Chapter 201 – The Millennium Tree
“...What kind of bullshit is this?”
As Natasha furrowed her brows and asked, I replied with an obvious expression.
“Why? Is that a problem?”
“So, you’re telling me that until the investigation of the Millennium Tree is over, I have to follow you around like some errand boy?”
“How does asking for guidance equate to being an errand boy?”
“It’s a hassle. And there’s no compensation.”
“I’m a human, you know? I’ll be approaching the heart of the Sacred Tree. You’re not going to keep an eye on me? Or is Dortas, the guardian of the forest, just going to let me be?”
“There must be a reason why the Elder granted you access.”
“But what if I do something?”
“In that case, I’ll break every bone in your body.”
“Break them or don’t. Either way, I’ll just go alone then. I did ask politely, but it was you, Natasha, who refused to guide me. Right?”
“…W-Wait a minute!”
As I turned away without hesitation, she hurriedly called out to stop me.
There was no grand reason behind it.
For some reason, if she outright rejected my request, it felt like she was the one in the wrong.
“…You’re really not coming?”
“Tch! Just follow me.”
She felt like she had been roped into the conversation, but ignoring it left a nagging feeling. In the end, Natasha walked ahead, passing me.
She had come to test my abilities, yet suddenly found herself taking on the role of a guide.
With a sigh, she pulled down the brim of her hat.
“Why would they ask a human like you to investigate?”
“Perhaps they wanted to see things from a third-party perspective, rather than a witch’s.”
“So, what’s the first thing you’ll do when we arrive?”
“I’ll strip it down completely.”
“…Strip…?”
“No, not you. I meant the Millennium Tree.”
“What the hell is there to strip from a tree?”
“The secrets. The Elder specifically asked me to uncover them.”
“…Kuheum. I already know about that.”
Oh, you do?
Then why are you clutching at your robes like I was going to pounce on you?
She was completely misunderstanding on her own. Just like Lily. Or rather, was it that Lily took after her?
It was clear as day that these two would get along way too well.
“That should be enough bait.”
Honestly, it would be more convenient to examine the Millennium Tree alone.
The real reason I requested Natasha’s guidance was to observe her up close.
‘The information I have is too fragmented.’
The existence of Dortas disappeared along with the fall of the Millennium Tree, so even in the novel, there wasn’t much detail about them.
However, there was solid information about Natasha’s Giant Spirit Armor.
A supernatural close-combat technique that involved materializing a powerful soul within one’s body for physical use.
A reckless witch who stood alone against the Stars of the Arcane Order and declared a direct fight.
[You little star-candy bastards! I’ll chew you up and swallow every last one of you!]
Among the Dortas, she left the most lasting impression. She had turned the soul of Gereflam, a giant, into armor and managed to hold off an entire advancing army—for fifteen minutes.
Fifteen whole minutes.
Out of the total thirty minutes that four Dortas warriors had held the line, she alone accounted for half of that time.
I wasn’t sure if I could materialize Reto into something like the giants, but if I wanted to find out, I first needed to learn Natasha’s specialty—Spiritual Manifestation Arts.
“…If I just ask her to teach me, I’ll get punched in the face, right?”
In the closed-off society of witches, passing down their secret arts to an outsider was considered taboo.
That meant I had to convince her through another method.
And before I could do that, I needed to gather more information about her.
“I still have time.”
Keeping her close and observing her carefully would reveal the best approach.
“This is the fastest way.”
Following Natasha’s lead, we moved swiftly.
Passing by clusters of small huts and through an overgrown thicket of trees, we finally arrived at our destination.
The sheer size of the Millennium Tree was something I could feel on my skin.
“Damn. Those leaves are ridiculously big.”
An overwhelming presence.
It wouldn’t be surprising if someone mistook it for a Ten-Millennium Tree rather than just a thousand years old.
If such a tree existed in the modern world, it would undoubtedly become a holy ground for all sorts of shamans and spiritualists.
The aura it radiated was nothing short of mystical.
I looked down at the fallen leaves scattered around the ground and remarked,
“The shape looks familiar… Did they use these leaves to make the hut roofs?”
“Not just the roofs. Most of the huts are built using materials from the Millennium Tree. Keeping the leaves and branches close helps with spiritual training.”
