Chapter 79: Racial War (2)

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“What is floating around like this…”

Camille Rowe, who had been walking around the seaside, made a fatigued expression.

The shore in the distance was already in chaos.

“Hey! Don’t rush in! We aren’t lacking nutritional fluids anymore!”

“The Roots grew a bit more! Let’s go to the wreckage!”

There was chaos everywhere.

Maybe it was because the Calamity Fish had died but the World Tree was growing at a pace that was visible to the eye and somehow the Nutritional Fluids were more abundant.

‘If the Roots grow at this pace then we might really be able to save billions. But what’s the point. You dumbass. You are the one who needs to survive.’

It had been days since she had searched around these Roots after the Calamity Fish had died.

But she could not find that Hansoo guy no matter what.

And even more since she had to dodge the clansmen of the six pillars.

‘Damnit. I need to know whether you’re alive or not.’

She had even used her precious wish card that she had been saving just to find that guy.

— Thank you for saving me. There isn’t a reward for anything but… Call me once when you really need me. I shall help you then. Oh, except killing the Calamity Fish. That’s a bit too much even for me…

At that moment a woman flew down from the air and then landed next to Camille.

Kwaaaaa!

A vibration that rang throughout the ground resonated.

But Camille made an extremely welcoming expression, looked at the woman who landed, Sofía, and then asked.

“It took you a while. Did you find him?”

Sofía shook her head at those words.

“I searched all around here according to your wishes but he’s not here. He doesn’t even get caught in my trait either.”

Camille clenched her teeth as she looked at Sofía.

‘If Sofía can’t find him then I really can’t find him…’

Trait, <Library>.

It gave information about the things one didn’t know and also gave simple information as to what to do.

A trait that really stood out in this world where information became strength and power.

Sofía also made a fed up expression as she spoke.

“This is a first for me too… Usually there’s only two different scenarios where they don’t show up when I want to find them.”

Camille clenched her teeth at those words.

Since she knew about it somewhat.

If Sofía thinks of something she wanted than a location or a direction will show up.

But there were only 2 cases where it won’t come out.

A location where it was too dangerous for Sofía.

Or nonexistence.

‘Did he really…’

But sadly there wasn’t any places in the Red Zone where Sofía’s strength was not enough.

Since Sofía was a strong person who was above the standards.

Which means the likelihood of the second case was high.

While Camille was making a worried expression, Sofía’s eyes suddenly brightened up.

“Huh? The location comes up.”

“Hmm?”

“Why does it suddenly come out?”

Sofía made a confused expression.

Since she was able to find Hansoo’s location that Camille had asked for suddenly.

Anyways, she would be able to find him now.

“Let’s go!”

“Hu-uk!”

Camille was shocked at Sofía who had aggressively hugged her but she couldn’t even retaliate.

And soon Sofía, who was holding onto Camille, aggressively launched off from the ground.

Kwaaaaaang.

Soon Sofía who was holding onto Camille disappeared to the distant Base Root while giving off a loud noise.

***

‘It’s completely dead.’

Hansoo stopped on the way down and then approached the Devouring and Vomiting Root that had completely stopped working.

Since it could not maintain its huge body once the Divine Stone Fragment was extracted.

Hansoo went inside the body and then cut up a certain section.

‘This is it.’

An Organ the size of Hansoo’s head that was located deep within the Core of the main body.

This was the Core Memory Drive Organ that had all the genetic information of the beasts within it.

Hansoo quickly moved towards Michael after taking the Memory Drive Organ.

It was much easier to receive the help of the Clan in order to find out information about the changes around the World Tree.

Since the influence of Lighthouse, one of the Six Great Pillars, had reached every corner.

It was just that 150 of them had fallen here but there was around ten thousand and around 40 sub-clans.

They would be able to find it out immediately no matter what the Clan tried to do.

Kuuoooong

Michael made a bitter expression as he looked at Hansoo who had fitted himself with a brand new armor.

An Armor that didn’t seem simple at a single glance.

‘Where does this guy keep picking up all these things?’

He started to understand why this guy had denied his offer around this point.

The moment Hansoo looked at that Michael and tried to explain his situation a loud shockwave resonated from the World Tree Root above.

Kugugugu

To the point where the noise made that far above resonated to them who were underground.

The vibrations became bigger and bigger then something penetrated the wall of the underground area and came down.

