Chapter 5
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: The Beginning of the Novel (1)
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Blessing of the World Tree.
A bow crafted from a branch of the World Tree, an [Ancient Relic] class item that only elves can wield.
I don't remember its exact options, but I do remember this.
This bow was loaded with options that were the dream of every archer.
From its basic stats to its special options, it was magnificent.
"...Why is this...?"
Why was such a bow in my hands?
There had to be a reason.
But this was no time to be lost in thought.
"I asked you what that is!"
Pialle shouted as he threw a punch at me.
His fist seemed to approach my face in slow motion.
"Hk!"
I had to dodge.
I didn't know if I could evade his attack, but I had to avoid a direct hit at all costs.
I kicked off the ground with all my might.
*Fwoosh-!*
The sound of a strong wind brushed past my ear.
"...What?"
"...Huh?"
And in the next moment.
I was standing a good distance away from Pialle.
"I see. So the trial isn't going to be that easy."
Pialle growled.
A deep wariness filled his eyes.
I was just bewildered.
The distance between Pialle and me was now well over ten meters at a glance.
I had covered far too much ground in an instant for it to be a simple dodge.
This wasn't something I, a person no different from a civilian who hadn't even awakened a Status Window, should be able to do.
"...."
In that moment, my mind went cold.
My thoughts began to race.
A moment ago, I had clearly 'seen' Pialle's fist.
Just by kicking off the ground with all my strength, I had moved more than ten meters.
Blessing of the World Tree.
From the moment this bow was in my hands, everything had changed.
'Could this be the World Tree's Blessing?'
The passive skill [World Tree's Blessing], which activates near the World Tree and enhances physical abilities.
Could that be it?
If so....
But once again, my thoughts were cut short.
*Fwoosh-!*
Pialle, who had closed the distance in a flash, now aimed a kick at me.
It was faster and sharper than before.
But to my eyes, it still looked slow.
I could even clearly see the small bombs Pialle was holding in each hand.
He was planning to throw them the moment I dodged.
In that case, there was no need to dodge.
I ducked slightly and blocked Pialle's kick with my right arm.
*Thwack-*
"How!"
Pialle shrieked, his foot caught in my grasp.
Even I had to admit, it was a perfect block.
"...Right. How did I do that."
Sorry, but I don't know either.
For some reason, I just felt like I could do it, so I tried, and it worked.
"Hk! You dare look down on me!"
A demonic glint appeared in Pialle's eyes.
He seemed to think I was looking down on him.
He threw the small bombs in his hands at me.
It was as if he had no regard for his own injuries.
*Tap-*
I let go of his foot and immediately moved away.
*BOOOOM-!*
A violent explosion erupted where I had been standing.
The explosion left a thick cloud of smoke.
To an onlooker, it would have seemed as if he had lost his mind and self-destructed.
Watching the smoke, I raised the bow.
That was Pialle Allo's specialty.
Using an explosion to feign self-destruction as a means of escape.
...You think I'll let you get away?
I drew the bowstring.
There was no arrow.
No, it would be more accurate to say I didn't need one.
*Tzzzzzt-!*
With intense sparks, an intangible energy began to gather on the bowstring.
This bow, made from the living wood of the World Tree, could condense natural energy into the form of an arrow.
"...Hk!"
My left hand holding the bow and my right hand drawing the string were both burning hot.
And the heat kept intensifying.
It felt like I was pressing both hands against a branding iron.
*Zzzzzzing-!*
I clenched my teeth and pulled the bowstring even tighter.
If this bow truly was the [Blessing of the World Tree], it should have an effect called 'Nature's Convergence' that amplified damage just by holding the draw.
*Fwooooosh-!*
My guess was correct.
With a brilliant flash of light, the formless energy that had been gathering into an arrow flickered as if it would explode.
"Guaaaah!"
It felt like both my hands were about to burst into flames.
But I couldn't let go yet!
The thick smoke obscuring Pialle was slowly starting to clear.
A little...
Just a little!
Just a little more!
"!"
There! I saw him!
For a fleeting moment.
I caught sight of Pialle crouching within the smoke.
I immediately released the bowstring.
*Fwoooooosh-!*
With a clear, ringing sound, the arrow tore through the air and surged forward.
"Kugh!"
*Whoooooosh-!*
A wind so ferocious blew that it was hard to even open my eyes.
It felt like my body was about to be blown away.
I couldn't help but shut my eyes against the violent, storm-like torrent.
...This was all caused by a single arrow?
"Ugh!"
But closing your eyes during a fight was tantamount to suicide.
