Chapter 227 – Labyrinth and Records (One)

The third day since Obsess’s attack.

The World Tree focused on revitalizing the forest, amplifying sunlight and supplying nutrients to the soil.

But strictly speaking, it couldn’t be said to have broken its silence.

It was as if it were dead, no longer responding to conversation.

Grine speculated.

“Perhaps it has decided to use all its remaining energy to tend to the forest? It was said that conversation also consumes a significant amount of energy. Maybe it doesn’t even have the energy left to converse.”

“…That’s troublesome.”

[I remembered. It was you.]

What did that mean? It gave no answer and firmly closed its mouth.

It was no different from irresponsibly running away after only stirring up curiosity.

“Ray-nim, are you perhaps thinking of cutting down the World Tree with a saw right now? You mustn’t do that.”

“……”

“Setting it on fire is also obviously not allowed.”

“……”

“Ray-nim?”

“……”

“Don’t.”

The boy was troubled, but he thought Grine’s speculation that the World Tree’s energy was exhausted had some merit.

After all, the World Tree was an ancient tree nearing the end of its life.

“The World Tree, it’s no longer accepting Mana from the Life Stones.”

“Why is that? The Mana isn’t being absorbed; it’s just swirling around the trunk. This has never happened before.”

It wasn’t just Grine who couldn’t explain the phenomenon.

The older Elves of the village, including Gant and Gwendel, also didn’t know the reason.

Whoooom──!

“……”

Ray stared intently at the Green Mana bouncing off the World Tree.

The sight could be seen as a resolute attitude to endure its remaining lifespan without any external help.

Or, it could be seen as a weakness so severe that it no longer even had the capacity to accept the Mana from the Life Stones.

He thought this.

Perhaps the miraculous event that occurred on the day of Obsess’s attack was the World Tree’s final blazing flame.

“The labyrinth’s structure has changed…!”

That’s why he was puzzled.

It moved the labyrinth?

He didn’t know for sure, but it must have been something that consumed far more energy than conversation.

By the time he quickly arrived at the World Tree, many Elves had already gathered.

“What happened?”

“Ah, you’re here.”

Gant, who seemed the least surprised and shocked among the group, explained to Ray.

After the World Tree fell silent, the paths that had been blocked were all unsealed last night.

The personnel who had entered to investigate detected the paths suddenly changing again and hurriedly exited.

Currently, the labyrinth has completely changed to a brand new structure.

“Does the original structure change often?”

“Paths changing little by little happens occasionally, but a large-scale change of paths like this is the first in the history of the Last Forest. At least as far as I know. That’s why Elves have been able to freely access the record repository and utilize the internal space along with the forest animals.”

…The first large-scale change.

In other words, it meant there must be a special reason for the World Tree’s action.

‘A reason to reveal previously nonexistent paths while expending energy…’

Deep in thought, Ray turned his gaze to the labyrinth entrance.

Inside the black hole.

From somewhere deep within the labyrinth, a Presence was calling to him.

It was a truly strange sensation that seemed like a Light Cluster, sounded like an echo, and smelled like stone.

“Are you thinking of entering now?”

Gant’s voice was heard.

Coming to his senses, Ray found himself standing before the hole.

“I don’t recommend immediate entry. The labyrinth is vast. The paths don’t just extend left, right, forward, and backward; they also extend up and down. Steep staircases appear, and sloped downhill paths appear.”

“……”

“Without the World Tree’s guidance, getting lost is only a matter of time. So, until we can deploy personnel and complete some level of experimentation and exploration─”

“No. I don’t think there will be time for that.”

Ray was floating a light orb to peer inside the hole.

Gant, who had approached from the side, saw the vines and walls moving quietly inside.

“Oh my, the paths are changing again…?”

“I think it’s just returning to its original structure. Not creating a new one.”

“Looking at the positions of the opening and closing passages, that seems correct. Immediately closing paths it had opened… It seems more likely there is some unavoidable reason rather than the World Tree’s simple whim.”

Ray agreed with that statement.

Unless the World Tree was showing off its strength, there was no reason to expend energy opening and closing passages.

Rather, it gave this impression.

‘It’s like it flung open a firmly locked door wide open and is now using all its strength to hold it from closing.’

Ray reached a conclusion.

“If I don’t go now, the opportunity to explore the newly appeared area might be lost forever.”

“I think so too, but this is far too risky.”

They might discover new records from the Ancient Era or powerful artifacts.

But without the guarantee that the World Tree would guide the way, if they couldn’t exit in time, they might be trapped in the labyrinth forever.

“……”

Gant looked around at the Elves.

But there were no volunteers.

The fact that they might feel solitude until their final moments, separated from the group, instilled fear in the Elves with their strong sense of belonging.

Gant withdrew his gaze and spoke.

“It seems none of us can enter the labyrinth immediately. I also recommend Ray-nim not to enter… but looking at your eyes, it seems you’ve already firmly made up your mind.”

“Our Ray never changes his mind once he decides! Right…?”

Veronica, who had been proudly boasting beside him, soon realized what was about to happen and made a face as if her heart had dropped with a thud.

