#225. The Last Forest (5)
—
The World Tree was bewildered.
This place was an absolute domain where it ruled over everything.
Visitors could exert no influence here, not even leave of their own accord.
And yet—how?
How could someone exert physical force?
As the World Tree struggled to suppress its confusion and doubt, it suddenly felt a surge of déjà vu toward the boy.
At some point in the past, it had encountered him—experiencing a situation much like this…
“You’re saying you’d rather be hated and meet your death than have those who remain grieve for you?”
When it heard the voice, it looked up and saw the boy approaching, holding a book.
Tap.
The boy stopped walking right in front of it.
“That’s a terribly irresponsible thing to say.”
─……
“I’ve also lost someone precious to me. It hasn’t even been a year. That person was like a parent to me. Right up until their final breath, they worried more about me than themselves.”
─……
“I can never erase that person from my memory. I’ll probably never forget them for the rest of my life. So, after that day, did I live drowning in grief and longing?”
─……
“Not at all. In fact, the opposite. Remembering their final words, I kept pushing myself, relentlessly making my way upstream against the Elton River. Sure, there were moments I felt sorrow and yearning—but never once did those feelings become shackles. Instead, they became a driving force that made me move even harder. If it hadn’t been for that person, I would’ve been trapped forever in the mire of Sector 50.”
Without so much as a hitch in his breath, long sentences poured out like a river.
Though the boy was usually clumsy with emotions and relationships, in this moment, he seemed capable of offering the clearest advice.
“You say the ones left behind will live submerged in sorrow? Who says so? Everyone copes with their emotions differently, even under the same circumstances. That’s why—you should help them. Until your last moment, give your best to those around you. Let them remember you fondly. So that your memory can have a positive influence on the rest of their lives.”
─It’s over…
“You said you wouldn’t help because you trust them? That’s not trust—that’s neglect and abandonment. What kind of irresponsible parent does that? No matter how much a child grows, in a parent’s eyes, they’re always still a child.”
The boy paused thoughtfully before adding,
“Or so my friend once said.”
─……
A long silence followed.
The silhouette of the World Tree, formed of light, showed no change.
But the emotions of the World Tree, which wrapped around the space, were shifting continuously.
“Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”
─My thoughts are a little…
Swish.
─I understand now.
The World Tree answered immediately as soon as the boy lifted his book, then fell into deep thought.
─No matter how much they grow, children are always children in their parents’ eyes…
It was true.
No matter how old the creatures of the forest grew, in the World Tree’s eyes, they remained children.
Gwendel.
When that young child had hidden even younger saplings deep inside the labyrinth, it had hesitated greatly.
Should it have spoken up? Scolded them?
Or turned a blind eye?
Ultimately, it had chosen the latter, but the regret and unease had never fully left its heart.
After a long period of reflection, the World Tree finally spoke, as if making up its mind.
─Take full responsibility for the children… I understand what you mean. However, it’s also true that I can’t help the endangered children right now. I’m dying. I have very little strength left. I can’t influence the entire forest like I used to; I’m barely holding back the black rain. I didn’t ignore the elves’ summons out of stubbornness—it’s because communicating takes a considerable amount of my power.
“I’ll lend you my strength.”
Ray reached into his chest and soon pulled out a green gem.
─How are you doing that?
“I just imagined it… and it landed in my hand.”
─Sigh… In any case, the life stone is something other children have already tried. No matter how much mana they infused, my lifespan itself was already ending, so—
The World Tree’s words trailed into uncertainty.
Because the light pouring from the green gem was vastly different from when the elves had handled it.
The World Tree realized instinctively.
With that level of mana…
Perhaps, just once more…
─It might be possible…
Slowly rising, the World Tree reached out and grasped the pulsating lump of life energy that the boy was holding.
Rumble!
As the World Tree focused all of its spirit onto the gem, the room began to collapse.
The view turned white.
And in that fading world, the last image the boy observed was the World Tree, now in the form of a small sprout.
A faint consciousness whispered.
─I remember now. It was you.
*
When the boy opened his eyes, he found himself standing with his palm pressed against the labyrinth wall.
‘Did it say it remembered…?’
He had questions about the World Tree’s final words, but he had no time to dwell on them.
Vrrrrrrr──!
Green mana, originating from the gem within his body, was surging toward the wall.
He quickly assessed the situation.
‘The output is weak.’
The boy immediately stirred up his emotions of curiosity to their maximum.
How beautiful must a sky with a rainbow be?
What secrets lie atop the floating islands?
Where exactly is the city of wizards?
What does Curiosa look like behind her mask?
If I disassemble Kelley, can I figure out how she operates?
Why does Veronica, even with light makeup, insist she has a bare face?
…And above all—
‘What does this entire world look like?’
Vrrrrrrr──!
The mana output rose.
The stream of mana pouring from the green gem grew from a trickling brook into a mighty river.
Yet, it still felt far from enough to revitalize a great being like the World Tree.
‘This won’t be enough.’
Next, he drew up his sense of belonging.
The mansion in Sector 37.
A place he could return to.
The warmth of the children.
Friends like Veronica, Ayla, Ain, Curiosa, Jang, Kelley, Laqria… those he could rely on.
