Chapter 192
Chapter 192
Chapter 192: Human Greed Knows No Bounds... (2)
Translation: godtl
Buzz buzz.
The incessant vibration of his phone from the flood of calls and messages.
"Were they all just staring at their buff windows? How is the news spreading this fast?"
Si-mun let out a quiet chuckle at the sight.
As he tapped the vibrating phone screen—just as he was about to answer his younger sibling's call first—
[The Spirit Body of the World Tree has grown slightly.]
A series of messages appeared before his eyes.
Hmm...
From the very center of Si-mun's chest—where the Philosopher's Stone resided—a clear chime flowed out.
Then—
[Due to the World Tree's growth, entry to 'Elvenheim' has become possible.]
[The 'High Elf Ernen,' whom you appointed as the World Tree's acting manager, requests an audience in Elvenheim.]
[Will you accept? (Yes / No)]
A succession of unexpected messages followed.
"Ernen?"
High Elf Ernen.
It hadn't even been that many months, yet—
The name felt like one he hadn't heard in ages, making him blink in surprise—but only for a moment.
Thud.
Tossing his phone onto the sofa, Si-mun immediately chose 'Yes.'
Like vines climbing and growing—
Rustle.
A deep emerald light enveloped Si-mun.
After the spatial transition, Si-mun—
"Whoa...!"
—couldn't help but let out an awed exclamation at the sight before him.
An endless, sprawling highland stretched beyond sight.
The lush vegetation covering it could easily be called a sea of green, and the sky—just as blue as the earth—seemed to merge seamlessly with the horizon.
And at its center—
A tree of indescribable enormity stood like a towering pillar, connecting heaven and earth.
Si-mun recognized it instantly.
That colossal tree was—
"Simdrasil..."
—the World Tree, his companion.
As if responding to his words—
Shimmer.
A refreshing chime tickled Si-mun's ears.
But it wasn't just the chime.
Rustle...
The grass and earth beneath his feet—
Even the sky above—
It felt as though the world itself was drawing closer to him.
In the blink of an eye, Si-mun found himself standing before the gargantuan tree—so vast he couldn't take it all in at once.
For a moment, he blinked in surprise—
Then, into his ears—
"Welcome."
—a voice as fresh as morning dew reached him.
Si-mun turned his head toward the source.
"It's been a while, my benefactor."
Platinum hair that seemed to drink in the sunlight.
Emerald eyes like melted nature itself, paired with skin as pure as freshly fallen snow.
"It's been a while, Ernen."
Si-mun responded with a smile to Ernen, whose very presence exuded the essence of nature.
"I was about to ask if you've been well... but it seems I don't need to."
Ernen returned his smile with one so warm it could melt hearts.
"Is it because you're a Player? You've grown incredibly strong since we last met."
"Haha! You think so?"
Si-mun scratched the back of his head with a laugh.
Hadn't he been only Gold-rank when they last met?
Even setting aside all his subsequent growth—
He had met her before even experiencing the 101-stat growth phase.
No wonder she could sense such a dramatic leap in his strength.
But as he thought about it—
"By the way, Ernen."
"Yes, my benefactor?"
Si-mun's gaze turned subtly contemplative as he studied her.
How should he put it...?
"Somehow... it feels like you've grown stronger too. Am I imagining it?"
It was hard to pinpoint exactly—but the sensation was unmistakable.
His eyes narrowed slightly at the clear sense of her heightened power.
"Fufu. As expected of the Companion of the World Tree—your discernment is impeccable."
Ernen laughed brightly and raised one hand.
With those slender, jade-like fingers—
Whoosh.
A gentle breeze gathered into the form of a sphere.
"Though I've yet to recover even half my strength, thanks to the grace you've bestowed, I've regained some measure of power."
She swayed the sphere playfully.
Combined with the surrounding natural beauty and her own exquisite features, it was a breathtaking sight—
But Si-mun's expression stiffened as he stared at the wind sphere.
"...You haven't even recovered half?"
Yet—
"Yes. As a High Elf, I'm more affected by the World Tree's growth than my other kin."
Perhaps interpreting his reaction differently—
"Ah! Please don't worry. Just being allowed by you to remain by the World Tree's side is more than enough for me to be grateful."
Ernen smiled warmly, not hiding her gratitude.
To which—
"No, that's not what I—"
Si-mun tried to deny it, but he couldn't quite find the words.
Sigh, this is...
Swallowing his thoughts, he stared at the wind sphere dancing between her elegant fingers.
And she says she hasn't even recovered half yet?
Any top-tier Diamond or ranking Player would recognize it instantly.
