Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: The World Tree
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They had defeated the demonic beasts and survived.
The Players trembled with exhilaration. They felt a sense of relief at having survived and an unparalleled sense of accomplishment at having vanquished a formidable foe.
And as if to fuel these emotions, lines of luminous text appeared one after another. The text that materialized in Kang-seok's mind was several lines longer than anyone else's.
[Title Acquired: Demonic Beast Executioner (Group)]
[Title Acquired: Demonic Beast Hunter]
[Title Acquired: First World Quest Participant]
[Title Acquired: Conqueror of Raum's Tower]
[60,000 Kron Acquired]
[Promoted from Intermediate Warrior to Advanced Warrior]
[Status upgraded to Owner of the Black Sword, Durandal]
[Acquired: Ring of the First World Quest Conqueror]
It was the first World Quest, one where three demonic beasts had appeared and many Players had lost their lives. Naturally, a wealth of rewards followed.
Since Kang-seok had no experience points, his advancement stopped at becoming an Advanced Warrior, but Players with levels gained enough experience to level up several times at once.
Seong Yu-jin, who had been burying her face in Kang-seok's chest and savoring the joy of victory, also lifted her head in surprise. Her eyes darted around, and she spoke with astonishment.
“I leveled up five times. Just a little more and I’ll be ready for my second class advancement.”
Choi Yu-ra also sniffled and raised her head. Seemingly embarrassed by her tear-streaked face, she lowered her gaze and mumbled.
“Me too… *hic*… I was promoted to Mid-Rank, and Kron… *hic*… a lot.”
Unlike her usual self, Choi Yu-ra could barely string a sentence together. Seong Yu-jin instinctively reached into her pocket for a handkerchief, wiped Choi Yu-ra's face, and then made her blow her nose with a loud honk.
The sight was strangely cute and amusing. Kang-seok couldn't hold back his laughter, which only embarrassed Choi Yu-ra further, prompting her to punch him lightly on the chest. She immediately turned away, busying herself with wiping her face.
Seong Yu-jin caressed Kang-seok's cheek. With her other hand, she gently lifted the Hero's Necklace, which was hanging outside his clothes. Being as perceptive as she was, Seong Yu-jin immediately identified the source of the golden light that had enveloped Kang-seok.
“The Hero’s Necklace… Did that nameless hero save us again?”
The Hero's Necklace was still golden, but it was subtly different. Having exhausted all the sacred power it contained, it was now nothing more than an ordinary locket.
Kang-seok, too, gazed at the necklace with a somewhat wistful expression.
He had a faint inkling.
‘The sacred art of the Yellow God…’
The astonishment that the Demonic Beast Raum had shrieked out like a scream.
If so, who were the figures he had seen in his vision? And the benevolent voice he heard at the end—did it belong to the Yellow God?
It was a matter to be discussed with his other guild members later, but Kang-seok had already decided to visit the grand temple of the Yellow God. He had to go, whenever that might be, to find out about the nameless hero.
Without this necklace, he would have died. And it wouldn't have ended there; Seong Yu-jin and Choi Yu-ra would likely have lost their lives to Raum as well.
Moreover, there was the Black Sword, Durandal.
The sword that had blocked the claws of the Demonic Beast Raum, claws that could slice through steel like paper.
Kang-seok held out Durandal to Seong Yu-jin. His desire to have her appraise the sword now was greater than his curiosity about the ring he received as a reward for clearing the World Quest.
Once again, Seong Yu-jin understood his intention. After a brief exchange of glances, she grasped Durandal's hilt and stared into the air.
“Black Sword, Durandal. A divine sword imbued with the power of the ‘White God,’ the king of gods. It was created to rival ‘Stormcaller,’ the strongest divine sword in the human realm, which contains the divine power of all Four Great Gods. Because it only contains the power of the White God, it ultimately could not match Stormcaller, but its durability is in no way inferior. It is ranked among the top ten of the thirty-seven sacred swords recognized by the White God Cult.”
The description had changed.
The Black Sword, Durandal, had awakened from its slumber and reclaimed its true form.
Its appearance hadn't changed much, but the blade itself was different. As someone who always carried Durandal, Kang-seok could tell.
