Chapter 1582 - 79 - 84

Chapter 79 – Racial War (2)

"What is floating around like this…"

Camille Rowe, who had been walking around the seaside, made a fatigued expression.

The shore in the distance was already in chaos.

"Hey! Don't rush in! We aren't lacking nutritional fluids anymore!"

"The Roots grew a bit more! Let's go to the wreckage!"

There was chaos everywhere.

Maybe it was because the Calamity Fish had died but the World Tree was growing at a pace that was visible to the eye and somehow the Nutritional Fluids were more abundant.

'If the Roots grow at this pace then we might really be able to save billions. But what's the point. You dumbass. You are the one who needs to survive.'

It had been days since she had searched around these Roots after the Calamity Fish had died.

But she could not find that Hansoo guy no matter what.

And even more since she had to dodge the clansmen of the six pillars.

'Damnit. I need to know whether you're alive or not.'

She had even used her precious wish card that she had been saving just to find that guy.

At that moment a woman flew down from the air and then landed next to Camille.

Kwaaaaa!

A vibration that rang throughout the ground resonated.

But Camille made an extremely welcoming expression, looked at the woman who landed, Sofía, and then asked.

"It took you a while. Did you find him?"

Sofía shook her head at those words.

"I searched all around here according to your wishes but he's not here. He doesn't even get caught in my trait either."

Camille clenched her teeth as she looked at Sofía.

'If Sofía can't find him then I really can't find him…'

Trait, .

It gave information about the things one didn't know and also gave simple information as to what to do.

A trait that really stood out in this world where information became strength and power.

Sofía also made a fed up expression as she spoke.

"This is a first for me too… Usually there's only two different scenarios where they don't show up when I want to find them."

Camille clenched her teeth at those words.

Since she knew about it somewhat.

If Sofía thinks of something she wanted than a location or a direction will show up.

But there were only 2 cases where it won't come out.

A location where it was too dangerous for Sofía.

Or nonexistence.

'Did he really…'

But sadly there wasn't any places in the Red Zone where Sofía's strength was not enough.

Since Sofía was a strong person who was above the standards.

Which means the likelihood of the second case was high.

While Camille was making a worried expression, Sofía's eyes suddenly brightened up.

"Huh? The location comes up."

"Hmm?"

"Why does it suddenly come out?"

Sofía made a confused expression.

Since she was able to find Hansoo's location that Camille had asked for suddenly.

Anyways, she would be able to find him now.

"Let's go!"

"Hu-uk!"

Camille was shocked at Sofía who had aggressively hugged her but she couldn't even retaliate.

And soon Sofía, who was holding onto Camille, aggressively launched off from the ground.

Kwaaaaaang.

Soon Sofía who was holding onto Camille disappeared to the distant Base Root while giving off a loud noise.

...............….

'It's completely dead.'

Hansoo stopped on the way down and then approached the Devouring and Vomiting Root that had completely stopped working.

Since it could not maintain its huge body once the Divine Stone Fragment was extracted.

Hansoo went inside the body and then cut up a certain section.

'This is it.'

An Organ the size of Hansoo's head that was located deep within the Core of the main body.

This was the Core Memory Drive Organ that had all the genetic information of the beasts within it.

Hansoo quickly moved towards Michael after taking the Memory Drive Organ.

It was much easier to receive the help of the Clan in order to find out information about the changes around the World Tree.

Since the influence of Lighthouse, one of the Six Great Pillars, had reached every corner.

It was just that 150 of them had fallen here but there was around ten thousand and around 40 sub-clans.

They would be able to find it out immediately no matter what the Clan tried to do.

Kuuoooong

Michael made a bitter expression as he looked at Hansoo who had fitted himself with a brand new armor.

An Armor that didn't seem simple at a single glance.

'Where does this guy keep picking up all these things?'

He started to understand why this guy had denied his offer around this point.

The moment Hansoo looked at that Michael and tried to explain his situation a loud shockwave resonated from the World Tree Root above.

Kugugugu

To the point where the noise made that far above resonated to them who were underground.

The vibrations became bigger and bigger then something penetrated the wall of the underground area and came down.

Booom!

"Kuuu…. What is this."

While Michael was frowning, something walked out from the dust.

"Woah. Michael. It's been a while. It has been 6 months since we last saw each other right?"

At those words Michael grinded his teeth.

"Sofía…"

'Goddamnit.'

Michael frowned.

He had gained the intel before he had been swallowed up by the Devil's Mouth.

That one of the Seven Departed Souls was roaming around this place.

'Why did it have to be that damned bitch.'

While Michael grinded his teeth, Sofía put down the dizzy Camille and then looked around at her surroundings.

'Is that guy Hansoo.'

She knew instantly.

Since he was the only one here she had not seen before.

The others were people she had collided with once or twice when she went up against Michael in the past.

Sofía looked at Hansoo and then opened her trait, the Library.

'Let's see.'

.

-1st Year Adventurer.

-Owned Skill: 1.

-Average Rune Amount: 39.4%

Though it didn't really show up in front of her like this but it came down to this once she organized the things that came up in her head.

It seemed almost like hacking but his limits were clear as well.

It wasn't that clear but she could guess her opponent to a degree using her experiences so far.

And Sofía frowned because of this.

'…He killed the Calamity Fish with this?'

And it seemed like he had killed the main body of the Devil's Mouth as well.

'No way.'

The fact that he was very lacking was enough.

A first year who only had one skill with runes less than 50%.

Though it was amazing for a 1st year but that was just relative in the end.

If he was compared to the rest of the Red Zone then he couldn't even reach the middle.

'How did he kill it with that level…'

And if he did kill it, what level would he reach once he filled up all his runes.

'I need to see the level of the Artifact…'

Right as Sofía was about to check Hansoo with more detail, Hansoo looked at Sofía and spoke out.

"Try focusing on something else other than me."

"What?"

At that moment something came into Sofía's head.

Sofía's expressions froze at the sudden strange feeling that had come into her head.

This strong sensation that her trait was transmitting to her.

Danger.

And only really big danger at that.

'Something's coming down… From up?'

Sofía felt the slight vibrations along the World Tree as she looked at the hole she had made on the way in high up in the World Tree Root.

................

Kurururururu

A humongous snake was coiled around the World Tree.

Ouroboros.

The easiest Calamity to confirm with the eyes unlike the others.

Actually this guy didn't really directly hurt humans.

There was only one thing it did.

It drank the Toxic Waters supplied to the World Tree after biting around the Pillar in the middle with its head that was larger than a small island.

Of course the people below will starve since that thing would drain the toxic waters that was going to be turned into Nutritional Fluids by the World Tree but they stayed like that.

Since they didn't want to even imagine the case where that thing would get pissed and come down.

An existence that they were thankful for staying still.

At the same time that thing was one of the few methods for the people living at the Roots to reach the Branch safely.

Since it was very hard even for adventures of the Red Zone to climb up to the Branch that reached over the clouds without getting tired.

But they could reach their destinations with much more ease by stepping atop the body which coiled around the tree and had its tail around the ground.

So a lot of people stepped on its body and headed towards the Branch but there was still a location they never got close to.

Head.

This thing will ruthlessly attack once they get near the head that was drinking the toxic waters.

But there was a person who had reached the head.

The Clone, who had now found his name to be Tekilon, entered through one of the countless gaps between the Scales.

The Ouroboros was also growing a huge number of parasites within its body for defensive purposes but they moved aside after looking at Tekilon.

Kugugugugu

Tekilon, who had arrived inside the head, places his hand on the central nervous system as he quickly tapped into the Ouroboros using his power.

Kuuuuuuuuu

Though the Ouroboros was slightly guarded against the strange creature that had invaded its

head but it didn't act rashly.

Since it was quite confused.

The guy felt like his creator but was different from the creator in some ways.

That difference was making the Ouroboros hesitate. At that moment a command flew into his head.

The Ouroboros screamed out in dissatisfaction at those commands.

Kurururururu

It was eating.

For the thing to disturb him eating when he didn't even seem like a complete creator.

Then the Creator-like creature who had seen the reaction of Ouroboros made a new command instead.

<… Then just close all the pores in the body except the Mouth.>

Kirururuk

That wouldn't be a problem.

The Ouroboros covered its whole body with its steel-plate-like scales.

Tekilon clicked his tongue as he saw the reaction of Ouroboros.

'Damnit. I set the instinct of wanting food too strong on this guy. It'll take a while.'

Tekilon slowly invaded it so he wouldn't irritate it.

Since this thing could go crazy if he tried to get it under his command from the get-go.

Quite a large amount of time was needed to him to fill up his greed for food.

'I don't have time.'

Tekilon clenched his teeth.

He didn't know how much time had past between his last and current memory.

He wanted to go down with Ouroboros and crush them when he thought of his race who would've died and will continue to die while he bought time.

