Chapter 382: A Future Without Me (10)
As he fell from the clock room of the seventh floor, he vaguely sensed that the time in the outside world had accelerated. There was no doubt about it—the Heavenly Venerable had tried to send him into the future.
The fortunate part was that, just like with forced regression, he could still halt the flow of time. The frustrating part was that no matter how much he resisted, he couldn’t completely avoid the effect. He had only been exposed to Heavenly Venerable’s time acceleration for about ten seconds, but during those ten seconds, he had been sent into the future. How far into the future, he had no idea.
“I don’t know about other people, but I guarantee that I’m going to kill you, Heavenly Venerable.”
His vision was blurred from the shock of moving between floors. But to Keter, anything could be fixed by hitting it, including his own body.
Thud, thud!
After striking his head a few times, his vision cleared. The pain sharpened his mind as well, ultimately killing two birds with one stone.
“At least I arrived at the right place.”
The eighth floor was the Forest of Souls. As its name suggested, it was filled with trees, but it was far from a calming forest. Every single tree was spaced at perfectly identical intervals. Strange, fruit-like things hung from the branches, but they were blurred and indistinct. Even when he tried to focus, he couldn’t make them out. They looked like pale wisps of smoke.
“Doesn’t look edible.”
Structurally, it resembled the infinite library of the fifth floor, as this was also an endless repetition of identical scenery.
As he began walking, something like dust fell from above and touched his nose. Looking up, he saw a crack.
“Hmm. That’s not good.”
A massive hole gaped open in the sky. It resembled the void he had seen when the fifth floor collapsed, which meant the entrance to the eighth floor had already been destroyed. Though it didn’t feel pleasant, Keter wasn’t particularly irritated.
“Even if it hadn’t collapsed, getting back to the surface wouldn’t have been easy anyway.”
He had reached his destination—the Forest of Souls—but the excitement had already faded. He had learned most of the secrets along the way, and his goal had become clear, so there was nothing to look forward to.
“They said if I call, a soul will come.”
Still, he had risked his life to get here, and there was nothing else to do, so he decided to try calling one. Just as he was considering whom to summon, he sensed a presence. There were no footsteps, but something was approaching him.
“Didn’t even call, and it’s already coming.”
Curious, Keter turned his head. A woman stood there. She was stunningly beautiful, not merely because she was an elf. Even among elves, she would be called extraordinary—a being like a goddess. She wore a crown of branches and blooming flowers.
The moment Keter saw her, he frowned. He only frowned at such a beauty because he knew who she was.
At the sight of her, longing and joy surged within him, but so did sorrow. If she were here, it meant she had died.
“…Kadia.”
It was High Elf Kadia, one of Keter’s wives.
She was dead, which meant the only one left alive among his wives was Inara of the Nine-Tailed Fox Tribe.
Kadia smiled gently, as if welcoming him. That only deepened his bitterness.
“Why are you smiling? You’re just making me feel bad.”
It wasn’t as if Keter had treated her poorly when she was alive. Still, a thought briefly crossed his mind that perhaps he should have treated her better.
“What are you sorry for?” Kadia asked suddenly.
Her voice sounded exactly as it had when she was alive. Keter flinched. He had heard that souls would come to him, but he hadn’t expected them to feel this real.
Without answering, he stepped closer and touched her cheek. They were as soft and resilient as a cushion.
Keter’s eyes widened.
“It feels real.”
The sensation at his fingertips—even the faint, cotton-like scent unique to Kadia brushed past his nose. Fascinated, he continued to touch her face. Kadia did not stop him.
Can I do whatever I want?
It seemed that way. His hand moved from her face to her neck, then toward her chest…
Smack!
Kadia struck the back of his hand. Most people would have stopped there, but Keter did not. He reached out with his other hand.
Kadia let out a small laugh, grabbed his wrist, and said, “You really haven’t changed, Keter.”
“Wow… You really feel like the real Kadia.”
“Well, that’s because I am alive. I’m not a soul.”
She took his hand and pressed it against her chest. What startled him wasn’t the softness, but the heartbeat—it was clear, strong, and alive.
“Kadia… is that really you?”
“Take your hand off my chest before you ask.”
“Ahem…”
Keter stepped back and looked at her again. This situation didn’t feel real. This was the eighth floor of the underground, and yet Kadia stood before him alive. For a moment, he wondered if he was hallucinating, but he wasn’t.
Sensing his doubt, Kadia said, “You don’t understand why I’m here, do you?”
“Of course not. It’s strange enough that you’re alive, but your attitude is like you’ve already adapted to this place.”
At his serious suspicion, Kadia suddenly laughed.
“Hehe.”
“You find this funny?”
“You doubted me exactly like I expected, and I already thought about how I would explain this to you.”
“Wait. You prepared what to say? That sounds like you knew I’d come here.”
“Yep. That’s right.”
She clasped her hands in front of her waist, wearing an expression as if she had transcended everything.
“I came here first and waited for you,” she said quietly.
* * *
Keter was, surprisingly, not shocked. Like someone in too much pain to even scream, he had gone beyond the point of surprise.
Elves were said to possess foresight, something Keter already knew. But their prophecies were vague and unpredictable, to the point that people joked that they would be better off trusting a dark mage’s prophecy than an elf’s.
As if aware of that, Kadia continued, “It wasn’t an elven prophecy. Not entirely unrelated, but… Keter, you know why I came to Liqueur, right?”
“Something about restoring your race, I think.”
“Not restoring—surviving extinction. It’s not widely known, but the emperor is a ruthless purist. He intends to wipe out all nonhuman races. The war with the beastfolk wasn’t the beginning. His plans have been in motion for centuries, and it was obvious that the extinction of elves and other races was only a matter of time, even without foresight.”
