Book Eater

A hell that was peaceful.

Red sand flew in all directions, and there was sharp wind that cut through rocks and occasionally devoured clouds in one go. If a living being was caught up in this, no traces of them would be left behind.

It was a land where death whirled every year.

Furthermore, even if this vortex was avoided, it still wasn’t a place for life. The dry land and intense sky couldn’t grow even a single weed. This was a graveyard for the life that roamed across it.

This was the Red Plateau.

It was a land that had been burned to death by the fire of Fafnir, who had descended with its main body thousands of years ago during the Age of Mythology.

Despite it all, there was a man who walked through this hell alone.

Step.

After several steps, he stopped moving, and his face was revealed through loose robes.

He had black hair and blue eyes. The man was over 40 but looked like he was in his mid-20s.

"Hmm?”

Theodore Miller, the supreme great magician of the magic empire, lowered his chin and looked down at the dried ground.

There wasn’t a single ant on the barren land.

The aftermath of Fafnir’s ‘Eraser’ had been drying up the ground for a thousand years.

That’s right, had.

This was only the case until a few years ago.

“...It is still a bit early, but weeds will grow in 10 years,” Theodore said with slightly wide eyes.

It was truly amazing.

This land, which had been the same for a thousand years, would revive over just a few years. In the next ten years, weeds would grow little by little. In 100 years, there was a good chance that this would become a meadow, if not a lush forest.

Furthermore, the reason didn’t have much to do with Theodore.

‘Is it the power of the World Tree? But it wasn’t enough to restore Elvenheim. It did restore the soil fertility outside the forest though. Dmitra’s divine power must’ve had some effect.

Yggdrasil, the World Tree, and Dmitra, the god of earth.

It was a possibility because both of them had powers related to ‘life.’ Even an incomplete World Tree could recreate the powers of the past if there was Dmitra’s divinity.

It was indeed the heart of this world.

Even if Theodore didn’t do anything, life could be restored to this Red Plateau.

“Then—”

But if he helped, he could move it forward by decades.

Theodore made up his mind and spread out his palms.

Ever since coming into contact with the Akashic during a fight 17 years ago, his capabilities had progressed without stopping for even a moment. The time he stayed there was for only a few minutes, but the knowledge and power that flowed in him during that time was enough to make him need 10,000 years to relive it.

Theodore’s current level was only a few levels lower than that of Simon Magus, but his knowledge was superior.

‘This magic is part of the knowledge that flowed in during that time.’

Clap. His palms slammed together and Theodore’s eyes lit up with a subtle purple light. That light opened up a view that the living wasn’t allowed to see.

The Eyes of Azrael.

It was the magic that allowed one to see the Underworld that was adjacent to this world.

The boundary between life and death collapsed before Theodore’s eyes.

“Umm.”

At the same time, Theodore groaned briefly.

His entire field of view shimmered like there was a haze. No, the haze was a mass of specters. The procession of dead that was so numerous that no one would dare to count their numbers stood in front of him and stretched to the horizon.

They were a remnant of an old era that was annihilated by Ragnarok.

Thousands of years after the Age of Mythology, he was looking at the existences who had already forgotten who they were.

‘There is no malice or ego. But... it is a problem that can not be left alone. It can’t be helped.’

These shadows had no real power, but this amount could have a detrimental effect on the restoration of the land.

Still, there weren't any strong resentful spirits or bound spirits.

Had it been so long that they were worn down?

“Please attain enlightenment.”

Theodore said a simple goodbye and chanted a spell.

Om mani padme hum.

It was a mantra that was more famous than the six great mantras of Guanyin Bodhisattva. Its purpose was to close the gates of the six paths, so it was perfect for guiding the souls that hadn’t left this earth even after death.

Immediately after his chant, a divine light flowed from Theodore’s body.

It was the light of vajra, which symbolized the virtue of a Buddha of great power.

Like ice on a hot summer day, ghosts all over the place disappeared. They didn’t struggle at all and just disappeared with a faint smile on their faces.

Their souls didn’t perish.

They would return to the smallest unit of the soul, the spirit, and be reincarnated as another being. Eventually, the ghosts in Theodore’s purple eyes diminished rapidly until there was nothing left.

“...Sigh.”

Theodore finished the memorial service and immediately withdrew the Eyes of Azrael. He only used it for a few minutes but his eyes were already throbbing.

Azrael, the angel of the apocalypse, was too high of a being. Despite only borrowing a bit of its perspective, it had put such a burden on him.

‘But I am done with the work.’

The Red Plateau was no longer the land of the dead. Life force would flow from the World Tree without the ghosts blocking the germination. This land would change significantly in around ten years or so.

In turn, that prosperity would further increase the power of the World Tree.

His role ended here.

“Okay, let’s get going.”

Theodore stood up, dusted off his palms, and looked at the distant horizon. Then he started to walk at a brisk pace again.

With each step, kilometers were compressed as he traveled through space.

This was the magic he learned from Horta, the former White Tower Master.

* * *

How many more steps did he take?

After passing through a land that only contained more desert in the east, west, north and south directions, a lush forest appeared in front of Theodore.

No, it wasn’t enough to describe it as lush.

The trees grew taller and bigger than most towers. Plants that couldn't exist in an environment other than a major forest were intertwined without opposing each other.

This was a miracle that could be seen because the ultimate plant, the World Tree, existed here.

“Huh?”

Theodore was enjoying the scenery when he suddenly raised an eyebrow.

‘Someone is coming.’