That wind sphere might look harmless as it rippled gently—
But if unleashed, it would unleash at least the power of a 7-Star Magic spell...
The power condensed within it was truly immense.
But the bigger issue was—
'That was gathered without any spirits, just pure force alone.'
Spirits were an inseparable part of the elven race.
Yet, she had created this without any spirits, using nothing but her own power.
And she made it look effortless.
Si-mun stifled a hollow laugh.
'Even for a High Elf, is this normal?'
He had considered himself somewhat of an irregularity.
But in front of the High Elf Ernen, he felt utterly ordinary.
At the same time—
'I'm glad Ernen is on my side.'
A sense of satisfaction washed over him at having such a reliable ally.
Si-mun grinned broadly and asked,
"By the way, Ernen. Are you not using—no, not working with spirits?"
He caught himself mid-sentence, adjusting his words subtly.
As if noticing his small consideration—
"You remain as thoughtful as ever, my benefactor."
Ernen smiled softly, then—like scattering petals—
Swish.
She flicked the wind sphere she had been toying with into the air.
And then—
Boom!
A gale exploded outward in all directions.
Si-mun's expectations were proven right down to the last detail.
Whoooosh—!
Winds equivalent to a 7th-star magic spell surged outward in every direction.
However, she must have controlled the force somewhat—
The winds only scattered flower petals and leaves around them, showing no sign of aggression.
Amidst it all—
"Ever since you saved my life,"
Ernen's voice reached him.
"I've been rebuilding Elvenheim, trying to reforge my contracts with my old friends."
Her expression, usually serene, now carried a hint of melancholy.
Si-mun immediately understood why.
"But strangely, none of them have responded."
"No response?"
"Yes."
"That's odd. I remember Earth's spirit summoners didn't have any issues calling spirits."
At his question, Ernen nodded with a warm smile.
"You're right, my benefactor. Fortunately, ordinary spirits still answer my summons."
Hearing that, Si-mun realized who her "friends" must be.
"Don't tell me... these friends of yours are the Spirit Kings?"
Ernen answered not with words but with a smile.
"Pfft—"
This time, Si-mun couldn't hold back the disbelieving laugh that escaped him.
And for good reason.
'Even for a High Elf, a contractor of the Spirit Kings?'
Weren't the Spirit Kings beings on par with the Constellations?
If she had contracts with such entities—
That would make her no different from a player backed by a Constellation.
'The more I learn, the more Ernen seems... different.'
He couldn't shake the feeling that Ernen was no ordinary elf.
In any case—
"It seems something has happened to the Spirit Kings."
Si-mun was certain something had befallen them.
The reason was simple—
'In my past life, there wasn't a single player who contracted a Spirit King.'
And it wasn't just about contracts—
'People were in an uproar because the Spirit Kings wouldn't even spare them a glance.'
Because of that, despite being a magic-based class, spirit summoners had a low ceiling—
Many top-tier summoners had lamented their plight.
After all, without the backing of a Constellation, breaking into the highest ranks was nearly impossible.
Just then—
"Why is it,"
With those clear eyes unique to High Elves—
"You seem so certain something has happened to them, my benefactor."
Ernen, who had been quietly observing him, spoke up.
'Ah.'
Realizing his slip, Si-mun replied smoothly—
"It's obvious, isn't it? Regular spirits answer summons, but the Spirit Kings are completely silent."
Seemingly convinced—
"That's true."
Ernen nodded, then after a brief pause, pulled something from her robes.
"So, I have a request for you, my benefactor... Would you hear me out?"
Then—
[High Elf Ernen has requested a quest.]
A quest notification appeared before Si-mun's eyes.
"Of course."
As Si-mun nodded—
Swish.
The small crystal in Ernen's hand vanished, and—
[The entry item 'Fragment of the Spirit Realm's Key' has been added to your inventory.]
A single line of text appeared before him.
Si-mun immediately checked the quest details.
[Traces of the Spirit Kings] - Linked Quest
Entry Requirement: Platinum-rank or higher. Regular Arena.
Reward: Spirit Power stat, 20,000 Achievement Points, Connection between the World Tree and the Spirit Realm
Si-mun's eyes widened.
The reason was simple—
'A linked quest?'
Linked quests—
As the name implied, they were interconnected, progressing in sequence.
And the further they went, the higher their difficulty tended to be.
'Just the entry condition alone suggests it'll be pretty tough.'
Platinum or higher in the Regular Arena.
The difficulty was undoubtedly going to be substantial.
As Si-mun checked the quest details, his eyes slightly narrowed near the reward section.
