Absolute Dweller-Chapter 258

At that moment, the black spot was still small.

However, the fact that its size was subtly increasing was troubling.

“Ari.”

[Yes, Master.]

“How long will it take for that to reach Earth?”

[Please wait a moment. All cameras are currently focused on Earth, so there is insufficient data on the target.]

It didn’t take long for Ari to finish the calculations.

[Observation of the target completed.]

[Data analysis in progress.]

The data analysis was not just based on real-time observations but also included past accumulated data.

Images captured by the robots conducting the World Tree suppression operation, shots accidentally caught by drones or observation cameras, moments when people mentioned the black spot, and data from neglected celestial observation cameras, among others.

By analyzing the data that had accumulated over time, Ari was able to quickly draw conclusions.

[Analysis complete.]

And the reason Ari hadn’t reported this phenomenon until now was clear.

[Error. Error.]

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[The target is moving at a speed of approximately 189C.]

[This appears to be a data error.]

Amidst the World Tree’s upheaval on Earth, Ari had been quite busy, but it seemed that it had judged the existence of the black energy itself to be impossible.

“189C? What does that mean?”

[It means 189 times the speed of light.]

[The target is currently expanding at a speed faster than the speed of light. This is an impossible figure. There seems to be a critical error in the data.]

A substance moving faster than the speed of light couldn’t exist.

[The likelihood of that actually existing is much smaller than the consistent errors found in the data observed so far. The phenomenon seems to be occurring in human species as well... a light distortion effect…]

Ari, despite being an AI, lacked imagination.

Because it operated strictly on rational thinking based on data, even though it had the data about the anomaly and the black energy, it couldn’t connect the two.

After all, the possibility of a substance moving 189 times faster than the speed of light was 0%.

That’s why it hadn’t reported it to me.

It was simply an error, something unimportant.

There were far too many things of higher priority.

On the other hand, Kim Da-bin immediately noticed the anomaly and reported it to me.

Imagination, intuition.

Even the perfect AI seemed to have its flaws.

“So, assuming that’s real, how long would it take for it to reach Earth?”

What was great about Ari was that it gave accurate answers to the questions I asked.

[Currently, there are 3 days, 6 hours, 10 minutes, and 58 seconds remaining.]

It was shocking.

‘I thought it would take ten years for it to reach Earth.’

I was sure that’s what I knew.

What went wrong?

Suddenly, I remembered something Ice Dragon had said two years ago.

(It's you. The foolish being hastening the demise.)

Hastening the demise.

Could it be...

‘Is this what it meant?’

Considering the timing when Ice Dragon appeared, it wasn’t hard to guess what the action hastening the demise meant.

‘Occupying the World Tree of another dimension.’

I thought Ice Dragon was referring to the World Tree invading Earth.

In reality, Earth was now heading toward destruction by the World Tree.

But...

“How much longer until the World Tree destroys Earth?”

[Assuming the World Tree’s heart reaches here at the same rate, it is estimated to take about 3 years and 7 months.]

The destruction by the World Tree was still far off.

In contrast, the time it would take for the black energy to engulf Earth was only...

‘Three days and six hours.’

It was a full 10 years earlier than expected.

Now I understood.

‘It really did say it was “hastening” the destruction.’

I could now see that Ice Dragon’s words referred to this.

I spoke to Ari.

“...Set a timer. And keep monitoring. If there are any changes, report to me immediately. Make this the highest priority, even above anything related to the World Tree.”

[Understood, Master.]

I then sent a telepathic message to Kim Da-bin.

[Please gather an emergency meeting immediately.]

What should I do?

It was an impossible situation with no answers.

Currently, all forces were invested in the mission to tackle the World Tree’s heart in another dimension.

There was no other viable option.

Leveling up?

For now, taking down the Ice Dragon’s nest was the fastest way to level up.

In dimensions where the World Tree existed, the highest level was only around early 80s.

Nowhere near the 87-level Ice Dragon.

However, there was a limit to the number of times I could attempt the instant dungeon.

‘Still, I barely reached level 75.’

Thanks to the experience gained from attacking countless World Trees in other dimensions, I had managed to reach the level required for one more skill point.

But now, the limit had been reached.

‘The remaining time is only a little over a day.’

To be exact, 1 day, 5 hours, 38 minutes, and 11 seconds.

Even if I devoted myself to hunting, I couldn’t level up anymore.

The territory had greatly expanded.

To the west, it now included Egypt, Europe, Russia, the whole of Australia, and even California in the United States.

This was just the base centered around Korea.

Including the annex, it was essentially most of Europe and Africa, except for some severely damaged regions.

Roughly a 10,000 km radius.

It was a bit disappointing.

‘If I had reached level 80, I could have surrounded the whole Earth.’

But there was no way to level up any further.

Naturally, I had to find another method.

Taking the real heart of the World Tree?

If that were possible, I might find a way to fight back against the black energy.

At the very least, if I used the method the World Tree employed to protect its heart, I could surely protect Earth.

The heart of the World Tree alone was estimated to be at least as large as the Sun.

Of course, it could be even more enormous.

Either way, with that power, it would be no problem to protect Earth.

But...

‘How can I devour something that massive?’

It was impossible to even imagine devouring the heart of a World Tree so enormous.

It would be far more efficient to take the heart of a normal World Tree from another dimension.

So, that option was ruled out.

Skill points?

I had already maxed out every skill I could.

