Chapter 352

“Come on in this way, Ms. Selner,” Jinho said, guiding the guests from the doorway into the living room.

Adam White, Norma Selner, and Thomas Andre entered Suho’s home one after another. Thomas leisurely looked around the living room and smirked.

“Cozy little place.”

As he said this, his large hand lifted Norma’s wheelchair with ease, carrying it gently over the threshold. It was an immense display of strength, as though he were effortlessly handling a pair of chopsticks. Norma, however, kept her gaze straight ahead, as if she were used to such treatment. With eyes like unfathomable black pearls, she quietly observed everyone in the room. Adam, standing beside her, felt a sheen of sweat form on his back.

Everyone gathered here right now is...

On the outside, this was exactly an ordinary family home, which Thomas had so aptly described as “cozy.”

However, if one truly knew the identities of each person present, this home might as well have been the most powerful fortress on Earth—a gathering of nuclear warhead-level superhumans primed for war.

First, there was Sung Ilhwan, a seasoned warrior who had appeared from nowhere and turned the tide of battle. He was a hunter believed to be of national-level power, who fought with twin daggers. He was so formidable in combat that some claimed he stood on equal footing with Liu Zhigang of China.

Then, there was Cha Haein. She was undeniably a National Level Hunter, who flew through the sky on a black dragon, bringing thunder and lightning wherever she went. People called her the “Goddess of Thunder.”

Next came Yoo Jinho. He was the creator of

Solo Leveling: Ragnarok

, the head of Ahjinsoft, and the man who had made the awakening system known as the Tower of Tribulation available to all humanity. People called him the “Upgrader.”

Then, finally, there was Suho.

“Sung Suho.” Norma spoke for the first time, addressing him in fluent Korean with a polite nod. “So we finally meet. I am Norma Selner.”

“You know who I am?” Suho asked.

“I do indeed. I was wishing for your safe birth even while you were still in your mother’s womb,” she replied, recalling a distant memory.

That had been over two decades ago, perhaps even more. She had glimpsed into a dizzying future with her ability—one that held both the most perilous moment the universe had ever seen, and a miracle more radiant than any other. Years had passed since then. Now, seeing Suho grown, Norma spoke with weight in her voice.

“Had you not been born without incident that day, this world would be a very, very different place than it is now.”

The words were the vague comments of a prophet, but Suho’s expression hardened.

“You ever wonder how much Life-Giving Elixir Cha Haein had to consume when she gave birth to you?”

If he hadn’t met the World Tree’s Shadow, Suho wouldn’t have had the slightest idea what that meant.

“I’m quite skilled at making accurate predictions,” Norma said calmly to those who surrounded her.

It was a form of courtesy. Many here already knew who she was, but there were also civilians like Park Kyunghye and Sung Jinah who did not.

“As a result, I can see things others can’t. Things about you and your father, for instance, Suho.”

That was why she had prayed and hoped with all her heart. She had wished only good things for Jinwoo, and for the safe delivery of his child.

“I know this is long overdue, but I wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you so much... for coming into the world safely.” Norma bowed her head gently, to both Suho and his mother. “Thank you for delivering him in such good health, Mrs. Cha.”

Suho, watching her show such heartfelt gratitude toward his mother, found himself speechless.

Adam gulped nervously. He was once again reminded of the significance of the people around him. Norma Selner,

the Norma Selner

, was speaking to them like this. He, too, had accessed the Tower of Tribulation, albeit briefly due to his workload. Perhaps it was that experience, or perhaps it was just meeting these people face to face, but his memories of Jinwoo were slowly starting to return.

Suppressing his growing confusion, he whispered quietly to Thomas Andre, “Should I even be here?”

“Don’t worry. You’ve earned your place here. I don’t know why, but Jinwoo was quite fond of you. Maybe it was because you were a great interpreter, or maybe it was just your charming personality.”

Adam said nothing.

“Haha! But does it even matter?”

Thomas patted him on the shoulder with the relaxed air of the first person to access the Tower of Tribulation.

Of course, that didn’t make Adam any less nervous.