He didn’t even have to use his super senses. A magician who had reached the 9th circle could handle mana within a radius of several kilometers like it was his own limbs. As such, Theodore could detect beings moving within this range even with his eyes closed.

Soon after, Theodore realized the identity of the other party and laughed sheepishly.

He had no choice but to do so.

“He—y!”

There was a tremendous shout from the far side of the forest.

It was such a loud volume that it couldn’t come from human vocal cords. If it was heard up close, then his eardrums might’ve burst.

As if to follow the sound, a series of people ran out of the forest.

“As expected.”

Theodore saw them and laughed slightly before he greeted the woman who stopped just a few steps away.

“It has been a while, Tiger King.”

“Yes! Stop by more often!”

Tiger King agreed loudly and put her arm around Theodore’s shoulder. She was around 190 cm tall, so his whole body shook.

Unlike her sad tone, Tiger King’s attitude was friendly.

The ears that protruded from her hair twitched a few times, while the tail coming from her back fluttered softly as if in welcome. Looking at her this way, it was like looking at a cat that had just grown in size.

“S-Sister! What should we do if you leave us behind?!”

The beast people who followed her a few beats later gasped.

They were spirit creatures who had developed a hierarchy relationship. Tiger King seemed to have become the chief again, just as before.

Theodore looked at them and paused for a moment.

For some reason, there was a familiar beast clan member.

‘Oh, it is that guy.’

The hair that resembled a lion’s mane brought back old memories.

Orlando, the chief of the Stone Lion Tribe.

When Theodore visited Elvenheim decades ago, he was the one who picked a fight with Theodore, only to faint after one blow. Perhaps this person noticed the meaning of Theodore’s gaze as he paled and lowered his head to the ground.

In any case, Theodore had no intention of bringing up the past.

“Now, let’s go in! We can talk about the backlog of matters while going in, okay?”

Tiger King was unable to read the atmosphere and pushed his back. Theodore shrugged and nodded.

“Yes. There is no particular rush.”

“Ohh! Then let’s have a drink in the evening?”

“Okay.”

Theodore was actually going to stay in Elvenheim for a while anyway.

Hearing his answer, Tiger King smiled brightly and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Is it a promise? It’s been a while since I’ve called that bear. If I tell him that you are here, he will jump out of his cave.”

“Haha.”

The only one who was special to them was Theodore, who could be called an outsider. Moreover, Theodore brought news of Lee Seol in the east, so he had to stay up late every time he came.

Once again, it looked like it was going to be a bitter day.

The moment Theodore and Tiger King entered the forest, the dense trees and bushes split side to side as if clearing a path.

It was as if the forest was welcoming him with its own will.

It could be said that the current World Tree had become one with Dmitra. Perhaps it had already noticed Theodore’s visit back during the Red Plateau’s memorial service. This World Tree was finding its true strength with every passing day.

Two people walked with the beast clan hanging behind them like tails.

After talking about nothing special, they talked about the forest that was different from how it had been a few months ago.

“Now I can barely see any signs of demonic creatures.”

“Ah, those things? They dried up after sweeping them away last time. Were we not supposed to kill all of them?”

Tiger King’s eyes widened and Theodore shook his head.

“No. It just happened a lot sooner than I thought. I think it is thanks to Tiger King and White Bear for their great support.”

“Uh? Hmm, ah, right. Every time I feel itchy, I play by hunting those things. Only counting the ones I’ve bitten and killed in just half a year, there must be over a thousand?”

“One thousand...”

Indeed, Theodore was convinced.

Spirit creatures like Tiger King and White Bear awakened their intelligence, but their nature remained the same as a beast. There was no way they would leave demonic creatures within their territory alone.

They started the hunt as soon as they saw one. It was inevitable that the demonic creatures would all disappear. They had been a problem since the invasion of Nídh?ggur, but it had been solved in less than 20 years.

“Ah, by the way, how is that person doing?”

Someone came to mind and Theodore couldn’t help but ask.

“Who? Ah, that cradle-robber?”

Tiger King referred to the person Theodore was thinking about with an unspeakable term. Theodore defended them with a bitter smile.

“In terms of your actual ages, isn’t it the other way around?”

“On the surface, aren’t I right? Well, thinking about it the other way around, they are still a cradle-robber. No, a bitch?”

“Cough!”

Theodore was speechless and coughed uncontrollably.

Fortunately, the topic didn’t continue any further.

Was it because the World Tree opened up the way? It wasn’t long before they reached the heart of the forest.

The view of Elvenheim unfolded below their feet.

[Welcome, Theodore Miller.]

A brilliant light swirled in the air and the image of a beautiful woman emerged.

She had porcelain-like skin and wheat-colored hair.

Her eyes had a subtle gloss like a rare mineral. They seemed to draw people in just by looking at them. The chirping birds shut their mouths and only the leaves rustled in the wind could be heard.

[Has it been half a year? I missed you a lot.]

The voice filled with divinity reverberated majestically.

Tiger King and the beast clan walking alongside him were polite, but Theodore just smiled.

“It doesn’t suit you. Just act as you normally do.”

[Should I?]

The woman smiled mischievously and snapped her fingers once.

Immediately, there was a small explosion and smoke rose.

From the hazy smoke, a little girl ran out. She clung to Theodore’s shoulder and hugged him by the neck.

She wasn’t as beautiful as when she was an adult, but she was really cute.

[Theo, welcome!]

Mitra, the god of earth of Elvenheim, smiled widely.