Novel Will Be Taken Down on 17 May or Earlier Chapter 160 - Blessing (2)

[Falling Old Tree Garden]

 

[Recommended level: Lv.400~Lv.450]

 

[Collapse rate: 13.2%]

 

Time was like afternoon tea…

 

No, it was like gold.

 

To put it bluntly, going there would be a waste of time.

 

Level 494.

 

In a rupture of that level, I wouldn’t be able to even dream of leveling up even if I hunted all day. Of course, there was a reason why I entered the rupture even if I knew that fact.

 

[The first World Tree blesses you.]

 

[Your vitality and mana regeneration increases significantly]…

 

A day passed, and even if I rubbed my eyes and looked, it didn’t change.

 

The World Tree’s blessing buff that helped me not get intimidated in front of millions of demons on the Arcana Continent still remained…!

 

“The blessing is an excessive consideration.”

 

If the buff disappears due to this big mouth, that’s your fault, Grandfel.

 

It wasn’t an excessive consideration. Its effect was so great that bowing at it wouldn’t be enough.

 

‘The effect is ridiculous.’

 

The [Blessing of the first World Tree] buff was more effective than most items, including elixir herbs. Moreover, it was on a different level from [Natural Enemy Relationship].

 

I looked around at the rupture.

 

Giant caterpillars were writhing inside a rotting tree.

 

Although it didn’t look good in terms of aesthetics, it was not a demon-type monster.

 

Naturally, it couldn’t trigger [Natural Enemy Relationship].

 

But it was different for the [Blessing of the first World Tree].

 

There was no specific condition to trigger it!

 

Both in front of the demons and in front of the caterpillars, the effect stayed the same.

 

I raised my mana.

 

I wondered if it was okay to be like this.

 

If Arcana was just a game, this would have been a bug.

 

Doubting it wouldn’t be enough.

 

If it was a buff that was activated during a specific quest, I could make sense of it.

 

However.

 

‘Putting the duration aside.’

 

I hadn’t died once here.

 

This was a completely different world from the Arcana Continent.

 

I had returned to the reality.

 

And yet the buff was literally always there.

 

The effect shouldn’t be able to remain forever unless it was a permanent buff. I summoned Haiel with the increased mana.

 

Soon, Haiel appeared from the air.

 

“I have answered your call.”

 

Your burdensome greeting is still the same, Haiel.

 

But what…?

 

I was too familiar with Haiel to be surprised by her constantly elegant appearance. Still, that ‘light’ was very unfamiliar. What was the halo that softly flowed in the background?

 

‘No way, have you reached that level too? Haiel?’

 

Wasn’t there a saying the thief’s feet went numb?

 

Why did my sword force’s appearance overlap with that light?

 

A pitch-black silver.

 

Yeah, it was the light that embodied my dark history.

 

‘…All right, a good thing is still a good thing.’

 

I’m glad you’ve grown somehow, Haiel.

 

Unlike me, who’s floundering with more than just my skills and completely intact, you’ve grown inside out…! Of course, I couldn’t express my inner thoughts out loud.

 

I got straight to the point.

 

“Haiel, are they safe?”

 

I was referring to the dwarves.

 

I had asked them a favor.

 

Recover the remains of the decisive battle weapon, the Qirnberg Machine Tower.

 

[Battle for the Demon King].

 

Even though it was the time when demons were refraining from activities and conserving their power ahead of a great event… I had witnessed the Arcana Continent firsthand.

 

Not only that, I examined the situation on the continent whenever the [Evil Eye’s Telescope] became available.

 

‘That neighborhood is too dangerous.’

 

So it was only natural for me to ask how they were doing first.

 

Haiel replied politely.

 

“Of course. Because Hoyeol-nim took care of them day and night. They weren’t harmed. They also asked me to say thank you.”

 

…No, but wait, stop. Haiel.

 

Who did I take care of?!

 

There’s no such overinterpretation, right?

 

‘I’m starting to feel scared.’

 

What kind of image did I have among the dwarves?

 

I was seriously worried.

 

However, there was not a single bit of shame in this high pride.

 

I shamelessly spoke.

 

“It looks like they’re safe.”

 

The only thing that is not safe is your conscience, Grandfel.

 

“We also found the remains of the Qirnberg Machine Tower you mentioned. However, they say it will take some time to retrieve it because there are demons wandering around.”

 

As expected, it was nice to fly.

 

I didn’t expect them to find the remains of the Qirnberg Machine Tower already.

 

Imagine if I was the one looking for it, it was really scary just thinking about it.

 

‘Firstly there is no way to get to Arcana Continent.’

 

Aside from the fact that I didn’t even know the location of the machine tower.

 

Evil eyes were floating in the sky of Arcana.

 

Whether I used short-range teleportation or a portal.

 

Those eyes could pinpoint my location in an instant.

 

Finding my installment savings, the Qirnberg Machine Tower, would be a disaster.

 

Before I could find it, I would be captured by the demons, die, and get kicked out to the reality.

 

In that regard, hurrah for technology.

 

Haiel delivered the news one after another.

 

“Lastly, it’s about the smelting of the ethereal iron.”

