139
139 ― Green City
After some time had passed, Seoul had completely changed. A green city with forests surrounding the Barrier. The interior of the city was also lush and fresh with plants growing more vigorously, perhaps due to the World Tree's influence.
The white land extending beyond Seoul gradually increased in size and now began to cover the Gyeonggi region. If the current speed were maintained, it wouldn't even take half a year for the entire Korean Peninsula to be purified. The speed might even get faster.
Ma Du-sik was letting out happy screams at the flood of work. Creating farmland in appropriate places and cutting down indiscriminately grown trees to procure timber. Resources that had been too scarce until now and had to be procured from Gates could now be obtained from around the city.
As someone who had to lead this massive change, the burden must be considerable. However, his face shown on the TV screen was only bright and hopeful.
Shartia was also busy being called here and there and going around to inspect. The only one who was idle was Jin-woo. For a while, thieves targeting the World Tree came periodically, but now even that had mostly disappeared, making things idle.
Jin-woo comfortably watched the process of the city changing and the signal that the world was beginning to change from beside the World Tree.
"Huuu."
If all the land on Earth were restored like this, there would be no need to depend on Gates for food or various resources. The need for Hunters would decrease somewhat, and income would decrease accordingly, but it was an unavoidable change. It would become difficult to earn sufficient profit just by bringing out some food anymore.
Even so, Gates had resources that could only be obtained from Gates. If one built up their skills sufficiently, that also wouldn't matter. In fact, Jin-woo had already stopped making money from fruit or games a long time ago.
Many things were changing.
Some might be somewhat negative, but most were positive signals. The unhealed wounds that Jeraxon had clawed were now healing.
And at night. Moonlight draped down once again.
Sitting on a branch of the World Tree, Jin-woo sipped whiskey from a small bottle.
"Want a sip too?"
He asked the World Tree. Toward her who would be sitting in the Spirit Realm beyond this tree.
He was about to immediately tilt the bottle and sprinkle it if she asked, but there was no answer. No answer saying yes, and no answer asking for it. Was she sleeping or resting? As he shrugged his shoulders and brought the bottle to his lips.
Black Flame was detected.
"!"
It wasn't far away. It wasn't something that had been approaching from afar and caught at the edge of Jin-woo's senses. The Black Flame appeared right nearby, as if it had suddenly come into being.
Jin-woo jumped down from the branch. The place where he felt the Black Flame was below the tree where he had been sitting, in the ground where the roots were.
'No way.'
The ground bulged upward. The size was very small. A small burial mound the size of a palm. It was pushed aside squirm squirm, and something like a black fairy poked its head out.
The creature that appeared looked around. It had an innocent body like a child who knew nothing. However, its entire body was black, and its face couldn't be seen, making it eerie.
What in the world was this?
'Catch it first.'
Jin-woo grabbed the creature as it looked around. The black fairy was startled and struggled squeak squeak to escape from Jin-woo's grip. But it couldn't escape. It wasn't that Jin-woo's grip strength was strong, but that the fairy's strength was too weak. Its physical strength was exactly as its visible size.
Soon, whether its strength ran out or it gave up, the fairy's struggling stopped.
"What are you..."
As Jin-woo was about to ask its identity, it happened suddenly. The fairy's form became mushy and melted away, then seeped into the ground.
Looking at the movement of the Black Flame, it returned to the roots again. As if that place was its home. Then its presence completely disappeared. The Black Flame could no longer be felt.
'...'
Jin-woo's movement stopped at this sudden event in the middle of the night.
***
He immediately dug up the ground and checked the roots. Looking at the outside, there was no problem. There was no aura of Erosion emanating, and it was just fine.
―The roots near the city? There's nothing wrong with them at all.
The next day, he contacted Shartia and asked about the condition of other places, but only received the answer that there were no problems. She seemed to have no idea why Jin-woo was suddenly asking about this.
"Have there been any strange signs normally?"
―No. Everyone, including myself, has been watching the movements of the roots with great care, but there have been no abnormalities. Why do you ask?
"Something strange was discovered on my house's side yesterday."
When Jin-woo explained what had happened last night, Shartia fell silent. Even though he couldn't see her, he could tell she was making a serious expression.
―I'll come right away.
Not long after, Shartia arrived. Ma Du-sik, who had received the contact, also rushed over hurriedly. Experts who would examine the tree and experienced Hunters who had dealt with Erosion for a long time also came. Several people came and examined it, but there were still no abnormalities.
"Did that really exist?"
"Could you have seen it wrong because it was dark..."
"No. I definitely saw it. I can swear to it."
When he asserted strongly, those who had been skeptical also closed their mouths.
"Understood. Let's be careful for the time being."
Ma Du-sik said that while wrapping up the situation. They said they discovered an abnormality, but since it couldn't be seen right now, there was no way to deal with it. For now, the situation ended like that.
'What in the world is going on? Please answer.'
Jin-woo spoke to the God of Moonlit Forest, to the World Tree that would be in the Spirit Realm. But just like yesterday, there was no answer. There was no response at all, as if contact had been cut off. Just like when in the Spirit Realm.
