[I can't believe it... … !]
Sssssssssssssssss.
A strong shadow energy emanated from Seong Ji-han's left arm.
Ariel looks like she's about to jump out of his arms at any moment.
'Just wait a moment.'
Seong Ji-han suppressed her for now and asked the Great Spirit a question.
"Is the Shadow Queen the subject of research at the Constellation Institute?"
[no. She is a sacrifice to carry out the task of processing voids.]
'Treat the void… … .'
Seong Ji-han frowned after hearing the Great Spirit's words.
Void processing.
When he heard that word, the first thing that came to mind was a half-masked Go-Elf.
-Thanks to my senior's death, I took over this void processing plant.
-senior… … .
-He usually acts like he's proud, but then he explodes at you on the planetary exploration map. That poor senior.
He was the branch manager of the World Tree Elf loan window.
He refers to the Go-elf who was destroyed along with the Thunder God as his senior and gave this answer to Seong Ji-han who asked about the mask.
-Is that mask called a void disposal site? It's broken.
-This is a trash can. All we have to do is make another trash can.
A Go-elf who called the Void Disposal Plant a trash can.
Then, it was possible to predict that the void processing work was not particularly good.
'I'll have to take a look first.'
Seong Ji-han looked at the Great Spirit and said.
"Let's go to where the Shadow Queen is imprisoned."
[All right.]
Flashing… … !
The appearance of one Great Spirit disappeared, and a huge portal of light appeared in its place.
Seong Ji-han steps into it.
Only there, a place worthy of the name 'Underground Area' was revealed.
'It's full of the energy of emptiness.'
A large dark cavity.
This place where only purple light shines faintly.
From the bottom, it was half melted and mushy like a swamp.
And within it, the energy of emptiness wafts out.
Let Seong Jihan take a look around.
Soon, in the middle of the void swamp, I discovered a being whose entire body was chained.
[Woah, Queen… … !]
Constellation Shadow Queen.
She looked almost identical to Ariel, to the point where one might have thought they were twins.
The only thing that's okay is the face.
Because the body beneath the face is not normal.
The gray body was burning with purple flames and then regenerating again and again.
When Ariel couldn't bear it any longer and was about to get out of Seong Ji-han's arms.
[The 172nd void processing begins.]
From the ceiling, automatically translated language was heard.
OK.
Wiggle. Wiggle.
The chains that bound the Shadow Queen pulsated like blood vessels.
The power of void was injected into her body.
OK.
Grrrr… … !
The purple flame, which seemed to be weakening, gained strength again.
The Shadow Queen's body was melting again.
'I'm mesmerized.'
The Shadow Queen was staring straight ahead with her mouth wide open and blank eyes.
The body only flinched for a moment from the intense flames, but showed no further reaction.
"Queen!"
After seeing that, Ariel eventually jumps out of Seong Ji-han's arms.
She ran to save the queen.
phut!
"Tsk… … !"
As soon as she was able to jump in, a white protective shield created in the air bounced her away.
and.
Suuuuu… … .
The white protective shield soon converged and formed one form.
'That… … Is it a half mask?'
A white half-mask used by the Go Elves.
It was translucent and blocked Seong Ji-han's path.
Wiggle.
The corner of the mask's mouth began to move.
[No, sir. How did you get in here?]
"… … "Are you the branch manager at the loan counter?"
[Yes, I never thought I would see you in a place like this.]
The branch manager greets Seong Ji-han with a warm voice.
The eyes of the giant mask looked at Ariel for a moment, then continued speaking again.
[We are currently disposing of waste, so please do not go inside.]
"It's waste… … "Are you talking about emptiness?"
[you're right. It's because the senior who died to you neglected his regular recycling. I'm doing some backlogged work. Separate recycling bins are collected and voids are also disposed of.]
Wiggle. Wiggle.
As soon as the mask finished speaking, the chain started moving again.
Grumble!
The Shadow Queen's body quickly burned with purple flames.
'Shadow Queen… … I thought he was killed by the god of war. Was history distorted with the death of the old elf?
Amyoung Shingyeol, who was in charge of one axis of Honwon Shin Gong.
It was very similar to the power that the Shadow Queen possessed.
Considering the wandering martial god's characteristic of taking away the opponent's power.
It was possible to infer that the Shadow Queen was killed by the god of war in her last life.
However, the last Go Elf died in an explosion along with the Thunder God.
As the branch manager took over the white masked 'Void Processing Plant', history seemed to have changed.
Unlike the previous Goelfs, the branch manager handled his work faithfully.
Meanwhile.
Grumbling… … !
The Shadow Queen was now burning not only her body but also her face.
Seeing that, the mask's mouth moved busily.
[Oh dear. Thanks to you, I became impatient and couldn't control my strength. Our collection box, how did we grow it to this point?]
"The Shadow Queen… … "Is it a collection box?"
[Yes, it is a special grade item that goes beyond the shadow theme to a constellation. Although there was special support from us.]
"… … support?"
Ariel, who had been unable to come to her senses for a moment while being hit by the mask, gritted her teeth.
"What kind of support do you give! We, Shadow Elves, achieved freedom under the guidance of the Queen... … !"
[It's an insignificant shadow. That is not a freedom you won, but a freedom we allowed.]
"what… … ."
[Otherwise, how can you disobey the real thing with something like the vengeance of a failure?]
Unlike when talking to Seong Ji-han.
The branch manager looked down at Ariel with an overbearing attitude.
[Remember when you rebelled. Through a combination of coincidences, things just barely worked out. The same goes for growing power afterwards. How did the Queen choose only the planets with so many shadows to attack, and how did she cruise through the League of Battle.net without being interrupted by the World Tree Elves? Was this process all luck?]
"… … "Do you really mean this?"