Anyways, he didn't need to care about the people who had landed here unlike the Elvenheim who took a bit of effort.

But Tekilon was breathing in and out alone.

'2 weeks. I can control it after 2 weeks. I will take this guy and go down in 2 weeks.'

He wouldn't be able to come in and set up a trap since all the pores were closed and if he were to get frustrated and then attack then Ouroboros will smash him apart.

'There's no need to hurry.'

He was used to waiting.

Since there were memories he had suppressed during the time he was born as the Elvenheim and until he finished all his preparations after becoming king.

And because he had held onto it for a long time and prepared for it, he was able to attack the Elvenheims when they weren't suspecting and could go against the army of the Five Great Tiger generals who rushed in to stop the crazy king and the Calamities.

Tekilon put his hands on the central nervous system of the Ouroborus who was busy eating as he gave the strongest order he could give.

Though it was hard to make it stop eating and go down since it had a large liking for toxic waters but everything else wasn't that hard.

'I guess I need to open it for a moment.'

Tekilon gave his orders as soon as he finished his decision.

.........….

"Hooh. It's really high."

One of the Hecate Clansmen spoke out after seeing the scene that could be seen below her feet as she was climbing up the Pillar on Ouroboros.

The toxic sea that was spread far and wide endlessly.

And the wide World Tree Mountain Range that was on top of it.

Though it had dried up, the sheer size of it covered over it and showing quite a spectacle.

The woman, Chwee, who had been climbing up with the man, Ben, who was applauding the scene spoke as she laughed.

"Better artifacts come out if you go up a bit more from here. Be strong a bit longer. We need to gear ourselves anyway since we'll be going over to the next zone soon."

Ben replied at these words.

"Like the Seven Departed Souls?"

Chwee slightly frowned as she nodded.

Seven Departed Souls.

People who had filled up the requirements to go up and had grown strong to the point where they would threaten all of the Six Great Pillars by themselves and had not gone up for some reason.

If you average out of the years the Seven Departed Souls stayed within the Red Zone then it was 11.

People who had gotten stronger and stronger by staying in the Red Zone for almost around 11 years.

Actually there were some 1st years.

People who had come to this world with Eres or Keldian who had left behind a legend.

Which meant that they had stayed in the Red Zone for 20 years alone.

And because of this they were called Departed Souls.

They would usually call those people seniles but they were too afraid to.

'They aren't right in their heads.'

Chwee blessed her thoughts as she spoke while smiling.

"Yeah. Where do you think the Seven Departed Souls have gotten those Rare artifacts from?

Kuhuhu. They say we might be able to obtain the feather if we're lucky."

"Wow. Then there are more reasons to go up then."

He didn't even want the top class artifacts that the Seven Departed Souls had.

They would be able to equip themselves with gear a full tier up once they gained a single feather.

Ben started to quickly walk upwards as if those words energized him.

At that moment a strange sound was heard from somewhere.

Kidududududuk.

"Huh?"

Ben, who was quite sensitive enough to the point of working as a member of the Search team of the Hecate Clan, quickly looked around.

The surface of the Ouroboros, which was covered with scales that were few meters long, was shaking up and down.

Then something started to crawl out from between the scales.

Ben was shocked once he saw this.

"Uaaaak! Parasites!"

The things the people, who entered Ouroboros without knowing the dangers through the Scales, met first.

"Damnit! Run!"

Ben and Chwee looked at the giant parasites that reached over 4m in height as they started to madly run atop of Ouroboros.

Billions of grasshopper-shaped parasites crawled out as they started to attack.

Chapter 80 – Racial War (3)

Kururururu

Michael clenched his teeth as he received the messages and carrier pigeons that were flowing in madly from all around.

"Is there a possibility that you killing that… Has some relationship with the reason why the parasites of Ouroboros have gone crazy?"

There was chaos going on the Roots above.

Since they said that a huge amount of parasites that could be clearly seen from below were crawling out of the body of Ouroboros and marching down.

Billions of them when they weren't even weak.

And there was only one reason why the Ouroboros who had been quiet for 20 years was like that.

Hansoo nodded at those words.

'I wondered where he went… It seems like he went to connect to Ouroboros.'

Actually the situation which worried him wasn't the parasites but rather him just bringing down the Snake.

Since then it will become so dangerous to the point where it wouldn't even be comparable to the parasites.

'But since he isn't doing so… It seems that it'll take some time. Anyways, I don't think I can do anything inside of it then.'

According to his original plan, he was going to feed poison to the Ouroboros and slowly grind it up from the inside.

But there was no way the Clone will sit and watch him rampaging inside it.

Which meant that it was a full frontal battle.

'Time is important then.'

The longer it took for him to come down the better.

There was no way for him to know when he will come down usually but there was an amazing alternative method in front of him.

There weren't many people with the trait Library who hadn't gotten strong.

Intelligence and information were the strongest weapon of all.

Since there was a huge difference between knowing and not knowing the direction even for simple things.

And the woman in front of him actually proved this.

'It's been a while. Sofía Vargera.'

Hansoo laughed quietly in his mind.

Sofía Vargera.

One of the final 100 of the human race who had been running towards the Crystal in the distant past.

Of course she was quite close with him too.

'Well. We can talk things out later.'

He needed intel at this moment.

Hansoo spoke towards Sofía.

"How long do you think it'll take? Until that thing comes down?"

"What?!"

Michael freaked out at those words.

There was no way that he asked about the parasites coming down.

Since they could check with their own eyes.

Which meant that something else was coming down and there was only one other existence that could trouble this guy.

For the Ouroboros to come down when the parasites were dangerous enough.

Sofía squinted her eyes as she looked at Hansoo.

'…How did he know? That I would know?'

Exactly a few days. It wasn't something like this.

But the danger she felt on the skin was increasing and if she calculated with this new sensation then something big will happen in 14 days or 16 days at the latest.

Since there was no way that the parasites will take 14 days to come down so there's only one other way.

The abnormal Ouroboros will be coming down.

'Oh god. Something big has happened.'

Sofía clenched her teeth.

For something like this to happen when keeping the seal alone was busy enough.

Hansoo looked towards Sofía and then asked again.

"How long does it take? I need to know that in order to set up a plan properly."

"…"

The one who was actually in chaos from Hansoo's attitude was Camille.

Since Sofía was also known for being extremely bad-tempered.

'Uwaa…'

"Two weeks."

But Sofía replied obediently unlike Camille's expectations.

She was too busy calculating what will happen once that thing came down.

'First contact the leader. Then…"

Her mind was too occupied for her to have the will to squabble with him.

But the problem rose from a different location.

"The Ouroboros is coming down in only 2 weeks?"

Michael clenched his teeth.

He then made his decision instantly.

'Escape.'

Michael then opened his mouth.

"We'll leave then. Since there won't be much time."

Camille, who had been listening, shouted out in confusion.

"What are you saying? We'll all die if we don't fight."

If something like that came down then there won't be a hole to escape.

What was he thinking.

Michael gazed at Camille and then spoke out.

"If there wasn't an escape route then probably. But that's not the case."

Sofía also frowned at Michael's words.

This was why she hated the clansmen.

Since they grouped up by themselves and backed off during important moments.

"You crazy bastards. Are you all going to go over?"

Camille frowned at those words.

Since she finally understood what Michael's words of not needing to fight meant.

She had forgotten from shock.

That there wasn't only the Red Zone in the Other World.

'Damnit… The passage opens soon.'

Camille looked towards the Trunk of the World Tree.

...............

The Hecarim clan, one of the Six Pillars like the Lighthouse.

Jukma, the clan lord, looked at one of the giant trunks behind his main camp.

The Six Pillars weren't something metaphorical.

The giant trunk of the world tree split up into six thick paths when it got close to the surface.

The six split up World Tree Stems dropped down horizontally until the land, split up into 12 roots and then continued to spread along the surface.

And this was why they were Six Pillars and twelve base roots.

Because of this, the six pillars was the best place to give out nutritional fluids to everyone within the clan.

Since it was the start of where the World Tree spread the nutritional fluid from.

And only the strongest six clans could stay here because of this.

'Well. I don't know why they don't place it in a more comfortable location.'

But the foodline not being severed was one of the most important factors.

Jukma gazed contently at the giant trunk which fed the entire clan and then looked over at the lake in the distance behind the trunk.

Lake.

A huge lake that was between the six huge trunks.

It wasn't made of toxic waters either.

But then it also wasn't made of nutritional fluids.

The people called this lake the .

A man walked towards Jukma who was staring at the lake.

"What shall we do?"

Amil Stadan who acted as the spear of the Hecarim Clan, calmly asked as he heard the madly rushing news from the outside.

It had been 3 years since they had been here.

But there was not a single time where something like this had happened.

