Chapter 408

Yggdrasil helped the Red Administrator.

Seong Jihan frowned.

'Was it related to the World Tree being on Earth?'

[That's right. I helped!]

Beep beep.

A screen appeared in front of Seong Jihan.

It depicted a pyramid structure.

At the very top was the Administrator.

Below were numerous Great Constellations, and below them were Constellations.

In the pyramid structure of Constellations, the Administrator was clearly at the apex.

[As you can see, the Administrator is at the top of BattleNet… But there was another level above.]

Tap.

As soon as those words ended, another space was created above the pyramid structure.

It was the space for Permanent Administrators.

[The power held by the Black, White, and Permanent Administrators far exceeded that of the Term Administrators. In fact, Term Administrators just handled the chores and tasks the Permanent Administrators found bothersome… The Red Administrator and I wanted to climb higher.]

'From Term to Permanent, you mean.'

[That's right. Especially the Red Administrator, whose term was ending faster than mine, was in a rush. So he secretly proposed to me. To cooperate with each other to become Permanent Administrators.]

'Your greed really has no end. You reached 2nd place in BattleNet but still want to climb to 1st.'

[It's because of that mindset that we climbed to 2nd place. As long as you're alive, you have to keep climbing higher.]

Yggdrasil, not satisfied with being 2nd in the BattleNet world, overflowing with ambition.

Did the Red Administrator also have this mindset?

'…Okay. Putting aside your aspiration. What do you mean humanity is the Red Administrator?'

[Unlike me, the Red Administrator's term was ending. So he tried to hide among the lowest-grade species that weren't under the surveillance of the Black and White Administrators.]

The lowest-grade species that make up the majority of BattleNet.

The Black and White Administrators said they don't monitor them for efficiency.

Using that blind spot, did the Red Administrator try to hide among the lowest-grade species and grow his power?

'But how can the human race become an Administrator?'

[I don't know the exact method either. What I provided were the World Tree, Earth, and the elves. But I had already figured out that he was trying to hide within the lowest-grade species itself. And when it was said that humanity had no limit to species evolution, I thought it was this species. That result can't come out unless it's a properly 'designed' species.]

Seong Jihan recalled the scene of the Blood Clan experimenting on Gilgamesh.

Was the experiment conducted by the Blood Clan at that time actually the process of placing the Red Administrator in humanity?

'…Then is Gilgamesh the Red Administrator?'

Seong Jihan had that question for a moment, but quickly judged that he wasn't.

Because to say he was the Red Administrator, he lacked weight.

'If what you're saying is true, both the Blood Clan and humanity belong to the Red Administrator… Why did humanity defeat the Blood Clan?'

[The Blood Clan… That species had already served its purpose by completing humanity, so they were disposed of.]

'You mean he cleaned up his own kind?'

[His own kind? They were merely a means for the Administrator. If they're useless, they must be cleaned up.]

Do they all become like that when they become Administrators?

Merciless even to their origin species.

'Did he choose to enter humanity just to hide?'

[No way. If that was the case, he wouldn't have designed them to have no limit to evolution. I think I roughly know his plan.]

'Really?'

[Yes. I'll tell you one by one.]

And first, Yggdrasil displayed the Martial God's map on the screen.

[In my judgment, the Red Administrator will use two cards. One is the Martial God.]

In the pyramid Yggdrasil first displayed, the Martial God's name appeared.

His position was in the upper layer.

It was about the middle of the space where the names of Great Constellations were written, below the Administrator.

[Based on what's been revealed so far, he has the power of a Great Constellation level, but there are many suspicious aspects. Especially in his world Tuseong, a huge power is hidden. If this much is shown even while disguised, in reality, an even stronger authority must be sleeping.]

She doesn't seem to have figured out the Martial God's infinite regression yet.

But Yggdrasil seemed to have caught that a powerful force was sleeping in Tuseong.

As the Administrator's side detects it like this, when the Martial God regresses, does it return to an unknowing state?

'Infinite regression is really cheating.'

Seong Jihan thought so and continued listening to Yggdrasil's story.

[The Red Administrator's second card is humanity's evolution.]

'…Humanity's evolution?'

[The genes of the Blood that didn't manifest during the lowest-grade species began to appear little by little during the low-grade species. If this continues to grow, the genes of the Blood will greatly manifest.]

The screen changed.

Humanity, which was scrawny during the lowest-grade species, gradually evolved to become robust.

The tiny, weak flame that was small during the lowest-grade gradually grew as humanity evolved.

And upon reaching the high-grade, humans were completely engulfed by the flame and merged into a single huge blaze.

[As the species continues to evolve, the genes of the Blood within humanity will grow… And they will eventually become one and resurrect the Red Administrator.]

'When they become a high-grade species… All of humanity will burn and become the Red Administrator?'

[Yes. And they will transform into a being with the power to become a Permanent Administrator.]

'Then we just need to not evolve.'

He doesn't know how much of what she says to believe.

But if we assume it's true for now, wouldn't it be fine to stop evolving at around the middle-grade?

[But aren't you going to fight the Martial God?]

'What about that?'

[In the off chance you defeat the Martial God, not only you but the entire human race will benefit from the achievement of eliminating a Great Constellation. Then, even if you don't want to, species evolution might be forcibly progressed.]

'If I don't receive the achievement reward, wouldn't that be the end of it?'

[The achievement reward is simply given. You can't refuse to receive it.]

Then Yggdrasil showed an achievement reward.

[You have cleared the achievement 'Beast Who Toppled a Star'.]

[Condition – Given when a player from a middle-grade or lower species eliminates a Great Constellation.]

