Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint - Chapter 604



Even a Wildfire Starts from a Small Spark – 2

The residents under the shade of the World Tree live under its shade. In reality, the Tree of Origin stands tall above their heads, blocking the sun all year round. The residents spend their lives receiving only fragments of sunlight that filter through the leaves.

Some say that the Tree of Origin is not the World Tree. No tree bears different fruits on each branch. Moreover, fruits that bear beasts are beyond common sense.

But to the inhabitants of the World Tree, it was a good story. Rice and wheat growing instead of leaves? What a blessed tree! Even meat grows on it?

What is good for me is a miracle and grace. Common sense was not a significant contemplation for the inhabitants under the shade of the World Tree.

However, grace disappeared as suddenly as it came.

“The leaves are falling!”

“The crops haven’t been growing well these past few days…!”

The confusion intensified because it had never happened before. The World Tree, which had grown again on the land where the World Tree had burned and fallen. The land that received its grace should always be abundant. Suddenly, the leaves began to fall, and the crops started to drop.

The people living above felt the anomaly first. Anxiety fueled the confusion, and people acted collectively to understand the situation.

“Our guardian, Anubis! There is a big problem with the World Tree! The World Tree is withering!”

The Anub tribe, who happened to visit, was the perfect target for their appeal. The Anub tribe, composed entirely of dog-headed people, were the guardians of all nations and the loyal dogs of the afterlife. After losing the World Tree, they voluntarily guarded its surroundings. The Anub tribe pricked up their ears and listened to the people’s voices.

“What? The World Tree is withering?”

“Yes! The crown is drying up, and the leaves are falling! Look!”

“Indeed…! It’s not the time for that yet, but the leaves are falling! It’s a strange omen!”

The Anub tribe sensed that something was wrong. Just then, the human king appeared. There could be no connection between this anomaly and the human king.

“The new World Tree should be under the care of the Great Witch. Has the Great Witch said anything?”

“There’s no word from above yet!”

“Grrr. We must go up.”

The chief of the Anub tribe, Jackal Anub, growled as he looked at the trunk of the World Tree, towering like a mountain. Still grand and vibrant, but the countless falling leaves tinged even that grandeur with a poignant emotion.

Jackal Anub steeled himself.

“We cannot repeat the sins our ancestors committed in the distant past!”

The Anub tribe could not protect the World Tree, Muhoo. It wasn’t because they were lazy or lacked loyalty. On the contrary, it was because they were too diligent and loyal.

What Muhoo Agartha wanted to create were hundreds of thousands of ‘cloned’ beastmen, which could have posed moral and fundamental questions to the beastmen tribes loyal to Agartha.

For that reason, Muhoo Agartha deliberately kept the beastmen tribes far away from the World Tree. As a result, they couldn’t prevent the rebellion.

But such taboos were buried in the ashes along with the World Tree, and all that remained were memories of searching for people in the blackened ashes. The Anub tribe, with their charred hearts, became the witch’s hunting dogs, and after the hunt, they waited for the day Muhoo would return.

“And if the true human king has returned! Finally, we will have a new master!”

The great witch did not bear Muhoo’s duties. Instead, she received the ancestor’s blood. Therefore, the Anub tribe treated the great witch with respect as a witch, but did not serve her as their master.

However, if it were the human king, he might rule this land in place of Muhoo. If there is a World Tree and a king, all nations will return.

The Anub tribe tried to climb up.

If something hadn’t fallen from above.

From how high it fell, the black shadow descended in an instant without giving them a chance to notice. A brief impact shook the roots of the World Tree. But for a moment, the black shadow stood up as if nothing had happened.

To be fine after falling from this height. A surprised Anub tribesman shouted.

“A leopard!”

“Woof. It’s a dog.”

Blanca Baskerville, who answered briefly, stood in front of the Anub tribesman without a single disturbance. Recognizing her identity, the Anub tribesmen slightly relaxed their ears and tails that had been perked up.

“A black dog. Our kin.”

“That’s right. Woof. We are kin searching for a master to put our collars on. Nice to meet you. But….”

Blanca looked at the Anub tribesman with slightly sympathetic eyes.

“Don’t come up. The situation above is quite complicated right now. We don’t have the capacity to accept you.”

Sympathy is the feeling of pity and sorrow for someone else’s misfortune. It is not something shared between equals. Blanca felt pity and sorrow for the Anub tribesman.

Noticing this, the Anub tribesmen bristled.

“What did you say!”

“Awooo! Who do you think you are!”

Jackal Anub raised his hand to silence the crowd. He calmly asked again.

“What is happening? Why is the World Tree shedding its leaves?”

“These leaves? Awoo, to put it simply, the World Tree is under attack right now.”

“Attack? By whom?”

“It’s hard to say for sure, but the entire world?”

“Grrr. What does that mean?”

“It will be difficult to understand. Woof. But there’s something like that. A sense that the world is rejecting me. A feeling of certainty that things will never go as I wish.”

Being abandoned by the order of the gods is like that.

The watchdog family refers to a loyal dog-human family that has served a noble family for generations. The Baskervilles were a famous watchdog family that even served the emperor. All Baskervilles had their ears and tails cut off from a young age and received strict training through whips and leashes to become perfect butlers or maids.

However, there were opinions that the existence of the watchdog family was somewhat barbaric, no different from slaves, and that they should be liberated. Some nobles who agreed with this performed acts of giving them freedom. When the watchdog family, effectively driven out, caused trouble, public opinion about them worsened.

The watchdog family, gradually losing their place, sought another family to rely on. Naturally, a villain who didn’t care about public opinion took them in.