Booom!

“Kuuu…. What is this.”

While Michael was frowning, something walked out from the dust.

“Woah. Michael. It’s been a while. It has been 6 months since we last saw each other right?”

At those words Michael grinded his teeth.

“Sofía…”

‘Goddamnit.’

Michael frowned.

He had gained the intel before he had been swallowed up by the Devil’s Mouth.

That one of the Seven Departed Souls was roaming around this place.

‘Why did it have to be that damned bitch.’

While Michael grinded his teeth, Sofía put down the dizzy Camille and then looked around at her surroundings.

‘Is that guy Hansoo.’

She knew instantly.

Since he was the only one here she had not seen before.

The others were people she had collided with once or twice when she went up against Michael in the past.

Sofía looked at Hansoo and then opened her trait, the Library.

‘Let’s see.’

<Kang Hansoo>.

-1st Year Adventurer.

-Owned Skill: 1.

-Average Rune Amount: 39.4%

Though it didn’t really show up in front of her like this but it came down to this once she organized the things that came up in her head.

It seemed almost like hacking but his limits were clear as well.

It wasn’t that clear but she could guess her opponent to a degree using her experiences so far.

And Sofía frowned because of this.

‘…He killed the Calamity Fish with this?’

And it seemed like he had killed the main body of the Devil’s Mouth as well.

‘No way.’

The fact that he was very lacking was enough.

A first year who only had one skill with runes less than 50%.

Though it was amazing for a 1st year but that was just relative in the end.

If he was compared to the rest of the Red Zone then he couldn’t even reach the middle.

‘How did he kill it with that level…’

And if he did kill it, what level would he reach once he filled up all his runes.

‘I need to see the level of the Artifact…’

Right as Sofía was about to check Hansoo with more detail, Hansoo looked at Sofía and spoke out.

“Try focusing on something else other than me.”

“What?”

At that moment something came into Sofía’s head.

Sofía’s expressions froze at the sudden strange feeling that had come into her head.

This strong sensation that her trait was transmitting to her.

Danger.

And only really big danger at that.

‘Something’s coming down… From up?’

Sofía felt the slight vibrations along the World Tree as she looked at the hole she had made on the way in high up in the World Tree Root.

***

Kurururururu

A humongous snake was coiled around the World Tree.

Ouroboros.

The easiest Calamity to confirm with the eyes unlike the others.

Actually this guy didn’t really directly hurt humans.

There was only one thing it did.

It drank the Toxic Waters supplied to the World Tree after biting around the Pillar in the middle with its head that was larger than a small island.

Of course the people below will starve since that thing would drain the toxic waters that was going to be turned into Nutritional Fluids by the World Tree but they stayed like that.

Since they didn’t want to even imagine the case where that thing would get pissed and come down.

An existence that they were thankful for staying still.

At the same time that thing was one of the few methods for the people living at the Roots to reach the Branch safely.

Since it was very hard even for adventures of the Red Zone to climb up to the Branch that reached over the clouds without getting tired.

But they could reach their destinations with much more ease by stepping atop the body which coiled around the tree and had its tail around the ground.

So a lot of people stepped on its body and headed towards the Branch but there was still a location they never got close to.

Head.

This thing will ruthlessly attack once they get near the head that was drinking the toxic waters.

But there was a person who had reached the head.

The Clone, who had now found his name to be Tekilon, entered through one of the countless gaps between the Scales.

The Ouroboros was also growing a huge number of parasites within its body for defensive purposes but they moved aside after looking at Tekilon.

Kugugugugu

Tekilon, who had arrived inside the head, places his hand on the central nervous system as he quickly tapped into the Ouroboros using his power.

Kuuuuuuuuu

Though the Ouroboros was slightly guarded against the strange creature that had invaded its

head but it didn’t act rashly.

Since it was quite confused.

The guy felt like his creator but was different from the creator in some ways.

That difference was making the Ouroboros hesitate. At that moment a command flew into his head.

— This is for you. Close every hole in the body including the mouth. So that nobody can come in.

The Ouroboros screamed out in dissatisfaction at those commands.

Kurururururu

It was eating.

For the thing to disturb him eating when he didn’t even seem like a complete creator.

Then the Creator-like creature who had seen the reaction of Ouroboros made a new command instead.

