Chapter 75
Chapter 75
Chapter 75: The World Tree Simdrasil (2)
Translation: godtl
[You have cleared the Special Arena 'Fall of Nature' in an unimaginable way.]
[The predetermined fate of this arena has been drastically altered.]
[Due to the aftermath of this clear, the 'Corrupted Forest' map will be changed to 'Regenerating Forest.']
[Since you have fundamentally changed the predetermined clear result, we are readjusting the rewards accordingly.]
[Please wait a moment.]
Messages poured in the moment the arena ended.
Upon returning home, Si-mun nodded as he read the familiar phrases.
"As expected."
A new clear method outside the predetermined ones set by the Galaxy Arena.
Just like the previous Special Arena, 'Nightmare of the Heated Mine.'
This time too, the Galaxy Arena must be deliberating over what rewards to give.
'I should hold back on demanding rewards first this time.'
Although he had successfully demanded rewards directly from the Galaxy Arena twice before,
doing the same for this Special Arena as well wasn't the best choice.
The reason was simple.
'What if I end up asking for less than the expected reward?'
The intrusion of the evolved dragonkin Dranis.
The fact that she was initially referred to as a hidden boss before being exposed as a player.
That alone was a major oversight by the Galaxy Arena, which prioritizes fairness.
And didn't he anger not one, but four high-ranking Constellations?
Sure, they allowed Dranis's immediate punishment, but even excluding that,
he had a strong feeling they'd put considerable thought into this Special Arena's rewards.
'Well, even if they just give the average reward for a Special Arena, I won't be disappointed.'
He already gained 50 stat points in Dragon Power from the corrupted Spirit Body of the World Tree.
Even though it was halved to 25 stat points when converted due to being tied to Transmutation Power,
wasn't that practically equivalent to the reward for 25 level-ups?
Si-mun silently stared at the unresponsive message window.
"Hmm. Seems like it'll take a while?"
-Of course! Just saving the High Elves alone is a massive anomaly. And you even birthed a new World Tree!
A cheerful voice immediately chimed in.
The Philosopher's Stone continued in a slightly higher pitch.
-Even if it's just a seed fragment and not perfect, the birth of a new World Tree is monumental!
"R-really?"
-Absolutely!
Truthfully, Si-mun couldn't quite grasp the weight of what a World Tree truly represented.
But given how the Philosopher's Stone and the Galaxy Arena were making such a fuss, it must be significant.
As that thought crossed his mind—
"Oh, right. I did receive a World Tree-related title and trait, didn't I?"
Remembering the reward he'd received right before the arena, Si-mun immediately opened the title window.
And then—
"Holy shit!!"
He couldn't contain his astonishment.
[Companion of the World Tree] - Growth-type
A title bestowed upon the Companion of the World Tree.
A massive bonus affecting the most crucial aspects of a player's growth: EXP and stats.
And on top of that—
"This is a growth-type title?!"
Growth-type titles.
In the world of titles, where the mere presence of an option could make or break their value,
growth-type options that evolved on their own were as rare as SSS-rank items.
Especially since Si-mun already possessed the growth-type title Pioneer of Alchemy, didn't he?
'Even Pioneer of Alchemy openly grants transmutation-related bonuses...'
But now, a growth-type title with options directly tied to player growth?
And one that even affects guild members in a unique way?
Its value was beyond words.
"At this rate, I might get struck by lightning walking down the street."
-Huh? What do you mean? Why would someone who's caught Zeus's attention and even wielded Astrapē get struck by lightning?
The Philosopher's Stone questioned Si-mun's absurd remark.
Chuckling, Si-mun gently stroked the area near his chest where the stone resided.
"Just joking, you rock. By the way, the World Tree's been bound to your trait, right?"
-Heh. I'm omnipotent! Of course I can contain the Spirit Body of the World Tree too.
"But I can't figure out how to use it at all. Why is that?"
Currently, there were three additional traits added through the Philosopher's Stone's properties:
The Obsidian Tablet, Dragon Body Transformation, and the World Tree.
Among these, the usage methods for the Obsidian Tablet and Dragon Body Transformation were naturally acquired just like other traits.
