Hope swelled at Akashic’s words.
“If we just have the materials…?”
[We currently do not have those materials.]
[Several core components, including the warp drive engine’s power source and dimensional coordinate anchoring device, have been destroyed.]
[Judging from the circumstances, it appears the previous passenger broke them to prevent misuse.]
“Good grief.”
That was terribly unfortunate.
But hope had not vanished yet.
“So what do we need to fix it?”
[We currently possess all blueprints and related technology.]
[Therefore, we only need to gather the materials.]
[To that end, I have one proposal.]
[I recommend modifying the current spacecraft into a large-scale resource harvesting and transport vessel.]
“Good. Let’s make it right away.”
[However, several obstacles exist.]
‘Don’t tell me it’s transmutation?’
[Due to insufficient mental power, designing and completing the spacecraft you envision is expected to take 154 years.]
[In addition, the amount of cores consumed will require roughly several tons’ worth of Origin Fragments extracted in a single use.]
“……”
Damn it.
Hope had vanished.
An absurd amount of time.
This wall was far too high.
“We’re screwed.”
Baek Arin and Namgung Jincheon, who had been watching from beside him, looked at him with puzzled expressions.
“Young Hero? What do you mean, screwed?”
“Mister, what’s wrong?”
Shin-hyeok held up two fingers.
“I have one piece of good news and one piece of bad news. Which would you like to hear first?”
Baek Arin immediately chose the “good news.”
“The good one.”
“I found a way out of here. Looks like this spacecraft has warp-related technology. We’ll be able to use it.”
At those words, Baek Arin and Namgung Jincheon’s expressions brightened.
“T-then what is the bad news?”
As if she thought it could not be anything serious, she asked with an excited expression.
“They say it’ll take 154 years to make that warp device.”
“……”
Both their expressions stiffened.
Namgung Jincheon dug a finger into his ear and asked again.
“See here, Young Hero. How many years did you say it would take?”
At his disbelieving face, Shin-hyeok drove the fact in again.
“154 years. Because we have to run it on painfully slow hardware.”
“Hah……”
Namgung Jincheon let out a deep sigh.
“We overcome one crisis, and another appears.”
“Mister. Does it really take that long? There’s no other way?”
“If there is a way……”
[Only leveling up. There is a limit to raising mental power through classical, traditional training.]
“Leveling up. That’s the only way.”
“Ah…”
Baek Arin also looked troubled.
“That won’t work. It’s not like a gate is just going to drop out of nowhere.”
“Right. But.”
For some reason, he felt like there was a way.
Shin-hyeok racked his brain.
‘Blue definitely leveled up……’
Before long, Shin-hyeok thought of something.
“Ah, the Demon Kings!”
“Huh?”
“We can level up. There’s a way.”
“What? Where would something like that……”
Shin-hyeok’s gaze turned to Namgung Jincheon.
Seeing that look, Baek Arin immediately caught on.
“The Demon Kings!? They have cores, don’t they? Right?”
“Yeah.”
“But will that work, Mister?”
“I don’t think it won’t. We got through it easily this time.”
Namgung Jincheon nodded.
“That is true. Strangely, they seemed afraid of us.”
[Searching related data.]
[Providing information by linking recorded dialogue from combat with stored data.]
[A portion of their conversation was recorded.]
Suddenly, a voice flowed out.
— Of all things! The divine power of night?!
[Providing additional data on the origin of the demon race.]
[It has been confirmed through oral tradition that the World Tree of Night was deeply involved in the origin of the demon race.]
[Judging from the circumstances, the divine power of night is higher in attribute than they are, and they are confirmed to suffer debuffs accordingly.]
“Ah……!”
They had stumbled into it.
“Then we have the advantage?”
[Correct.]
[In addition, by applying warp-related technology, it is possible to draw them here.]
“Heh heh.”
They could not leap across space to go there, but the opposite was possible.
[It is possible to artificially draw in drifting separated worlds, in other words, gates.]
Akashic confirmed it clearly.
For now, it seemed like something could be done.
“Good. First of all, this thing can’t move, right?”
[Correct. Repairs are currently impossible.]
“That’s a shame.”
[Even so, we must take it with us.]
[There are many parts that need to be used immediately.]
“By the way. I think we need to take this with us first.”
“……”
“……”
Both of their expressions stiffened.
“Should we go outside first and try asking that giant?”
At Shin-hyeok’s words, the two nodded fiercely.
* * *
Whoooooosh.
After coming outside, Shin-hyeok spoke to the giant, who was sitting and nodding off.
“Excuse me! Could we talk for a moment!”
Only after Shin-hyeok shouted several times did the giant open his eyes.
“Haaam. Sorry, friend. I was sleepy, so I couldn’t hear well.”
