Chapter 219 – Secret (Part 2)
I closed my eyes and focused on the sensations around me. I could feel a presence drifting nearby—
It was Reto.
At the moment, Reto had separated from my body and was floating through the air.
When I opened my eyes to look at him, a small, golden orb hovered in the void.
Reto had materialized, though he was only visible to me.
I had learned this ability in less than a day, and Natasha had spent the entire time grumbling about how unfair the world was.
She said it was only possible because the bond between Reto and me had reached an absurd level. It seemed to be a positive effect of absorbing Reto’s "home" into my vessel.
Thanks to that, I had finished preparing to understand the "promise" in less than three days.
But before that—
“Let’s see how far we can go before our shared perception is severed.”
[Agreed.]
When I asked Reto how he felt about his materialized state, his response was, "I feel nothing at all."
I was sure he should have felt some sense of liberation, but as expected of someone consumed by boredom, he remained completely unamused.
“You’re fast, that’s for sure.”
Reto shot through the cave and disappeared in an instant.
Closing my eyes again, I focused on the sensations he was experiencing.
Through our shared perception, I could see and feel everything Reto did.
A moment later, when the connection suddenly cut off, I stood up and headed outside the cave.
Under the soft glow of the full moon, the cold forest greeted me.
I quickly moved in the direction where Reto had disappeared, counting my steps as I went.
After a short while, I spotted him floating under the pale moonlight.
“Around a thousand steps.”
That meant I could use Reto for reconnaissance within a one-kilometer radius.
An invisible scout.
There weren’t many people capable of detecting spirits, which meant I had just gained another powerful weapon.
Spirit Arts were proving to be incredibly useful in many ways.
“Though, the downside is a bit critical…”
Spirit Arts had one major weakness.
I had discovered it after spending an entire day fighting Natasha.
'My recovery rate drops significantly.'
Whenever I used Spirit Arts, the effect of Heart of the Immortal—Retonicalus noticeably weakened.
It was a side effect of Reto controlling my heart and then leaving his position.
This made it extremely risky to use Spirit Arts alongside high-consumption techniques like Burst Strike.
If not for the Ring of Desire, it would have been a disaster.
“Hmm?”
While continuing to train my shared perception, I sent Reto scouting around the forest—
And I detected movement.
Three people.
Medeia, Natasha, and Lily.
They were all heading toward me.
“Arthur!”
Lily’s excited voice rang out.
After more than a month apart, I was genuinely happy to see her again—
But I couldn't afford to be too relaxed.
Her bright, eager eyes stared up at me, and even without her saying a word, I could practically hear her screaming "Lunchbox!"
…Wait, how many tiers had I promised her again?
Seeing the way that number had stacked up like snowballing interest on a shady loan, I suddenly realized how terrifying accumulated debt could be.
"Have you been well?"
"Yep! Here, take this!"
“What is this?”
“Grandma told me to give it to you.”
Lily handed me a bundle of papers.
She clearly wanted praise, so I patted her head gently while thanking her.
Then, turning to Medeia, I gave her a questioning look.
“It’s information from the outside world, sent by the ghosts. Cordy had been keeping them and wanted you to have them.”
“Thank you.”
“Is today the day you fulfill the ‘promise’?”
At the Elder’s question, I nodded.
There were three conditions I had negotiated with Ordor Forest in exchange for an alliance.
The first was assisting in eliminating Grand Duke Clarke and Gram of the Black Tower, both members of the Stars of Demtor.
The second was keeping Lily by my side.
And the last—
Was the promise Medeia just mentioned: Investigating the secret of the Millennium Tree.
Even if I failed, there was no real risk to me.
But I had every intention of giving it my all.
‘The timing of the Millennium Tree’s awakening feels strangely ominous…’
I had mastered Spirit Arts.
The full moon was out.
This was the perfect time.
“I would like to accompany you.”
“I’d be glad to have you.”
In an unpredictable situation like this, having Elder Medeia along was definitely reassuring.
“I want to join too!”
“…Join?”
“Forty-five tiers!”
Lily beamed and held out her hands expectantly.
I could only give her an awkward smile.
Expecting common sense from Lily was pointless.
I had promised her lunchboxes whenever we met, which meant I had to give them to her now.
But where in the world would I find the time to make them?!
“Lily, I’ll make your lunchboxes after we finish the Elder’s request.”
“I waited forty-five days! Then what about my gold—mmph!”
I quickly covered Lily’s mouth.
Then, in a hushed voice, I proposed a new deal.
“For each extra day you wait, I’ll add two more tiers to your lunchbox stack.”
“Two more? So tomorrow it’ll be forty-seven?”
“Impressive, right?”
“Wow!”
…Screw it, I give up.
At this point, I had no idea where this was going.
It was like riding a tiger—there was no getting off now.
Whether I could fulfill it or not didn’t matter anymore. I just had to keep pushing forward.
Luckily, the deal worked. Lily looked even more excited.
Good. Just be happy for now.
“Let’s go.”
As I turned toward the Millennium Tree, the three witches followed me at a leisurely pace.
To be honest, I had wanted to check my divine name list the moment I saw Lily.
But I needed Reto right now, so I had to hold back my curiosity.
The same went for the information bundle.
For now, the promise was my priority.
I tucked the bundle into my robe and looked up at the Millennium Tree.
A vast, ancient tree, bathed in gentle moonlight.
The scenery was breathtaking.
Arriving at the spot where I had trained in Quanru with the bracelet, I stood at the central crevice of the Millennium Tree’s tangled roots.
Amid the gnarled and intertwining branches, I turned to Natasha with a request.
