Brighter Than Light
Shrieeeek!
Rooooar!
Screeeeech!
Extermination Dimension (Active)
Kwon Mu-hyuk creates a massive orb of light within 500m, inflicting mental attacks on enemies inside while gaining a critical hit chance bonus. It also forms a sacred barrier around himself and allied forces, blocking dark energy damage for 10 minutes. - Consumes 2000 Divine Power
The professors' faces, dangling from the tree like severed limbs, screamed in agony.
"Th-thank you... Hero..."
Even as they collapsed, unable to support their drained bodies, the paladins offered their gratitude to me.
"Take a seat for now. Drink a recovery potion if you've got one."
I'd already deployed Extermination Dimension to block the thorns piercing through the iron bars.
The ones already inside withered away at the touch of my Divine Power.
"As expected of the Hero! Now we just need to take down that monster."
"No. We'll leave the tree monster be."
"...Pardon?!"
I repeated myself to the stunned Deputy Chief Jung Hyun-seop.
"For now."
"Why? We should strike before it grows bigger— it'd be easier that way."
"Do that, and this whole area gets swallowed by a massive earthquake. Not just the locals—every student still at the academy would suffer too."
"Ah...! Then what do we do?"
I slashed through thorns breaching Extermination Dimension and checked the emergency quest message that had popped up.
Sub Quest: Friendship Tree Growing Tall (S-Grade)
📍 Go Chang-seok, Seol Yun-ji, and other friends are under threat from the Corrupted Demonic World Tree!
📍 Save your friends and nearby residents from the tree monster and earthquake, and defeat the Corrupted Demonic World Tree.
⏰ Remaining Time: Within 30 minutes
✅ Conditions: Save friends and nearby residents' lives (S-Grade)
> Part 1: Rescue friends from Hunter Academy underground dungeon (In Progress)
> Part 2: Evacuate nearby residents from earthquake threat with Paladin Order (In Progress)
> Part 3: Defeat Hunter Academy's Sword Cult followers and the Corrupted Demonic World Tree (In Progress)
🔄 Attempts: 1
🎁 Rewards: Thorn-Removed Friendship / New Demonic World Tree Seed (Unique-Grade)
A Demonic World Tree seed? Fine. But thorn-removed friendship? What the hell was that?
Was there some thorn between Chang-seok and me that I didn't know about?
Whatever. Completing the quest would reveal it. A 30-minute limit meant Chang-seok's life hung by that thread.
"I'll handle the iron bars. Deputy Chief Jung, you and the paladins evacuate residents within 3km of the academy via this path."
"You're saying you'll face that tree monster alone?"
"Don't worry about me. Time's short—we need to save those people now!"
"...Understood! Hero, please be careful."
"Yeah. Go."
I nodded to Paladin Captain Jung Hyun-seop, then maxed out my Divine Power. Swinging my holy sword at the iron bars blocking the way with Wrath of Extermination.
The blade, drawn with perfect Divine Power, traced a straight golden line.
Clang-clang-clang!
Wrath of Extermination (Active)
Kwon Mu-hyuk deals 3000% Divine damage to a targeted enemy using Divine Power, gaining a 900% critical bonus. Divine damage from allied forces also locks onto the target. - Consumes 15000 Divine Power
The iron bars split like paper under that radiant line.
The paladins, previously blocked from attacking the tree monster, unleashed Divine Power at its thorns, securing the path to the auditorium entrance.
Shrieeeek!
...Can't... be broken...!
The professors fused with the tree monster bellowed as they chased the paladins, but iron-feathered blades from my wings shredded its bark mercilessly.
Seraphim's Storm (Active): Unleashes a rain of iron-feathered blades on nearby enemies, dealing 80% melee damage relative to attack power.
Roooooooar!
The monster howled, earsplitting, as the armor's assault hit home. The paladins flinched, escaping outside.
Paladin Order afflicted with temporary movement restriction from the Corrupted Demonic World Tree's screams!
Paladin Order's movement speed reduced.
"Ugh! We have to evacuate the civilians...!"
Unable to move freely, some paladins got pierced by thorns, their fluids drained.
"How dare you get distracted with this Hero right in front of you!"
I raised my holy sword high and summoned Giantia.
Giantia gripped the tree monster's thorns and ripped them out en masse.
Boom-crash-boom!
Shrieeeeeek!
World Tree sap sprayed like fountains from the wounds.
"Hey! I can move again! Everyone, out—now!"
Giantia's stun on the Corrupted Demonic World Tree lifted the paladins' movement debuff.
Confirming Paladin Captain Jung Hyun-seop and the others escape safely, I pocketed Giantia before her summon ended and donned the Eternal Deadly Door over my left eye from my pouch.
I had to rescue the kids within 10 minutes to get them out unharmed.
