137
137 ― Land Prices Rising Like Bitcoin
There was no reason to remain in Hong Kong any longer. Jin-woo and Shartia hurriedly prepared to return home.
"Hunter Kang Jin-woo! There's still so much investigation left in the White Land, why are you in such a hurry to return?"
Hong Kong's Mayor Zhang came running barefoot to stop his departure. Director Lin, the director of Hong Kong's Hunter Management Bureau, was with him as well.
"Investigation is the work of experts. Although I was dispatched as their escort, something has come up that requires my return. There are many other escorts besides me, so they will protect them."
"But……."
Mayor Zhang didn't want to let Jin-woo go. Even before this, Jin-woo's swordsmanship had already spread widely throughout Hong Kong. With the Praysiar incident on top of that, Jin-woo's recognition was already no different from that of a hero.
'How wonderful would it be to welcome such a person as a Hong Kong Hunter.'
Strong Hunters had very high political utility value as well. If he succeeded in getting Jin-woo to defect to Hong Kong, that would surely become his own political standing.
"Are you satisfied with Seoul's Management Bureau?"
Director Lin of Hong Kong's Hunter Management Bureau subtly broached the subject. He wasn't much different either. Although he was in a position to manage Hunters, he, too, was a figure biased toward being a politician rather than a Hunter. Like Mayor Zhang, he tried hard to recruit Jin-woo to solidify his own position.
'I must recruit him no matter what!'
The battle with Praysiar. Countless S-ranks had testified. That they had been of absolutely no help.
These were people whose pride was as high as their strength. All of them were top-tier powerhouses in their respective countries. They had all spoken in unison, lamenting their own powerlessness and praising Jin-woo's achievements. Though their manner of expression differed, the content was all the same.
If they could capture such an existence…….
"I'm going back."
But Jin-woo was firm. He gave them no room whatsoever. Though the two clung to Jin-woo trying to hold him back, it was useless. There was no way to pressure him with force, and power didn't work on him either, so there was no way to detain him.
Jin-woo immediately left to board a plane with Shartia.
└ Did Kang Jin-woo and Shartia go back?
└ After achieving such merits, why?
Many found Jin-woo's actions puzzling. He was the hero who saved Hong Kong. Both his actual contributions and public opinion were such that no one could stand against him. The Hong Kong government, whether they liked it or not, was in a situation where they had to cooperate with his investigation to the fullest extent.
Yet in this situation, he was abandoning Hong Kong's investigation and returning to Seoul. Many were puzzled by that choice.
└ He must want to rest after accomplishing something so major.
└ Perhaps he suffered a serious injury that can't be publicly disclosed.
└ We just need to continue our own investigation.
Though many questioned Jin-woo's actions, they focused more on Hong Kong's White Land. There were quite a few new White Lands that appeared from the battle with Praysiar as well. To investigate all of them would require more time than they could ever have.
No one knew that a new tree was growing in Jin-woo's front yard.
"What did you plant in the yard?"
"Rather than planted……."
On the flight back, Shartia asked Jin-woo. After thinking for a moment, Jin-woo answered.
"That's the World Tree."
"What? What did you say?"
Shartia questioned in disbelief. The World Tree was growing in his front yard?
"In this battle, something took Praysiar's corpse and disappeared, and it seems to have absorbed that ability and reappeared."
"The ability to purify the Black Earth……."
"Yes, probably."
Many had witnessed the mysterious tree roots taking Praysiar's corpse and disappearing. That's why many Hunters were digging up the battlefield site searching for the body. Hoping they might be able to analyze that corpse and extract the purification ability.
But it was no longer in Hong Kong. It had appeared at Jin-woo's house and was growing.
The two who got off at the airport immediately headed to Jin-woo's house. Throughout the journey, Shartia couldn't hide her excited expression.
'The World Tree!'
She possessed memories of a past life as an Elf. In those memories, she recalled glimpsing the World Tree. A gigantic tree that shimmered like a mirage in the distance, as if supporting the world.
'Could it be real? If it's real, will I be able to recognize it?'
Honestly, she was slightly doubtful. The World Tree was an existence no different from a god to Elves. She couldn't readily believe that such an existence was growing in someone's front yard.
Moreover, even if it was real, would she be able to recognize it? Even in her past life memories, she had only witnessed a hazy silhouette from afar. Even if she had the real World Tree before her eyes, she didn't know if she would be able to recognize it.
Though she worried like that, it was all needless concern.
"Ah……."
The moment she arrived at Jin-woo's house and saw the tree growing in the yard. Her instinct, no, her soul responded.
That this was truly their god.
What kind of emotion was it? Emotion, reverence, perhaps even fear. As she trembled finely with such feelings, Jin-woo met with Ma Du-sik and shook hands.
"You worked hard in Hong Kong, Hunter Kang Jin-woo. I heard well of your achievements."
"More than that, please tell me about the situation."
Ma Du-sik nodded and began explaining to Jin-woo.
