Chapter 96: The 6th Floor, Elf Forest
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 96: The 6th Floor, Elf Forest
[You have entered the 6th floor.]
As his darkened vision cleared, a lush forest unfolded before his eyes.
'As expected of a place counted among the best vacation spots in the Tower of Trials.'
Cool air and warm sunlight.
Above all, the breathtaking scenery of the magnificent nature drew an involuntary exclamation of awe.
"Come over here under the tree! Yeah, I've got the barbecue and beer all set up."
"I heard the 'Cloud Cotton Candy' on the 6th floor is amazing. We should definitely try some, right?"
"Man, the village shop sells some pretty interesting artifacts too. When else are we going to spend our Coins if not now?"
Players who had arrived on the 6th floor earlier were chatting in small groups.
How should he put it?
It felt like placing a small comma in the middle of a hectic daily life of fighting and climbing the Tower.
He could understand to some extent why people said players became lazy once they reached the 6th floor.
But.
'Playing and enjoying myself can wait. I can do that anytime.'
The Elf Forest was not a place to just get drunk on nature and play the hermit.
It was a land of opportunity where one could acquire fortuitous encounters found nowhere else.
'Though only a tiny fraction of people would have realized that.'
In the first place, veterans who truly wanted to become stronger wouldn't even be hanging around here.
They would already be wandering deep inside the forest to find the elves.
'Well then, shall I get going too?'
Jinhyuk bypassed the players and began heading deep into the forest.
* * *
About three hours after leaving the starting point, the forest grew significantly more complex.
This area served as a warning.
A warning that while they were free to come this far, the elves' territory began beyond this point, so they should trespass no further.
But no matter how intricately the trees were arranged, it was useless. Even if those trees moved periodically to reshape the terrain, it made no difference.
Because Jinhyuk had already mastered the way elves navigated.
Inhale.
As he took a deep breath, all kinds of scents stimulated his sense of smell.
The refreshing scent of grass and the sweet aroma of fruit drifted over.
Of course, the important thing here was the smell of the soil.
Jinhyuk distinguished a very faint, bitter scent of soil.
'To the left.'
There was a subtly different scent lingering to the left.
Jinhyuk immediately changed direction.
The placement of mushrooms, the shape of the grass, and even the growth rings of the trees.
Although forks in the path continued to appear, Jinhyuk identified the elves' markers without hesitation and ventured deeper into the forest.
And.
Atop a tree a short distance away, there was an entity watching all of this.
A race characterized by short bobbed hair and striking pointed ears.
It was an elf, the master of the forest.
'How does a human know that method?'
Silvia, a ranger of the elf village, could not understand the situation at all.
The various defenses they had painstakingly set up to keep humans out.
Weren't they all being bypassed so effortlessly?
'Distinguishing the smell of the soil is impossible unless you've lived in the forest for a very long time.'
The placement of mushrooms and the shape of the grass were also things an outsider could never know.
Ordinary humans wouldn't have paid attention to such trivial details in the first place.
'Could a... half-elf have been born without my knowledge?'
If not for his appearance, he wouldn't have seemed out of place even if he were called an elf instead of a human.
That was how strikingly similar his way of finding the path was to that of an elf.
Right then.
The human man reached the barrier.
'Perfect! No matter how amazing he is, this is the end for him.'
What lay ahead was a barrier exclusive to the elves.
If one entered the 'Illusion Barrier' written in High Elven, escaping was absolutely impossible.
After wandering in circles amidst countless illusions for about a week, he would eventually collapse from exhaustion.
Once she carried the unconscious human outside the barrier, Silvia's mission would be complete.
However.
"Hmm. This isn't how you write High Elven here. 'Ete Tamaros' is passive, but they wrote it in the active voice. Tsk, tsk. Whichever elf wrote this must have dozed off quite a bit during grammar class. At this rate, it'll only exert about 50% of its original barrier power."
The human man clicked his tongue as he examined the High Elven carved into the tree.
At the same time, he even picked up a pebble from the ground and corrected the mistake.
Her face burned with embarrassment.
Silvia's face turned bright red.
As an apprentice ranger, High Elven was bound to be difficult for her.
'Wh-What on earth is that human?!'
* * *
'Thankfully, a rookie elf has tagged along.'
Jinhyuk smirked.
Of course, he had noticed the presence of the elf following him through the branches ever since he reached the forest boundary.
Though, being a race of the forest, her stealth itself was quite decent.
But thanks to her clumsy confidence and skill, it was actually easier to pinpoint her location.
'I've laid out enough bait...'
This should have given her a solid first impression.
In that case, next was to draw out the hidden target.
Jinhyuk opened his subspace inventory.
Then, he systematically took out the ingredients and cooking utensils he had prepared.
[Lv. 1 'Isekai Restaurant' has been activated.]
A skill he had acquired by visiting Michelin-starred restaurants. The higher-tier skill, born from fusing those skills, was now activated.
Instantly, Jinhyuk's previously clumsy movements transformed completely.
His knife skills as he prepped the vegetables and fruits reached a level close to pure art.
'Be...autiful.'
Silvia, up in the tree, watched blankly.
But only for a moment.
"No way...?"
She had forgotten because she was so engrossed in watching, but this smell... and the unique shape of that dish.
There was no mistake.
That was 'meat'.
Silvia leaped down from the tree in a single bound.
