Volume 7 Chapter 20 The Celestial Sanctuary and the Stirrings of Pitch Black
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Looking up, the World Tree’s colossal trunk cut across the northern night sky. The great pillar, driving to the very ends of the heavens, blazed with light that seemed to erupt from within itself, painting the night gold. At the edges of vision, the colossal roots that bulged up on either side of the road pulsed low and deep toward the trunk, like living things.
”…We’re going to the Sanctuary. I need to see with my own eyes what’s happening there.”
”Yes.”
The tremor that had been in her voice moments before was completely gone. The fingers Sylvia had wrapped around my right arm shifted to a position where she could reach her sword at a moment’s notice.
We began walking again.
The smell of damp moss and the heavy scent of night soil brushed past my nose. A constant vibration traveled up through the earth from the soles of my feet to my knees. Beneath the skin of the ground, something impossibly vast pulsed with a low, steady rhythm.
The insects had fallen silent. All the tiny sounds of life that had filled the night forest moments before had been wiped away. The thickets, the depths of the groves, the shadows of the colossal roots—all lay still, as though crushed by something.
The farther we advanced, the brighter the northern sky grew, pale as a white night. The light from the canopy intensified closer to the trunk. The golden particles didn’t merely drift down—they flowed at an angle, as though pulled by something, trailing like lightsnow at the edge of sight.
I glanced toward the base of the grove. Normally, you’d expect a hare or two to be bolting away. The rustle of leaves, the patter of tiny feet—there should have been something. But tonight, nothing moved.
On the surface of the roots that bulged up on either side of the road, vein-like tubes pulsed with an eerie rhythm. For an entity as colossal as the World Tree, they were probably no thicker than threads. But to my eyes, they looked like thick, glowing arteries, each as wide as a man’s arm.
The farther north we went, the more the light intensified, burning against my retinas. The rumbling vibration pushed past my knees, reaching into my hip bones. Roots that had split the earth open rose up like writhing serpents, trying to snag my feet.
Through the gaps in the grove ahead, the pillar of light from the trunk poured in directly. With each step, the beam grew thicker, sharper.
The feel beneath my feet shifted from earth to hard flagstone. The grove thinned, and suddenly the view opened wide.
A square. Empty. There wasn’t a single person in the square besides us.
The World Tree’s trunk, now unobstructed, loomed before us like an impossibly vast wall. Even craning my neck straight back, I couldn’t see its summit. The sky should have been there, but all of it was painted over in overwhelming gold. As far forward as I looked, everything was a wall of living light. Left or right, I fell into the illusion that the trunk’s surface stretched to the ends of the horizon.
I looked down. The white flagstones threw back the golden light, blazing bright enough to sear the eyes.
There were no shadows. At my feet, at Sylvia’s feet—no darkness anywhere that could be called a shadow. The light from every direction was simply too strong. The square itself seemed to be glowing from within. When I turned back, the single path we’d walked through the grove lay behind us, dark as the depths of the sea.
”……Master!”
A cry like a scream cut through the golden silence. Four attendants came running across the flagstones. The golden light bouncing up from their feet lit their disheveled forms from below, casting an eerie glow.
Mina was the first to throw herself at me. Thump! Her small body slammed into my stomach with everything she had. Her brown bob shook against my chest, thin arms clinging to my clothes with desperate strength. Her ragged breaths warmed and dampened the fabric against my skin.
”Master… what is this…? I’m… scared…”
Her deep hazel eyes looked up at me, wide with fear.
Holding Mina against me, I turned my gaze back to the colossal trunk.
”…I don’t know. But one thing’s certain—this ain’t normal.”
Mina kept her face pressed against my chest, twisting her neck to look up at the trunk. But the glare was too bright; she squinted and winced.
”…So bright…”
She murmured, and buried her face in my chest again.
Just then, another set of fingers grabbed my right sleeve, gripping tight. I looked down. It was Erika. The color had completely drained from her pale skin, and her thin lips trembled. Her blue eyes darted nervously—from the golden flagstones to the trunk, from the trunk back to her feet.
Beside her, Anna silently gripped Erika’s free hand. Their fingers interlaced, their gazes met. No words passed between them.
A short distance away, Liana stood alone, still as stone. Her silver hair—usually perfectly braided—was disheveled. But her spine was unbowed, and her gaze on me never wavered.
”…Ryuichi-sama. Someone’s running toward us from over there.”
Sylvia’s sharp voice made me narrow my eyes. Through the haze of the flagstones’ abnormal reflected light, a figure in white came rushing toward us.
”Master!”
