Player Who Became A Constellation [EN]: Chapter 222

The mercenaries, captivated by her beautiful appearance, gazed at the goddess, silently pleading for her favor. They brazenly displayed their physiques and brawled amongst themselves, their uncouth behavior fueled by the hallucinogenic influence. Gaian, however, remained indifferent to their antics, her gaze sweeping the crowd as if selecting choice items.

She pointed and beckoned to a handful of mercenaries. “You, and you… you… you… follow me.”

With that, Gaian headed towards the base of the World Tree.

Beneath the colossal World Tree, the spaces between its roots formed a network of caves, ranging from vast chambers to small alcoves.

“Yes!”

“I was chosen!”

“Haha! Paradise awaits!”

The selected mercenaries cheered and eagerly trailed after Gaian.

Lenic clicked his tongue in disappointment. “Wow, those guys got picked. When will it be my turn?”

“What… is that?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Men and women going to a secluded place at night… there’s only one reason,” Lenic said with a suggestive grin.

Cancun, who had been drinking sap, blinked, then blushed as she understood Lenic’s implication. Lenic burst into laughter at her reaction.

“Haha! What, are you innocent rookie mercenaries?” Amused, Lenic chuckled and continued, “I heard that if you go in there, you experience unimaginable ecstasy. That’s why they’re clamoring to be chosen. We call them the ‘chosen ones’.”

“Chosen?” Loki asked, and Lenic nodded.

“Yeah, they say they live a life of luxury inside the World Tree, feasting on sap and fruit, enjoying eternal life, playing, eating, and sleeping. Ah… look up there.”

Lenic pointed towards the World Tree’s trunk. A human-shaped shadow flickered within one of the tree’s hollows. It was waving its hands.

“The chosen ones are waving in joy. Damn… I want to be chosen too.”

Loki narrowed his eyes.

*That is…?*

The figure Loki saw within the World Tree…

*That’s not a human.*

It was something else entirely.

***

Despite the night, the Kaprik Territory was bathed in an eerie glow from the pollen drifting down from the World Tree. This made escape difficult, as the Deshar soldiers maintained a constant vigil.

A woman watched the patrolling soldiers through a crack in her door, her heart pounding.

*Was he from Asgard?*

The man who had given her and her grandmother potions earlier that day… the potions were exclusively distributed in Asgard.

*I heard they’re only given to really important people…*

The woman recalled the recent events. Having failed to evacuate, she had been captured by the invading Deshar soldiers and confined to her home under guard. One of the soldiers, overcome by lust, had attempted to assault her.

It was Kudan Raguna who had intervened.

“Take this. It’s precious. Endure and endure. Asgard will come to save this territory!” He had given her a potion and escaped through the underground waterway. She knew its properties well, having used a similar potion before.

She had contracted the plague, but thanks to Kudan, she hadn’t been forced to drink the World Tree’s sap distributed by the Deshar soldiers.

*It might be a trap.*

But if they were from Asgard, disguised as Deshar soldiers to rescue her or Kudan Raguna… she had to help them.

The woman grabbed a lantern and headed to the warehouse behind her house. Lifting a carpet on the floor, she revealed a drainage channel connected to the underground waterway.

Opening the channel, a foul stench wafted out.

*I never thought my grandfather’s secret illegal construction would be helpful.*

He had secretly expanded the warehouse without permission, creating a drainage channel that connected to the sewer. The warehouse reeked and was practically unusable, but now it was a lifeline.

Carefully, she descended the ladder into the darkness of the underground waterway.

“……!”

The woman was overwhelmed by the oppressive darkness. Could she really find Kudan Raguna in this labyrinth?

*But… he seemed to come every time.*

Whenever she left bread near the entrance, it disappeared. She hoped he had taken it.

Of course, rats could have eaten it…

Still…

She had left a note on the bread, hoping he would read it.

With a silent prayer, the woman began to make her way through the underground waterway.

*Splash-.*

From the depths of the waterway, a bear-like man emerged, picked up the bread, and examined the note.

***

Loki tilted his head.

The distance made it difficult for most to see clearly, but Loki, Cancun, and Sharin could discern the figure’s true form.

It was humanoid in shape, but withered like a mummy, its body entwined with tree vines. Pollen dusted the flowers blooming across its surface.

The fully bloomed flowers and the grotesque smile visible between them created a truly unsettling sight.

*That can no longer be called a human.*

The way the tree vines animated the corpse gave it the appearance of a plant zombie.