Seong Yu-jin returned Durandal to Kang-seok's hand. Then she looked at him again. They had been embracing, and now, as she touched the necklace, they stood close enough for their breaths to mingle.
A sudden wave of shyness made Seong Yu-jin turn her head away first. Kang-seok, feeling awkward himself, also turned his head, only to see Kim Kang-san's face, who was preparing to clear his throat.
“Uh, um. It was a bit awkward to interrupt.”
Park Han-yeong and Go Min-gu stood beside Kim Kang-san. Kang-seok took a wide look around the sixth floor. He saw the Players who had fought alongside him against the Demonic Beast Raum.
For now, everyone was celebrating. But that joy would not last long.
Too many people had died.
On the sixth floor alone, more than twenty had perished. Considering those who were separated from their parties on the lower floors, there were surely many more Players who had lost their comrades.
The TCG Player, Kim Ha-neul.
They had only been together for a few hours, but something simmered deep in his chest.
He saw Park Hyeong-sik, John, and Daniel Kim.
He also saw Christian, sitting on the floor, tending to his severed left arm with a vacant expression. Unlike his fearsome helmet, his bare face was that of an ordinary man.
Kang-seok was relieved that no one from the Adamas Guild had died. Perhaps because of the help he'd received, he even offered a silent prayer of thanks to the Yellow God.
After embracing Kim Kang-san, Park Han-yeong, and Go Min-gu one by one, he noticed Choi Yu-ra, who had finally stopped crying. She stood half-hidden behind Seong Yu-jin, looking away with an awkward expression.
And then, one person.
Someone was approaching Kang-seok.
Growing stronger by the day, Kang-seok had become more sensitive to his surroundings and naturally turned to the side. It was the red-haired man who had led the group of Players that defeated the Demonic Beast Vapula—Park Chang-ho.
“I’m Park Chang-ho of the Seven Sword Knights.”
Park Chang-ho was the first to offer Kang-seok a handshake.
He and the Seven Sword Knights had held off the Demonic Beast Vapula, allowing them to focus all their efforts on defeating Oriax. For that reason, Kang-seok felt a sense of goodwill toward him more than anything else, but he didn't immediately take Park Chang-ho's hand.
A man with a similar feel to Galahad.
Not exactly the same, but he definitely felt they were of the same ilk.
“Choi Kang-seok of the Adamas Guild.”
Kang-seok took Park Chang-ho's hand. It was large and firm.
Park Chang-ho smiled. His slightly drooping eyes held a degree of favor that would have surprised even his fellow Seven Sword Knights.
Dark Destiny Lord.
To Park Chang-ho, that title no longer seemed ridiculous. And so, he intended to speak with conviction.
If only a mechanical voice hadn't followed the luminous text.
[Apologies for the interruption, but this is an emergency. Abnormal signs are being detected in Raum's Tower. It is recommended that you evacuate the tower immediately.]
Aegis spoke to Park Chang-ho. At the same time, Iris relayed a nearly identical message to Kang-seok.
The other Players also saw the luminous text.
[Time until collapse of Raum's Tower: 1,325 seconds]
[The tree trunks enveloping Raum's Tower are growing larger.]
[The magic that maintained the tower by drawing on the ley lines' energy has been damaged by Raum's death. More details will be provided later. For now, please hurry and escape.]
There were still over twenty minutes until the tower's collapse, but considering its size, they didn't have much time to spare. Raum's Tower had no windows, let alone a door.
“Do we… have to go out that way?”
Choi Yu-ra said, pointing to the hole Gigantes had made when it descended. Rather than searching for an exit that might not even exist, going through the visible hole was their best bet.
[You should be able to climb down the tree trunks. The distance from the hole in the outer wall to the ground is nearly fifty meters, but with your athletic abilities as Players, it shouldn't be a problem.]
Iris added, as if agreeing it was a good idea.
But just then, an even better solution appeared before them.
“Kang-seok!”
Hearing the voice broadcast through a megaphone, Kang-seok clenched his fist. The other members of Adamas also broke into relieved smiles and ran toward the wall.
The flagship of the Adamas Guild, the Black Dragon.
A jet-black airship approached the gaping hole in the outer wall. On its deck stood Yang Jun-gyu, waving his hands frantically.
It was Yang Jun-gyu and Hunt, who had been circling Raum's Tower since the black fruit bombardment began, waiting for news of Kang-seok's party.
