Chapter 610 - Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint

In this era, a slash that shouldn't exist cut through the Origins Tree at an angle. Whether intentional or not, the flames engulfed in a newfound star incinerated all the branches where beasts grew. The World Tree experienced its second conflagration. The lucky aspect this time was that the star's flame left not even ashes behind. Unlike last time, the sparks rose upward and vanished, becoming stars instead of sowing the seeds of fire across the jungle. Thanks to the gracious flames ascending to the sky, those living atop the giant managed to survive. Those who had been tying themselves to the rampaging World Tree cheered at its sudden silence. It seemed their current safety was more important than the fact that the blessed tree, which once fed them, was now dead. It's understandable. Eating is, after all, for the continuation of life today. The World Tree burning down, the repetition of such tragedy, the fact that many people were teetering on the edge of going astray — all of this was swept away in the face of the massive relief of having survived. And inside the large lotus at the top of the World Tree... *** The worst way to wake up from sleep is through falling. Experiencing a fall when one is most defenseless is thoroughly unpleasant. Even a person so deeply asleep they wouldn't notice being carried away would wake up flailing limbs if dropped. Therefore, the best way to wake up is also through falling. Because you will wake up unless you're dead. And if you can't wake up, that means you're dead. And when I came to my senses, I was falling. Damn it. What in the world has happened? The once lush leaves are gone. There's not even a hint of thick branches. All that lies before me is a distant, clear sky, as if it blew away all the clouds. Even as I fell, I employed telepathy to grasp the situation. Fragmented information pieced itself together in my mind. Flames had erupted. Immense flames had blown away the upper section of the World Tree. Despite such tremendous power, a slight deviation in the force's direction had left the higher tiers relatively intact. Whether it's fitting to say it was "intact," I don't know, but at least I'm alive. With regenerative abilities, I'll survive, right? So, during this brief period of descent, let's think for a moment. Who could have done something to cause the Origins Tree to completely burn up? If it's the work of someone, what should I do? Hmm. Nothing comes to mind, does it? Who would do such a thing to obliterate the Origins Tree? If such firepower existed, it should have shown itself much earlier. Forget it. Might as well finish falling. Given this mess, Nevida probably won't be able to chase me.... "Shei!" Just as I was thinking that, a familiar voice approached nearby. I turned my head to find, surprisingly, Shei flying close. What's going on? Checking her thoughts, it seems Shei did something, but our minds are too frantic for me to read clearly. I greeted Shei warmly. "Oh, Shei? It's nice to see you after so long. Have you been well?" "Is now the time for pleasantries?! Fly, quickly!" "Humans can't fly. Don't ask for the impossible." "Huh. Brag all you want usually, then. Grab on!" I grabbed onto the hand Shei extended. She firmly gripped my clothes and adjusted her posture to ensure a safe landing. Suddenly nestled in her embrace, I asked Shei, "So, Shei. What exactly happened? I wake up, and the Origins Tree has vanished?" Shei blew a gust of wind with her celestial wings and gave a brief reply. "I burned it." "You burned it? The Origins Tree? How?" "No big deal. It’s something I did once before. I did mention before that I regressed, right?" "Yes, in passing." Though I had read about it countless times with telepathy, I pretended otherwise and asked again. Unknowing of this, Shei nodded and replied. "Hughes. This isn't the first time I've faced this situation." "What sort of situation? Falling from the sky?" "No, not that. Attacking the Origins Tree. I've been through this before. Back then, you weren't there, and we came with a much larger force." When was that? If you had such memories, you should've let me know beforehand. Though, if you were captured with a severed arm, it's understandable not to remember. "The Origins Tree takes the form of a tree and requires a large amount of water to soak it. Hence, it has canals called xylem that transport water drawn from all sorts of roots." "We used those to climb up initially, right?" "Yes. And then we sent in alchemical bombs." "Alchemical bombs?" Alchemy itself holds magical value, which is to transform in intended directions. With specific processing, alchemy can become gunpowder or bombs. It requires significant skill, though. "I converted all my alchemical resources into alchemical bombs, directing them towards the xylem." "So you blew it up?" "Had to be done. Mayel assisted. The atmosphere dried, rivers shriveled. Perfect conditions for a fire." Shei spoke with complete confidence. Certainly, with the oddly dry skies and lacking moisture, coupled with the blessing