Chapter 94
“We serve only the great World Tree. To offer prayers to another being is….”
So it won't work after all.
I clicked my tongue in disappointment.
But the elder wasn't finished yet.
“But it is only right that we express our gratitude and respect to the benefactor who saved the World Tree.”
The elder considered it for a moment, then said as if he'd made up his mind.
“How about this? As an apostle of the World Tree, you could be revered alongside it.”
“An apostle?”
“Yes. When we pray to the World Tree, we will also honor you, benefactor.”
[Sandworm says you're good at little tricks.]
Does that mean I could also share in some of the faith in the World Tree?
If so, it wasn't a bad deal.
“All right. Then I'll be in your care.”
I nodded in satisfaction.
I'd secured a long-term investment.
Now it really was time to leave.
“Then I'll be on my way.”
“Leaving already?”
“Yes. I still have things to do.”
I looked around.
“Where did Chohogi go?”
“You mean that spirit? There he is.”
Smiling, the elder pointed to one side of the forest.
I could see dozens of elf children gathered there.
And standing proudly in the center was Chohogi.
Before I knew it, the little guy was acting as the kids' leader.
The elf children seemed to be having a great time, gathered around Chohogi.
“Geez….”
I let out a deep sigh and walked over to him.
“Hey, let's go home now.”
At my words, clear disappointment spread across Chohogi's and the elf children's faces.
“You're leaving already?”
“Stay and play a little longer….”
The children clung to my robe hem and to Chohogi.
I peeled them off one by one and said firmly,
“No. I'm busy.”
I hoisted Chohogi onto my shoulder.
He looked back wistfully and waved to the children.
I gave the elder my final farewell.
“Then I'm really off.”
“Yes. Please do visit us again.”
“Come again next time!”
With the elder and the elves seeing me off, I let myself be carried away by the familiar sensation of slipping out of space.
***
As soon as I got home, I flopped onto the bed.
The soft mattress caught me.
It felt like all the tension from inside the tower was draining away at once.
I stared blankly at the ceiling and replayed what had just happened.
This climb had yielded more than usual.
More precisely, the haul from the 15th floor, which I visited using the re-entry ticket, was greater than from the 36th floor itself.
I sat up and searched my pockets.
The first thing my hand found was the mysterious note I had taken from the empty tree house where the magic-cutting young man had lived.
I unfolded it in front of my eyes.
A pure white sheet of paper with nothing written on it.
“What on earth is it?”
I decided to dig into the paper's secret once more.
It was time to try the methods I hadn't been able to use in the forest last time because I didn't have the tools.
I headed to the kitchen.
The first thing that came to mind was fire.
When it comes to secret letters, scorching them with fire is basically the rule of thumb, isn't it?
I turned the gas stove to low and carefully held the edge of the paper.
Then I held it lightly over the flame.
The paper bent slightly as it took in the heat.
I held my breath and watched for any change.
But no hidden writing appeared, no matter how long I waited.
In fact, the edge of the paper had started to char a little.
“Ah, crap, it's burning.”
I yanked the paper away from the flame in alarm.
Seeing the black scorch mark, I broke into a cold sweat.
I almost ruined something precious.
This didn't seem to be the way.
“Then next is….”
I took a pencil out of the drawer.
I spread the paper on the floor and placed a thin sheet of paper over it.
Then I laid the pencil sideways and gently rubbed over it.
I thought maybe there could be writing impressed into it by pressure.
Scratch, scratch.
Only the sound of the pencil lead scraping over the paper rang out.
As expected, there was no change.
I could have tried rubbing it with lemon juice or soaking it in some liquid, but all of those methods risked damaging the paper.
I fell into thought for a moment.
This wasn't something I could solve with the knowledge I had.
If I messed with something I didn't even understand, I might never be able to restore it.
“I'd better leave this to an expert.”
One person came to mind.
Eun Mirae, nickname Fridge.
Since she works at a government research institute, she'd definitely be used to analyzing mysterious objects like this.
“Yeah, if I ever have to go to Seoul later, I'll bring it with me.”
I came to that conclusion, folded the paper neatly, and put it back deep in the drawer.
It wasn't urgent anyway.
Next on the list was the faith the elves would build up for me.
I thought of the mini flag I had left stuck beside the World Tree.
“I'll collect it next time.”
The only problem was that I had no idea when next time would be.
Unless I got another re-entry ticket, there was no way to return to the 15th floor.
“No, wait. They said there were people who'd seen them on upper floors too….”
I remembered the post I had seen in the gallery.
Of course, it had been dark elves, but elves were elves, after all.
It was entirely possible that purified elves could appear on other floors.
As Fridge had said, my actions were already affecting the entire tower.
“I'll just hold out until then.”
I decided to take it easy.
Faith wasn't something that would disappear anyway.
There was one last thing to check.
The new power I had gained by drinking the dew of the World Tree.
I opened my palm.
Swoosh.
Golden sand rose up over my palm.