They had flown over as soon as they spotted the hole, an arrival that could, in a way, be considered late.
The sudden appearance of the airship brought both confusion and joy to the Players. Kang-seok shouted to them all.
“It’s the Adamas Guild’s flagship! Everyone, get on board, quickly!”
It was just like when they fought the Earth Dragon Andras.
Having played a major role in defeating first the Demonic Beast Oriax and then Raum, Kang-seok was accepted as the de facto leader by the Players. Moreover, with everyone desperate to escape, they followed the Adamas guild members' guidance and boarded the Black Dragon.
Park Chang-ho and the Seven Sword Knights also boarded the Black Dragon. With nearly forty surviving Players, the airship quickly filled up.
“Iris, what about the other Players still in the tower?”
Kang-seok asked in a low voice as he watched the Players board the Black Dragon. Iris soon responded.
[Under the guidance of System Yggdrasil, they are currently moving to the sixth floor. A related quest has been given to Hunt and Yang Jun-gyu. Completing this quest will raise the Adamas Guild's level by 1 for their contribution to rescuing the Players.]
“Get on, quick!”
Yang Jun-gyu gestured urgently from the deck. Kang-seok shouted back.
“Go on ahead! There are more people coming up, so make another trip!”
As if he had indeed received the quest Iris mentioned, Yang Jun-gyu understood immediately. He hesitated, clearly reluctant to leave Kang-seok behind with Seong Yu-jin and Choi Yu-ra, who had naturally remained by his side, but he soon nodded. He relayed Kang-seok's message to Hunt through the speaking tube on the deck.
Packed with Players, the Black Dragon headed for the ground. Even if they had to drop the Players off beyond the branches, given the airship's speed, it would be back in no time.
The Players who had fought together on the sixth floor were gone, and those from the lower floors had not yet arrived.
Now that the three of them were alone, Seong Yu-jin tugged on Kang-seok's arm.
“The drop item from the Demonic Beast Raum?”
Kang-seok hadn't stayed behind just to guide the Players coming up from below. He still hadn't collected the item from the Demonic Beast Raum.
Normally, Choi Yu-ra's mind worked at lightning speed, but perhaps embarrassed from having cried so much, she hesitated to get between Kang-seok and Seong Yu-jin and simply stood there awkwardly.
Kang-seok and Seong Yu-jin approached the spot where the Demonic Beast Raum had fallen.
Raum's body, which had been sliced in two by Durandal, was nowhere to be seen, leaving only a pile of blue feathers. Kang-seok picked up one of them, a feather that glowed with a green light visible only to the MVP.
Seong Yu-jin naturally took the blue feather and spoke.
“Raum’s Mark. It seems like a quest item, like the key to Andras’s nest.”
Players began to arrive from the lower floors. Outside the hole, the Black Dragon could be seen, already on its way back.
After a nod, Kang-seok tucked the blue feather away and picked up the force shield Oriax had given him, as well as the battle hammer that had served him so well. He then boarded the Black Dragon with the Players who had come up from below.
[Time until collapse of Raum's Tower: 415 seconds]
Raum's Tower began to shake violently. The branches sprouting from the ground grew larger and thicker, constricting the tower. It was as if several snakes were coiling around a single piece of prey.
Around the Black Dragon, which had landed on the ground beyond the branches, a huge crowd had formed, consisting of the Players who had escaped earlier and those who hadn't participated in the World Quest.
Many were wailing after hearing the tragic news from inside.
[Time until collapse of Raum's Tower: 10 seconds]
After all the Players had disembarked, leaving the deck spacious again, Kang-seok stood on it and swallowed dryly. Beside him, Seong Yu-jin subconsciously covered her mouth with both hands. Choi Yu-ra's eyes were wide, unable to hide her shock.
“The tower is…”
The tower was already all but gone. Dozens of tree trunks had intertwined, taking the shape of a tree.
A colossal tree, reaching a height of over a hundred meters.
New luminous text appeared in the mind of Kang-seok, who possessed Raum's Mark.
[Linked Quest: Ascend to the Top of the World Tree.]
Kang-seok looked back at Seong Yu-jin and Choi Yu-ra, and the two of them, having shared Kang-seok's quest through Iris, nodded at the same time.