MTLNOVEL Chapter 323: Inner Self (2)
… About 30 minutes ago.
At the time when Dusk Soil Moon was still on the offensive.
Beneath the shadow that shrouded the entire World Tree, all the fairies knelt, succumbing to despair.
The sight was so immense that no elf could fail to notice it.
How could something of such magnitude even move under its own weight?
If such a colossal being advanced, could anyone possibly stand against it?
Despair loomed over the heavens, and the terror of impending death blanketed the World Tree in grief.
All they could do was humbly await the destruction unleashed by the giant.
Rumble...!!!
As it reached the vicinity of the World Tree, the giant extended its hand, scattering mounds of dirt with each movement.No one there understood the gravity of the moment, except for Elf King Florin, who observed the scene from the highest point.
She could foresee the devastating event about to occur.
‘Is it trying to absorb life force...?’
She felt a hatred more potent than even the aura of death surrounding the dead.
A ravenous desire to devour all life radiated from it.
Florin, who had always drawn her magic from her control over the World Tree, now found herself powerless before Dusk Soil Moon.
The infinite life force of the World Tree would be completely drained the moment it came into contact with the creature.
‘I have no choice but to stop it myself.’
But her body was untrained in magic. To use magic without the World Tree’s aid, she would have to sacrifice her life force… her lifespan.
‘Even if I burn through my entire lifespan… would it be enough?’
The answer was clear without needing to think: it would not.
"But... I can’t give up."
With the fairies, divine beasts, elves, and spirits all at risk, how could the Elf King merely stand by and wait for death? That would be a disgrace beyond bearing.
Even if it meant dying, trying would be the only honorable course of action as the Elf King.
Clasping her hands together, Florin ascended into the sky.
As she unfolded her butterfly-like green wings, they grew larger and larger—twice, ten times, no, twenty times their usual size.
"What... What is that?"
"It's the Elf King! The King has risen to save us!"
The wings, now stretched wide across the sky, were immense, yet still seemed small and frail compared to Dusk Soil Moon.
‘A moment is all I need.’
Even if it was only a fleeting instant, if she could slow the giant’s advance, she was prepared to give her all.
Although casting this magic would mean her end, leaving her utterly withered, it didn’t matter to her in the slightest.
If her sacrifice could bring even a sliver of hope to her people...
‘Yes. I’ll do it.’
With unwavering resolve, Florin spread her hand wide, her eyes blazing with determination. Her light green wings gradually turned a deep rose hue. The mana of the World Tree was entirely transformed into her own life force.
‘May my final magic... reach them.’
As she prepared to pour out every ounce of her life force, a sudden, sharp sense of dissonance jolted her mind.
‘Huh...?’
Startled, she quickly shifted her gaze.
The wraiths of the giant that had appeared all over the World Tree were vanishing one by one.
And that wasn’t all.
When she turned her focus back to the advancing Dusk Soil Moon, she saw it frozen in place, its outstretched hand unable to move further.
“H-how could this be...”
Confused by the inexplicable phenomenon, Florin neither cast her magic nor canceled it and stared in a daze.
Amid her bewilderment, she sensed a faint trace of life.
It was so weak that an ordinary fairy wouldn’t have noticed it. But with all her senses pushed to max, Florin could clearly perceive it.
At the very top of Dusk Soil Moon’s head—a place unreachable to most—there was a single sprout of green grass.
"Why...?"
Once, the land of Dusk Soil Moon had been known as the ‘Graveyard of the Living.’
Anything that touched it would have its life force drained, meeting a swift end.
Thus, Dusk Soil Moon had always been more akin to death than life, a being of pure terror.
Ssshhh...
A breeze swept through, and the green blades of grass on Dusk Soil Moon’s body swayed.
In mere moments, grass began sprouting all over its body!
Like moss overtaking a boulder, the vibrant green spread rapidly, enveloping the entirety of Dusk Soil Moon’s once-brown body.
Finally, a small pink flower bloomed, completing the transformation.
It was unmistakably a cherry blossom.
A flower that blooms after enduring the harshest of winters, heralding the warmth of spring.
"Haah..."
Retracting her outstretched hand, Florin slowly descended to the ground.
She folded her rose-colored wings and walked to the base of the World Tree. Reaching out her arm toward the giant’s open palm, she gently placed her hand against it.
The moment Florin touched that cursed body, which was known to absorb all life force upon contact, her entire being could have crumbled and fallen apart.
… Thud!
Even though Florin clearly placed her palm against the giant's hand, there was no change to her body. On the contrary, she felt a warm wave of life emanating from him, a sensation so comforting that it put her at ease.
This feeling was, somehow...
‘Mother.’
The Elf King was born from the petals of the World Tree, and thus this living land—the primordial World Tree—was like her mother.
And the World Tree itself had grown from the land.
The land is the mother of all life.
Why had she seen Dusk Soil Moon as a harbinger of death for so long? His land created all life, yet no one ever acknowledged it.
People were so captivated by the beautiful life flourishing above the ground that they never thought to consider the roots beneath.
Woosh...