"How dare you cook meat in the sacred Elf Forest! What do you think you're doing?!"
She shouted, drawing her bowstring.
Her anger-filled face showed a clear determination never to forgive him.
Hmm.
"This isn't meat."
Jinhyuk shrugged.
"What?"
"I said, this isn't meat."
"I clearly saw it with my own eyes, and you expect me to believe that?"
"If you don't believe me, come closer and check for yourself."
"There's no way..."
Half-doubting, Silvia cautiously approached Jinhyuk.
But then...
"Huh?"
Silvia's eyes shook in disbelief.
The smell and appearance seemed so similar to meat.
But looking closely, it wasn't meat.
It was a dish made solely of white beans, nuts, and fresh vegetables.
"It's called soy meat. It's quite popular on our side as a next-generation alternative food."
Alternative food.
A rapidly growing field recently, driven by well-being, Earth's environmental pollution issues, animal rights, or personal beliefs.
In fact, the stock price of a company called 'Beyond Meat' listed on NASDAQ had been skyrocketing through the roof.
'Naturally, it will offer a unique appeal even to elves who hate meat.'
That was why he had prepared this.
A special meal that would satisfy even the picky palates of elves, using his top-tier cooking skill.
"Give it a try. It's a bit embarrassing to say it myself, but it's quite a masterpiece."
"Is it really... not meat?"
"I don't play around with food. It's not like I have a grudge against elves. Why would I force you to eat meat when you hate it?"
At Jinhyuk's words, Silvia slowly lowered her bow.
Then, with eyes full of curiosity, she put a piece of the soy meat into her mouth.
Chew, chew.
Her small mouth moved continuously.
Right at that moment.
"Heavens, this taste..."
An exclamation of awe escaped Silvia's lips.
She couldn't help it.
She had never tasted anything like this in her life.
'It's so delicious.'
The tender beans and various vegetables harmonized to create a deep flavor.
With just the right amount of olive oil, it was smooth and savory.
On top of that, it was finished with a specially crafted sauce, so even the most frugally living elf couldn't help but have her appetite whetted.
[The favorability of the 3rd-Class Ranger 'Silvia' has increased.]
['Silvia' feels apologetic for pointing her bow at you.]
Along with the rise in favorability, her regret for judging him so hastily was conveyed.
It was all exactly as Jinhyuk had planned.
Elves were very clear-cut when it came to settling debts of gratitude and grudges.
And just as expected.
"I'm so sorry. I had no idea..."
Silvia hung her head low.
She regretted her actions so deeply that it was hard to bear.
Accepting the apology right away would be amateurish.
Instead...
"I'm just glad the misunderstanding is cleared up. Besides, it was my fault for entering the elves' territory in the first place."
Jinhyuk deliberately added weight to Silvia's guilt. Yes, this was how a true master played.
"No, it's not. This is entirely my fault."
Silvia shook her head adamantly.
"To make amends, I'll do anything I can for you."
Of course she would say that.
That was exactly why he had been acting under this mask of pure innocence.
"In case... could I perhaps see the elf village?"
"Huh? Our village?"
"Actually, I'm a sociology student. I'm writing a thesis to understand the lives of other races. If you could give me a chance to enter a forbidden area that humans can't easily access, it would be an incredibly precious memory for me."
It was called participant observation—one of the primary methods sociologists used to understand places with different cultures and customs.
[Lv. 4 'Communion' has been activated.]
Jinhyuk subtly activated his Communion ability.
Having leveled up through repeated use, this growth-type skill was now powerful enough to make others regard him as a close friend.
The effect was instantaneous.
Silvia, who had looked slightly troubled at the mention of visiting the village, suddenly nodded.
"Ah! As it happens, there's a festival in our village in a week. If we can serve such delicious soy meat, the elders and the other village elves will absolutely love it."
A week from now...
Perfect timing.
"Understood. Then I'll return here in a week."
"Yes, okay."
Just as she was about to let Jinhyuk go, Silvia urgently called out as if remembering something.
"Oh, right. What... is your name?"
"You can call me Kang Jinhyuk."
Make sure you remember it right. It's Kang Jinhyuk, not Colonel Teemo.
"I'm Silvia. I'm a ranger belonging to the 3rd class of elves."
Silvia also formally introduced herself.
3rd class means she belongs to the lower elves.
"Silvia. I'll remember that. Next time I come, I'll bring lots of even more delicious food."
"Yes! I'll be looking forward to it!"
With a light farewell, Jinhyuk began tracing his steps back.
But right then...
Vrrr!
A status window appeared before his eyes.
[You have received a video call from Player Kim Gi-tae.]
It was Kim Gi-tae.
'Looks like his preparations are complete.'
Gathering the materials to reopen the labyrinth couldn't have been easy, but he seemed to have finished surprisingly quickly.
It also meant he was just that desperate.
Upon accepting, Kim Gi-tae's face immediately appeared.
"Hello, Player Kang Jinhyuk. I have something to tell you. Do you have a moment?"
"No need for a lengthy explanation. Just tell me the time and place."
"Understood. It will be in one hour at 'Melta Hill' on the 3rd floor. If you give me your current coordinates, I will send a magic-class player capable of teleportation."
An opportunity to obtain his first class advancement and hidden rewards at the same time.
The time to head to the Gray Temple had finally arrived.