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# Chapter 3
The World Tree.
Traces of this divine existence had been discovered throughout dungeons believed to belong to different dimensions.
A sacred tree that had taken root in countless dimensions.
Scholars even speculated that the World Tree might be connected to the beginning of all these events.
However, since this part had never been definitively uncovered, even in the future, I would skip over it.
‘The only thing we know for certain right now is that the World Tree possesses immense powers of healing and purification.’
The seeds contained healing powers, while the leaves and branches, which were rarely discovered, also possessed the power of purification.
Several dungeon superpowers, including South Korea, had even attempted to purify uranium using branches of the World Tree.
And tonight, I was going to make such a divine existence sprout.
‘But I can’t back down, not if it means treating Ye-eun.’
The preparations were almost complete.
“Daddy, look at me! Ta-da!”
“Wow! My daughter looks so pretty. But make sure you dry your hair properly. Or did you come here because you wanted Daddy to dry it for you~?”
“Eek!”
I sat Ye-eun on my lap and dried her hair.
“Oh my, Ye-eun is really excited.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“Thank you for your hard work~!”
“Na Ye-eun, that’s not something you should be saying.”
“Hehe!”
Seeing Ye-eun smiling as though she were simply delighted, Ms. Jia, who had just gone through quite a bit of trouble, eventually let out an awkward laugh.
“But that ritual must be really important. I’ve only ever seen things like ritual purification before a ceremony in movies.”
“Today is a very important day.”
“What could possibly be happening······?”
I merely smiled at Ms. Jia’s curious gaze. The sun was gradually setting.
Just then, I heard a car stopping outside.
“It seems the team leader has arrived.”
“You can hear that from here?”
“It’s just a small trick.”
After making sure Ye-eun’s hair was completely dry, I carried her and headed toward the entrance.
“Hello.”
“Hello, mister!”
“Sorry for coming so late. And hello to you too, Ye-eun.”
“Huh? How did you know Ye-eun’s name?”
“Word has spread because Ye-eun is so adorable.”
“Gasp! Really?”
“Ahem, of course!”
The team leader’s cheeks trembled as he struggled to keep his expression from melting. Ye-eun really was adorable.
Thinking to myself that I was being a complete doting father, I put Ye-eun down.
“May I check the materials?”
“Haha, of course.”
I followed the team leader toward a truck that was larger than I had expected.
“With a truck this size, it must have been difficult to get all the way here.”
“The driver is quite skilled.”
When I looked toward the driver’s seat, a muscular middle-aged man bowed his head. I returned the gesture.
Then, when we opened the cargo compartment······.
A chilly draft passed over the back of my neck.
“It’s cold.”
“You paid a great deal for these, so we couldn’t allow their medicinal effects to diminish even slightly. Everything is in the best possible condition.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“Haha, I’m the one who’s already looking forward to seeing what you’ll show us with these, Mr. Na Taejun.”
“I’ll do my best.”
After sharing a brief laugh, I lightly picked up Ye-eun, who had been busy peeking around the truck.
“Are you ready to see something amazing with Daddy today, Ye-eun?”
“I am!”
“Good. First of all······.”
I infused my fingers with mana and snapped them.
[Tree Spirit Summoning (A)]
Crack!
A tree that had accepted my mana developed cracks resembling eyes and a mouth, while its roots moved and formed feet.
It was one of the summons a druid could call forth: a tree spirit.
“Wow···!!”
“To activate an A-rank skill this quickly with just a snap of your fingers···. Haha, as expected from someone who almost became an ace of one of the Big Three Guilds, you’re remarkably skilled at using skills.”
“Haha.”
I gave an awkward laugh.
I could summon more than ten of them, but I had only called one because I was worried that Ye-eun might be frightened.
My current condition was probably somewhere above A-rank but below S-rank.
Although my physical abilities had declined, my skills and experience remained unchanged. If I was lucky, I might even be able to defeat an inexperienced S-rank hunter.
Of course, the team leader had no way of knowing that. He could only stare at my unexpectedly impressive abilities with shining eyes.
And when Ms. Jia appeared carrying Ye-eun’s cardigan······.
“My goodness······.”
“Haha, Ms. Jia, you’ll get a bug in your mouth if you keep standing there like that.”
“No, that··· Ah.”
Ms. Jia seemed unable to voice the thoughts rising to her throat, so she eventually let out a frustrated sigh.
