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chapter 63
My Dark Past is Too Strong
Elf Tower (4)
The Corrupt Trunk Krahan.
He was no ordinary Ent.
A being that had sprouted from the deepest parts between the branches and roots of the World Tree.
The Elder Tree protecting the World Tree, the symbol of all Ents.
Elves and Ents coexisted, serving the World Tree.
Elves became swords to eliminate threats, and Ents became shields to embrace the World Tree.
For thousands, even tens of thousands of years, Krahan never once forgot his duty.
Their lives existed solely to protect the World Tree.
But that faith was overturned in a single morning.
“The Witch of the End, Hertia.”
A vile shadow elf and a traitor.
She betrayed the elves’ mission and burned the World Tree.
She embraced the darkness and used its power to invade the sanctuary.
The scene of that day is still unforgettable.
The core of the World Tree burned, and the sacred tree’s screams tore through the sky.
The once-green branches scattered as ash,
and the roots that guarded eternity melted in crimson flames.
And she—
laughed like a madwoman.
“…Hertia!”
Just uttering that name
caused corrupted spores to surge through Krahan’s body.
Between the splits of his bark-like flesh flowed a black, sticky curse.
“That day… I have never forgotten, not even for a moment…!”
His body was no longer normal.
The curse of the World Tree had spread to Krahan.
It gnawed at his heart.
Yet Krahan accepted even this curse.
If it could save the World Tree, he would turn this very curse into his blade.
He was no longer a shield.
He had become a warrior of the Guardian Tree.
Now, he was a being who had abandoned duty and declared war on another dimension.
And—
the wheel of fate moved toward Krahan.
“…Hertia?”
She was here.
“…Ha, haha! Finally… finally!!”
Krahan’s entire trunk trembled.
The anger he had restrained for thousands of years began to surge from the roots upward.
‘You… you back then… betrayed us… betrayed me… the World Tree…!’
The screams, flames, and blood of that day.
The image of himself screaming while holding the World Tree turned to ash,
the reflection of himself crumbling at her laughter—
all overlapped before his eyes.
Fate laughed at him.
Hertia, appearing before him, was a frail figure.
She was no longer the Witch of the End.
‘She doesn’t have the power she once did.’
Then he had a chance.
In the past, Hertia, the so-called Witch of the End, could not have been challenged by the current Krahan.
But now, without her full power, the situation was different.
“Now’s the chance! Strike her!”
Krahan gave the order.
Dozens of corrupted Ents surged forward.
“Fall, wicked witch…”
The Ents gnawed at Hertia’s mental strength.
Soon, her eyes darkened.
The noble elf expression gradually crumbled.
Krahan was certain of victory.
‘No intelligent being can withstand a shattered mind.’
Yet…
why was his heart trembling so?
It was then.
Next to Hertia, on the verge of going berserk, a man approached.
The space distorted, and a “cube” rose.
Click-click-click—
A black cube spinning and interlocking.
Hertia’s eyes returned.
“…No…!”
Purple-black flames began to rise from her shoulders.
“She still… has power…!”
Memories overlapped.
The nightmare of the day she burned the World Tree.
Her smile as she watched the World Tree turn to ash.
The scene that destroyed the home of all life—
was replaying before his eyes.
Hertia flew into the air, shouting.
“I will burn everything on this land!”
With that shout, a ripping sound echoed.
Crackzzz───!
The ground shook.
It was no mere aftershock of battle.
In the middle of the dungeon ceiling,
a rift opened as if reality itself had split.
A massive eye covered in purple-black light appeared.
Seeing that eye, Krahan trembled in fear.
The Witch of the End, Hertia.
The reason she was called the Witch of the End—
was because she possessed the “Eye of Lost Paradise.”
The eye of Arseila, the first witch and the primordial elf, the “Watcher of the Lost Paradise.”
A remnant of a forbidden truth elves tried to hide across their race.
Shriek!
The closed eye opened, flashing.
Tens, hundreds, thousands of small eyes layered together.
Alive, yet dead at the same time.
Its gaze pierced the hearts of those who looked.
“Burn everything seen by my eyes—them, their children! Feel the pain I endured!!”
The dungeon’s trees began to tremble.
Even the Ents who hated Hertia shrank their roots.
As if instinctively knowing they must not resist this being.
The ground split.
The sky was crushed.
And— it began to burn.
“Behold, your end approaches.”
With Hertia’s shout, the light from her eyes began to corrode reality.
Shush—Kwaaaah!!!
The Ents’ trunks burst.
Rotten bark split, blood-like sap spewed violently.
Even that instantly evaporated in the flames.
Kuheooogh!
Krahan, the Guardian Tree, could not avoid Arseila’s eye.
“Ugh… guh, ughh…!”
Unable even to scream, he twisted and collapsed.
The massive trunk blackened, twisting as if screaming, roots turning to ash.
The corrupted trees throughout the dungeon.
Blood spores.
Parasitic fungi.
Even the essence of the Ents.
Without exception, all were incinerated.
The terrain itself melted.
The flames did not just burn trees.
