“I see, so that’s what happened,” Seong-Hwi remarked as he ran along the root of the World Tree, located at the center of Qetseb, with Radix.

The complex layout of the World Tree’s intermingled roots made it seem like they were in a mangrove forest.

“Yeah... that blasted Hod told me that Kang-San escaped to Domen,” Radix said with a stiffened expression.

He had explained everything that had happened so far to Seong-Hwi. He and Kang-San had infiltrated Elvenheim before it was locked down, met Hod, the leader of a group called Viridis, and got in contact with Keter.

“I was about to go to Domen to find Kang-San, but he stopped me,” Radix continued.

“I heard about that. You fought against a dozen high elves?” Seong-Hwi asked.

Radix snorted and remarked, “They may be of superior caliber, but high elves who spent their entire lives in Elvenheim like flowers in a greenhouse don’t scare me in the slightest.”

He had traveled the Mirror World with GM, heightening his caliber in the process. Hence, he managed to reach a superior caliber like the high elves. Wild grass and flowers were both beautiful, but wild grass was far more tenacious.

“The problem was Hod. After all... He’s a goddamn Sefirah,” Radix remarked.

“A Sefirah, huh? How strong are they?”

“How strong? They’re all Spare Rankers and above from the moment they become a Sefirah.” Radix grimaced and continued, “With how much power they’ve extorted, of course, they’d be strong. I don’t even need to mention Keter. Chokmah, Gevurah, and Netzach are World Rankers.”

Four of the ten Sefirah were World Rankers, and Keter was one of the Ten Lords and Fiends.

“The former Chesed was also on the verge of becoming a World Ranker, though her rank disappeared the moment she became a member of the Sēmen.”

It was no wonder Sefirot was considered a major force in the Mirror World. One could imagine the power of the elves; there was a reason why they were one of the Mirror World’s major races.

If an intermediate race is this strong... Just how powerful are the superior races? Seong-Hwi wondered.

Inferior races were most active from the first to the third zones, intermediate races were most active from the fourth to the sixth zones, and the superior races were most active from the seventh zone and up. Elves, like vampires, were powerful even among the intermediate races. They were in a league of their own compared to the developing humanity.

I began to break through the zones in my ninth year, and I only experienced the sixth zone for about two months. I lack overall experience.

Seong-Hwi planned to challenge the journey toward the center once this matter was over. Just then, Radix, who had taken the lead and been running along the roots, suddenly stopped.

He said, “We’re here.”

“We are?” Seong-Hwi asked, looking around in confusion. It was no different from the surroundings.

“I’m sure of it. Although it’s a childhood memory... I still remember even the flow of the air on that day.”

It was the day that his father told him the truth about the World Tree and took him down to Domen.

Perhaps my father knew that he would be disposed of one day, Radix said inwardly.

He walked toward a root as thick as a pillar, placed his hand on it, and said as he projected Nature Force, “O Mother Tree. I have come to offer you new manure.”

A dark light was generated from the root, resembling the Devil’s mouth.

Radix stared at the entrance to Domen, then turned to Seong-Hwi and said, “There’s one problem.”

“What is it?”

“I know the entrance, but I don’t know where the exit is.”

His young self had been so horrified by the sight of Domen that he had fainted. Hence, he did not know how his father exited Domen.

“There are usually several portals that lead down to lower floors, but there is only one portal that leads up,” Radix said.

“Let’s go,” Seong-Hwi declared.

“Are you sure? I could go by myself—”

“It’s fine.”

Seong-Hwi shook his head. Several voices were echoing inside his head.

“Destroy the system!”

“Let’s kill! Kill some more!”

“Charge! And charge again!”

“A conqueror must be daring before the unknown.”

You don’t have to rush me. I’m going in, Seong-Hwi thought.

He ignored the voices echoing inside his head and continued, “I have already made my play. If it goes as planned, we’ll be escorted out.”

***

It had been so loud for so long that the following silence was far heavier. Forget leveled, the terrain had changed beyond recognition. The ground was full of bumps like the surface of the moon, and glass had formed from sand due to the immense heat.

“What...”

“In the world...”

“Happened?”

Adi Dahak’s three heads mumbled in disbelief. She could no longer fly, and her red dragon scales were even redder from being covered in blood. Her heads were also resting on the ground, no longer having the strength to raise them proudly.

“Where in the world...”

“Did the half-dead prey...”

“Disappear to?”

Insectum had fought hard against over a hundred thousand opponents. Each insect from inside his black armor was life-threatening, and an Invasive Chaos was formed each time he outstretched his arm.

However, not only had he been severely outnumbered, but he was against the elites of each force, including World Rankers. Insectum was overpowered more and more over time, and his black armor had been almost fully destroyed with the combined attacks of Elementum, Adi Dahak, Andrealphus, Raziel, Ursi, and more.

