60
060 ― What's All This Commotion?
He returned to the white tower. When he opened the door and entered, Fermue appeared in the air to greet Jin-woo.
"Welcome back!"
The ability to move through space that he had seen when he first came to the tower. Whether she had suddenly gotten up from sleep and flown over, her eyes were sleepy, and she was wearing baggy clothes and loose pants.
"I'm back. Were you sleeping?"
"It was about time to get up anyway, so it's fine. More than that, this way, this way!"
Fermue dragged Jin-woo to the familiar greenhouse garden. She personally brewed tea and brought out biscuits and cheese from a jar stored in the corner of the cupboard. For someone who had just suddenly woken up from sleep, she was incredibly energetic, unable to bear not hearing Jin-woo's story quickly. Even so, the minimum etiquette as a queen was ingrained in her, so she barely held back her itching mouth until the tea and refreshments were perfectly set up.
The teatime preparation was completed within 10 minutes, and the two people quietly took their first sip. The warm tea water flowed down his throat and completely calmed Jin-woo's heart. This place wasn't home, but it felt as comfortable as returning home. It might be because he thought this was the safest place in the 6th floor.
"How did it go? Did the business you went for go well? Was there any danger? Did you see the World Tree's main body?"
As soon as she took one sip, she immediately opened her sparkling eyes and asked. He had already expected her to ask this. She had always been very curious about the outside world, and moreover, stories of the 6th floor couldn't be heard anywhere else.
"Wait, wait. I'll tell you one thing at a time. Calm down a bit."
"Yes."
Fermue couldn't help but keep her itching mouth shut and covered her mouth with her own hands. With a bitter smile, Jin-woo explained one by one what happened after he left the tower. Even calling it an explanation, there wasn't much to talk about at length. The 6th floor was a place where thin fog lingered here and there, and that all the fog was high-density Magi. Not only that, but dense Magi also dwelt in the water, air, and earth, so all life that grew in this land had the same effect as minor elixirs. So he had gradually absorbed Magi through various means, including wild strawberries and peaches. And up to discovering the Goblin sorcerer's herb garden and getting into a fight.
"A Goblin sorcerer! Did the sorcerer come to fight alone? A Goblin growing medicinal herbs is the first I've heard of such a thing!"
As expected, when Keron's story came up, Fermue's tension immediately rose. She had never seen a Goblin, but she had heard many stories. She had heard that Goblins were low-level creatures that couldn't inflict even one wound on knights like Rona, even if hundreds of them swarmed together. A sorcerer would be a higher individual among Goblins, but still, a Goblin was a Goblin. But such a Goblin existed in the 6th floor and was even cultivating an herb garden?
"It was quite a strong guy. Though not as much as you, it had spatial movement magic that could move short distances, and most importantly, it had sorcery that brought down lightning."
"Sorcery that brings down lightning? A Goblin?"
"I learned later that the fireballs that Goblin sorcerers use originally originated from lightning. Well, that story will come up later, so I'll talk about it then..."
After that, winning against Keron. Chasing the fleeing guy and reaching the cave. Meeting Kanok, Keron's master, inside the cave, and cutting off his Erosion for him. In return, being treated to a hearty meal and furthermore learning that sorcery. He told the entire series of processes in detail, omitting nothing. Thinking she would be disappointed if he skipped or omitted even a little, he told it as precisely as possible. He didn't leave out the emotions he felt at the time or descriptions of the scenery.
"Gasp! Oh? Wow!"
Fermue listened intently to Jin-woo's story without even breathing properly. Among all of it, Jin-woo thought she would be very surprised at the part where he cut off the Erosion. Indeed, Fermue was surprised at that part, but she didn't harbor emotions beyond that. Rather, she harbored intense emotions about the series of adventures Jin-woo had experienced itself. Longing and yearning.
"Amazing, amazing! You experienced so many things and came back in such a short time!"
"That's true. In terms of time, not even a few days had passed..."
"I'm envious. I want to have such heart-pounding adventures too."
It was just lucky, but in reality, every moment was a moment of crisis. If he had met a more selfish and stronger opponent, he might not have been able to return. Adventure wasn't something full of romance, but something that accompanied realistic danger. ...He could have said that, but Jin-woo didn't. Preaching was simple. But whether that would reach her heart was another matter.
'To someone who has lived trapped their whole life and is destined to die trapped, even if I say adventure is dangerous and whatnot, it probably won't even be heard.'