But this World Tree trait was different.
"It's exactly like when I first obtained the Death Eye. I can't even get a grasp on how to use it."
-Of course it is, Oppa.
"Of course?"
-Mm-hmm.
The Philosopher's Stone answered brightly and continued.
-Though Oppa birthed the World Tree and even became its Companion, you know better than anyone about the current state of this Simdrasil we possess.
"Ah."
Letting out an exclamation at its words, Si-mun clapped his hands.
"So it's because we only have one seed fragment that it can't properly exhibit its power."
-Exactly. Plus, we don't even have its main body. But there are basic options available.
"Basic options?"
-Mm. You have that Companion of the World Tree title, right? This trait shares effects with that title.
"What?"
Si-mun's eyes widened into circles.
Before even considering this unprecedented phenomenon where traits and titles shared options—
"Does that mean I'm also affected by this title's benefits?"
-Right. 20% increased experience and 50% increased stat growth rate. All of this applies to you too.
"...This is insane."
He'd thought it was purely a guild-focused option.
Never imagined it would apply to him personally.
"Then the title's growth condition must be each time we synthesize a World Tree Seed Fragment, right?"
-Mm. Though I don't really know how much the growth value increases. The World Tree is a first for me too.
At the Philosopher's Stone's words, Si-mun's eyes sparkled.
'I'll have to synthesize some to find out the exact growth rate increase. This could be fun.'
The alchemist's unique experimental spirit was awakening.
'Wait. Come to think of it, didn't Black Goat give us a quest too?'
Remembering Black Goat's quest that he'd momentarily forgotten, Si-mun opened the quest window.
[Forgotten Knowledge: Homunculus]
- Achieve 60% completion of the Obsidian Tablet.
Reward: Homunculus Creation Method
His mouth fell open as he read the contents.
It couldn't be helped.
"The Homunculus Creation Method?!"
-Whaat? Really? What is it? Where did you get the Homunculus Creation Method?!
A reward shocking enough to make the Philosopher's Stone jump.
And for good reason.
Though they'd recently brought the Philosopher's Stone to life as a homunculus,
That was only possible through Paracelsus's Flask.
They hadn't actually created a homunculus themselves, had they?
Thus, their knowledge about homunculi was practically nonexistent.
Si-mun slowly continued.
"Remember when we were summoned to Black Goat's domain? She mentioned giving us a gift then."
-Ah.
The Philosopher's Stone immediately understood at the name 'Black Goat'.
-That old hag could definitely do it. Homunculi are closely related to human transmutation.
Unlike golems, homunculi are proper lifeforms.
Naturally, there would be considerable overlap with human transmutation,
And there's no way Black Goat, who even birthed the Obsidian Tablet, wouldn't possess that knowledge.
"And there must be a reason she's giving it through a quest format like this."
-Reason?
Si-mun silently nodded.
Considering Black Goat's personality,
If she wanted to give something, she'd just generously hand it over—she wouldn't bother with this quest format.
Yet Black Goat deliberately imposed this quest process.
What could this mean?
"It probably means my current level isn't ready for homunculi yet."
-Well, creating life is a god's domain after all.
"Speaking of which, how many Achievement Points would we need to raise the Obsidian Tablet's completion to 60%?"
-Let's see... It's at 40% now... Wait a sec. Need to calculate.
The Philosopher's Stone fell briefly silent.
Then:
-Got it. 20,000 to reach 50%. Then another 40,000 to raise it 10% more.
"So we need 60,000 points total?"
-Mm, correct.
"Ha."
A hollow laugh escaped him.
'60,000 Achievement Points just to raise it by 20%? That's insane.'
I had known from the beginning that the synthesis requirements would grow exponentially the further I progressed.
But hearing the actual numbers laid out like this—
It made my head spin.
Still.
'It's not impossible.'
I already had 20,000 Achievement Points in hand.
And as my rank increased, so did the amount of Achievement Points I could earn.
'If I budget carefully from now on, I can definitely save up enough.'
The only catch was—
I'd have to put a temporary halt on other growth avenues, including the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Si-mun shook his head slightly.
