Chapter 452

Pankrena Volcano was an active volcano that could erupt at any moment. The only thing suppressing its fury was the power of the World Tree.

But the World Tree in El Harun was not whole, it was an incomplete fragment.

Its roots had taken hold in this land, its branches stretched toward the sky, but that was all.

Because it lacked the full power a World Tree should possess, it had begun to wither long ago.

At this rate, the World Tree they had struggled so hard to obtain would inevitably die. That was why Del Roa chose to merge with it.

For an ordinary being, fusing with the World Tree was impossible.

One needed power strong enough and a soul pure enough to be recognized by the Tree itself. And even then, one more thing was required.

The divine artifact known as the Blue Crown, the Crown of the Gods.

It contained the power of Cobaltan, one of Kurayan’s Twelve Great Gods.

Using the Blue Crown, Del Roa merged with the World Tree and became one with it.

The being Zeon now faced was Del Roa, fused with the World Tree.

Del Roa spoke.

“I am grateful you dealt with the Black Queen. But because of your presence, El Harun has become noisy. That is unfortunate.”

“Is there a reason for the noise?”

“You ask that as if you don’t know.”

“I’m just surprised. Usually, when someone receives help, they show gratitude.”

“Hmph. To be helped by a human, an outsider, and feel comfortable about it, wouldn’t that be stranger?”

“You cling to pride over strange things. Isn’t survival more important than pride?”

“We have our pride. The ideals and honor we’ve upheld since El Harun’s founding come first.”

“That ideal, surely it doesn’t mean surviving without ever accepting human help, does it? From what I see, it’s humans who contribute most to keeping El Harun stable. So why look down on them?”

“You don’t understand.”

“Avoiding the question, I see.”

“Don’t think your perspective is the only truth. We have our own circumstances. Our history is not so short that an outsider could grasp it.”

Wooooong.

As if echoing Del Roa’s words, the massive trunk of the World Tree rumbled deeply.

Zeon looked up at the vast body of the Tree.

It was so wide that even dozens linking arms couldn’t encircle it, yet to Zeon, it looked fragile, like it might snap at any moment.

Del Roa’s words were enough for Zeon to see how deeply the elves and other races of El Harun depended on this Tree.

To them, if the World Tree died, their entire world would collapse.

That was why they clung to it so desperately.

Saaaa,

A breeze stirred, rustling the dense leaves of the Tree.

Zeon heard the faint sound of leaves brushing and trembling in the wind.

To his ears, that sound was the Tree’s voice.

The World Tree was whispering something to him.

But Zeon had no power to understand its language.

He could only guess through instinct.

It sounds like it’s in pain.

Zeon frowned slightly.

Del Roa claimed he had merged to save the World Tree, yet the Tree itself seemed unwilling.

Still, Zeon didn’t voice that thought aloud.

It was only a feeling, after all.

Del Roa watched him quietly and spoke.

“In any case, I owe you a debt. I will see that you’re rewarded. But I’d prefer you leave this place soon.”

“So you don’t want me here.”

“You understand well.”

“Fine. Once I receive my reward, I’ll leave immediately.”

Zeon nodded.

Del Roa and the other races here clearly disliked him, but Zeon also had no intention of staying where he wasn’t welcome.

He had plenty of other places to be, and a home waiting in Neo Seoul. There was no reason to linger here, feeding off awkward hospitality.

Del Roa looked at him and said,

“I thought it would take time to convince you, but you’re refreshingly direct. I like that.”

“I just have one question.”

“You’re a curious one.”

“You’ve merged with the World Tree. Can you hear its emotions or voice?”

“I can sense them, vaguely.”

“Vaguely?”

“This Tree is incomplete. It cannot fully express its will. But I can roughly sense its feelings.”

“Then can you tell how it feels now?”

“Why do you ask that? You concern yourself with pointless things.”

There was a sharp edge to Del Roa’s voice.

“No need to be so sensitive. I meant nothing by it.”

“The World Tree is a fragile child. It whines easily and exaggerates its pain. To care for such a being, one must be firm.”

“So that’s why you’re so firm with it.”

“Enough. I have no wish to speak further. Leave. Someone else will inform you of your reward.”

“So you’re not giving it directly, just telling me?”

“Leave.”

In that instant, an invisible force shoved Zeon backward.

Like two magnets repelling each other, his body was pushed away from the World Tree and flung outside the barrier.

“How un-elflike. Quite emotional.”

Zeon muttered, shaking his head slightly.

His gaze, fixed beyond the barrier toward the World Tree, sank into deep thought.

---

“Zeon!”

Early in the morning, Liala came to his quarters.

“What brings you here so early?”

“I received an order.”

Liala looked troubled, her brow deeply furrowed.

