[Irregular: White Shadow]
Although the Shadow of the World Tree defined itself as such, that name was simultaneously the most fitting expression to symbolize Sung Suho, standing face-to-face with it here.
[You are the son of the Shadow Monarch, and at the same time, an existence with the Ruler's Authority dwelling within your soul from the moment of birth. You probably cannot fathom how significant that is, because you have been such an existence since the moment you were born. That is why I intend to tell you.]
Fwaaaah—
With those words, new knowledge flowed into Suho.
[Before that, let me ask just one thing. How much do you truly know about your father?]
'Shadow Monarch.'
…That knowledge was none other than the story of his own father, Sung Jinwoo.
[Most children, transcending race and dimension, do not know in detail what kind of life the parents who gave birth to them have lived. They don't even wonder in the first place, nor do they ask. Because parents existed from the moment they were born, it's as natural as breathing, so they are not even aware of what they don't know. But you, at least, must know. About your father.]
The Shadow of the World Tree spoke with a faint smile.
[Sung Jinwoo. Though your father is now called by the name Shadow Monarch, his origins lie in a completely different place. Precisely, the 'Primordial Light'.]
Faaaaaah—
The memory of creation unfolded before Suho's eyes.
[This is a story you already know. The Creator of this universe, now deceased, split the Primordial Light to create the Fragments of Brilliant Light, namely the Rulers. Likewise, he split the Primordial Darkness to create the eight Monarchs.]
And to the Fragments of Brilliant Light, he gave the mission to protect this world. Simultaneously, to the Monarchs, he gave the mission to destroy this world.
[And he made the two forces fight endlessly.]
As he said, this was a story Suho knew well, and he also knew the outcome. Catastrophe. The Fragments of Brilliant Light, enraged upon learning that all the war was solely for the Absolute Being's amusement, staged a rebellion and murdered their god.
But the story the Shadow of the World Tree intended to tell began after that.
[However, there was one being who did not join that rebellion…, the 'Greatest Fragment of Brilliant Light'. The Primordial Light that served the Absolute Being more faithfully than anyone else. That was 'Ashborn,' the first Shadow Monarch.]
The Absolute Being, wary of the Fragments of Brilliant Light and Monarchs who had 'grown' enough to potentially threaten him through the eons-long war, had made one provision. He had implanted within Ashborn, his most loyal servant, the power to return everything to nothingness. It was a power that should never have awakened, should never have existed.
[The moment the Absolute Being met his death at the hands of his creations' rebellion… the 'Ninth Monarch,' who should not exist, embodying both the Primordial Light and the Primordial Darkness simultaneously, was born.]
Tracing back, the first Irregular wasn't Sung Suho, but the Shadow Monarch himself. Because he was an existence embodying the powers of polar opposites, which could not and should not exist together, within one body.
[Though each was merely a fragment, the fact that those fragments possessing opposing powers merged into one was by no means an ordinary event.]
The Primordial Light, split into eight pieces. The Primordial Darkness, split into eight pieces.
[…Two attributes that could never become one, have merged.]
The shadow of the World Tree 'dared' to say something that no one else could think of.
[That meant the being itself became a 'Fragment of Itarim'.]
"A Fragment of Itarim?"
At the unexpected words, Suho's eyes widened significantly. In contrast, the Shadow of the World Tree maintained a consistently calm tone, despite the shocking content. It was merely relaying a story everyone knew, but delving a little deeper.
[Yes. Embodying both the Primordial Light and Darkness simultaneously means just that. The powerful foundation of force, which the Creator had deliberately split in half, merged again. Of course, even so, it was merely a fragment, but at the moment the true god died, it became the one and only existence qualified to replace him in that position. And that was precisely the reason why all Monarchs and Rulers revered Ashborn.]
In short, the moment the Fragment of Light and the Fragment of Darkness merged, Ashborn became an 'absolute' existence that could overwhelm everyone else by his presence alone.
[However, this was by no means the outcome the Absolute Being desired. It was merely a preparation for a 'what if' that should never have happened.]
From the Absolute Being's perspective, it was a provision made while sincerely believing such an unimaginable thing as rebellion would never happen.
[In the case where his creations simultaneously turned against him. He prepared a weapon capable of crushing them all. Though that weapon did not contain all the powers of a god, in terms of simple combat ability, it was truly the 'strongest'. A weapon powerful enough to fend off all his created beings even if they attacked simultaneously.]
The proof was right before them. Even though numerous Itarim from beyond the outer universe were invading, aiming for this realm, the Shadow Monarch was effortlessly holding them back.
[In the first place, such a feat is absolutely impossible with the power of a mere 'Monarch'.]
"Are you saying… that's only possible because my father is a Fragment of Itarim?"
[Correct. To be precise, it's because he inherited the Fragment of Itarim. Let me reiterate, the one who became the Fragment of Itarim was 'Ashborn,' not 'Sung Jinwoo'. In fact, that part is the most miraculous and surprising aspect. That a human's vessel could be vast enough to contain a Fragment of Itarim…]
The Shadow of the World Tree stroked its chin with an expression of genuine curiosity. But from its perspective, there was no way to satisfy this curiosity. As mentioned before, the World Tree and the Shadow Monarch were like oil and water. The king who defied death and the World Tree which did not were existences that could never meet. Hence, the conclusion it arrived at was 'Sung Suho.'
[I could reach you, born as Sung Jinwoo's son. It was truly fortunate.]