The giant’s eyes kept drooping, half-open and half-closed.
‘He’s so sleepy. Is he hibernating or something?’
He slowly spoke to Shin-hyeok.
“What is it, friend?”
“If it’s all right with you, could you carry this for us? In return, we’ll give you something!”
“Any… thing?”
The giant’s expression brightened slightly.
Swoooosh.
The sun was blocked out.
The giant leaned forward and looked at Shin-hyeok seriously.
‘Please let it be something easy.’
“Food. Can you give me enough food to fill my belly?”
At the easier-than-expected request, Shin-hyeok’s expression brightened.
‘Potatoes! Nice, you crazy potato man!’
They happened to have potatoes overflowing.
On top of that, they could grow more anytime, provided there were enough corpses.
“We have some! Do you happen to like potatoes!? They taste like meat!”
The giant sprang to his feet.
Boom!
The surroundings shook.
The giant smiled brightly and lifted the spacecraft.
“Let’s go right now! Potatoes are good, friend.”
His cheerful voice rang out thunderously around them.
Had he eaten potatoes before?
“Awesome. You lured a giant with potatoes.”
Baek Arin lost her words at the sight.
“Honestly… I can’t believe this.”
“Why? It worked out.”
“That’s exactly why!”
Once moving the spacecraft was settled, the three of them began to move.
The giant tucked the spacecraft under his arm like a handbag and followed them.
Slowly.
The giant wiggled his toes as he moved forward.
“Hmmm. Friends are slow.”
In the end, unable to bear the frustration, the giant bent down.
“Uh, uhh.”
He held out his hand to the three of them.
“You are slow. Climb onto my hand.”
The three exchanged glances, then cautiously climbed onto the giant’s palm.
The giant carefully lifted them and began walking forward quickly.
Boom boom! Boom! Boom boom! Boom!
Each time the giant moved, the earth shook.
“Whoa there.”
The three endured by bracing themselves against the wrinkles in the giant’s hand so they would not be thrown off by the recoil.
“Which direction?”
The giant asked for directions as he went.
Shin-hyeok carefully stood and pointed.
“That way! Over there!”
After confirming the direction, the giant carefully curled his hand.
“Hup!”
“Hold on tight. I’m going to run now.”
At the giant’s words, Shin-hyeok and Arin’s eyes widened.
As the giant took a huge stride, the three atop his hand floated up.
“Whoa!”
“Oh my!”
“Hup!”
Kwaaaang!
The earth shattered.
Whoosh.
Kwaaaang!
Again and again, their bodies rose and fell, and all they could hear was the sound of the earth being smashed.
It was beyond any amusement-park ride.
“Kyaaaah!”
“Uaaaaagh!”
* * *
“S-stop……”
Shin-hyeok looked around and barely managed to shout.
Only then did the giant stop and set down the spacecraft and the three of them.
After being placed on the ground, the three forcibly swallowed back whatever was about to come up.
“Phew. Th-thank you.”
“Ugh. Mister, my head is spinning.”
At Shin-hyeok’s words, the giant grinned and said,
“It was nothing. Ask me again next time.”
At the words “ask me again next time,” Shin-hyeok smiled awkwardly.
But he thought, absolutely not next time.
“R-right. For now, let’s go in.”
When Shin-hyeok took out a leaf of the World Tree, the surroundings rippled.
Shin-hyeok looked between Namgung Jincheon and Arin.
He sent them a look that said, It should be fine to let him in, right?
Namgung Jincheon seemed to understand what Shin-hyeok intended.
— Young Hero. It is all right. Let him in.
“Hm? Huh?”
When Shin-hyeok looked surprised, Namgung Jincheon continued with a voice transmission.
— It is a technique called voice transmission. If need be, we can drive him out. And he does not seem like such a bad child.
[He can be expelled from the Netherworld at any time.]
Shin-hyeok was satisfied with Akashic’s answer that followed.
‘Then that’s a relief.’
Shin-hyeok comfortably opened the door to the Netherworld, their sanctuary.
“Now, let’s go in.”
When the giant saw the subtle world suddenly revealed, his eyes widened.
“The World Tree. Were you the Mukwol clan!!”
The giant’s voice rang out thunderously.
“Something similar. Let’s go in first and……”
With an excited face, the giant hoisted the spacecraft and leaped toward the World Tree.
“The World Tree! It’s been so long!”
Seeing him run off in delight, Shin-hyeok’s face went pale and he hurried after him.
“Stop, stop him! No, make him stop!”
He shouted urgently for anyone to hear.
But there was no stopping the charging giant.
* * *
Boom! Boom! Boom!
“Uh, uhhh!? Alarm! There’s a giant monster right in front of us!”