Her longing wasn't childish but natural. Anyone would want to get out somehow if they lived trapped for hundreds of years.
"Fermue. Can you really not get out of here? Is there no way at all?"
"No."
To Jin-woo's question, she answered with a lonely expression.
"I've pleaded with Mother World Tree several times, but there's no response. I've tried to go out alone and tried to break the walls, but it didn't work."
Fermue had tremendous power within the tower. She could change the tower's structure at will and move through space freely. But.
"It's all only within the tower. No matter what power I have, I can't leave the tower or destroy the tower."
She couldn't use even a bit of power toward the outside of the tower. Her power, her existence, everything could only exist within the tower. After being dejected for a moment, she soon perked up her head.
"U-um!"
"Yeah?"
"What will you do for your next adventure?"
Whether she was concerned about the dampened atmosphere, she deliberately changed the topic with a bright voice. Jin-woo swallowed a bitter smile and took out a map from his inventory and spread it.
"Is this a map?"
"Yeah. I drew the places I've been to."
"This in the middle is this tower, right? Ah, did you draw those Goblins here? How cute!"
"This time I'm planning to go around the tower in a circle and look around."
Jin-woo pointed to the white tower with his finger and indicated the path by drawing a spiral. If last time he had looked for a stream and walked along the waterway, this time he planned to draw circles centered on the tower and expand his search range.
"I can't go far, but I can search without missing any areas. Not being able to go far is actually good, considering the dangers of the 6th floor. If anything happens, it's convenient to escape to this tower."
"Oh my, that's really true! You're smart."
"I also read this somewhere."
Searching this way, the distance to the tower was short, so there was no need to camp out. He could return to the tower before sunset to sleep and go out again early in the morning. When he talked about this plan, Fermue clapped her hands and praised it as a really good plan. It seemed she particularly liked the point about returning to the tower to sleep.
And the next day, as planned, Jin-woo left the tower early in the morning.
"Have a safe trip."
Leaving behind Fermue, who was seeing him off, he came out of the tower. The thin Magi fog that still clung to his skin greeted him.
'It's a perfect environment for training.'
There was no need to even search for elixirs or spiritual creatures. If he found a place with good air and good water and just swung his sword, he could probably reach a considerable level. The problem was that there was no safe place where he could peacefully focus only on training.
'Of course, where in the world is there a place that's 100% safe?'
Even so, he had to be careful of the dangers of the 6th floor. It was a world where Goblins met on the road, casually moved through space, and scattered lightning. There would be plenty of even more powerful beings.
'For now, let's focus on returning.'
Rather than being immediately fascinated by the dense Magi of the Spirit Realm, let's retreat once and think about it. He had many things he wanted to say to the God of Moonlit Forest, who had suddenly dropped him here in the first place.
Ten days passed like that. Jin-woo, as planned, went around the tower in circles, gradually expanding his search range, and the area around the white tower on the map became brighter and brighter.
"Are you back? You haven't eaten yet, right? I prepared it so we can eat right away, so let's eat together."
Every time he returned to the tower, Fermue greeted him as before and asked about what had happened that day. Except for the first meeting with Kanok and Keron, there was nothing special. He just looked around the surrounding terrain and plainly drew maps and returned. Even so, Fermue liked even trivial stories and responded enthusiastically. It seemed she regarded the process of exploring dangerous places and gradually filling in maps itself as an adventure and longed for it.
'My Magi has increased quite a bit, too.'
As the map was gradually filled, Jin-woo's Magi was also gradually and continuously increasing. This was because while searching, he grilled and ate new fruits, fish, small wild animals, and anything else he could see. Even roughly salting and grilling them was delicious, and sprinkling a little pepper made them taste even better. There was no time when Jin-woo felt more alive than those moments. He always felt the Magi increase only after that.
"You'll go out early tomorrow, too, right?"
"I'll have to. Tomorrow is... Huh?"
At that moment, the amulet he carried in his chest became slightly hot. At the feeling like a heated hot pack, Jin-woo took out the amulet. It burned up and disappeared on its own, but strangely, the fire only burned the amulet and didn't burn Jin-woo's hands or clothes. It was just a slightly warm feeling.
"Ah..."
Fermue, who knew what that amulet was and what it meant for the amulet to burn up, couldn't continue speaking and fell silent.
"Contact has come."
It was contact that they had found a blue portal.
***
Fermue looked like she was about to cry. No, she actually wiped away flowing tears with her sleeve just barely. Her white sleeve was stained with tear marks.
