◈ Episode 91. Blooming in the Swamp (8)
“To sprout the seeds of the World Tree.”
“……!!!”
The confidence of having nothing to hide.
The guild masters were stunned by Ho Yeol’s words.
The only thing they could say was.
Nam Tae-min, who had been with Ho-yeol for a while and had become a little more tolerant of his shocking behavior.
“Mr. Ho-yeol. That progress is so fast……., are you referring to this giant rock, the seed of the World Tree?”
“That’s right. It’s not a rock, it’s the seed of the World Tree.”
“World tree….?”
Ho-Yeol is lying?
I know that’s impossible.
I can’t believe the World Tree just popped out of nowhere.
It’s hard for me to accept.
But.
“There is no shame from not knowing.”
A voice as noble as its appearance.
At the sound of the spirit’s voice, Nam Tae-min nodded.
“If Mr. Ho-yeol says so, then it must be true, and I believe it.”
Nam Tae-min believed and went to rest.
Leonie’s mind raced.
” …… He just told me this?
Not before the Cataclysm, not after.
Information about the Arcana was power.
And now, suddenly, the word World Tree.
I never thought I’d hear it out of his own mouth.
In a way, he was telling the truth to the men themselves.
Actions come before thoughts.
Leonie hated to attach meaning to such actions, but…….
“Does that mean I’m not a dead man walking?
He couldn’t help but wonder.
Hisagi’s thoughts weren’t too far off from his own.
No, it was worse than both of them.
“Why?
He could hide it if he wanted to.
No, if it were him, he would have hidden it no matter what.
The seed of the World Tree.
Just by hearing about it, there was a huge reward attached to it.
Any player could have intuited that.
However, Ho Yeol spoke the truth as if it were a given.
“Gaon and Berserker don’t know. And us.”
We felt it in Hokkaido, we felt it in the Kingdom of Yusra.
Even if he thought about it, how could he understand what Ho-Yeol meant?
Hisagi could only vow.
“Whatever that cooperation may be, Inazuna will do her best to help.”
Nam Tae-min and Leonie.
They didn’t seem to have anything to say.
They were waiting for Ho-Yeol’s mouth to drop.
Of course, Ho-Yeol didn’t hesitate at all.
“To plant the seeds of the World Tree.”
In order to……!
“It requires a lot of dedication.”
So, where to start?
While listening to Ho-Yeol.
The three of them put their own Arcana experience to work.
In general, they should start with research.
It would take quite a while to examine the giant seeds.
‘This is going to be a long fight.’
“It’s worth it to be prepared.”
‘We might as well build a camp…….’
And then.
“Would you mind quieting the commotion for a moment?”
……What do you mean, for a while?
The three men’s faces were once again colored with horror at Ho Yeol’s words.
That was enough time to sprout the seeds of a giant world tree.
‘I didn’t even know the World Tree existed……!
“…… How far are you looking?
“Indeed, Mr. Ho-Yeol.
What does that mean?
Ho-yeol’s declaration, which I dare not even guess.
Everyone’s reaction was different.
At this moment, the actions of the three Guild Masters were the same.
The seed of the World Tree.
So close to the loot.
HoYeol and the three guilds had become public enemies.
“They’re coming!”
Yes, to battle the charging predators.
No, to cooperate, as Ho-Yeol requested.
He wanted to quell the disturbance.
[Poisonous Horned Rhino: Lv.530]
[Ragged Beast : Lv.550]
[Bone Gravedigger Golem: Lv.600]…….
Considering the level of the monsters coming at us.
A single guild wouldn’t have been able to do it.
The Bohemians alone, ranked fourth in the guild rankings, had taken a lot of damage against just two monsters. But they weren’t a single guild.
“Okay, I guess we’ll just have to do it like we do when we’re fighting. It’s your specialty, right?”
And then there were Gaon and Inazuma.
These were two guilds that knew each other well, having fought each other to the death.
Not only the guild masters, but the guild members themselves.
That meant they knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
And this was the first time these two guilds united?
It was unbelievable that it was the first time.
It was enough to ignite the madness of the berserker watching.
Boom!
He caught the flying arrow with his bare hands.
Aaaaahhhhhh!
Pow!
Nam Tae-min throws the arrow back with his bare hands.
Seoguk─!
He literally cuts his flesh.
Shuriken Shuriken─!
Leonie cuts through bone.