A gentle breeze swept through, rustling Florin’s hair and sending it flowing in the wind.
As the scent of grass carried on the breeze surrounded her, Florin caught a strand of her hair in one hand.
"Dusk Soil Moon... you longed for life that much, didn’t you?”
Dusk Soil Moon, who had yearned so deeply for life that he sought even the faintest traces of it.
Finally understanding his true emotions, Florin pressed her lips together and smiled faintly.
And, above all, one important fact: Who had breathed life into Dusk Soil Moon, who had wandered for a thousand years, longing for life? A being whose plight was, perhaps, pitiable.
Florin steadied her racing heart and climbed onto Dusk Soil Moon’s palm.
It was now time to meet him.
***
In stories or films, there’s always a scene that seems incomprehensible.
The protagonist, in the face of a crisis, loses consciousness and discovers their true self.
In such moments, the protagonist typically finds themselves in a dark, desolate space, where they encounter another version of themselves.
This counterpart often exhibits an unsettling, almost psychotic personality, perhaps to serve as a narrative contrast to the protagonist's inherently virtuous character.
"... So, you're supposed to be my true self?"
— Well. Something like that, maybe.
Baek Yu-Seol glanced at 'Baek Yu-Seol’s Inner Self,' who was seated beside him and absentmindedly fiddled with a mouse.
He poked at the cheesy fries with a fork, eating them while completely engrossed in the game. The aroma was so vivid it made his empty stomach growl.
— Want some? I've got cola too.
"I don't want any."
— Why not? It's your favorite food. Don’t you remember? You always ate this whenever you came to the PC cafe.
Was that true? It had been over a decade since his PC café days, and his memories were hazy. After becoming an adult, he had his own computer at home.
"A PC café as the place to confront my true self... This is unbelievable."
— Well, what can you do? That's just how your brain works.
"So, why am I here?"
— Hmm, don’t you already have a guess? Usually, this is where I’d say, ‘You’re going to die soon,’ and you’re supposed to be shocked.
— You're not surprised?
"Nope."
— Huh, impressive. Actually, this entire space is a kind of protection system created by the ‘Blessing of Pink Spring Moon,’ so it's only natural. If it were anyone else, they’d have passed out and died on the spot."
"I know."
— But you’re special. You get the chance to think, even on the verge of death. It’s like seeing your life flash before your eyes. Lucky you. You’re the first to receive a blessing this close to the constellations.
"How do you... know about that?"
Closest to the constellations?
There had never been any mention of such a detail, not even in the game.
— Oops, did I spill the beans too early?
"Don't joke around."
— Fine. I said it on purpose.
His inner self popped the last fry into his mouth, then rested both hands on the keyboard.
— So, what game should we try next? How about a shooter? FPS games are every teenager's dream. Or maybe an AOS game? Team games are tiresome, though. Oh. You’re just like me, aren't you?
"I don't feel like playing games."
— This computer runs perfectly. Are you sure you won't regret it?
"Just tell me why you brought me here already."
— Huh? Do I have to explain it again? Are you that dumb?
“What…”
His inner self, now engrossed in a shooting game, clicked the mouse without offering further explanation.
Wearing a headset, his inner self kept talking nonstop.
— I told you, you’re special. Right now, for some reason, you’re dying. Oh, right. You took the full brunt of the mana storm from Soft Green Spring Moon, didn’t you?
— A normal person with ‘Mana Leakage Disorder would have died within 10 seconds from a direct hit.
— But for you, only one second has passed. You still have 9 seconds left. Oh, wait, make that 8 seconds now.
"Are you saying... Time flows slower here?"
— Usually, yeah. Oh, I died. That opponent's pretty good.
Baek Yu-Seol frowned and lowered his head.
It was true.
That thing - whether it was his inner self or not - rarely lied.
Baek Yu-Seol had been exposed to the sharp energy of the Soft Green Spring Moon and had lost consciousness as a result.
In his final moments, the ‘Blessing of the Twelve Divine Moon’ had tried to protect him... But it was still too weak to manifest its full power.
‘Am I really going to die? Just like this?’
Until now, he had always fought with death in mind, wielding his sword against powerful enemies with courage born from accepting that he might not survive.
But now, confronted with the certainty of death within mere seconds, his mind went blank. His thoughts scattered into nothingness.
— What are you doing? Not playing? PC café fees are ridiculously expensive these days. You’ve got 7 seconds left. Might as well enjoy yourself before it’s over.
He felt a surge of anger toward his inner self, who was making light of his impending death with such nonchalance. But then, a thought struck him.
‘Wait, PC café?’
Baek Yu-Seol quickly checked the computer monitor.
If this really was one of those ordinary computers he used in the past, then that game should be here too.
The game that had launched 10 years ago, right before he was transported to ‘Aether World.’
[Aether World Online]
"It’s here..."
The nostalgic icon welcomed Baek Yu-Seol as if it had been waiting for him all this time.
There was no reason to hesitate.
Click!
Baek Yu-Seol hurriedly created an ID and clicked on it.
[Welcome to Aether World!]
Once again, he stepped into the world that felt more familiar and cherished than even his own hometown.
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