Chapter 335: The Root Labyrinth

The path beneath the World Tree had changed.

Arthur noticed it first when the root beneath his feet moved.

It was subtle at first, almost like the ground had shifted because of the Tree’s enormous movements above them. He stopped walking and looked down, but the thick wooden surface beneath his boots appeared completely solid.

Then it moved again.

A deep groan traveled through the root.

Arthur slowly raised his head.

"Did anyone else feel that?"

Athena looked around. "Feel what?"

Before Arthur could answer, the entire passage trembled.

Roots on both sides of them suddenly twisted.

Mithra stepped backward and drew Dawn Sovereign as a massive root pushed through the wall ahead of them. Sun grabbed Long and pulled it free, while Luna instinctively moved closer to Arthur.

"What is happening?" Sun shouted.

"I don’t know!" Athena answered.

Another root crossed the corridor behind them.

Then another.

Within seconds, the passage they had been traveling through was being reshaped.

Arthur watched as the enormous wooden walls shifted around them, openings appearing and disappearing as though the World Tree were rearranging its own body.

Vedas planted his feet.

"Arthur."

"I see it."

"Should we move?"

Arthur looked ahead.

The path was already disappearing.

"Yes."

The group immediately began running.

They barely made it ten meters before a giant root dropped between Arthur and the others.

"Arthur!" Mithra shouted.

"I’m fine!"

Arthur turned around, but another root slammed down behind him.

Athena, Mithra, and Sun were now on the opposite side.

Sun struck the root with Long.

"Move!"

The root barely reacted.

Mithra stepped beside him and swung Dawn Sovereign, but the blade only left a shallow golden line across the surface.

Athena examined it quickly.

"Don’t waste your strength! The roots aren’t attacking us!"

"Then what are they doing?" Sun asked.

"Separating us!"

Another root rose between them.

Arthur immediately looked at Vedas, Star, and Eden.

"Stay close!"

Vedas nodded.

Star bounced onto Arthur’s shoulder while Eden flew beside his head.

Luna was already standing next to him.

"Arthur!"

Mithra reached toward him.

Arthur stepped forward.

"I’ll find another route!"

"Don’t get lost!"

Arthur grinned.

"You know me better than that."

Sun stared at him.

"That’s exactly why I’m worried!"

Arthur laughed as another root slid between them.

The last thing he saw was Mithra shaking her head while Athena pulled Sun away from the shifting roots.

Then the passage closed.

Silence followed.

Arthur stood still for several seconds.

He looked at Vedas.

Vedas looked back.

Then both of them turned toward Luna.

Luna blinked.

"What?"

Arthur smiled.

"Looks like we’re the small group now."

Vedas sighed.

"I knew you were going to say that."

Eden giggled.

Star bounced happily on Arthur’s shoulder.

Luna glanced at the enormous root blocking their original path.

"Shouldn’t we try to find them?"

"We will," Arthur said. "But first we need to figure out where we are."

Vedas looked down the enormous passage.

"That might be difficult."

Arthur nodded.

The corridor had changed again.

What had once been a straight passage was now a maze of enormous roots. Some rose vertically like towers, while others curved overhead and disappeared into darkness. Small streams of glowing mana flowed between them, disappearing into cracks in the wooden floor.

Arthur slowly looked around.

"This place is completely different from before."

Luna nodded.

"The Tree’s inside is much larger than I expected."

"Same."

Arthur walked toward one of the glowing streams.

He crouched and touched it.

The mana was warm.

It wasn’t corrupted.

In fact, it felt strangely calm.

Arthur smiled.

"The Tree is still functioning."

Luna looked at him.

"Even with everything that’s happening?"

"Yeah."

Arthur stood.

"That’s probably why we’re still alive."

Vedas crossed his arms.

"Meaning?"

"The World Tree is damaged, but it’s still maintaining itself."

Arthur looked deeper into the labyrinth.

"Which means this place isn’t just a giant root system."

Eden tilted her head.

"What is it?"

Arthur smiled.

"An ecosystem."

A tiny creature suddenly ran across the path.

It looked like a small white lizard covered in glowing leaves.

Star immediately bounced after it.

"Star."

The Slime stopped.

Arthur sighed.

"You really are curious about everything."

Star wiggled happily.

Luna laughed softly.

"That sounds familiar."

Arthur looked at her.

"What does?"

"Star."

She smiled.

"It reminds me of you."

Arthur stared at her.

Vedas immediately nodded.

"She’s right."

Arthur pointed at him.

"You’re supposed to be on my side."

"I am."

Vedas paused.

"That’s why I’m telling you the truth."

Eden giggled again.

Even Arthur couldn’t help smiling.

For a few moments, the strange environment felt almost peaceful.