"Then I'll be going."
Now it was time to part. He didn't know when he would come to the 6th floor again, but he probably wouldn't come for a while. This time, the God of Moonlit Forest had used two divine artifacts to suddenly throw Jin-woo into the 6th floor. Having experienced that, Jin-woo had no intention of ever taking out the God of Sky's scabbard from the God of Moonlit Forest's temple again.
"You'll, you'll come again, right?"
"Hmm..."
Jin-woo trailed off. He absolutely had no intention of coming to the 6th floor again, at least not for the time being. But this tower didn't exist only in the 6th floor. Even if not the 6th floor, it also existed in the Delphinia Kingdom, in the royal castle of that world where Elves lived.
"If it's through the Elf world, I might be able to come again."
"Really? Could that be possible?"
"With this guy, I can go to that world too."
Jin-woo showed the Ego Sword fastened to his waist and explained. The Ego Sword rang keying softly and answered as if to leave it to him. Hearing that story, Fermue's face brightened a little.
"If you come to this side, please contact me for sure. I'll tell those stone-headed elders at the royal castle in advance."
Fermue knew well that her own influence wasn't to that extent. Even if she spoke, the elders would probably all ignore her or get furiously angry. You want to let some human like a horse bone into the Elf sanctuary?! Like that. Honestly, she didn't have confidence in persuading the elders, but still, she didn't want to show a lack of appearance in front of the departing Jin-woo. If worst came to worst, there was Rona too. Since Rona also said she was friends with Jin-woo, she would be on her side.
"Yeah, I'll ask you well then."
Thinking of the Elves of Belen Village and Mari, Jin-woo nodded. If it wasn't a dangerous place like the 6th floor but Belen Village, he had a desire to visit again. And also.
'If I go there, I might be able to see the eroded World Tree roots again.'
Through this incident, he had become even more ignorant about the World Tree. What he learned from the God of Moonlit Forest's temple was only that the World Tree had childlike tastes, but he couldn't understand its connection with Erosion. In the 6th floor, he hadn't seen even one leaf of the World Tree.
"Then see you later."
"Yes. Go safely..."
They made promises, but as if the sadness still didn't fade, she waved her hand with a dispirited voice. Jin-woo left the tower, and silence visited again. Alone in the remaining tower, her hand dropped. She had been alone originally anyway, so it had just returned to normal. But strangely, her heart ached.
***
Jin-woo headed straight to Kanok's cave. Inside the cave, Kanok and Keron were waiting for Jin-woo.
"You've come. Let's go right away."
"Keryuk!"
Keron took the lead first as if to say follow. Following behind him and walking for about half a day, they found the place where the blue portal was. However, they couldn't approach the portal immediately because a giant with a bear head was sitting in front of the portal, sharpening an axe blade.
'A bear again?'
Previously in the Primeval Forest, a blue portal had also appeared in a large bear's dwelling, so it seemed he had a connection with bears.
"Benefactor. I'll lure it, so in that gap, please jump in. Don't worry about us... Uh, Benefactor!?"
When Kanok was about to use sorcery with his body that hadn't fully healed yet, Jin-woo was already going down the hill. Kanok hurriedly used sorcery and brought down lightning.
Kwaaaaagwang!
The lightning bolt that fell from the clear sky struck the bear-headed giant who was sharpening his axe.
―Kuheoeoeoeoeng!
However, the giant didn't budge at all. Was that skin covered with fur hide special? There was a slight burning smell, but it didn't seem like it had dealt particularly tremendous damage.
"Benefactor! I'll aim for the eyes and attack..."
Even so, there were ways to fight. Kanok skillfully talked about his next action and prepared sorcery. By then, the giant had already discovered Jin-woo and was running toward Jin-woo with thump thump sounds.
Jin-woo took out the Sky Sword stuck in its scabbard from his inventory.
'Even if the fur hide deflects lightning, the internal organs probably can't do the same.'
The means Jin-woo was thinking of wasn't different from Kanok’s. It's just that Kanok, who had no means other than sorcery, tried to aim for the bear's eyes, while Jin-woo, who had a sword, aimed for deeper internal organs.
Pajijik―
The sword was drawn with small static electricity. At the same time, the power of Erosion contained in the scabbard settled into the sword and emitted an ominous aura. While frowning at it, Jin-woo didn't care and swung down the sword. The giant's blue flames were cut, and its fur hide, flesh, and muscles were cleanly sliced away. And a thick lightning bolt fell as a direct hit on that spot.