While doing dirty work like that, they eventually took the blame and fell into ruin. Such an end came.

Blanca felt suffocated and hoped this emotion would be conveyed.

“Just like now, woof.”

“I don’t know what you mean, but it seems they are trying to separate us again.”

But the Anub tribe is not so easily defeated. The origin of the Baskervilles is the Anub tribe. They may lack the skills and knowledge compared to the Baskervilles, but their vigor is unmatched.

“Awooo! We cannot lose the World Tree again. The leaves are falling, and the branches are withering, and you tell us to wait quietly! Is that what you say to those who have protected this land!”

Jackal Anub ignored Blanca and shouted to the tribe members.

“Considering your and the Archdruid’s honor, I won’t take everyone up out of courtesy. But the warriors, including myself, will go up!”

“Ah, that’s a variable I find hard to accept.”

The attack of the celestial beings is beyond comprehension. Allowing a dozen strong beastmen to reach the floor of the commander is unacceptable.

Moreover, bringing in outsiders when the fate of the human king is uncertain is burdensome, even if the Anub tribe is close to being allies.

Blanca made a decision.

“No.”

Muttering, Blanca approached one of the Anub tribesmen, grabbed his hem, and threw him down to the root below. The Anub tribesman, who flew without knowing why, rolled on the ground with a yelp.

Fast and powerful. What stood out even more was Blanca’s technique, as natural as flowing water. Blanca, who had learned hand-to-hand combat as a member of the watchdog family, had reached the pinnacle of martial arts and acrobatics.

Jackal Anub growled, glaring at Blanca.

“Growl. Are you going to stop us by force?”

“Just as you have duties, I have things to do, woof. You can’t go.”

Jackal Anub bristled. At the same time, other tribesmen also distorted their faces, bared their teeth, and slowly surrounded Blanca. Over a hundred black dog beastmen encircled Blanca, showing intense hostility.

“Blocked by just one of you! We’ll break through! We’ll do it ourselves!”

“Awoo. So it comes to this. I’m used to it, though.”

Grumbling, Blanca took out a pair of gloves from her pocket. They were luxurious black gloves that matched her black fur and suit. Putting them on, Blanca Baskerville turned into a beast dyed black from head to toe.

The opponents were over a hundred black dogs. It didn’t matter if they were killed, but the great witch would hate it. They had to be kept alive as much as possible. Blanca, who had finished preparing for the fight, lowered her stance and complained one last time.

“Awoo. The great witch should see this. Where on earth did she go?”

“Nenyaf!! Stop right there!!”

At that moment, the great witch, having spotted Nenyaf in the crowd, was chasing after him. Recognizing the great witch, Nenyaf fled, almost getting caught but not quite. Even though he was riding the fastest black panther in the jungle, he managed to escape.

After quite a long chase, the great witch realized that Nenyaf was luring her.

“Lure them…? This should be enough to lure them…! Show your face!”

The Grand Witch bit her finger. Elder’s blood stretched out like a string. The Grand Witch used her own blood as a medium to cast black magic.

“Spur of the earth. Throbbing of hooves. I bestow my blessing, let the storm dwell in your flesh.”

The flowing blood seeped into the familiar, the black panther. From its eyes to its heart, the scattered blood energy spread throughout the black panther’s body in sync with its heartbeat.

The black panther’s eyes turned red with blood energy. At the same time, its steps became faster and larger. The black panther, running unimpeded through the dense jungle, surged behind Nenyaf in an instant.

“I told you to stop.”

With a chilling voice, the black panther pounced on Nenyaf’s back. Just as its large claws were about to press down on Nenyaf’s shoulder,

“Holy Sword, Sheathe.”

A branch of light sprouted from behind Nenyaf, who had invoked a small miracle. Pure power shot out like lightning, tearing through the black panther’s body.

In an instant, the black panther twisted in agony. It rolled on the ground, letting out a rough scream, and the Grand Witch’s body, losing control, was flung away.

Just before the collision, two parrots flew in from somewhere and grabbed the Grand Witch’s shoulders. Relying on the desperately flapping parrots, the Grand Witch slowly descended and looked at the still suffering black panther.

“Blood energy…?”

It wasn’t actually pierced. The light only stripped away the blood energy and black magic. The black panther was in pain because the link was momentarily severed and the control scattered.

Feeling the control dissipating from the black panther’s body, the Grand Witch muttered.

“You’ve learned some strange tricks…!”

“The faith I possess has taken form.”

Nenyaf slowly approached, sheathing the holy sword that resembled a branch. The Grand Witch gathered her strength, preparing for battle, but Nenyaf had no intention of fighting her.

“And that faith is not mine alone. The light I wield is the power of faith felt by many humans.”

“Faith…?”

“Birth must be blessed, growth must be encouraged, and death must be majestic. Rejecting a birth that is insignificantly formed within a fruit, denying the power gained by sacrificing life, and refusing a death that is consumed like an old shoe. That very faith has become my sword.”

From noble mtl dot com

When one’s own faith touches the universal consciousness, the holy sword manifests. The holy sword is the power of faith and also the qualification to prove oneself as a true servant of the celestial god.

And faith is something to be shared with others. Nenyaf did not simply wield the newly acquired weapon.

“Even the pure and innocent princess, overflowing with talent… could not accept the sight of a human being ravished within the fruit. There are lines that must never be crossed and values that must be upheld. I, like the princess, have followed those.”

Nenyaf’s holy sword precisely pierced the heart of the still-confused great witch, taking root within it.