“So, the tree itself contributes to a witch’s growth?”
“It helps strengthen spiritual energy.”
“Only spiritual energy? No effect on magic?”
“On the contrary, it negatively impacts magic. As for other energies… I’m not sure. No one’s ever tested it.”
At that moment, Reto’s voice echoed in my mind.
[This place is completely unbalanced.]
“…Unbalanced? What do you mean?”
[There’s not a single trace of magic here, but the density of other energies is overwhelming.]
It seemed that while magic had disappeared from the atmosphere, other energies had taken its place.
So, that meant Aura must also be abundant here.
As I was contemplating this, I noticed Natasha staring at me with an odd expression.
“…Who are you talking to?”
That was a question people often asked whenever I spoke with Reto.
Normally, I’d just say I had a habit of talking to myself, and most would let it go with a weird look.
But this time, I gave a different answer.
“Reto. He’s my friend and my teacher.”
I was curious.
Since Natasha had the unique ability to manifest spirits, this was the perfect opportunity to gauge her reaction to Reto.
And sure enough—
“…If my eyes aren’t failing me, there’s no one else here but you.”
“But don’t you have a ‘friend’ too?”
“…A friend?”
“Yes. A very big one.”
Natasha abruptly stopped walking and turned her head.
Her sharp gaze locked onto me.
“How do you know that?”
“Reto told me. He said there was a presence similar to him lingering around you.”
[Did you just compare me to such a lowly being? What kind of nonsense is this?]
…Reto had apparently sensed the giant’s presence too.
But calling it lowly? Seriously?
The giant, Gereflam, who had formed a contract with Dortas, was an incredibly powerful entity.
Ignoring Reto’s grumbling, I quietly observed Natasha’s reaction.
She studied me with a newfound curiosity.
“…Strange. Most people would run away the moment they felt Gereflam’s presence.”
“Reto isn’t just any ordinary soul.”
As she narrowed her eyes and focused, her brows knitted together for a brief moment before she slowly opened them again.
“…My contracted spirit doesn’t sense any presence like ‘Reto’ at all. Are you sure it’s hovering around you?”
[Of course it can’t. A measly thing like that is beneath me.]
This damn spirit really had some serious pride issues.
Letting out a quiet sigh, I pointed to my chest.
“He’s inside. You wouldn’t be able to sense him easily.”
“…You sealed a spirit inside your heart?”
“No, I didn’t seal him. He chose to enter.”
“…You lunatic. Merging with a sentient spirit? Do you have a death wish?”
“I’m still fine, so far.”
“Get rid of it. You never know when it’ll take over your body. You’re basically a ticking time bomb.”
“…And how do I do that?”
“That’s obvious—”
Just as she was about to say something, Natasha trailed off, scratching her cheek.
She smacked her lips, then took a step back, hesitating—likely because the answer involved knowledge of Spiritual Manifestation Arts, something she wasn’t willing to disclose so easily.
“Ask the Elder instead of me. I never said anything.”
Judging by her reaction, it seemed she needed Elder Medeia’s permission to share such knowledge.
Elder Medeia… That old woman, whose insight surpassed even the legendary foresight of ancient sages. If I wanted to persuade her, I needed an undeniable trump card.
And that meant the Millennium Tree.
I stepped directly in front of the tree’s massive trunk.
As I slowly lifted my gaze, taking in its entirety, an odd thought crossed my mind—
It resembled a colossal spaceship, fully prepped for launch.
That was the kind of majestic presence it carried.
“Reto, do you sense anything unusual?”
[Not at all.]
“…I had high hopes. I’m disappointed.”
[You’re getting more shameless by the day.]
I carefully examined the enormous trunk. Initially, I observed from a distance, but when that yielded nothing, I began touching the bark, feeling the soil, even sniffing the air.
I secretly attempted to channel Sacred Power into the tree—
No response.
‘If it were easy to uncover, the witches would have figured it out long ago.’
I had trusted Reto’s insight, yet even he wasn’t providing any useful leads.
Since there was nothing more to gain from the outer trunk, I shifted my focus to the cracks and gaps scattered across its surface.
Several openings, large enough to crawl into like miniature caves, caught my eye.
Just in case, I turned to Natasha and asked,
“Can we enter these openings?”
“Of course. The Elder even cultivates herbs inside.”
