Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert-Chapter 522

Chapter 522

El Harun was thrown into upheaval when it heard the news that Mount Pankrena had erupted.

An emergency council was convened at once.

The faces of the leaders of each race gathered in the council chamber were dark.

Despite the fact that figures who rarely gathered in one place—such as Krudu, leader of the giants, Hera, who led the elves, and Taboaru of the Zela race—were all present, the hall was silent.

The unexpected magnitude of the disaster had left everyone at a loss for words.

Even though Mount Pankrena was quite far from El Harun, powerful tremors were felt.

Because of that, everyone who had been asleep poured out into the streets, and for a time, severe chaos erupted.

Fortunately, as the tremors subsided, things began to stabilize, but if Mount Pankrena were to erupt again, even greater chaos would follow.

Everyone in El Harun trembled in fear, uncertain when Mount Pankrena might explode again.

The leaders present at the council bore the responsibility of calming them. Yet they could neither speak easily nor present countermeasures.

The situation was so grave that their minds had gone completely blank.

They had always thought Mount Pankrena would erupt someday, but no one had imagined that day would be today.

That was how deeply they had trusted Del Roa and the authority of the World Tree. But that trust had been betrayed, and they now had to devise a solution.

At that moment, Liala—the only human present—opened her mouth.

“Are we just going to stay like this? Shouldn’t we go to Lord Del Roa immediately and ask what’s going on?”

“We should.”

Krudu answered with difficulty.

With a heavy expression, he looked around at the council leaders.

Even then, the others remained silent, their mouths tightly shut.

Krudu stood up and said,

“Let us all go to Lord Del Roa.”

Only then did the silent figures begin to move, following Krudu.

Watching them, Liala let out a sigh.

‘At other times, they fight tooth and nail just to say one more word, yet in front of a real crisis, they all hold their breath.’

Liala knew why they were acting like this.

They were afraid of bearing responsibility.

In a situation like this, if one spoke rashly and drew attention, then ended up taking charge of something, it would not be easy to bear.

Shaking her head at their selfishness, Liala moved her feet.

Her heart had already left this place.

After meeting Del Roa some time ago, her resolve had only hardened.

When Liala demanded to know why he had betrayed them, Del Roa had calmly answered that it was for the greater cause.

The ones who subdued Liala when she flared up and confronted Del Roa were none other than the leaders of each race.

No matter how strong Liala was, she could not face all of them at once. In the end, she had been subdued in an unsightly manner.

Because of that, the rift between her and them had grown even deeper.

Even now, she was only attending out of necessity; unlike them, she did not truly worry about El Harun.

Led by Krudu, the council leaders arrived before the World Tree.

Krudu spoke cautiously.

“The council leaders request an audience with Lord Del Roa.”

Crack!

At that moment, the bark of the World Tree shifted, and Del Roa’s face appeared on its surface.

“We greet Lord Del Roa.”

The council leaders all bowed their heads in unison, but Del Roa spoke in an indifferent voice.

“I know why you have come. It is because of Mount Pankrena, is it not?”

“That is correct. What has happened? Weren’t you suppressing Mount Pankrena’s eruption with the authority of the World Tree?”

“That is right. Until yesterday, the eruption was clearly being suppressed by the World Tree’s power.”

“Then why did it erupt today?”

Krudu carefully asked the reason.

After maintaining silence for a moment, Del Roa spoke with difficulty.

“The World Tree’s power is rapidly weakening.”

“What do you mean? Are you not one with it, caring for it devotedly? Even so, it is weakening rapidly?”

“I do not know the reason either. The signs have been ominous for some time, and its vitality is decreasing sharply. Even when I ask the World Tree itself, it does not give me a clear answer.”

Del Roa had become one with the World Tree in order to save it as it lost strength and approached death. Thanks to that, the World Tree’s demise had been postponed for a long time. Believing it safe, even he had not anticipated that it would suddenly lose its power like this.

Krudu asked Del Roa,

“Then must we simply watch as the World Tree dies? If the World Tree dies, volcanic ash and lava will engulf El Harun.”

“That is why I, too, am doing everything I can to save the World Tree.”

As Del Roa’s voice rose, Krudu flinched and bowed his head.

“I apologize. I did not mean to blame you, Lord Del Roa.”

“I know. You are all just as frustrated as I am.”

“No.”

“The World Tree does not reveal its true state even to me. So I cannot be certain, but there is something I can surmise.”

“What is it?”

Krudu’s voice rose.

It was the reaction of someone desperate enough to grasp at even a rotten rope.

Del Roa shared his conjecture.

“Originally, only one World Tree can exist in a single world. If two World Trees exist, the weaker one offers up all its power and disappears.”

“Then are you saying that another World Tree may have been born in this world?”

“It is only my speculation.”

“Hm.”

“Other than that, there is no reason for the World Tree to lose its power so rapidly.”

“That makes sense.”

Krudu bit his lip.

The World Tree was essentially the pillar that supported El Harun.

If the World Tree were to wither and die, El Harun would collapse with it.

At that point, Hera, the leader of the elves who had remained silent until now, cautiously opened her mouth.

“Then what are we to do? Are we to sit here and wait for destruction?”

“That cannot be allowed. After all the effort I put into building El Harun, would I let it fall to ruin?”

At Del Roa’s chilling voice, everyone shuddered.

Del Roa’s gaze swept over the council leaders one by one.

Each time his eyes landed on someone, they flinched.

Liala was no exception.

A chill crawled up her spine, as if insects were crawling over her skin.

