Blooming in the Swamp (8)
"To germinate the World Tree's seed."
"……!!!"
A declaration utterly devoid of secrets, delivered with unflinching confidence.
Lee Hoyeol's words left the guild masters' faces etched with shock.
The only one who could muster a response was Nam Taemin, who had built some tolerance to such jaw-dropping moves after traveling alongside him.
"Mr. Hoyeol. It's just progressing so fast that... are you saying this massive rock is the World Tree's seed?"
"Indeed. Not a rock, but the seed of the World Tree."
"The World Tree..."
Lee Hoyeol telling lies? Unthinkable, even if they knew it intellectually.
But a World Tree popping up out of nowhere? It was only natural they struggled to accept it.
Yet.
"Ignorance is no shame."
A voice as lofty as her ethereal form.
At the spirit's words, Nam Taemin nodded. "If you say so, Mr. Hoyeol, then it must be true. I believe you."
Whether Nam Taemin believed or not was beside the point.
Leoni's mind was a whirlwind of chaos.
...Can he really just blurt this out?
Before or after the Cataclysm, information on Arcana equaled power.
Yet here he was, casually dropping "World Tree" from his own lips.
To outsiders like them, no less—laying out the facts plain as day.
Action before thought, as always. Leoni despised overanalyzing motives, but...
Does this mean we're not total strangers to him anymore?
She couldn't help flinching a little.
Hisagi's thoughts weren't far off. No, they cut even deeper.
Why?
He could have hidden it effortlessly if he wanted.
Hell, she would have buried it deep.
A World Tree seed? The mere mention screamed monumental rewards.
Any player worth their salt would sense it.
But Hoyeol stated the truth as if it were obvious.
Gaon and Berserker aside, even to us.
He'd felt it in Hokkaido, in the Yusra Kingdom.
No point pondering—what mortal could fathom Hoyeol's designs?
Hisagi could only resolve himself.
"Whatever cooperation you require, Inazuma shall lend its full might."
Nam Taemin and Leoni waited wordlessly for Hoyeol to speak, as if no further affirmation was needed.
Of course, Hoyeol harbored not a shred of hesitation.
"To sprout the World Tree's seed requires..."
Requires...!
"...considerable focus."
So, where to begin?
Listening intently, the three racked their Arcana experience.
Normally, start with investigation.
Inspecting that colossal seed alone would take ages.
This fight's gonna drag.
Good thing we're fully prepped.
Worst case, set up a forward base...
But.
"Might you suppress the disturbance for a spell?"
...For a spell?
Hoyeol's words painted shock across their faces once more.
It implied sprouting that behemoth would take mere moments.
I didn't even know World Trees existed...!
...How far ahead is he seeing?
As expected of Mr. Hoyeol.
Reactions varied wildly to his unfathomable decree.
Yet in this instant, the three guild masters moved as one.
The World Tree seed—now akin to spoils of war.
Hoyeol and their guilds had become common enemies.
"Incoming!"
Right. Battle the charging predators.
No—cooperate as Hoyeol requested.
Quell the disturbance.
[Venom Horn Rhino: Lv.530]
[Ragged Beast: Lv.550]
[Bone Tomb Keeper Golem: Lv.600]
...and more swarming in.
Considering the monsters' levels, a single guild couldn't dream of holding.
Even rank-4 Bohemian took massive losses against just two.
But this wasn't one guild.
"Alright. Just fight like we're slogging through mud. This is our specialty, right?"
Plus Gaon and Inazuma—longtime rivals who knew each other inside out.
Masters and members alike grasped strengths and weaknesses.
Two such guilds syncing up for the first time?
Their coordination was seamless, unbelievable for a debut.
Enough to ignite the watching berserker's fury.
Crack—!
Nam Taemin snatched a flying arrow barehanded, then hurled it back with monstrous strength.
Whiiir—!
Splurt—!
Leoni sliced flesh clean off—
Shwick-shwick—!
—and shattered bone.
While barbarian and berserker rampaged, Hisagi masterfully paced the fray with his spear.
Truly their first time syncing? Unthinkable.
Onlookers couldn't help but thrill.
"We don't know what passed between them, but that's some insane synergy. Holding off nearly twenty monsters without budging."
"Gaon and Inazuma—top guilds barring Shining and Cheonha Tongil. Living up to the hype!"
"Berserker's no slouch either. Lower ranked, but their berserker momentum rivals the others!"
Predator Zone rift. Endless fights promised spectacle, sure—but.
...unpredictable twists poured forth.
Naturally, most stemmed from Hoyeol.
From his ominous lotus-leaf entrance to unveiling hidden swordsmanship like a concealed dagger.
Contracting a spirit wasn't enough—he'd united Gaon, Inazuma, Berserker.
Knowing this, watchers brimmed with anticipation.
Player communities buzzed.
VBC Studio.
"Lee Hoyeol must have a grander purpose."
"Drawing a bigger picture, you mean!"
"Exactly! There's a reason he's rallying guilds!"
No—the world was fixating on Hoyeol.
PD Hyun Yong-seok, glued to the monitor, sweat beading, suddenly spoke.