A texture and aura completely different from before.
It was sand imbued with divinity.
“First I need to properly check out this power.”
***
The next day.
As soon as the tower's cooldown ended, I headed straight for the 37th floor.
[Entering Floor 37 of the Tower (EXTREME).]
The scenery changed along with the familiar notification.
The stench of rotting corpses stabbed at my nose.
“Ugh….”
The atmosphere was awful.
Then, I faintly heard the sounds of battle from afar.
The clash of blades and shouts.
I headed toward the noise.
Before long, a miserable scene unfolded before my eyes.
A small plain below the hill.
There, the kingdom's soldiers were fighting desperately.
But their opponents were not living beings.
[Grrrooo….]
Orcs with rotting, decayed skin and exposed bones.
Translucent specters floating among them.
The kingdom's soldiers were being pushed back helplessly.
The soldiers' blades passed uselessly through the specters' bodies, while the rotting orcs kept charging in relentlessly.
“Don't give ground! Hold the line!”
A familiar voice.
It was Sharon, encouraging the soldiers from the front line while firing her bow.
But her arrows had no effect on the specters either.
The situation was hopeless.
Watching that scene, I muttered a low curse.
“Is there a black mage over there or something?”
I remembered the sight of the orc overlord reviving as black smoke after dying.
Apparently that hadn't been a one-time event.
In any case, I had come fully prepared.
There was no reason to keep watching.
“Kraaaagh!”
One soldier was grabbed by a specter and collapsed, screaming as if his soul were being sucked out.
I stepped in front of the screaming soldiers.
Then I raised the index finger of my left hand.
Golden light rose from my fingertip.
“All of you, move back.”
Sharon and the soldiers widened their eyes at my appearance.
“S-Sage!”
I didn't have time to answer them.
I flicked my finger toward the closest specter.
A grain of sand glowing gold shot out like a bullet.
Swoosh—!
The grain of sand struck the specter's faint form dead on.
[Kiiieeek-!]
The specter let out a hideous scream.
It happened in an instant.
The specter vanished without leaving even a speck of ash behind.
“……!”
A brief silence fell over the battlefield.
Everyone stared as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing.
I didn't stop there.
I extended my right hand toward the orc zombie charging at me, dragging its rotten body along.
Koo-goo-goong—!
A massive sand slash flew out and cleanly bisected their bodies.
I didn't even need to use divine power on them.
“All right, next.”
I collected the golden grains that had fallen to the ground and stuck them back onto the tip of my index finger.
There was the hassle of having to pick them up one by one because the amount was so small, but their power was undeniable.
I flicked my finger again.
Another specter screamed and vanished.
I repeated the process like a machine.
Specters with holy sand.
Undead with ordinary sand.
The retrieval process, awkward at first, became second nature after a few repetitions.
Before long, the undead army that had filled the plain was annihilated.
Sharon approached me with a face full of emotion.
“Sage, this time too….”
Before Sharon could even finish saying anything,
a familiar system message appeared before my eyes.
[Congratulations on clearing Floor 37 on EXTREME difficulty.]
[First-clear bonus applied!]
[Rank 1 bonus applied!]
“Huh?”
The familiar sensation of light enveloping my body.
Leaving behind Sharon and the soldiers' flustered faces as they tried to thank me, I was instantly flung out of the tower.
“Wait, I haven't even gotten my faith points yet….”
I clicked my tongue in disappointment.
Well, I'll probably get them together with this floor's reward on the next floor anyway.
***
As soon as I got home, I took a quick shower and opened the gallery.
Before I knew it, after looking at this and that, it was 3 a.m.
[Title: Heonbungi commits a crime………]
[Content: (roughly, a glossy food photo)]
[I committed the “crime” of eating food at this hour…. What am I supposed to do?]
As soon as I clicked the post, a cascade of vividly red food photos spread out before me.
There was a wide variety too.
Dakgalbi, tonkatsu, tteokbokki, jokbal, ramyeon, budae jjigae….
Gulp.
I swallowed hard.
“Looks delicious….”
Normally I would've just left a fist emoji and been done with it.
But today, something was off.
My stomach growled.
Even though my body clearly didn't really feel hunger anymore.
Along with the unpleasant sensation of an empty stomach, an uncontrollable appetite surged up.
“This is bad.”
Before I knew it, I was frowning.
I was irritated.
To be shaken this much by just one photo.
“This won't do. Let's eat something good today.”
Come to think of it, I'd been living too frugally.
I had made more money than I could count, and yet the only thing I did was surf the internet.
I heard other A-rank hunters drove expensive cars and went on overseas trips.
I was way too humble.
It was all because I'd never really spent money before.
“Yeah, I should start enjoying life a little too.”
Spend money, eat good food.
And post all of it in the gallery as proof.
That's how you get tons of attention.
“A buffet… yeah, let's go to a buffet.”
Not just any buffet, either.
The most expensive and lavish hotel buffet in all of Korea.
