Necromancer Of The Shadows

The last time Evan had come to the Essence Stone Mines, he had felt a strange kind of attraction toward the sealed mine at the top of the structure.

When he asked Cedar about it, Cedar told him that the uppermost mine was where the core of the World Tree resided.

It is also the center of the closed world of Drayds—the point from which World Essence circulate throughout the entire realm.

At that time, Evan had wanted to go inside and take a look, but he had only just arrived in the closed world of Drayds, and his relationship with the Dryads wasn’t deep enough.

Furthermore, Cedar had explained that because it was the point where the World Essence was distributed across the realm, the density of World Essence inside that mine was so high that even Rank Four Core Evolvers couldn’t enter safely.

If they attempted to, there was a high chance that their bodies would explode due to the overwhelming pressure.

Evan simply hadn’t possessed the strength to enter and investigate the sealed mine back then.

But now, everything is different.

Not only has his relationship with the Dryads deepened significantly, but his strength has also grown to a level where he can enter without endangering his life.

As Evan waited for Sylvan to arrive, he continued gazing at the massive ant nest-like structure where all the Essence Mines were located.

Just like before, the moment his gaze fell upon the topmost mine, his heart began to beat wildly. This time, even the Rune of Origin that enveloped his heart reacted faintly.

‘Last time, I suspected that whatever’s inside is somehow connected to my Heart of Origin… and now, even the Rune of Origin—which is the primary reason I received the Heart of Origin—is reacting. It seems my guess was correct.’

Evan didn’t have to wait long. Within a few minutes, he saw Sylvan approaching him.

“Is there a particular reason you want to see the core of the World Tree?” Sylvan didn’t beat around the bush and asked directly as he came to a stop beside Evan.

“Honestly, I don’t know…” Evan shook his head. “I just have this feeling… like something inside that mine is calling me.”

Sylvan looked at him for a few moments, then sighed deeply.

“Look, I know you won’t do anything reckless, especially knowing how important this place is. But still…” Sylvan grabbed both of Evan’s shoulders and spoke in a serious tone, “Please, don’t try to pull one of your ridiculous stunts in there—like you always do wherever you go.”

Evan scowled and snorted in mock offense.

“Who do you think I am? I’m just going to take a quick look. There’s no way a good person like me—an advocate of peace—would do anything questionable.”

Sylvan’s face darkened the moment Evan called himself an “advocate of peace,” and several unpleasant memories flashed through his mind.

Triggering war between the demons and dragons.

Killing a Rank Six vampire and pinning the blame on the poor demons.

Blackmailing the Phoenix Clan into joining his gang.

Planning to kill Winterclaw.

And many other dark deeds.

The more Sylvan thought about it, the darker his expression became and he suddenly felt as though bringing Evan to the core of the World Tree might lead to this demon stealing it outright.

“Umm… how about we first resolve the conflict between the demons and dragons before worrying about the World Tree?”

The old man tried to change the subject and buy time to delay Evan’s entry.

But—

“No, we’ll take care of the war after I take a look inside.”

The demon was not backing down.

Having no other choice, Sylvan led Evan to the sealed mine entrance with a dejected look on his face.

“Don’t try anything funny, or I’ll throw you out immediately,” Sylvan warned in a tone one would use with a criminal.

Evan simply rolled his eyes and said nothing.

Without another word, Sylvan retrieved a small, green-colored leaf from his storage ring.

The moment it appeared, the surrounding World Essence grew chaotic.

“The Leaf of the World Tree?” Evan asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sylvan nodded and pressed the leaf against the closed door of the mine.

As it made contact, the leaf melted into a green liquid and seeped into the door.

RUMBLE!

A few seconds later, the sealed door trembled, and strange patterns lit up across its surface.

Slowly, the massive door opened, and an overwhelming torrent of World Essence burst outward.

For a brief moment, Evan felt as though he’d been thrown into an ocean of pure essence. His chest tightened under the pressure.

If it weren’t for the fact that he had used Dragon Flowers to enhance his body, and that his current strength far surpassed a typical Rank Four Core Evolver, he was certain his body would have been crushed by the sheer force of the World Essence.

Sylvan stood nearby, waiting for Evan to adapt. After a few moments, he saw that Evan was managing to handle the pressure.

“Let’s go,” He said, stepping into the mine.

Evan took a deep breath and activated the Rune of Absorption before entering.

The patterns of the Rune, engraved on his Primordial Monarch Core, glowed brightly and absorbed the surrounding World Essence like a black hole.

Sylvan led the way deeper into the mine, and as they walked, Evan noticed massive Essence Stones embedded into the walls—formed naturally due to the incredibly dense World Essence.

The energy density was so overwhelming that, in just a few minutes, Evan’s core reached its limit.

If the level of his Void Law Seal had been higher, he was sure he would have advanced to Mid-Level Rank Four right then.

“We are almost there… That open space ahead,” Sylvan said a few minutes later, pointing at the chamber in front of them. “Please, don’t do anything reckless here.”

Evan rolled his eyes again and was about to reply when suddenly—

SHOOM!

A beam of white light shot out from the chamber and struck Evan directly.

Sylvan stood frozen in shock, staring blankly at Evan.

“Y-You…”

“No! NO! No! I swear I didn’t do anything!” Evan yelled in disbelief.