— … Then just close all the pores in the body except the Mouth.

Kirururuk

That wouldn’t be a problem.

The Ouroboros covered its whole body with its steel-plate-like scales.

Tekilon clicked his tongue as he saw the reaction of Ouroboros.

‘Damnit. I set the instinct of wanting food too strong on this guy. It’ll take a while.’

Tekilon slowly invaded it so he wouldn’t irritate it.

Since this thing could go crazy if he tried to get it under his command from the get-go.

Quite a large amount of time was needed to him to fill up his greed for food.

‘I don’t have time.’

Tekilon clenched his teeth.

He didn’t know how much time had past between his last and current memory.

He wanted to go down with Ouroboros and crush them when he thought of his race who would’ve died and will continue to die while he bought time.

Anyways, he didn’t need to care about the people who had landed here unlike the Elvenheim who took a bit of effort.

But Tekilon was breathing in and out alone.

‘2 weeks. I can control it after 2 weeks. I will take this guy and go down in 2 weeks.’

He wouldn’t be able to come in and set up a trap since all the pores were closed and if he were to get frustrated and then attack then Ouroboros will smash him apart.

‘There’s no need to hurry.’

He was used to waiting.

Since there were memories he had suppressed during the time he was born as the Elvenheim and until he finished all his preparations after becoming king.

And because he had held onto it for a long time and prepared for it, he was able to attack the Elvenheims when they weren’t suspecting and could go against the army of the Five Great Tiger generals who rushed in to stop the crazy king and the Calamities.

Tekilon put his hands on the central nervous system of the Ouroborus who was busy eating as he gave the strongest order he could give.

Though it was hard to make it stop eating and go down since it had a large liking for toxic waters but everything else wasn’t that hard.

‘I guess I need to open it for a moment.’

Tekilon gave his orders as soon as he finished his decision.

***

“Hooh. It’s really high.”

One of the Hecate Clansmen spoke out after seeing the scene that could be seen below her feet as she was climbing up the Pillar on Ouroboros.

The toxic sea that was spread far and wide endlessly.

And the wide World Tree Mountain Range that was on top of it.

Though it had dried up, the sheer size of it covered over it and showing quite a spectacle.

The woman, Chwee, who had been climbing up with the man, Ben, who was applauding the scene spoke as she laughed.

“Better artifacts come out if you go up a bit more from here. Be strong a bit longer. We need to gear ourselves anyway since we’ll be going over to the next zone soon.”

Ben replied at these words.

“Like the Seven Departed Souls?”

Chwee slightly frowned as she nodded.

Seven Departed Souls.

People who had filled up the requirements to go up and had grown strong to the point where they would threaten all of the Six Great Pillars by themselves and had not gone up for some reason.

If you average out of the years the Seven Departed Souls stayed within the Red Zone then it was 11.

People who had gotten stronger and stronger by staying in the Red Zone for almost around 11 years.

Actually there were some 1st years.

People who had come to this world with Eres or Keldian who had left behind a legend.

Which meant that they had stayed in the Red Zone for 20 years alone.

And because of this they were called Departed Souls.

They would usually call those people seniles but they were too afraid to.

‘They aren’t right in their heads.’

Chwee blessed her thoughts as she spoke while smiling.

“Yeah. Where do you think the Seven Departed Souls have gotten those Rare artifacts from?

Kuhuhu. They say we might be able to obtain the feather if we’re lucky.”

“Wow. Then there are more reasons to go up then.”

He didn’t even want the top class artifacts that the Seven Departed Souls had.

They would be able to equip themselves with gear a full tier up once they gained a single feather.

Ben started to quickly walk upwards as if those words energized him.

At that moment a strange sound was heard from somewhere.

Kidududududuk.

“Huh?”

Ben, who was quite sensitive enough to the point of working as a member of the Search team of the Hecate Clan, quickly looked around.

The surface of the Ouroboros, which was covered with scales that were few meters long, was shaking up and down.

Then something started to crawl out from between the scales.

Ben was shocked once he saw this.

“Uaaaak! Parasites!”

The things the people, who entered Ouroboros without knowing the dangers through the Scales, met first.

“Damnit! Run!”

Ben and Chwee looked at the giant parasites that reached over 4m in height as they started to madly run atop of Ouroboros.

Billions of grasshopper-shaped parasites crawled out as they started to attack.