After a short, heavy silence, Jinho looked around cautiously and cleared his throat, trying to ease the mood.

“You are... a person born to be loved...” he began to sing. It was a common welcome song at churches and the like. He cleared his throat again awkwardly. “Ahem. Sorry.”

The silence continued.

Guess that was a no-go, then

, Jinho thought.

Suho’s eyes traveled to Norma’s wheelchair.

“Are your legs injured?” he asked.

“No. Just the signs of ordinary aging. I’m getting on in years, and my strength has waned. Being a prophet isn’t exactly a profession that involves much walking.”

The last part was a light joke, and Norma Selner smiled as she said it. Suho’s gaze shifted elsewhere.

There were others in this home as old as Norma—Ilhwan and Kyunghye. However, unlike the visibly aged Norma, those two, while clearly older, still looked healthy. Ilhwan, in particular, carried several Stones of the Outer Gods within him, placing him in constant danger. His body could rupture and cause a dimensional breach at any time. Even so, he looked far healthier than Norma.

While it was a great relief for Suho, he had a feeling he knew the reason behind their good health.

I have all the ingredients now. Why don’t I make it?

[Item: Life-Giving Elixir]

[Acquisition Difficulty: S

Type: Consumable

A mysterious and powerful magical potion that heals all ailments. It only takes full effect when an entire bottle is used.]

Suho had originally intended to create it for Ilhwan’s sake. It required three ingredients in total. Not only had Suho gathered them, he’d found the original sources of each, enough that he could use as much as he wanted and still acquire more.

[Life-Giving Elixir]

- Crafting available

- Ingredients:

Purified Blood of the Demon King (1/1)

Fragment of the World Tree (1/1)

Echo Forest Spring Water (1/1)]

Now that he had everything, it was time to craft it.

The Purified Blood of the Demon King referred to Esil’s Refined Lifeblood. As for the Fragment of the World Tree—he had located the entire World Tree, so there was absolutely no shortage of that. The same went for the Echo Forest Spring Water. Even now, more of it was being pumped out of Sirka’s home. Suho could now produce as much of the ingredients of the Life-Giving Elixir as he wanted, limited only by how much Refined Lifeblood Esil could provide.

Though he had discovered the World Tree a while ago, one major event after another had kept him busy, and coupled with the job change quest, they had kept him from finding the time to make the Life-Giving Elixir.

Even Ilhwan, the one who needed the elixir, had been actively traveling and fighting battles. He’d even said he wanted to train a bit more using the power of the stones, which was why everything had been delayed until today. Suho was now the Protector of the World Tree and the Monarch of Transcendence, and he no longer even needed the system to make the elixir. He only needed to use his power as a Monarch now.

“Grandfather,” he said.

“Yes.”

When Suho turned to him, Ilhwan immediately understood and nodded.

It was finally time. Although he had used his training as an excuse, the truth was that he was nearing his limit. The cracks in his body had developed to dangerous levels after his recent battles with the Apostle of Domination’s copies, and he had struggled to keep them at bay. Pushing himself this far had produced some benefits, however. Even Suho could tell that Ilhwan’s vessel had grown to the largest extent possible, far beyond anything from before.

If he pushes himself any further, it’ll really become dangerous

, Suho thought.

At Ilhwan’s nod, Suho opened his inventory immediately.

[Craft Item: “Life-Giving Elixir”?]

“Yes.”

The three ingredients Suho had stored in his inventory began to swirl together in his hands.

[Crafting Item: “Life-Giving Elixir.”]

[10, 9, 8...]

[The success rate and quantity of the final product will vary depending on the creator’s Intelligence stat.]

[7, 6, 5...]

There was really no need to listen to the countdown. The system emphasized the importance of the Intelligence stat, but it didn’t matter anymore. Suho already understood the principles behind how the elixir was made.

Refined Lifeblood. The purified and compressed blood of demons, for whom blood is not only life, but power.

The source of that power was no doubt the hunger and desire of the Residents of the Rift and the dregs of the afterlife who floated in the void to become living beings.

