I turned toward Elfina and began explaining what had gone wrong.

  The Rune formation was designed to gather the essence of this World Tree, which was composed of two parts: the body seed and the blessing seed.

  “The body seed landed successfully in the clay bowl,” I said, gesturing toward the glowing vessel in her hands. “With this seed, the tree will have a vessel to take root. But the blessing seed is more important. It’s responsible for gathering prayers and beliefs, transforming them into blessings.”

  Elfina listened intently, her grip tightening around the bowl as I continued.

  “But all of the tree’s uncorrupted life force has already been expended. Without life force carrying traces of its essence, the formation failed to create the blessing seed.”

  “Use mine,” Elfina said. “Oh, Great Tree. Please use my life force.”

  I grabbed her shoulders, shaking her. “Are you insane? How does that make any sense?”

  “There’s a reason I’m the priestess, Karl.” Her voice remained steady, though her eyes betrayed the storm brewing within. “I’m the only one who can hear the great tree’s voice.”

  She clutched the clay bowl tightly, her knuckles whitening. “I carry a part of The Great Tree’s essence.”

  The implications of her words made my insides churn.

  “…You’ll die.”

  “That’s a small price to pay.” Her expression remained firm, her resolve unshaken.

  I squinted at her, searching her face for any sign of hesitation. “You knew this was a possibility, didn’t you?”

  She avoided my gaze, her silence screamed louder than any answer. The crackling of the clay bowl in her hands was the only sound between us.

  “…What about Abby’s son?” My words made her fragile frame tremble. “What about your friends? What about your parents?”

  Each name, each question, hit her like a physical blow, and her body quivered more with every word.

  “What about you?”

  Still, she said nothing, her head lowering further, face hidden from view.

  Time was slipping through our fingers like grains of sand, but there was something I had to confirm.

  “No one else knows, do they?” I asked, my voice cold. “They have no idea you might have to sacrifice yourself to save this tree.”

  Once again, Elfina offered no response, only lowering her head further.

  I exhaled and focused on the subquest panel that I hadn’t yet had the chance to examine carefully.

  ===============

  Subquest: The Great Barrier

  | Description: The Frost Elves face their second greatest calamity—the fall of the Isolation World Tree. Without intervention, both the Isolation World Tree and the Frost Elves will face complete annihilation.

  | Objective: Support a fated individual and prevent the destruction of The Great Barrier.

  | Reward:

  –  Experience Point

  –  A new clue about the Guardians and the truth of this world

  –  Eternal gratitude from the Frost Elf and the chance to learn their secrets

  | Failure:

  –  The destruction of The Great Barrier

  –  The countdown to the world’s end will begin

  ===============

  There were two objectives outlined in the subquest panel: (1) Support a fated one, and (2) Prevent the barrier from being destroyed.

  Since the Fiend Forger had consistently targeted this tree, it was safe to assume the tree was the source of the barrier’s power. Saving it wasn’t listed explicitly but was clearly a critical, unspoken condition.

  I looked again at the consequences of failure. If we failed here, it would trigger the beginning of the end. That must not happen.

  Ruthlessly, I placed Elfina’s life onto a mental scale, measuring it against the weight of failure.

  The life of one girl versus the life of every living being.

  It wasn’t even a contest. It wasn’t even close... It was fucking bullshit.

  ...But sometimes, sacrifices had to be made.

  I closed my eyes, steeling myself to be the monster once more, to do what needed to be done. To convince her that this was her duty, that it was the right thing to do. For everything and everyone she had ever cared about.

  “I…”

  Elfina’s trembling voice entered my ears.

  I opened my eyes to see tears streaming down her face. She looked at me, her gaze filled not with despair, anger, or hopelessness. But with pure, unfiltered sadness.

  “I don’t want to die,” she said, her voice cracking as she clung to me, sobbing uncontrollably.

  Her tears soaked into my shirt as I stared up at the Rune formation above us, its glow fading with each passing second. The symbols dimmed and faltered, teetering on the edge of collapse.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  In that moment, two questions burned in my mind.

  When does a man become a monster?

  And.

  How can someone hope to save the world if they can’t even save one girl?

  My choice was clear. Either let this girl die, or let the world die.

  But.

  I fucking refuse to make such a bullshit choice.

  There was always another way. I just had to find it.

  Hugging the crying girl tightly, I promised her, “I won’t let you die.”

  Her sobs grew louder, and her grip on me tightened. She must have thought I was only comforting her in her final moments, offering empty words to soothe the inevitable.

  But I wasn’t.

  There was always another way.

  I focused on the subquest panel again, scanning every word.

  This wasn’t the first time I’d been in a situation like this. Back then, I’d cursed the System, convinced it was a cruel bastard that handed out impossible ultimatums.

  But I knew better now.

  The System never gave anything for free, but it also never left me without a chance. Hidden in its words were clues — fragments of insight that could make the impossible possible.

  It had never spoken to me directly, but its intention was always clear.

  Find it.

  I reread the panel again and again. The answer could be buried in a single word, a subtle phrase, or a detail so small it was almost unnoticeable. Somewhere in that text lay the key to saving both Elfina and this World Tree.

  I roared silently in frustration as the seconds ticked by.

  Ten seconds became twenty. Twenty became thirty. Thirty became sixty.

  Seconds bled into minutes as I pushed my mind into overdrive, searching desperately for the clue.

  “Thank you, Karl.”

  Elfina’s gentle voice broke through my concentration.

  She pushed herself away from me lightly, her smile weak but sincere, her tears now dry. Resolve burned in her eyes once more. “I’m okay now. I’m ready.”

  I watched as she stood, turning toward the altar. She picked up the cracked clay bowl, her hands no longer trembling.

  My mind continued racing, piecing fragments of possibilities together even as my eyes followed her every move.

  “Oh, Great Tree,” she intoned, her voice steady, yet heavy. “Please use my life force as fuel to condense your blessings.”

  She raised the clay bowl high, and the air around us seemed to hold its breath.

  From the dimming Rune formation above, a small golden branch began to descend. It moved slowly, deliberately, inching closer to her like the cold, inevitable hand of death.

  Blessing seed. Life force. Condense. Harmony. Support. Fated one.

  The dots finally connected.

  Got it.

  I shot forward and grabbed the descending branch, stopping it inches before it could touch her.

  “Karl, please. Don’t do this.” Her voice cracked slightly, and her lips trembled as she spoke.

  “The tree needs to use your life force, right? It will extract your life force to create a vessel for the blessing seed, right?” I pressed.

  “Karl, please…” she murmured, her brave mask beginning to crumble as tears welled up in her eyes.

  “Please answer me. This is important,” I urged, ignoring the cracks in her voice and pushing for a response.

  Elfina hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. “…Yes. The Great Tree will extract my life force and use it as a vessel — a cocoon, of sorts — to protect and carry the blessing seed until it blooms and merges with the body seed.”

  Her confirmation was all I needed to move forward with the ridiculous idea forming in my mind.

  “There’s a way,” I said, locking my gaze with hers. The intensity of my stare made her flinch.

  “Ina, do you trust me?”

  She froze, her expression shifted between confusion and disbelief. My use of that old, familiar name clearly took her off guard. Even the golden branch seemed to hesitate mid-air, as though it, too, was waiting for her response.

  But then, like an orchid blooming in spring, a soft, radiant smile spread across her face.

  “With my life,” she whispered.

  I nodded with newfound resolve. “Then let’s begin.”

  Releasing the golden branch, I allowed it to touch her.

  The moment it made contact, the branch dissolved into a glowing golden sphere that enveloped Elfina completely. The sphere radiated a gentle yet powerful light, pushing me back three steps.

  I tapped on the sphere, testing its durability. Each knock echoed with a dense, unyielding resistance. Breaking it would be nearly impossible without a weapon.

  “I know you can hear me and understand me, World Tree,” I said. “Don’t intervene while I’m modifying this Rune formation. I know you’re taking a gamble here. So, cooperate with me.”

  Placing my hand against the sphere, I spoke directly to the girl who had chosen to entrust her life to me.

  “When I say so, start the ritual to condense the blessing seed, ok?”

  “Okay,” She nodded, her resolve once again shining through the fear.

  All three of us were taking a gamble here.

  The tree was entrusting its life to us, Elfina was entrusting hers to me, and I was gambling that Elfina was a fated one.

  If she truly was, she wouldn’t die before completing her mission. But that also meant her path was one fated to her — a road laid out by forces she might not even realize were guiding her steps.

  From everything that had happened to her and Abby, combined with the subquest’s objectives, I believed she had to be a fated one.

  She had to be.

  To think I have to bet on something I despise.

  “Ina,” I called out to her, “we’re going to transfer the World Tree’s blessing seed into you and merge it with your life force instead of using your method. I don’t know exactly what will happen after that, but I promise you this. You won’t die.”

  Her eyes flickered with uncertainty, but she nodded.

  I took out a Recording Crystal and placed it on the ground.

  Then, I let my consciousness dive into the Rune Space within the golden sphere to begin the modifications.

  Before me, the same Rune formation from the dome materialized in vivid detail, every line and symbol pulsing with energy.

  I recognized the patterns. They were identical to the Runes I had analyzed within the World Tree’s leaves. These were Runes designed to enhance the usage of faith.

  Relying on my knowledge, I started to shift the Runes, searching for the elements responsible for stabilizing the blessing seed through life force imbued with the power of faith.

  As I worked, a cluster of Runes radiating seven colors appeared. Their intricate forms seemed like a chaotic mash-up of every shape imaginable. I followed the shimmering motes of light connecting these Runes and soon found what I was looking for.

  A series of Runes shaped like round shields with scales etched into their surfaces.

  I reached out, touching them lightly, and my mind surged with understanding.

  These Runes were responsible for protecting and stabilizing the blessing seed during the ritual. They functioned by creating a thin barrier around the seed, drawing energy from life force and faith to keep it intact.

  If that was their process, then I needed to reverse it.

  Reverse engineering is my specialty.

  I began altering the structure, redirecting the Protection Runes to safeguard Elfina’s life force instead. And instead of siphoning energy from her, they would now pull energy and faith from the blessing seed and channel it into her.

  I quickly broke down the existing process and reassembled it, using Elfina's life force as the new centerpiece instead of the blessing seed.

  However, when I tried to force the Runes to siphon energy from the blessing seed, an unidentified force erupted from within, repelling me violently. The shockwave was so powerful it threw me out of the Rune Space entirely, leaving my mind reeling.

  “World Tree,” I said sharply, addressing the ancient being, “reduce or remove your protection on the seed. We won’t succeed if you’re still scared.”

  The entire tree trembled in response. Moments later, another golden branch shot down from the dome above, piercing the sphere surrounding Elfina.

  But this time, it wasn’t just light descending. The malevolent tendrils of Demonic Qi followed closely behind, snaking down the branch toward the sphere.

  We’re running out of time.

  There was no room left for hesitation or error. Testing was no longer an option.

  It was do or die.

  I dove back into the Rune Space, urgency sharpening my focus.

  I reversed the process’s order, methodically altering the bridges of light motes connected to the blessing seed. Each adjustment caused the seed to shudder violently, its energy resisting my interference. The same unidentified force flared up repeatedly, trying to push me out again, but the new golden branch acted as a stabilizer, keeping the seed’s defenses in check.

  The Demonic Qi crept closer, halfway to the sphere now, its presence pressing on my nerves.

  Faster. FASTER.

  With a final adjustment, I completed the modifications, rerouting the energy flow entirely.

  “It’s done,” I muttered to myself.

  “Now, start the ritual!” I shouted.

  At my words, Elfina closed her eyes and began to sing the Frost Elf’s song.

  Her voice, pure and unwavering, filled the space. The melody resonated with ancient power, intertwining with the pulsating light of the Runes as the ritual commenced.

  *Ding

  [Harmony has been triggered]

  A warm spring wind washed over me, swirling around as if a vortex had formed within the space. While the sensation was soothing, I quickly noticed a disturbing effect.

  The life force within the golden tree branch had also been enhanced.

  This agitated the Demonic Qi, causing it to surge toward us at an alarming speed.