Chapter 836 |
– Be careful! When a domain shrinks, its owner’s power shrinks with it, yes, but because it’s narrower, that power gets more concentrated at the same time! That’s why I was able to hold out for so long toward the end too.
The enormous flower spoke while racing over the water.
Hayul, you really look… Anyway, just as Park Hayul said, Yerim’s sea and Ru Ga Pheya’s mist had begun to slow in the rate at which they pushed back the garden. The sound of the crashing waves striking the dense trees rang out hollowly.
Thunk, thunk.
“Byeol, let’s stop here.”
At my words, the huge yellow car spun in a circle. The trees of the garden towered dozens of meters into the air, but even they could not completely hide the black thing visible beyond them.
The rounded, arched back of an insect.
It looked like a small mountain.
– We’re not going farther?
– Bug?
Byeol suddenly curled herself up tightly. I wondered if it was because she was scared, but that was not it. She compressed all four of her wheels as though crushing them flat.
Boing–!
Then she sprang high into the air.
“Byeol!”
– It’s huge! So cool!
After shooting high into the sky and confirming the enormous insect with her own eyes, Byeol waved her wheels and shouted happily.
…
That’s cool to you? Well, I guess there are plenty of kids who like bugs. Below Byeol, who was flapping her wheels, Belare slid over and supported her so she would not fall.
‘A mole cricket? A cicada nymph?’
I examined the Gardener’s true body down below. The body wrapped in black shell certainly looked hard. Its four hind legs were thick and sturdy, and its two front legs were broad like shovels. It had no eyes. On its mouth, it had pincer-like jaws similar to a stag beetle’s, and beneath them, a sharp tube.
“It’s big, but it just looks… like an ordinary bug.”
Seen from this far away, and from above, it seemed even more so. It did not look particularly grotesque or terrifying, and there was nothing especially unique about its form.
The black crystal Yuhyun was trapped in was not visible, perhaps because the forest hid it. Until Belare lowered Byeol back down, the Gardener did not so much as twitch.
“Kids, stay here and play. Gyeol, do you have to be near Dad to use that power?”
Gyeol shook his head.
– I just can’t be too far away.
“Then do you want to stay with your younger siblings?”
– Yeah. Leave it to Gyeol, Dad.
I thanked him, then jumped down onto the water. Seong Hyunjae followed me down, and Byeol turned back into a small car, just large enough for one Seol to ride.
– Dad, Dad!
“Byeol, let’s play with Oppa.”
Gyeol turned human again and took a toy ball out of his inventory.
“Should we play catch with Horang and Song too?”
– Yeah!
Horang must have played like this often, because he came bounding over at once. Song also turned small and trotted up to them. Mm, well, little kids usually did not make much of a distinction between animals and people. Byeol was technically a monster too.
“Hayul, stay here, and if anything happens, send the kids back. I’m counting on you.”
– Yes, hyung! Leave it to me.
He was not exactly reassuring, but I still gave Park Hayul the request and called Peace.
“Dad will be back.”
I waved to the children and climbed onto Peace’s back after he transformed into his adult form. Just as Gyeol said, I had to go get Yuhyun myself. Our kids had made a path for us like this, so I had to hurry up, get him back, and go home together.
Peace ran over the sea. Seong Hyunjae deftly brought out his wings and moved alongside us, while Noah flew low and let Chief Song ride on his back. Behind the pure white reindeer, the jet-black dragon ran, scattering water high into the air. The garden, which was not all that far away, closed in before us in an instant.
“Yerim!”
At my shout, Yerim, who was standing on a column of rising water, turned to look back at us. Yerim looked much more like a transcendent than the Gardener did. The fact that every drop of water existed under her rule came to me with startling clarity. At the same time, a fear resistance message flashed briefly and disappeared.
Even though Yerim handled water, normally she could not interfere with the water inside other living creatures. The innate magic power each creature possessed got in the way. But Yerim, as she was now… might even be able to move the moisture inside an S-Rank’s body. With so much as a twitch of her finger, she might be able to wipe out every person in the world.
“Mister!”
As I felt a faint chill, Yerim spoke, hesitating slightly.
“Can I pick you up just once?”
“…What?”
“Just once! I want to try it!”
“Uh, I mean, I guess there’s no reason you can’t.”
The instant I gave permission, Yerim teleported, and a pair of large hands approached. Peace instinctively folded his ears back. Two hands, each easily three times the size of mine, seized me around the waist. Then she lifted me high, as if picking up a doll.
Uaaah, Yerim! This feels kind of weird!
“I think you’d be fine even if you were about ten meters taller.”
“Mister thinks under two meters is plenty! If I were ten meters tall, I couldn’t even use public facilities!”
“True. Han Yuhyun got taller too, and I’ve thought he must be inconvenienced sometimes.”