[Reward – Evolve origin species to high-grade]

[It's an achievement the Red Administrator made in advance when he was an Administrator. The reward was measured excessively because it was an achievement with no possibility of realization, but looking at it now, it seems he put it in as insurance.]

'Can't the Green Administrator delete that?'

[It takes a long time to modify the part the Red one handled. Your fight with the Martial God will be settled before then.]

Seong Jihan found it absurd.

If he loses to the Martial God, that guy will keep accumulating power through infinite regression and become an Administrator.

Even if he defeats the Martial God, as humanity as a whole rises to a high-grade species and burns up, the Red Administrator is born.

'If I think the Martial God is also related to the Red Administrator… No matter the result, only the Red Administrator benefits.'

[That's right.]

'But how do I stop him? According to you, aren't I also a part of the Red Administrator?'

[That's right. But you're not under his control yet.]

Laughter rang in Yggdrasil's voice.

[The easiest way is for you to come to me. If you become Yggdrasil's gardener, I'll take care of your species too.]

'Other than that.'

[You're unnecessarily taking the hard path. Then… Okay. Show an 'amazing achievement'.]

'Achievement?'

[An achievement that will make even the Black and White Administrators acknowledge you. At least an outstanding achievement worthy of appointing you as a 'Temporary Administrator'.]

* * *

Seong Jihan frowned.

A Temporary Administrator.

He's not even a Constellation yet, and you're telling him to jump several stages?

'…What kind of achievement do I need to accumulate for that to happen?'

[That's up to you. However, you'll have to show results before becoming a Constellation. After becoming a Constellation, the evaluation value of achievements will be reduced.]

'Anyway, if I become a Temporary Administrator, can I escape the Red Administrator's yoke?'

[You can edit it yourself when you become an Administrator. Even if it's temporary, you can do that much for your origin species.]

Then Yggdrasil added,

[The appointment of a Temporary Administrator requires the consent of the majority of Administrators, but I will actively agree to that. The official one will opposed though.]

'Why the official one?'

[Because if you become an official Administrator to that extent, it will be tiring for me.]

He knows.

'Okay… Anyway, you explained it so kindly. To the point where I can hardly believe it.'

[Hehe, why would I?]

Yggdrasil answered Seong Jihan's question with a laugh.

[At this rate, it seems the Red Administrator will become a Permanent Administrator before me.]

'…'

[If he goes up, he'll obviously interfere with me. Shouldn't I disrupt him before then?]

One moment she says they're in a cooperative relationship.

The next, they're preparing to stab each other in the back.

Is this the upper world?

'But because of this, Yggdrasil's words gain credibility instead.'

Of course, that doesn't mean he'll completely believe her.

But Yggdrasil's stance itself that she will interfere so the Red Administrator can't go up easily seemed to be true.

[Then whenever you want to take the easy path, call me. I'll convert you into an elf and cherish you like them.]

'Are you leaving?'

[It's not easy to have a conversation like this without being caught by the Black and White. I did it because it's me.]

Shwoosh…

Yggdrasil's voice faded.

And the foreign sensation disappeared from the World Tree inside Seong Jihan.

She really just entered, had a conversation, and left.

And the world returned to the original battlefield where they were fighting World Tree Elf 55.

The Sky Forest.

'…'

The game that didn't end with the message saying the 1st match would end soon.

[The 1st match will end.]

Now it clearly said it would end and finished.

[You have annihilated 'World Tree Yggdrasil's Avatar'.]

[Level increases by 20.]

Yggdrasil, who perfectly kept her promise to level him up even while dying.

[Level exceeds the upper limit of the Star League.]

[The player's level far surpasses the league they belong to. Immediately promoted to a higher league.]

[You now belong to 'Challenger League – 9'.]

Now she's promoting him without even a promotion match.

While Seong Jihan was glad the 20 level-up was preserved as is, he was disappointed that the promotion match reward disappeared.

'…'

In the disappearing world, he could see the completely withered and twisted Sky Forest.

And the traces of elves whose hearts burst and turned to dust and disappeared.

'Is that the result of cherishing me like elves? If I go under Yggdrasil, I'll end up like that too.'

Although Seong Jihan also evaluated that he gained a lot of useful information from the 'conversation' with Yggdrasil,

Seeing her blow up World Tree Elf 55 for the sake of conversation, he could tell that going under her was indeed a crazy thing to do.

And,

= The 2nd match begins! Uh… Elves, what's wrong with your bodies?

= They're not all looking like they were produced in a factory, but withered and twisted.

= Uh… No. Our players. They're collapsing without doing anything!

In the second match that immediately followed,

Seong Jihan could clearly experience the result of Yggdrasil descending as an avatar.

The elves, who showed regenerative powers that put cockroaches to shame, now couldn't even stand alone and collapsed.

"Yggdrasil… If the extinction of our race is your will, we will follow it."

The elf high priestess, who was also the coach and was released from the ban to participate in the 2nd match, tried to stand up somehow but collapsed.

She struggled to pray on the ground and then turned to dust and disappeared.

"What the…"

"Is, is it over like this?"

"It's the most anticlimactic Space League match."

Collapsing before even attacking.

When the players were facing the end of the 2nd match with a sense of discomfort at the demise unbecoming of the strongest species in the league, the elves,

= Why isn't the 3rd match starting?

= The opposing team's coach still hasn't come out…

The elf high priestess, who should have been sharing ban and select cards in the coach's room and preparing for the 3rd match, wasn't coming out.

How long did they wait like that?

= Uh… Huh?

= We… We win by default?

Along with the dumbfounded voices of the commentators,

The 3rd match displayed a win by default for the first time in Space League history.