Hera asked carefully,

“Then what must we do? Please guide us onto the right path.”

“From this moment on, send all of El Harun’s elite into the world to search for the newly born World Tree. If a truly new World Tree has been born, there will surely be noticeable changes. El Harun’s elites will certainly be able to find it.”

“And once we find the World Tree, what then?”

“Did I not tell you?”

“Pardon?”

“Only one of the two can survive. For El Harun to live, the other must die. Otherwise…”

“Don’t tell me…”

“Yes. We must take that place. That alone is the only way for El Harun to survive.”

“What if others are already living where the new World Tree was born?”

“Do I really need to say that out loud for you to understand?”

At the killing intent in Del Roa’s voice, Hera’s face turned pale.

Del Roa’s will was unmistakable.

There was not a single person present who failed to grasp his meaning. The only one who opposed him was Liala.

“Then you’re saying we should slaughter everyone who has settled around the new World Tree? How can you issue such an order?”

“It is all for our survival.”

“That cannot be allowed.”

“Your opinion is irrelevant.”

“Lord Del Roa!”

“Enough! Liala. This is the time to think about El Harun’s survival. Do not endanger El Harun with your selfish thoughts.”

“How could that possibly—”

“If you continue to resist, I will assume that all humans share your will and take action accordingly.”

“……”

Liala bit her lip and fell silent. Even so, she could not accept Del Roa’s command.

‘This isn’t right.’

Over a hundred years ago, the races of Kurayan had chosen to migrate to Earth to survive extinction, and in the process, Earth had been devastated, with more than ninety percent of its lifeforms losing their lives.

And now, Del Roa was trying to repeat the exact same mistake.

‘What if the World Tree is in Neo Seoul? Then would that mean waging war against Neo Seoul? Killing all the humans there just to claim the World Tree? Would the World Tree here truly want something so insane?’

No matter how many times she thought about it, the answer was no.

Crunch!

Liala ground her teeth.

El Harun was heading in the wrong direction.

Just as it had long ago.

Liala had no intention of watching history repeat itself once more.

‘I have to find Zeon and tell him about this.’

＊＊＊

Zeon, Levin, Remura, and Tesserina left the village of the World Tree and headed for Neo Seoul.

There had been four of them when they came to the World Tree village, and there were four of them when they left.

Remura kept glancing back with a look of regret.

Zeon asked her,

“You look like you want to stay longer.”

“Yes, Zeon oppa.”

The experiences of running and playing with the High Elves and spirits had been truly fantastic.

If she had not come and experienced it herself, she would never have believed such a world existed.

During her time in the World Tree village, she learned what true happiness was.

For someone who had lived underground her entire life, it had been a shocking experience.

Zeon asked carefully,

“Then do you want to stay here?”

“No, oppa! It’s time to wake up from the dream.”

“A dream?”

“The World Tree village really is wonderful, but it’s not my home. The place where I live is the underground city. My family is there. I need them, and they need me. How could I abandon them just so I can be happy on my own?”

Remura answered maturely.

The High Elves of the World Tree village had asked Remura to live with them.

They had grown close like blood relatives during their time together.

For a moment, she had nearly been tempted by their offer. But with difficulty, she steadied her heart.

Zeon smiled.

“You’re amazing.”

“It’s thanks to you, oppa.”

“Me?”

“You have such great power, but you live while keeping balance. So who am I to chase happiness alone and stay only where it’s comfortable for me? The World Tree village doesn’t need me, but the underground city absolutely does. There are always sick people there.”

“Then do as you think is right.”

“Thank you, oppa! Thanks to you, I realized that Neo Seoul and the underground city aren’t the whole world. And that to survive in this vast world, I need to work even harder.”

Sometimes, children grow dramatically from a single experience.

That was exactly the case with Remura now.

Having experienced the wider world and the World Tree village, her perspective had changed.

Before, she had followed Jetoia and the adults of the underground city without question. Now, she had confidence in how she should act and how she should grow.

The expression of the girl, now certain about her future, was resolute.

Zeon was pleased with Remura’s growth.

In the past, people believed children should remain childlike. But in the present age, that was no longer enough to survive.

Only by growing faster than anyone else and establishing one’s self could the chances of survival increase, even if only slightly.

In this way, Remura’s growth would accelerate, and her odds of surviving in this harsh world would rise accordingly.

At that moment—

—Pii!

With a thin cry, Gaia appeared.

Gaia descended rapidly in front of Zeon.

Her body, as large as a sizable building, landed softly on the sand without a sound.

“Gaia!”

—Pii!

“You’re saying you’ll take us to Neo Seoul?”

—Pii! Pi-pii!

“Is it okay for you not to stay longer in the World Tree village? You like being near Briel and the World Tree too, don’t you?”

—Piiiii!

“I see.”

Zeon nodded.

Gaia said that she no longer needed to remain near the World Tree.

The birth of spirits had entered a cycle where it would proceed naturally even without Gaia as a medium.

And with Arisedon guarding the World Tree, there was no particular reason for Gaia to remain in the village.

—Pii! Piiiii!

“So after taking us there, you’ll travel the world? I suppose that will help your growth even more.”

—Pii?

“You’re asking if that’s okay? Of course it is.”

Zeon reached out and gently stroked around Gaia’s eye.

Gaia swayed her large tail softly, enjoying his touch.

Just as Remura had grown greatly after seeing the World Tree village, Gaia too would grow tremendously by experiencing a wider world.

For Gaia’s growth, Zeon was more than willing to endure a temporary parting.