Parallel (A Virtual Gamer's Story) [Vol.1 - Vol.4 Complete]

Chapter 200: Puzzle Piece

Kashi's Inner World.

11:32 p.m. 17th Banem 1092.

Kashi appeared in the skies above his inner world, a small smile on his face as he surveyed the bustling scene on the prairies below. Several centaurs trotted in and out of a small settlement built near Yggdrasil. The centaurs held different kinds of beasts, which they carted off to a newly formed forest a couple of miles in the distance.

The centaurs were not the only guests in this world. The daeben spotted King Xafier and a few ministers standing in front of Yggdrasil with stunned expressions. Opposite that party, Hogosha, Leila's Nespian Tiger, basked in the Divine Tree's aura with one eye on the cocoon that hung from its branches. Elsewhere, Drixlia darted across the fields at breakneck speeds, thoroughly enjoying the liberating feeling of a full sprint.

"Master," Drixali greeted as he appeared beside Kashi. "What brings you here?"

"I thought Savi might have some questions," Kashi replied. "Also, I don't fully trust the gods. I can't just leave him here, unsupervised." The daeben looked at the centaur god. "By the way, where is he?"

Contrary to Kashi's expectations, Drixali just stared at him with a raised brow. After a brief silence, the centaur god asked, "Who is Savi?"

"Mertian god covered from head to toe in gold," Kashi answered with a skeptical frown. "Just sent him in. You could not have missed him."

"I did sense the portal opening," Drixali admitted. "I came up here to see who had arrived, but I have not seen anyone but you."

"Huh, Wait. Give me a second," Kashi murmured and then closed his eyes as he communicated with Yggdrasil. Seconds later, he opened his eyes and announced, "Found him. Come with me." With those words, Kashi flew down to Yggdrasil.

The daeben landed on a three-meter thick branch where he found the elusive merchant god, Savi, sitting with a pitcher of wine in hand. "Found you," Kashi remarked with a smile as he approached the god.

"Oh, you have arrived," Savi softly said as he turned to look at Kashi. There was a strange forlorn aura surrounding the merchant god, but the daeben could not place its source. The merchant patted Yggdrasil's branch and praised, "I doubted my eyes when at first, but this familiar feeling. It is indeed Yggdrasil, my Father's greatest creation."

Kashi's eyes went wide with disbelief at this reveal. "Yggdrasil was made by Ferulic? I always assumed Aethir created it. It's the Tree of Life, isn't it?"

"Tree of Life and Space, to be exact," Savi corrected with a small smile. "Yggdrasil's true nature is its ability to connect several worlds, planes, and dimensions." The merchant god chuckled as he said, "Father was truly a hopeless romantic. He hoped that no matter how far Mother was, she would be able to reach him through its branches."

Kashi frowned, feeling something was off with the tale. "Why is it only known as the Tree of Life then?"

Savi paused, his gaze downcast as he said, "Mother never utilized its spatial traits. She got hooked to this world after creating the humes and wouldn't leave for any other plane. However, Yggdrasil was an immensely powerful, divine tree, so she blessed it and set it as a paragon for life in this world. Its destruction set in motion the events that would eventually lead to the famous Calamity."

"What do you mean?"

"I am sure you have heard of Razznik the Destroyer?" Savi continued after Kashi's curt nod. "For various reasons, Mother did not like him. Razznik was an embodiment of chaos. He did what he wanted, regardless of the consequences. Even when faced with the threat of mortality, he still refused to bend his will. I think that, to Mother, was the greatest insult she had ever received. But the day Razznik destroyed Yggdrasil, he effectively declared war on her, and she swore to make him suffer for eternity." Savi downed his mug and then lamented, "A mistake the world is still paying for."