Thanks to the skill points earned from the avatar, I now had more than enough to last.

All the skills that had available upgrades were fully leveled up.

‘Even if the skill levels go up, it won’t solve anything.’

An invisible hand.

With the skill that has already reached maximum level, it is highly effective across the entire area and works well for monster clearing or destroying the World Tree.

However, using it to block the black energy is like trying to point at the sky with both hands.

The Absolute Being's shop.

It was a skill that was useful in many ways, but it couldn’t block the black energy.

The Absolute Being’s warehouse, eyes, health, home restoration, door, and so on.

All of them were the same.

Each one was an incredible skill, but increasing the level here didn’t seem like it would provide a way to block the black energy.

“The only thing that might work is the Housekeeper Absolute Being’s Dignity Maintenance Skill.”

The Housekeeper Absolute Being’s Dignity Maintenance Skill, which had created the most variables among all the skills I possessed.

Retainers, summoning beasts, divine artifacts, incarnation, avatars, and so on.

It was the skill with the greatest influence.

However.

【Housekeeper Absolute Being’s Dignity Maintenance (Passive) Lv. 9】

“This skill hasn’t had a level-up button since it reached level 9.”

I didn’t even know what the leveling conditions were.

In addition, none of the various awakening abilities I had, like time reversal, the strengthened nuclear bombs piled up in the warehouse, iron ball meteors, or the special abilities obtained by absorbing other deities, held any answers.

That’s why I’m still proceeding with the World Tree strategy.

It was a desperate attempt, grabbing at straws.

I looked up at the sky.

“......”

The small black dot next to the sun had already grown so large that it was no longer coverable by the palm of my hand.

It looked as if there was a black hole in the sky.

Then, it happened.

[3,000,000,000 won is consumed.]

[3,000,000,000 won is consumed.]

[3,000,000,000 won is consumed.]

The notifications that the avatar had spent money echoed consecutively, and then the power of the World Tree flowed in.

Another dimension was conquered.

I opened the Dongdaemun in front of the one who had finished the conquest.

Even after a battle, the avatar returned looking completely fine.

The avatar, with a casual expression, asked.

“What’s up? Why did you call me? Shouldn’t we be moving to the next dimension?”

I quietly asked it.

“You knew from the beginning, didn’t you?”

The avatar, with a mischievous expression, responded.

“What do you mean?”

“That the black energy would come faster if we devoured the heart of the World Tree in another dimension.”

The avatar’s smile grew wider.

“I guess it finally came.”

As expected.

“What’s your real intention?”

“My intention?”

The avatar raised both hands and continued.

“I just wanted revenge on the World Tree. I had a feeling something like this would happen, but I didn’t expect it to come so quickly.”

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“Huh? Was there any need? It wouldn’t have made a difference anyway.”

The avatar exaggeratedly spread his arms.

“What could you have done?”

The avatar’s words were correct.

Even if I had known earlier, it wouldn’t have changed anything.

I had done my best up until now, running without rest to get here.

I had tried many times to choose the best option, turning time back again and again, and struggled to handle everything perfectly.

This was the result.

‘Did I make the wrong choice?’

I couldn’t know.

Even if I went back and tried again with the knowledge of this future, I couldn’t guarantee I would make a better outcome.

I had tried my hardest.

I had given it my all.

So.

“Show me your memory.”

I made the gamble.

The avatar, who had been grinning, suddenly paused and then smiled even more deeply.

“Okay. If I can look into the memories of the suffering I went through with that thing, maybe I’ll find a way. But, are you sure about this?”

Madness filled his gaze.

His eyes gleamed with desire.

He spoke.

“Are you sure?”

To share memories.

That meant our minds would be connected.

For the avatar to devour my mind and take over my body, this was an essential process.

It was the same reason why he had shown me his memories before.

In fact, a part of his plan had worked.

After I looked into his memories, his actions had become far freer.

Hatred for the World Tree was one of those things.

The moment I saw those memories, I had partially assimilated with him.

But.

‘If I let all those hundreds of years of unrefined information flood into my mind...’

At that time, my mind had been tightly closed.

The small crack created when I entered the spiritual world to settle things with Orochi allowed the memories to be inserted.

That’s why I saw unrefined, unclear memories.

But this time was different.

‘To find the way to counter the black energy, I have to fully accept it.’

The vivid memories of the man before me, who had fought alone for hundreds of years.

Moreover, this time, I was the one opening the gates of my mind.

All the memories would come in without filtration.

A self made up of decades of memories and a self made up of at least hundreds of years of memories.

Which one would be consumed was already clear.

But.

“It’s not until you try that you know whether it’s long or short, right?”

Still, I had to do it.

‘In the worst case.’

My self would disappear, and he would take over my body.

But even then.

‘This is a world where my family is still alive.’

I wouldn’t repeat the same thing as before, devouring everything and doing the same things.

Though a little off, the one in front of me was still ‘me.’

I believe in myself.

‘At least my family will be protected.’

With the overwhelming strength I had gained now, compared to the previous world, I might even show a better result.

‘In other words, whether I win or lose, I can protect this world.’

If this doesn’t work, everyone, including myself, will be annihilated.

In a way, this was a gamble with many guaranteed outcomes.

The only fatal risk was that my life was the wager.

The avatar couldn’t hide his joy and laughed.

“Well then, shall we start?”

“Yeah.”

I thought it was all over.

But it won’t go as easily as you think.