They consumed air, space, existence itself.
The dungeon burned like one massive furnace.
Hertia looked up at the eye floating in the sky.
Then she laughed like a madwoman.
“Ahahaha! To burn so easily… How dare you! Resist more, endure longer, and die painfully!”
She looked like the Hertia before meeting Lucifer.
“Do not think my rage has faded with just this. This is only one eye! When the Witch of the End opens both eyes, that will be the day the elves are annihilated!”
She hated the world,
loathed herself,
and that emotion was concentrated in one eye.
And
nothing she gazed upon survived.
After the battle.
Crack!
Hertia compulsively trampled the burning Ents.
As if it were unbearable to breathe in the same space as them.
Since Hertia personally killed them all, my skill activated.
《Harvested 30 points of Sin Power.》
《Harvested 40 points of Sin Power.》
⁝
These were beings born of the World Tree.
They too were Hertia’s hostile forces.
Perhaps that’s why the Sin Power filled up rapidly.
It had already surpassed 300 points.
‘Even a half-powered ultimate skill can produce this performance…’
Hertia’s ultimate devastated the battlefield.
But even this was less than half the performance she showed in Episode 1.
Back then, “terrifying” was an understatement.
It felt like the game might terminate as soon as it started.
Clack.
“Huh?!”
Hertia staggered as she walked.
《The Witch of the End, Hertia, has entered ‘Overload’ state.》
Right.
Forcing her ultimate before she was ready would have consequences.
I immediately approached her.
“Hert.”
“Lord Lucifer… the children’s screams still echo in my ears.”
“I know. I wronged you.”
“…….”
“Go. Collect yourself and control your emotions. This is not an order, it’s a request.”
Hertia nodded and sank to the ground.
I placed my hand on her shoulder and patted her.
She hid her flowing tears and returned to her place.
《The Witch of the End, Hertia, has been re-summoned.》
I felt conflicted.
I remembered why I accepted Hertia as a summon.
The unjust death of a child.
The resentment of being unable to hold anyone accountable for that death.
Seeing her trapped by her own hatred and grudge was pitiful.
Today confirmed it again.
My summons are remarkable.
Those who refuse to surrender even in suffering—I cannot allow them to be defeated.
To ensure that, I must prepare even harder.
“Azaz.”
《Summoning Azaz, the King of Residues.》
I summoned Azaz in place of Hertia and instructed him to handle the remaining Ents.
Then I went to the deepest part of the dungeon, where the Corrupt Trunk had been.
[Burned Corrupt Trunk Krahan]
This must have been the floor 1 boss.
‘Definitely dead. Then there should be a reward somewhere.’
I looked around his body and saw something shining in the center of his chest.
As I reached in and grabbed it—
《Obtained 50 World Tree Essences.》
[World Tree Essence]
Description: Condensed energy of the World Tree. Used by elves to craft weapons and armor. Grants powerful attributes when crafting.
Ah, I remembered.
World Tree Essence.
An item distributed as an event during Episode 1.
Using it for crafting produces equipment that is “highly enhanceable.”
‘With this amount, I could make ten pieces.’
Excellent reward.
I also had the ticket to enter the Forge of Holy Flames, so investing all my resources in crafting was tempting.
Yes, yes! With massive growth ahead, I’m motivated!
“Finish them quickly!”
“Yes!”
My summons cleared all remaining enemies throughout the map.
And when the last Ent fell,
my name flashed across the scoreboard.
《Unidentified adventurer on KR server has cleared Floor 1 of the Elf Tower’s Abandoned Forest first.》
《Time: 14 hours 22 minutes 37 seconds》
《New record for clear time ranking.》
《Clear grade: ‘SSS’》
《Clear grade record updated.》
Along with the server event rewards.
《KR server players receive the Elf Tower Vanguard buff.》
《Unidentified adventurer obtained the Artifact: Frostleaf Veil.》
Countless other rewards appeared with the message.
From mystical crystals to crafting materials and summoning scrolls.
Nothing was left out.
‘Ah! This is why I run the dungeons.’
Of course, this run was carried mostly by Hertia and Caligo, not my strategy…
But the rewards were still sweet!
《Exit the dungeon?》
As I was about to press exit,
‘…Wait, can I leave just like this?’
I had been swept up in the excitement of battle, but now that my mind was clear, I realized how absurd Hertia’s actions had been.
‘Progress was probably only 20% before the ultimate. Then Hertia pushed it to 100% instantly. Others must have seen this too.’
My head was spinning.
What should I explain?
Would anyone even believe me?
…No, that’s not the right question.
‘Do I even need to explain?’
My mind suddenly went cold.
I was no longer alone.
My management team had risen under me, and even the government stood as my backing.
I had no reason to fear external attacks.
Moreover, judging by results, I was the overwhelming first-place achiever.
No need to bow like a sinner!
“Exit.”
I left the dungeon immediately.
At that moment, countless camera shutters clicked.
Facing the mixed gaze of doubt and awe, I smiled as broadly as I could.
“A bit late, wasn’t I?”