from the Celestial Saint and the tremendous treasure Shei possessed, it was possible. After all, Shei had done it once before. ...But, somehow, I can't tell if what's in Shei's mind is a memory from a prior timeline or something from this one. Is it because she's a regressor? A staggering burst cleaved the Origins Tree at an angle—a slash that should never have existed in this era. Whether intended or not, the flames engulfed by the new star scorched away all the branches from which beasts grew. The World Tree suffered its second blazing tragedy. The only consolation was that the star's fire left not even ashes. The embers soared upward and disappeared, dotting the night sky as stars instead of sowing the jungle with the seeds of fire. Thanks to the benevolent flames reaching for the heavens, the people living atop the giant tree's boughs managed to survive. Those who had bound themselves atop the rampaging World Tree cheered its sudden silence. Their immediate safety took precedence over the fact that the blessed tree, once sustaining their lives, was now dead. Of course, this was a natural reaction. Consuming food is ultimately about surviving today. The World Tree burning down, the recurrence of such tragedy, the fact that many were on the brink of losing their footing—all overshadowed by the great relief of surviving. And at the top of the World Tree, inside a large lotus... *** The worst way to wake up is falling. Experiencing a fall in the most defenseless state is utterly unpleasant. Even if someone so deeply asleep that they wouldn’t realize they were being carried were to be dropped, they’d wake up flailing. Thus, the best way to wake up is also falling. Because you’ll wake up unless you’re dead. And if you can’t, then it means you’re dead. When I regained consciousness, I found myself falling. What in the world is going on? The once lush leaves are gone; there’s not even the hint of thick branches. Only a vast, clear sky stretches out before me, as though everything, even the clouds, had been blown away. As I fell, I employed telepathy to assess the situation. Fragmented information came together in my mind. Flames erupted. Massive flames blew away the upper part of the World Tree. Despite such immense power, a slight deviation in the force’s direction left the higher tiers relatively intact. I’m alive, and that’s what counts. I have regenerative capabilities, after all. So, during this brief fall, I should contemplate what occurred. Who could have done something to cause the Origins Tree to burn so completely? If it’s someone’s doing, what should my response be? Hmm. I can’t quite grasp it. Who or what could obliterate the Origins Tree? Such firepower should’ve shown itself long before. Forget it. Might as well finish falling. Given this mess, Nevida probably won't have the resources to chase me.... “Shei!” I was thinking just that when a familiar voice approached nearby. I turned to find, surprisingly, Shei flying close by. What's going on? Judging by her thoughts, Shei seems to have done something, but we're both too frantic for me to read clearly. I greeted Shei with a warm smile. “Oh, Shei? It’s nice to see you after so long. Have you been well?” “Is this really the time for pleasantries?! Fly, quickly!” “Humans can't fly. Don’t ask for the impossible.” “Huh. Always so full of yourself, aren’t you? Hold on!” I grabbed hold of the hand Shei extended. She firmly gripped my clothing and adjusted her posture, preparing for a safe landing. Now nestled in her arms, I asked her, “So, Shei. What on earth happened? I wake up, and the Origins Tree’s disappeared?” Shei, with a gust from her celestial wings, replied briefly. “I burned it.” “You burned it? The Origins Tree? How?” “It wasn’t much. I’ve done it once before. I told you I regressed, remember?” “Yes, you mentioned it briefly.” Though I’d read it countless times with telepathy, I pretended to not know and asked again. Oblivious to my ruse, Shei nodded and replied. “Hughes. This is not the first time I’ve found myself in this situation.” “What situation? Falling from the sky?” “No, not that. Going up against the Origins Tree. I’ve gone through this before. Back then, you weren’t there, and we had a much larger force.” When was that? If you had those memories, you should’ve let me know beforehand. Though if you got caught with an arm missing, it’s understandable not to remember. “The Origins Tree forms like a tree, needing a massive amount of water to soak it. Thus, there are pipes called xylems, pathways that transport water it absorbs from all sorts of roots.” “We used those to climb up initially, right?” “Yes. And then we sent alchemical bombs in.” “Alchemical bombs?” Alchemy, by its very nature, holds magical value, allowing for intentional transformations. With precise processing, it can become gunpowder or even bombs. Though it requires considerable skill. “I converted all my alchemical resources into bombs, sending them through the xylem.” “So you blew it up?” “I had no choice. Mayel helped, and with the atmosphere dry and the rivers dried up, perfect conditions for