'… Billions of parasites huh.'

It wasn't a number that made him think of a loss.

The number was definitely threatening but the path they could take to come down was limited to the body of Ouroboros and the strength of the Six Pillars, Twelve Roots and other clans was formidable as well.

Which meant that if the Six Pillars, Twelve Roots and higher clans were gathered then it would be possible to withstand it despite receiving large amounts of damage.

'If we group up that is.'

Jukma opened his mouth after finishing his thoughts.

"We've enjoyed as much as we needed right?"

Amil Stadan pondered for a moment and then nodded.

1 year where he had crazily struggled to survive after coming to this world.

1 year where he had madly ran to get stronger so he can go up.

6 months of finally finding some leisure and enjoying this and that while watching others struggle.

Though he had only rested for 6 months out of 3 years, he had no problem with this.

Resting for 6 months was a long time.

Jukma laughed as he spoke.

"They all prepared quite a few artifacts right? In Orange."

"Correct."

Their runes were currently Red.

The runes that came out from the World Tree Mountain Ranges were only Red.

But sometimes an Orange Artifact that they couldn't even use dropped around the Branches.

'The Fairies are quite kind.'

Though they can't use it here, it will become much easier for them if they got a good artifact here for the next zone.

Since a good weapon was the core of a strong battle power.

Jukma listened to Amil Stadan's report of being ready and then laughed coldly as he spoke.

"Then let's go over. Slowly."

He had fun as much as he should have.

He was pondering whether to go up but for a big event like this to happen.

Such an event was basically giving him the final push.

Then Jukma looked over to the Lake, .

They couldn't eat or drink it.

There was only one use for the lake.

A passage to get to the next Zone.

"Get ready. The remaining ones… Well they'll do well on their own."

"Yes."

In order to get out before this place got run over by the parasites they needed to hurry a little bit.

Jukma remembered something while making the plan and then spoke.

"Oh yeah. I heard there was quite a special guy out of the newcomers this time around?"

At those words Jukma nodded to himself.

"That is right."

"There's quite a lot of fun guys out of the Koreans this time. Let's take him. We can just give him runes and raise him."

"Understood."

Amil Stadan heard Jukma's words and then started to send carrier pigeons and messages in all directions.

.........…

Michael opened his mouth as he looked towards the six trunks.

"In two days the passage is going to open. Once the mirror opens then there's no need for others of the Pillars to fight. They will probably leave first. Sorry but that's the case for us as well."

Going through the Mirror was very simple.

Once a month, the surface of the lake turned like a mirror.

They just needed to go through it then.

If they have the qualifications then they will disappear into it.

If they don't then they will walk out from the spot whence they walked in from.

Of course most of their clansmen, who were high level adventurers, had the qualifications.

They had been pushing it back until it now but then there's no reason to not leave anymore.

'There's no reason to get massacred in a fight where there's nothing to gain.'

Sofía grinded her teeth at Michael's words.

"These bitches… Seriously. You guys are really heartless. Those who don't have the qualifications cannot leave."

Of course all the other high-ranking adventurers including themselves will leave.

But then what will happen to the countless other adventurers left behind.

If strong people flooded out then the ones remaining below will just get massacred.

Michael snorted at Sofía's words.

"What, then you want us to get killed here as well? I don't know about the parasites but what are you going to do when the Ouroboros comes down? You damned bitch. I don't know what you're thinking but to us our clan is more important than everyone else in the world combined."

Fighting with their life on the line for people they don't know about.

Words were easy to speak.

But could they actually do it?

It was human nature to feel sad for their own family getting hurt more than a distant war.

'I can't give up.'

As Michael and Sofía's argument grew, the one who was feeling troubled was actually Camille.

Camille looked towards Hansoo after staring at the two for a while.

He had killed two of the four Calamities so far.

Wouldn't he have a method of dealing with the Ouroboros as well?

"Do you perhaps have a method of killing the Ouroboros?"

Michael snorted at Camille's words.

Hansoo had killed the Calamities by wrecking them from inside the body.

But for some reason the Ouroboros sent out all the parasites which acted as the inner defensive system.

What did this mean?

'This means that it won't let anyone come inside anymore.'

According to his clansmen inspections, every hole in its body was being blocked by the scales on the body.

This meant that they have to kill it in a full frontal battle but a single swipe from that snake tail could smash apart the giant Root they were standing on.

Though it did not have any special abilities like the Devouring and Vomiting Root but the size, hardness and mass of its body made it overwhelming.

Killing that thing in a head on battle did not make any sense.

No, if nobody distracted the parasites to buy time then fighting it was impossible in the first place.

Hansoo nodded at those words.

"It's a bit hard alone."

"…?"

Everyone made a surprised expression.

That meant that he could kill it if they helped.

Hansoo started to quickly calculate things within his head.

'Two weeks are a bit tight.'

A beast that was getting controlled by somebody who had evil intentions and a beast that was faithful to its primitive instinct.

There was no need to say which was more dangerous.

It wasn't that they were going to wait 2 weeks and killing it after it comes down.

They had to beat it before 2 weeks, before that thing was completely under control.

'It's too hard to do it alone'

If he and the Seven Departed Souls combine their power and borrow the power of the artifact, it'd be doable to fight with the bastard drinking zealously the poison water.

'Not only Sofía, we call the six others as well. And while the six pillars and the other guys block the parasites, we climb to beat the Ouroboros.'

Other people wouldn't know but there was a way of contact between the Seven Departed Souls.

Done thinking, Hansoo opened his mouth and explained his plan.

And Michael, Sofía and everybody else froze after hearing the plan.

'… You want us to trust that kind of plan and not leave?'

If they miss the chance of two days later, they're trapped here for a whole month.

If Hansoo fails to kill the Ouroboros, after two weeks of calm they'll have no choice but to spend the remaining two weeks until the passage opens again with the Ouroboros raging around. (*PR: Edited this sentence heavily to make it clear)

There was not much to say about the result as well.

No. Even then, why would the other clans agree and help them.

'Damnit. What is he thinking. Is he mad?'

Michael clenched his teeth inwardly.

But Sofía's expression froze because of another reason.

"Do you guys even know what we are doing?"

The people thought that those who were called the Seven Departed Souls were running around the branches for stronger or better artifacts.

And they thought that this was the reason why they weren't seen from the eyes of those around the Trunk or Roots.

But this was not correct.

The reason why they were staying around in this place for such a long time was not because of such petty reasons.

And because of this the seven of them could not leave at the same time.

Hansoo quietly grasped onto Sofía's hands from those words.

"What…!"

While Sofía was surprised, Hansoo wrote something down on Sofía's hand.

"…What are you?"

The thing that they were sealing.

Sofía's expression froze from the word that no one should know other than the seven of them, the word which Hansoo had written down on her hand.

Chapter 81 – Racial War (4)

The Calamities people knew about were four in total.

One at the Sea.

One at the Roots.

One at the Trunk.

One at the Branch.

'And a very special one.'

Hansoo mumbled inwardly.

The 1st year Adventurers who had searched far and wide in order to explore the new world 20 years ago had seen the four kinds of Calamities but didn't worry much.

Since these guys seemed busy eating up the World Tree and didn't really seem interested in people.

While they were searching all over the World Tree while avoiding the Four Calamities, Keldian and his comrades found something extremely dangerous deep within the World Tree.

A creature that seemed like it was being sealed by somebody.

And tens of thousands of marks of those who got massacred while trying to seal that creature.

The six powers that were controlling the wide World Tree Mountain Range heard the news and then quickly gathered to the location of the Seal.

And they realized.

That this thing was more dangerous than the calamities if it were to get released.

But this guy looked like a incomplete creature unlike the completed lifeforms such as the Calamities.

Like something somebody had failed while making it.

And it was weaker than the Calamities because of that but unlike the Calamities who weren't really interested in people, this thing was showing extreme reactions against living creatures.

They hadn't included it in the Calamities because it was an incomplete product but then if this thing were to go on a rampage after getting out then the people who came after them will just get killed without being able to do anything.

No, they would get swept over too.

Their family might come after them.

They couldn't leave this behind and go up.

But then they had no methods of killing it.

Since being slightly weaker than the Calamities meant that it was much much stronger than humans.

So they only had one option.

They first put their powers around Six Trunks near the location of the Seal in order to block random people from getting to the Seal.

Since if they, the strongest, were guarding it then nobody would be able to get to the Seal as well.

At the same time they decided to keep it a secret from them as well.

Since it would be dangerous for them to know about such a dangerous existence and people who get blinded by the greed of reward will come out.

And one of the six people who had gathered had remained behind in order to keep the Seal.

The man who had raised the giant power of Hecarim, one of the six Pillars, without the ability of a Lord and with only strength alone.

Naming the creature had befallen to the one who had chosen to sacrifice himself for everyone else and the man who had chosen to remain behind, Miyamoto, named the creature Akuma.

