Chapter 590

“Did you really make a lighthouse?”

“You said it would be nice to have a lighthouse.”

“Even so.”

Tesserina looked at the lighthouse Zeon had created with a dumbfounded expression.

The heat still lingered, and the surrounding sand was sizzling.

The black lighthouse rising tall above the yellow desert was certainly eye-catching.

If there were a lighthouse like this, it would surely serve as a landmark in the desert. But a look of regret appeared on Tesserina’s face as she gazed at it.

It stood out too much.

There was no way the monsters would leave such a foreign structure alone.

No matter how solid the structure was, if the monsters decided to attack, it wouldn’t last long before collapsing.

“It won’t last long.”

“I suppose not.”

“And you still made it? Even knowing it’ll be destroyed soon?”

“So what?”

“What do you mean, ‘so what’?”

“If it gets destroyed, I’ll just make another one. No problem.”

“……”

At Zeon’s answer, Tesserina was left speechless.

On Earth, he was the only one who could say such a thing.

It was something absolutely impossible for anyone else.

Zeon looked at the lighthouse he had made and said,

“I don’t know when the war against the monsters will end, but it’s ridiculous not to make something just because you’re afraid it’ll be destroyed. If the monsters tear it down, I’ll just make it again. Then, like you said, people will gather here using the lighthouse as a landmark. As humans gather, their strength to resist the monsters will grow. And as we gradually secure human territory like that, someday we’ll be able to drive out all the monsters.”

No matter how strong Zeon was, he couldn’t kill every monster in the desert alone. The beasts’ reproductive power was terrifying, and no matter how much they were hunted, their numbers wouldn’t decrease.

In the end, there was only one way.

All of humanity had to join forces and secure territory faster than the beasts could reproduce.

The method to gather the humans scattered across the desert was simple.

Build landmarks in various places and guide them to the magic stone mines, Neo Seoul, or the Steel Fortress.

As long as they reached the Steel Fortress or the magic stone mines, they could interact with Neo Seoul. Neo Seoul would secure valuable human resources, and those who joined would receive support in the form of cutting-edge magitech items.

In that way, humanity’s numbers would grow while the territory of the monsters would shrink.

With portals installed that allowed free travel between regions, it wasn’t an impossible task.

Once a portal was installed in the World Tree village, a transportation revolution would occur. Of course, that didn’t mean the World Tree village would be opened, but the mere fact that they could move instantly whenever they wished would become a powerful advantage.

After staring at the lighthouse he had created for a moment, Zeon said,

“Let’s get going.”

“Okay!”

“Yes!”

Tesserina and Levin followed after Zeon.

Two hours after leaving the place where the lighthouse stood, Tesserina turned back. Even from that far away, she could still see the black lighthouse in the distance.

‘I hope that lighthouse is still standing the next time we come.’

Even knowing it was an impossible wish, Tesserina sincerely hoped it would come true.

---

“Uaaaah!”

Del Roa’s scream echoed through El Harun.

The state of the World Tree fused with Del Roa was utterly miserable.

All the small branches had been cut away, and even the thick branches were broken and hanging loosely. The leaves had long since disappeared, and deep wounds were carved into the massive trunk.

All of it was damage from the fierce battle with Dantal.

From this battle, the World Tree had suffered fatal injuries.

It was barely holding on thanks to its fusion with Del Roa, but it wouldn’t be strange if its vitality vanished at any moment.

The battle with Dantal ended in Del Roa’s defeat.

Even the Sword of Kobaltán, which he had kept hidden in a place no one knew, had been taken by Dantal.

The aftermath of the defeat was immense.

Half of El Harun had been destroyed, and countless lives were lost, caught up in the battle.

If Krudu and the others hadn’t rushed in late to join the fight, Del Roa himself would have lost his life.

The problem was the World Tree.

Already weakened to its limits, it had now suffered fatal damage.

The World Tree could no longer be saved.

It didn’t have much time left.

To make matters worse, Pankrena Volcano had erupted, and a tidal wave of lava was surging toward them.

There was no strength left to divert the lava, and no power left in the World Tree to withstand it.

Now, the destruction of El Harun was inevitable.

“Uaaaah! Dantal!” 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Del Roa cursed Dantal, who had hastened El Harun’s destruction. But he knew all too well that no amount of curses here would reach Dantal.

At that moment, Krudu, the leader of the giants, approached Del Roa.

“Lord Del Roa! You must leave El Harun now.”

“You’re telling me to abandon El Harun?”

“With the World Tree having lost its power, it cannot stop the lava from Pankrena Volcano. Even now, we must leave and find a new settlement.”

“A new settlement? There’s no such place…”

Del Roa responded skeptically to Krudu’s words.

The only place that could accommodate all those remaining in El Harun at once was Neo Seoul. But he knew better than anyone that with their current strength, they couldn’t do anything against Neo Seoul.

If Neo Seoul were so easily conquered, they would have taken it long ago.

Neo Seoul’s technology and power were far beyond anything El Harun could compare to.

A direct confrontation would end in certain defeat.