 

Ethereal rion.

 

Ego equipment.

 

I was just as curious about the news about it as I was about the machine tower.

 

“Worswyle is considered the best blacksmith among dwarves. He started the smothering in earnest. He declared that he would smelt equipment that would never be used by anyone but Hoyeol-nim.”

 

Thank you…

 

On the other hand, I was afraid.

 

Although I did make it clear that performance was the top priority. If the level restriction was too high, that would be sad. But as expected, this damn big mouth.

 

“That’s a great attitude. Will you tell him that I look forward to it?”

 

“I will abide by your word.”

 

“You’ve worked hard, Haiel.”

 

Because of the pride of our noble Grandfel, the level restriction was nothing more than a number.

 

I felt desperate at this point too. No matter what the results were, there was no way I could wear it right away.

 

‘It would be better to study more ways to use tricks.’

 

This, too, was also a hole I had to use…

 

The rationalization was finished at that point.

 

Since I had stopped by the rupture.

 

Even if hunting all day was impossible, I still had something to check.

 

Yes, I was talking about the buff effect.

 

[Rotten Sap Monster: Lv.420]

 

[Giant Rotten Sap Monster: Lv.450]…

 

[Natural Enemy Relationship] was not activated right now.

 

It was not an enemy that could be easily defeated unless you poured in magic. Most of all, as the name suggested, they had a [poison] trait.

 

A poison that could rot even a giant tree.

 

A poison miasma so sticky that it reminded me of a swamp.

 

Above all, it was very discomfiting.

 

“It’s an unpleasant place.”

 

That was how I felt, so there was no need to mention the feeling of Granfel, who couldn’t live without his formality.

 

Since the bugs were not demon-type monsters, it wouldn’t be strange to say that I didn’t have any reason to take action even if they sprayed me with poison.

 

However.

 

Tap tap–

 

I stepped confidently into the swamp of poison.

 

Because I believed in the [warmth] buff?

 

No.

 

Although the warmth buff had a universal effect, it didn’t increase immunity to poison. Then, was it because I could levitate? No, it wasn’t that either.

 

As I heard the sound of my shoes, I had definitely stepped on the swamp of poison.

 

Indeed.

 

This was also the effect of the [Blessing of the First World Tree] buff.

 

I checked the message that appeared.

 

[The blessing of the first World Tree rejects the poison].

 

[Poison].

 

It was a type of debuff like fainting or bleeding.

 

By increasing affinity or resistance, you could become ‘immune’ to poison or ‘heal’ through skills. But ‘rejection’ was really different.

 

“But it doesn’t matter to me.”

 

Rejection.

 

It literally felt like the poison, the debuff, was being pushed out through my body.

 

Let’s put aside my–Lee Ho Yeol’s–lame description for a moment.

 

To borrow Grandfel’s expressiveness….

 

“Do you understand? This is the difference in class.”

 

…The difference in class, my ass!

 

Damn it, it was beyond cringy and I’d like to sincerely deny it.

 

But again, it wasn’t wrong.

 

Like water and oil that didn’t mix no matter how much you stirred it.

 

[The Blessing of the First World Tree] was completely rejecting the poison.

 

At that moment, a huge shadow struck.

 

It was a writhing [Giant Rotten Sap Monster].

 

Was it an ambush to compensate for their slow speed?

 

Rapid exploration, interference, and manifestation.

 

I manifested my magic at the monster falling from the giant tree.

 

I didn’t have to use grand magic for just level-450 monsters.

 

Even so, I couldn’t leave out a grand remark.

 

“A caterpillar who hasn’t realized the fountain yet.”

 

Let’s forget about the sense of shame for a moment.

 

I had a great harvest today.

 

‘Rejection. This might be…’

 

Wouldn’t it be possible to ignore not only poison but also most debuffs?

 

Of course, I didn’t have any serious expectations.

 

I had a conscience, too.

 

‘Actually, it doesn’t make sense just with the buff.’

 

Even in terms of vitality and mana regeneration buffs, the effect of the World Tree’s blessing alone was better than if I surrounded myself with unique items. But I was shocked.

 

Likewise, the moment I held a sword and released the sword force to check the effect.

 

“!”

 

An alien sensation rose through my hands.

 

Class quests weren’t good enough, so I allocated my level-up points to [strength] and [agility]. But it was true that I had invested so many points in [mana].

 

‘In a word, it’s still a bottomless jar.’

 

Like a stream of water leaking from the bottom of the jar.

 

My body wasn’t optimized enough to emit the sword force.

 

It might be a different case it was just a matter of imitating the posture…

 

It is impossible to wield a sword as elegantly as Harkon or Schraig.

 

A level above the level of sword force.

 

Now that I had reached the level of sword force, the amount of water leaking should be more significant.

 

In short, it meant that there should be a considerable amount of fatigue accumulating in my body when radiating the sword force. As if bringing out tomorrow’s stamina.

 

However.

 

‘It’s light.’

 

It definitely felt different.

 

I didn’t feel fatigued, neither in my hand nor in my legs.

 

It wasn’t an illusion.

 

Soon, a message appeared before my eyes.