They then saw a dirty rock covered in insects, embedded in Insectum’s chest; it was the Entomancy Stone. As everyone charged at Insectum to grab the stone, Chaos Mana poured out from the stone, and Insectum vanished, leaving behind several Akasha Messages.

[World Quest: Kill Insectum, partially cleared.]

[You successfully killed Insectum, but failed to stop the Entomancy Stone from being corrupted by Chaos Mana.]

[The race Insectoid will gradually become extinct, being reborn as the race Chaos.]

[Allotting Karma based on calculated battle contribution.]

...

[World Hidden Quest: Defeat the Devourer of the Mirror World, complete.]

...

Karma was allotted to the participants, but that was not what they wanted. To them, this was no victory; it was a stab in the back to those who had continued to fight despite enormous sacrifices.

“WHO DARES!”

“STEAL THE POSSESSION!”

“OF DRAGONS?!”

“I SWEAR!”

“TO TEAR YOU!”

“INTO LITTLE PIECES!”

Adi Dahak’s rageful screams echoed throughout Forestis.

***

Ursi, a World Ranker of Barbaria, snickered as he listened to Adi Dahak’s screams.

“Kekek! At least I wasn’t the only one fucked over,” he remarked.

“Stop laughing, Boss! Your wounds will widen!”

“Kekekekek!” Ursi listened to the nagging of his subordinates, who were pouring healing skills on him, and continued, “How could I not laugh? Everyone here was simultaneously stabbed in the back! Kekekekek!”

Although he was laughing, cold sweats drenched the fur of Ursi’s Bear Paw clansmen.

The boss has lost it!

This is bad. If his Beast Force runs wild here...

We have to get the hell out of here!

“Gahahaha! Old Man Modak will call me a stupid bear again, I’m sure! I’d bet he’ll demand I hand over my gallbladder! Ahahaha! What a day!” Ursi shouted.

The Bear Paw clansmen began to step backward as Ursi laughed like a mad bear.

“B-Boss! Please, calm down!”

“Please give us some time to run away!”

“Ahhh! He’s on the verge of losing it!”

Just then, a human man walked out of the thicket and stood before Ursi exuding ferocious Beast Force. He had black hair with bald spots throughout his head and was so skinny that he was practically skin and bones. Although he had deep, dark circles under his eyes, his crystal-like eyes were blazing fiercely.

“Grrr! Who the hell are you? Do you want me to gobble you up? Huh?” Ursi said as he drooled, staring at the human man.

He looked like he was about to attack at any moment, but the man was as calm as a lake. The man said fearlessly, “I am Wang Chen of Clan Twelve Brothers. I have come to make a deal with Barbaria.”

“What?” Ursi asked, so dumbfounded that his rage vanished. He stared at the scrawny human and said, “Huh? Come to think of it, you’re...”

His eyes widened. He had seen this human before. He was the funny human who had stood before Insectum and spammed skills at him to make him stop.

“I will reiterate. I am Wang Chen of Clan Twelve Brothers. I have come to make a deal with Barbaria!”

“Kekekek! You’re making me laugh again. You must be the best human comedian. How did you know I was in a terrible mood?”

Ursi stood up and approached Wang Chen until they were a human arm’s length apart. His presence was overwhelming; the immense pressure and ferocious Beast Force made Wang Chen’s legs tremble unconsciously.

He clenched his fists and repeated in his head, A corpse... mustn’t feel fear! I am already dead!

“Kekek! A deal can only be made when each party has what the other wants, foolish human. It doesn’t look like you have anything to give me besides that scrawny body,” Ursi remarked.

“No! I have come to sell information!” Wang Chen shouted.

“Information?”

“Yes! Barbaria failed to obtain the Entomancy Stone, correct? I have information of that same level!”

Ursi roared, his saliva splattering on Wang Chen’s face. “GRAAAAAH! I’m already upset as it is, but a nobody like you dares to make fun of me?! I’ll bite your head off, dammit!”

“Kill me if you want! Just know that you won’t get the information that I have if you do!” Wang Chen shouted, refusing to back down. His eyes were filled with madness, with the intent of killing himself.

“What’d you say? You think I won’t do it?” Ursi said as he opened his mouth wide, revealing blade-like teeth that would mash Wang Chen’s head like tofu.

“W-wait, Boss! That human isn’t lying!”

“Huh?” Ursi expressed as he turned around with his mouth open.

One of his subordinates, who had a lie detection skill, was sniffing Wang Chen.

He’s not lying? Ursi said inwardly.

He closed his mouth, and his eyes flashed. His Beast Force, which had been on the verge of running rampant, quelled.

