Chapter 320

Chapter 320
## Chapter 320

—

Historically, it was the established tradition for the Patriarch of the Eight Houses to be interred only after receiving the hallowed benediction of the World Tree once their life had reached its conclusion. It was universally held that only through this ritual could they attain genuine peace and be welcomed into the divine embrace of God. However, because he had aggressively claimed Lyca-hyung as his successor and barred the entrance to the Eight Houses, the former Patriarch, Dantalion, had been stripped of his right to receive the World Tree’s blessing. Consequently, his return to this sacred ground was strictly forbidden.

…Or so it was intended to be.

Had it not been for the intervention of Lyca-hyung.

‘If it wasn’t for Hyun…’

Success would have been an impossibility. He would have never managed to erode the stubborn resistance of the Great Elder and the remaining leadership. Instead of achieving a higher state of being, he likely would have perished by now. Under such circumstances, his status as the Patriarch would never have been validated. This was the driving force behind his relentless journeying between the Empire and the Sanctuary. He had traversed a distance that normally demanded a twenty-day trek in a mere five days. His sole focus was to deliver the remains of his mentor to this spot a day, a minute, or even a second sooner.

Perhaps that accounted for the sensation. The burden that had weighed upon his shoulders for his entire existence felt miraculously absent today. His frame shuddered slightly, and his surroundings seemed to whirl. No, he was not mistaken. Lyca-hyung quickly grasped that the intensity of his feelings was no mere fantasy.

“Ah…”

The heavy droplets hitting the ground were not the result of a storm. Unbeknownst to him, Lyca-hyung was weeping. He sobbed with the vulnerability of a child. He searched his memory for the last time he had shed tears, unsure if he ever truly had. He couldn’t prevent his heart from aching at the realization that his mentor, Dantalion—who had surrendered everything for his sake—was finally being integrated into the World Tree.

It was a tangled web of feelings. Yet, if it were only grief, Lyca-hyung would never have broken down this way. This powerful wave was unmistakably joy. It was the first time in his life he was experiencing a sense of absolute freedom!

“……”

With steady hands, Lyca-hyung lifted his master’s remains from the burial case. Dantalion. Despite the passage of decades, his physical form appeared exactly as it had during his life. Even his facial expression remained rigid, as if he were a man clinging to an old grievance. But Lyca-hyung understood the nature of that regret. Dantalion had been born and raised within the Sanctuary. He must have spent every waking moment longing for the day he would return to this place to be taken in by the World Tree. He understood better than anyone the depth of despair his master must have felt when that path was closed to him.

“May you find your rest at last, Master.”

Lyca-hyung bowed his head in a gesture of profound reverence. And then… a miracle took place.

A solitary pillar of radiance descended from the heavens. A rift formed in the sky that had been choked with dark, gathering clouds. Blinding sunlight washed over the body of the former Patriarch. At the exact same moment.

“Ah!”

“T-The World Tree…!”

The onlookers, particularly Great Elder Albino-nim, stared at the sight in disbelief. The massive roots of the World Tree had broken through the earth, winding themselves around the body of the previous Patriarch, Dantalion. Albino-nim had witnessed the leaders of the Eight Houses receive blessings on numerous occasions, but he had never beheld a sight like this. He had never seen the World Tree reach out to physically embrace an individual. Even upon the death of a Druid, the roots of the World Tree remained motionless.

The wonders did not stop there.

‘His face…?’

The stone-cold expression of Dantalion, Lyca-hyung’s mentor and the former head of the Eight Houses, shifted. The edges of his lips curved upward into a faint smile. It might have been a trick of the light, or perhaps a physical reaction caused by the movement of the roots.

“Master. Please… find your peace there.”

Lyca-hyung also allowed a smile to form. There could be no greater grace than this, neither for him nor for Dantalion. This was the ultimate salvation.

Sshhh.

Moments later, Dantalion’s physical form dissolved into earth and fine dust, beginning to drift away into the air. He had released all his earthly attachments and finally embarked on his eternal trek. Yet, before he vanished entirely, he left a parting gift for his pupil. Witnessing this, Lyca-hyung laughed even louder, struck by the sheer absurdity of it.

