Chapter 176: Roots of Dread
Next Day
{As I have already told you before, the process to remove those memories from your subconscious or soul is going to be extremely painful. If you really plan to go through with this on your own, then be prepared because it will take a long time.}
{Let me ask you again, are you absolutely sure you do not want me to do it for you?}
"Yeah, I am sure."
There is no way I will only rely on that one method. There is still the skill creation chance. If I reach the next rank, maybe I can come up with something to solve the problem regarding those memories...
{Very well, but in order for that to happen, you will first need to enter your soul space. Even though there is no official rank restriction on entering the soul space, it is extremely difficult for someone at a lower rank to access it properly. I will now guide you through it slowly...}
"Wait. You can skip all that part. I can already enter my soul space," Ash said in a calm voice.
The World Tree, however, was anything but calm. She went completely still and stared at him like he was a rare creature being observed inside a sealed glass cage.
{You can...?}
"Yes."
{Then tell me, what does your soul space look like? Describe it in detail.}
She asked, because she believed Ash must be bluffing.
But, Ash did as she asked. He described a vast black sea, a clear sky above, and a pitch-black tree standing right at the center on his soul space. Of course, he left out the leaves and the rune part.
However, Ash was not well-informed when it came to matters of the soul, so he did not know that trees do not usually exist inside a normal soul.
{What did you just say? A tree? Did you really say there is a tree inside your soul space?}
The moment he saw her reaction, Ash realized that he might have said something he was not supposed to.
He had assumed it was completely normal for a soul to appear that way. After all, he had never read anything related to souls in any library he visited. Even in the novel he remembered, Ray had never entered his own soul space.
{If there is a tree inside your soul space, then there is only one possible explanation. It means you have a mutated soul.}
When he heard those words, the memory of a notification message popped into his head. He remembered that when he obtained the Rune of Death, a message had appeared in his status window mentioning that he possessed a mutated soul.
So the tree was the mutated part all along. I thought it was something every soul had by default...
Ash quickly noticed that he had drawn even more attention to himself, and he was not comfortable with the look in the Great Mother’s eyes. Her interest in him had deepened, and that was not necessarily a good thing.
In an attempt to brush it off casually, he quickly said, "You know I absorbed the Rune of Life, right? And before coming to me the Rune was with you for a long time, so maybe after entering my body, it adapted itself into the shape of a tree."
Upon hearing that, a warm smile bloomed on her face. She clapped her hands together and nodded.
{Yes, that does make sense. That explanation is quite reasonable.}
"Alright then, can you now tell me what I need to do after I enter the soul space?"
{Very well. The first thing you need to keep in mind is that time inside the soul space flows at the same rate as time in the real world. So do not lose track of time while you are in there. Now, moving on...}
Ash stayed quiet, but his thoughts were not. Wait a second. So the time inside is supposed to match the outside? That must mean the reason time was moving faster inside was because of the effects of my mutated soul...
Outwardly, he showed no reaction. However, inside his head, he was already thinking about how he could use that discovery to his own advantage.
{Now let me explain the steps you need to take, starting from the beginning...}
Time passed as Ash continued to learn from the World Tree directly. Each moment was filled with instructions and careful explanations.
Meanwhile, Serena had also begun to actively participate in the council meetings. She was gradually learning from the other members how everything functioned and how to properly carry out her responsibilities.
It would still take time for her to fully adjust to her new role, but at least now she was genuinely happy—happier than she had been in a very long time.
The spirits that had once vanished were slowly beginning to return one after another. The people felt hope rising again, and they were relieved to see the world slowly going back to the way it used to be.
The spirits that had previously disappeared were now beginning to return one by one. The people rejoiced, relieved that things were finally returning to normal.
And slowly, the rumors about the Elf Queen being cursed began to fade away into silence. But even in a time of peace, there were always some who could not accept that everything was going well.
***
-CRACK!!
"DAMN IT!!!"
A glass bottle slammed against the wall and shattered, thrown by an elf who appeared to be middle-aged. He had blonde hair and sharp green eyes.
As everyone knew, elves usually had blonde, green, or sometimes silver hair.
"What went wrong? Why are the spirits returning? And did you see the appearance of the Elf Queen today? That was without a doubt the royal garment, the one that can only be provided by the World Tree..."
His sharp voice was directed at another elf standing nearby. This one looked younger, with equally blonde hair and a trembling body.
The young elf was already cowering, his expression pale as he stammered, "That can only mean one thing... the World Tree is awake..."
But they were not real elves. They were demons—more specifically, demons specialized in infiltration, shapeshifting, and deception.
"But how... How is that even possible? There was only one month remaining for the plan to succeed, that’s exactly why we came here in the first place..." the younger demon muttered in disbelief.
"I don’t know what went wrong, but something definitely did. And right now, that doesn’t matter anymore. The most important thing is to leave. We have to alert the others immediately. If the World Tree opens its protective domain, we will be discovered in seconds," the older demon said urgently.
"Yes, yes. I’ll send the warning right away..."
The young-looking demon bolted from the room in a panic. He was dressed in a waiter’s outfit, blending in perfectly as a bar worker.
Rushing through the backdoor of the tavern, he pulled out an artifact shaped like a black smartphone and activated it.
"Everyone, you have to leave immediately. I repeat, leave right now. The World Tree has awakened. If you don’t leave as soon as possible, everyone will—"
He never finished the sentence.
Black blood gushed from his mouth, his words cutting off. He looked down in horror to see a large root pierced straight through his heart, flooding his body with overwhelming life energy.
Don’t tell me... the domain was already open... and it was just waiting for us to act...
That was his final thought before life left his eyes. His form reverted back to its true appearance—red skin, two curved horns, and a grotesque face. Not all demons looked hideous, but it was a distinguishing trait of shapeshifters.
They always bore the most monstrous forms beneath their disguise.
The dead body was absorbed quietly into the ground.
The same scene repeated across the continent. Everywhere the infiltrating demons were hiding, they began to die one by one. Even those who received the emergency message moments ago fell without exception.
They were only low-rank demons, but the sheer number of them painted a terrifying picture. The World Tree’s expression was grim and solemn.
This silent slaughter revealed how deeply demons had embedded themselves across the world, all while remaining undetected.
Now that I have enough power to fully activate my domain again, I will not allow these creatures to take another step near my children.
Although it will still take me one full year to recover my original strength completely...
The damage and corruption she had suffered over the years had been severe. It would take time to fully cleanse her essence and regain her power, but even in her current state, there was no one foolish enough to attack the World Tree unless they wished for death.
***
One Week Later
A demon was trembling like crazy. Even though his rank was considered pretty high among regular demons, in this situation, he felt like nothing more than cannon fodder.
The reason for his fear was simple. He was currently kneeling in front of the Demon Prince.
It was common knowledge among demons that whenever the prince received bad news, he would kill the messenger without hesitation.
Because of that, the high-ranking demon responsible for gathering and handling information had developed a habit. Whenever there was good news, he would personally deliver it to the prince.
But if the news was bad, he would assign a lesser demon, usually someone expendable like this one, to carry the message.
I am going to die... I am definitely going to die...
The demon’s thoughts were chaotic. His legs were weak, his hands wouldn’t stop shaking, and even though he tried to steady his breathing, the panic inside his chest only grew stronger.
The news he was carrying today was not just bad—it was something that could shake the very foundation of their ongoing plans.
The World Tree had awakened.
As the demon desperately tried to gather his courage, a calm but sharp voice echoed from the throne ahead, each word cutting through the silence like a blade.
"So, what is the news?"
***