Chapter 231

When humans are excessively exposed to mana, there are three main reactions:

One. They adapt and awaken abilities.

Two. They are insensitive to mana, and nothing happens.

Three. They can't adapt to mana and die.

The third one was 'Eternal Sleep Disease.' A phenomenon of losing one's soul and the body dying. If life support devices didn't exist, those who couldn't adapt to mana would have perished. In short, Eternal Sleep Disease was a kind of out-of-body experience.

At the same time, it was medically similar to a brain-dead state. So fortunately, it was possible to buy time to prevent the body from declining by using life support devices. Of course, the probability of the soul returning to the body in that state was more than 100 times lower than that of a brain-dead patient regaining consciousness. But Suho knew of another phenomenon very similar to this… 

It was Mist Burn.

When those who couldn't adapt to mana inhaled the blue mist flowing from Gates for a long time, their bodies would eventually burn up, turning them into Mist Burns, and they would die painfully. This phenomenon was very similar to Eternal Slumber in principle, but there was a crucial difference.

Mana properties.

What the Outer Gods wanted was invasion. They seemed to intend to completely burn this dimension by gradually increasing the number of Mist Burns from within the Earth. So they mixed a terrible poison called blue mist into the mana flowing into Earth. That's why those who couldn't adapt to mana and directly inhaled the blue mist ended up in an even more serious state than Eternal Sumber, where not only their souls died, but their bodies burned as well. But there actually were other entities who wanted to kill humans, even if they weren't Outer Gods.

"…That is the 'Nightmare Bud.'" Antares continued his explanation with an expression that seemed to have aged decades due to Suho and Beru's threats.

"It's not just the World Tree that grows with its roots in the Sea of The Afterlife. All sorts of strange weeds grow there, feeding on the various souls floating around." Suho's expression hardened.

"There are weeds that grow by feeding on souls? Then what happens to those souls?"

"What happens? They're already dead; what more could they lose? They just lose some of the nutrients remaining in their spiritual bodies and float around again. Of course, there are all sorts of weeds, and some of the greedier ones even cling to souls and become parasites."

"Parasites on souls…" Seo Jiwoo's face was growing paler beside Suho. It was because what was coming out of Antares' mouth was something that could have happened to her as well.

"Especially among them, the Nightmare Bud is much more aggressive. They even cross over to other dimensions and directly extract souls from living beings."

"Why? Why would they do that?" Seo Jiwoo was now speaking formally to Antares, who quite pleased with that, replied with a mischievous smile,

"It's probably because those souls are much fresher than the ones that have had their nutrients sucked out and stained by other weeds. They're connoisseurs, despite being weeds."

"…!" Seo Jiwoo's face turned ashen.

Suho asked,

"So you're saying that if someone is affected by that Nightmare Bud, they fall into Eternal Slumber even if they are an Awakened person?"

"Yes. It's even better if they are Awakened. For them, the more nutrients a soul has, the tastier it is, and they can suck on it for much longer."

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

No matter how much she tried to recall the fragmented memories of her dream, there was nothing she did in that black sea. She just struggled instinctively in a state of hazy consciousness. And she just happened to bump into the roots of the World Tree.

"If, if I hadn't met the World Tree then… what would have happened to me now…"

Antares chuckled at Seo Jiwoo's muttering, her face now almost like a corpse.

"What would happen? You would have been eaten by the World Tree instead of the weeds."

"…What?!"

"What?" This time, even Suho's eyes widened at the unexpected remark.

"Why are you surprised? That's why I said it from the beginning. It's not just the World Tree that grows with its roots in the Sea of The Afterlife. The World Tree is just the biggest weed there. And it's a damn… weed planted directly by the Absolute Being." Antares muttered while grinding his teeth, as if an unpleasant memory had surfaced.

[A weed planted directly by the Absolute Being…] Muttered Beru, eyes gleaming with realization.

"It seems like this is going to be a long story."

From here on, it was a story that Suho already knew from Beru. But at the same time, it was a story with a slightly different perspective. Because the Dragon King, the Monarch of Destruction Antares, was one of the few beings who knew the beginning of this universe.

"In the beginning… there was the 'Absolute Being' who created our universe."

"…" Antares narrowed his eyes and reminisced about a very old memory. Even now, the Dragon King's appearance was that of the small and cute Ragnar, but his deep eyes exuded the dignity of someone who had lived for countless years.

"The Absolute Being planted the World Tree in the Sea of The Afterlife when he created this universe, and its purpose was to balance the world."