◈ Luck +25
◈ Intelligence +35
◈ Recalls past events at a designated location (up to 24 hours) — 3/day
◈ Relives all past time at a designated location (unlimited) — Total 3 uses
Using Eternal Deadly Door to recall past events at current location.
Recalling the auditorium's time, translucent past events overlaid the present and began replaying.
To gather that many kids at once, the auditorium was the only spot.
Sure enough, footage showed professors herding kids behind the stage, where the Corrupted Demonic World Tree already lurked.
I leaped through the thorn hole Giantia had torn without hesitation, into the World Tree.
Splaaash!
Purple sap soaked me head to toe.
* * *
"What the hell is this place?"
After wandering the underground dungeon forever, Go Chang-seok, Seol Yun-ji, and the other kids finally arrived at an impossibly vast garden—beyond anything their minds could grasp.
More like a giant planter, really, with the tree monster rooted dead center.
The ceiling offered no light, deep in the dungeon's bowels.
"It's so dark here... Scary. Sniff, sniff..."
Realizing they'd fled the tree monster straight to its heart, kids sobbed in despair everywhere.
"Welcome, my students."
"Huh? Dean?"
The dean emerged from behind the tree monster.
"Yay, we're saved!"
"You came to rescue us!"
Like a beacon in peril, kids rushed toward him—until Go Chang-seok blocked them.
"No! Don't go!"
"What? Why? It's the dean!"
"Move! Who are you to stop us?!"
Not just classmates—even Seol Yun-ji eyed him puzzled, but Chang-seok held firm.
"Can't you tell? He dragged us here in the first place!"
"What nonsense! Why would the dean do that?!"
"Th-that's...!"
"Outta the way!"
Joo Ha-jeong, who'd left the front to Yun-ji and Chang-seok, shoved him aside and charged the dean.
"Dean! Save me—"
"Heh heh heh."
"?"
Thwuuuck!
Thorns from the tree impaled Joo Ha-jeong's throat and heart as she ran.
"Gaaahhh!"
While kids panicked, Chang-seok glared at the smirking Dean Gu Sang-ho, biting his lip.
"Chang-seok, that Sword Cult follower you mentioned... was it the dean?"
Seol Yun-ji, watching closely, asked. He nodded silently.
"What?! For real?"
"Th-then he really meant to kill us?!"
"No way... impossible."
Kids who'd rushed forward now backed away hesitantly.
"Tch, pathetic. Future stars of our academy cowering like this?"
Grinning wickedly, the dean advanced step by step.
"Quietly become the World Tree's fertilizer."
"World Tree?"
"Yes! Remember this tree? You've all received its grace!"
"What bullshit is that?!"
The dean's head tilted with a sickening crick.
"You think you got into this academy on raw talent? No. The World Tree's blessing was planted in you all. That's why you awakened as mages or warriors."
"N-no way..."
His menacing aura crushed the kids.
"No choice. The world crumbles, hunters are rare. We adults pinned our hopes on you."
"...?!"
Confusion deepened at the baffling words, but his oily grin persisted.
"Didn't it seem odd? Ordinary kids like you awakening overnight? All thanks to the Demonic World Tree seeds we planted. Get it now?"
"!!"
Kids trembled at the ugly truth and his terrifying presence.
"Time to repay that grace! It's only fair—debts must be paid."
"D-don't make me laugh! You chose this—why make us pay?!"
Chang-seok exploded.
The dean's eyes reddened, fixating on him.
"Ah... right, you. The Hero's friend, yeah?"
"!!"
Chill shot up Chang-seok's spine at the eerie gleam.
"You others might not have guessed, but you saw this coming."
"Wh-what..."
"I knew. That day you visited my office."
"!!"
"And that you suspected my identity but kept quiet."
Kids turned to him en masse.
Chang-seok had no retort.
He couldn't claim total ignorance of potential horrors.
He hadn't foreseen this scale, but he'd vaguely sensed someone might suffer.
"With your friend bullied daily, you ignored my existence for your own safety and future. Right?"
"Th-that's..."
His face paled, legs buckling.
"So no pointless resistance now. Become fertilizer obediently. Who knows? Your Hero friend might forgive you."
"Ugh... hngh..."
Chang-seok collapsed to his knees.
That instant—
The dungeon ceiling, blanketed in pitch-black rock, caved in entirely.
Boooom!
Rumblle...
A ferocious Divine Power storm shredded the tree's branches. The collapsed ceiling plummeted onto the dean.
"Grah!"
Collapse halted after his brief scream.
Dust choked the air as someone leaped into the garden.
"Chang-seok! Kept you waiting, huh?"
Atop the rubble, Hero Kwon Mu-hyuk—enshrouded in dazzling light—smiled even brighter.