Sharin stared, frozen in horror, and stammered, “Gaian, the Constellation, is a goddess, right? But… isn’t she a bit too… promiscuous?”

“Well, she’s a Constellation. Unlike us, her desires must be strong. I don’t know why she’s enjoying herself with prisoners, though.”

“Prisoners?” Loki asked, turning to Lenic.

“I heard that most of the captured prisoners are taken under the World Tree’s roots. Both men and women. I don’t know exactly what they’re doing with them…”

Lenic leered suggestively, then glanced at Sharin.

“Come on, let’s eat and drink.” Lenic urged, and Sharin reluctantly ate the sap and fruit. At first, she seemed hesitant, but soon she was consuming the World Tree’s offerings with gusto.

“It’s, it’s sweet. It’s delicious!” Sharin held out a fruit to Loki. “Try this!”

Loki looked into Sharin’s eyes. They were unfocused and blank.

“…Reina, follow me.”

Loki grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet.

“Hey! Where are you going!?” Lenic demanded, rising from his seat. Cancun blocked his path.

“We’re taking a break by ourselves.”

Lenic grumbled and watched Loki’s group walk away.

Loki led Sharin behind the tent, to a secluded spot.

“Loki-nim?”

“Apply divine power.”

A subtle corruption was taking root in Sharin’s heart. Divine power would help to purify it.

Sharin blinked and focused her divine power. It spread from her heart, pushing back the strange energy.

The haze in her mind began to dissipate.

Sharin blinked again, then bowed her head to Loki, her face flushed with shame. “I, I’m sorry! I’m causing trouble again…!”

“No, thank you. Thanks to you, I was able to gather information.”

“…….”

“Are you alright?” Cancun asked, examining Sharin’s eyes.

“…There’s still some hallucination lingering. Please continue to apply divine power.”

“Yes…” Sharin nodded.

*I thought I was somewhat resistant to hallucinogens…*

This was far more potent than the frenzy mushrooms of the Kron Empire. An ordinary person would have been completely overwhelmed.

Loki and Cancun surveyed the area around the World Tree.

“Loki-nim. There.” Cancun pointed to the base of the World Tree’s roots.

Beneath the World Tree’s roots, the massive structure was riddled with holes, forming a labyrinth of caves. There were thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of these openings, making them impossible to guard.

Loki headed towards them, followed by Cancun and Sharin. As he moved, he began to understand what Lenic had meant.

Loki glanced down at the dry, brittle ground. Instead of healthy grass, there was only withered vegetation, drained of life.

Loki’s group moved silently, slipping into a small hole that barely accommodated their bodies. The space gradually widened, leading them into a large chamber.

“Hahahahaha!”

“Oooooh! Goddess!”

Voices filled with pleasure echoed through the chamber.

Loki, Cancun, and Sharin exchanged glances and moved towards the source of the sound.

They soon understood the nature of the cries.

“T, this is…!” Sharin gasped, her face paling with horror.

“…I see. This is…”

The scene before them was a horrifying spectacle.

A chasm had formed beneath the roots of the World Tree, filled with a fetid, muddy swamp. Above the swamp, something floated.

The mercenaries that Gaian had led away. Their bodies were pierced by plant stems, their faces contorted in a mixture of pleasure and agony.

“This is a place to make fertilizer to grow this monster tree.”

Sharin’s pupils dilated in shock.

*A corpse…?*

Numerous corpses. The bodies of various races and species from across the continent filled the swamp.

*Tsutsutsuk-.*

From the swamp, tree stems writhed like tentacles, as if possessed of their own malevolent intelligence. They pierced the floating corpses.

*Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!*

Each time the tree stems drained the nutrients from the corpses, the bodies withered, their bones crumbling into dust.

*Kwarururuk-!*

Greenish sap gushed from holes in the World Tree like a waterfall.

Cancun and Sharin stared in disbelief.

“Try it! This sweet honey is a sap that only comes from the World Tree. Originally, it’s said to be a very precious honey wine that only the Constellations drink.”

The two, remembering those words, felt a wave of nausea.

They had been drinking alcohol made from human fertilizer!

They vomited in disgust at the thought that they had consumed the excrement of this monstrous tree.

“…Crazy.” Cancun whispered, her pupils trembling.

The image of people being drained of their life force while still alive was seared into her memory.

Everyone had celebrated, believing they were going to paradise, praising the monster tree that held humans captive with its alluring sap, only to become its nutrients!

Suddenly, tree stems rose behind Cancun and Sharin. The sharp thorns were like spear blades.

They enveloped the two in an instant.