***
Overall, there wasn't much change from the situation he had heard before. Symptoms of the Black Earth around Seoul recovering had been discovered, and in each place there were roots of the same tree. Following the source of those roots led to this house.
"We're keeping it secret for now, but it's only a matter of time before it's revealed. The existence of the White Land itself is becoming known, and many are recognizing the roots. The fact that they originated from this tree will be known soon as well."
The changes were too large-scale to hide. It wasn't even like Hong Kong where just one area, just a part, was turning into White Land. Various places around Seoul were continuously being purified at random.
Ma Du-sik's voice as he continued his explanation was extremely hopeful. Though it was a rapid change, it was by no means a bad change. A positive change that the dying city was beginning to come alive.
'Now is the most important time.'
In Ma Du-sik's career as mayor, no, throughout his entire life, there had never been a more important moment than now.
It was an opportunity. An opportunity for Seoul to develop further and become the center of the world.
Even without such ambition, the fact that humanity's land was beginning to recover held no small meaning. From now on, all manner of people would come to this city with all manner of intentions.
As mayor, he needed to control such people well. While protecting what needed protecting so as not to be torn apart by hyenas, he had to open what needed opening. Though he wanted to monopolize this power, doing so would clearly make them enemies of the entire world.
To do that, first…….
"Even if we don't know its identity, this tree clearly seems to have purification abilities. So, Hunter Shartia."
"Yes? Y-yes."
Shartia, who had been stroking the tree with a dazed expression, was startled by Ma Du-sik's call.
"Could we cut branches from this tree and grow them in other locations? Of course, we'd need Hunter Kang Jin-woo's permission, but first, I'm curious if it's possible or impossible."
"Wait……! You're telling me to cut branches from this tree!?"
"Yes. Is there some problem?"
"That's……."
The World Tree was their god. Even if it was to plant it anew, inflicting harm on that divine body wasn't an easy choice.
Fortunately, Jin-woo, who had heard their conversation, casually cut off a few branches and brought them over. It was already a familiar task for him.
"Let's try planting them. It's too burdensome to have such a tree only on my land."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course."
Shartia received the branches. When Ma Du-sik gestured, a member of the Management Bureau approached Shartia and spoke to her. They must be consulting on where it would be good to plant them.
'I don't know if it will work or not.'
One thing was certain. It was fortunate that Praysiar's purification ability hadn't simply disappeared.
***
―I succeeded in growing them.
Several days passed. Shartia had planted branches of the World Tree in various places around Seoul and succeeded in growing them successfully. However.
―But I don't see any purification ability. It's just like an ordinary tree…… I can't think of it as the same species as that tree at Jin-woo's house.
The trees Shartia grew were ordinary trees. They were entirely different species from the World Tree Jin-woo knew. They completely lacked the presence that the spirits of the Spirit Realm called the Soul Tree.
Perhaps naturally, they also didn't possess purification abilities, so the only thing with purification abilities was still the World Tree growing at Jin-woo's house.
'Perhaps it's because this is the only individual that consumed Praysiar's body as nutrients.'
As a result, Jin-woo's house received even more attention. Much research was conducted. They tried to intentionally cultivate or extract the purification ability, but not a single study succeeded.
Nevertheless, various places around Seoul were still being purified even now. The natural recovery hadn't stopped either.
How should they use this recovered land? That too was currently the hottest topic among Seoul citizens.
'In the end, it's been revealed.'
They couldn't keep such a major change hidden forever. The existence of the White Land spreading through Seoul, no, still spreading, was already known to all citizens. As was the fact that its source was mysterious tree roots spreading from Jin-woo's house.
The world's attention, which until just before had been focused on Hong Kong, was now concentrated on Seoul. In fact, there was even more attention now than during Hong Kong when the source of the ability was ambiguous. People all over the world wanted to plant the World Tree in their cities too.
―That power originally existed in Hong Kong's land! No matter how much of a hero Kang Jin-woo is, silently seizing it doesn't align with propriety!
Hong Kong's Mayor Zhang roared with veins bulging in his neck, but he didn't receive much support. In the first place, the right to possess a monster's corpse belonged to the Hunter who defeated that monster. That was an unwritten rule among Hunters worldwide.
"We're filtering out all the nonsense, so don't worry, Hunter Kang Jin-woo. You just need to care for that tree well. It seems even Hunter Shartia is incapable of caring for it."
Ma Du-sik was handling all the external pressure. So don't worry and devote all efforts to growing the World Tree. Ma Du-sik encouraged Jin-woo like that.
From the Hong Kong incident to now. While the surrounding situation was flowing busily, the protagonist's life had also changed somewhat.
―Alright!Alright!
―Stop there!
Jin-woo's house was originally in Seoul's outskirts, the most rundown place bordering the barrier protecting the city. Recently, that place had been noisy with construction sounds as all kinds of workers and equipment came and went.
Large-scale redevelopment. Workers surveying and measuring the land came and went, and on one side, all kinds of people were discussing what should be done with this land.
'They're planning to reorganize the city centered around the World Tree.'
To put it simply, land prices were rising like Bitcoin.