Naturally, there was no such place in Daejeon.
I had to go all the way to Seoul.
Travel time wasn't an issue anyway. If I used magic, it'd be quick.
I decided to put it into action the very moment I woke up tomorrow morning.
***
The next evening.
I was standing in the lobby of a luxury hotel in Seoul.
I'd originally planned to go for the breakfast buffet, but I fell asleep at 3 a.m. and didn't wake up until evening.
A dazzling chandelier and marble floors.
Even the clothes of the people passing by looked different.
I headed confidently toward the buffet entrance.
But the staff member who greeted me at the entrance didn't look very welcoming.
“Where's your guardian?”
“I came alone.”
“Sorry, but minors can't enter here without a guardian.”
I had expected as much, and sure enough, that was the reaction.
It was only natural for a kid to come to a place like this alone.
I had prepared every scenario for this very situation.
“Just a moment.”
I politely said that to the staff member, then headed to a corner.
I summoned Chohogi, who had spent the whole trip idly looking at my phone inside my bag.
“All right, time to work.”
At my gesture, Chohogi instantly expanded in size.
About the height of an ordinary adult man.
But that alone wasn't enough.
I couldn't just walk around with a human made of sand.
“Mirage.”
I activated my Rainbow-grade skill.
I had already looked up online a photo of a fairly ordinary-looking man in his forties.
I perfectly overlaid that image onto Chohogi's body.
In an instant, the sand doll turned into a middle-aged man with a gentle smile.
“Good. Perfect.”
I nodded in satisfaction.
Then I took Chohogi's hand and headed back to the buffet entrance.
“I found my dad.”
“…?”
At my words, the staff member tilted their head but didn't stop me any further.
“I'll guide you inside.”
Mission accomplished.
I smiled victoriously to myself and dragged Chohogi inside.
An endless spread of lavish food.
But my admiration was brief; I soon ran into a new problem.
“……!!!”
Chohogi's eyes sparkled like a child's as he looked around.
He seemed completely stunned by a sight he was seeing for the first time in his life.
Suddenly, he shook off my hand and ran toward the nearest chocolate fountain.
“Hey, what are you doing!”
I was horrified and chased after him.
Chohogi started dipping his fingers into the chocolate flowing from the fountain and eating it.
The people around us began turning to stare.
“I’m sorry! My kid—no, my dad—he’s just a little immature….”
I apologized in a panic and tugged Chohogi back.
But his odd behavior didn't end there.
At the sushi station, he started taking only the sashimi and leaving the rice behind.
People gradually began looking at us strangely.
In the end, security was dispatched as well.
A large man approached us and said in a polite but firm voice,
“Sir, is there some problem?”
“…….”
“Sir?”
Naturally, Chohogi couldn't answer.
As he stood there staring blankly without saying a word, the employee's eyes grew even more suspicious.
I needed an excuse to smooth over this situation.
“…M-My dad actually can't talk.”
“Huh? I, I'm sorry. I didn't realize….”
I put on my saddest expression and said to the staff member,
and the staff member looked like they had just realized their mistake.
Come to think of it, if I had yelled at someone for not watching where they were going and they turned out to actually be blind, that would be incredibly awkward.
Taking advantage of that opening, I dragged Chohogi to the table.
“Just stay here quietly. I'll bring you food.”
I sat him in a chair and gave him a warning.
But whether he understood me or not, Chohogi only kept looking around with curious eyes.
In the end, I couldn't take my eyes off him the whole time I was getting food.
“Ugh, I'll just take a proof shot or something….”
I gave up on actually enjoying gourmet food.
I chose food that looked decent and pretty.
As long as I had a proof shot to upload to the gallery, today's goal would be achieved.
In the end, I finished my meal more or less and headed to the cashier.
On behalf of my mute father, I said confidently,
“One child's ticket.”
“…And your father?”
“Ah… then one adult and one child!”
“….”
The staff member looked down at me and said,
“Sir, may I ask how old you are? The child's rate only applies to those twelve and under.”
“Hmm… I'm exactly twelve.”
“Huh, no matter how I look at you, you seem like a middle schooler.”
I was dumbfounded.
Everyone usually treated me like an elementary school student.
But when it's time to pay, I'm a middle schooler?
“I'm an elementary school student, okay?”
I whined on purpose, trying to sound even younger.
I stomped my feet and threw a fit.
If this still didn't work, I was even prepared to cry on command.
The staff member seemed to fall for my flawless acting. In the end, they sighed and operated the register.
“…All right. I'll ring it up at the children's rate.”
As soon as I stepped out of the hotel, I let out a deep sigh.
“Haa….”
I got my proof shot, but the process had been far too grueling.
I never knew it would be this heartbreaking not to have anyone to eat with.
I shrank Chohogi back down and stuffed him into my bag as I muttered,
“Next time, I should just come with that broker uncle.”
No matter how I thought about it, that seemed better for my mental health.
At least the old man wouldn't stick his fingers into the chocolate fountain.