Chapter 312

A blizzard raged across the pure white snowfield.

Tap tap tap.

Sirka had been dreaming for some time now. Her seemingly perpetual journey across the icy sea, without shoes, was merely a figment of her imagination. Suddenly, she looked down at her feet on the frozen surface and she saw something…

Crack…!

Every time Sirka's small foot took a step, cracks spread across the surface. The ice was so thin it felt like an eggshell, it seemed like even a slight misstep would cause it to shatter. And below that…

Splash… Splash…

The pitch-black sea of the abyss rippled. It was so deep that she couldn't see the bottom.

Whirl—

Sirka's small body swayed from the harsh blizzard that suddenly swept in from all directions. Thankfully she quickly regained her balance and stepped forward. Carefully, but with firm steps that never faltered.

Her footprints followed behind her like a long tail. Seeing that, Sirka suddenly recalled the past. From when she was very young. No… from the moment she was born until now.

It was familiar. This harsh, cold winter was the playground and grave of the ice elves. A harsh frost, where only the footprints of those who survived remained. And the grave of the countless kin who couldn't leave their footprints and were buried in the cold. Those who survived were the strong…

'I am strong.'

Sirka moved forward with unwavering steps. And after walking for a while, she saw something. Her eyes narrowed. Beyond the seemingly endless white blizzard, a giant shadow flickered in the distance.

'A pillar?'

At first, she thought it was a very tall pillar. But when she looked closer, she realized it wasn't. After walking for a while, Sirka finally understood what it was.

'The World Tree…'

The World Tree. The divine tree where the power of the Rulers resided. A majestic pillar, incomparable to Elvenwood. And… the tree that held the Primordial Darkness. As Sirka finally found her destination and her footsteps turned towards it…

[Sirka…]

Flinch.

Sirka's head turned in surprise at the sudden voice. All she could see was a white blizzard. But the voice continued.

[You are not qualified to be a Monarch.]

…Crack!

'…!'

Suddenly, the ground beneath her caved in and her bare feet were submerged in the black sea below. That was the moment when Sirka's dream turned into a nightmare.

Crack! Crack, crack!

'The ice shattered!'

The nightmare suddenly struck. A harsh cold swept in, even fiercer than before, centered around her.

The blizzard completely obscured her vision. And Sirka's sharp ears twitched in surprise at the sound of cracking coming from under her feet.

Craaaack…!

The ice beneath Sirka began to shatter like a spiderweb. And black water gushed out from the cracks.

Splash!

'…?!'

What jumped out from the pitch-black water was a hideous monster. A magical beast resembling a shark, but much more grotesque and terrifying. It lunged towards her with its maw wide open, filled with fangs. Sirka barely dodged those teeth by twisting her body. But that was only the beginning.

Splash! Splash! Splash!

Countless monsters began to emerge from the black sea. The ice continued to shatter. Sirka desperately moved her feet as the surface she could stand on gradually decreased.

'The World Tree…! I have to get to the World Tree!'

Using the pinnacle of the Elven Footsteps. Sirka leaped from one ice shard to another using them like stepping stones. Each stride was precarious. It felt like she would become prey to the countless monsters chasing her if she made even a single mistake. Truly a nightmare. Sirka's dream had turned into a nightmare where she was desperately running away from monsters. And then she heard a voice from behind.

[Give up. That place is more suited to me.] The Nightmare Apostle. The one who turned Sirka's dream into a nightmare spoke.

[I will take the Monarch's power.]

'Don't be ridiculous! That power is mine!'

As if mocking Sirka's outburst, the monsters' attacks became even fiercer. But she didn't change direction and continued running towards the World Tree, faintly visible in the distance. And as she did, the Nightmare Apostle's attacks became even stronger. That was when.

Crack!

Something unidentified was blocking Sirka's path.

'...!'

At first it was just a lumpy pink mass. But as the shape became clearer, Sirka couldn't help but be surprised.

'That's... me?!'

A face that looks exactly like her. But the skin was pitch black, and the hair was silver like moonlight...

'Dark Elf'

The Apostle of Nightmare, who had transformed into a form that was called that, looked down at the real Sirka's entire body with a cold gaze.

[The power of ice and winter. Your vessel is too insignificant to contain that.]

[What I have is efficient.]

Phew!

At that moment, all the nightmares surrounding Sirka became more intense. A heavy snowstorm blew in, obscuring her vision. The monsters that had been drooling across the thin sheet of ice rushed in with even greater ferocity to devour her. In the meantime…

Swoosh-!

An ice arrow shot by the Apostle of Nightmare flew towards Sirka who barely avoided it, but that wasn't the end. Just like the number of monsters, the number of arrows also increased. But even in all this, she never forgot her purpose.

'The World Tree...! Just a little bit...!'

– It's too hard to fight.

– There is no need to fight.

