abcnovels
Chapter 572
Chapter 572
[Translator - Asura]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Chapter 572
The next day.
The roots of the cosmic tree that had first descended on the Sword Palace building.
Began to fall simultaneously in major cities of countries around the world.
-Oh? The blessing of the World Tree has finally come to us in America too...!
-Roots have come down from the sky in Beijing too!
-Is the cosmic tree now trying to care for everyone broadly, not just favoring Korea?
The roots of the cosmic tree were in the form of faintly glowing green light clusters, without physical substance.
As the blessing that had only been on the Sword Palace building spread to cities worldwide at once.
People initially cheered, saying this was the cosmic tree's care.
But.
-Oh... more, more are coming down.
-Are there more cosmic tree roots in the US or China?
-It feels like roots are coming down everywhere, regardless of country...
-Ah, but there are... quite a lot.....
-I didn't expect roots to come down in Seogwipo city too, I was planning to go to Seoul to see them lol
After another day passed.
The roots that had only descended on one major city in each country spread in all directions.
In Korea's case, from Seoul to the southernmost city of Seogwipo.
The cosmic tree's roots were stretching down from the sky in countless numbers, enveloping the ground.
-Um... the cosmic tree's blessing has spread even to rural villages.
-It's like the whole world is bathed in green light. lol
-But doesn't it feel like we've become healthier somehow?
-Yeah, I fell the other day, but my wound healed quickly like the elves.
-The cosmic tree must be watching over all of humanity...
In less than a week like this.
The areas where humans lived were filled with light emitted by the cosmic tree's roots.
And the World Tree pattern that had been on the moon.
Was now radiating light in all directions, looking like a green sun in the sky.
'...Has she gone mad? What is she thinking?'
Seong Jihan, who had been quietly raising compatibility in Kim Jihun's body.
Questioned the actions Yggdrasil had taken over the past week.
'The absorption of Blue is practically finished now. The human species is now worthless to her... Yet directly descending like this and rooting into the entire Earth is an enormous waste of power.'
No matter how great her power was as the master of the World Tree Alliance.
Descending to Earth in this way was completely inefficient.
Especially now when the absorption of Blue was finishing without issues.
There was absolutely no need for this...
'Right now the cosmic tree's roots are just light, but if she goes further and materializes them... all of humanity will be blown away at once.'
Humanity already engulfed in green light clusters.
If this light materialized into actual roots, people's bodies would easily collapse.
Of course, even covering the whole Earth in light now was already a needless use of power.
But materializing would be even more insane.
'The current Yggdrasil is unpredictable.'
Unlike the 'rational' Yggdrasil who had descended into the governor and efficiently mass-produced blue swords.
The current cosmic tree was impossible to predict within common sense.
So he had to assume she could materialize the roots at any time, and respond accordingly.
'...To stop that, Blue alone won't be enough.'
Even if he absorbed all the Blue stat and reached SSS rank.
It would be impossible to eliminate the roots that had engulfed the whole world in one stroke.
Yes.
With 'Blue' alone, he couldn't stop that insanity.
'Should I fully unleash Blue and Red?'
As Seong Jihan was thinking of countermeasures against the opponent who was heading to extremes.
The body he was using, Kim Jihun, was receiving treatment from Yoon Seah.
Stab!
Since Yoon Sejin's blue sword had absorbed all the Blue.
Yoon Seah, using the next highest ranked blue sword, stabbed it into Kim Jihun's chest.
Swish...
[Uncle. There's been a strange rumor going around on the internet lately?]
'What rumor?'
As she infused void into Seong Jihan, she began communicating.
[You remember before humanity was hit with the record erasure?]
[That there was a person called Seong Jihan, and he was originally ranked 1st in the world?]
[Yeah. That content is circulating in quite a lot of detail. As if someone has regained their memories...]
Someone had overcome the record erasure and regained their memories?
'Is this a side effect of Yggdrasil rooting herself?'
Seong Jihan recalled the World Tree pattern that had been floating in the sky since they became a colony.
That faintly glowing World Tree pattern also served to maintain the record erasure continuously.
But now that Yggdrasil has put down all her roots, it had changed from a World Tree shape to a green sun.
In the process of Yggdrasil overusing her power like that, it seems some change has occurred in the record erasure as well.
[It seems to be related to Yggdrasil's recent extreme actions.]
[Yeah. She's really gone crazy, hasn't she? Looking at Gangnam from Sword Palace, everything was bathed in green light. If those materialize, people will suffer a lot of damage, right?]
[That's right. Even after stealing Blue, it won't be easy to deal with that. I think we'll have to draw on all of Red's power too.]
As Seong Jihan seriously pondered countermeasures in a grave tone.
[...Huh? Uncle. Shouldn't we not do that?]
Yoon Seah questioned him like that.
[Why? We need to stop Yggdrasil.]
[No. But if you use all of Red's power too, the Black Administrator might intervene. Wouldn't that be a big problem for you, Uncle?]
Indeed, Yoon Seah's words were sound reasoning.
If he fully used the power of Blue and Red, the Black Administrator who had been turning a blind eye to Seong Jihan's activities so far might intervene.
The Black Administrator was the unanimously acknowledged strongest in BattleNet.
He couldn't needlessly use Blue and Red and risk making him an enemy.