I shielded my face with my hands, desperately trying to open my eyes.
Finally managing to squint them open, I scanned the area, searching for Pialle.
It didn't take long to find him.
"...Is he dead?"
His upper body was gone, only his lower half lay rolling on the ground.
I stared blankly at the scene.
I had clearly aimed for the space between his eyes, but he had been completely obliterated up to his waist.
"...So this is the power of an [Ancient Relic]."
I was staring blankly at the Blessing of the World Tree, completely dumbfounded.
"Kraaaaaaah!"
An intense pain shot through the hand holding the bow.
Unbearable heat and arcing electricity assaulted me.
It was then.
[Error! Error! ]
Amidst the excruciating pain, an incomprehensible message appeared.
A special message, the likes of which I had never seen before.
"Wha, is... Aaargh!"
But my thoughts were cut short again.
The agonizing pain tore my consciousness to shreds.
*Whoosh- Thud!*
I dropped the bow as if throwing it away.
*Tzz...*
The sparks instantly died down.
I gasped for breath, looking down at the bow.
"Hah, hah...!"
That was when the World Tree began to move.
Its branches stirred as if alive, slithering to envelop the Blessing of the World Tree.
Then, like a mother who had found her lost child, it gently pulled the bow into its embrace.
The bow was slowly absorbed into the World Tree, and then it was gone.
"...What in the world."
Everything, from start to finish, was a mystery.
The urge to solve this puzzle right now was overwhelming, but...
Unfortunately, this was not the time to be lost in thought.
With Pialle dead, the superhumans who had fallen asleep would soon wake up.
When they did, they would find out that I was the one who defeated Pialle.
That couldn't happen.
Things were complicated enough already; I couldn't afford to create a new variable with my own hands.
I quickly left the scene.
I could think about it after I got home.
* * *
News of the incident caused by Pialle Allo spread across the globe in an instant.
The world was shocked that the World Tree, famous for its tight security, had been breached by a single terrorist.
Even more shocking was the fact that all the superhumans present had been incapacitated by Pialle Allo's ability.
And not just any run-of-the-mill superhumans, but even an S-ranker within the top 100 of the world rankings.
What was even more surprising was that when they all regained consciousness, Pialle Allo was already a corpse.
All the world's attention was focused on the unidentified superhuman who had defeated Pialle Allo.
"I am sorry, Guild Master."
The middle-aged man who had been in command of the scene at the time knelt before a woman.
"No. If it was something even you couldn't react to, Mr. Shinwoo, my presence wouldn't have changed anything."
The woman, Yuhwa, Guild Master of the Bihon Guild, smiled faintly.
"More importantly, what's the status on securing the footage from that time?"
"I apologize. All the nearby CCTV cameras were down at the time of the incident...."
"Hmm. You don't suppose those who claim to have such a noble bloodline secretly took it, do you?"
Those who claim to have a noble bloodline.
This referred to the family of Shin Jia, who had been at the scene. A traditional family that had directly inherited the blood of elves from the distant past.
"No, ma'am. That's for certain."
"Hmm. Is that so."
Pialle Allo's 'Status Window Interference' also affected inanimate objects.
Naturally, the CCTV cameras, which operated via Status Windows, had all been knocked out during the incident.
"Then it will be difficult to find that superhuman."
"...I am sorry."
Yuhwa rested her chin on her hand and recalled Pialle Allo's corpse.
A body with its upper half completely annihilated, leaving only the lower half.
'An archer did this?'
The forensics team that examined the scene was certain the attack was made with a bow.
There were several pieces of evidence, but the biggest was the ground where the archer was presumed to have stood.
The forensics team explained.
Here. See these indentations on the ground? When skilled archers gather mana in their bows, mana also flows to their lower body like this. On soft ground, it can leave marks like these.
And look at the position of the footprints here. It's very similar to the stance archers take when holding a bow.
It was a convincing enough explanation.
But Yuhwa still wore a look of disbelief.
'...How can a bow possess that kind of destructive power?'
It was a level of destruction that Yuhwa's common sense simply couldn't comprehend.
'...If that really was the work of an archer, they must be at least an S-rank superhuman.'
An S-rank superhuman who wasn't affiliated with any guild, at that.
'If they were part of a guild, there's no way they would have hidden themselves in a situation like this.'
Yuhwa licked her lips.
'If only I could scout him, he would be a great asset to the guild.'
Still, if he couldn't be found, he couldn't be found.
Yuhwa swallowed her disappointment.