He then realized that it was too much for him to maintain the constantly weakening seal and then gathered people who had the potential to get strong and had the same thoughts as him as comrades.

These were the Seven Departed Souls.

The protectors who hadn't gone up and were protecting the seal for tens of years.

'I don't know why that guy had failed in creating this thing but… Kill the Akuma first then take these guys to kill the Ouroboros.'

But Sofía's expression didn't change while looking at that Hansoo.

'What does this kid know?'

Four Calamities.

They were indeed dangerous.

And his confidence would probably be brimming since he had killed two of them.

But if those things were natural disasters then the thing they were sealing was like a nuclear weapon created with evil intentions.

Not as strong as a natural disaster but the fact that humans can't go up against it was the same and it actually went against humans unlike natural disasters.

'But even then… I still can't ignore him.'

She could not ignore a person who had killed two of the Four Great Calamities and also knew the name of Akuma.

She had to talk to the leader, Miyamoto.

Sofía set the intention of communicating into her mind and then took out the next question.

"Ok so we're set then but what are you going to do about the other clansmen?'

Sofía threw something into the air as soon as she finished talking.

The small ball that left Sofía's hands got bigger and bigger as it grew to the size of a man and then rose into the air.

The round object which had risen to the air suddenly opened its eyes.

Then it started to show the scenery of the Six Trunks above clearly in front of Sofía.

Michael was shocked as he saw this.

'…God's white of the eye. Such a high level skill.'

A skill which allowed one to see whenever they wanted in the World Tree continent as long as they fulfilled the requirements.

The reason why the Seven Departed Souls were scary was because of that.

They had collected and raised the mastery of skills and artifacts for almost 10 years.

In conclusion they had numerous artifacts that were hard for anyone to acquire one of and used high-level skills freely.

And battle experience that exceeded others by a few times.

There's no way they couldn't be strong.

But Camille groaned from a different reason than Michael's.

"It's not even a mess…"

Sofía's skill was showing them the situation above clearly.

A few of the Six Pillars were reacting in a hurry to the sudden wave of parasites.

But on the other hand, the Pillars that were located far away from the Ouroboros' tail didn't really care for as to whether the clans in the front were fighting or not as they took everything they needed and were taking their clan upwards.

Though the Six Pillars who were fighting looked like heroes of justice, it wasn't really that.

The Pillars that were fighting were only doing so because they had gotten close, they still made sure to maintain their power as they fell backwards.

Michael clicked his tongue as he saw this.

'That's the right decision.'

Two days.

It was long but at the same time very short.

Everyone probably realized this.

That it'll take about 2 weeks in order for the Ouroboros to come down.

Though it won't be as good as the Library Sofía had, there were plenty of traits that were similar.

If they get those traits, experience and combine it with the data handed down through the Six Pillars then it wasn't that hard to realize that that thing will come down in 2 weeks.

If the Ouroboros didn't come down then there might be some clans who decide to fight.

But since that thing's descent was decided, everyone chose to ran.

With as much of their power maintained as possible.

"What are you going to do. Solve that first. If you show me that then I'll believe you."

If they couldn't even block the parasites charging over there then they couldn't even progress after that.

Hansoo pondered for a moment at those words and then got up.

.........…..

"Goddamnit! The other clans aren't coming? What about Hecarim!"

"Damnit! Damage will increase if they get through! We have to block them here! No matter what!"

Two of the Six Pillars, Helper Clan and the Triple Lights Union, were blocking the tide-like parasites as they screamed out.

Hooong

A green-colored skill of one of the Celestial Generals from the Triple Lights Union exploded towards the parasites crawling down from above.

Somebody who didn't know every well about these things would have been scared to their wits.

To send attacks towards the Ouroboros above!

What would they do if the Ouroboros got enraged.

But the Celestial General didn't even put that into his calculations.

'Fuck. If an attack like this worked on it then I wouldn't even be scared.'

Booom!

A circle which was of tens of meters in radius had turned into ashes and tens of parasites had turned into dust but as he expected the Ouroboros didn't react at all.

Since the Ouroboros was too lazy to move just because its scales were a bit scratched.

Though it had worked out as he planned, his expression wasn't that great.

'These damned things. They're too big.'

Since the bodies of the parasites were huge, there weren't many of them who fell in the range of a large area skill.

And killing few tens of them didn't even dent their numbers.

The space that had been emptied by the ones dead had been quickly refilled by those who were constantly pushing down the road to hell upon the body of the Ouroboros.

'Bitch…Hecarim, Pillars you despicable bastards! For not a single one of you to show up!"

But the Celestial General knew as well.

That there was no reason for them to shed blood and come help.

The reason why the Triple Lights Union and the Helper Clan were fighting was not because they had a hidden mission or anything.

Though something like that might've existed in the beginning of the Six Pillars but in the near 20 years that the clans existed for, the clan members had been replaced over and over again.

What has been left now were not ideals but rather reality.

The reason why they were fighting here was because the damned tail of the Ouroboros that acted as the path for the charging Parasites was located in between the Helper Clan and Triple Lights Union.

Since their main base would get wrecked if they didn't block them.

But their situation wasn't something they would curse over.

'We shall also guard for a bit and then maintain our formations as we get out.'

Though they didn't feel comfortable about the adventurers below but they couldn't do anything.

It was impossible for the adventurers below to raise their strength to the point where they can get through the Mirror in 2 days anyways.

It might be possible if all the Clans focused on doing so but no one had the leisure to do so.

While they were grinding their teeth, a huge soundwave was heard in the distance.

'Hmm?'

Though this wasn't the time for him to get distracted, the Celestial General had been in the Otherworld too long to ignore an extremely strong existence that pervaded all their detection skills.

'Monumental Air path… Who has a skill like this?'

And something like this meant that they had increased the mastery to the extremes.

The Celestial General heard the sound wave coming from the Base Root and then looked over towards that direction.

'Sofía Vargera….'

The Seven Departed Souls were in a awkward situation with the Six Pillars.

Their relationship wasn't good but wasn't that bad.

'Damnit. There's no way someone like her would help either.'

Even from the start it would be a piece of cake for someone like her to just go through the Mirror when something like this happened.

At that time something bulky started to form in Sofía's hands.

Green, white and blue lights intertwined and then turned into a jade colored dot.

Then the jade-colored marble made a huge noise as it flew over the sky.

Clink!

The marble which had flown over the sky while drawing out a jade line on its path landed between the swarming parasites.

Clang!

Soon the surface started to freeze up along with the explosion.

Cracklecrackle

In an instant an area many times larger than the Celestial General's attack froze up and all the parasites within that area turned into frozen statues.

'Oh my god.'

The Celestial General saw that scene as his eyes fluttered.

People spoke of the Seven Departed Souls but there was never an occasion where they would actually see them.

Since they had heard that people like them played around up above.

But what he had heard was the truth after seeing it himself.

The Ouroboros that didn't even react to the previous attack trembled.

Which meant that they had gotten on its nerve quite a bit.

'It didn't even seem like she went all out.'

And she wasn't alone either.

'Who's that next to her.'

A face he had never seen before.

Everyone's gazes including the Celestial General's turned to Sofía and Hansoo next to her.

Hansoo then got lost in thought as he pondered while looking at the countless amounts of parasites crawling down from the giant tail of the Ouroboros in front of him.

'Is this decision the right one?'

If he went into action then he can hold onto all the people from the Six Pillars in this spot.

No, he can actually make them fight more desperately.

And he will help with the relics of the Arsenal.

The damage from the parasites would not increase.

But the parasites weren't the important part.

'Isn't there a method of killing the Ouroboros without doing all of this?'

It wasn't a sin to struggle to survive and these guys trying to escape through the Mirror had quite a normal reaction.

But if he were to fail at killing the Ouroboros after all this then he will be throwing all of the people from the Six Pillars, who could've escaped, into death.

But Hansoo made up his mind.

'There's no other way.'

Somebody had to fight against these parasites.

It was arduous enough for him to focus on the Akuma and Ouroboros themselves.

Light started to shine around Hansoo who was standing above the frozen scales of the Ouroboros.

Kiiiiiiing

The huge amount of energy from the fragment that was being controlled by the three relics started to gather on the tip of the Galadriang's Relic in Hansoo's hands.

Soon the light from the Galadriang's Relic turned into a huge golden hammer instead of a sword.

Hansoo then jumped down as he smashed the hammer down onto the center of the tail of the Ouroboros.

............….

Kwaaaaaaaaaaang!

A roar that shook the heavens and the earth resonated throughout the Pillars and the lake and in all directions.

At the thunder-like sound Jukma, who was commanding his Clansmen, quickly looked towards the location where the sound and the light came from.

And then frowned.

'What is happening now!'