Barbarians and Berserkers.
Namtae-min and Leonie stir the battlefield with wild ferocity.
Hisagi skillfully controlled the pace of the battle with his spear.
Was this really their first time coordinating their breathing?
The onlookers couldn’t help but be excited.
“We don’t know what was said back and forth, but either way, it’s a great move. They’re not losing ground against nearly a dozen monsters.”
“Aren’t they the best guilds aside from Gaon and Inazuma, Shining and the Heavenly Unification, and they’re living up to their reputation!”
“Berserker is no less formidable. Although they are behind the two guilds in the guild rankings, they are called Berserker. When it comes to momentum on the battlefield, they’re definitely not far behind the two guilds!”
Predator Zone Rift.
There’s no shortage of fighting.
I thought there would be plenty to see.
-I never thought I’d see Gaon and Inazuma team up to eat in my life.
-My April Fool’s Day joke is now a reality.
-Rankers aren’t rankers for nothing 🙒
-Mobs and reps are pretty good, but they don’t lose.
There were so many unpredictable developments.
Naturally, the majority of the stakes were in Ho-yeol’s favor.
From his unexpected appearance on the lotus leaf.
His swordsmanship, which he hid like a secret.
It wasn’t enough that he had made a pact with the spirits.
He united Gaon, Inazuma, and Berserker.
Knowing that.
Onlookers could not help but be excited.
Not to mention the player community.
-I thought this was about the Spirit Contract.
-No, if that was the goal, it would have gone straight to the rift ;);
-No experience or drop rate buffs mean anything to Lee Ho-yeol.
VBC Studios.
“There must be a bigger purpose for Lee Ho-yeol.”
“He must have a bigger picture. That’s what you’re saying!”
“That’s right, there must be a reason you assembled the guild!”
No, the whole world was starting to focus on Ho-yeol.
PD Hyun Yong-seok looked at the monitor with sweaty hands.
He suddenly opened his mouth.
“It’s something I’ve been feeling since I started broadcasting.”
“What?”
“People are so simple. If a stimulus gives you a lot of fun or thrills, you get used to it. You can see that in dramas, even if you’re praised as a well-made woman, you don’t get more viewers than a bad drama.”
“Isn’t that right?”
“But they adapt to the level of the drama.”
“From what I’ve heard and seen, that’s true, too, isn’t it? Now you’ve got the basic secret of birth, plus a brother and sister who have an affair and a criminal past……. You’re coming out with a whole bunch of settings anyway.”
“Yeah. I’m well aware. That’s why I’m worried.”
“Worried? You’re suddenly worried about the show?”
Hyun Yong-seok shook his head in confusion.
“No, Lee Ho-yeol.”
He’s shown so much so far.
He can’t possibly satisfy the public anymore.
Why, just now, he was.
“If it were me, I’d be so overwhelmed I couldn’t breathe.”
I don’t know what Ho-yeol is thinking.
Hyun Yong-seok rolled his eyes.
‘No magic, just good swordsmanship. It’s not enough to prove the existence of spirits, he’s got a contract with at least a high-level spirit.
On top of that, he managed to get Gaon, Inazuma, and Berserker to join forces with each other.
That alone would take many days.
No, it was a feat that could be talked about for weeks.
But as you can see, humans are tricky creatures.
Aren’t you looking forward to it again?
‘If it’s Lee Ho-yeol, he’ll show us something even greater.’
But Hyun Yong-seok thought soberly.
After directing today’s Arcana, he’s gained some perspective.
“He’s already shown so much this time.”
A performance that would surpass them all.
It would be difficult for even Lee Ho-yeol to show it.
Hyun Yong-seok thought.
‘Of course, it’s the director’s job to package it well.
But he was mistaken.
” ……, senior, look at that!”
“Huh? Why?”
“No, look at Lee Ho-yeol!”
An urgent call from the assistant director.
His gaze turned to the monitor once again.
Soon, Hyun Yong Seok’s eyes widened.
“What, what, wasn’t that a rock?”
Ho-yeol doesn’t need any wrapping.
* https://ko-fi.com//pindangscans.com
I’ve never felt so secure.
In this [Predator Swamp] rift.
I couldn’t ask for a better ally.
“A Ranker is not a Ranker for nothing.
Nam Tae-min, who started the class quest in Reclaim the Frost.