[okay. The rise of Shadow Elves to power was just one project carried out by the Constellation Research Institute. Everything, to turn the Shadow Elves into a constellation. And it was to find out the acceptance limit of the void.]
Sigh.
Half Mask smiled.
[The results were quite satisfactory. From now on, the Shadow Elves will achieve freedom and give birth to constellations again and again. And when it grows to a certain extent, it will become a trash can like this.]
"… … That can't be possible. can not believe it."
[is it? It seems like the Shadow Queen was vaguely aware of this.]
Sigh.
The mask became transparent, and the recovered face of the Shadow Queen was revealed again.
Looks exactly like Ariel.
[Once the power was stabilized, they spread their 'alter egos' like you everywhere. So that you can change at any time.]
"… … ."
[No, have you already changed? You may be the queen's true form. I see she has quite a bit of strength.]
"… … My strength is because my master is strong. "I am just the queen's alter ego."
[okay? Then the new recycling bin is perfect. It's an insignificant shadow. We will make it into a constellation, so come this way.]
"under… … "Do you want me to face the same end as the queen?"
[Have you not enjoyed your honor so far? Only the ending is miserable.]
Ariel's expression hardened and she looked at Seong Ji-han.
"… … Master, let's get out. "You can't stay here any longer."
"Leave the queen like that?"
"The queen… … It's already over. "We can't die either."
Ariel rushed in first, but now seems to have sensed something in the branch manager's words and now decides to run away quickly.
one.
[Hehe, customer. Why did I talk about things like shadows at such length?]
The branch manager, who had returned to his original position, smiled while looking at Seong Ji-han.
[I quickly investigated how you came here. It is said that it has the energy of the World Tree, and the great spirits mistook it for the manager.]
"however?"
[I'm glad to see you fully embrace the energy of the World Tree. I thought it might happen someday, but it's already 'eternity'... … You have acquired the qualifications to become one of our kind.]
"Because they are of the same race… … "Are you talking about Go-Elf?"
[Goelfra… … That's just a term that outsiders use to refer to us. To be exact, it is 'the clan of Yggdrasil'.]
Sssssssssssssssss.
The appearance of the mask gradually changed.
[Yggdrasil. Please reveal your brilliant appearance and welcome the new clan.]
Flash!
A brilliantly twinkling halo of light.
An image immediately appeared where the mask was.
'… … Is it a rainbow-colored tree?'
A tree of light that appears like a holographic image.
It was showing a brilliant appearance as its color changed to rainbow color.
"That… … Yggdrasil... … ."
Ariel, who had been telling Seong Ji-han to run away, was stunned when she saw that.
I slumped down in my seat.
"… … ah."
Even from the mouth of the Shadow Queen, who was staring straight ahead with blank eyes.
A voice came out for the first time.
Although it is just a shape.
Yggdrasil, a rainbow-colored tree that exudes an immeasurable energy of life just by its appearance.
'Is that Yggdrasil, the pinnacle of the World Tree Alliance? It's on a different level.'
When Seong Ji-han saw this and calmly made that judgment.
[Then, please help me with my work from now on.]
The image of Yggdrasil disappeared, and the branch manager's mask reappeared.
therefore.
Sssssssssssssssssssssssssss… … .
A half-mask that looked exactly like him was created out of thin air.
It started flying towards Seong Ji-han's face.
[Wear your mask and dispose of the trash first, junior.]
widely.
Seong Ji-han held the flying mask in his hand and tilted his head.
"Why am I your junior?"
* * *
[…] … .]
In response to Seong Ji-han's answer, the mask remained silent for a moment.
[you… … a moment ago. Didn't you welcome Yggdrasil…? … ?]
I asked him a question in a trembling voice.
"Ah, the rainbow-colored tree you mentioned earlier?"
[Yes, that's right! Even after seeing that, didn't you think anything?]
"Ah, I thought the shiny thing looked kind of pretty. "The vitality is also vibrant."
[pretty… … ?]
"huh."
[How dare you give Yggdrasil that kind of evaluation... … .]
"Isn't being pretty a compliment?"
Seong Ji-han spoke sincerely while fiddling with the half-mask as if it were something interesting.
Upon seeing this, the branch manager who understood the situation was astonished.
[Nonsense! How can someone who has eternity... … How can you not worship Yggdrasil? Isn't there a world tree within you!]
"If you have that, won't you obey Yggdrasil?"
[Of course!]
"I don't feel that way at all?"
Seong Ji-han said so.
Tuk. Tuk.
I tapped the branch manager's half-mask.
"But you've become weak?"
[…] … Just loading the image of Yggdrasil for a moment was enough. Since you became my junior, I thought you would help me with my work... … Something unexpected happened.]
"Hmm."
Tuk. Tuk.
As Seong Ji-han hears those words, he knocks harder on the mask blocking his path.
Did it take a lot of power to levitate the image of Yggdrasil a little while ago?
With just a simple tap, the half-mask slowly began to crack.
Then the branch manager hurriedly opened his mouth.
[for a moment! Don't be rash. If you destroy this, the void will flow back to the laboratory!]
"okay?"
[…] … Yes, you definitely don't plan on breaking it, do you? I'm warning you. Stop here. Those hands! Stop knocking!]
The voices are getting louder and louder.
In proportion to that.
"But. "Why would I want to do something if you guys told me not to?"
Seong Ji-han's hand, which was knocking on it, also became stronger.
bang!
The mask is completely cracked.
[This crazy… … !]
With the voice of the branch manager astonished.
Shoooo!
From the crack, the void energy that had been isolated inside began to spread in all directions.
Even if it was a sacred space with emptiness, it was too much to absorb.
'I should try using this right away.'
Seong Ji-han held up the half-mask given to him by the branch manager