Chapter 956 – 956.Yggdrasil (7)
The gravedigger said.
It is said that the lifespan of a dead soul is determined by the memories of the living who remember it.
And that’s ironic…
“Huh…”
The same was true for the graveyard ruler who ruled over the land of the dead.
As his son, the only one who remembered him, died, his soul was slowly disappearing.
I asked urgently.
“What should I do!?”
Armonia and Kang Han-na were the first to respond to my voice.
[Are you asking me to show you the gravekeeper’s condition?]
[How do you do it? .]
‘No. ‘You didn’t tell two people!’
[?]
While I was chatting with Armonia and Kang Han-na, a voice came into my head.
〈 Unfortunately… The child’s death cannot be prevented.〉
“…”
I was so angry for a moment that I almost said something.
I wondered if the reason for calling him was to watch over the gravedigger’s death.
‘No. Even if it’s business, it’s not a reason to be angry.’
Actually, if you think about it, it was something to be thankful for.
There would be nothing more miserable than finding out that the grave keeper died in vain while you were away for a moment.
Fortunately, the owner of the voice spoke to me kindly, as if he couldn’t read my emotions.
〈That child… Please take me to the top of Niflheim.〉
“…”
I thought about it for a moment.
An unidentified voice.
A similar pattern existed in my memory.
The light in Baron’s dreams.
At first, I hesitated because I thought it might be something similar to that light.
While I was hesitating…
〈 Please. Please tell that child… Please give me final rest…〉
The voice was no longer heard after saying the last words.
The only people left in this dark room were me and the gravedigger.
I gritted my teeth and made a decision.
“Can you move now?”
“Huh… Ah… It won’t work… It’s like…”
The gravedigger barely managed to utter an answer as if he was dragging his life out.
If you take the gravedigger with you in this state, it seems like your life will end and you will disappear before you go.
If so, there is one way.
I immediately put my hand on the gravedigger’s shoulder and said,
“Please hold on for a moment.”
“Hmm…”
When I cast the spell of possession, the gravedigger’s soul seeped into my body.
And the moment the gravedigger’s soul entered my body…
“Keuuuuuck!!”
The feeling of death began to tighten my heart.
As soon as Armonia saw my actions, she urgently shouted.
[Suho! You need to get your soul out! If you stay as is now!]
‘No! Are you okay!!’
[It’s not okay! I mean… !]
I ignored Armonia’s words and took out the 2nd floor pass from my inventory and used it.
The place we arrived at using the pass was the 2nd floor, Neo Niflheim.
A fog that seems determined not to allow even a single ray of light in the sky.
A space where only the dead can enter.
The place we arrived at using the pass was in the middle of Neo Niflheim village.
“What, what? “The living?”
“Ah… A friend from before…”
Everyone was surprised at first, but soon realized my identity and expressed disappointment.
But I shouted to them without paying any attention to the condition of those souls.
“Where is the mountain of Niflheim!”
“You, the mountain of Niflheim? If that’s the case…”
“It’s a mountain behind the gravekeeper’s castle.”
As soon as I heard his answer, I started running to the gravekeeper’s castle without saying a word of thanks.
Souls who are confused when they see me running at full speed…
“Isn’t that a living human who came before that friend?”
“That’s right! “This is the friend who recently called the gravedigger to this world.”
“But where are you doing it in such a hurry?”
“Isn’t that the mountain of Niflheim?”
“The mountain of Niflheim…”
On the way to the castle, other souls looked at me and meditated.
But right now, their appearance didn’t come into my eyes.
Just…
“Keuuuuu!”
All I could do was run, holding on to the death that was gradually tightening around my heart.
[Suho! It’s no longer dangerous!]
[First, take out the soul and take it with you!]
Although it was only a moment, I was almost tempted by the words of the two people.
That’s how much the energy of death hovered over my body made me afraid.
But…
‘Then it’s too late!’
I struggled to withstand the whispers of the two people and ran with all my might.
As I ran, I felt the candle of the gravedigger’s soul within my body gradually going out.
‘Please hold on just a little longer… !’
I activated my dantian to increase my internal energy, and used my internal energy to perform the Heavenly Wind Divine Technique.