Kurururururu

The tail of the Ouroboros which didn't even react until now started to react quite agitatedly.

It then started to aggressively push in its tail in between the Six Pillars as if it was trying to find the rat that had disturbed its tail.

Boom! Booooom!

A few more thundering sounds rang out.

The tail kept on poking in between the Pillars as if it was trying to find the one annoying it numerous times.

The tail that was throwing off the tens of thousands of parasites on it laid down as if it got lazy since the thing that had agitated it stopped.

The problem was that the spot the tail landed was the center of the lake, the Mirror.

"Goddamnit."

Jukma looked at this scene with disbelief.

Chase until the end if you're going to chase.

Why did it stop in such a place.

Soon the parasites that had come down on the tail filled up the lake as they crawled out in all directions.

Chirurururuk

Though the depth of the lake was rather deep, it was just a normal lake other than the single day in which it acted as the Mirror.

It wasn't an obstacle to the 4m-large parasites.

The lake was extremely wide but there were enough parasites to fill it up many times over.

Jukma's expression turned extremely ugly at this scene.

Now it would be impossible for them to get into the mirror without getting through that with all their strength.

In what was this different from a war?

And now all the people on the surface of the Red Zone would get massacred.

'Which crazy bastard…'

At that time a Carrier Pigeon flew in.

Jukma, who had heard the message within the Carrier Pigeon, grinded his teeth as he got up.

'…I believe some talk is needed.'

"Let's go."

Jukma ordered Amil Stadan and started to gather up a few people.

Chapter 82 – Akuma (1)

Jukma looked at his surroundings.

There were a few familiar faces.

Patriarch of Lighthouse, Michael, and Patriarch of Helper, Gichul, and other patriarchs of the Six Great Clans.

And their Guards that they had fought with since the Base Roots.

Though they had gathered from time to time if there were things to discuss but this was the first time when all six had gathered like this.

A very rare event if one took account of the patriarchs of the 12 Roots who would arrive soon.

But there was no time to chitchat.

Since the clansmen of the Six Clans were shedding blood while going against the parasites even at this moment.

Jukma looked at Michael as he spoke.

"I heard that you crawled into the Devil's Mouth. Is that thing coming down your doing?"

The thing which had been quiet for 20 years suddenly went on a rampage.

There was only 1 thing that could effect that giant thing.

Jukma grinded his teeth at Michael who didn't reply.

"I don't care if you kill the Calamity Fish and cook it up or make a salad out of the Devouring and Vomiting root but you should at least do it so you don't bring us harm. You aren't going to share the things you gained with us anyway right?"

At those words a few people who had been quite dissatisfied nodded their heads.

The fact that he killed the Calamities was amazing.

But what of it.

It might be different if they were going to stay here longer but the Red Zone's peace did not matter to them who were going to go up soon.

There wasn't anything bad but nothing really good about it either.

If it ended at the Ouroboros coming down then they wouldn't have really said anything.

But to block their escape hole.

Jukma, who had seen the five to one scenario, made a satisfied expression as he got to the main point.

"I won't stretch it out long. Bring that Kang Hansoo guy. Since it wasn't just your clan's doing."

Kang Hansoo.

The guy who had acted out without any fear and saying that he will kill the Calamity Fish.

They scoffed at him at first.

But they could not anymore.

Since they knew that two of the Four Great Calamities had been killed by that guy.

But they didn't really feel like congratulating him.

Kang Taeho, who held the responsibility as the Union Head of the Triple Lights Union, quietly listened and then spoke out:

"Bring that guy. If he had killed two of the Four Great Calamities then he should know something about this situation too."

From the start they had never even considered the fact that Hansoo killed the Calamity Fish with his battle strength.

Since logic still existed.

Sofía Vargera who had gotten strong at an illogical pace with her trait, Library, still took 3 years to get strong.

Him getting that strong when it hasn't even been a month since the tutorial ended had not entered their brains.

Which meant that the thing they needed was the intel and the method to solve the current situation.

'Hoo. I'm going to go crazy.'

Kang Taeho signed inwardly.

For them to rely on one person in solving such an emergency situation.

They were that desperate.

There was no way for them to drive all of the things from the lake out with their current gear.

Michael grinded his teeth inwardly as he saw the other clan Patriarchs glaring at him.

'That crazy bastard. For him to really do it.'

He wanted to block them but there was no way for him to.

How could they block one of the Seven Departed Souls with just 150 people.

Hansoo answered quite simply.

<…>

Once logic and reality got too far apart from each other people tended to think of logic more than reality.

There weren't any words more suitable than newcomer to make them drop their guard.

Especially more so if the person was an existence that defied all rules like the one in front of him.

No one would have thought that this guy would have gotten this strong.

Michael, who had finished thinking about the conversation he had with Hansoo, thought of the objects that guy had found after the battle.

'This… Is more than enough for the reward for killing the Calamity.'

Michael finished his thoughts after bringing up the image of the millions of weapons that had poured out from the air.

"I don't know where he went. But… I have thoughts of sharing the things I've obtained."

"What?"

The moment his words ended, the clansmen of Lighthouse who had received the orders held onto huge amounts of items as they slowly walked towards the Pillars.

Jukma squinted his eyes as he saw the clansmen of Lighthouse walking towards them from the distance.

............….

Chwajajajak

Sofía and Hansoo who had gotten out in the small frame after they had smashed the tail of the Ouroboros hadn't gotten as far away as Jukma and Michael had thought.

They were headed towards the heart of the World Tree that was located above the Lake where the Pillars sprouted from.

Sofía Vergara, who had applied Stealth which was a side effect of mastering the Monumental Air Path to the extreme, felt a cold sweat running down her back from the extreme amounts of mana that she could feel behind her.

'This is a newcomer?'

But being surprised is being surprised and grasping the truth was grasping it.

There was a need to dissect his battle strength objectively.

Sofía looked over Hansoo with her eyes at the same time she used the skill, Monumental Air Path.

'Though it's amazing… There's a limit to transferring this to his battle power.'

It was a huge amount of mana for sure.

But there was a limit on how much of this mana Hansoo could actually absorb.

Since there was a difference between using it for himself and spreading it in all directions.

Like how a power plant didn't use all the energy it generated.

'…But he should still be stronger than myself.'

Sofía was angry but she decided to recognize the things she needed to recognize.

She hadn't fought him but it had been long since he had gone past the line where she needed to fight him to realize it.

Though it wasn't an infinite amount of mana but an amount of mana that had exceeded the limit of a human with that much mana control.

Though he had only a few gears on, every one of them looked oppressing.

'He might really be able to get Akuma…'

But Sofía shook her head.

This guy was quite amazing too but Akuma was a thing that made one scared the moment one saw it.

'The Judgement will be given by the Leader, Miyamoto.'

The six huge pillars that towered up from the grounds got closer and closer to each other as they went further up and eventually combined into one.

And there was a very small tunnel in the center of the location where the six pillars connected to each other.

An entrance that was covered with various skills and artifacts.

Hansoo and Sofía went past that entrance and then followed the vertical tunnel in the center of the World Tree as they climbed up.

At that location the other six people who had received Sofía's message were gathered.

Miyamoto Junichi.

Kyle Cooper.

Baek Jongsang.

Arc Mariangt.

Yoruba.

Tina Charliz.

And Seven including herself.

Hansoo looked over to the thing that was located in the center of the giant area behind the seven people.

Something that had been pierced with a giant spear and had been tied down with huge chains.

It's body couldn't be seen because the chains had tightly and heavily tied him down but the evil aura was spreading out through the chains.

Hansoo mumbled as he saw the thing that looked like an egg of something.

'Akuma.'

Weirdly, there wasn't a Divine Stone Fragment within the hidden fifth Calamity.

The fifth Divine Stone Fragment existed within the located in the top of the World Tree as far as he knew.

A structure where the energy of the Fragment on the top of the World Tree plummeted straight down onto this place.

Basically it had a different mana wave than Hansoo's mana wave.

'Maybe the reason why that thing's so vile is because it doesn't have a stable energy within its body like the other Calamities.'

Hansoo looked at the tens of thousands skeletons spread around the Akuma.

Two of the Five Great Tiger Generals who had came to kill the incomplete Calamity and had gotten killed.

Ekim and Kaghon.

And their relics, the Chain Scythe and Spear.

Though those two had failed, they had succeeded in sealing the incomplete Calamity, Akuma.

By using the energy of the Divine Stone Fragment that plummeted down from the top of the World Tree.

'Though it seems like that thing acts as the thing that protects that guy.'

In conclusion, they had turned the Akuma into a pause mode with the energy that would've gotten into the Akuma instead but on the other hand the seal was acting as a protection towards that thing.

If he were to pull out the chains in order to kill him then the energy flowing into the chains will flow into Akuma and cause it to gain back its strength again.