Reading Del Roa’s thoughts, Krudu spoke,

“Not Neo Seoul.”

“Then?”

“We take the place where Riala went with the humans.”

At Krudu’s words, Del Roa frowned.

“And you know where she went?”

“We’ve already set a tail on them.”

Not all humans followed Riala with sincerity.

Having lived together for a long time, there were humans who had ties with the giants. Using them, finding the new settlement was no difficult task.

Krudu continued,

“We received reports from surviving beastmen and giants who went out to search for the World Tree. They discovered a massive fortress where humans are gathered. The humans and elves have likely gone there.”

“A fortress that large exists?”

“Yes! Which is why we should take that fortress.”

Krudu’s eyes gleamed fiercely.

In the past, he would never have made such a decision.

There was nothing to gain from confronting humans head-on. But El Harun stood at the brink of destruction, and its people needed new land.

If things continued like this, the different races that had barely held together would scatter.

It was obvious what fate awaited those scattered across the desert.

To prevent the fragmentation of the races and unite them, a proper settlement was necessary.

“…Hmm!”

“We don’t have time to deliberate. Look. Can’t you see that wave of lava?”

Krudu pointed toward the direction where the lava was advancing.

He had fought desperately to divert it, but even with the strength of the giants, they had ultimately failed.

El Harun was situated within a basin-like canyon.

Once the lava reached the entrance, escape itself would become impossible.

Del Roa bit his lip hard.

“We abandon El Harun and take the humans’ fortress.”

“A wise decision, Lord Del Roa!”

“Krudu, take all those remaining in El Harun and evacuate immediately.”

“And you, Lord Del Roa?”

“I’ll leave on my own.”

“Understood. I will take all the races and evacuate first.”

Even in this situation, Krudu’s trust in Del Roa remained firm.

He bowed to Del Roa and ran toward where the other races were gathered.

Left alone, Del Roa looked around with eyes filled with fury.

Fwoosh!

The forest that had been carefully nurtured under the protection of the World Tree was burning fiercely from volcanic ash and embers carried from Pankrena Volcano.

The pain of the trees was vividly transmitted to Del Roa, who was one with the World Tree.

“Urgh!”

In extreme pain, Del Roa bit his lip.

A look of rage spread across his face.

He was furious at Pankrena Volcano for inflicting this pain on him, at Dantal for bringing the situation to this state, and at the humans and elves who had fled to save themselves.

Such anger had been absent for a very long time.

“I will not let any of you go.”

His rage became his strength.

Crack!

Del Roa’s face and body began to separate from the World Tree, slowly pulling away.

A scream from the World Tree could be heard.

It felt as though it was begging him not to abandon it.

But Del Roa turned away from its cries.

He had lived as one with the World Tree until now.

Its scream made his heart feel as though it were being torn apart.

If he could, he wanted to share its fate to the very end. But there were those he had to protect.

For their sake, Del Roa had to live.

‘I’m sorry.’

Del Roa sincerely apologized to the World Tree as he severed the connection.

Rip!

Becoming one with the World Tree had been painful, but separating was even more so.

As if his flesh were being torn apart, Del Roa shed tears of blood.

‘I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry. Curse this pathetic me.’

Apologizing to the World Tree, he completely tore his body free.

The price of forcibly separating the fused body was brutal.

His entire body felt as though the flesh had been ripped away, bringing unbearable pain.

“Uaaaah!”

Del Roa’s scream echoed through El Harun once more.

At that moment—

Boom!

In the distance, Pankrena Volcano erupted again with a massive explosion.

It was an eruption that signaled the complete death of the World Tree.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

As if releasing all the rage it had been suppressing, Pankrena Volcano began to erupt in full force.

Volcanic ash and rocks poured down like rain, and a mushroom cloud shot high into the sky.

Thunderstorms raged, and the earth shook as if the end of the world had come.

It was the final day of El Harun.

Del Roa moved step by step with great difficulty.

Having been one with the World Tree for so long, walking felt unfamiliar. Even so, he did not stop and continued forward.

At the entrance of El Harun, all the different races had gathered.

Their faces were filled with despair.

Some were crying, while others shouted toward the sky, venting their rage.

The fact that they had to abandon the land where they had settled for over a hundred years filled them with despair and helplessness.

Del Roa bit his lip until it bled as he looked at them.

“We will not collapse like this. We will find a new place and settle there, so follow me.”

“Yes, Lord Del Roa!”

“We will follow you even to the ends of hell!”

Even in this situation, their trust in Del Roa remained unshaken.

They firmly believed that he would find a new settlement and lead them.

“Move out!”

At Del Roa’s command, all the races began to move.

The moment countless people escaped the burning El Harun, an enormous wave of lava rushed in.

Rumble!

The tide of lava swallowed El Harun whole.

Everything they had carefully built over a hundred years melted away without a trace.

“Sob…”

“To think El Harun would disappear like this…”

“Please… let this be a dream…”

The different races watched the end of El Harun with expressions of disbelief.

Before long, the vast canyon where El Harun had stood became a lake of lava.

Del Roa muttered.

“Now all that remains for us is plunder. I will take everything.”