Chapter 231

The reactions that occur when humans are excessively exposed to mana are broadly divided into three types.

One. Adapt to mana and awaken this ability.

Two. Because it is insensitive to mana, nothing happens.

Three. Either you can't adapt to mana or you die.

The third thing here was 'Eternal Slumber'.

A phenomenon that leads to loss of soul and death.

If life support devices did not exist, those who could not adapt to mana would have to face death.

In short, Eternal Slumber is a kind of out-of-body experience.

At the same time, medically speaking, it was similar to brain death, so fortunately, it was possible to delay time so that the body would not die by using a life support device.

Of course, the probability of the soul returning to the body in that state was more than 100 times lower than the probability of a brain-dead patient coming to his senses.

However, Suho knew of another phenomenon that was very similar to Eternal Slumber.

It's Mist Burn.

If mana misfits inhale the blue mist flowing from the gate for a long time, their bodies will eventually burn, turning into mist

burns and dying painfully.

This phenomenon was very similar in principle to Eternal Slumber, but there was a crucial difference.

This is the property of mana.

What the Foreign religion wanted was an invasion.

They may have been planning to burn this dimension to the ground by increasing the Mist Burn from within the Earth, so they sent a terrible poison called the Blue Mist mixed with the mana flowing into the Earth.

Therefore, mana misfits who directly inhaled the blue fog suffered from a more serious condition than Eternal Slumber, that is, not only did their souls die, but their bodies also burned.

However, even if they were not foreigners, there were actually other people who wanted to forcefully kill humans.

"... ... That is the 'Bud of Nightmare.'"

Antares continued his explanation with an expression that made him look like he had aged by several decades due to Suho and Beru's threats.

"In the first place, it is not only the world tree that takes root and grows in the sea of the afterlife. "All kinds of strange weeds are growing there, nourished by the various souls floating around inside."

Suho's expression hardened at those words.

"There are weeds that grow using the soul as nourishment? "Then what happens to that soul?"

"What happens? I'm already dead anyway, so what more do I have to lose? It will just lose some of the nutrients remaining in its spiritual body and float around again. Of course, there are so many different types of weeds, and for the more greedy, there are even weeds that attach themselves to the soul and become parasites."

"A parasite on the soul... ... ."

Seo Jiwoo's complexion was becoming increasingly pale next to Su-ho.

This is because the words that came out of Antares' mouth were stories that could have happened to him.

"In particular, Nightmare Bud is a much more proactive one. "They are the ones who go directly to another dimension and directly extract the souls from the bodies of living creatures."

"Why, why?"

Seo Jiwoo was already speaking respectfully to Antares.

Antares seemed to be quite satisfied with the sight and responded with a mischievous smile.

"After all, it will be much fresher that way than the tattered souls whose nutrients have been sucked here and there by other weeds. "He's a gourmet when it comes to weeds."

"... ... !"

At those words, Seo Jiwoo looked like she had seen a ghost.

Suho asked.

"So, does that mean that if you get caught by that Nightmare Bud, even if the target is an awakened person, you will get Eternal Slumber?"

"Okay. Rather, it would be better to be an awakened person. From their perspective, the more nutritious the soul, the better

it tastes, and the longer they can suck it."

"... ... ."

At this point, Seo Jiwoo realized how lucky she was.

No matter how much I tried to recall the dream I remembered in pieces, there was nothing I had done in that black sea. He was just struggling with his instincts in a dazed state of consciousness.

Then, out of nowhere, I got caught in the root of the world tree and crashed into it.

"My, what would have happened by now if I hadn't met the World Tree back then... ... ."

Antares laughed and responded to Seo Jiwoo, whose face was now almost like a corpse, muttering something.

"Whatever. "It would have been eaten by the world tree instead of weeds."

"... ... Yeah?!"

"What?"

Even Suho's eyes widened at the unexpected remark.

"Why are you surprised? So, I told you from the beginning. The World Tree is not the only one taking root in the sea of the afterlife. The World Tree is the biggest weed there. That was also planted by the Absolute himself... ... "It's a weed."

Antares gritted his teeth and muttered as if recalling some bad memory.

Beru, who realized what that meant, muttered with his eyes shining.

[It is a weed planted by the Absolute himself... ... .]

"I think the story will be long."

From this point on, it was a story that Suho already knew from Beru.

But at the same time, it was a story from a slightly different perspective.

Because Antares, the king of wild dragons and the lord of destruction, was one of the few beings who knew the beginning of this universe.

"In the beginning... ... "There was an 'Absolute One' who created our universe."

"... ... ."

Antares opened his eyes and recalled a very old memory.

Even now, the Dragon Emperor still looks like a small and cute Ragna, but his deep eyes show that he has lived for an immeasurable number of years.

"When the Absolute created this universe, he planted the World Tree in the sea of the afterlife, and the purpose was to balance the world."