“…Inside the tree?”
“She says it has the perfect conditions for growing rare mushrooms and plants. Want me to guide you?”
“I’d appreciate that.”
Nodding, Natasha led me through one of the larger openings formed by overlapping layers of bark.
The moment we stepped inside, a damp, musty scent filled my nose.
It was the unmistakable aroma of wet wood.
The space was humid, almost like stepping into an underground cavern.
After a short walk, a sprawling chamber revealed itself—
Countless tree roots, as thick as a person’s thigh, twisted and intertwined in a chaotic, endless web.
“This is the heart of the Sacred Tree’s roots. Occasionally, rare mushrooms and medicinal herbs sprout here.”
I spotted clusters of spores emerging from the roots—
Mushrooms, glowing in brilliant, otherworldly colors.
I traced my gaze along the roots, marveling at the sight—
When suddenly, an odd sensation hit me.
“…Huh?”
“What is it?”
“…It’s nothing.”
But I knew that wasn’t true.
The source of the strange pull came from my bag.
A faint vibration, accompanied by an unexpected weight, as if something were being pulled downward.
The deeper I moved toward the roots, the stronger the pull became.
[Do you have any magical objects in your bag?]
“…Magical objects?”
Reto’s question immediately made me think of the Elf Stones.
The three Elf Stones that Dornef had brought as part of our alliance—
Sacred artifacts crafted solely by Nella, the Elf Priestess, imbued with pure, untainted mana.
“…What’s happening?”
[The tree is absorbing mana.]
“…What?”
Alarmed, I quickly pulled my bag forward and retrieved the stones.
And the moment I did—
Wuuuung!
A violent tremor.
The Elf Stones, glowing with an eerie green light, began trembling frantically, as if they were screaming.
Natasha, noticing the phenomenon, narrowed her eyes and studied the stones in my hands.
Her gaze was sharp—
But she wasn’t particularly alarmed.
The mana she sensed wasn’t like a wizard’s—
It was pure. Clean.
Elf mana.
Still, mana was mana.
And the Millennium Tree was showing no mercy.
“…What’s happening?”
“The Millennium Tree is absorbing mana.”
“…Absorbing? Not erasing it?”
Natasha’s explanation contradicted Reto’s assessment.
According to her, a great witch’s hex cast upon the tree was erasing mana—
But Reto claimed the roots were absorbing it instead.
And that was when it clicked—
“This is it!”
The moment their explanations diverged, I realized something even Elder Medeia hadn’t uncovered.
‘Erasure’ and ‘absorption’ were two completely different things.
Erasure meant complete annihilation.
But absorption?
That implied the mana was being redirected or stored somewhere.
And if it was being stored—
There was something beneath this tree that even the witches were unaware of.
Zzzzzkkk—!
“…Ah.”
A stunned breath escaped me.
I had seen Fenry smoke Elf Stones like cheap tobacco before—
But they were still precious.
Yet, in the span of mere moments, all three Elf Stones had been drained by the Millennium Tree.
They lost their light—And shattered.
“…This is brutal.”
The speed at which the mana was being devoured was absurd.
I finally understood why the mages of the Arcane Order despised the witches but never dared to step foot in Ordor Forest.
Even a Star of the Arcane Order wouldn’t stand a chance against a witch if the battle took place near the Millennium Tree.
For mana users—
This tree was a disaster.
But for witches—
This tree was the very reason for their peace.
“The Sacred Tree, protector of witches.”
Yet—
This very Sacred Tree wasn’t revealing its true nature to the witches.
Why?
If I could trace where all this absorbed mana was going, I could uncover the Millennium Tree’s hidden secret.
Turning to Natasha, I asked,
“Natasha, can your spirit examine the roots of the tree?”
“…You want Gereflam to investigate the roots of the Millennium Tree?”
“Have you ever tried?”
“No. Why would I?”
“This is important. Please, I need to confirm something.”
My gaze was firm, my tone serious.
Natasha sighed.
This was an order from the Elder herself.
As a witch, she had no valid reason to refuse.
She raised both arms—
And then—
A crimson haze began rising from her body.
A deep red mist enveloped her like a translucent shadow, its sheer presence suffocating.
The manifested soul of Gereflam the Giant.
“…What exactly are we looking for?”