a fire were set.” Shei spoke with complete assurance. Indeed, with the oddly dry skies and lacking moisture, coupled with the blessing from the Celestial Saint and Shei’s immense wealth of resources, it was possible. After all, she had done it once before. ...However, something feels off. I can't quite tell if what's in Shei’s mind is a memory from a previous timeline or from this one. Is it because she’s a regressor? Seizing the opportunity as Shei crossed her arms and shrank inward, I lifted her up. Given her current state, it seemed more practical for me to carry her rather than expect her to move on her own. Unlike Shei, thanks to a few days of rest, I was feeling perfectly fine. "Wha... what are you doing?!" "...You're light. Huh? You weren't this light before." "I'm naturally light, thank you very much!" Shei, turning a crimson shade, tightly shut her mouth. From my perspective, it was preferable for her to stay quiet like this. With Shei in my arms, I hurriedly sprinted toward the edge of the jungle. "But do you think we can escape just by running like this? If Nevida takes a moment to pursue us, she'll catch up in no time." "...." "What's wrong? You're not responding." ‘Is it because of that celestial circuit…? Why isn’t it reacting when Hughes picks me up? Is it saying it’s fine now?’ She seemed to have had a change of heart or something. Well, it didn't matter for now. The priority was getting out of the jungle. With the fire as massive as it was, Nevida and the other members of the hierarchy would be too distracted. As I continued running, Shei suddenly stared upward with eyes gleaming in seven colors, then flared her yellow irises and shouted. "Hughes! Above!" "Above?" I craned my neck to look up, following Shei’s gaze. Through the leaves, I saw nothing but the vast blue sky. The empty sky, as always, stretched endlessly, painted in shades of azure. Yet, through Shei's golden eyes, something was indeed visible. An unseen yet present trace occupying a corner of the world. The Eye of Truth revealed to Shei what should not be seen. So, I too witnessed it. Through Shei’s vision, the sky peeking through the scattered leaves revealed majestic curves sparkling in golden currents of power. And along those curves, someone was "descending." "The Heavenly Path...!" Shei murmured. The Floating City of the Mage Federation is known for its golden trails—a mysterious power that holds colossal structures aloft in the sky. It is the venerable force holding the world in place, known as the Heavenly Path, guiding to somewhere within this world. A mode of transport that is instantaneous, fast... and utterly unstoppable, only usable by the magicians of the Mage Federation. "Hughes, be careful! I don't know what it is or why it's coming, but... our opponent is a magician from the Mage Federation, skilled in combat magics and personal sorcery!" Shei quickly warned, but it was already too late. The rules set by the magician had reached us before the magician himself. Suddenly, my steps staggered. No, I was walking normally, but the direction I was moving in reversed. No one had pushed or pulled me, yet suddenly, I found myself retracing the path I had just run. Like a fish trapped in a fishbowl. It's not me that's strange. The world has become odd, and it feels as if I've been trapped in this bizarre world. I've experienced this a few times before. When was it? Just as I was stopping my steps due to a sense of déjà vu and placed my hand against a tree... “Fool. I’ll explain it simply so even an idiot like you can understand. Don't be flustered, just listen.” A voice I found nostalgic yet vexing echoed from above. I looked up to see a magician descending, causing the air to swirl around him. “I am a Federal Inspector of the Mage Federation. I discovered the massive attack that happened here, and I'm gathering magical traces to gather information. Disclose all the information you know, and I will offer compensation. Answer as swiftly as you can. The time I spare your lives will also be part of that compensation….” An unexpected encounter, but not entirely strange. The Mage Federation is a collective of countless magicians dedicated to exploring magic itself. To them, the truths of the world, particularly those commanded by magical beings, represent a strength to be envied and... a force to be studied. To the Mage Federation, which raises the temples of magical deities and explores them, the Origins Tree was also something to be researched and observed. Given that it had burned to the ground, sending someone was merely a natural course of action. However, having that Federal Inspector be someone I knew was a bit of a surprise. “Lankart?” “You know my name, fool?… Wait a minute.” A person with whom I share a past but with whom I wish not to share a future. Graduated second in the Military Central Academy, and recorded as a disgrace of the military nation. Lancart Spendry. Once a friend, now a magician who had become a blemish on the military's record. With brows furrowed to the extreme, he scrutinized my face before asking again. "Are you really Huey?"