Levize thought,
I should protect her at any cost.
There is no real threat like killing her.
But just in case...
I need to be ready.
What could possibly make Levize nervous enough that he thinks he needs to be ready?
Speaking of which, there seemed to be no one who could oppose him.
He was the strongest in this world.
Even compared to all seven worlds, there was no man who could stand in his way.
If Levize thought of conquering another world, nothing could stop him.
Not the countries' armies.
Not the specially trained warriors.
Not even the tree of the respective world.
If Levize thought of destroying it, it would simply be erased from the picture of this realm.
So what could make him anxious?
What could make him on edge?
What made him still move forward?
He thought of the strange voice he had heard.
He felt that something very important was going to happen soon.
But I can't remember who said it.
And I have difficulties whenever I try to remember what I heard.
It's good to be on alert, after all.
I cannot afford another one of those battles!
He glanced at the Queen one last time.
"I'll be going, my mother."
"I am sorry for always making you do this and hurting you."
Then he left the room.
Descending from the palace, he glided into the darkness as the luminescence of the tree became dimmer and dimmer.
The warm embrace of the tree slowly disappeared.
After some time, he reached a place where the glow returned.
But it wasn't the same luminous sky-blue color.
The glow here was amethyst.
Purple.
It seemed to be a drifted branch cut off from the main tree.
As he got near the structure, it seemed to be burning underwater.
Certain places that needed illumination burned with amethyst fire.
As he reached the entrance, there was no door.
Some places seemed cracked and damaged.
Like a truly broken vessel.
Yet inside the main entrance, everything was beautifully decorated.
While entering, Levize thought,
Well, it changed quite a bit from last time.
There seemed to be six rooms within the great structure.
Three floors.
Three rooms on the ground floor.
Two rooms on the first floor.
One room at the top.
He glided toward the room on the top floor.
Opening the door, he was greeted by what seemed to be an entirely different world.
There was a pond-like structure.
Even underwater.
There was a place to sit and eat.
Another door seemed to lead toward the backside of the branch.
After observing the room for a while, Levize blanked his mind and walked straight toward the pond.
He jumped into the hot water.
The bottom of the pond seemed to burn with the same purple flame.
But this one was slightly different.
Like it obeyed the will of the one who unleashed it.
He seemed to enjoy his time in the pond.
His muscles released hot gases as he refreshed himself within it.
After a while, he walked out and approached a classical wooden chair.
A black scarf rested upon it.
He picked it up and draped it over both shoulders.
Then he sat down.
The chair barely matched his stature.
Closing his eyes, he attempted to relax.
Suddenly—
A large flash struck his vision repeatedly!
A severe headache assaulted him.
He nearly fell from the chair.
"Ahh!"
"I thought it would be less... at least for some time!"
"Shit!"
This was what Levize saw every time he closed his eyes without the Queen's power supporting him.
He straightened himself.
Then whispered a sequence of sounds.
"[.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.]"
Suddenly, a cut appeared on his hand.
White blood spilled into the water, forming a circle.
The circle divided itself into five pieces.
Each piece rushed toward a different direction through the structure.
Levize yawned.
Is it really necessary every time?
Moments later, five men appeared at the entrance of the room.
They immediately knelt.
"Why can't you guys just show up yourselves?"
"Is this necessary every time?"
A man with white hair stood up.
"It's okay, sir."
"It is an honor to be called upon like this with the blood of our god."
Levize's face immediately became serious.
A trace of anger appeared in his eyes.
"Stop talking about things you shouldn't, Kavin."
"It's inappropriate."
Kavin didn't seem bothered by the rebuke.
He simply bowed.
"My apologies, sir."
"We came to greet you."
"Yeah, yeah."
"You didn't go hunting and spent time with your families while I was gone, did you?"
Everyone became slightly reluctant.
Kavin answered,
"No, sir."
"We went on a small hunt."
Levize immediately looked displeased.
"I told you all to stay with your families and spend some time with them."
"Why did you even marry if you're going to act like this?"
"If they come to me complaining about you again, I won't let you off the hook."
Kavin's expression twitched slightly.
But he remained respectful.
"Sir, the others have made progress."
"Leo managed to kill a Cleaver this time."
Levize's expression softened.
"Leo."
A young man stepped forward.
He looked like the youngest among them.
Dark green hair.
Matching green eyes.
"Sir, it's good to see you're well."
"What could possibly happen to me?" Levize replied.
A faint smile appeared on Leo's face.
"Good work, Leo."
"Continue becoming stronger."
"And call the others in."
The remaining three stepped forward.
Two possessed white hair and white eyes like Kavin.
Robin and Ravi.
Robin appeared to be the oldest among them.
He possessed a good physique and sharp features despite his age.
Ravi looked more ordinary.
Yet a weapon rested at his side.
Just like Levize.
The weapons of the worlds were classified into three categories.
Man-Etched.
Naturally-Etched.
And God-Etched.
Man-Etched weapons were crafted through sounds and whispers by great craftsmiths.
Their quality depended entirely upon the creator.
Naturally-Etched weapons were formed from sounds that occurred naturally within the sea.
Those capable of synchronizing with them could unveil their forms and wield them.
God-Etched weapons were one of a kind.
Obtained only through impossible trials once woven into existence.
They could never be diminished back into sounds.
Human knowledge could not fully control them.
To comprehend their power, the weapon itself had to acknowledge the wielder.
That was how these weapons were distinguished.
Though there were exceptions.
Some Naturally-Etched weapons were so powerful that they too could never be diminished.
Ravi seemed to possess one of those.
Seeing the weapon hanging at his side, Levize asked,
"How is your saber?"
"Still easy to handle?"
Ravi bowed.
"It is more than enough, sir."
"And I am improving these days."
"Good."
Then the final member stepped forward.
Dark hair in reddish gradient.
His name was Ares.
He greeted Levize and bowed slightly.
These five formed a special team under Levize's oversight.
They undertook absurd journeys.
Cruel voyages.
The most dangerous missions in Kayal.
When other worlds requested assistance, they crossed worlds to eliminate their targets.
This branch belonged to Levize.
It existed for the sake of caring for the five members and their families.
They didn't possess an official name.
People simply knew them as deadly.
So the tribe called them exactly that.
The branches were significant portions of the World Tree.
Cut from the main body and given life through the power of a Creator.
Only Creators could permanently reside within a branch.
This branch seemed to be the largest known branch in existence.
Even the five members and their families lived here.
Among them, Kavin was also a Creator.
The others had yet to attain that level.
Levize looked at them.
"It's good that you're making progress."
"But never neglect your family for anything."
"A man who doesn't care about his family is careless."
"And men should never be careless."
"So take care of them."
Everyone bowed.
Then left.
Everyone except Kavin.
He remained behind.
Looking slightly hesitant.
Finally, he spoke.
"Sir..."
"Can I ask you something?"