Chapter 190 Is the Sea of Corruption a Tsundere?
If a third party were present at this moment, they would see two vast and distinct entities standing side by side in the mental space.
On one side stands Erdtree, its trunk rooted in the void, its enormous canopy casting boundless radiance.
On the other side lies the Sea of Corruption, where gray-green spore clouds and tree canopies surge wildly like a tsunami, with endless mycelium invading every inch of space, making it impossible to see the boundaries.
The true essence of the souls of both the Erdtree and the Sea of Corruption is fully revealed in this spiritual space.
After both sides revealed their full forms, the side from the Sea of Corruption appeared to have the upper hand in terms of both size and imposing presence. However, the battle on the spiritual level is never a simple contest of the quantity of spiritual power that can be won.
Just like in the Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind manga, the dark spiritual power of the Dorok Holy Emperor could not harm Nausicaä no matter what, even though she was not as strong as the Dorok at that time.
Because Nausicaä is protected by the will of the Sea of Corruption, the other party cannot violate the rules in the slightest.
Now the situation has reversed. The waves from the Sea of Corruption are constantly crashing against the Erdtree, but the Erdtree remains as stable as a pillar supporting the sky, completely unaffected by the forest. This is due to the fundamental difference in their respective statuses.
The will of the Sea of Corruption cannot ultimately influence the rules.
After trying for a moment, she decisively gave up, and the boundless forest slowly closed in, a gesture of acknowledging the other as an equal: [You are powerful.]
"You are the entire Sea of Corruption itself? I thought you were the ruler of the Ohmu." Mu En had no idea that the Sea of Corruption had just tried to expel him.
He felt that this spiritual forest was completely different from the grotesque and Sea of Corruption of decay outside. A soft carpet of mycelium was laid under his feet, and the spores emitted a faint light when they floated past his eyes. Even the sounds were very pleasant to hear.
[We exist within the consciousness of all forest inhabitants. The Ohmu is part of the group that serves as a node and leader. The Ohmu, fungi, and other insects together make up us.]
[ The Sea of Corruption has its own rules of operation; we will only reveal ourselves when the swarm determines a threat is imminent.]
After hearing these words, Mu En realized that his previous assumptions contained many errors.
The entire Sea of Corruption is indeed a single entity. The reason he saw the Ohmu instead of other insects is because those large creatures act as mental nodes, which is why they can command the swarm.
"Oh? Am I being considered a threat now?" Mu En said jokingly on the surface, but in reality, she was already prepared to disconnect at any time.
The forest fell silent for a moment. Didn't you yourself know who this uninvited guest was, barging in without permission?
But her answer still sounded cold and blunt:
No, we should thank you.
[Our enemy has just suffered a heavy blow, and the one who dealt that blow was you.]
"Enemy?"
Mu En couldn't think of anything that could threaten this boundless, ancient forest before him.
The Sea of Corruption has lingered for millennia, and no one can stand against its swarms. Eftal, who inherited the knowledge of an ancient civilization, once attempted to conquer the Sea of Corruption, but ultimately met a tragic end, being completely swallowed up.
Then, Sea of Corruption uttered that name.
[ Void ]
Who is Void?
[ Void is no one; Void is Void, Void that devours all living beings.]
( Void, an evil god in the Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind manga that constantly tempts Nausicaä to give up her life. It appears in the form of bones and pure darkness and seems to have an inseparable relationship with the supernatural power of "psychic power".)
The black spiritual energy that had previously attached itself to Master Kabo, and the ownerless soul that had struggled to escape after being purified, immediately flashed into Mu En's mind. That must be the Void that the Will of the Sea of Corruption had mentioned.
But he had never heard of such an evil entity existing in the Valley of the Wind. Perhaps the Will of the Sea of Corruption before him knew something?
"What exactly is this Void you speak of, and where does it come from?"
We don't know.
[ The Void existed before the Sea of Corruption was born; it lurked in the darkness, relying on the toxins that permeated the land and air in ancient times.]
It devours all the souls of the dead to fuel its own power; only we can fight against it, no one can drag the souls of the insects into darkness.
[Now that you're here too, you should stand on the same side as us.]
Mu En remained silent, lost in thought. The Void might be evil; the drastic change in the personality of the Dorok Master after borrowing the other's power was proof of that.
But what about the Sea of Corruption?
In his view, the Sea of Corruption was equally domineering. Apart from fungi and insects, this forest never cared whether other species lived or died. Even the great mission of "purifying toxins" could not conceal its indifference.
Furthermore, is everything the Sea of Corruption says necessarily the truth?
Regardless of whether the Void poses a threat to him, the Sea of Corruption's current attitude seems somewhat ambiguous.
"So, how do you plan to cooperate with me and deploy a swarm of insects to help me repel the enemy?"
Mu En was a little uneasy when he asked the question. From his perspective, he was far less powerful than Sea of Corruption, and cooperating with him would be like asking a tiger for its skin.
But he desperately needs a powerful ally, and the Sea of Corruption is certainly qualified for that role.
[The forest has its own rules, and we cannot intervene proactively, but in order to combat the Void, we can offer you some assistance.]
The Sea of Corruption made it very clear that, at best, she could only be considered a representative and could not violate the Sea of Corruption's own ecological rules.
However, she could still do something if conditions allowed, such as trying to expel Mu En, or—
A completely different mental fluctuation came and was transmitted to the Erdtree through the mental link.
After receiving this "signal", Mu En suddenly felt that he had gained some kind of enlightenment. The qualities that had been dormant deep in his soul were awakened by the will of the Sea of Corruption.
"This is----"
[You have a similar ability to us; we just helped you remember it.]
Sea of Corruption didn't offer much explanation; it wasn't within her responsibilities.
The matter was over, and she began to dissipate on her own, the entire forest slowly turning into floating fragments of light.
Although she couldn't expel Mu En, she wouldn't interfere as long as the strange tree didn't do anything to harm the Sea of Corruption.
The outline of the forest gradually faded into a blur, perhaps out of a sense of kinship, she subtly offered a reminder:
[----Oh, right, something bad is awakening, underground, where the larvae were hiding.]
[I hope you don't let that thing threaten the Sea of Corruption.]
The will of the Sea of Corruption completely dissipated, and the spiritual space returned to its previous state, resembling a grassland in the sea.
The consciousnesses of the Ohmu also calmed down, no longer flashing excitedly as before. After all, they were part of the will of the Sea of Corruption, and the previous negotiations were equivalent to all of them participating.
"Hehe, interesting----"
Mu En stood still, lost in thought. He could sense that the Will of the Sea of Corruption had left some things unsaid and that its attitude was somewhat cold.
However, the other party did not pursue his involvement with the Ohmu, and even provided him with some assistance.
Could it be that this "Will of the Sea of Corruption " is actually a tsundere girl who's cold on the outside but warm on the inside?