The Elves quickly prepared everything they could to the best of their ability.

Gant handed over a bag.

“These are foods with high satiety relative to volume. Judging by the current speed, the paths will likely be sealed within a few hours, but you might end up staying longer.”

The boy’s eyes met the fruits and vegetables packed in the bag.

“……”

─Hello, I’m full of vitamins…!

Clatter!

Packets of jerky, commandeered from some Elf, poured out and silenced the mouths of the fruits and vegetables.

Next, Elves with exploration experience approached and handed over equipment.

“This is a direction gauge. If you infuse Mana, it creates a sound that travels forward, and by bouncing off the passage walls and returning, it displays the distance.”

“Oh.”

“This is a cloak enchanted with thermal Magic. The labyrinth interior is cold, so this will help maintain body temperature.”

“Oh.”

“This is a squirrel figurine carved from wood. It has no special function; I just brought it because I wanted to show it off.”

“Oh.”

Next, Gwendel approached.

“I haven’t had the chance to apologize since regaining consciousness. First, I want to say I’m sorry. No matter that I was under the enemy’s Magic, the fact that I tried to harm you, Ray-nim, doesn’t change. Also, thank you for defeating the attacker and finding the children.”

Gwendel bowed her head deeply.

Then she knelt down and placed her palm on the ground as if calling for something.

Soon after.

Whoom!

Two small animals, shimmering with Mana, appeared and climbed onto her palm.

Their basic appearance was identical to mice, but they had long, pointed snouts and pouches on their bellies.

Swish.

Gwendel raised her bowed body.

Ray looked at the unidentified animals washing their faces with their tiny paws on her palm and asked.

“Are they mice?”

“They are gray pocket shrews.”

According to her following words, they were animals exceptionally skilled at finding their way.

Their sense of smell and direction were highly developed, granting them the ability to always move towards a target via the shortest path.

“Fundamentally, they are Spirits with finicky personalities, but since you, Ray-nim, have already achieved communion with a high-ranking Spirit, you should be able to communicate with them sufficiently. Would you like to try tapping their pointed snouts with your finger?”

Ray followed Gwendel’s instructions.

Chomp! Crunch!

Looking at the predators dangling while biting his finger, he said.

“They bite.”

“That was more of a thwack than a tap. Again, a little more gently.”

After a few more attempts, he could hear pleased chirping sounds.

“Knowing the greeting method will help you make a good impression when encountering wild Spirits. Even without forming a Contract, Spirits lend their power to those they like.”

“The greeting method differs by animal type, right?”

“That’s right. Except for some exceptions, most Spirits retain strong animal instincts. However, the difference is that their intelligence is developed, making their personalities more finicky. When you return, I’ll teach you all the knowledge I have about Spirits.”

Ray tucked the shrews, who were enjoying his touch, into his pouch.

The last to come was Veronica.

“You’re really going in…?”

Just looking at her expression, it was as if she were sending him off to a battlefield.

“It’s calling from inside. I have to go.”

“Calling? Who? The World Tree?”

“Not the World Tree. I don’t know what it is either.”

I don’t know what it is either.

Where does such an irresponsible statement exist?

Veronica bit her lip hard, but she knew better than anyone that she couldn’t block Ray’s path.

Also, she didn’t want to.

She didn’t want to be a hindrance.

‘Ray is always like that. He jumps into danger, fights, gets hurt without the slightest hesitation, and then…’

…In the end, he accomplishes anything and returns.

Thinking that made her feel a little better.

“If it seems like it won’t work, you have to turn back and come out right away. Understood?”

“Understood.”

“Pfft, look at you answering so nonchalantly. Am I the only one worried? Just me?”

“Well, I’m not worried about myself.”

“You could get lost and be trapped in the labyrinth, you know.”

“I’m absolutely confident I won’t get lost.”

“Thanks to the Spirits and equipment?”

Ray shook his head and answered.

“Because I can find you no matter where you are.”

Veronica, hit by the unexpected ambush, melted into a gooey mess.

“Veronica-nim! Pull yourself together!”

“A stretcher! Bring a stretcher!”

“Her respiration rate is too high! Her heart is beating too hard too!”

Ray stared at Veronica’s White Sun, which was emitting a strong light.

It was a fact he had recently learned.

That he could sense the location of the White Sun no matter the distance.

He didn’t know the reason, only intuiting that it was some separate power distinct from Magic.

Ray, having shouldered the bag and equipped the exploration gear on his belt, finally grabbed his sketchbook and pencil.

And then.

Thump.

He entered the labyrinth.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

───!

─────!

With each step, the voices from behind grew distant.

The hole in the trunk letting in outside light also grew smaller.

‘…No wonder the fireflies’ light feels weaker than usual.’

Floating a light orb, Ray first walked wherever his feet took him, focusing on sensing the Presence that was calling him.

And he soon realized.

‘It’s similar.’

To the sensation he felt before descending underground at the Ruins, extremely so.

The moment Ray hurriedly pulled out and opened Obsess’s notebook was right then.