‘Feels like I’m forgetting someone.’
Well, it probably wasn’t important.
Anyway, to the boy, belonging meant trust and a sense of security.
But the sense of belonging he had felt in the Last Forest was something else entirely.
Observing the creatures while sketching them, he realized they lived within a vast, organic cycle.
Plants were eaten by herbivores.
Herbivores were eaten by carnivores.
And animal corpses returned to the earth, nourishing new shoots…
The forest was like the gears of a clock: missing even one tooth would cause the whole to falter.
Animals and plants were the forest itself.
Each individual was part of a greater whole.
The only difference was, the creatures imbued with green mana seemed unaware of this fact.
They simply lived naturally.
Thus, the boy guessed:
Maybe green mana wasn’t just an emotion—it was an attitude, an awareness.
He closed his eyes and thought.
‘…I too am part of the flow.’
At that instant, the fourth mana node ignited explosively.
At the same time, the output from the gem surged.
Vrrrrrrrrrr───!
The river became a sea.
The roiling green tide surged through the boy’s body like stepping stones and into the World Tree.
The boy attempted sensory synchronization.
Would the sensory synchronization of summoning magic work on a tree? What theory or formula was needed?
Those questions didn’t exist now.
Only the boy’s imagination and will led the elements.
And then—
……!
He could perceive the forest.
He wasn’t seeing it.
He wasn’t hearing it.
He wasn’t smelling it.
Yet he could see the forest, hear the cries of animals, smell the scent of grass.
It was an indescribable sensation he was experiencing for the first time in his life.
But the amazement was brief.
The boy immediately focused on the homunculi committing massacres all over the forest.
*
The homunculi had no self-awareness.
They did not know how they had been created.
Nor for what purpose they lived.
They had no right to know.
They merely moved according to orders, sometimes giving in to overwhelming emotions.
Grit.
They clenched their teeth so hard that red blood ran down their lips.
Their current emotions were rage and hatred.
If they didn’t release the firestorm inside them, it felt like their bodies would explode.
Fortunately, they were surrounded by plenty of suitable targets.
Screech─!
Kiieek! Kyaaang!
They swung their blades at the animals.
Whooosh!
They set fire to everything they saw.
The world dyed red was beautiful—but it still wasn’t enough.
Only by erasing every trace of green from their sight could they be satisfied.
The homunculi realized this instinctively.
“Khehe! What a splendid view…!”
“Burn! Burn more…!”
As they laughed madly and moved to the next area, they suddenly stumbled.
Vines had risen from the ground, clutching their ankles.
As they tried to tear them off—
Snap!
The vines climbed up their legs and wrapped around their entire bodies.
Even with magic-enhanced strength, they couldn’t break free—the vines were unyielding like iron chains.
The pressure around their bodies tightened.
Breathing became difficult.
Bones began to crack.
“……?”
“……!”
At the moment they realized they couldn’t escape, an emotion forbidden to them flooded their vessels.
Black mana—fear.
Snap!
The vines covered even their faces.
Through their narrowing vision, the homunculi saw it.
Plop.
It was a raindrop.
Plop! Plop-plop!
Rain was falling in the forest.
*
The elves fighting in the village were awestruck as they saw the vines rising from the earth and subduing the enemy in an instant.
Plop!
Feeling a drop fall onto their faces, they looked up in wonder.
“Rain…?”
“It’s raining…?”
Swoooosh───
The scattered droplets quickly became a downpour.
“My gods, it’s raining…!”
“And it’s clean rain, too…!”
The elves, soaked in the rain, couldn’t hide their exhilaration and joy.
Beside Veronica, who looked a bit bewildered, Grine explained,
“In the Last Forest, it doesn’t normally rain. The World Tree blocks all the black rain that falls from the sky. Occasionally, when relatively clean rain falls, the leaves might be tilted to let the raindrops through… but truly clear rain is so rare that it hardly makes a difference.”
Grine extended her finger, feeling the sensation of the falling raindrops.
“That’s why the elves have been responsible for watering the forest’s vegetation. We create water by condensing moisture in the air through magic. But with the current number of us, there’s a limit, and the forest’s vegetation had been slowly drying out… With this amount of rainfall, however…”
“It was originally the World Tree’s role to supply water to the forest.”
The one who joined the conversation was Gant.
“The World Tree…?”
“Yes. The World Tree standing behind us now, which can be called the Mother of the Forest.”
Gant briefly met Veronica’s gaze, then lifted his head toward the heavy downpour.
Far, far above, the branches and leaves of the World Tree could be seen.
“According to the records, that’s how it used to be. When the World Tree was in full vigor, it would summon rain directly. Just as a mage would, it drew moisture from the atmosphere beneath its branches and caused water droplets to fall. Judging by how the mana in the air is now being pulled upward, it seems that’s what’s happening right now.”
“Ah, then that means…!”
“It would mean the World Tree has broken its silence. And likely, it is using the mana stored within the Life Stone…”
*Rustle.*
At that moment, a sound came from behind them.
Everyone turned to look.
From a hollow at the base of the World Tree, a figure was emerging.