"By the way, what is the precious little darling of that self-proclaimed pure-blooded elf family up to? She was singing that song about how she would deal with Pialle Allo with her own hands, telling everyone not to interfere."
A sneer formed on Yuhwa's face.
"To fall asleep right in front of her parents' killer. If it were me, I'd be too furious to even think about sleeping."
Yuhwa hated Shin Jia's family.
She disliked their pretentious act of being a historic family that directly inherited elven blood, and on top of that, they obstructed the Bihon Guild at every turn. There was no way she could possibly like them.
'A family that inherited pure blood? Their bloodline has been degenerating for ages.'
They should just get wiped out.
"Well...."
The middle-aged man, Kim Shinwoo, hesitated before speaking.
"I hear she's actually quite excited...."
"Excited?"
"Yes. I don't know the details, but they say she's been smiling all day."
The look of anticipation on Yuhwa's face vanished.
"Has she finally lost her mind?"
* * *
Early in the morning.
I woke up before I knew it.
Perhaps because my thoughts were so tangled.
After the incident yesterday, I came home, did nothing else, and just sat crouched on the floor, lost in thought.
About yesterday's incident.
About my current state.
I mulled over every question, thinking again and again.
And eventually, I was able to come up with my own answers.
First, this world is the world of the remake version of the novel [S-Class Status Window].
The difference from the original is the protagonist's ability.
Unlike the original [S-Class Status Window], in this remade world, the protagonist's ability is [The Lack of a Status Window].
At first, I thought, what kind of ability is this? It's a penalty.
But after long consideration, I reached a conclusion.
Not having a Status Window is a clear advantage and a special ability unique to the protagonist.
"...It really is a special ability."
The equipment in this world has something called 'wearing restrictions.'
Stat restrictions, skill acquisition restrictions, race restrictions, and so on. There are numerous conditions depending on the equipment's grade and lore.
But for me, who has no Status Window, those 'wearing restrictions' don't apply.
The laws probably apply differently only to me.
Or is it more accurate to say there are no laws to apply?
Using the [Blessing of the World Tree] wasn't the only proof.
There was also the incident where Choi Jihoon threw a sword at me.
And when I touched the sword of another race at the department store.
Thinking back on it now, it was strange.
No matter how light it was, there was no way I could have lifted a real sword that easily.
It wasn't described in detail in the novel, but there was no way the 'rejection reaction' was something so minor.
"...I was so stupid."
I should have realized it back then.
It was my mistake to get excited like an idiot and just let it slide.
Anyway, through these considerations, I came to a conclusion.
My ability is, in short, [Gear-Carried].
This is a really big advantage.
"As for the other things."
There were countless other questions, but I came to my own conclusions for all of them.
Except for one thing.
There was one thing I couldn't get a handle on.
"...What the hell was that Error message?"
I really have no idea about this one.
Still, besides that, I feel refreshed for having figured out the rest.
Yesterday was so complicated.
'I also killed someone for the first time.'
He may have been a villain who committed acts of terror, but a person is still a person.
Honestly, I still feel guilty.
I shook my head vigorously, trying to clear my thoughts.
Unlike my original world, this is a world where death is a little closer.
Things like this will happen a lot in the future.
It's not right to dwell too much on killing a villain.
My mind would surely wear down first.
I tried my best to think of other things and distract myself from the guilt.
"Ah. My clothes."
Then the rags I was wearing caught my eye.
Dirty clothes that still bore the traces of a life-or-death struggle. It seems I fell asleep in them yesterday.
My bed is also a mess with dirt and dust.
I gave a bitter smile.
"...First, I should take a shower."
I decided to put off cleaning and headed for the shower.
With a much lighter heart, I took off my clothes and adjusted the water temperature.
*Sshaaaaaa-*
Hot water cascaded down my entire body, starting from my head.
It felt like both my body and mind were melting in the warm water.
"Ah. This is nice."
I lightly shook the water from my hair and swept my bangs back.
That's when the full-length mirror in the shower came into view.
An unfamiliar appearance, as if it wasn't me.
It still feels awkward.
By the way, this is the first time I've seen this body naked.
It's pretty muscular.
A man's pride is intact, too.
I'm satisfied.
It was while I was observing various parts of my body.
"...Huh?"
Suddenly, something drawn on my right shoulder blade caught my eye.
"Is this... a tattoo?"
I don't think there was ever a description of the protagonist having a tattoo.
I rinsed the condensation off the mirror with water and examined it closely.
It's definitely a tattoo.
A stylish tattoo etched in green.
"What is this now...."
For some reason, the tattoo resembled the 'World Tree.'