Then there was the Fragment of the World Tree. The World Tree had such powerful vitality that even a single leaf could be used to craft a healing potion. The power within was such that it could even give new life to the dead souls within the Sea of the Afterlife.

As for the Echo Forest Spring Water, it held the power of purification, the collected hopes and prayers of the elves who had escaped the spirits and survived the Elvenwoods that once raised them like livestock and devoured their very souls. Its cleansing energy neutralized the toxicity of Esil’s blood and blended its incompatible energy with that of the Fragment of the World Tree.

A whooshing noise filled the air, accompanied by a flash of light.

[Crafting completed!]

[Crafting was successful!]

[You acquired ten of Item: “Life-Giving Elixir”!]

Ten full elixirs now rested in Suho’s hands. He still had more ingredients left. He passed one elixir to Ilhwan, and another to Norma, as a gift for the old prophet who had prayed for his father’s happiness for so long.

“W-wait, is this...?” Norma looked startled.

Ilhwan, however, drank his without hesitation. A radiant light poured from his body, which looked so worn it seemed as if the cracks might shatter at any moment. The breaches immediately healed. The Stones of the Outer Gods embedded in his body melted, and began to merge into one. Within that dazzling halo of light, Ilhwan gripped the purified divine energy now gathered in his hand.

The next moment, like long-awaited rain soaking parched and broken earth, his body recovered completely. The toll Ilhwan had taken on his body had finally borne fruit.

“Hmm?”

Watching from behind, arms crossed, Thomas’ lips curled into a faint smile. He was clearly intrigued. Having secretly worked with the U.S. government to hunt down the members of the Church of the Outer Gods, he recognized the energy within Ilhwan at once. How could he not smile at this?

“Hehe. The Outer Gods would be pissed. A new Apostle has risen, and he doesn’t serve them.”

Ilhwan wasn’t just at the level of a high priest, but at that of a real Apostle. The Life-Giving Elixir had purified the Stones of the Outer Gods, and Ilhwan had claimed their divine power for himself. A mysterious light now shimmered in his eyes.

***

Meanwhile, at that very moment, in the farthest depths of the Arctic, an emergency siren blared from a secret base, cloaked beneath dozens of overlapping S-rank barriers cast by Yuri Orloff.

“The prime minister has given the order!”

“Execute Project Eternal Fountain!”

Alarms screamed throughout the facility. Petrov, the director of the base, quickly issued his instructions to the staff in the control room. His face was tight with tension.

“Run all devices at full power! Increase the mana crystal supply by 300 percent!”

Beyond the reinforced glass opposite the control room lay a massive circular chamber. At its center stood a towering round structure. It was known as a void gate—and at its heart yawned a gaping hole of absolute darkness. Visible just beyond was a glittering universe, scattered with stars.

“Sir! The mana output is reaching dangerous levels!” shouted an engineer, but Petrov ignored him.

“Then use twice as many Stones of the Outer Gods!”

“But at this rate, the barriers—”

“It’s fine! This is the prime minister’s order!”

The energy harvested from the Elvenwoods surged toward the gate, sucked into the void. As if an earthquake had struck, the entire secret base began to tremble. Two engineers standing nearby swallowed dryly as violent waves of power roiled within the void gate.

“It’s turning into something completely different from what we originally created.”

“Exactly. It was just a small dimensional breach at first...”

Alexei, one of the engineers who had helped construct the device, was drenched in cold sweat. “The prime minister kept adding more magic circles, more materials... That’s when it started going sideways.”

Ivan, the coworker beside him, nodded with a troubled expression. “Yeah. It feels... unsettling to look at. Almost like...”

“Like someone over there is looking back at us,” Alexei finished.

“Exactly. Like it’s a two-way mirror. As much as we’re staring in... they’re staring right back.”

The ominous alarm repeated faster and faster, and with it, the void gate at the center of the chamber began to glow. What had started as a pale gray began shifting toward a brilliant white, until it blazed like a miniature sun.

Petrov, sweating profusely, watched it all unfold with cold precision. He didn’t know exactly what Prime Minister Orloff was planning. No one did. All they knew was that this gate wasn’t just a passageway. It was something more.