Meaning, this scrawny human has information on par with the Entomancy Stone?

“Grrr. Go on,” Ursi said.

“Before that, promise me with a quest that if my information is worthy, you will compensate me correspondingly, and that you won’t kill me,” Wang Chen demanded.

“Who do you think you’re making demands to?”

Ursi focused his mana and Beast Force on Wang Chen.

“Gurgh!” Wang Chen’s eyes widened under the immense pressure. It felt like his organs were being wrung, and he could barely breathe.

“Tell me!” Ursi shouted.

“Guuurgh! Kill me!”

“Would you look at you? Spit it out!”

“Cough! I... I will become stronger, no matter what! If I can’t, I’d rather kill myself!” Wang Chen screamed as he coughed up blood.

Ursi, feeling sincerity in Wang-Chen’s desperate screams, withdrew the pressure and stared intently at Wang Chen.

He thought, Come to think of it... this human didn’t retreat, even against Insectum.

He was certain that the human had no regard for his own life. Threatening to kill such a person was impossible.

Ursi thought for a moment and clicked his tongue. “Tsk, if only it weren’t for Old Man Modak’s bitching...” He removed the golden bracelet on his wrist and threw it at Wang Chen, saying, “Will this do?”

Wang Chen swallowed the blood in his mouth as he staggered toward the bracelet, as large as a hula hoop, and grabbed it.

[Bracelet of Might (Artifact)

Rank: A(99)

Description: A bracelet that allows its wearer to become as strong as a bear beastfolk. An artifact from the dimension, Barbaria.

Skill: Mighty Strike]

It’s an artifact with at least A-rank potential! Wang Chen shouted inwardly as he swallowed his saliva mixed with blood; it was sweet. He had never seen such a high-ranking artifact. This is what I need!

“Kekek! You seem to like it, but be warned. I will retrieve it if you give me useless information.”

Wang Chen was certain the retrieval method would be merciless.

He replied, “You must let me go if you find the information useful. Promise me using a quest.”

“Keh! Quite a handful, you are,” Ursi complained as he stretched out his unexpectedly long tongue and licked Wang Chen.

[Quest: Exchange of Information and Life, closed.]

“Happy? Now, tell me. It’d better be interesting,” Ursi said as he looked at Wang Chen, his eyes shining.

Wang Chen answered, “A human named Cheon Seong-Hwi, who entered Forestis with me, possesses the Earthquake Stone, the Race Stone of the subterraneans. He is currently headed to Elvenheim with it to use as a negotiation piece with Sefirot.”

***

“Huff! Huff! Cough!” Wang Chen fell on his butt, panting heavily as he watched the bear beastfolk walking away, the ground shaking with each step.

I... did it, he thought as he calmed his breathing and recalled a memory of a man with black eyes shining with a sense of purpose.

“Once Elementum is awake, wait for the right opportunity. Approach individuals who’ve failed to acquire the Entomancy Stone and leak information that I have this.”

Seong-Hwi had shown him a fragment of something that shone with a red-brown light.

“This is the Earthquake Stone, the Race Stone of the subterraneans. Spread the word that I’m on my way to Elvenheim with this to use as a negotiation piece with Sefirot. Since not a single thing I just told you is a lie, a lie detection skill won’t detect anything.”

Wang Chen wondered whether the smile on the man’s face would resemble that of the Grim Reaper, if they existed.

“Sell this information, and you should be able to make quite the fortune. It would be unfortunate if you died in the process, but you should be able to live, right? After all, you’re already dead.”

“Huff! Huuu... If being a pawn can get me items like this... I’ll do it for as long as it takes! As long as I can become powerful!” he mumbled like a madman as he stared at the Bracelet of Might, which had shrunk to his wrist size.

Seong-Hwi’s goal was clear: to shift the attention of those who had been focused solely on the Kill Insectum quest to Elvenheim. The Lumber the World Tree quest was more difficult than the Kill Insectum quest because not only would they have to get through the Fifth Lord, but elves were not to be trifled with.

However, if the Earthquake Stone was on the line, and the one who had it was a mere human, it was more than possible to steal it before the negotiation with Sefirot began.

“Heh! Hehe! Cheon Seong-Hwi... You’re insane. To think you’d use yourself as bait...” Wang Chen mumbled, but he already knew how Seong-Hwi would reply.

“The best plan is to be open to every possible means.”

“To be open to every possible means... He’s right,” Wang Chen mumbled as he stood up and turned in the direction where he could hear Adi Dahak’s screams. “I am... a pawn that exists only to spread the name of Twelve Brothers. My brothers... Please accept my memorial.”

He approached the army of Clan Incendio without hesitation.