World Tree's Bow

"That thing……."

Kim Jehyun's eyes widened as he stared at the cluster of light.

He had caught sight of the massive form buried within it.

'A bird's head…… on a human body?'

It had an eagle's face atop a human torso. Two pairs of wings extended from its back. The being before him, cloaked in pristine ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠white feathers, exuded an almost holy aura.

—Hah, you've already grown enough to pierce through this one's true form?

The entity spoke to Jehyun with evident surprise.

—Hmmm. I see. You're no ordinary dragon, are you?

As it murmured, its gaze flashed sharply. A scorching energy poured toward Jehyun, hot enough to feel like his body was burning from the inside out.

Jehyun gritted his teeth and posed his question to the being before him.

"Are you the Light Spirit King?"

—Indeed. I am Rollin, the Light Spirit King.

'As expected.'

Jehyun nodded inwardly at Rollin's response. It was just as he had anticipated.

"Rollin, I've come here because I want to form a contract with you."

—Hmmm.

Rollin stroked his chin at Jehyun's words.

—Seeing Ifrit's scent on you, it seems you've passed his trial. Very well. Will you take my trial as well?

"Of course."

Rollin's eyes curved into crescents at Jehyun's reply, gleaming with amusement.

—It won't be easy.

As Rollin spoke, a system window materialized before Jehyun's eyes.

'Just like with Ifrit.'

Back then, after passing Ifrit's trial, he had formed a provisional contract with the Fire Spirit King. This was the same situation.

"Fine. Bring it on."

The moment Jehyun spoke, a cascade of light poured down from the sky.

Paaaaaah!

'Urk.'

The light crashed over him like a waterfall, engulfing his entire body. It was intensely hot. It felt like his whole form was melting away.

He hadn't felt pain like this since acquiring his Dragon Scale. It had been so long.

'If I hadn't gotten the Dragon Scale…… I might have died right here in this trial.'

Jehyun's thought was spot on. Gaining the Dragon Scale before facing Rollin's trial had been a stroke of immense luck. Without it, his frail human body never could have withstood this power.

'They weren't kidding when they said light is a supreme attribute…… This is no joke.'

With that in mind, he endured the onslaught of light energy pouring over him. How much time passed like that? Eventually, the pain faded, replaced by a warm, comforting sensation.

It was at that moment. A thread of light shot from Rollin's chest, connecting to Jehyun's own.

An infinite surge of Light Spirit Force filled his body.

'No way!'

Jehyun looked at Rollin in astonishment. This was definitely another Spirit King like Ifrit. But the scale was entirely different. If Ifrit was a 100-story building, Rollin was a towering 300 stories.

As expected. It was a full rank higher than Ifrit's Provisional Contractor (SS). Rollin surpassed Ifrit.

Paaaaaah!

His vision filled with white light, and the world flipped. With the contract complete, he was ejected from the space.

That was when it happened.

—……the revival of…… look forward……to it.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

With those faint words from the Light Spirit King Rollin as the last thing he heard, Jehyun's vision flickered.

* * *

"What? It failed?"

"Yeah. And it wasn't just a failure—it was a total wipeout."

"We made two A-rank mutants, didn't we? The highest-rated guy they sent to stop the dungeon break was only B-rank, right?"

The fierce-looking man, Choo Incheol, addressed the man smirking before him.

"Ah, well…… There was someone who exceeded expectations."

"Exceeded expectations? You calling that an excuse?"

Choo Incheol scowled at Oh Kyungjun, who had been grinning until then. A failure due to someone beyond expectations? What a lame excuse.

But Oh Kyungjun's next words made Choo Incheol's eyes widen.

"Kim Mansik. The guy who killed him—that was the wildcard. Publicly, he's known as a 4th Circle mage…… But this time, I saw him surpass that by miles."

"What…… The man who killed Kim Mansik was there? Then you should've crushed him on the spot!"

"Tch, the Magic Tower Lord's gaze was on him. Couldn't move carelessly."

Oh Kyungjun shook his head.

"Always the Magic Tower, the Magic Tower. When will we escape its shadow? It's exhausting."

"Our power's still lacking, so what can we do? He's one of the top dogs, after all."

Jang Boyoung, the only woman present, puffed her cheeks as she spoke. Choo Incheol replied in a resigned tone.

"Just wait a bit longer. Once He arrives, dragging down that Tower Lord won't be far off."

A chilling killing intent flickered in Choo Incheol's eyes as he added that.

"More importantly, what about the guy who ruined our plans this time? We letting him slide?"

"No way. We need to nip him in the bud before he grows."

"He's under the Magic Tower's protection. Got a plan?"

At that moment, the man ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠who had been silently leaning against the wall with arms crossed finally spoke.

"That's why I've prepared something for times like this."

"……?"

All eyes turned to Jeon Jung-sik.

"Among the ones I shared power with recently, there's a Black Snake affiliate. We use him."

"Black Snake…… That rising black mage group? When did you recruit there too? Gotta hand it to Jeon Jung-sik's networking skills."