“Yes, I will see that it is delivered properly.”

He clearly grasped the significance. However, unlike the laughing Lyca-hyung…

“……!!!”

“T-That is…!”

“My eyes aren’t deceiving me, are they?”

“Heh!”

The council of elders was paralyzed by shock. The object the former Patriarch, Dantalion, had left behind… it was…

Gulp! Great Elder Albino-nim swallowed hard in anticipation.

—

I watched Lyca-hyung in silence as he stood before me. Having been touched by the World Tree’s grace, his presence was fundamentally altered. I don’t mean his physical appearance; it was his aura, the very air around him. He carried himself with a new sense of ease, as though a crushing weight had been lifted from his soul.

“Take this. It belongs to you.”

Shortly after, Lyca-hyung extended his hand. Resting on his palm was a small object.

“I cannot take that.”

I shook my head in refusal. This was a legacy the previous Patriarch of the Eight Houses had intended for Lyca-hyung. It wasn’t my place to possess it.

“If you refuse it, I will simply burn it. I have no use for it regardless.”

“……I see.”

His resolve was absolute. I was left with no choice but to accept the gift. I leaned in to inspect what I had been given. On my palm sat a tiny seed. It was the item the former Patriarch, Dantalion, had produced as his body turned to ash. He had transmitted a seed glowing with a brilliant light to me. As I gripped it and observed it closely…

**[Seed of the World Tree (Void)]**

* It is a kernel that carries the ‘Holy Lineage.’
* It is formed from the ‘Golden Rule.’
* It links the world together and creates equilibrium.
* ????
* ????

Information regarding the item materialized before me. I was stunned. To think this was a seed of the World Tree itself. However, the data was incomplete.

‘What’s with the question marks?’

Specifically, much of the ‘readable data’ was obscured. Multiple lines were replaced by question marks, indicating the information was either missing or beyond my current capacity to decode. This happened occasionally with items that exceeded the rank of one’s observation skills. But with my observation abilities at their absolute limit and my unique traits, there was almost nothing I couldn’t perceive. If it remained hidden…

‘It implies the outcome depends on my actions.’

Moreover, it felt strangely familiar. The Holy Lineage. I had encountered that term while preparing to challenge the ‘Abyssal Labyrinth.’ I had consumed the ‘Golden Fruit’ provided by the Constellation of the Radiant Hero, which was later revealed to be the ‘Fruit of the World Tree,’ allowing me to successfully integrate the ‘Holy Lineage.’ That was the moment my hidden trait ‘Druid’s Natural Affinity’ ascended to ‘High Druid’s Great Nature.’

Yet, this was a seed, not a fruit. Conventionally, it should be sowed in the earth.

“Am I permitted to use this seed however I wish?”

“Yes. It is your property now, so your methods do not concern me.”

This seed was essentially his mentor’s final testament. He was giving me full autonomy over its use. Given his threat to destroy it, he clearly wasn’t being deceptive.

“I understand.”

I gave a firm nod. And then…

Gulp!

…I swallowed the seed of the World Tree.

“Gack!”

“W-What do you think you’re doing…!!”

The elders watching the scene nearly collapsed in horror. To think I would simply eat it when it should have been planted in the soil! In that instant.

Twitch!

Starting from my throat, waves of energy began to pulse through my entire system.

Whooooosh!

Glowing golden threads erupted from my skin, swirling around me in a frantic dance. It was the Golden Rule. I sat down immediately and began to regulate the flow of power. Simultaneously.

**<>**

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The process was slow. The energy was far more potent than the fruit I had previously consumed. It was clear that total absorption would be a challenge. Just then, a hand pressed against my back.

‘Lyca-hyung.’

He was aiding the process by channeling his own power into me. This was an incredibly perilous move. If the energies clashed, Lyca-hyung’s internal flow could destabilize, leading to a fatal backlash. He didn’t care. He poured his entire being into ensuring the seed’s power was fully integrated.

**<>**

**<>**

The stall ended, and the rate began to climb rapidly.

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**< Light (20%), Darkness (80%) >>**

……

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“……My congratulations,” Lyca-hyung said, being the first to speak.