Chapter 23
With Uel Ferda entering last, everyone had finally made it inside the pillar.
The narrow opening sealed shut completely, leaving not even a trace of the entrance behind.
They slowly walked toward where Johan stood.
Just like him, they all looked upward.
“…So it really won’t let us through easily, even at the very end.”
General Kalkerak awkwardly stroked his dry mane.
Nuadillen also let out a quiet sigh when she saw the green eyes beginning to glow high above them.
“It demanded sacrifices three times in a row, so I was sure the fourth trial would be another sacrifice… This is troublesome.”
“W-What are you talking about?”
Dexter spoke far too loudly.
Surprisingly, it was neither Danforth nor Frank who covered his mouth.
It was Johan.
“Keep your voice down.”
“M-Mmph?!”
“Show disrespect in front of an Avatar and we could all be wiped out on the spot.”
At Johan’s firm warning, everyone in the expedition immediately shut their mouths.
He had never backed down in front of Weres, Elves, magical beasts, or even followers of the Inner Gods.
Yet now, he was showing this much caution.
That thought was written clearly across their faces.
While the Avatar slowly took shape, Johan began searching through the scattered fragments of his old memories and putting them back together one by one.
[Didn’t we have to fight the Avatar after answering its questions?]
If it doesn’t like the answer.
[Has that thing ever liked an answer?]
……
[Raupel, the Thorn Divine Tree. Isn’t it far too troublesome and temperamental for the first Dungeon gatekeeper? And it’s supposed to be a neutral god.]
…Well, if necessary, we’ll just have to sacrifice someone again.
[Hmm… That would certainly be more interesting. For both you and me.]
Fortunately, they did not have to wait long.
The Divine Tree’s core was still the pillar itself.
The only difference was that four legs and six arms began sprouting from every side of the pillar like thick branches.
Branches and leaves gathered around the green light at the top.
Before long, they took the shape of an elderly man’s bearded face.
Boom.
Boom…
The giant slowly stomped the ground with legs as thick as tree trunks.
Then, in a low and condescending voice, it spoke.
“What a disorderly sight. Foolish mortals… with an immortal among them who still refuses to give up.”
The fourth floor of the Dark Forest.
Their next destination was almost within reach.
Now, they had to answer the questions of Raupel, the Thorn Divine Tree.
An Avatar.
A vessel containing the form and authority of a god.
If an Apostle was someone who had been granted a portion of a god’s authority, then an Avatar was closer to the god itself, merely restricted to using only part of its original power.
But even if both were merely fragments of divine power, the difference between an Apostle’s authority and an Avatar’s authority was enormous.
An Apostle’s strength could rise or fall greatly depending on faith.
An Avatar’s power, however, did not weaken.
The first being to ever make Johan experience true defeat had not been an Apostle.
It had been an Avatar.
Not every god or Avatar was hostile toward intelligent races.
However, all of them were immortal and transcendent beings.
With the exception of a few exceptionally benevolent Outer Gods, their concept of mercy was often very different from that of intelligent life.
The Thorn Divine Tree standing before them was outwardly considered a neutral god.
But internally, it was hardly different from the Great Old Ones.
If they offered it a sacrifice it disliked, or failed to properly answer its questions, it would tear apart everyone here without hesitation.
That was why no one dared to speak.
The Divine Tree mocked them in a deep voice.
“I can understand the obsession of an immortal. But I still fail to understand the desperate struggling of foolish monkeys.”
Its glowing eyes narrowed.
“Do creatures like you possess no ability to learn?”
Several Weres visibly bristled at the blatant provocation.
Before any of them could act, Kalkerak stopped them with a single glance and stepped forward.
“Is even desiring revenge considered foolish?”
“After failing that many times, you should know when to give up gracefully. And in the process, have you not wounded even this body of mine?”
Kalkerak lowered his head slightly.
“…Forgive my rudeness, Divine Tree, but as I understand it, the magical beasts created by the Old Ones have caused far more destruction to the forest than we intelligent races ever have.”
“Are you telling this body to demand responsibility from the Inner Gods?”
The Divine Tree’s voice dropped.
“Impudent creature. I will consider that merely the careless words of a mortal ignorant of how this world works.”
One of the Weres could no longer hold back after watching their general repeatedly being looked down upon.
He bared his fangs and shouted angrily.
“Why should we take responsibility for what the Inner Gods did?! You want this world liberated too, don’t you?! We’re the ones offering to do it in your place! So why are you—?!”
At that moment—
Rustle!
“K-Kugh?!”
Hundreds of thorny vines suddenly erupted from the ground and wrapped around the Were’s entire body.
The Were concentrated Aura into both arms and tried to rip the vines apart.
Not even a tiny crack appeared.
The Divine Tree slowly raised one of the hands growing from its pillar.
Then it brought the hand crashing down toward the Were.
BOOOOOOM!
A tremendous impact shook the entire ground.
The blow had come to end the Were’s life.
“G-General…! Save m—”
He remained conscious for only a moment.
At most, five seconds.
No matter how sturdy a Were’s body was, there was no way it could endure such enormous mass reinforced with Aura.
Creak.
Crack…
CRUNCH!
“How dare you speak such nonsense in my presence, insignificant creature.”
Green blood splattered mercilessly across the ground.
The countless vines and leaves within the pillar immediately absorbed every drop, feeding on the Were until nothing was wasted.
The terrifying sight caused every Were who had previously shown hostility to hurriedly hide their fangs and lower their heads.
The general awkwardly scratched his forehead.
Johan, meanwhile, watched the Divine Tree reveal its true nature with visible interest.
The dead Were had been rude.
But nothing he had said had actually been wrong.
Magical beasts and the four major factions both trampled through the Divine Tree’s forest.
Showing more hostility toward them than toward the magical beasts was logically contradictory.
But that was not what mattered.
What mattered was that an inferior mortal had been the one to point it out.
That alone was why the Were had died.
An insignificant creature had dared state the truth without showing proper reverence toward a magnificent being like itself.
It had ruined Raupel’s mood.
So naturally, it had to die.
Difficult.
Temperamental.
And utterly unforgiving whenever someone displeased it.
Those were the words that best described Raupel.
…Still, there are plenty of ways to deal with it.
Unlike evil gods who tormented and killed others purely out of malice, Raupel followed a clear set of principles.
“Mortals only learn to bow their heads after being shown true power. Well, at least you have learned now.”
Since no one dared speak, the Divine Tree folded two of its arms across its chest and gave a satisfied sneer.
“I have a question for you.”
Its green eyes flashed.
“Anyone may answer.”
The pillar that formed its true body began glowing with the same green light.
The illumination filled the interior and revealed the scenery that had previously been hidden in thick darkness.
Then the Divine Tree asked,
“Why do you wish to descend any farther, mortals?”
Behind the Divine Tree hung tens of thousands of skulls.
Countless vines had been woven together, suspending them in the air like fruit.