“We should move the roots as well. Let’s use Gereflam.”
“…What? You didn’t hear me last time? Gereflam can’t break through the barrier sealing the roots.”
“I have an idea. Just lead the way.”
"I'm only guiding you. If you ask me to break through the barrier with you, I'll smash the back of your head first."
Judging from her reaction, breaking through the barrier must have been incredibly painful.
Natasha and I sat on the ground at the heart of the Millennium Tree’s base. Looking at Lily, I explained the reason I had brought her along.
I intended to identify the divine name of the Millennium Tree through Lily.
Upon hearing my explanation, Medeia furrowed her brows slightly.
"The divine name of the Millennium Tree?"
"Yes. If we can identify its divine name, we might uncover the secret it's hiding."
"And how exactly do you plan to confirm it? That divine name wouldn't be something witches are allowed to perceive."
"We have to find an opening."
I first asked Lily to try identifying the divine name of the Millennium Tree.
There were several ways for those who served the divine to perceive divine names.
The most common method was direct gaze—staring at the subject to reveal its name.
Lily glanced around before fixating her gaze on the tree. However, after shaking her head, she attempted physical contact instead.
She approached the inner trunk, pressed her palm against it, and closed her eyes.
[xxxx……]
Was it because of the full moon?
I could feel a faint divine presence from the Millennium Tree.
But the characters on the list were shrouded in darkness.
“I can’t read it. It’s not appearing.”
“Keep your hand on the tree and keep trying.”
I signaled Natasha.
A moment later, Reto and Gereflam detached from us and swiftly seeped into the ground.
The roots of the Millennium Tree were deeply intertwined throughout the entire Ordor Forest.
Gereflam, in particular, moved toward the most massive and tightly entangled root core.
Not long after, it came to a halt.
“This is it. This is as far as I can go.”
“Is there an opening?”
“No. The entire thing is surrounded by a barrier.”
The soil was nothing but darkness itself.
However, through Reto’s shared perception, I could see what was blocking the way—
A massive, green barrier guarding the root’s core.
Thin tendrils intertwined within the barrier, resembling a protective cell membrane shielding a nucleus.
Time to test it.
“Reto.”
Reto charged at the barrier.
Thump—!
The moment he made contact—
A blazing shockwave surged down my spine, and my vision turned stark white.
“KRRAAAAHHHH!”
I screamed and collapsed onto the ground.
As I convulsed, Natasha clicked her tongue, as if she had expected this outcome.
"Did you really need to test if it was shit by tasting it? I told you messing with the barrier would get you killed. Didn’t you see me coughing up blood?"
“F-Fuck… what the hell is this…?”
“It’s a multi-dimensional barrier. It blocks spiritual, mental, and physical forms from approaching. And the pain? That’s just an added bonus.”
“Can’t I just cut off the shared perception? Let Reto suffer instead.”
“Do you have a grudge against him?”
“No, that’s not it.”
“You can sever the connection anytime. But the moment you do, the spirit stops moving.”
“So if we want to break through, I have to suffer alongside him?”
“Exactly.”
I had expected as much, but the pain was dozens of times worse than I had imagined.
So this was what electrocution felt like.
Maybe Reto could endure it, but I sure as hell couldn't.
The moment my mind began to seriously consider giving up—
“I saw something!”
Lily, completely oblivious to my suffering, threw out a hopeful remark.
She claimed that when Reto collided with the barrier, she had briefly glimpsed the hidden divine name list of the Millennium Tree.
“D-Did you read it?”
“Not clearly. Do it again.”
“…Fuck.”
The theory was correct—damaging the barrier weakened the Millennium Tree’s ability to hide its divine name.
But the problem was me.
"Reto, can you break through?"
[If given enough time.]
“How are you so sure?”
[Because that tree's rank is lower than mine. If I keep ramming into it, it will eventually break.]
Gereflam’s spirit had a risk of dispersing upon impact, so it couldn’t go all out.
But Reto could.
Like a suicidal warrior, he could relentlessly hurl himself against the barrier until it cracked.
‘At least warriors take their enemies down with them…’
It felt more like Reto was planning to drag me down with him.
“How much time do you need?”
[I don’t know.]
“Not even a rough estimate?”
So it was uncertain suffering…
I let out a hollow laugh, looking around—
The three witches were staring at me with bright, expectant eyes.
Thanks to Lily’s words, everyone was now excited at the possibility of uncovering the secret.
After a brief internal debate, I cursed under my breath and decided to push through.
The pain was agonizing, but it wouldn’t kill me.
It was the right decision.
But suffering alone?
No way.
If I was going to endure this hell, I needed something in return.
“…A favor?”
“As long as it’s not too much.”
"It’s not difficult. Just grant me one request after this is over."
“Wasn’t investigating the Millennium Tree part of our alliance agreement? I see no reason to grant you a favor for it.”
“Then should I stop here? Failure was also included in our deal, after all.”
I looked at Natasha.
She scratched her nose, then turned to persuade the Elder.
She probably understood better than anyone what kind of torture I was about to endure.
After a brief pause, Medeia clicked her tongue and gave a reluctant nod.
“As long as it’s not excessive.”
“Don’t worry. It’s nothing unreasonable.”
Perfect.
With this, I no longer feared whether the lunchbox count climbed to 50 tiers or 100 tiers.
I envisioned the Dortas witches helping me prepare mountains of lunchboxes—
And used that ridiculous mental image to distract myself from the horror ahead.
The secret of the Millennium Tree.
“If it turns out to be something stupid, I’m chopping it down with an axe.”
I gazed downward—
And closed my eyes once more.