I smiled faintly at her innocent reaction.
“Shall we get going?”
Thump! Thump!
Having received my instructions, the tree spirit extended its branches and wrapped them around the items inside the truck.
The tree spirit carried the materials as we arrived at the neglected yard behind the house.
“We originally promised to grow crops here.”
“···It’s not too late, even now.”
“Yes. That’s why I’m going to start cultivating it with my daughter, even if it’s late.”
“I wike it!”
I smiled at Ye-eun’s response before standing in the middle of the yard.
The poorly maintained yard was overrun with tough weeds, including dried grass and kudzu vines.
The team leader took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
“It looks like clearing this place will take some effort.”
“Ah, I’ll quickly bring gloves and bags.”
“Now, now. Both of you, calm down. What’s the point of being a druid if I can’t do this?”
After making everyone step back, I placed my hand on the ground.
“Time to move.”
[Waves of the Forest (A)]
Mana raced through the earth, and the vines began to move.
Rumble······.
Rustle······.
The mana-infused vines overturned the earth, sending waves in every direction along with the dried grass.
The messy backyard was cleared in an instant.
“Easy, right?”
“Daddy, you’re amazing!”
“Hunters really are incredible······.”
“Haha, no. Mr. Na Taejun is exceptionally amazing. Most people can’t handle things this delicately.”
“Is··· Is that so? Taejun, you’re more amazing than I thought.”
I laughed at their reactions.
The Sword Saint could cut through mountains, and the Witch of the North Sea could freeze the ocean. Compared to them, this was nothing more than a little trick.
Still, they say praise can make even a whale dance. And this wasn’t ordinary praise—it was praise from my daughter.
“Amazing! You’re amazing!”
“Really?”
“Yup!!”
Seeing her cheeks flushed as she nodded vigorously, my shoulders naturally rose with pride.
The sun finally disappeared beyond the mountain ridge, leaving only the moon hanging in the sky.
“Then this is a present for Ye-eun.”
I took a large quantity of seeds from my inventory and scattered them around us.
Rumble······.
The mana-infused seeds sprouted as soon as they sank into the ground, stretching out their stems.
In an instant, small yellow flowers bloomed throughout the backyard.
“Eek!”
“Wow···.”
“They’re evening primroses.”
I nodded at the team leader’s words while looking at the two women who couldn’t take their eyes off the flower garden.
“The language of evening primroses is ‘wishes,’ ‘a promise at night,’ and ‘mana.’”
I took the World Tree’s seed from my inventory and firmly planted it in the exact center of the flower bed. The team leader’s eyes widened.
“Mr. Na Taejun, don’t tell me···?!”
“Welcome to the time of magic.”
As I smiled, the tree spirit scattered the materials it had carried over the seed in the designated order.
Ashes of a great tree, a small amount of Soma, a wyvern’s heart, and so on.
Everything, from ordinary items to materials worth astronomical sums, fell to the ground and seeped into it without a single thing being left out.
Whoosh!
At that moment, a mysterious light burst forth and seeped into the evening primroses that had instantly spread throughout the area.
The flowers absorbed the moonlight and began to glow with a mysterious blue radiance. The child in Ms. Jia’s arms cried out.
“Tree! Unnie, a tree!”
“Huh? You’re right. The flowers really did bloom in the shape of a tree.”
“M-Mr. Na Taejun!”
The team leader, realizing what was happening, called out to me urgently. But he was already in the same boat as us.
“It’s the time of magic.”
Teal-colored mana dyed the world, and antlers made of mana emerged from my head.
[Archdruid (Ex)]
“O sacred tree that has spread its roots throughout the world, please hear the song of the moonlight here. Please hear my plea.”
If the World Tree was connected to my return to the past, then please, hear this voice.
“Embrace the moonlight, cradle life, break through your sturdy shell, and descend into this world.”
I reached out my hand toward Ye-eun, who was staring at me as though she had been bewitched.
In the child’s eyes, I was a sublime being standing beneath the moonlight with sacred antlers.
And yet, despite that, she took my hand without hesitation. Now it was time to repay her trust.
“Mother of Life, please hear my plea.”
So that this foolish human would not repeat the same mistake, and so that this child would not experience the same pain.
“I wish and wish again!”
“···I wish!”
I widened my eyes at Ye-eun’s voice as she shouted from within my arms, but the child paid no attention and continued to cry out.
“Please help our daddy!”