Kwaaaaaaaagwang!
A much thicker lightning bolt than what Kanok had hurriedly shot fell and dealt the final blow to the giant's half-sliced body.
'It seemed almost dead just from being cut by the sword. Was the sorcery too much?'
Looking at the cracked body burned completely black, he wondered if there was a need to go this far. But he soon thought differently.
'This is the Spirit Realm. I don't know what tricks it might be hiding, so when there's a chance, it's right to kill it with maximum firepower.'
Thinking that way, it was a wise judgment. Jin-woo put the Sky Sword back in its scabbard and threw it into his inventory. Inside the charcoal-like corpse of the bear's head, there was something like a small glowing yellow orb. It was about the size of a pinky nail, but he could feel quite turbid mixed Magi.
"It's an inner core. Please take it with you."
Kanok, who ran up late, explained. Was this the inner core that spiritual creatures and such had? Like a magic stone for monsters? Even though it was small, he could feel quite solid magical power. The turbid feeling didn't matter. Anyway, with the Dragon Sword, he could filter out impurities and extract only pure Magi.
"Then I'll go. Thank you for various things."
"Not at all. We received great kindness."
"Keryuk."
Kanok prostrated himself as if offering a bow and buried his head, and Keron followed him. Jin-woo waved to them and jumped into the blue portal.
'As a result, I gained a lot of various things.'
Though it was a short period of just over two weeks, he had gained much. Both Magi and soul had increased much more than before coming to the 6th floor, and he had gained abilities to deploy with the Sky Sword. But more precious than that, he had gained two things: it was the map. <White tower>, <Goblin sorcerer's Cave>. Though only two locations and their surroundings were drawn, it was still valuable information. He knew two places that could serve as strongholds. And the other was connections. Next to the white tower on the map, an Elf was simply drawn, and next to the cave were the faces of two Goblins. He didn't know when it would be, but if he ever came to the 6th floor again, there would be nothing more precious than this. That's what he thought.
***
The place he returned to was inside the God of Moonlit Forest's temple. He had wondered if he might return to Earth, but apparently that wasn't the case. The blue portal was a portal that made you exit to the 'place you entered from', so it wasn't strange that he came out to the temple again.
"Hey."
The first thing Jin-woo did upon safely returning was to glare at the tree growing behind the altar and complain.
"Why would you suddenly send me to such a place? I could have died."
He was talking lightly because he had returned alive, but the content was heavy. He was lucky to meet people like Fermue or Kanok, but if not, he would already be dead.
[The God of Moonlit Forest sincerely apologizes.]
[I, I was thinking of opening a small Gate, but I didn't know you would suddenly get sucked in....]
It was the clearest voice he had heard among the faint voices he had heard several times until now. It seemed it wanted to express that much sincerity. He wanted to complain more, but getting angry wouldn't have any meaning. Leaving only the request not to do this arbitrarily again, Jin-woo asked the one thing he really wanted to ask.
"Are you the World Tree?"
[Yes....]
A simpler and surprisingly plain answer came back than expected. Since he had been almost certain of it, Jin-woo wasn't surprised by that answer either.
[Next time, please come find me.]
With those words, the World Tree's contact was cut off. Though Jin-woo called several more times, there was no answer. Was the World Tree's attempt to open the 6th floor Gate to ask him to come find it? But the Spirit Realm must be incredibly vast, too, so how could he find one tree in that world? Especially in a dangerous place where he couldn't move around freely.
'Will there be an occasion to go to the 6th floor again?'
If it were up to his heart, he didn't want to set foot there again until he died. That was an ordinary and rational thought. But he couldn't deny that his heart was somehow drawn to it.
'There were lots of delicious things too.'
That wasn't the only reason, but... Still, that was also one of the reasons. Anyway, relieved at returning safely, Jin-woo left the temple. But.
"What, what's going on?"
The city was bustling with people. Originally, there weren't this many, but now it was bustling like the heart of Seoul. Moreover, most of them were Hunters from Earth. Hunters of different nationalities and skin colors were swarming, and each was doing their own business.
Kururureung! Kwaaaaaaaagwang!
Even on the sky island supported by the large tree above, dark clouds had gathered and were dropping dozens of lightning bolts.
'What's all this commotion?'
He couldn't understand what had happened in the city during the two weeks he was absent.