Between Yerim and the kids, I started wondering if I needed to make sure I told them two meters was not all that great. I was slowly starting to worry the kids really might hit two meters. Especially Yuhyun. At his current growth rate, it seemed entirely possible he would pass that mark in a year or two.
“How’s the garden looking?”
“We only need to push a little more, but maybe because this is the last stretch, the resistance has gotten fierce.”
Yerim set me back down as she spoke. Ru Ga Pheya turned back into a jellyfish and drifted over, swaying.
– If that really is the bug that ate a World Tree, then I have heard of it. To be exact, the old me heard about it. Should I call her my mother?
Ru Ga Pheya said she was slowly trying to distinguish herself from the previous King of Harmless now.
– But back then, they said it didn’t have its own domain, and it didn’t control World Trees either. Though that was a very long time ago~.
“It would’ve been convenient if it had stayed exactly the same as back then. Right now it might attack, so be careful.”
Even after being driven this far, it had only moved the garden, so its main body still seemed to have no offensive ability, but there was no way to know for certain. It might have been pretending in order to make us lower our guard. I took out the white spear and kindled fire at the fingertips of my other hand. Black flame rose—
Hiss.
“…Yerim?”
“Ah, sorry! It was reflex!”
Yerim’s water extinguished the black flame. Right now, thanks to Gyeol, I had the stats of the Yuhyun from before the regression, and the black flame even had the double attack skill buff applied, but it still could not overcome the water of a transcendent. It went out instantly, like ordinary fire drenched with water.
– That fire is especially strong, that’s why!
Sanho said, defending Yerim.
– Fire and water don’t get along in the first place. It’s an innate instinct. And right now Yerim is even closer to water than usual! A powerful flame burning right beside her can’t help but bother her.
Did that mean it had become like things between Iryn and Sanho? Even if we rescued Yuhyun safely, it would be better not to keep the two of them close until Yerim returned to normal.
“I’ll try to put up with it! I can bear it!”
“No, it’s fine. Using fire beside water isn’t very efficient anyway.”
Out of habit, I had drawn out black flame first, but this time—
Crackle.
Electric current wrapped around my body and flowed over me. Beside me, with a metallic clink, the golden chain also circled, carrying electric current. I looked back at Seong Hyunjae. His golden eyes curved faintly as if smiling.
“Thanks to various incidents, I am also used to your abilities. I’ll borrow them.”
“As much as you like.”
I used my teacher skill on the people around me, then kicked off Peace’s back and leapt. Blue Willow Leaves connected a path in front of me. Ahead of the two currents mixing together, water stretched long and thin toward the forest. The current rode the water and shot forward without scattering.
Boom!
Light exploded, and trees burst apart. On another side, Hyunah charged forward with Sorok, while Liette and Soyeong began rampaging in high spirits, trampling the garden beneath them. Each time the dragon swung her teeth and tail, thick trees were sliced through as easily as paper.
– Nest Where Light Falls cannot be used yet. But I do have ordinary buffs and healing skills, so please tell me whenever you need them.
Noah said, flying down low.
“Yes. Please watch the whole battlefield from above and support us.”
“I’m sorry I don’t think I’ll be of any help, Han Yujin.”
Chief Song, who was riding on Noah’s back, lowered his head slightly as he spoke. Since we did not know when the butterflies might appear.
“It’s fine. Please help Noah block attacks if something happens!”
“Yes. Understood.”
If Noah’s mobility and Chief Song’s Lunar Eclipse were combined, they could immediately step in and help whenever someone was in danger.
“Everyone, watch out for water!”
Yerim’s voice rang out. I stepped on a willow leaf and leapt high. Seong Hyunjae also flew up, and Liette and Sorok quickly retreated, lowering themselves beneath the surface of the water. Immediately after that, a wave rose.
Rumble!
The water struck the damaged garden here and there with tremendous force. Part of the garden swept away by the waves was immediately restored, but only to about half its original state. That was because mist settled thickly between the gaps and prevented the garden from regenerating.
Yerim began gathering the power of water again, and Seong Hyunjae and I jumped down side by side.
That was when—
– How stubborn.
A butterfly came fluttering in. Butterflies of every color beat their wings among the trees and grass, and flowers bloomed here and there.
“Thanks for saying my line for me!”
I pierced the approaching butterfly with the tip of my spear. The golden chain bent like a whip and swept away the surrounding butterflies in a single motion.
– In the end, it will be useless.
“Do you like the way we remodeled your garden? It’s the sea version of the Amazon rainy season edition. We dumped a whole lot of water on it for you. Or maybe I should call it Noah’s Ark. Noah’s here too, conveniently enough~.”
Mm, the Noah’s Ark version would be better after all. We could just cover the whole thing in water. Leave only us behind.
Instead of answering, the swarm of butterflies gathered into two separate clusters. Sprouts emerged there. Then they began growing at a terrifying speed.