It was Elie-na, out of breath. Her usually pristine white coat clung to her skin with sweat. Her silver hair, normally pinned up with strict precision, had come loose, strands hanging down from her chignon.
”Elie-na—what happened? What’s wrong?”
Elie-na’s ice-cold hand gripped my arm with surprising strength. Her slender fingers trembled.
”The rock face in the deepest chamber that Master sealed—countless cracks have spread across it!”
The words came out between ragged breaths, each one more ominous than the last.
”The roots’ pulsing is beyond anything we’ve seen! That whole space is swelling and contracting, expanding and shrinking—at this rate, the seal won’t hold!”
When I’d gone down to the underground chamber before, the roots around that area had been still and silent. But with this level of violent pulsing tonight, it wasn’t hard to imagine that even the thick rock seal I’d layered over the roots wouldn’t last.
”That’s not all!”
Elie-na didn’t even try to wipe her fogged glasses as she continued, her voice rising like a lament.
”An enormous number of thick vessels—ones we’ve never observed before—are rising to the surface of the roots! Inside them, some golden fluid is rushing through at a speed that beggars belief… and all of it is being sucked into that jet-black stone tablet!”
Her icy blue eyes trembled. Her silver-rimmed glasses fogged white; with every breath, her chest heaved violently. Yet the words that came out were precise, dispassionate observations—facts she had recorded and now reported without distortion.
The deepest part of the underground. That black slab. The one that froze my fingertips white the moment I touched it—that aberrant stone tablet. The thing I’d sealed behind thick rock—was it now endlessly drinking the golden blood flowing in from the World Tree’s roots?
”…That stone tablet.”
A low voice. The muttered curse was meant for myself.
Elie-na continued.
”And there’s another inexplicable phenomenon… A giant knot-like formation has surfaced on the roots.”
Her voice changed register there, taking on a different quality. It wasn’t exhaustion—it was an instinctive tremor. The urgency in her voice said this was something she had to convey, no matter what.
”But there’s no way a knot like that should exist that deep underground. On the surface of roots where no branches could possibly grow… the vessels flowing through the roots converge there, swelling and pulsing like a tumor. You might call it a nodule where the World Tree’s flow gathers locally.”
Knots—they form where branches grow. That was the limit of my knowledge. But there shouldn’t be any branches on roots that never see light. And yet she was saying knots were appearing?
”…What is it? Are they increasing in number?”
”Yes. Just before I left, another new nodule surfaced, crawling up from beneath the skin. It should still be multiplying… even now.”
This ain’t good. What the hell’s happening down there? First, the seal’s breaking. Second, underground, there’s pulsing on a scale that makes the surface look mild. Third, the golden flow is heading for the stone tablet, and these impossible knots keep multiplying.
Staying above ground, you couldn’t tell where the golden flood was going. But according to Elie-na’s report from below, it was likely heading for the stone tablet. So the tablet was draining the World Tree.
But getting to where that tablet was would take time. Before heading straight down into the depths, there was somewhere I needed to check first.
The Sanctuary. That night, when Serafina had taken my seed through her body, the World Tree had blazed with golden light and revived—the Sanctuary was where it had all started. I needed to see what was happening there now.
”Spirit King. From over there…”
I’d been lost in thought. Liana’s sharp voice brought my head up.
From the entrance to the square, pale and hazy in the light, a crowd of footsteps approached. At the front, a mane of pure silver hair swayed. Beside it, a cascade of moonlit white. Serafina and Erland.
Behind them, the village elves followed in an anxious stream. Some had come in whatever they’d been wearing. Some had run straight from the baths, hair still wet. A few hadn’t even had time to put on shoes. The golden light pouring down painted everyone’s hair in shades of gold.
Serafina stopped before me, quietly.
”My lord. The World Tree’s will… even I cannot see it now.”
Her voice was terribly calm. But beneath that stillness, there was a tremor—the ancient unease of a woman who had watched over this place for more than a thousand years.
”But this trembling of the land… it’s more than mere joy.”
”Yeah. Elie-na just gave me the report. Down in that underground chamber, there’s golden stuff flowing through the roots. And all of it’s heading for the stone tablet in the deepest part. That rock seal I made won’t hold much longer.”
”The World Tree… being drawn to that stone tablet…”
Serafina’s eyes widened in shock. In those moonlight eyes, I saw something she was struggling to contain.
”I’m going to the Sanctuary. Serafina, you’re coming with me.”
”As you command.”
I turned to Erland.
”I’ll check the Sanctuary with Serafina. Erland, you stay here and keep everyone calm. And get the full details from Elie-na while you’re at it.”
