Chapter 18
Guardians.
Safeguards of humanity.
What a noble pursuit it is.
Yggdrasil cherished this lofty responsibility.
To Yggdrasil, guardianship meant fostering a different kind of harmony. Just as the forest offers sanctuary to its creatures, they reciprocate by safeguarding the forest.
A life of mutual care and coexistence. Isn't that the true essence of harmony? And so, Yggdrasil willingly embraced the burden of duty as a guardian spirit.
But then, troubling events unfolded.
Fellow guardian Tae Saja enslaved humans to satisfy his greed, while the Golden Dragon devoured the 'Banner of Freedom' and plunged the realms into the abyss of war.
Yggdrasil couldn't believe it.
She knew Tae Saja was ambitious, but enslaving humans and conducting experiments? Unimaginable.
She understood the unfathomable rage within the Golden Dragon, but never anticipated its arrows of wrath targeting the gods, unleashing massacres.
Guardian spirits! The ones entrusted with preserving humanity!
How could they stoop to such abominable deeds?
Yggdrasil felt conflicted. She even doubted if the path she had chosen was the right one.
"Your kind, the guardians, are the root of this problem," Park Ki-hyuk was right.
No matter how desperately she denied it, every outcome pointed to Park Ki-hyuk being right.
Protect humanity.
Guard this world in harmony.
Yggdrasil's beliefs were shattered.
Then, suddenly, she recalled the last prophecy of the gods.
"This is the end."
"Do not interfere."
The end… The end….
Perhaps what the gods meant by the end was that the world no longer needed the existence of guardian spirits?
Just as Yggdrasil began to doubt her own worth, an event occurred that would confirm her suspicions.
It was the resignation of another guardian spirit, Eowuria.
"Yggdrasil, it seems our role has come to an end."
Eowuria, who loved humans more than anyone else.
But Eowuria confessed. All her efforts to protect humans as a guardian spirit might have been wrong.
"I've had many thoughts since Henna. Was I truly in love with humans? I wasn't."
Through Henna, Eowuria learned what true love meant.
Not affection, but empathy.
Eowuria realized that her feelings for humans were not love, but pity.
"I unconsciously looked down on humans. Instead of seeing them as neighbors living in this world together, I saw them as beings to be cared for."
We gave humans much.
It's true that humans have progressed.
But was it all for the sake of protecting humanity?
Even Eowuria, who loved humans dearly, couldn't easily answer this question.
"The masters of this world are not the guardian spirits, but we've been acting as if we were. Even if we deny it ourselves, eventually, that's what we become. Because we created humans that way."
A relationship already twisted from the beginning.
Eowuria wanted to rewind this relationship, even now.
"Yggdrasil must have heard the gods' words. 'The end.' I understood it as the last chance to undo the wrongs. That's why I'm leaving. I want to become a part of this world, not just a guardian spirit."
With those words, Eowuria disappeared, leaving no trace.
Shedding all obligations. Eowuria was no longer a guardian spirit.
With Eowuria gone, the African Union plunged into chaos.
Understandable, as the guardian spirits had disappeared.
But the chaos didn't last long. Humans quickly filled the void left by the guardian spirits. Even if it was merely a desire for power rather than the noble sense of duty the guardian spirits once held.
Yggdrasil pondered.
Even that ambition is part of being human.
Only then did she understand the meaning of the gods' 'end.'
"Today, I, Yggdrasil, relinquish my role as a guardian spirit."
The gods' duty is now over.
It's time to leave.
Yggdrasil casts off the shackles of being a guardian spirit.
Thus, she receives the last farewell of the 'Forest of Wisdom' and leaves her beloved academy behind.
***
"Then, what did you do after leaving the academy?" The interviewer's question elicited a gentle smile from Yggdrasil.
"They say the simplest way to enjoy freedom is through travel. So, I set out on a journey. Finland was my first stop. It's a place with quite remarkable scenery," Yggdrasil recounted her travel adventures.
As the reporters followed Yggdrasil's journey across Europe, from Finland to Sweden and Norway, they hung onto her every word, knowing they were on the brink of this year's biggest scoop.
Yggdrasil.
The one who had stepped down from her position as a guardian spirit had returned.
Many still worried about the absence of guardian spirits. Some even hoped she would return to fill the void left by their departure.
However...
Yggdrasil was now seated in the faculty room.
She had returned not as a guardian spirit but as an educator, back to the academy where she had worked before.
Just as the journalists reached the Middle East, wrapping up their European journey, one cautiously posed the next question.
"This next question touches on a sensitive topic."
"I suspected as much."
"It's a well-known issue. It's about the recent abnormal gate occurrences. There's been a significant increase in gate formations worldwide. Have you heard about it?"
"Yes, I've heard a lot about it."
"A few days ago, there were incidents where gates appeared in urban areas, sweeping up numerous citizens."
Gates that were previously considered rare occurrences were now increasing in frequency, posing a threat.
And the timing of these abnormal gate occurrences coincided quite coincidentally with...
"...the resignations of Yggdrasil and Eowuria from their roles as guardian spirits."
"How peculiar."
The reporters shot Yggdrasil a pointed look, hoping for some insight, but she simply smiled knowingly.
"Unfortunately, I don't have any information on that. I'm sorry."
"Ah... I see."
"Furthermore, you may not believe it, but the problems that arose from my and Eowuria's resignation as guardian spirits may not be as significant as you think."
"I-is that so?"
"Yes."
While there were suspicions, Yggdrasil chose to remain silent. If her suspicions were correct, this too would be a part of the natural order.