"No big deal. Anyway, he's an executive there. Gave him a taste of Genesis power, and he's been obsessed ever since. No matter how skilled Kim Jehyun is, he won't beat that."

"From what I saw, the guy handles not just magic but spirits too…… You sure we can take him out?"

"I even brought up spirits. He said not to worry unless it's light spirits."

"Then we're good. No one's ever succeeded in contracting a light spirit."

* * *

Paaaaaah.

A cluster of white light swirled before Jehyun, coalescing into a round lump.

—Summoned: Wisp, Rollin's low-rank soldier.

"Oh."

Round eyes appeared on the lump of light, curving into crescents. Jehyun's eyes sparkled at the adorably cute sight.

"So this is a light spirit."

This was Jehyun's first time seeing one in person. Of course, it wasn't an ordinary light spirit—it was a direct subordinate of the Light Spirit King Rollin. Even setting that aside, he was probably the first ever to contract a light spirit.

"Alright, let's see."

Jehyun pulled an item from his inventory.

Divine Artifact—World Tree's Bow (Light).

As the pristine white bow revealed itself, Wisp circled Jehyun in surprise. It was clearly reacting to the bow.

"Wisp, can you make this bow usable for me?"

Wisp flashed its signature eye-smile.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

It then merged straight into the Divine Artifact—World Tree's Bow.

Ziiiiiing.

Pah!

As Wisp seeped in, the bow emitted a brilliant white light. A system message appeared.

—Usage conditions for Divine Artifact: World Tree's Bow (Light) fulfilled.

With that, information about the World Tree's Bow—which even Dragon Eye couldn't read before—now floated before his eyes.

Jehyun smiled as he read the World Tree's Bow info.

'With this…… I can really take down that bastard.'

The upper dark spirit lurking in the Polluted Spirit Forest. It was time to hunt it.

* * *

Pah.

The portal opened, and Jehyun stepped back into the Polluted Spirit Forest.

He had worried about how to find Soruk again if he entered from outside the forest. Fortunately, he reappeared right in front of the cabin where he had returned to Earth.

"Ah, y-you're back."

Beside the small cabin, Seranti—who had been resting in the shade of a tree—jumped in surprise and bowed to Jehyun.

"Yeah. Nothing happen while I was gone?"

"N-no, nothing special…… But Lady Soruk's condition……."

Seranti trailed off, but Jehyun understood.

He headed straight inside the cabin. There lay Soruk on the bed, her complexion far worse than a few days ago.

"Gr-great one……."

"Enough. Lie still."

Jehyun stopped Soruk, who was trying to bow even on the brink of death, and approached her bedside. Her once porcelain-white face was now overtaken by a conspicuous purple aura.

—Hah, the corruption has nearly consumed her. Maintaining her mind this far is impressive.

As Alkasha said, a normal mind would have been swallowed by the purple energy long ago. She was holding on only because she was a high elf.

—Better hurry. Any more delay, and she might be fully corrupted.

'Yeah.'

Jehyun replied to Alkasha, then looked at Soruk and spoke.

"If we remove the dark spirit, there might be a way. Hang in there just a bit longer."

Alkasha's Absorption authority had worked fine even after clearing Haejeongsan's omega bosses. He suspected the reason it failed only here was the dark spirit at the forest's center. That entity blanketed the entire forest in purple energy. Removing it—and the central source—might allow him to purge the remnants from Soruk before full corruption.

'Straight there.'

Jehyun moved out. For some reason, he didn't want to lose the Soruk before his eyes.

* * *

From a high vantage overlooking the forest's center, Jehyun peered down.

Goooooo.

The dark spirit brimmed with massive energy. Its appearance hadn't changed much—hazy, vaguely forming shapes, near-amorphous. But the energy it held was far greater now.

'If I'd been even a day later…… this would've been impossible.'

Jehyun swallowed hard.

He didn't know what happened in the interim, but the dark spirit now pulsed with even more purple energy.

'Only chance is now.'

Jehyun's eyes calmed. Dragon mind settled in, sharpening his thoughts to steel.

He layered multiple concealment magic circles to mask his mana presence, then drew Divine Artifact: World Tree's Bow (Light).

This relic wasn't the most efficient for its divine status. Its power varied wildly based on the light spirit infused, and beyond raw attack, its options leaned toward support: purification, blessing, healing.

'From the looks of it, it's meant for rear-guard support, backing allies rather than frontline combat.'

But there was one time it shone above all.

'Against dark attributes.'

Damage vs. dark attributes: +1,000%. An absurd multiplier. It was a dark-attribute shredder worthy of the name.

Even with just a low-rank soldier spirit infused, the base damage amplified by 1,000% would critically wound an upper spirit.

Guuuuugugu.

As Jehyun drew the bowstring, it sucked in ambient mana, condensing vast energy. Even the layered concealment circles groaned under the strain.

"……?"

The dark spirit sensed something amiss and turned toward Jehyun.

But by then, the arrow had already left the string.

Divine Artifact: World Tree's Bow (Light) activated.

Kwaaaaaang!

The air shoved backward from the recoil as an immense beam of light energy lanced toward the dark spirit.