‘I don’t want to lose my daughter.’
The sincere wish reached the heavens, and the evening primroses that had carried the wish began to emit a radiant light.
Yet my gaze remained clear even in the midst of that radiance.
[The Great Mother of Life is looking at you.]
Flash!
Amid the flower petals scattering all at once, I could see a gigantic tree beyond the radiance.
An existence that had taken root in countless dimensions and proudly displayed its presence.
‘The World Tree.’
At the same time, light flowing from the World Tree fell upon the seed.
Crack!
The sturdy seed split apart, and life blossomed.
[The Young World Tree pokes its head out!]
[The growth speed and effects of plants in the surrounding area increase explosively, centered around the Young World Tree!]
‘It··· sprouted!’
A pair of cotyledons that had emerged from the seed swayed in the breeze, and a mass of light enveloped Ye-eun and me.
The mana that had been depleted suddenly surged.
But Ye-eun, the target of this ritual, was different.
“Ah···.”
Mana was circulating between the Young World Tree and Ye-eun.
Ye-eun couldn’t circulate mana because her mana pathways were blocked.
In the past, that accumulated mana had become a bomb and destroyed the child.
But things were different now.
The Young World Tree was acting as an artificial heart and a passageway, circulating mana outward.
Moreover, the pure mana surging like a tidal wave had even opened one of the child’s blocked pathways.
‘It worked.’
It was still only a temporary solution, but if the World Tree and the child continued to grow like this, and more mana could be used to open her pathways······.
‘Ye-eun will never collapse like she did before.’
At the same time, the child met my eyes and gently curved hers into a smile.
“Daddy.”
“Yes, Ye-eun. Daddy is right here.”
“It says it feels happy.”
“Huh?”
I looked toward the place Ye-eun was pointing, and the Young World Tree was fluttering its cotyledons.
As though it were waving its hands.
“Y-Ye-eun···. Can you understand what it’s saying?”
“Yes! Right~?”
[The Young World Tree excitedly waves its cotyledons.]
“Yeah, yeah. You’re excited too!”
Ye-eun slipped out of my arms and began circling around the World Tree and the other trees, nodding her head. A hollow laugh escaped me at the sight.
It seemed that Ye-eun······.
She could understand the voices of plants, something even I, despite possessing the Archdruid class, could not hear.
---
After resonating with the World Tree, Ye-eun gained the ability to hear the voices of plants.
Those who had been blankly alternating their gazes between me and the Young World Tree immediately began investigating after hearing the news.
Ms. Jia cared deeply for Ye-eun, while the shaken team leader repeatedly mentioned the “nice mister” to ensure that she kept the secret.
And so, the investigation began.
“Ye-eun, can you only hear the voices of trees? Can’t you hear the grass?”
“Mm-hmm. They mumble too much.”
“Then can you hear this tree spirit too?”
“It’s thirsty and wants to go home.”
“What else?”
“I don’t know. It can’t speak very well. I guess it’s younger than Ye-eun.”
I thought about her answer for a moment before asking one final question.
“Then can you make it so you can’t hear their voices?”
“Why?”
I carefully chose my words as I looked at her innocent face.
Being able to hear the words of plants might seem like a blessing at first glance. Unfortunately, this was the modern era.
‘Although environmental pollution is decreasing due to the new resources found in dungeons, environmental pollution is still a serious problem.’
Would those voices really be good for a child’s emotional well-being?
In my opinion, they wouldn’t. An excessive ability could be worse than having no ability at all. What if this power ended up eating away at the child?
However, if I forcibly stopped her from using it, she might become resentful. After organizing my thoughts, I opened my mouth.
“Ye-eun, you enjoy playing with your friends at kindergarten, right?”
“Yes!”
“But what do you think would happen if you played every day?”
“Wouldn’t that be good···?”
“Your friends would ask you to play even when you’re spending time with Daddy like this. Even when you’re sleepy.”
“Ah, no! I want to stay with Daddy.”
My daughter clung tightly to me. She was so adorable that my expression almost melted, but I held it back, conscious of the others’ gazes.
Fortunately, Ye-eun seemed interested in the ability to turn it on and off. She furrowed her delicate brows and concentrated.
Then, pop! Her expression brightened.
“I can’t hear them!”
“Good.”
“Phew, I suppose there’s no need to worry.”
“The trees don’t seem to be particularly intelligent to begin with, and they seem to follow Ye-eun well. So I don’t think there will be a problem.”