[We shouldn't use enough power to break the seal fully. We just need to respond within the range that won't make the Black Administrator intervene.]
[No. Why bother? Wouldn't it be better if those roots materialize?]
[...Better, you say?]
[Yeah. Even if they materialize, it'll just be Yggdrasil wasting her power, right? It already seems like she's straining herself a lot putting down roots now. If she materializes them too... won't we be able to hunt the cosmic tree's main body?]
So if they materialized, would the other side waste power needlessly, and would they benefit from it?
In terms of power dynamics, Yoon Seah's logic was correct.
But.
[What about the people?]
[The people? Eh... they won't all die, will they? Just ignore some sacrifices~ They're the ones who accepted the record erasure anyway, and they're the ones worshipping the cosmic tree like a god.]
Just ignore some sacrifices, she said.
Seong Jihan felt a strong sense of discomfort seeing Yoon Seah speak so nonchalantly.
Of course, she had said she was disappointed in humanity after the record erasure, but...
[...Some, you say. If Yggdrasil materializes, 7 billion could be blown away at once.]
[Then, it can't be helped, can it? I care more about you being safe than 7 billion people, Uncle. No matter how I look at it, waiting until she materializes and then attacking seems best.]
He didn't expect her to not even blink at the mention of humanity's extinction.
And even suggest waiting for materialization.
'...She wasn't this kind of child. Has becoming a Cosmos affected her?'
Seong Jihan recalled what Yggdrasil had said to Yoon Seah.
-You're not fully Cosmosized yet. I can see you still have affection for blood ties.
Yggdrasil had said Yoon Seah wasn't fully Cosmosized when she saw her trying to save her father.
[Translator - Asura]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Even if she still had affection for blood ties, had her feelings for humanity completely disappeared?
'It's not like I'm overflowing with love for humanity either, but...'
Still.
A massacre that could be prevented with effort.
He wasn't the type to ignore it just for the sake of efficiency.
Of course, humanity had accepted the record erasure to save themselves.
And volunteered to be the elves' colony, but...
'Just because I feel a bit hurt by that, I can't watch humanity get wiped out.'
Just.
If he put in a bit more effort, humanity could live and this could end cleanly.
Seong Jihan made that decision, but.
[Well. I don't think it'll be just a little.]
The Red Administrator, listening to the conversation inside him, chimed in.
'What do you mean, not just a little? What are you trying to say?'
[Yggdrasil is in a state of madness right now... Your niece's advice is very efficient for dealing with a crazy administrator. The human species can be recreated anyway, can't it? It would be better to choose the path of safe victory.]
'You're also saying to wait until materialization before striking?'
[Yes. I want to stay in here, you see.]
They'd eventually have to use Blue and Red to prevent Yggdrasil's materialisation.
And then he could be released, was that it?
'That's not going to happen, so don't worry.'
[Please, I hope it does... I need to be in Blue and Red, you see.]
The Red Administrator, more concerned about Blue and Red's seal than the person himself.
[So, what countermeasures do you have?]
'I need to think about it from now.'
[...Tsk. At this rate, you'll end up breaking Blue and Red's seal.]
He went further.
[No matter how I look at it, you don't seem likely to change your mind... I'll help with resealing once.]
He even offered to help reseal once if the Blue and Red seal was broken.
'Oh. You really like it in there, huh? You're saying you'll return to the seal on your own?'
[In exchange, allow me to analyze White Light later.]
The White Light stat.
He said he needed it to understand Urd's information, didn't he?
'Well... alright. If you cooperate in subduing Yggdrasil, I should repay you too.'
Seong Jihan still couldn't understand why the Red Administrator was being so cooperative.
But he decided to accept his proposal for now.
[Okay. The deal is made.]
* * *
4 days later, at the Hall of Swords.
"Blue... we've gathered it all."
"Yes."
"And Kim Jihun's compatibility is 50%, you said?"
"That's correct."
Yggdrasil looked at the huge blue sword stuck in the center of the Hall of Swords.
Kim Jihun, who had finally achieved 50% compatibility.
Now this sword would become the medium for Yggdrasil to absorb humanity's Blue.
"Hehe..."
She smiled and snapped her fingers in the air.
Then.
Ziiing...
A green screen focusing on Yggdrasil appeared before the eyes of all humanity.
And.
Slowly.
She raised her head and looked straight at the screen.
"Red Administrator. Why don't you come out now?"
After calling for the Red Administrator towards humanity, she said.
"No... perhaps it would be better just to kill all the humans?"
Cheerfully mentioning the death of humanity.
She reached her hand towards Kim Jihun's blue sword.
-Wh-What's going on?
-Why is the cosmic tree suddenly acting like this...?
-What cosmic tree, you crazy fool, don't you remember Seong Jihan?
-Who's Seong Jihan and why is there always a fuss about him on the internet ??
-Wow, you ungrateful bastards...
-But, what's this about killing all humans?
The suddenly appearing screen.
The absolute being mentioning humanity's death within it.
In a situation where some people remembered Seong Jihan, while others were confused due to the maintained record erasure.
"You really don't intend to come out on your own...? Then, as that person said, I'll eliminate all your hiding places."
Yggdrasil's eyes shone intensely.
[Translator - Asura]
[Proofreader - Gun]