Sung Suho was a different breed altogether from Sung Jinwoo. Not a Fragment of Itarim, but a new life form born from a Fragment of Itarim. If Sung Jinwoo was an existence where the Primordial Light and Darkness merged into one, Sung Suho was born with Primordial Darkness and Light already combined. Thanks to that, Suho could instinctively use the Ruler's Authority, the power of light, from a young age. And simultaneously, he could freely traverse between the world of life and the world of death. The results were similar, but the principle of their birth was fundamentally different.
[Do you know? While giving birth to you, how much Holy Water of Life potions do you think Cha Hae-In consumed?]
"…What?"
At those words, Suho's expression instantly hardened. Simultaneously, the image of his mother, Cha Hae-In, appeared before him as an illusion created by the Shadow of the World Tree. It was a scene it remembered well.
- Aaaak…!
Cha Hae-In. Her belly was swollen like a large mountain, indicating it was before Suho's birth, like all expectant mothers, she was feeling labor pains while carrying her son in her womb. But just as her son was a special existence, those labor pains were also extraordinary.
[Cha Hae-In faced death several times before giving birth to you. And each time, Sung Jinwoo fed her the 'The Holy Water of Life'.]
Thanks to that, Cha Hae-In barely survived the brink of death and safely gave birth to her baby. …Thus, Suho was born.
[Looking back, it was a truly critical moment. Think about it. From the perspective of the Shadow Monarch, harboring a Fragment of Itarim. If you hadn't been born safely, or if his beloved partner had died in the process, what would he have felt? What decision might he have made?]
The Shadow of the World Tree asked in a light tone, but the weight of the question was by no means light. And the answer to that… somehow, Suho felt like he had already heard it earlier.
'If Mother died…'
In fact, from Suho's perspective, it was a hypothesis he had imagined several times long ago, considering the worst-case scenario. The past few years. The overwhelming fear of both his parents suddenly going missing. There were years lived amidst the worry and sorrow that perhaps it wasn't a disappearance. And now. At this point where he had learned and was using the Shadow Power, the moment Suho thought of his mother's death, only one alternative came to mind.
"If that had happened… would he have revived Mother as a Shadow Soldier?"
Suho's choked voice quietly escaped his lips. The Shadow of the World Tree nodded.
[That's right, with a very high probability, wouldn't such an option definitely exist? Of course, knowing your father's personality, he would have respected Cha Hae-In's wishes. But even then, you must first summon the dead soul to ask for its wishes, right? Then, since he summoned her anyway, wouldn't it be okay to live together for just a few decades before returning her to nothingness? A few centuries would be even better.]
"…"
Suho fell silent. At his reaction, the Shadow of the World Tree shrugged and continued speaking.
[But would it only be Cha Hae-In? What about your grandfather and grandmother? They are old, won't they die of old age soon? In the end… all humans eventually die. Whether by illness, old age, or being torn apart by a magical beast. But isn't it a bit unfair?]
And the words that followed were somewhat realistic. Chillingly so.
[The truth is, other people also have families they love. But when the families of others die, they are just left to grieve, while the Shadow Monarch alone lives happily ever after with his entire family, eternally immortal; isn't that a bit unfair? Even though he has the ability to revive all those people, deliberately letting them die seems quite cruel, doesn't it?]
It was a considerably difficult problem. Even Suho himself felt complex emotions, unsure what choice he would make if placed in such a position. And simultaneously, he wondered.
'What would Father have done?'
His father must have experienced such situations several times already. If so, how many times had he watched acquaintances die before his eyes? Imagining his father raising all of them as Shadow Soldiers somehow didn't seem fitting.
"…No wonder Father didn't seem to have many friends."
The conclusion was a bit anticlimactic, but it was true. Recalling his father's appearance as he had observed him throughout his life, he seemed outgoing, yet surprisingly, he rarely formed close bonds with others. A very small number of friends besides family. He recalled images of him thoroughly drawing lines with everyone else. Perhaps that was his own mindset, a determination not to get deeply involved in the deaths of acquaintances. And recalling that image of his father, Suho felt a little bitter. But the Shadow of the World Tree, having witnessed the moment Suho was born, understood the practical worries and decisions the Shadow Monarch faced at that moment better than Suho did.
[If your father were to raise all beings in this world as Shadow Soldiers so they could be together forever… what kind of universe would that truly be?]
Suho felt like he had already heard the answer to that earlier.
"…So that's what you meant before. The dimension of death. A future where everyone lives on as Shadow Soldiers."
[Correct. When you were born, your mother was fortunately safe, but being human, she will eventually face death someday. What choice will your father make then? And once he has revived someone close to him, wouldn't it become easier to revive others?]
Listening to the story of the Shadow of the World Tree, which presented a plausible future, Suho was lost in thought. Then he raised his head and asked.
"So what are you trying to say? Why are you telling me this story?"
[... I asked first. What do you want to do? Your intention. You seem to have forgotten, but we were discussing your class change quest, weren't we?]
Ting.
As if waiting, the system message returned before Suho's eyes.
[An opportunity to advance to a higher class based on acquired advancement points is given.]
[Beginning calculation.]
[Calculating advancement points…]
'Advancement Points.'
No longer did Suho see these as mere 'numbers.' It was the future ahead, the path he would walk.
[Will you become the Monarch of Destruction as planned? That's not a bad choice either. You would acquire a great power to help your father.]
The Shadow of the World Tree urged for an answer. Suho looked directly at it and opened his mouth.
"I…"