“I’ve seen those trees before.”
In the blink of an eye, two trees shot up to an enormous height and transformed into combat forms. Those were the World Trees. What were their names again? Anyway, the ones we had taken down. They were smaller than before, but it looked as though the Gardener had brought them back to life.
“Mister, want help?”
“No! They’re smaller than before, and we can handle them. Yerim, you prepare one big hit!”
“Got it! I’ll sweep it all away in one go!”
Whoosh.
Black Blood Flame rose along the black patterns of the white spear.
“If you get eaten again, I’m ditching you and leaving~.”
“Shall we make a bet? Which one of us prepares firewood first?”
“Does charcoal count? Loser grills the barbecue. Our kids eat a ridiculous amount, so brace yourself. Especially after Yerim, Byeol is the rising star of big eaters~.”
She really did eat well. So much that I wondered if it was okay to feed her that much. Seol ate quite a lot too, and Gyeol ate more than he looked like he would. Though he seemed to want to pretend he ate moderately.
Creeeeak.
Perhaps because they had not been properly revived, the World Trees, unable even to speak, began moving while twisting their branches. Tap. I kicked hard off a willow leaf and rushed toward one of the two. While listening to the rumble of thunder like music, I pulled the black flames even higher.
Fwoosh.
The vines flying toward me were engulfed in flame. I swept away the smaller branches with fire and raised my spear. I bent my arm as far as it would go and filled it with all my strength, then leapt even higher and flipped my body in a smooth turn. From my back, golden membrane wings unfurled. While upside down in the air, I kicked off a willow leaf and at the same time pushed the wind back with my wings.
Whizz.
The air scraped harshly past my ears. I shot toward the World Tree like an arrow and—
Crack–!
I thrust the spear. The thick, solid trunk split deeply inward. Wood shards flew in every direction and caught fire. With a loud splitting crack, the spear pierced through the World Tree. Black flames surged up from inside the huge hole bored through it.
“A D-Rank thrusting skill is still pretty useful, isn’t it?”
Cracks rapidly spread from around the hole, and soon they split the tree completely apart. The trunk, cleaved in two, fell to either side with heavy crashes.
Thud, thoom.
I quickly looked to the side.
“Our kids’ chef!”
Standing atop a small hill of wood fragments, Seong Hyunjae waved at me. Tch. Pointlessly fast, as usual.
“Get clear!”
Yerim’s shout rang out. I hurried into the sky. Now only a small part of the garden remained, and the Gardener in the center of it looked much closer. Yuhyun was still not visible from up here. Had it hidden him somewhere?
‘…It wouldn’t try to use him as a hostage, would it?’
Because of the White Bird’s prophecy, it should not be able to harm him, but still, there was no way to be certain. Come to think of it, Yuhyun was safe because of what White Bird had said, wasn’t he? Though the reason he had ended up in the Gardener’s hands in the first place was also White Bird.
Rooooar.
A wave rose, containing such tremendous power that even an ally felt a chill in his chest. A shadow covered the garden, and then water poured down.
Guuung!
The impact shook space itself, and for a moment my ears went muffled. Even the view before my eyes blurred blue. The water felt so dense that breathing became difficult, and beneath my feet, everything was covered in vivid blue.
Swaaaaah.
The sound of the water that had risen so high draining away reached my ears. Now only a tiny section of the garden remained, the part where the Gardener stood its ground. It sat there like a small island in the middle of an endless sea. I descended in front of the chaotic swarm of butterflies. The others approached as well.
“Give me back my brother.”
I could see the black crystal floating near the Gardener’s front legs. Inside the translucent darkness, my brother lay asleep. My jaw tightened on its own. If it was cornered, it might try to harm even the fire it needed, so I could not attack carelessly.
– You still do not understand.
A butterfly came fluttering in.
– I have won.
“Your garden is gone. It’s finally the size of an actual garden.”
– So?
The Gardener’s laughter came through the butterfly. Several butterflies flew near Yerim.
– That is astonishing power. I never imagined you would destroy my garden in such a way.
– Honestly, it was impressive. Han Yujin.
– But it will not last long. And she will not be able to take that form again.
– So all I have to do is wait.
– I do not die. My power remains as it is, and my connection with the World Tree–type transcendents remains as well.
– The crystal surrounding your fire is also my power.
– At the end of your meaningless struggle, you will gain nothing.
“Yerim.”
I spread my wings and moved to Yerim’s side.
“The cooldown on double attack skill sharing is over. Noah, please concentrate buffs on Yerim. Soyeong, what about Hwang Rim? Please bring him here. And we need a few more people. About ninety more. Can you do it?”
“I’ll call as many as I can!”
I glared at the black, solid insect shell.
All you have to do is wait?
Bullshit.
“Jinah, sweetheart. I told you it’s dangerous for me to come here.”