Unlike when I just ran at full speed, my speed became much faster because I was able to dodge between trees gracefully.
But the moment the speed increases…
‘… Uh?’
Suddenly the surroundings changed.
..
..
A skeleton wearing a cloak looked around and sighed deeply.
“… “You’re really dead.”
He, a being who had to die, was killed by someone.
It is not a god who shakes the earth or a god who confuses the world with his speaking skills…
“Baron…”
Died by his son
The identity of the skeleton is King Seon.
The King took a deep sigh and looked up at the sky.
A foggy place.
A place where the dead can find final rest before their souls disappear.
It was Niflheim.
The good king looked up at the fog-filled sky of Niflheim and muttered.
“You… “I’m sorry I couldn’t stop it.”
Clearly, the late king’s skills far exceeded those of the Baron.
The king was the one who had the power to fight and directly defeat some, but not all, gods.
Even the late king could not defeat his son in the end.
“Please do not accumulate sinful karma…”
The late king held his sore heart and settled down in Niflheim.
Niflheim was already overflowing with dead people.
But the unmanaged afterlife was a complete mess.
“We need to solidify the system first.”
The late king thought so and began to rally the dead.
The dead recognized the identity of the late king and immediately began to follow him as if they were worshiping him.
Let’s take care of Niflheim like that and let’s go for a few days…
“Your Majesty!!”
Umbra’s people and his subjects began to come to Niflheim.
Since it was a city with so many people, it was inevitable that there would be death.
But they…
“All together like this… What happened? ?”
They came all at once, as if they had been killed in droves.
“Your majesty…”
Everyone hesitated to speak, but eventually told the truth as if confessing.
“We… “He was executed for treason.”
“Ugh…”
It was heartbreaking news just to hear.
“Your Majesty!”
As soon as the late king heard the news, he clutched his chest as if in pain, and the people who saw him calmed him down.
The late king was barely able to calm down thanks to the consideration of his people.
And while thinking of his son, he prayed earnestly in his heart.
‘Please stop…’
However, despite the late king’s wishes, the dead continued to come.
“Your majesty…”
“Majesty…”
The people continue to pour into Niflheim…
However, the late king apologized to them all, one by one, even though he felt heartache.
“I’m sorry… Because of my immorality…”
And fortunately, the late king’s apology reached the people of Umbra.
“No!”
“Although death was vain, my life was not vain. “It’s all thanks to Your Majesty’s kindness.”
But unfortunately, there were some people to whom the late king’s apology did not reach.
“Yes, because of your son!!”
“You signed a peace treaty and then invaded!”
They were elves killed by Baron.
“I’m sorry…”
The late king sincerely bowed down and apologized to them.
But the late king’s apology…
“I don’t want to receive your apology!”
It was not accepted.
But the late king did not stop his apology.
I visited the group of elves every day and apologized sincerely.
“I’m sorry…”
“Go away!! “Because I don’t want to see your ugly face anymore!”
A year has passed.
“I’m sorry…”
“Shut up… “We all know it’s not sincere.”
Two years have passed.
“I’m sorry…”
“… “I don’t even want to see it.”
3 years… 4 years… 5 years… And before you know it…
“I’m sorry…”
“…”
50 years have passed.
The late king apologized without missing a single day for 50 years.
The elf who had first verbally abused the former king opened his mouth with complex emotions showing on his face.
“… “Now that you’re here, please come in.”
“How can I accept your treatment?”
“Joy… “Are you saying you don’t like my house?”
“Of course not.”
“Then come in.”
That’s how the group of elves accepted the good king.
And after a few years…
“Fuhahaha! “That’s really funny!”
“Eight! “Didn’t I tell you not to laugh?”
The people of Umbra and the elves began to live in harmony as a group.
For them, there was no sense of racial pride or superiority.
Just…
“I’m curious. Can’t elves flap their ears?”
“How can that be?”
“Can we do it?”
“You are a beast!”
“How about practicing? “I want to see an elf flapping its ears.”
“I will never do that!”
We lived as if races did not exist.
And…
“Your majesty.”
The elves also began to recognize the former king as their leader.