The Seven Departed Souls were managing that energy so as much of the energy as possible flowed into the chains and not into the Akuma.

'It seems it doesn't like intruders in the system.'

As another person, Hansoo, came into the mana wave the calm breath of the Akuma got slightly faster as the chains shook.

Like a living creature becoming much more vicious.

This might be one of the reasons why Keldian had decided to keep this place a secret.

Miyamoto looked at Hansoo and spoke with a happy expression.

"Oh? Is this the friend? The friend our youngest one has brought. Anyways. For you to want to kill the Akuma."

Miyamoto laughed with a peaceful expression.

20 years since he had guarded this place.

This new friend was a type that provoked one's curiosity in numerous ways.

To know about the Akuma and even say he wanted to kill it.

But there was something he could guess.

'Did one of my friends who had found the Akuma with me before leave behind a record somewhere?'

The owners of the Six Pillars who had found this place along with him.

If one of them had left behind a record and this guy had found it then it was something that he could believe.

'Shall we see?'

His will was good but if his strength didn't support it then it was just useless.

He understood that this guy called Hansoo was strong but he had seen the Akuma for too long to get shocked by that.

But Miyamoto could only be surprised once he saw the relics that were around Hansoo.

"…The two around the Akuma weren't the only ones. For there to be three more."

The others were a bit confused but Miyamoto, who had guarded the Akuma for longer than them, knew instantly when he saw it.

That the three relics around Hansoo were the same type as the two on Akuma's body.

"Good. It seems I can strengthen the seal even more."

Miyamoto smiled brightly.

It was getting harder to suppress the Akuma who was getting more and more vicious anyway.

With those relics he will be able to suppress it with a stronger seal for a while.

'Things will become easier.'

Miyamoto spoke as he looked at Hansoo.

"Let's tie down the Seal on the Akuma with those for now. Then our movements will become easier so we will be able to handle the parasites below. You can leave in between then. You haven't… Seen the Akuma so you probably spoke like that. Look over there. Can you kill that thing?"

Miyamoto then pointed towards the egg that was giving off an aura that twisted one's body.

There wasn't much to talk about Ouroboros, that incomplete creature was sending off such an aura.

According to Miyamoto's logic, killing the Akuma and the Ouroboros was not possible.

It might be different once the Ouroboros came down but with this current situation they had to save the people who can go through the mirror before the Ouroboros came down and the Akuma got released.

Hansoo shook his head at those words.

Since that guy was thinking the exact opposite of what he was planning.

Why would he have smashed the tail of the Ouroboros onto the lake?

'Well. He might not know that I've done that yet.'

Since he had come up right after he hit the tail, this guy might not know it if he was focused on the Akuma's seal.

Hansoo sighed quietly.

The Seven Worlds that started out from the Red Zone.

And the Seven Legacies left behind by the fallen races.

Revive them all and use them to strengthen the Human Race.

The first stage was the World Tree.

He had to kill the five calamities here, collect the Divine Stone Fragments, complete the Divine Stone, revive the World Tree and use the Relic to control the World Tree.

It wasn't anyone's wrongdoing but their views were different.

Since he was looking at the bigger picture, the people who were living in the moment could not understand it.

In order for them to understand, he needed to reveal the future's story but then the invasion would get faster.

'I wonder how many times something like this will happen.'

Hansoo shook his head and then spoke.

"I shall decline."

"What?"

"The seal needs to get destroyed. The relic isn't something to be used that way."

Miyamoto's eyelids were slightly raised at Hansoo's words.

Chapter 83 – Akuma (2)

Miyamoto breathed in and out from Hansoo's words and the spoke.

"…You really speak of it easily. Do you even know how many of us would die while you kill the Akuma?"

Miyamoto replied coldly.

They had all gathered here with some sense of justice.

Since they knew how many people the job they had could save.

But the problem changed once they had to put their lives on the line.

'I'm honestly scared.'

Miyamoto mumbled inwardly.

He had felt two things inside of him during the time when he had ruled over the World Tree Mountain Ranges with Keldian, Eres and those who were his friends and enemies.

First he had lost fear.

Secondly, he gained fear.

These two contradictory feelings existed.

He had lost fear.

He had been able to crash through this world because he had a bit of talent and he had gotten stronger as he ruled over the Red Zone.

By the time he found the Akuma he had a huge power following him and because his strength was also great he had the confidence that he wouldn't fall behind anyone.

The timeframe in which he had struggled to survive had passed and the time in which he had struggled to get strong had also passed.

Of course he lost fear when no human and beast could go up against him.

At the same time he felt fear.

This was just the first world.

But things like the Four Calamities roamed around and things like the Akuma were hidden.

He couldn't even guess what could be in the next world through the coldly transparent lake.

If he were to get to the next world then he had to struggle again in order to survive and get stronger.

But the others didn't seem to have any notion of fear as they started to walk towards the Mirror.

While the other people prepared to go through the Mirror with different thoughts, he on the other hand endlessly pondered and pondered.

He was scared of change to go over but then nervousness and his pride from staying caused him to fall into pondering.

At the moment he was thinking about this, the Akuma that had appeared.

And the single sacrifice that was needed.

Miyamoto swimmingly said that he will take that role.

Though it looked like he had given up a chance for the greater cause, and the others had seen him that way but at least on Miyamoto's situation, it was a very satisfactory choice.

Since the Akuma had provided him a very good haven of mind.

No one could threaten him in the Red Zone since he had constantly gotten stronger for 20 years as long as he maintained the seal on the Akuma.

A moment's choice had turned Miyamoto quite comfortable for the past 20 years.

And the Pillar, Hecarim, that he had raised praised him like a god every once a while he visited them.

But the guy in front of him was trying to break that peace.

Miyamoto started to ponder as he saw that Hansoo.

'Damnit. I heard that he was a dumbass but for him to be this much.'

If this guy released the seal for the Akuma and then failed to kill it then it didn't just end at

Why would that guy let them tie him that easily.

If Hansoo couldn't kill the guy who was released than that thing will cause a catastrophe.

His life will be endangered too.

'It won't do.'

Miyamoto shook his head as he spoke.

"I can't agree with you. We cannot undo the seal. Do you know how many people you will be killing if you fail?"

Hansoo didn't reply to Miyamoto's words as he started to raise his energy.

Kiiiiing

Soon Hansoo's body started to get surrounded by a bright light.

The three relics started to pull out the fragment's energy to the extremes.

In a different manner than from before, beyond the limit that one can control with the relics.

Kudududuk

The mana storm started to swirl in all directions.

It started to get overloaded as it went beyond the limit Hansoo could control.

Miyamoto made a cold expression as he looked at that Hansoo.

'So you're trying to solve it with strength huh. I definitely cannot let you go then."

Miyamoto and the other six raised the power in their bodies as they started to block the entrance heading towards the Akuma.

At this time something unexpected happened.

Kuduk

"Huh?"

Miyamoto made a dumbfounded expression at the thing that had flown past him and onto Hansoo.

Something that was extremely familiar.

The objects he had seen for 20 years.

The Chain Scythe and the Spear.

The two relics that had been surrounding the Akuma flew towards Hansoo when Hansoo poured out an enormous amount of energy towards the other three relics as if they were magnets.

As if they were made as a set from the start.

"Goddamnit!"

Miyamoto hurriedly looked behind him.

Since the mana wave that were coursing around them like a storm had calmed down due to the two relics but the vicious aura behind Miyamoto exploded out.

The beastly lifeform that had a human's form unlike the other Calamities.

Miyamoto looked at that Akuma and then shouted at Hansoo.

"You crazy bastard! What are you doing! Do you think we'll work with you if you do this?"

Hansoo then looked at Miyamoto with a befuddled expression and the spoke.

"What are you talking about. You guys just watch. Don't interrupt."

"…What?"

"I'll kill the Akuma alone."

'I can kill it.'

Miyamoto had decided that it wasn't possible after seeing him use three relics.

But since he had collected all five relics, he could go up against the Akuma without the help of the other Seven Departed Souls.

Since he didn't need these guys for the Akuma in the first place.

The problem was the Ouroboros after that.

'There's no time because of that goddamn clone.'

He didn't have any plans of persuading these guys according to his original plan.

Since he was going to wait until his Racial Metamorphosis' cooldown after killing up to the Root.

But as long as the Clone was connected to the Ouroboros, he had to kill it.

'The Ouroboros is stronger than Akuma.'

Even if the Ouroboros was weakened by the poison, it was a complete creature unlike the Akuma.

It had a Divine Stone Fragment within it and employed all of its energy.

If he wanted to beat the Ouroboros without the Racial Metamorphosis and only with the five relics then he needed the help of these guys.

But on the other hand, if he went over the current hurdle then things will actually become easier.

'Let's think positive.'