Everyone nodded.
Of course, we needed to observe her for a little longer, but at least this seemed to have established a basic safety measure.
“Then, Ye-eun, shall Daddy ask you to make one promise?”
“A promise?”
“It’s fine to listen to your tree friends at home or around here, but when you go outside, don’t listen to what they say.”
“Why?”
All right, time to rack my brain again.
“You said earlier that they were younger siblings, right? You’ve seen the younger children at kindergarten who scream loudly, haven’t you?”
“Yes! They scream really loudly.”
“Trees are the same. They might do that even when you’re playing with your friends or talking to Daddy. So when that happens, cover your ears for a little while. What do you think?”
“Um······when the younger kids screamed, I cried a lot. When that happened, the teacher came. What do you do with them?”
I was rendered speechless by her innocent eyes. I couldn’t bring myself to tell a child to ignore someone else’s pain.
Countless words came to mind and then faded away as I searched for an answer.
But there was no absolutely correct answer in a situation like this, so I decided to share my own thoughts.
She would find the answer within herself.
“Whenever possible, let’s keep your ears closed when we go outside. But if you happen to hear voices like that, call Daddy.”
“Will Daddy solve it?!”
“······No. Daddy probably won’t be able to solve everything. In fact, Daddy doesn’t even have enough hands to hold Ye-eun like this. But······.”
If that’s what you want.
“Daddy will help as much as he can. I’ll put our heads together with Ye-eun and think about it.”
To be honest, I wanted to remain a cool father in front of my child, someone who could do anything.
But I had realized that such a thing was impossible.
“Would that be enough?”
“Um······if Daddy helps me, then okay. I promise.”
“Daddy promises too.”
We hooked our fingers together and made a promise. When you truly couldn’t turn away, I would run to you.
“Ye-eun will keep her promise.”
“Yes. Daddy will too.”
We pressed our foreheads together and closed our eyes, hoping that the emotions we couldn’t express through words would reach the child.
When we opened our eyes, we smiled at each other.
Why was it? The world might not go the way we wanted, but whenever I looked at you, I felt as though everything would work out.
However, our emotional moment lasted only briefly.
“Ahem!”
“Sniff, could you lend me one too?”
“Yes.”
I noticed Team Leader Ham Gilyeong dabbing at the corners of his eyes with a handkerchief, while Ms. Jia stared only at the sky.
Ye-eun’s eyes widened.
“Unnie, are you crying?!”
“I’m not crying.”
“What about the mister?!”
“Haha, some dust got into my eyes, that’s all. I’m fine.”
“Hmm··· I don’t think so.”
She ran around the two adults, tilting her head as she looked at them. She was so adorable that I couldn’t help myself.
I burst out laughing, and the two of them shouted at me with crooked expressions.
“Please don’t laugh.”
“That’s right. Laughing is cheating!”
“Pwahaha!”
“Hehe.”
The moon slowly began to descend.
But our journey was only just beginning···.
Let’s laugh out loud atop the flowers in full bloom,
Because tomorrow, we would surely be walking together along the path I had once walked alone.
·
·
·
After Team Leader Ham Gilyeong left, we collapsed onto the sofa.
Ye-eun and I had been the main participants in the ritual, while Ms. Jia also seemed exhausted from witnessing so many incredible things.
It was a peaceful moment.
That was when the conversation came up.
“Hmm, if the plants around here grow incredibly well thanks to the World Tree, shouldn’t we plant something in this land now?”
“That’s true. We should, since the weeds might grow like crazy too.”
“Then how about the diet vegetables I mentioned last time?”
“Hmm···.”
After thinking about it for a moment, I decided it probably wasn’t a bad idea, especially with the World Tree here. We could expect a good harvest.
But just as my thoughts began leaning in that direction, a news report started playing on the television.
“Due to the recent worldwide poor harvest of mana herbs, potion production is facing difficulties, and potion prices have risen several times over. As a result, there has been considerable controversy among hunters recently.”
‘Ah, right. I did struggle for a while when potion prices skyrocketed.’
Of course, since I had quit being a hunter, I thought it had nothing to do with me and tried to brush it off.
But it seemed the child couldn’t do the same.
“Daddy, are the hunter uncles hurt?”
“Ah······.”
The moment I saw her face filled with concern, I realized it.
It seemed that my first crop would be mana herbs.