“What order?”

“I’m to escort you out of El Harun and head for the Dungeon of Darkness.”

“The Dungeon of Darkness?”

Zeon gave her a puzzled look.

“It’s a dungeon discovered a hundred kilometers from here. The entrance is shrouded in dense darkness, hence the name.”

“And?”

“Among us, it’s rumored to be a treasure dungeon.”

“A treasure dungeon?”

“Even near the entrance, valuable items appear frequently. We’ve reached the midpoint so far, and an A-rank item has already been found. They say completing it yields S-rank items.”

“So that’s what it is.”

“This isn’t the time to sound so calm. Being ordered to take you there means we’re to clear the dungeon ourselves and let you claim the items as your reward.”

“That’s… quite something.”

“My thoughts exactly. Are they insane? Instead of giving you proper compensation, they’re telling you to earn it yourself? What is Del Roa even thinking?”

Liala’s face flushed bright red with anger.

Anyone would call it an unreasonable command.

It was hard to believe it came from elves, who prided themselves on their honor.

Had Liala not heard it directly from Del Roa, she would never have believed it.

Zeon said,

“They must really want me gone as soon as possible.”

“You’re not even angry?”

“I didn’t do any of this expecting a reward. And the goal I came here for, I’ve already achieved it.”

“Goal? What goal?”

Liala leaned closer, curious.

Zeon looked at her for a moment.

He was deciding whether to trust her.

Though she had been hostile at first, Liala now stood firmly on his side. But that alone wasn’t enough to trust her completely.

The fewer who knew secrets, the better.

Zeon had come to El Harun to see if anyone, or anything, had been influenced by Krasias’s lingering will, or if a crystal containing that remnant existed here.

But nowhere in El Harun had he sensed the presence of that violet gem.

The only exception was Del Roa.

Because he had merged with the World Tree, Zeon couldn’t read his internal energy.

For now, there was no way to confirm it. But one thing was clear, Del Roa’s consciousness was massive.

A being with such a strong sense of self was unlikely to be swayed by another’s lingering will.

Even if he was, there was nothing Zeon could do about it now.

So he decided to leave El Harun.

He hadn’t killed the Black Queen for any reward, and he had already received one.

The scale from the ancient dragon Akaid, taken from the Queen herself, that alone was more than enough.

Liala, unaware of this, spoke with visible frustration.

“I’ve been told to take some subordinates and assist you.”

“So that’s what bothers you?”

“I don’t mind helping you. I just can’t understand how they can treat your reward like this.”

“I see.”

Zeon nodded.

If he were in her place, he’d be angry too.

She was someone who valued fairness and honor. But this wasn’t his territory, and he had no intention of arguing with Del Roa over it.

“Let’s go.”

“Just like that?”

“I’d rather get this over with and return to Neo Seoul.”

“You’re not upset?”

“I am.”

“Then?”

“Getting angry won’t change anything. Unless I plan to flip this entire place upside down, which I don’t.”

If you dislike the temple, then the monk leaves.

That was how Zeon saw El Harun.

“Let’s go.”

“Tch.”

Liala clicked her tongue and followed him.

Outside, familiar faces awaited.

“Uslan!”

He stood there fully armed, flanked by his men. But the elves Corin, the dwarf Demplton, and the druid Aronia were absent. Only the humans, Jupiro, Alonso, and Kryden, were with Uslan.

Liala said,

“They’ll be helping us with the dungeon raid.”

“No other races?”

“They’ve been reassigned to other missions.”

Uslan answered, clearly displeased.

His subordinates from other races had been taken without his consent.

He’d protested, only to be ignored completely.

So he was furious, but since Zeon wasn’t the cause, he forced a neutral expression.

Liala shrugged.

“As you can see, that’s our situation here in El Harun. We’re caught between everyone.”

“Was it like this in Kurayan too?”

“Of course not. Back then, humans dominated all the other races.”

In Kurayan, humans had been the ruling race.

No matter how noble the elves or how strong the beastkin were, they couldn’t match humanity’s unity.

While elves and beastkin lived in scattered tribes, humans built kingdoms and empires.

Unless you were a dragon, you couldn’t escape humanity’s influence.

For ages, humans hunted elves, exploited dwarves, and skinned beastkin for trophies.

Such memories don’t fade easily.

That was why other races resented humans, and, in a way, it was the price of humanity’s own sins.

Liala sighed bitterly.

“It’s a price we probably deserve, but it still leaves a bad taste.”

“Must be tough.”

“Sometimes I just want to grab the humans and leave this place behind…”

Her voice trailed off.

She knew better than anyone how impossible that was.

Then she changed the subject.

“Enough gloomy talk. Let’s head for the Dungeon of Darkness.”