He had obtained the Thousand Soldier Armors and it was going to go on like this anyway.

Since all of the calamities coming down one by one after him having decided to kill one was normal.

They hadn't gone over each other's territory because they were cautious of each other.

Even if the Clone didn't come back the Ouroboros would've come down anyway.

'Should I have killed the Calamity Fish a bit slower?'

With his abilities, he probably could've turned his runes into 100% with just 3 months.

It would've been easier if he had hunted it afterwards.

But Hansoo shook his head.

'Tsk.'

The total number of people who have already been dragged into the Otherworld should be 2 billion.

According to the Alchemists' calculations then the next year's estimated entrance number would be around 4.2 billion.

If 5% of them died off in a month then 200 million would die and in 3 months almost 600 million would die.

'The invasion of the Abyss is a problem too.'

Hansoo warmed up his body as he spoke.

"Decide after you see me fighting. To whether I can kill the Ouroboros or not."

Who would believe them if one just told them.

If he was going to fight with them while entrusting his back to them then forcing them into it is meaningless.

'I shall show it to them first and if they still don't follow then I'll use other methods.'

Hoooong

Hansoo started to focus on the five relics.

The seven marbles of Ekidrang's relic one by one fit in between the extremely long chain.

Charurururu

The Chain started to take form like an Imugi* and floated around Hansoo's body.

A mana storm like from before didn't rage out from the body of Hansoo who had a spear on his left hand and a sword on his right but the amount of intimidation he let out was not even comparable to before.

The golden energy, which used to rage like the wind and coursed through the air, got controlled to the extremes and solidified almost into a liquid form and surrounded Hansoo.

Hansoo spoke towards the Seven behind him while controlling the relics.

"Oh. By the way…"

"Hmm?"

"If you are thinking of helping out then don't hesitate. Just jump in."

"… You said you are going to fight it alone?"

"What are you saying. It's better to crush it with numbers if you can."

"…"

Hansoo ended with those words as he charged forward.

......

Ooooong

Jukma made a strange expression at the five different artifacts surrounding his body.

Sword.

Seven Marbles.

Bracelet.

Iron Chains.

Spear.

Jukma moved his eyes from the artifact and then looked at the battle in the distance.

Boom!

"Pour it!"

"Uwahahahaha! It's amazing!"

The clansmen, who were on the defensive before, were jumping here and there and pouring out skills as if they were happy from the new gears or had gotten some leisure.

It was obvious.

Since he would've done so too.

Weapons and armors that can pour out strong mana reinforcements without worrying about mana.

It was like being able to use ultimate skills without a limit so how could it not be fun.

A strong mana that was supplied along with their 5 new weapons.

When these two things combined with the existing skills of the clansmen, the parasites, which seemed to be almost crushing the humans, were blocked by the defensive formation of the Six Clans and could not proceed.

Of course it was hard for them to advance as well due to the endless amounts of parasites that came out but they could at least prevent injuries at this rate.

And because of this Jukma, who had some leisure, turned his eyes towards a different location.

"Michael. That damned bastard. He hid the real good ones."

He was quite shocked when Michael peacefully handed these out.

Since these weapons were really strong.

One could see just from the clansmen who were fighting in the distance.

But the important part wasn't the weapon.

"Mana wave huh."

The quality of the five gears that seemed like relics was quite high.

But they also had weapons like these.

The important thing was the mana wave.

The mana wave that turned these weapons into peerless treasures.

Jukma looked at Amil because of this.

"Amil. Can you feel it?"

"Yes. It's moving bit by bit."

He could feel it though it was very minute.

This mana wave was coming off from one place as the center.

'I can't tell exactly where the center is but… I can at least recognize that it is moving.'

The flow of the mana, which was moving very subtly, was giving them information.

And another thing.

"I don't know who has it but… If they can use it this delicately then turning it on and off would be within their power too."

And not only turning it on and off.

They might be able to send the mana to some people and severe it from the others.

There was no other reason why Michael had peacefully given them the weapons.

What did it matter when their lives were in his hands.

Even if he just cut off the mana supply to the other five Pillars, it would already be a huge profit for Michael.

"You ordered the clans beneath the mountain and are collecting the adventures from all around right?"

Amil Stadan nodded at those words.

Since it was war now.

They needed more numbers in order to advance over their defenses.

And because of this the Six Pillars and the Twelve Roots were calling every single adventurers out there to this location.

Usually it would be hard to move around because of beasts but for some reason there weren't many beasts.

Thanks to this the numerous adventurers who had been split up all around were gathering to the Six Pillars with bellies full of nutritional fluids.

"There's a thing I need to do before they arrive. I need to find the origin of the mana."

The most important thing Jukma had realized in the Otherworld was that leaving the sword in the opponent's hand was a truly crazy act.

Allies and enemies were only a thin paper apart and a very small event can change it all.

So, don't leave the sword in other people's hands.

If the enemy was holding onto a sword then at least he needed to have one too.

And better if he was the only one holding the sword.

"Get 20 of the search team members, cover them with relics and then send them off in all directions. Search the range limit of the mana wave. We will find its origin that way."

The relics wouldn't work once they went past the range of the mana wave.

If the Mana spread out in a spherical shape then they just needed to find the range limit and then find the center.

Kiiing

'Hmm?'

While Amil Stadan was sending a message, the mana wave that was surrounding them rocked back and forth like a wave.

Amil and Jukma both frowned at this change.

Since it got easier to find the center because of this change but they also knew that the other clansmen would also react quickly.

'We should move quickly.'

Jukma, who had quickly guessed the location of the origin of the manawave, frowned slightly as he started to send orders in all directions.

Chapter 84 – Akuma (3)

Boom! Boom!

Shockwaves from the Akuma's and Hansoo's clash resonated in all directions.

To the point where that force went past where they were standing and even shook the Pillars of the World Tree very minutely.

'…'

Sofía looked at Miyamoto and asked carefully while observing this scene.

"Aren't you going to help?"

Though the others might see the Seven Departed Souls to be at the same level as each other and though this was true, their leader Miyamoto was different.

There was a clear difference between the other six and Miyamoto.

And a much larger difference than people thought.

Miyamoto gave a short reply at Sofía's words.

"Wait. That guy said he'll do it alone."

"…Yes."

Miyamoto looked at the battle between Hansoo and the Akuma and squinted his eyes after silencing Sofía.

'He could probably kill the Akuma with that much. How does this make sense. That's a newcomer?'

It wasn't that he didn't understand how that guy had gotten so strong so fast.

Though people thought that one needed time to get strong in the Otherworld, this was only half correct.

Time is needed in order to get strong in the Otherworld.

This was obvious.

Since you needed time in order to collect strong Artifacts, runes and skills and at the same time raise the mastery of those skills and nail down battle experience onto your body.

And as long as somebody didn't provide these things to you, it would take an extreme amount of time for one to slowly raise their power step by step and get stronger.

But on the other hand this meant that getting strong would just take a moment once that person acquires all of this.

Strong Artifacts could be handed down.

Skill Runes were the same.

Higher level skills showed more might than mastered lower level skills even if their mastery was low.

For his mindset there's no need to polish it if they had already gone through the tutorial.

Once one obtains the above things then it wouldn't take long to get runes.

They can receive that too.

But battle experience was different.

'What the hell was he in real life.'

Like being able to see the difference in games despite the players using the same character, there is a huge difference in battle power with the same runes, skills and artifacts.

Turning the above things into diamonds or leaving them as ores were all upon the user's experience and talent.

And this wasn't something that could be gained in just a few days unlike the other things.

But that guy over there was fighting much more proficiently than him who had been living in the Red Zone for 20 years.

As if he was squeezing out everything he had.

'…If I hadn't stayed still and went up then I would've already reached heights that he wouldn't even be able to fathom.'

A reproach which came from greed, jealousy and himself who had denied progression.

He didn't have such thoughts until now since there wasn't anybody stronger than him.

Since he was the king of the Red Zone.

If you excluded the Calamities then the 6 pillars and even the other six Departed souls could not ignore his orders.

Though he had been stationary for 20 years, he never had thoughts of himself being stationary.

Since everyone else was below him.

But seeing the newcomer in front of him fighting made him feel like his 20 years had been wasted.

'Damnit. This is annoying.'

Miyamoto clenched his teeth but he stabilized his breath and then started to figure out the current situation.

He needed to hide his emotions for the moment.

He had to decide the next set of events from now on.

Miyamoto, who had glanced at Hansoo who was pushing the Akuma back, started to calculated quickly within his head.

He needed to set up a goal first.

The utmost important rule that he had followed until now.

Calmness of the mind and safety of the body.

Hansoo's goal seemed simple.

Kill the Akuma and then kill the Ouroboros with their help.

The problem was that this set of events was going against his goal.

'…Should I say I won't do it?'

