Childhood Friend of the Zenith – 331 (Part 2)



331 (Part 2)

“Are you saying that you are the god of this world?”

[There was a time when I was called that. Seeing you ask that it seems I haven’t said anything to you.]

“You probably didn’t have time to say anything. You just disappeared.”

[…Disappeared huh… Yes.]

The response from the World Tree was gloomy.

It was a voice that sent chills deep inside the listener.

[It seems I don’t have much time left.]

“…By standards it shouldn’t be that short right?”

A few years here.

When I recall that a day in the outside world was equivalent to that.

I fell here in my previous life when I was just over my teenage years.

If I calculate that.

The World Tree should have an immeasurable amount of time left.

But.

[The time humans experience is but a fleeting moment. So while it may seem long to you to me it is not that long.]

The World Tree didn’t seem to be particularly pleased with this conversation.

[So it’s fortunate I suppose. Since the Apostle has come to find me directly.]

“That damn Apostle. It’s so annoying; why do I have to be your Apostle?”

I don’t believe in gods.

That time for believing in such things has long passed.

“You said that to me.”

That I was the flame that would burn the karma accumulated in this world.

I don’t know about this world.

But I knew there were many entangled matters in the place I lived.

“I don’t know much.”

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It’s embarrassing that there are more truths I don’t know even after returning.

I just want to stretch out and sleep pretending I don’t know about my sins.

But I feel dirty as if I’m entangled with those damn truths.

Even if I’m not entangled.

I felt uneasy that those who shouldn’t be unhappy seemed to be entangled.

“So tell me where to start unraveling this. What do you know?”

[…]

The World Tree upon hearing my words doesn’t utter a single word.

It’s an incredibly uncomfortable silence.

After a moment of this

Crack—

A root suddenly springs up from the ground and bends behind me.

It looked as if it was inviting me to sit on it.

[Sit.]

Hearing that I cautiously sat above it.

[Apostle. Do you know what it means to be a master?]

“Master?”

It was something the World Tree itself had said.

That it was the master of this world.

[Yes the master. The master is the essence of the world. It is the very being itself.]

“Speak in a way I can understand.”

[The essence means that because there is a world there is a master and because there is a master the world can exist.]

“What…?”

[If there’s something different it’s that if the world disappears the master also disappears but if the master disappears the world does not necessarily collapse.]

I couldn’t understand the story the World Tree was bringing up.

Leaving aside what it meant.

I couldn’t grasp why it was discussing this now.

“…Why are you talking about that now?”

About reincarnation. About the Blood Demon and Heavenly Demon.

And.

Along with the calamity that Yeon Il-cheon mentioned.

The identity of the red sphere known as the seed hidden deep in the front lines.

There were countless questions I wanted to ask.

So why suddenly bring up this irrelevant topic?

[The term ‘master of this world’ is not exactly the same as saying ‘master of the world.’]

“Then does it have a different meaning?”

[To be precise… it is the master of life.]

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“Life?”

[Yes it refers to the master of all life that dwells on this land. It is said that the master of the world is the one who allows life to breathe and exist in that world.]

“And so what does that have to do with the current story?”

[If the master of the world were to disappear what do you think would happen?]

At the World Tree’s words.

A fleeting clarity seemed to wash over something that had been hazy.

[The disappearance of the master means that all life reaches death.]

“What…?”

I swallowed hard at the World Tree’s words.

“What do you mean by that? All life disappears?”

The world and the master.

Leaving aside the predetermined fate.

It was an incomprehensible story.

Surely the World Tree in front of me had spoken a few words to me after conveying some kind of stigma in my previous life and then it disappeared.

Yet the demonic beasts in this world had not vanished.

If according to the World Tree life should have disappeared then it becomes a contradictory story.

Moreover.

‘…In the first place there is no master in this world…!’

As I turned my thoughts something came to mind.

When I looked at the World Tree with somewhat surprised eyes.

The World Tree responded as if to that.

[Just because the master dies it doesn’t mean that the life forms on that land suddenly disappear. Normally it just means that no new life can be born. Gradually the life forms will reach extinction.]

“New life cannot be born?”

[That would be the case under normal circumstances.]

The master.

The master of the world.

It was a strange statement.

If it is said that a master is needed for life forms to be born and live.

“…In our world there is no master. How is that possible?”

I had never heard of a being called a master in the world I lived in.

If it is said that there is no master.

Then it means that life cannot be born in the first place.

Yet the current world was functioning just fine.

Could it be that there is a master I don’t know about?

As that question crossed my mind.

[We call that a fracture.]

The World Tree tells me.

“A fracture?”

[It is something that deviates from the principles set by the world so it is right to call it a fracture.]

In a world where no master exists.

Life forms are breathing and being born.

So does that mean the world I live in is operating contrary to the principles of the world?

“Is that a problem?”

[If there is no master in the world then it is a situation that deviates from the principles so a master must be created to align it.]

“A master must be created.”

[That is why I am referred to as the Fifth World Tree.]

Because I am the fifth master that has descended upon this land.

It means that he himself is calling himself the Fifth World Tree.

“…Then doesn’t that mean that as long as we wait for a master to be born there won’t be any problems?”

After all a master will appear.

So until then it shouldn’t be a big problem to just wait.

As I was coming up with that answer.

[Apostle. As I said the life born on the land is righteous.]

The World Tree corrects me with another story.

‘So.

[If life forms are living on land without a master and if new life forms are to be born there do you know what must be done first?]

“To establish a new master… what must be done?”

The moment I frowned in confusion.

The World Tree spoke.

[That is.]

[First all life that breathes on that land must be erased. Only then can a new master be planted.]

It was truly a dreadful story.