Then Eden stopped laughing.

She turned her head.

Arthur noticed immediately.

"Eden?"

She didn’t answer.

Her eyes were fixed on one of the distant roots.

Arthur followed her gaze.

There was nothing there.

"What is it?"

Eden continued staring.

"Something is ahead."

Arthur’s expression became serious.

"An enemy?"

She shook her head.

"No."

"Then what?"

Eden hesitated.

Her small hands tightened slightly.

"Time."

Arthur frowned.

Luna looked at her.

"Time?"

Eden nodded slowly.

"I don’t know how to explain it."

Arthur crouched beside her.

"Try."

Eden pointed toward the distant darkness.

"I can feel something changing."

"What kind of changing?"

"I don’t know."

She looked frustrated.

"It’s like something happened there."

Arthur glanced toward the path.

"Something happened?"

Eden shook her head.

"No."

She looked at him.

"Something will happen."

Arthur became silent.

Vedas’s expression hardened.

"You can see the future?"

Eden immediately shook her head.

"No. Not like that."

She touched her chest.

"It’s different."

Arthur studied her carefully.

"What do you mean?"

Eden looked toward the darkness again.

"I don’t see anything."

She paused.

"But I feel something that isn’t here yet."

Luna’s eyes widened slightly.

Arthur’s curiosity immediately returned.

"Can you tell how far away it is?"

Eden shook her head.

"Not distance."

"Then what?"

"Time."

The word hung in the air.

Arthur looked deeper into the labyrinth.

For the first time since entering the World Tree, he felt something other than excitement.

He felt anticipation.

Whatever Eden was sensing, it wasn’t an ordinary Beast.

It wasn’t even an ordinary threat.

Something inside the World Tree existed beyond what they currently understood.

Arthur stood.

"Then let’s go see it."

Vedas immediately sighed.

"Of course."

Luna smiled.

"I knew you’d say that."

Arthur looked at her.

"You knew?"

"You looked excited."

"I always look excited."

"Exactly."

Eden smiled.

The group continued forward.

The deeper they went, the stranger the labyrinth became.

Some roots were covered in flowers that opened and closed despite there being no sunlight. Others contained small pools where tiny Beasts drank peacefully. In one enormous hollow, Arthur saw what looked like an entire miniature forest growing inside the Tree.

It was beautiful.

But it was also unsettling.

Everything seemed to exist in perfect balance.

Even the corrupted areas were isolated.

Purple veins appeared along certain roots, but the surrounding golden mana seemed to push against them.

Arthur stopped.

"Look."

Vedas followed his gaze.

The corruption wasn’t spreading freely.

It was being contained.

Luna stepped closer.

"So the Tree really is fighting it."

"Yeah."

Arthur’s eyes narrowed.

"Which means Ronin isn’t just fighting us."

Vedas understood immediately.

"He’s fighting the Tree."

Arthur nodded.

"Every second he stays connected, the Tree is trying to push him out."

Luna looked deeper into the root network.

"Then why hasn’t it expelled him?"

Arthur didn’t answer immediately.

That question had bothered him since the battle.

Finally, he said, "Maybe because he’s too deep."

Vedas looked at him.

"How deep?"

Arthur looked toward the darkness.

"Deeper than we’ve reached."

A low vibration suddenly passed through the labyrinth.

The glowing mana streams flickered.

Eden’s expression changed again.

Arthur immediately looked at her.

"You felt it."

She nodded.

"It’s closer."

The root beneath them suddenly became transparent.

Arthur froze.

For one brief moment, he could see through the wooden surface.

Far below them was something enormous.

A golden structure.

No.

Not a structure.

A city.

Its towers were buried inside the roots, illuminated by ancient light. Roads stretched between buildings, and countless enormous shapes appeared to be sleeping beneath the city’s walls.

Arthur’s eyes widened.

"What..."

The image vanished.

The root became solid again.

Luna stared.

"Did you see that?"

Arthur nodded slowly.

Vedas looked down.

"There’s a city inside the Tree."

Eden whispered, "And it’s still there."

Arthur smiled.

His curiosity had completely returned.

"Then that’s where we’re going."

Vedas closed his eyes.

"I was afraid you’d say that."

Arthur turned toward the newly opened passage ahead.

The roots moved slowly, revealing a path that hadn’t existed a moment earlier.

Eden looked toward it.

Her expression was no longer merely curious.

She looked almost nervous.

Arthur noticed.

He reached over and gently placed a hand on her head.

"Whatever you’re sensing, we’ll figure it out together."

Eden looked up at him.

Then she smiled.

"Okay."

Star bounced excitedly.

Arthur laughed.

"Come on."

The four of them began walking deeper into the Root Labyrinth.

Behind them, the passage slowly closed.