Kang Soyeong disappeared and reappeared with Hwang Rim. Hwang Rim looked troubled as he glanced at the Gardener.
“Whatever. Hurry up and copy the most efficient buff or whatever and use it on Yerim.”
“Wow. This is reassuring. Pretty impressive, huh?”
Then people began entering one after another. There were some familiar faces, but there were more I did not know well. Rank did not matter, and since the S-Ranks had to manage our world’s dungeons and protect the sleeping people, only Shishio came in.
Is Shishio not going back to Japan?
“I am glad to see you looking well, Director Han!”
“Yes, thank you for coming.”
“Director Han, Mari says ninety people is hard. Even this many can’t stay long! About five minutes?”
“That’s enough.”
Altogether, there seemed to be around seventy people. My Kid skill had also cooled down with Noah’s help.
“Ruler of Water! Our coolest, most incredible Yerim!”
“Ugh, Mister!”
Look at Yerim getting embarrassed. Maybe because there were so many people she knew, she seemed even more mortified. Still, there was no helping it.
“We don’t have time, so I’ll keep it a little short. Whether you’re five meters or ten meters tall, you’re always our proud youngest!”
“The youngest is Peace, though!”
“I think turning back time and going to find you was one of the best things I’ve ever done. I love you, Yerim! Keep living exactly the way you want, as brilliantly as you want!”
The Look How Talented My Kid Is skill applied, and the people who had come began to disappear. Water surged up in front of Yerim. A rounded mass of water stretched long, changing into the shape of a spear. At the same time, it began rotating violently.
Rumble.
A powerful force gathered and condensed in the vigorously churning spear of water. A destructive power that sent a chill down my spine just from looking at it was lifted above Yerim’s head. The water spirit Sanho’s form blurred, became water, and seeped into that spear. Yerim’s blue eyes flashed sharply upward.
Swaaaah!
The spear launched.
The space around the spear flying toward the insect distorted. It held enough destructive force to crush space with only the aftershock. That force slammed into the Gardener’s black body. It struck hard, as far away as possible from where Yuhyun was.
Kwaaaang!
Everything shook. Yerim hurriedly pulled up water and blocked the aftermath of the explosion. Behind the Gardener, where the waves did not shield it, the sea split into several branching trenches.
The kids were all right, weren’t they? I hurriedly looked back, and behind us, the water was calm.
“Mister! It didn’t work!”
Yerim shouted in alarm. I turned my head back. The towering spray of water settled.
“Ah…”
The Gardener’s body was revealed.
The black shell was smooth, without a single scratch.
– It will probably be useless.
Ru Ga Pheya said, swaying her tentacles.
– Yerim is strong, and with your buff added, she became even stronger. But in the past, dozens of transcendents attacked that bug to get rid of it…
Not just several transcendents.
Dozens.
– World Tree–type transcendents were targets of protection. They all joined forces and thought they had eliminated it, but there it is, perfectly fine.
– Yes. I do not die.
The butterflies that had been swept away by the explosion appeared once more.
– I have won. Time is on my side.
Yerim could not keep maintaining a transcendent’s power forever. Once the power of the dream vanished, the Mermaid Queen’s sea would fall asleep again. Then the Gardener’s garden would recover too.
I gripped the spear tightly. I had to do something. At least—
‘Yuhyun.’
Twenty-six-year-old Yuhyun had said he left the memory orb he had taken inside this spear. If the twenty-one-year-old Yuhyun woke up—
‘…Blue flame.’
The flame that had even melted the system. It was a fire that required sacrificing Yuhyun’s lifespan, but—
I clenched my molars and kicked off a willow leaf.
“Mister?”
“I’m fine!”
I would come back.
I would get him back.
A swarm of butterflies wrapped around me, then burned away in the flames.
– It is useless.
I ran toward the Gardener. The black crystal approached right before my eyes. They said the Gardener had no ability to attack, but that did not mean it could not move at all. It probably just had no attack skills. The Gardener’s front leg lifted. Yerim shouted urgently. I used Grace at maximum output.
“Yuhyun!”
Wake up.
I thrust the spear.
Clang!
Not even a crack appeared in the crystal. Immediately afterward, the Gardener’s leg struck my body.
“Ghk!”
Yerim’s water blocked the leg, and I had used Grace to the limit, but even so, I felt a powerful impact. As I was sent flying, Seong Hyunjae caught me, and Noah used a healing skill. I spat out the blood that had filled my mouth.
“Han Yuhyun!”
I looked at the black crystal.
Inside it, very slowly, my brother opened his eyes.
–TL Notes–
Tired of seeing Ads? Then please support me on Patreon! Any tier of subscription will make it so you won’t get any ads!
If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at patreon.com/InsanityTheGame
Join my Discord! https://discord.gg/BWaP3AHHpt