"Working in broadcasting, I've realized something."
"Yes?"
"People are fickle. Hit 'em with big thrills, they adapt. Dramas prove it—acclaimed masterpieces flop harder than trashy melodramas."
"True."
"But they adapt to the trash's intensity too."
"Yeah, now birth secrets are baseline, plus affairs, crimes, half-siblings... insane setups."
"Right. That's why I'm worried."
"Worried? About the network suddenly?"
At the baffled assistant's response, Hyun shook his head.
"No, about Lee Hoyeol."
Too much shown already.
Hoyeol couldn't satisfy the masses with mediocrity now.
Even now, it showed.
If it were me, I'd choke under the pressure.
He couldn't read Hoyeol's mind, but Hyun pondered.
Magic wasn't enough—master-level swordplay. Proved spirits exist, contracted a high-grade one at least. United Gaon, Inazuma, Berserker.
Material for days, weeks of buzz.
But humans were fickle.
Expecting more already.
Lee Hoyeol will top this.
Yet Hyun stayed objective. Directing Today Arcana honed his eye.
Too much this time.
Surpassing it? Even for Lee Hoyeol, tough.
Hyun thought,
Of course, packaging it well is the director's job.
But that was wrong.
"S-, Senior! Look at that!"
"Wha—? What?"
"Lee Hoyeol!"
The frantic assistant's call drew eyes back to the monitor.
Hyun's widened.
"Wha— that rock... it wasn't a rock?!"
Hoyeol needed no packaging.
*
Unshakably reliable.
In this [Predator's Swamp Zone] rift, no better backup existed.
Rankers earn their rank.
Nam Taemin, starting his class quest reclaiming Frost.
Top ranks sans quest—now boosted by rewards.
Visibly stronger each glance.
And rivals ain't rivals for nothing.
Hisagi, his rival.
No need for words.
Leoni's been top-tier since day one.
Fit Grandfell's standards perfectly.
Once even mimicked her swordplay solo.
Thus.
I approached the World Tree seed unhindered.
Bigger up close.
Wherever the World Tree sprouted from, its seed rolling here begged epic backstory.
Truly.
"We begin, Nymph."
No hesitation.
Its size hinted at backlash, mana exhaustion...
But certainty guided me.
[Omniscient Insight of Pure Knowledge] held World Tree lore.
World Trees were eternally plants.
"As you will."
Nymph bore growth blessings for plants.
We placed hands on the seed simultaneously.
Firm.
That was all I felt; Nymph sensed more.
"An ominous aura emanates."
I didn't reply.
She'd taken after me, after all.
No second-guessing once resolved.
Ruuuumble—!
Mana flowed from Nymph.
With it, {Nature} seeped into the seed.
As expected, it began.
...Insane mana drain.
Braced, but this speed...
Like dripping drops into a colossal sponge.
No showing it.
Even if exhaustion felled me...!
Legs quaking, vision spinning—I suppressed desperately.
Unlike enduring cold—a different beast.
Truly, awe-inspiring formality obsession.
Seeming ready to collapse—yet ramrod straight.
Damn method acting!
Players immersed in battle; I waged my war.
Even Nymph beside me oblivious.
She converted my mana to {Nature} blessings like water.
No recognition.
My life, so tragic...
But.
"……!"
No fans, no spirit—but.
The World Tree's seed begins to germinate.
The system knew my toil...!
As the message rose, Nymph spoke.
"Lord Hoyeol, thanks to your vigil...!"
I nodded.
Checked the quest window.
● World Tree seeds sprouted: 1 / Unknown
Success!
Don't ask how.
Messy or skipped steps—results matter eternally.
"I never doubted it possible."
This time, no bluff.
Collecting lore orthodoxly, sprouting it?
Arcana Continent would've fallen to demons first.
Yes, splendidly done this time.
Lee Hoyeol.
Self-praise brief.
I shifted from the message.
So this is the World Tree.
Craaack—
The seed split slowly.
Shiiiine—
Radiant light burst forth.
"Mr. Hoyeol?"
"Al-, already done?"
"As expected of Grand Lord Hoyeol...!!"
Nearby witnesses beheld it first.
Players and monsters alike.
Even life-or-death clashes halted.
All focused on the new World Tree's birth.
Me too.
Cotyledons became stem and trunk.
Roots gripped the swamp firmly.
As if the mire's moisture was prepped sustenance.
Water levels visibly dropped.
The World Tree drank deeply.
Then branches sprouted leaves.
Messages flooded.
A new World Tree has taken root in the Arcana Continent.
The Arcana Continent blesses the World Tree's birth.
The vital force ripples across the entire Arcana Continent.
...
A true world-class quest feast.
Not just for me.
"Wo-, World Tree?!"
"No way—that was the seed?"
"How much does Lee Hoyeol know...?"
I stayed silent.
World quest in progress—another message, mine alone.
Your feat echoes across the Arcana Continent.
The continent's lifeforms speak of your existence.
The Title System unlocks.
Acquire title: 'The Last Adventurer'.
...Title System?
Wait, what effects...?