”Yes. Understood.”
Erland nodded deeply. Behind her glasses, her eyes had already shifted toward Elie-na.
With that, I started walking. Sylvia half a step behind on my right. Serafina matching my pace on the left.
Heading toward the World Tree’s trunk. The Sanctuary was close now.
We passed the north side of the square and entered the narrow path leading to the World Tree’s massive base. On both sides, colossal roots rose up, their surfaces crisscrossed with a web of thick golden vessels. Each pulse sent a shudder through the earth beneath our feet.
Serafina said nothing. Her long silver hair swayed eerily against her back in the golden light. The usual prayerful stillness was still with her—but the distant smile I’d seen at the bathhouse had vanished from her profile. Sylvia remained half a step behind on my right, her gaze sharp and watchful.
Eventually, ahead of us, the path opened onto a massive dome formed from complex tangles of roots. The Sanctuary shrine. Serafina pushed open the heavy wooden door with her slender hands. The old hinges groaned, an ominous sound in the golden night.
We stepped inside. I looked around. The huge roots forming the domed ceiling swelled and contracted with each heavy thud. Roots that should have been perfectly still were now pulsing like living things, pushed from within by some pressure. The phosphorescent moss on the walls was unchanged. The altar in the center was unchanged. But the fact that nothing had changed only made the atmosphere more uncanny.
That night, five months ago, I’d held Serafina here. The moment after I’d poured my seed into her depths, the World Tree had blazed with golden light and awakened. Outside the shrine, the village elves had fallen to their knees before the miracle, and the night forest had been full of the light of life.
But tonight was entirely different. We hadn’t done anything in the Sanctuary. The altar sat silent. And yet, all around, the World Tree’s roots were pulsing like living creatures. The Sanctuary itself trembled with the beating rhythm.
Serafina stopped before the altar. She didn’t speak immediately. She wasn’t looking at the pulsing ceiling—she was staring at the altar, as if waiting for something to descend upon it. Or perhaps, checking, piece by piece, that nothing had arrived.
Her white fingers touched her own chest, gently.
”My lord.”
Her voice echoed quietly through the dome.
”This is not the same cycle as that night.”
The golden pulse reflected in her moonlight eyes.
”That night, your power filled my vessel and reached this altar. It passed through me and returned to the World Tree.”
Her slender fingers remained at her chest, unmoving.
”But tonight, my vessel is empty. …Nothing has reached the altar.”
Serafina slowly raised her head, looking up at the roof of pulsing roots.
”The World Tree trembles this violently. And yet… this golden current does not pass through the Sanctuary.”
Serafina’s words fell to the stone floor.
Thump. The roots pulsed. The ceiling swelled, and the golden vessels flared bright for an instant.
But the altar remained cold and silent. Serafina’s vessel had received no sacred power.
Not the Sanctuary. Not Serafina. Not the altar. This was not the path of that night, five months ago.
If that was true, there was only one destination.
Underground. That cursed monolith that devoured mana. The deepest chamber where that black stone tablet rested. All the golden blood of the World Tree was flowing there.
”Serafina. Sylvia. We’re heading back to the square.”
I looked away from the silent altar.
”The problem ain’t here. I’m taking Elie-na. We’re going underground.”
Serafina bowed her head deeply.
”…As you command, my lord.”
The roots of the Sanctuary pulsed again, low and heavy.
That ominous trembling was rising up from far beneath our feet.
—
Summary:
The protagonist and Sylvia journey to the World Tree’s base, witnessing the tree’s unnatural golden pulsing and the eerie silence of the forest. Mina’s fearful embrace and Elie-na’s desperate report reveal that the underground stone tablet is draining the World Tree’s power. Serafina confirms that the sanctuary’s cycle is broken, leading the protagonist to conclude they must go underground.
—
Trivia:
The World Tree’s golden light previously represented a blessing, but now it signifies an ominous draining event.
The stone tablet froze the protagonist’s fingertips white on contact, indicating it is extraordinarily cold or hostile to life.
Serafina has watched over the World Tree for over a thousand years and has never seen a cycle like this.
The vessel is Serafina’s body, which previously channeled the protagonist’s power to the altar.
The nodules forming on the roots are unnatural growths that should not exist underground without branches.
The seal on the rock face was applied by the protagonist and is now cracking under pressure.
The four attendants are Mina, Erika, Anna, and Liana, each with distinct emotional responses to the crisis.
The protagonist’s seed was poured into Serafina five months ago, triggering the World Tree’s revival.
The golden particles trail like lightsnow, suggesting they are being pulled by an external force rather than falling naturally.