Though there were parasites below, it would be extremely easy to get out once the Akuma was gone.

But would that guy leave him alone?

That guy was the guy who had charged in in order to kill the Calamity Fish as soon as he came in.

Though Miyamoto didn't know Hansoo's goals, killing the Ouroboros would be a must.

And that guy had appealed very strongly.

That he needed their help.

He will try to use whatever methods he has in order to take them to kill the Ouroboros.

'Damnit. I feel more anxious since I don't know what his trait is.'

The worst situation is him maybe, just maybe having a Lord trait.

The Lord's symbol from weaker ones could not control them but if that guy had the Lord trait then the story changes.

Though he had heard that one of his traits were similar to that of Sofía's but there was always a possibility of hidden cards.

Since he also had two traits.

If that guy charged at them, beat them down and then forced the Lord's symbols onto them then they would have to go fight with the Calamities on the outside without being able to do anything.

'Do I really need to strike him in the back.'

Everything will become peaceful once that guy disappeared.

Though it seemed like him leaving his sanctuary, the Red Zone, was inevitable, it was still much better than going and fighting the Ouroboros.

But Miyamoto shook his head.

It would be great if he was able to strike him in the back and kill him while he was fighting the Akuma.

But what if he fails at killing him?

And that guy were to successfully retreat?

Then they would have to deal with the Akuma over there.

'I must think of a method.'

At that moment Miyamoto felt the strange mana flow that was searching nearby.

There was no way for Miyamoto, who had experienced everything, to not know this feeling.

'Long distance sight skill.'

It meant that somebody was looking around here.

'Who is it.'

Miyamoto squinted his eyes and then started to trace the skill.

............

"….So you're telling me that the one who's creating all that noise over there is the newcomer? And the things spinning around his body is the reason for the mana wave?"

Jukma, who had checked the scene of the center of the mana with Amil Stadan's skill fell into silence but then sighed.

'Hooh. I feel like I'll go crazy. What is he and what is the thing he's fighting with?'

He thought he had seen it wrong at the start but it was reality.

Two existences who were clashing and creating shockwaves that shook the trunk of the World Tree.

He finally figured out.

As to who had shoved the Ouroboros tail onto the lake.

He had to now throw out the label of newcomer and only believe in the things he could see.

He didn't know how but that guy had gotten unbelievably strong.

"…Can one become like that once they take the things which drop from the Four Great Calamities? If I knew it was something like that then I would've actually challenged it."

Jukma laughed and spoke towards Amil as if he was trying to brighten up the mood.

He would've never gone in even if he knew about it.

But it was true that seeing the scene seen from the skill made him jealous.

"…Cancel the entry for now."

Those people could only watch from the insides since there were the Seven Departed Souls.

If they were to get caught in that then they'll become dust.

And there was something that reassured him.

'So the one who had the sword wasn't Michael.'

As long as that guy wasn't the one with the sword then there was no obligation for him to steal the source of the mana wave.

Since he couldn't steal it anyway and a guy that strong wouldn't threaten them with the mana wave.

Which meant that it was time for him to focus on the next problem.

'His objective is… Clear. Killing the Ouroboros.'

Shoving the Parasites onto them was probably a preparation for that also.

So he could focus on the Ouroboros with all his power.

'The best scenario is… Just getting out.'

But that seemed a bit hard.

Though it didn't seem like casualties would increase while going against the parasites but keeping the formation and charging into the center of the Lake in 2 days were two entirely different problems.

Which meant that there were 2 results.

Whether that guy will fail at killing the Ouroboros.

Or succeed.

Nothing will change if he succeeds.

But they'll get massacred if he fails.

'Damn this situation. It's extremely unfavorable.'

Jukma grinded his teeth.

There was no way that the fact of his life being in the hands of one person could feel good.

Even more so if the thing that guy wanted to do was extremely dangerous with a high failure rate.

The best path has been decided already.

Going through the lake while that guy blocked the parasites.

'Find his weakness.'

As long as he was human then there will be an open spot somewhere.

He wouldn't be invincible even if he was strong.

And it wasn't that their request was hard also.

For example, he wouldn't agree if they were to take a hostage and ask him to die for them.

But taking a hostage and asking him to buy some time while they go through the Mirror wouldn't be that hard for Hansoo.

'Then he will probably give up and go through the Mirror too.'

According to his thoughts, Hansoo didn't have any ideas of staying in this world and throwing his life away.

Once he decides that killing the Ouroboros is hard after they leave then he will probably go into the Orange Zone through the Mirror.

Though the dangers of becoming enemies with him is created, he just needed to figure out a way to solve it then.

Since this was better than sitting by idly and keeping their fate in that guy's hands.

'It seems like it'll be hard with just our strength…'

There was a need for somebody to distract Hansoo while they planned things out.

'Damnit. Who would…'

While Jukma was making a frustrated expression, a carrier pigeon flew towards Jukma..

'This is…'

Red Carrier Pigeon.

A skill that was a level above the blue carrier pigeon.

Jukma slightly frowned at the familiar mana wave.

'Miyamoto. It's that senile old man.'

Why did he try to get treated like a king from time to time when he just created the clan.

Of course he treated him so because it wasn't hard but the fact that there was somebody above him in a clan where he should be at the top wasn't that pleasant to him.

Since it felt like his blood was flowing the other way around every time his clansmen were caught between choosing between his and Miyamoto's orders.

But Jukma decided to suppress his emotions because of the message within it.

Since it seemed like they would be able to get on the same boat this time.

'Let's have a look.'

Even without the present situation, that was something he needed to do.

He needed to find that guy's weakness as soon as possible and figure out his open spots.

If not that guy himself, then the people around him.

'Even if it's you, you should at least have someone you hold dear.'

Boom!

Jukma started to send messages towards his clansmen after seeing the black devil whose body was getting smashed apart while fighting with Hansoo.

............…..

"Hook. Hoook."

'It seems like… I should be able to reach there within a day.'

Sangjin mumbled while looking at the World Tree Trunk he could see in the distance.

Sangjin, who had separated from Hansoo, was traveling with Mihee and the people she was leading.

Since it was faster to improve in a group than working alone.

But during that time an emergency situation occurred in all of the World Tree Mountain Range and thanks to that they were being carried upwards with the guidance of the people from the Six Pillars.

"Huuaaaap!"

Sangjin clenched his teeth after slashing his sword to cut apart a Makun charging at him.

'What is that guy thinking of?'

Sangjin thought of the time when he separated from Hansoo.

He wasn't worried about Hansoo.

And his thoughts of wanting to be with Hansoo didn't change.

Actually the thing he was worried about was something else.

'…Will that guy be at a level where he'll still need me?'

He didn't know why Hansoo asked him to follow him rather than the others.

2 months since he had seen Hansoo's face.

He had also grown quite quickly.

Since it seemed like he had quite a talent in this.

But he heard rumors.

That somebody had killed a Calamity that no one could.

And the fact that the person was a newcomer.

It was obvious who it was.

At least in Sangjin's perspective, there wasn't anyone else but Hansoo who would do such a thing.

Though he thought that he had grown quite quickly, the difference between him and Hansoo could not be described with just words.

'Is there a way that I won't be a nuisance to you? Will the people who you find annoying be at the level where I can take care of them? Or do you have different thoughts?'

People who could annoy Hansoo would be like hurricanes to him.

Could he face those people?

No answer appeared in Sangjin's mind.

So Sangjin clenched his teeth even harder.

.........…..

"Hooo…."

Miyamoto quietly mumbled as he saw the Akuma who was now a corpse.

Seeing the corpse affirmed that it didn't have a human's form.

It was the same form as the skeletons spread around in the distance.

'Was it an original inhabitant of this place? Anyways, he really killed it. Does that mean the Calamities who have been chopped up by this guy's hands number three now? He's a real talent huh.'

And he had to now go against someone like him.

'Calm down.'

Miyamoto gulped at the anxiousness that he could feel all over his body in a very long time.

It was better to be close if he wanted to look for an opportunity.

Miyamoto, who had joined with the other six in order to kill the Akuma together, looked at Hansoo and spoke.

"We will help you. Since killing the Ouroboros is the way to save the most amount of people. Even though it's a bit dangerous… There's nothing we can do about that. Since the things we have done so far were also dangerous."

'Use my image to the fullest.'

Miyamoto mumbled inwardly.

His image wasn't bad.

No, it was actually very good.

Since the friends who had erected the Pillars with him had agreed.

Hansoo laughed inwardly while looking at that Miyamoto.

Since he could think of the words of Eres.

Hansoo laughed as he spoke.

"You chose well. Let's have a go at it together."

'How do I entangle him to make him work hard? It seems like I'll be busy.'

Hansoo ended his words as he thought of the Ouroboros that should have its body tied around the Trunk at the moment.