Keter knew the emperor disliked other races, but this was the first time he had heard that extermination was the goal. Then again, he had never cared much about politics, so it was natural that this was the first he was hearing of it.
“Elves are said to be born strong, but you’re still a minority and not particularly aggressive. Plus, the Samael Empire is obsessed with military power. Even if all elves united, you couldn’t withstand the empire. So, you chose a dangerous path to protect your people,” Keter speculated.
“That’s close, but I didn’t come to Liqueur blindly. The World Tree told me there was an answer here.”
The World Tree was a being worshipped by elves like a god. No follower would ignore such guidance.
“So the World Tree told you to wait here for me?” Keter asked.
“It only led me to Liqueur. Becoming the guardian of this forest was my choice.”
“But you said you knew I’d come. Who told you that?”
“No one told me that. I just felt that you would.”
“You came all the way here based on a feeling and waited for me?”
“You do that all the time.”
“Fair point, but I’m insane. You’re not.”
“I came underground searching for an answer, but over time, I realized something: neither I nor all elves combined could stop the emperor. Then I thought of you, Keter.”
“Why me?”
“Because you’re full of secrets, and they are secrets even you can’t solve. Eventually, you would come to the underground of Liqueur just like I did. And if I helped you then, you would grant my request.”
“Let me get this straight.”
Keter sat down casually and began counting on his fingers.
“You came underground to save the elves from the Samael Empire, but the one who can actually save them is me. So you waited here to put me in your debt. That about right?”
“Exactly.”
“Does that even make sense? Even for a high elf, from the fifth floor onward, even Transcendentals can die. So how are you perfectly fine here on the eighth floor, acting as the guardian of this forest? This is a trap, isn’t it?”
Keter openly voiced his suspicion. Kadia knelt gracefully to meet his gaze.
“It was incredibly difficult. I had to give up everything I had. Luck alone isn’t enough to explain it. This place felt like it was meant for me. The moment I saw it, I knew that I was chosen to be its guardian, and that my role was to wait here for you.”
“Fate, huh. What a convenient explanation. So, if you’re going to help me, you need to get me out of here. Can you? I heard this place is isolated from the rest of the world, and even gods can’t leave.”
Amon had said it first, and Thanatos had confirmed it. It couldn’t be false, but Kadia nodded confidently.
“I told you, I was waiting for you. This place has many souls to manage, but I’m not busy all the time. So I prepared something—another exit, in case the original one collapsed.”
“You made a backdoor?!”
“Something like that.”
Keter sprang to his feet, grinning brightly. After being trapped in a hopeless situation, he suddenly had a way out. But the joy didn’t last long. A bad feeling crept in.
“You’re coming with me, right? Kadia.”
Kadia smiled faintly.
“You say it yourself all the time: things never work out that conveniently.”
“…Yeah. Figures.”
He could escape, but only at the cost of Kadia’s sacrifice. Plus, the fact that he had to leave even if it meant sacrificing her drove him mad.
“…Fine. What do you want me to do?” Keter asked.
“If you didn’t know, I’d understand, but now that you do, don’t ignore the elves’ suffering. That’s my request.”
“I swear. As long as I live, and as long as my descendants live, no one will ever oppress the elves again.”
“…Thank you.”
Kadia took a step back, and Keter stepped forward.
“Why are you acting like I’m leaving right now? I’ll go later.”
This wasn’t just anyone—it was Kadia. She had been with him through his stormy childhood and fiery youth. Of course he had regrets to just leave now.
But Kadia hugged him and whispered, “Keter, look around.”
At her words, Keter glanced around. They were surrounded. Countless pale souls had gathered, forming a complete encirclement.
“They gathered the moment you arrived. Some of them like you, but many hate you. They can hurt you regardless of how strong you were in life. And I can’t hold them back for long. You need to leave now.”
Normally, Keter would have left without hesitation. Instead, he held her tighter.
“If we part now, when will I see you again?”
“…This won’t be our last meeting.”
Kadia kissed his cheek and stepped back.
Voong…!
A magic circle rose beneath Keter, and a path of light opened in the sky. With a gesture from Kadia, he began to rise. At that moment, the surrounding souls lunged at him.
Crackle!
The magic circle blocked their interference. Keter tried to ignore them, but among them were faces he couldn’t ignore.
—My lord! Didn’t you promise to raise me?! Are you abandoning me here too?!
Halibo, a knight of Sefira, clung to him in desperation. During the ten years Keter was gone, many had died, including him.
As one face came into focus, countless others followed.
—I helped you, and this is how you repay me?! I’ll curse you forever!
It was Rajis, the Sword Dragon. He was someone Keter had once tried to guide, but he had veered off-track and was sealed away in the Three Thousand Worlds. He was now dead.
—Enemy of the Bydent family! I won’t let you leave here alive!
Volos joined in.
Countless others—those Keter had killed—lashed out with curses, trying to drag him down. However, there were other souls pulling the malicious ones back.
—How dare you touch my husband with those filthy hands?!
There was a little girl who died fetching food for her sick self…
—Hah! Now you owe me one!
Volkanus, the blacksmith of Sefira who seemed like he would never die…
—You damn bastard. You’re the only one who can avenge me.
Even Ultima was rooting for Keter.
“Damn it. Why are you dead too?”
Ultima grinned.
—Guys like me never die peacefully. Don’t worry about the trading company. There’s no way I would have given it to the Godfather, even over my dead body. I made sure it went to Sefira, so I did my job.
There was no time left for conversation. More and more malicious souls gathered. Even the magic circle couldn’t hold them forever.
—Go, Keter.
—Please go, my lord.
—My lord!
—O Divine Bow!
—You damn brat, go save Sefira!
There were so many he wanted to speak to, but he didn’t have time. Keter cast aside sorrow, regret, and temptation and flew toward the light.