Soon, the castle was gripped by terror.
Everyone, startled by the sudden alarm, hurriedly rushed to the walls.
Namgung Jincheon, who had urgently chased after the giant, shouted with internal energy in his voice.
“Cease! Everyone, stop! He is an ally!”
A thunderclap-like voice rang out in every direction.
“Urk!”
“Uaaagh!!”
At the sound that seemed like it would tear their eardrums, everyone hastily covered their ears.
“Ahem. My apologies. This is not something I can control as I please.”
The giant looked around cautiously, then walked carefully toward the World Tree.
“Can I go over there?”
He looked at Shin-hyeok and pointed at the World Tree of Night.
His expression as he looked at Shin-hyeok was filled with many emotions.
“Sure.”
Shin-hyeok did not particularly stop him.
Thud. Thud.
The giant moved carefully so as not to cause tremors or break the earth.
At last, he calmly knelt before the World Tree.
“O master of night and cradle of all demons. A descendant of the Giant-God race greets you.”
The giant greeted it while recalling his ancestors with a nostalgic expression.
Nottdrasil’s branches shook as if scattering in the wind.
The World Tree swayed subtly, as if welcoming him.
The giant welcomed that response.
“How fascinating. What kind of relationship do they have?”
[It can be confirmed that giants and the World Tree share origins in various oral traditions and myths.]
“Mm-hm.”
Hearing what Akashic said, Shin-hyeok roughly accepted it.
“Excuse me.”
Shin-hyeok quietly called the giant.
Hearing Shin-hyeok’s voice, the giant slowly turned around.
“The potatoes are here. This is all we can offer you, but we’ll treat you to them.”
Since Shin-hyeok had made a promise to the giant, he tried to keep it right away.
The giant’s expression brightened.
“Gooood!”
The giant shouted with all his might, delighted.
At that, the atmosphere itself seemed to tremble slightly.
“Whoa.”
The residents stared at the giant with startled faces.
Wanting to quickly send him off, Shin-hyeok asked the old knight.
“Please take care of him. We still have plenty of potatoes left, right?”
“Oh, more than enough. Even if several giants like him came, we’d be fine.”
“Then please roast them well for him.”
Graywein let out a hollow laugh as he wondered how to cook the potatoes.
“I suppose I’ll have to ask Malakai to roast these.”
Considering the giant’s size, Namgung Jincheon joined in as well.
“I shall go with you. Looking at that friend, one person will not be enough.”
Watching the scene, Shin-hyeok thought,
‘So they’ll be whole lightning-baked potatoes? I wonder what they’ll taste like.’
The giant, looking excited, followed them with thudding steps.
Just then, Akashic’s notification sounded.
[The blueprint for a spatial towing artifact utilizing the ship’s warp drive technology has been completed.]
“Got it. You’re telling me to move quickly?”
[Correct. Please execute it promptly.]
[In addition, I recommend reinforcing combat power.]
“I know. I know too. You’re way too competent.”
Shin-hyeok felt like he was being slightly pushed around by his own Trait.
[Administrator, please move quickly.]
“I’m going, you bastard.”
* * *
The Hall of Ten Thousand Demons.
The palace of demons was thrown wide open.
“Night, night…!”
Dantalion rushed inside in a fluster.
A considerable number of seats were empty.
Only Lucifer, who always resided here, greeted Dantalion.
“What about it?”
“Night! The divine power of night has returned!”
At those words, Lucifer frowned.
“That cannot be. We eliminated every last member of the Mukwol clan.”
At that time, every demon had watched clearly.
They had seen even the last remaining root of the World Tree of Night torn out.
“You must have seen some lingering remnant somewhere.”
“No! The pure demonic race has returned!”
Annoyance and weariness settled in Lucifer’s eyes as he watched indifferently.
“That damned World Tree. It is nothing more than a cradle. Why does it keep making a nuisance of itself?”
He leaned back against his throne and briefly lifted his gaze upward.
“If the demons go forth, they will certainly be crushed.”
Dantalion nodded fiercely.
“The only ones who are not affected much are around the level of Demon Kings. And the insects beneath them.”
“So what will you do?”
Lucifer looked at the empty thrones and said,
“You must all be listening, so carry it out the same way.”
— I’m sick of it. That damned World Tree.
— A tiresome father, that’s what it is.
— No, if it gave birth to us, shouldn’t it be our mother? Kyahahaha!
— This time, let’s not pull it out. Let’s eat it. Then we won’t have to worry, right? Krahahaha.
They were all listening.
“Shut up and send your vassals. Until the roots of the World Tree of Night are torn out.”
— I’m in~
— Fine.
— I was bored anyway. This works out.