The former king was taken aback by the elves’ sudden nickname and clapped his hands.
“I am no longer king. Besides, there is no need for you to use that kind of honorific title for me.”
“This is our heart. Please accept it.”
“…”
The late king looked burdened and barely opened his mouth.
“Your recognition… “I will keep it in my heart and think about it every day.”
And as soon as he became leader, the residents of Niflheim, ruled by the late king, made a suggestion.
“How about making a castle?”
“Castle… ?”
At first it was negative.
But after listening to the explanation, there were parts that made sense.
“If you build a castle and maintain the form of a large city, it will be easy for aimless wandering souls to settle in.”
Niflheim was a place where countless souls ended their lives in their own way.
Although the system was established after the King’s arrival, there were limitations.
“… “Like you said, that would be good.”
The gravedigger was convinced and agreed to build a castle.
In fact, there was another decisive reason for deciding to build a castle.
‘Even if it is the soul, it is also important to move the body.’
Rather, it was thought that it could provide a little joy to bored souls.
And the effect was good.
But an unexpected situation also unfolded.
“You’re going to build two castles?”
He said he would build two castles where one was planned.
However, there was a reason why residents made that suggestion.
“The castle in the village is our home, and the dungeon we built was in case it turned into a home for lost souls.”
Among the souls, there were quite a few souls wandering aimlessly without belonging anywhere in Niflheim.
The idea was to create a home for such souls to hide in.
“I hope to gradually interact with the souls who stay like that, build friendships with them, and give them rest.”
“What a great idea!”
The late king decided to follow their words.
In this way, they built a castle in the village where they originally lived, and built another city in a dungeon far away.
It was also an old-fashioned city that suited the image of the late king.
But unfortunately, a message arrives…
-After one week, residents of Yggdrasil will not be able to use the dungeon.-
It plunged souls into despair.
“They suddenly stopped me from entering the dungeon!”
“I worked hard to create a city… !”
It was an incomprehensible message, but there was nothing they could do.
Yggdrasil’s orders are absolute.
“…”
However, the late king placed the cursed items inside the dungeon as if he were defying such orders.
One thing that stands out among them is…
“Your Majesty, that mirror… ?”
It was a mirror.
Hehe, it’s a mirror I specially made.”
In the past, it was a mirror made by a previous king to imprison those who committed sins.
But everyone didn’t understand.
“But no one can enter this dungeon anymore…”
Hehe, isn’t that something no one knows? And don’t worry too much. “The mirror was manipulated to be effective only inside this dungeon.”
It was a small revenge.
A small revenge for preventing the residents from using the city they worked so hard to build.
“You worked so hard to make it, but wouldn’t those strict guys be able to enter it at will in the future? “If you go in like that, you have to pay the price.”
Haha! “I had no idea your Majesty had this kind of appearance.”
Thanks to the late king’s actions, everyone was able to relieve the stress in their hearts.
So time began to pass again.
After Ragnarok…
“Father!”
“Sera!”
The children of Umbra and elves who settled here began to slowly arrive.
“I missed you!”
“Sorry! “By dying and leaving you alone!”
Even though it was an encounter that resulted in death, no one felt miserable.
Except for one person…
‘Until when… Are you planning to accumulate sinful karma?’
The late king simply prayed earnestly for his son to come here.
But unfortunately, before his prayers reached…
“Your majesty… “Thank you for everything.”
“I am grateful that you were by my side.”
The people of Umbra left first.
And a few decades later…
“Your majesty… “I’m sorry for leaving first.”
“Thank you for being by my side all these years.”
The elves also began to gradually disappear.
He wasn’t sad.
‘Everyone… ‘Thank you.’
All the souls leaving the late king…
“I will sincerely pray that Your Majesty’s last wish will come true.”
“… “Thank you so much.”
It was because it filled his heart with rest.
As the King watched the sky as he sent away the last elf, he heard a girl’s voice in his head.
〈My child.〉
“… “You’re here.”
The late king closed his eyes and listened to her words, as if he already knew the owner of the voice.
A soft voice flowed into his head, as if responding to the late king’s listening.
〈Please… Suffer no more, embrace rest.〉