Sirka continued to run forward, ignoring the numerous nightmarish voices, and as a result, the World Tree was getting closer and closer. But the Apostle of Nightmare's attacks also became more intense.

'Ugh!'

Finally, a black ice shard grazed Sirka's leg, leaving a wound. And a smile appeared on the dark elf's lips. 

[I got you.]

Suddenly, hideous tentacles sprouted from Sirka's wound and wrapped around her leg. She instinctively realized their identity.

'Elvenwood! You're trying to turn me into Elvenwood!'

[Indeed. Those scraps are much more suited to you than the World Tree.]

The nightmare smiled with satisfaction. And at his gesture, countless tentacles resembling tree roots soared up from the black sea and attacked Sirka, trying to drag her into the pitch-black water.

'Oh no!'

At that desperate moment, Sirka closed her eyes tightly. And then…

Flash!

Suddenly, from high above, A single ray of darkness fell like lightning.

BOOM!

That darkness cut through all the tentacles and pulled Sirka, who was falling into the black sea, back up.

'…?'

Sirka was startled as someone lifted her in their arms and hurriedly checked their face.

'Are you alright?'

'…S-Suho? How did you get here?'

Sung Suho. He had intervened between Sirka and the Nightmare Apostle… And Beru as well.

[KIEEEEEEEEEEK! So this is where you ran away to!] Beru roared fiercely from Suho's shoulder.

Although he was small and didn't look threatening, the killing intent in that roar was real. Suho glared at the Nightmare Apostle with Sirka in his arms and raised his lips.

'I told you I'd see you soon.'

[…You actually followed me here? Nothing ever goes according to plan when you're involved.]

The Nightmare Apostle, who had taken Sirka's form, let out a hollow laugh, seemingly a bit dumbfounded.

But that was all. He always had a backup plan. Besides, it wasn't like his scheme had completely failed.

[You know? My plan had already succeeded the moment I interfered with this succession ceremony.] The Nightmare Apostle, quickly regaining his composure, bowed elegantly towards Suho.

[I didn't choose nightmares as my path of evolution for nothing.]

He had gathered information from all over the world and calculated every possible scenario. Even if there were some variables, the result wouldn't change. Even the fact that Sung Suho was the Shadow Monarch's son, that he had become the priest of the Monarchs, was all part of his plan.

[This is already a nightmare that I rule. Even you can't use your power here.]

The moment he snapped his fingers…

Splash!

'…?!'

Space distorted, and they were all pulled into the black sea. And at that moment Suho's shadow disappeared. The dark ocean was like a world without light. A void where even darkness couldn't exist.

[Can you see?]

The Nightmare Apostle spread his arms wide at the center of that void.

[I can do anything in this nightmare that I rule. And no one can use their power here without my permission. Your shadow is the same.]

At that moment, hideous monsters swam through the sea of the abyss towards Suho.

[They're called Void Sharks. Maggots that clean up the scraps of the dimension by wandering the void.]

Void Sharks. The countless shark-like monsters that attacked Sirka now rushed towards Suho to devour him, their maws wide open with sharp fangs bared. But…

'…Is this all?'

Suho wasn't flustered at all and just stood tall. Tilting his head with Sirka still in his arms.

'S-Suho! It's dangerous!' Sirka was terrified and struggled in Suho's arms. But he just patted her and calmly spoke to the Nightmare Apostle, who was looking down at them with an arrogant expression.

'You seem to be mistaken about one thing.'

Suho took a step into the sea of the abyss. Then, surprisingly, a shadow bloomed from under his feet. The Nightmare Apostle's eyes widened in surprise.

[H-how…!]

'You rule nightmares.' A cold smile appeared on Suho's lips.

'But darkness… doesn't belong to you.'

[Using Skill: 'Monarch's Domain'.]

Suho's shadow exploded from under his feet.

'Darkness belongs to my father.'

[…!]

That pitch-black shadow began to devour all the attacks the Nightmare Apostle created.

'And you don't seem to know because this is your first time here, but this is the Sea of The Afterlife, where the World Tree is.'

[Kill him!] The Nightmare Apostle, flustered for the first time, desperately strengthened the nightmare.

Shark-like monsters, Tentacles resembling tree roots, All of them rushed to tear Suho to shreds. But even as he watched that,

'So…' Suho calmly reached out his hand and ordered,

'Arise.'

And then…

It was as if time stopped. The Void Sharks, which had their maws wide open right before Suho, froze in unison. And their forms distorted grotesquely, scattering like black smoke and gathering again. Just like that… New shadow soldiers were born.

[KYAAAAAAAAAAH!]

[…?!]

The Nightmare Apostle couldn't help but be shocked.

[Wh-what…?!]

'Whether you control the nightmares or not, this has long been the world my father ruled.'

[…!]

At Suho's words, the terrible nightmares that had been hindering Sirka turned towards the Nightmare Apostle and lunged at him with their maws open.