'No need to rush. The quest isn't going anywhere. There's no reason to obsess over 60,000 points right this second.'
For now, I should at least test the growth potential of the Companion of the World Tree's buffs to gauge their effectiveness.
'I'll manage my Achievement Points carefully and synthesize what I need, step by step.'
Just as Si-mun was organizing his thoughts—
[Your rewards have been finalized.]
The paused message window flickered back to life.
[You have innovatively cleared the Special Arena:"Nature's Downfall."]
[Your clear rewards have been enhanced based on your performance.]
[The trait "Philosopher's Stone" has received a portion of the distributed experience.]
[Your level has increased by 10.]
[The Philosopher's Stone has leveled up by 8.]
[You have obtained "Wellspring of Mimir" as a clear reward.]
'Just the basic rewards, huh.'
Though, for a Special Arena, an 18-level jump was nothing to scoff at.
—Whoa! The Wellspring of Mimir?!
Even the Philosopher's Stone couldn't contain its excitement over an item of that caliber.
But so far, these rewards were within the expected range for a Special Arena.
[Additionally, it has been confirmed that fairness was compromised during this Special Arena. All parties involved in the incident have been disciplined.]
Then came the additional news Si-mun had been waiting for.
[Furthermore, as compensation for the damages suffered due to this incident, Player Kim Si-mun will receive a special reward.]
[You have obtained "World Tree Seed Fragment" as compensation.]
"Huh?!"
Si-mun's reaction was immediate.
And for good reason.
"They're giving me this?"
He had never even dreamed they'd hand over a World Tree Seed Fragment.
—Those bastards! Guess they did feel guilty after all. They probably had to create this from scratch since there's no way to obtain it otherwise. The karma expenditure must've been insane~.
The Philosopher's Stone chimed in with a smug, exaggerated tone.
—Well, they had to show at least this much sincerity to placate the higher-ranked Constellations.
As if to prove its point—
[All Constellations observing you are smiling in satisfaction.]
The Constellations' reactions flickered into view.
Si-mun immediately opened his inventory to inspect the World Tree Seed Fragment.
Shhhling.
A clear chime.
As he gazed at the familiar fragment of emerald light—
'Nice! That's 10,000 points saved. Sweet.'
With a satisfied smile, Si-mun gave a small nod.
Fwoosh.
A woman appeared in a burst of faint light.
Her sharply upturned eyes were undeniably striking, but contrary to her alluring appearance—
"Damn that old bastard! Couldn't he at least have the decency to send me with proper clothes?!"
She let out a deep sigh as she stared at the tattered rags she was wearing.
Then—
"At least he had the conscience to do this much."
Her eyes sparkled as she gazed into the empty air.
There, floating before her, was—
[First Duel]
—The Constellation Heavenly Demon has selected Player Kim Si-mun as your first duel opponent.
Prove your worthiness as a successor of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art through this duel.
Rewards vary based on the outcome.
Reward: 5,000 Achievement Points
If you fail: Forced Seclusion Training (You will be cut off from the world until the training period ends.)
If you succeed: SS-grade Spirit Elixir,"Demonic Spirit Pill."
If you achieve victory: SSS-grade Spirit Elixir "Heavenly Demon Pill," Heavenly Demon Divine Art (4 Stars), 5,000 Achievement Points.
A quest window had materialized.
And most importantly—
"If I win, I get all of that?"
Go Mal-suk's gaze was locked onto the "Victory" condition at the very bottom of the quest.
"That damn old man's really asking to get cleaned out."
Confidently, she strode out of the room.
Naturally, her destination was the research lab where Si-mun's presence lingered.
"Hey! Kim Si-mun! Fight me right n—"
Her words died in her throat.
And for good reason.
Clink. Clank. Screech.
In the suffocating silence, multiple arms and tools moved busily about.
And at the center of it all, Si-mun was pouring his heart into his work—clearly in no state to be interrupted.
"Uh... j-just let me know when you're done."
Flustered, Go Mal-suk muttered under her breath and shuffled toward a chair in the corner of the lab.