thought, unable to look away.
Though she couldn’t tell exactly what it was, something about it made her wary.
Ash slowly unsheathed the blade and said, "Well, it doesn’t matter whether you believe me or not. As long as I cut open the space confinement, the illusion will naturally disappear."
As he spoke, a surge of violet-colored mana started to wrap around the sword. It didn’t appear elegant or polished, but rather like raw energy being forcefully shaped.
Then, without any unnecessary movement, he swung the blade.
Space Cut.
A diagonal line sliced through the air, and immediately, the concealed illusion broke apart. Faint outlines of complex formations lit up in the air, making the hidden structure visible to the naked eye.
It—it was real... There really is something hidden down here... Serena was stunned, her thoughts racing.
Before she could fully grasp the situation, Ash gently grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her along, jumping through the opening he had created.
W-What is he doing?!
It was the first time in her life a boy had touched her. Her breath caught in her throat, her face flushed bright red, and her body froze for a moment.
But she didn’t stop him.
She could tell clearly from his actions that it wasn’t done out of disrespect or any improper intent. The spatial cut was closing fast, and had he not acted quickly, they wouldn’t have made it inside in time.
Yet whatever emotions she was feeling just a second ago disappeared completely, washed away by the scene that unfolded in front of her eyes.
"What... what the hell is happening here?" Serena whispered, her voice trembling slightly as shock took over.
Her entire body froze, her eyes widened, and a cold chill ran down her spine.
Even Ash, whose face usually remained calm and unreadable, looked completely stunned.
What the hell... he thought to himself, his mind unable to form any other response to what they were now witnessing.
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