He had lost all his legs and returned empty-handed, and even now Ludwig could not believe what he had seen in that dragon's soul. "But if that is really the case, then I must…" He made his decision and tapped the tabletop.
The surrounding space was peeled away inch by inch into an isolated area, and a strange dragonman walked in from the doorway. "Oh? What is it? Ready to trade, or is there something else?" "By the way, can you tell me how the last me who spoke with you died?"
Ludwig did not answer, only tapping the table. "I agree to the trade. I will give you the Authority only after I confirm that it works once I have it." "Hahaha… is that so? No problem, of course," the dragonman said. "I believe you also know what accepting this trade means. There will definitely be a place among the Four Heavenly Kings for the future you."
The dragonman laughed and openly handed over a plain-looking green sphere, the seed of the Inverted World Tree. It was very pleased and not worried about betrayal at all. The task given by the Demon King was only to deliver the seed and have Ludwig use it. The process itself did not matter.
That extra Authority obtained in the deal was just a bonus. The seed was not its own anyway, so it did not care how it was used. As for the position among the Four Heavenly Kings, that part was real, without any exaggeration. Of course, that was for the future Ludwig, not the current one. A single seed could not directly make a Crimson God disappear. Normally, only another Crimson God could do that.
Using the seed on other things was not a problem for Ludwig. But using it on the Ancient Weapon buried underground, which appeared fallen but was actually sealed, was a completely different matter. After the dragonman's disgusting smile was cut into a Shard by threads, space returned to the real world.
Ludwig picked up the ordinary-looking seed and toyed with it in his hand. A smile finally appeared at the corner of his mouth. "I told you, the view I am waiting for is not something you can imagine. Do you really think I am an idiot?"
Ludwig was glad that the core had triggered a self-destruction program earlier. Although he had stopped it in time, the command still affected the weapon buried underground. He had intervened quickly enough, but the small Rift that formed let him sense a trace of truth beneath the weapon. That was at least one of his own kind, and a far stronger one at that.
Ludwig knew that the mortal understood his goal and still carried out this risky trade. The intention was obvious. It was a trade, yes, but he himself was not one of the parties. He was the item being traded. "That would have been the case, but no one expected this. No one expected the Authority of Decay to be on a mere worldly creature!"
This was the best gift. Yes, by completing this trade, he would fall after losing the Authority. But another ready-made one had been delivered right to his door. He admitted that the dragon was strong, but once he used the seed to activate the entire weapon, victory would still be his.
This was pure suppression by scale, something unmatched. Even the metal he had lost earlier was only a small fraction of the weapon's true body. As for that other unknown peer of his, "It is all just food." He showed a smile more cruel and twisted than ever before.
In a hidden mine somewhere, the place that once rang with voices had long since been abandoned. Ludwig pierced through space and arrived at the deepest level in an instant, entering with only himself and his puppets. Even the person behind his human identity had never been told about the information hidden here.
If anyone else were to see it, they would surely cry out in shock. In the vast hollow deep underground, the exposed corner looked nothing like something that should exist in a world of swords and Magic. It was part of a colossal construct made of gray white metal, filled with a sense of advanced technology yet riddled with mismatched damage, missing armor, pierced sections, and even internal structures jutting out like a broken error.
Several of those openings had been cut out by Ludwig himself, used like digging out turnips. This was the result of attacks empowered by Authority from old acquaintances, strikes that shook the foundation itself and ignored ordinary physical defense. Ludwig remembered that after the collapse of the Divine Kingdom, when he fled with a shattered divine body, it was this weapon that had completely crushed him.
He had never expected that upon awakening in this era, he would be able to find this weapon again. Most of its functions were already scrapped due to changes in basic rules, but in this age it was still a rare treasure. He was going to abandon his old body and reshape himself anew.
"Come," he said.
The green seed gently landed on the metal surface and took root as if by instinct. Pale green roots fused perfectly with the metal, and the surface began to writhe as hard metal twisted into soft tendrils. In moments, a small tree took shape and continued to grow in size.
This seed did not need water or soil in the usual sense. Rather than growing, it was revealing its original form, with dense roots rapidly spreading through every corner of the massive construct. Even so, it was still not enough.
Ludwig stepped forward, and countless roots extended from the walls, tearing him apart and devouring him. As the roots tangled and surged, a crimson flower bloomed atop the canopy.
A deep rumble echoed as the underground began to collapse. Roots spread outward, eroding the surrounding environment, while the colossal beast slowly stretched its limbs and pushed upward. Gray white roots pierced through the ground above, stabbing into every person in the towns affiliated with the Third Army Group, amid silence or screams, and turning them into part of the vast ecosystem.
Even that did not satisfy the endless roots. They dispersed into extremely fine forms, down to metal particles, merging into the soil, the water, and even the clouds in the sky. Everywhere matter existed, it was part of him.
Countless lives were unified into a single existence, yet Ludwig was still hungry. Even after consuming his own puppets, it was not enough. A prepared command was then issued, aimed at infiltrators placed in the army by political rivals of his mortal identity, though they were all his puppets to begin with.
Now, those puppets would deliver good news to the sons of the former the Lord, news that suited all their interests. "The commander of the Third Army Group is suspected of treason." "Communication records with high level figures of the Faris Empire have been discovered." "The latest magitech and the excavation of the Ancient Weapon will be sold to…"
In order to excavate this weapon and search for the core, Ludwig had never cared about offending officials, nobles, or high ranking figures. The people he angered were not few, they were everywhere. He had not cared before, but now he could generously give them reasons to strike at him.
Whether they already wanted him dead, resented his control over such a blockbuster mineral vein, or were dissatisfied with resource allocation, it did not matter. They were all welcome. "I happen to be hungry," he said.
When he confirmed that the core was in this vein, he showed no mercy. Those who first discovered it were killed, and those who wanted a share were ignored. Relations had been reduced to waiting for a spark, especially with two army groups watching him at the border.
All it needed was a small excuse, plus the hint that an accident during excavation had badly weakened the army. Such an opportunity could not be wasted. Once they realized others were also acting, they would rush in like scavengers, afraid of missing out.
He laughed as he watched through remote puppets the sons of the the Lord behind the scenes, their faces shifting between shock and joy as they read the letters. He saw them denounce his crimes with righteous words and then march out with their troops. Along the way, Ludwig casually consumed agents from other factions who tried to contact him in secret, weaving his net with a cruel smile.
Above ground, the multiplying metal broke through the soil and spread along the ruins of the city, slowly reshaping itself. Some facilities that could still function under current rules were assembled. This process would take time, but soon someone would personally deliver him a meal to speed things up.
"And life really is remarkable," he said. "Even in this state, it still wants to come back."
As he assimilated the weapon and merged with the surrounding ecology, Ludwig sensed faint wills reviving in hidden corners. Things buried underground, dead yet not dead, unborn yet stirring, were awakening. Within the weapon itself, some restraints that once suppressed him were failing and slowly returning.
"But so what," he said.