"Balance the world?" Seo Jiwoo, who didn't know the details, tilted her head.

On the other hand, Suho nodded. He had already heard about the war between the Rulers and the Monarchs from Beru, so he had some understanding.

"…You said the Rulers' soldiers are born from the fruits of the World Tree?"

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

Grit

Antares gritted his teeth with an angry expression as he recalled that time.

"Because of those fruits of the World Tree, the war between us Monarchs and the Rulers could never, ever end! Whenever we gained even a slight advantage, the World Tree would instantly bear fruit and increase their forces!"

"…"

Seeing the Dragon King's genuine anger, Suho recalled the illusion that Beru showed him when he first returned from outer space. The fierce war that had continued since the beginning of time.

"We fought countless battles against the Rulers' army in that war, gaining victories and suffering defeats. There were endless sacrifices in the process, but the war never stopped, no matter how much time passed. No, it couldn't have ended. In the first place, the Absolute Being's only pleasure was watching that pointless war."

…So whenever one side gained even a slight advantage, the Absolute Being would intervene and restore the balance of the war. Using the World Tree.

"The World Tree had more than enough nutrients. The souls of those who died in the war flowed directly into the Sea of The Afterlife and gave strength to the World Tree. And the Absolute Being had the power to create the soldiers of heaven from the fruits."

[And now that the Absolute Being is dead, the soldiers of heaven are no longer born from the World Tree.] Beru interrupted the story that seemed to be getting longer and pointed out a very realistic problem.

[My liege, even as we speak, the forces of the Outer Gods are gathering in greater numbers from various universes. On the other hand, the Rulers' forces are only decreasing, and there's no way to replenish them. This is all because the World Tree is no longer bearing fruit.] Beru didn't care about the human souls wandering the Sea of The Afterlife.

The World Tree growing by feeding on souls and bearing fruit was a natural thing that had been going on since the beginning of time. It was the cycle of the universe, the fundamental principle that maintained this world. So it was a very serious problem that they were being invaded by itarim at the moment when that balance was broken.

"What about my father's army?"

[Of course, the King is holding strong. He's killing Itarim's soldiers and extracting their shadows to replenish his forces. But even then, only the small fry increase; the high-ranking apostles of Itarim cannot be extracted.]

"You mean they don't have shadows to extract, like the Monarchs."

[Yes. That's why the decreasing number of soldiers of heaven is a disadvantage to us in the long run. And there's no way to make the World Tree bear fruit again. Only Itarim have that ability, and in the first place, the biggest reason why the Itarim of the outer universe are invading us is because of the World Tree.]

"I see. The World Tree, which grew by absorbing all the souls of our universe as nutrients, would be the most nutritious food for the Outer Gods."

"…?"

The flow of the conversation was gradually going far beyond the scope of Seo Jiwoo's knowledge. She had a complicated expression, full of questions but unsure where to start. But Suho wasn't interested in satisfying her curiosity. He focused on what she considered most important. Waking up her colleagues who had fallen into Eternal Slumber with her.

'It will all be resolved if I can just make the Holy Water of Life. And to find the World Tree, which is an ingredient, I have to go to the Sea of The Afterlife.'

Suho asked Antares, "So you're saying that I can go to the Sea of The Afterlife by using that Nightmare Bud?"

"Yes. The Nightmare Bud forcibly induces an out-of-body experience and drags the soul to the Sea of The Afterlife. But even if you succeed in going there, it won't be easy to return. You'll have to wander around that vast sea until you find the World Tree, just like that woman experienced. Perhaps forever."

"Well, let's think about that later. For now, the situation is complicated, so let's take it one step at a time. Hunter Seo Jiwoo?"

"…Ah, uh?"

"Is that double dungeon where you and your colleagues fell into Eternal Slumber still there?"

"No, it's long gone."

"Did you conquer it?"

"No. We actually discovered the double dungeon by chance after conquering that dungeon. And after we fell asleep inside, other people found us and rescued us."

"So the Gate closed after that."

"Yes. The Gate closed because the dungeon was already conquered. It had nothing to do with the double dungeon."

"Hmm, I see." Suho organized his thoughts for a moment and then asked Seo Jiwoo,

"Then can you tell me the location where that Gate opened? I need to go there myself."

"You're going there yourself? But the Gate is already closed…?"

"Yes. Even if the Gate is closed, there might still be traces of the double dungeon. And if I'm right, then probably…"

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

"That's right." Suho nodded confidently at Beru's words.

"Let's go there before public opinion allows us entry to North Korea."