He was already at the top of the player rankings without Class Quests.
“I think it’s because of the rewards.”
He’s really getting stronger every time I see him.
‘Another rival is not a rival for nothing.’
His rival was Hisagi.
There was no doubt about it.
“Leonie, from the first time I saw you.”
He was a great swordsman, up to the standards of the Grandfel.
At one point, I even tried to use his sword skills on myself.
So.
I was able to access the World Tree Seed without much of a struggle.
It’s even bigger when you get up close, this one.
I don’t know where the World Tree is.
It’s a scale that makes me wonder how that seed got here. Really.
“Here we go, nymph.”
But there is no hesitation.
As much as I feared the aftermath, the drain on my magic, as much as the sheer size of the thing…….
I was certain.
[The knowledge of the world tree existed in the Pure Knowledge].
The world tree will always be a plant.
“As it were.”
The nymph had a blessing that accelerated plant growth.
Me and the Nymph simultaneously put our hands on the seed of the World Tree.
It’s hard.
That’s all I felt, but Nymph apparently didn’t.
“I feel a strange energy.”
I didn’t bother to argue.
Could it be that the nymph was not under my influence?
After all, once I made up my mind, I didn’t hesitate.
Go, go, go!
Magic power began to flow from the nymph’s body.
At the same time, the power of {Nature} permeated the World Tree Seed.
Indeed, the expected event had begun to happen.
……Crazy, look at the magic draining out.
I was prepared, but I didn’t expect it to be this fast.
The seed of the world tree is a giant sponge.
It felt like a few drops of water.
But I can’t hold back.
Even if it meant passing out from magic exhaustion……!
My legs were shaking.
My eyes are spinning.
I have to desperately suppress it.
It’s not like I can stand the cold.
An obsession with formality, indeed.
I felt like I was going to collapse if I touched it.
I was holding myself upright.
Damn, method acting!
As immersed in the battle as the players were.
I’m in a fight, too.
Of course, that fact went unnoticed by the nymph right next to me.
The nymph was turning my magic into a blessing.
She’s turning it into a blessing.
I have no one to recognize it.
My life is so sad…….
But.
“……!”
No one understands, even the spirits.
[The seed of the World Tree sprouted].
Yes, the system knew my bullshit……!
As the message came to mind, the nymph spoke.
“Ho-yeol, thanks for watching over me……!”
I nodded.
Then I checked the quest window.
1 World Tree Seed currently sprouted / Unknown
Success!
Don’t ask me what the process was like.
Maybe it was a mess, maybe you skipped a bunch of steps, whatever.
It’s always the result that counts.
“I never doubted that it was possible.”
For once, I wasn’t being shameless.
If they were to gather information on the World Tree and sprout the seeds of the World Tree, as they were supposed to. The continent of Arcana would have been destroyed by demons long before then.
Yes, for once, you did a good job. Lee Ho-yeol.
A moment of self-praise.
I looked away from the message.
“So this is the world tree.
Thrrr.
The seeds slowly cracking.
Chaaaahhh.
A brilliant light began to emanate from between them.
“Ho Yeol?”
“Burr, is it over already?”
“Indeed, Ho Yeol-san……!!!”
Those closest to them began to witness the spectacle.
It didn’t discriminate between players and monsters.
Even the life-and-death battles had stopped.
They were focused on the birth of a new World Tree.
I did the same.
The giant oak leaf became a trunk, then a base.
Its outstretched roots gripped the swampy ground.
It was as if the moisture of the swamp was the nourishment it had prepared for itself.
The water level dropped visibly.
The world tree absorbed the moisture.
Then the branches began to sprout leaves.
At the same time, a message appeared.
[A new World Tree has taken root on the continent of Arcana].
[The Arcana Continent blesses the birth of the World Tree].
[The entire Arcana Continent is alive with vitality.]…….
A feast of endless messages.
This was a world-class quest.
I’m sure I’m not the only one with a message.
” What, the world tree?!”
“No way, that was the seed of the World Tree?”
“How the hell did Lee Ho-yeol know that……?”
But I remained silent.
The reason was that I was on a world quest.
It was because of a message that only came to me.
[Your achievements resonate throughout the Arcana Continent].
[The creatures of the Arcana Continent speak of your existence].
[The title system opens].
[Acquire the title, ‘The Last Adventurer’].
……Title system?
Wait, what’s the effect of……?