The square is described as empty of shadows, indicating the light is coming from all directions equally.
Notes:
• Sylvia – A platinum-haired, jade-eyed Elven commander and advisor, she possesses a graceful, disciplined demeanor and speaks with refined elegance. As Ryuichi’s devoted partner and liaison, she shares an intimate spiritual bond with him. Carrying the Spirit King’s ring, this observant protector watches over her comrades and shares a sisterly connection with Lara, honoring her past while serving with poise.
• Ben – Struan’s son and Torben’s nephew, this young man served as a callous guide at their base, assisting in the family’s slave-trading enterprise. After confessing to his role in Mia’s death, he was bound by Stone Ball magic and drowned by Ryuichi. His corpse was later stored in the Interdimensional Space as a trophy of the protagonist’s retribution.
• Mina – A petite, rich-figured Elf and devoted partner, she serves as Ryuichi’s affectionate attendant and garrison archer. Often clinging to him and sharing his space, she uses her unique thermal magic—fueled by her high body temperature—to warm him. Beyond her constant, physically expressive doting, she remains a skilled combatant, supporting him both in their shared private life and on the battlefield.
• Erika – A thin, 23-year-old former Empire mechanic and soldier, she is now Ryuichi’s traumatized, submissive household servant. She features blue eyes, a flushed complexion, and long, unkempt dark-golden hair on an emaciated, scarred body. Deeply affected by the protagonist’s influence, she struggles with composure, often dissociating to suppress terrifying war memories.
• Anna – A serious, quiet attendant and former medic remembered from the Stone Chamber as strong and self-sacrificing. She once offered herself into slavery to save Erika’s life and now shares a deep, unspoken bond with the protagonist. Serving Ryuichi as a slave, she performs household duties like preparing meals while navigating a complex, submissive relationship with her master.
• Liana – A refined, silver-haired elf attendant, she serves Ryuichi with serene, quiet precision. Fiercely loyal yet cold to others, she disdains corruption, dispatching threats with water magic, archery, and a dagger. Beyond her composed facade lies a deep olfactory obsession and a desire for pregnancy. She stands watch over Ryuichi alongside Mina, ever ready to eliminate any obstacle with calm lethality.
• Ryuichi – A towering, muscular 40-year-old Spirit King with Japanese past-life memories, he now bears striking platinum-white hair. Leading an elf village with black, glass, gravity, and interdimensional magic, this pragmatic, blunt mentor protects his growing polyamorous household. While commanding and composed, he remains a devoted provider to his wives, including Sylvia, and values his loyal companions.
• Ryu – A man with Interdimensional Magic who leads a growing household. He acts as a provider and protector for his slaves, while maintaining a pragmatic and blunt personality.
• Elie-na – This white-coated research chief has pale skin, bluish-silver hair in a chignon, and silver-rimmed glasses. She possesses a sharp, slightly sinister intellectual demeanor, analyzing ancient relics, magic laws, and unknown tech with rapid-fire tactical calculations. Fanatically focused on supporting her team, she resets her neurotransmitters for stability and secretly fears losing bathroom privileges.
• Elie – An eighteen-year-old virgin research director with pale skin, glasses, and silver hair hiding her eyes. Sold into slavery by her parents to reduce mouths to feed, she now wears a white coat, functioning as a cold, calculating assistant. Driven by an obsessive, mad fervor for forbidden magic, her chilling, detached attitude leads her to treat buyers and others as research specimens to be corrected.
• Serafina – A silver-haired Elf High Priestess with captivating moonlight eyes, this 1,200-year-old sage serves as a devoted handmaiden to Ryuichi and Lady Pearl. Commanding both sacred magic and intellectual precision, she manages the household while guarding the sealed domain. Burdened by prophecies regarding her people’s future, she remains a calm, philosophical observer wary of modern technology’s reach.
• Spirit King – The protagonist and absolute ruler is a male who serves as the sole, detached source of mana for an Elf village ritual. Possessing limitless stamina and dominant magical abilities, he can heal others and completely reconstruct the physical forms of those he subdues.
• King – A powerful, authoritative male lead who possesses immense physical strength and magic. He commands absolute loyalty and submission from the inhabitants of the Silver Moon Village.
• Erland – A 320-year-old elf with a voluptuous figure, sharp features, silver-white hair, and glasses. As a Village Elder, she combines elegant manners and a bewitching voice with straightforward, respectful speech. She wields a staff and folding fan to command earth magic and barriers. Devoted to protecting the Spirit King, she dutifully defers to Serafina while struggling to balance her role as a tactician.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply