Chapter 254 World Tree
[God's Remains Labyrinth] Floor 50.
After going down the stairs from Floor 49, we entered a cave just like before.
We finally reached the deepest part of the labyrinth――holding back my excited heart, we decided to activate the barrier magic tool and camp here.
So far, neither the [Evil God] nor the Chronosphere has attacked us. I don't know what they're planning, but this is definitely the deepest floor. From here on, it wouldn't be surprising if they attacked us at any time or place.
This might be our last chance to rest properly.
So, we decided to leave a bit later than usual tomorrow.
And that's because――
"――Fiona."
"Hmm... what is it, Aaron?"
When I called out to Fiona, she tilted her head, looking more dazed than usual. It seemed like she was either really tired or on the verge of falling asleep.
"You're really tired, huh..."
"Hmm..."
When I placed my hand on Fiona's cheek, it felt warmer than usual. Maybe my cold hand felt nice to her, as she started rubbing her cheek against it.
Normally, Fiona wouldn't do something like that in front of others.
"""......"""
"""Die, die, die, die, die...!!"""
See? The girls and pigs who had been holding back their killing intent for the past few days are now wide-eyed and full of hostility.
But I don't care about them. What matters is Fiona's condition.
I don't think she has a cold, but she probably has a fever from exhaustion.
"Make sure to rest early today. And... disconnect from Lucia, okay?"
"Yeah... Lucia told me that too, so I've already disconnected..."
I quickly let Fiona, who seemed a bit childish in her attitude, take a break.
The next day, after getting enough rest, we would resume our exploration around noon.
* * *
Day 5 of the exploration.
Finally, we reached the 50th floor of the [God's Remains Labyrinth].
According to Lucia, this was the deepest part of the maze. Naturally, we steeled ourselves as we stepped out of the cave, greeted by a wind that carried a somewhat fishy smell.
"What is this smell?"
I frowned at the unfamiliar scent.
"Is that... a lake?"
As we exited the cave, Fiona tilted her head at the scene far ahead.
It was not the sky-high islands we had seen before. The clouds were far above us, and now, we could tell that the ground we were standing on was solid earth.
And just as Fiona murmured, there was not a single tree in sight, only a vast grassland leading to an enormous lake that we couldn't even see the other side of. I thought the same, and most of the Extermination Team members stared at the lake in confusion.
"I see, since Necronia is inland, you all have never seen it."
Lucia pointed out our mistake.
"That's not a lake. It's the sea."
"The sea..."
Both Fiona and I were born in countries close to Necronia, and since we came to Necronia as kids, we had hardly ever been to other countries. The few exceptions were limited to the 3 countries around Necronia, and we had no reason to travel all the way to the distant sea.
It seemed that many of the Extermination Team members were in the same situation.
"Is that the sea?" "It has a weird smell." "I've never seen the sea before!"
They each voiced their thoughts.
Well, even though it's called the sea, it's not the real ocean; it's just a temporary one created by the labyrinth... Still, I figured out what this strange smell was.
"So this is what they call the scent of the tide..."
For us, who weren't used to it, it was a bit of an interesting smell. Plus, the air felt kind of sticky.
But more than the unfamiliar sea,
"By the way, what is that?" "It looks super long, but it seems pretty thick in reality?" "Looking at the bottom, it looks like a building, but that size is definitely not something humans can make..." "Wow, I can't see the top!?"
In front of us, in the middle of the sea, there was an enormous presence standing tall towards the sky, capturing everyone's attention.
I looked up at "that" too... but I didn't panic like the others.
"Wow... I thought there might be something, but I didn't expect it to really exist..."
"!?"
As I took a deep breath to calm myself and spoke, everyone's gaze turned to me.
"Aaron, do you know what that is!?"
"Seriously, Master!?"
"Aaron, have you seen that before?"
"You know what it is? No way, that's impossible...!?"
I could see that Io was in shock, unable to accept that I knew something he didn't, but anyway.
"Calm down, everyone."
I reassured the excited group and then opened my mouth to explain.
"I've actually seen this for the first time. But, can't you all guess? ...If you look at that figure, right?"
Saying that, I once again shift my gaze forward.
Beyond the grassy land stretches a vast ocean, but from the boundary between the sea and land, a single line extends toward the ocean. It's probably a bridge.
And a few kilometers across that bridge, a white dome-shaped structure floats on the sea. I think there's a building on the island, but because the only reference point is the bridge, I can't quite tell its exact size.
However, I can tell it's a massive structure. It's probably about the size of all 4 family estates combined with the [Seal Temple].
In the center of that gigantic structure, a huge――an incredibly huge――white pillar stands tall, pointing toward the sky. Its height is not visible from the ground, and even when I look up, I can't see what's at the top of the pillar.
When I think about it in comparison to the white dome, the thickness of the pillar must be incredibly wide, but because of its extraordinary height, from a distance, it looks like just a line.
In front of that presence, I can't help but tremble with excitement as a Wooden Swordsmith.
But, to calm my excitement――and to tell the Extermination Team members its True Identity, I start to recite a line from the legend.
"It is the pillar that supports the world and the mother tree that nurtures all life..."
"""!?"""
Finally, it seems the others have also realized what "that" is.
"No way...!?" "Is that...!" "The legendary...!!"
I stared in shock, my eyes wide, looking up at that white pillar again.
Yeah, I nodded as if to confirm it, and I started to recite the legend.
"The branches cover the heavens, and the top pierces the sky, reaching the world of stars..."
By now, there shouldn't be anyone who doesn't understand.
I couldn't help but laugh, "Kukukuku...!!"
I'll say this on purpose.
"This is the best place to wrap up our exploration of the ≪Wooden Sword Way≫."
I turned my whole body around and looked at everyone.
Each of them had their own surprised expressions, but at the same time, it seemed like they were ready for what was to come. That giant presence was something we "should fell."
I nodded, as if to represent everyone's feelings, and said,
"That's right! We're going to take that down! That――"
"It's not the ≪World Tree≫!!!"
"――Huh?"
I turned my head to look at Lucia, who I was carrying.
"...Did you say something just now?"
"Yeah, it's not the right thing?"
"What do you mean?"
"That's not the World Tree."
"...Huh?"
I turned back to look at the white pillar again, gazing up.
"...Huh?"
"Yeah, it's not the World Tree."
"...Huh?"
"That's a space elevator. An artificial structure to transport people and goods to space."
"..."
"By the way, even if you cut it down, it won't turn into wooden sword materials. It's not wood."
"..."
...Huh?
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