Chapter 5 – The Slow Worm (5)
“…”
When I opened my eyes again, I naturally found myself in a completely different space. I was on a soft bed. It was neither the cold dirt field I had found myself in before nor was I naked anymore.
Yet one thing remained the same. A deep sense of emptiness and fatigue, the very thing people commonly refer to as burnout.
Even after waking up like this, I found no will to do anything in particular.
Put positively, it meant I had become unshaken by most things, while negatively, it implied I simply didn’t care about what might happen next.
“Please tell me what happened while I was asleep. I think I have a rough idea, though.”
Still, there were tasks to be done. I decided to hear everything from the earth spirit that had been sitting beside me about what had transpired while I was unconscious.
The earth spirit seemed delighted that I had awakened, hurriedly standing up and gesturing as it rushed to share everything it had seen and heard.
“Thinking of just devising a way to control those fools was a mistake. I never thought they would hand me over and run away. By the way, they’re quite fascinating.”
Thanks to that, I learned about the being that had taken me under its wing, dressed me in luxurious pajamas, and laid me down on a proper bed after taking me from those fools.
From the earth spirit’s description, it sounded like a dreadful man as portrayed by a kindergarten child, but I felt the need to see him with my own eyes.
I was curious about the stark contrast between his demeanor and the one those idiots had when they attempted to attack me. Surely, he wouldn’t be genuinely nice.
“I’ve heard the news.”
It didn’t take long for me to meet him. The maid who had entered the room without knowing what she was doing ran off in shock to bring him to me when I asked her to.
As soon as he saw me, he nodded with a serious expression, as if he had known I would wake up.
“Is it really you?”
“What do you mean…”
“Big in stature, with a rough beard, sharp eyes, and overall pretty scary looking.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at his face and openly recited the earth spirit’s assessment of his appearance. Though his eyebrows twitched in surprise, he didn’t get angry.
Why was that? He was currently watching me with great caution. With his attitude, it felt as if I were looking at a bomb about to go off.
“Why are you so scared?”
I had nothing to lose now. When I asked point-blank, he bit his lip, clearly contemplating how to respond.
His expression was reminiscent of a student overwhelmed by a huge exam.
“Those foolish ones said they picked you up from the forbidden realm when something happened.”
“That’s correct.”
“…The forbidden realm is one of the remnants of the primordial tower that collapsed in ancient times. Occasionally, ancient monsters that emerge from there cause huge accidents when forgotten.”
Finally, it felt like I had met someone with whom I could communicate. He began telling me pieces of the world that I didn’t know but felt like I needed to understand.
“It’s more of a legendary tale, but about 4000 years ago, one dragon that emerged from the tower slaughtered the continent. How should I treat you in this situation?”
He swallowed hard. He looked at me, sitting on the bed without a care, as if I were a bomb at any moment.
“Above all, I’ve never heard that a silver-haired red-eyed elf exists in this world.”
“I have a lot of questions right now.”
His tense demeanor brought a wry smile to my face, but soon I frowned.
At this point, nothing seemed to matter anymore; the only thing drawing my interest was how this world had transformed since the tower’s collapse. That was the only thing.
One thing was certain: the world I once knew no longer existed.
“Shall we start discussing from the point when the tower collapsed? Please tell me in detail what happened from that moment on.”
“Well, that story began 10,000 years ago.”
Then he began to share what he knew. Not vague, dreamy ancient tales but a more specific and detailed ‘history.’
However, the fact that the starting point was 10,000 years ago made me doubt my ears.
*
“10,000 years ago, the tower collapsed, marking the end of myths. The survivors of the ancient humanity who survived that great catastrophe and those who emerged from the tower were thrown into this new world, and that is precisely this world.”
“What happened afterward?”
“For a while, it was chaos itself. The ancestors who emerged when the primordial tower crumbled were not the only ones coming out. Monsters came out too.”
Sitting there, he took a sip of tea brought by the maid and shared interesting tales with me, his long, pointed ears perked up in attentiveness.
The monsters he mentioned were the creatures of the tower. Beasts that would crawl out to reality and bring catastrophic destruction if not dealt with. That was a certainty.
In the end… we had not completely conquered the tower. While I was in the tutorial, the swift passage of time had changed everything.
Should I be thankful that those who barely survived complete annihilation were building a new civilization?
“The world that finally began to find stability after that chaotic period has gone through cycles of development and destruction. That’s all the history I know. I haven’t had that much time to learn either.”
“You seem to know quite a lot for a mere underworld chief. So if you know anything about what I’m about to say, please let me know.”
I chuckled and began firing questions at him in return. Most of what I explained was everything about the Earth civilization I had enjoyed only a few months ago.
The internet, cars, massive skyscrapers, asphalt, the Republic of Korea where I had lived, the strongest nation, the United States, its history, how we had lived, and how we resisted the tower—all of it.
“According to the myths, the ancient humanity built massive fortresses that touched the sky and flew in great ships across the skies… Wait, could it be that what you’re talking about…!”
His eyes widened in astonishment as he eagerly thought over my words. It seemed that, 10,000 years ago, most records and histories prior to the collapse of the tower had vanished and been regarded as myths. The information, twisted and added over the span of 10,000 years, felt almost like a real myth even to me.
From his perspective, he was now hearing about previously unverifiable ancient myths straight from someone’s mouth.
“Has it turned into a monster that has aged 10,000 years?”
Though he could barely control his trembling eyes filled with fear, it was I who felt bitter. It seemed that my appearance had only fueled that misunderstanding.
Would he have been this terrified if I had looked like an ordinary human man?
However, regardless of my appearance, I was just a beginner climber who had recently finished the tutorial and was about to ascend to the second floor. The idea of being a 10,000-year-old monster elf was nonsense.
Moreover, I was currently on the second floor of a building, far removed from the ground. My combat power, unable to connect to the earth, was pathetic, yet he had no idea of that fact.
“There are many scholars researching the forbidden realm in this city. They are obsessed with not only the forbidden realm but also with artifacts and histories from myths. They could provide you with everything you desire. I don’t know what you want, but… I’m merely a branch chief in the organization.”
On top of that, after realizing my true identity, he seemed incredibly burdened, glancing about nervously as if wanting to cast me out.
But from my perspective, this was a matter that needed to be handled cautiously. He regarded me as a 10,000-year-old being of calamity, yet in reality, I was still just a weak beginner. While I didn’t know how strong the people in this world were, there were surely those stronger than me. I couldn’t predict what would happen if I fell into the hands of such individuals.
Of course, my potential still existed. If I began communicating with the spirits that were everywhere in this world and made them my allies, no one would dare to touch me.
“I need time.”
Merely gaining that kind of strength would require time and effort. Before that, being dragged into any trouble due to the attention drawn by my supposed age would only be harmful to me.
“By the way, what’s your name?”
Considering such things, I asked him after a brief moment of thought.
My purpose was still drifting aimlessly, but at least I didn’t want to hand over my fate to someone else.
“Uh, I’m Ethan. But why…”
“Right, Ethan. You can call me by whatever name you want. Seeing as you have some maids with little clothing, it seems you’re relatively well-off. How about starting a business together?”
Though he was a low-level crime syndicate leader, that wasn’t my concern. At least his abilities seemed useful, so I planned to forge an alliance since we had crossed paths.
“I can’t believe I’m saying something like this.”
I was shocked even by my own changed personality and behavior. That was evidence that the situation I was in was dire.
The last remnants of my past had vanished alongside the ruins of the tower, swallowed by myths.
Whether I wished for it or not, I now had to live as an entirely different being.