"Balance of the world?"

Seo Jiwoo, who had no idea about the inside story, tilted his head.

Suho, on the other hand, nodded.

He had already heard about the war between rulers and monarchs from Beru, so he realized something.

"... ... Did you say that the rulers' soldiers are born from the fruit of the World Tree?"

"Okay. "It's because of those damn fruits!"

Snapping.

Thinking back to that time, Antares gritted his teeth with an angry expression.

"It is precisely because of the fruit of the World Tree that our monarchs and rulers will never, ever go to war! It couldn't end.

If our side gains the upper hand even just a little, the World Tree will immediately peel the fruit and increase their troops!"

"... ... ."

Seeing the dragon emperor truly angry, Suho recalled the vision Beru had shown him when he first returned from outer space. 

This is a fierce war that has lasted forever since the beginning.

"During that war, we went to war with the armies of the rulers countless times, exchanging victories and defeats. In the process, endless sacrifices occurred, but the war did not stop no matter how much time passed. No, it was never supposed to end. "In the first place, the only joy of the Absolute was to watch the purposeless war."

... ... So, if the pendulum tilted even slightly to one side, the Absolute used coercive force to tighten the balance of the war again.

Just using the world tree.

"The world tree was overflowing with nutrients. Because the souls who died during the war flowed into the sea of the afterlife and gave strength to the World Tree. And the Absolute had the power to create heavenly soldiers from the fruits of the World Tree."

[And now that the Absolute has died, the soldiers of heaven are no longer being born on the World Tree.]

Beru interrupted what seemed to be a longer story in the middle, pointing out a very realistic problem.

[Little Monarch, even as we are doing this, more and more foreign forces are gathering from various universes. On the other hand, the rulers' troops are reduced and there is no way to replenish them. This is all because the World Tree no longer bears fruit.]

To Beru, the souls of humans wandering the sea after death were good.

In any case, it was an extremely natural thing that the world tree nourished souls to grow and bear fruit since the beginning of time.

Because that was ultimately the cycle of the universe and the fundamental principle that sustains this world.

However, it was a very serious problem that the balance was broken and we were invaded by outer space.

"What about your father's army?"

[Of course, the king is holding strong. You are recruiting troops by killing Itarim soldiers and extracting their shadows as soldiers. However, this will only increase the number of miscreants, and it is impossible to extract shadows from the high-ranking Apostles of Itarim.]

"There is no shadow to extract like the Monarchs."

[Yes. So, it is disadvantageous for us in the long run that the number of soldiers in the sky is decreasing. However, there is no way to make the World Tree bear fruit again. Only the Itarim have that ability, and the main purpose of the Itarim of outer space invading us in the first place is the World Tree.]

"I guess so. "The World Tree, which grew by sucking all the souls of our universe as nutrients, would be the most nutritious

food for foreigners."

"... ... ?"

The flow of conversation slowly went beyond the scope of information Seo Jiwoo knew.

There are a lot of things I want to ask, but I don't know where to start. A complicated expression.

However, Suho did not have the heart to answer Seo Jiwoo's questions one by one.

Rather, it is what Seo Jiwoo considers most important.

Together with Seo Jiwoo, we focused on waking up Seo Jiwoo's colleagues who had fallen into sleeplessness.

'Anyway, if we create the divine tree of life, everything will be solved. And to find the material, the World Tree, you have to go to the sea of the afterlife.'

Suho asked Antares.

"So what you're saying is that by using that Nightmare Bud, you can go to the sea of the afterlife?"

"Okay. The Nightmare Bud forces a living being out of the body and drags its soul to the sea of the afterlife. But even if you

succeed in going to the sea after death, the way back will never be easy. Because as this woman experienced, she will have to wander in the open sea until she finds her world tree. "Maybe forever."

"Well, let's think about it then. Since the situation is complicated, let's do it one by one in order. "Hunter Seo Jiwoo?"

"... ... Ah oh?"

"Do you still have that double dungeon where you and your colleagues suffered from Eternal Slumber before?"

"No, it's long gone now."

"Did you attack it?"

"No. After conquering that dungeon in the first place, I accidentally discovered a double dungeon inside. "And later, other people found us inside and fell asleep and rescued us."

"The gate closed after that."

"Huh? The dungeon has already been conquered, so the gate is closed. "Irrespective of the double dungeon."

"Hmm, I see."

After gathering his thoughts for a moment, Suho looked at Seo Jiwoo again and asked.

"Then can you just tell me where the gate was opened? "I'll have to go see it myself."

"You want to go see it yourself? "The gate is already closed?"

"Yes. Even if the gate is closed, traces of the double dungeon may still remain. And if I'm right, maybe... ... ."

[You are considering the possibility that the double dungeon is a Void Gate.]

"That's right."

Suho nodded with confidence at Beru's words.

"Let's stop by for a moment before public opinion gives you permission to attack North Korea."