I Became the Youngest Summoner in the Strongest Guild

65. Pollution

65. Pollution

As I entered deeper into the cave, there was a wide open space, and inside, Warbears were collapsed!?

I rushed over to check on the fallen Warbears, and fortunately, their lives weren't in danger.

Relieved to see them simply sleeping, I looked around, but there was nothing to be seen.

Why are the Warbears sleeping?

The bear taxi slaps each sleeping Warbear on the back of the head to wake them up.

They all get up with confused looks and stare at me, but when I ask what happened, no one can answer.

They say they don't remember anything, but then why did they faint?

At that moment, along with an eerie air, a protective barrier forms around me.

Thanks to the barrier created by Yong-yong, the smoke can't approach me and disappears.

"To be able to block that. You're not an ordinary human, are you?"

Then, a being revealed itself.

A man in antique attire appeared.

Judging by the energy I feel, is he a mid-level demon?

"Nice to meet you. Do you know who I am?"
"I don't know!"

Momentarily lost for words at the demon's boldness, I introduce myself as a duke of the demon realm. He looks at me with surprised eyes, then holds his stomach and laughs mockingly, saying if I'm a duke, then he's the Demon King, making quite a scene.

"Ahaha! If you're a duke, then I'm the Demon King!"

As I watch the man's face turn red, then alternate between red and blue, I snap my fingers, and a strange event occurs.

The entire open space vibrates, and space begins to open.
A skeleton appears, waving a robe and holding a giant scythe.
The executioner reveals himself.

"Demon Realm Executioner. I greet Duke Yuna."
"It's been a while."

The demon, who had been staring blankly at us, kneels as soon as he confirms the executioner's presence.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't recognize you, Duke!"
"It's okay."

I smile brightly to reassure him, but unfortunately, my other self couldn't forgive him.

"But, our executioner has a different opinion, doesn't he?"

Hearing my words, he nods as if understanding what I mean, and slowly approaches.

Terrified by this sight, the demon backs away, but there's nowhere to escape in this open space.

While I take out a magic stone from my subspace to feed our Yong-yong, about 30 minutes pass with lively music.

"I'll be taking my leave now, Duke Yuna."
"Good work."

After seeing off the executioner, I approach the demon collapsed on the ground.

He must have been beaten badly to be unconscious.

"Now, shall we have what we call a conversation?"
"Y-yes, Duke."

I heard about what had happened in the demon realm in the meantime, and it's more serious than I thought.

The demon realm, which consists of a single continent like the celestial realm, has been broken into pieces and flowed into numerous towers.

Then what about the World Tree...? Are the dark elf children safe? The Demon King...?

The matter has grown bigger than expected. I guess I need to hurry and conquer the tower.

"Thanks for the information. Take this."

I hand a magic stone to the demon, and his pupils shake as he accepts it with trembling hands, thanking me as he uses it.

I open a space for him and tell him there will be a guide outside as I head straight to the next floor.

After rescuing the demons trapped up to the 10th floor and going outside the tower, there was an enormous crowd gathered.

How did they all know?

"Yuna of the Frey Guild! Please look over here!"
"Leader of the Red Revolution Group and master of numerous monsters..."

As I'm blushing from all sorts of embarrassing words coming from every direction, Rea unni appears out of nowhere and rescues me.

"The Frey Guild refuses all interviews. Now, if you'll excuse us."

With those words, she takes care of me and we return to the guild hideout.

There's a barrier around the guild hideout, so it's impossible to enter without considerable skill.

Rea unni sits me on the sofa and calms me down while bringing me a cup of warm milk.

"Thank you..."
"It's nothing. Taking care of family is natural, isn't it?"

She says with a smile, family...

I've got family in this other world too.

I fidget with my fingers as I drink the warm milk, and it tastes sweet.

Rea unni waits quietly without saying anything until I finish the cup.

After putting down the cup, I start talking.

About what happened in the tower.

After hearing everything, Rea unni thinks for a while and then speaks.

"So we need to enter all the towers and persuade them?"
"We should, but there's not enough time."

It took three whole days to conquer one tower.

But going around numerous towers to persuade them is impossible time-wise.
And if we send other travelers into the towers, they won't be able to persuade them.

How can they persuade demons who don't even believe me?

As a last resort, when time passes, the towers will simultaneously expel all monsters outside.

We could wait for them to gather forces and then take them all out at once, but this is also uncertain.

Will they gather, or will they invade in guerrilla style?

As I hold my aching head and wonder if there's any solution, Rea unni suggests one.

"Aren't demons ultimately the Demon King's underlings?"
"That's right?"
"Then wouldn't it be enough to persuade just the Demon King?"

It's a very simple solution, but one that only I can do.

Then we'll ask the Demon King to gather the forces of the demons pouring out of the towers, and before that, we need to find the World Tree.

It's a very important being that protects the world from pollution.

"We need to find the World Tree and relocate it."
"We can leave that to the travelers."

If the goal is search rather than clearing, the survival rate is higher even if they take some risks.

The time has come for all travelers around the world to join forces.

I immediately hold a press conference to announce this fact.

"There are demons inside the towers, but our guild member who holds a position in the demon realm and the leader of the Red Revolution Group, Yuna, can handle that. But the problem is that we need to find the tower with the World Tree among numerous towers."

Based on what I told her, she announced to the world what had happened in the demon realm.

The fact that the demon realm was invaded by pollution.

After announcing that Earth isn't safe either and requesting help, travelers moved to numerous towers.

The purpose is solely search.

After a week passed like that, we succeeded in finding the World Tree.

"You're saying the World Tree appeared in a tower in America?"
"That's right. Check this video."

She plays a video for me, and it's certain.

The World Tree I raised is in the video, but something seems off...?

"Its condition is strange. We need to take action as soon as possible."

I open a space with Yong-yong's power and cross over to the tower located in America, where numerous travelers were waiting for me.

On the way to the place where the World Tree is, following those who said they would guide me into the tower.

As I look around, I see that pollution has started.

"It's serious. Let's move quickly."
"Understood, Yuna-nim."

What I saw in the demon realm before was happening.

And it's centered around the World Tree.

It seems they targeted the World Tree, but why is this happening only in this tower and not in others...?

Full of questions, I hurry my steps, and in the distance, I see the World Tree.

Fortunately, the World Tree appeared on a lower floor. Otherwise, we would have had a hard time finding it.

As I approach, arrows fly towards us, and I raise both hands and step forward as they show caution.

At that moment, dark elves appear.

"M-mom...?"

The only beings who call me mom.

Dark elves reveal themselves one by one and approach me.

"Come out, children."
"Mom!!!"

They hug me while crying, showing childlike behavior despite their grown bodies.

I comfort the children who cling to me crying for a long time, and they pour out what happened to them.

"We've been defending against pollution attacking the World Tree, and we thought we were going to die."
"That's right. They attack so persistently..."

I pat their heads and tell them they've been through a lot, and when I say embarrassing things like "just trust mom from now on," my face turns red, and the children keep poking my cheeks with their fingers.

"Now, now, let's check the World Tree's condition first."
"Yes!"

As everyone steps back, I approach the World Tree, and I feel the energy of death.

The World Tree was dying.