'What is this.'
What was going on?
He couldn't shake off the eeriness. What was currently purifying Seoul, no, the Korean Peninsula, was the power of the World Tree's roots. Furthermore, it was thought that it would restore the entire Earth and return it to the original blue planet.
But what if those roots were actually harboring Erosion. Perhaps it might be an invader just like Jeraxon or Praysiar. Just with a different method.
If only he could properly contact the World Tree, he could clear up the misunderstanding, but the problem was that he couldn't. Then should he go directly and ask about her intentions?
'Come to think of it.'
Belen Village. There had been a similar incident there as well. When he first saw the World Tree's roots stained with Erosion.
After defeating the Black Knight, blackened roots appeared and tried to snatch from the side. Perhaps yesterday's incident might be a sign that the roots would be stained black.
'Let's go.'
If he went there, he might know something. At least he would be able to obtain a clue.
Let's go check. Jin-woo, who had made up his mind, organized his luggage and stacked it neatly in his Inventory.
'Let's go find Rona or Fermue.'
The beings Jin-woo could rely on in that kingdom were those two. Both had social status that wasn't low and were in positions where they could hear various high-grade information. There was no reason not to visit them.
'Or that Dark Elf from that time.'
The Black King, who was said to be the king of the Dark Elves. Rather than Rona or Fermue, that man might be more knowledgeable about the black roots.
Rona probably wouldn't know much about matters related to the World Tree, and Fermue didn't even know that the World Tree was stained with Erosion. When he asked probingly in the past, she sharply refused, saying not to speak such blasphemous words.
Whoever it was, if he met anyone, he could obtain information. Jin-woo, who had finished preparing, stood in front of the World Tree in the yard.
Normally, he would have to go through a Gate. Enter the Primeval Forest, find the blue Portal, and follow the path guided by the Ego Sword inside the Portal to reach the Kingdom of Delphinia.
However, even without going through a Gate, this World Tree was connected to that place. Not only that, but also to the Spirit Realm.
'I wonder if it will help when finding the World Tree's main body in the Spirit Realm.'
It might or might not. However, since he didn't plan to enter the Spirit Realm right now, that was for later.
When he placed his hand on the World Tree, his soul began to be drawn to the World Tree.
***
The place where he opened his eyes was a forest. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the Kingdom of Delphinia, the kingdom of Elves, was mostly composed of forests and lakes. Although there was a side adjacent to the sea, over 80% of the territory was forest.
So naturally, when opening his eyes, it would be a forest, but it was not an ordinary forest.
A black forest.
Just like Earth, where most of the land was stained with black earth, most of the Elf forest was also stained. He climbed up a tall tree and looked around, and everywhere visible was black.
―Hyaaaaaap!
Then a desperate battle cry was heard. A resounding voice as if pulled up from the belly. It was a voice he had heard before, so Jin-woo rushed to that place.
What was seen was a knight wearing black armor all over their body. It was similar to the one that had invaded Belen Village before.
The Elf confronting it was a woman with an extremely large build and bulging muscles. April. She, who had connections from the 3rd floor, was pulling her Steel Bow, aiming at the Black Knight and targeting it with an arrow.
Kwaang―!
The fired arrow struck the Black Knight's armor, making a sound like a shell. However, there was no significant damage. The Knight staggered slightly but charged in and swung its sword without greatly losing its posture.
"Haap!"
April swung her steel bow and deflected the Knight's swinging sword. The bow was so heavy and had such good elasticity that it could easily deflect about one sword.
April, who quickly retreated three steps back, shot an arrow. Three arrows flew in succession and struck the Knight's abdomen, shoulder, and helmet. Screech! The armor became slightly dented. However, the Knight didn't die.
Koong― Koong―
The Knight approached April several times, but she was too skilled at keeping distance. Even if she was caught, her physical strength was no joke. Grabbing the Knight's arm and throwing it like doing a shoulder throw showed that close combat was never inferior, either.
Woong―
Perhaps thinking this wouldn't work, Aura surged on the Knight's sword. The ominous and gloomy black Aura characteristic of Erosion.
Buuuuwoong―!
The swung slash sent Aura flying in a long surge. April widened her eyes and blocked the front with her Steel Bow. However, the Knight's Aura simply bisected the Steel Bow and bored in.
'Oh no...!'
April panicked and tried to pull back her body, but it was already too late. The Aura approaching was much faster than her retreat.
As April bit her lips tightly, bracing for injury, sword energy also flew from behind her.
Kwaaaaaaang!
The slash that flew over April’s head cut down the Black Knight's Aura and detonated it on the spot. A strong energy exploded right before her eyes, and a shockwave rushed in, but it was still better than being cut by the Aura.
April, who got away with only minor injuries and disheveled hair, looked back with surprised eyes.
"M-Master!"
At that moment, Jin-woo's slash that was fired again passed through the Black Knight, cutting it. Seeing the Black Knight, she had struggled to face being cut down and killed in a single strike. April widened her eyes.