Perhaps it was just another step in humanity's journey to becoming the masters of this world.
The final question came.
Her aspirations for the future and any parting words.
Yggdrasil looked directly into the camera and spoke with a hint of solemnity.
"I am Yggdrasil. A tree does not leave its roots. It was inevitable that I would return here because my roots are here."
Her reason for taking on the role of headmaster was the same.
This place, the academy, was her roots.
"A forest is never complete on its own. It is my belief to seek harmony. I founded this academy with that belief."
True harmony is achieved when individuals benefit each other.
Just as nurturing trees creates a forest, if she could teach these children to grow into the mighty trees of this world...
"That, I believe, is true harmony. That's why I returned to this position."
Yggdrasil smiled brightly.
"Oh! And..."
As if remembering something, she clapped her hands.
"There are some children I really want to teach."
Perhaps these children would fill the void left by the guardian spirits.
Her gaze landed on a photo of Park Bom and Park Hena, smiling amidst scattered papers on her desk.
* * *
With much anticipation, the start of the academy year was just around the corner.
People expected a lot from Yggdrasil's first year as headmaster.
And they were right.
"It's good news. We'll be reducing the emphasis on theoretical classes by more than half. Practical experience will take precedence. Exciting, isn't it?"
Normally, the first year at the academy would focus heavily on theory.
Laying the groundwork with theory, getting a taste of practical experience from the second year, and truly mastering it from the third year onwards.
That's why from the third year onwards, they were called team leaders rather than class representatives.
But Yggdrasil changed that from the first day.
It was quite a radical move, especially considering her mild demeanor.
So, while some criticized it as unrealistic, Yggdrasil had a different perspective.
"People know one thing but not the other. The phenomenon of abnormal gates is increasing, but so is the number of supernaturals. Moreover, the age at which mana awakens is decreasing."
Why is the academy's entrance exam from 18 years old?
Even when Yggdrasil established the academy, the average age of mana awakening was 18.
But now?
16 years old. That's a decrease of a whopping 2 years.
That's why academy preparatory schools were popping up in Gangnam's Daechi-dong like mushrooms.
"The academy is no longer just a place for 'basics.' You'll need to be fully prepared when you come in."
And so, with Yggdrasil's bold declaration, the semester began...
And it was truly extraordinary.
"The rules are simple. Everyone here forms one team. I'll be on my own. If you win by sticking together, you're my team. And if someone faints, they can rest quietly. Now, shall we start communicating with our bodies?"
.……..
….
The applicants for the 1st squad leader, Park Bom, had all fainted.
"Easy there," Park Bom said with an innocent face but an attitude that didn't quite match. Was there an issue with her character?
The bloodline doesn't lie. Is someone feeling a little too pleased with themselves?
It was under the guise of a test that Park Bom had knocked down all her classmates.
As a result, Squad 1 started with Park Bom, Park Hena, and finally, Im Hyunji, and thus began the relentless march of the triumvirate.
"This is hell without an exit. The club my dad made..."
"We'll take over!"
"Please, both of you, just calm down."
Rushing into the club "Hell Without an Exit."
They took down all the seniors and seized control of the club.
Thus, with Park Bom leading the charge, chaos ensued, and whispers of a freshmen riot emerged. But when some older students tried to intervene...
"Heh, seniors. This is so much fun. Want to go another round?"
"Ah, no, I think I'm good now."
"Just one more time, please? Yes!"
"S-save me... agh!"
Is this what pure evil looks like?
Park Bom, smiling innocently as she wields her wooden sword, was truly terrifying. She might as well have the title of "Second Disaster."
The only difference between Park Bom and Park Gi-hyeok was her good relationship with the professors. Being diligent in both class and assignments was a given.
She was the model student.
"Student Park Bom, your attitude in class is very impressive."
"That's right, professor. At first, I was worried she might be like Park Gi-hyeok or Jin Yoo-ri, but she turned out completely different."
"Student Park Hena is the same. How well she does her assignments, have you seen? I'm really impressed."
"Well, there might be a hint of quirkiness. There's a lot of noise among the students."
"Let it be. They're just students. As long as our professors teach well, right?"
Park Bom and Park Hena's exemplary behavior also played a role in their success.
With Yggdrasil's practical classes increasing, their contributions grew even more.
Despite being freshmen, they cleared the Purple Gate, and then an incident occurred that brought them even more attention.
The gate that engulfed the city! The academy freshmen took care of it!
Park Hena (Academy student, 18 years old): "We were out shopping with friends when we saw the gate. So, we went in and cleared it. That's it."
They cleared a Level 2 gate in just four hours.
Deleting monsters blocking their path and charging straight for the boss, an Orc leader.
They defeated the Orc leader in a flash, leaving the citizens watching feeling sorry for the Orc.
Park Bom and Park Hena showed overwhelming authority, to the point where a citizen watching the scene felt sorry for the Orc.
And so, as Park Bom's squad actively controlled the academy, the first problem arose: the midterm exams.
The first midterm exam for the freshmen in the first semester is, as everyone knows, a Death Match.
During Park Gi-hyeok's time, ten squads disbanded during the midterm exams.
How many squads will Park Bom and Park Hena dismantle?
The current students trembled at the impending disaster.
And on the day of the midterm exam...
Park Bom and Park Hena, standing confidently, were blocked by two individuals.
Ismail, the squad leader, and Oliver, the vice squad leader.
"I've been wanting to face you once."
"Please do your best."
The promising students Yggdrasil had mentioned.
The children of the devil clashed.
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