 

[The blessing of the first World Tree rejects aging.]

 

Yeah, I knew it…

 

‘W-Wait a minute, what did you say?!’

 

Rejects agiiiing?!

 

At this point, it was starting to get scary.

 

…What kind of blessing did I receive from the World Tree?

 

*

 

Time passed quickly for the players.

 

Yusra Kingdom.

 

Frost.

 

The Holy Land of the Goddess Church, Muon.

 

Last but not least, the Mage Tower.

 

It was fair to everyone, regardless of region.

 

[Quest: Unfinished Holy War]

 

From the Arcana Continent to reality.

 

The Holy War against the demons is not over yet.

 

At the end of this war, there is no reward, nor loot.

 

All that remains is pride.

 

Prove your pride.

 

– Prove your worth in your area. (In Progress)

 

Prove their ability to participate in the Holy War.

 

Naturally, the criteria for evaluation were strict.

 

Likewise, the sound of crying didn’t stop regardless of the region.

 

“Crazy, level 300 is not enough?”

 

“It’s not about level, it’s about pride.”

 

“Pride? What the hell is pride?!”

 

What was pride? Pride was pride.

 

“Not knowing pride means not having pride.”

 

Just Homen.

 

Park Hwigang checked the quest window with a soft muttering.

 

The three newly updated syllables next to the quest goal were [Successful].

 

“I am doing a good job being a real explorer…!”

 

There was no glory in the Holy War, only pride.

 

It was said that there was no distinction between classes in passing and failing.

 

The moment the success message appeared, he recalled the days in the past.

 

“It’s all thanks to you.”

 

His level was relatively low.

 

However, he had a high level of contribution to the League of Explorers.

 

The experience of exploring all kinds of ruptures without being daunted by the recommended level was able to prove his worth by receiving additional points.

 

Of course, it was just thanks to following in Hoyeol’s footsteps.

 

“Homen.”

 

His faith remained unwavering even today.

 

Park Hwigang’s eyes shone sharply.

 

Now that he participated in the Holy War, it was time to show his ability in earnest.

 

Of course, he didn’t know how helpful the abilities of an explorer would be, but he intended to do his best.

 

Park Hwigang naturally wasn’t the only one who had that idea.

 

League of Explorers.

 

Many explorers gathered at the headquarters of the Yusra Kingdom.

 

President of the league, Fabian Delon, as well as Aaron and Rombus.

 

Even the most renowned explorers.

 

All of them were explorers who participated in the Holy War.

 

“Ahem.”

 

When Fabian cleared his throat, everyone’s attention focused on him.

 

“This is my first time seeing so many explorers in such a small place. From now on, why don’t we get close to each other and ask how everyone is doing?”

 

At Fabian’s joke, the explorers glanced at each other.

 

Even if it was a joke, they had something to say.

 

In particular, there was a spark between Aaron and Rombus.

 

“Getting along with your competitors. That’s funny.”

 

“Don’t laugh, Aaron. Your already ugly face gets more distorted.”

 

“That’s very brazen, Rombus. It’s not enough for you to steal the league’s contributions, so now you’re trying to disparage my appearance? You’d better look in the mirror when you’re looking into the magic tool.”

 

Park Hwigang, who was listening quietly, thought.

 

…Why do they both look like bandits?

 

But it wasn’t the argument that mattered.

 

There was a reason for the explorers to gather.

 

Fabian continued.

 

“There was a constant war on the Arcana Continent. But there was no need for our explorers to move. What could an explorer like us do in the fight between humans?”

 

Nod–

 

Everyone who was listening nodded.

 

The power of the explorers was specialized in labyrinth and dungeon exploration.

 

Fabien continued with an awkward smile.

 

“Of course, there isn’t much we can do even on the battlefield against demons either. At best, you can just use magic tools to assist your allies. But as everyone knows, isn’t our battlefield a little different?”

 

Indeed.

 

It was different from war.

 

At least explorers could play a part in this Holy War.

 

Now that an odd space called [rupture] existed.

 

Fabian raised his fist.

 

“Arcana and this place. The rupture where the two worlds mix is truly an unknown space. It’s a place where you never know what kind of danger may lurk. But isn’t this the exploration we’ve been longing for? Besides, isn’t there an irreplaceable loot waiting at the end of this expedition?”

 

As if snatching something.

 

“Even if you lose your life.”

 

He clenched his fist.

 

“Arcana Continent and the world of adventurers. Being able to spread our reputation as an explorer in both worlds. Yes, isn’t that the pride of our explorers?”

 

Exploration into the unknown.

 

It was the reason for the existence of explorers.

 

Fabian added.

 

“The time has finally come for us explorers to begin our fight.”

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

In that regard, today’s regular update was important.

 

In the headquarters of the League of Explorers, no one left their seat.

 

Their purpose was to exchange information with each other regarding update details.

 

The endless refreshing also only lasted a second.

 

“Hold on!”

 

Park Hwigang shouted faster than anyone else.

 

And he looked at the update history.

 

Park Hwigang’s face began to turn white.

 

“…D-Does anyone know anything about elves?!”