'But what does "connection between the World Tree and the Spirit Realm" even mean?'
Even for a regressor like him, this was an entirely new type of reward.
Just as these thoughts crossed Si-mun's mind—
"Did the quest register properly? Hehe. It's been so long since I've made a request, it feels a bit unfamiliar."
Ernen gently interrupted his thoughts.
"Ah, yes. I've checked it."
Si-mun quickly collected himself and nodded.
"My, look at my manners. This isn't how I should be treating my benefactor, making such requests."
With a soft smile, Ernen stretched her hand toward the massive ancient tree—the World Tree—beside them.
Then—
Whoosh.
From the depths where the World Tree's roots ran deep—
"Thanks to you, the Spirit Body of the World Tree has grown further..."
The pooled water gathered into streams, flowing toward Ernen's outstretched hand.
"As the main body has grown alongside it, we've been able to obtain some minor byproducts as well."
She caught the water in an enormous leaf that came flying from somewhere.
"Since you're an alchemist, Benefactor, I thought this might be of help to you."
And offered it to Si-mun.
Water so blue it was nearly transparent, like a clear mirror.
As Si-mun saw his own reflection in it—
"Good heavens!"
—his jaw dropped when he read the information window floating above it.
Naturally so.
His first World Tree byproduct.
The information window read:
[World Tree Spring Water]
Grade: X
Spring water that only forms beneath the World Tree's main body.
Permanently increases specific stats depending on usage method.
Because the effect "permanent stat increase" was boldly displayed right there.
Ever since the appearance of this limited-time event,
the World Awakened Federation's conference hall had been more heated than ever before.
The reason was none other than—
"They're nullifying death penalties!"
"And once per week at that. Just by receiving the guild buff, they can enjoy such an effect!"
"Word has already spread among the Rankers—it's absolute chaos. They're demanding to be let into the Yggdrasil Guild immediately."
The Yggdrasil Guild.
It was all because of the sudden buff option that appeared in the guild famously known as the Sword Saint's Guild.
"Our Serbian Rankers are in an uproar too."
"Naturally. Didn't Leoni Wolf already reveal the rewards from the limited event?"
"Correct. Her trait advanced by an entire tier without any conditions, wasn't it?"
"W-wait, is that true? We in Thailand haven't heard anything about this..."
"Same for us in Libya?"
Following the heated discussion,
the conference room's attention naturally turned toward Miller, Germany's representative.
Under the barrage of gazes, Miller sighed briefly before nodding.
"It's true. I heard Leoni Wolf's S-rank Trait grew to SS-rank."
Then she added,
"Though the Valtenberg Guild informed us of this in confidence. It seems quite a few of you here were already aware?"
Miller's smile carried a pointed question.
None could miss the sharpness in her words.
"......"
"Ahem!"
The representatives who had spoken about the trait growth subtly averted their gazes,
maintaining stubborn silence.
Seeing this, Miller pressed her temples lightly.
'No doubt they greased some palms to extract internal information. Damn snakes!'
She was certain.
The representatives who'd spoken about the trait growth were from America, China,
and several other powerful guilds.
In any case.
"And the trait advancement was the reward for the first clear. It likely won't be obtainable again."
Since the information had already leaked,
Miller swallowed her rising irritation as she continued,
"S-still, that implies the basic rewards must be tremendous."
"Naturally. If the first clear reward was that significant, the clear rewards must be substantial too."
"No wonder the Rankers are so desperate."
"They must be staking their lives on clearing it. The returns would match that, of course."
The conference room grew heated again over the limited event's rewards.
Amidst the representatives' voices—
"It seems everyone recognizes how extraordinary this buff is."
A powerful voice cut through,
and the conference room fell silent instantly.
Not just because the voice was loud.
"Regarding this, Wei Anhong would like to say a few words."
In a conference hall where seating followed national power,
this was only possible because it came from China's representative seated at the very front.
Looking quite pleased with the attention focused on him,
"As you know, the Yggdrasil Guild's buff could completely overturn the existing Arena system, no?"
A faint smile played on Wei Anhong's lips.
But then—
"The limited event concerns precious Awakened lives—especially those of the global elite upper echelon."
His smile soon faded, replaced by a grave expression.
"Therefore,"he continued,"I formally propose to the Alliance—"
He dropped a bombshell in the conference hall.
"—that we designate Simdrasil's Guild Buff as a 'global public resource' for the development and security of our planet."
And not just that.
"Naturally,"he added,"this would be implemented under the leadership of our World Alliance, through just and 'proper procedures,' of course."
A thermonuclear bomb of a proposal.