I couldn’t budge for a long time.
Because Mi Jeong wouldn’t let me go.
Eventually, I gave up.
I decided to just keep petting Mi Jeong’s head.
I needed to fill my mana so she’d get up on her own sooner.
“Now let go.”
“…… No mana.”
“Don’t lie. I’ve been petting you for over 10 minutes, how could you not have any mana left?”
“……”
Looks like Mi Jeong ran out of excuses because her mouth snapped shut.
As I gently let go, Mi Jeong stood up on her own without clinging to me anymore.
Finally, I got to see her face properly.
She didn’t cry, but her face was a mess.
She must have thought I wouldn’t come to save her.
Of course, that wouldn’t happen.
Just how much money have I invested in Mi Jeong?
I absolutely have to save her, even just out of being stingy.
[Achievement Unlocked]
[Druid Kali Hunt!]
[Heavenly Kings Killed Progress: 1/4]
At that moment, a system window popped up in front of me.
It was my first time.
I had never caught a Heavenly King before.
[You can loot 2 traits from the slain Heavenly King.]
What?
I rubbed my eyes in surprise and glanced back before the screen moved on.
[Please select a trait to loot.]
[1. Trait: Sturdy Web]
[2. Trait: Night Vision]
[3. Trait: Nutrient Absorption]
…
As expected, being a Heavenly King, there are more than one trait.
The system window stretched down all the way to number 40.
At first glance, it looked like a luxurious buffet, but not quite.
Most of them were tailored to Kali’s body, so I couldn’t use many of them.
Even if I could use them, their efficiency would be lacking.
I went through each one just in case, but there was nothing that tempted me.
I scrolled all the way down to the last option.
And finally number 40.
[Trait: Heavenly Armor Plate]
[Deploys a spherical armor plate that reflects all incoming impacts. Mana is consumed for deployment and maintenance.]
I need this.
The ultimate defensive trait throughout this game.
This isn’t just solid; it provides perfect protection against all physical force.
Of course, the Heavenly Armor Plate isn’t invincible.
Mana consumption is pretty fast, making it hard to sustain.
It could also be removed by specific magic, just like I did a moment ago.
Though such exceptions are extremely rare.
Considering that most magical attacks deal damage through physical force, it’s unlikely to be easily countered.
[You loot ‘Trait: Heavenly Armor Plate’ from the Heavenly King Kali.]
Awesome.
Honestly, this alone is enough.
[You can loot 2 traits from the slain Heavenly King.]
That means I need to choose one more.
Without the Heavenly Armor Plate, the rest are all mediocre, but among them, the most useful one is…
[17. Trait: Camouflage]
[Disguises the appearance of an object.]
This is the one.
It should be useful in minor ways.
I could sneak the sword into a place where I need to disarm it.
Of course, until my proficiency rises, the usage time is short and there are many limitations.
As soon as I finished my selection, I opened the status window.
[Initial Trait: Guardian Knight]
[Stats amplify when protecting someone. If inactive, the base stats decrease by 5.]
[Trait: Inquiry]
[Allows you to learn information about items.]
[Trait: Dakia-style Swordsmanship (lv.10)]
[Acquires knowledge of the long-forgotten ancient one-handed sword technique. Understanding of one-hand swords increases.]
[Trait: Merida-style Swordsmanship (lv.9)]
[Acquires the Elf’s traditional one-handed sword technique, improved from Human’s swordsmanship. Understanding of one-hand swords increases.]
[Trait: Frost-style Swordsmanship (lv.9)]
[Acquires the swordsmanship of the Frost Royalty. Understanding of two-handed swords increases.]
[Trait: Reputation]
[Check your reputation value.]
[Trait: Weak Point]
[Allows you to see the weaknesses of monsters. Effective against all types of monsters.]
[Trait: Heavenly Armor Plate]
[Deploys a spherical armor plate that reflects all incoming impacts. Mana is consumed for deployment and maintenance.]
[Trait: Camouflage]
[Disguises the appearance of an object.]
Hmm. I’m satisfied.
There aren’t many traits, but none of them are useless; they’re all valuable.
Filled solely with A-rank traits discovered through repeated regressions.
Considering it’s only been 4 months since my regression, this is incredible progress.
Plus, I managed to stop the corruption of the World Tree and eliminated one of the Heavenly Kings.
It’s hard to imagine a better start than this.
‘Moreover, the Heavenly Kings still don’t even know my name.’
Of course, they have my attention now.
I smashed Belphegor’s avatar and caught Kali, so they won’t treat me like a lowly insect anymore.
They’ll be trying their very best to eliminate me.
But that’s only when they can find me.
How would those who don’t even know my name track me down?
Even the main heroines who know me well have failed to find me, so those guys don’t stand a chance.
“What’s that black thing? It looks like black energy clumped together…”
A black orb rolling next to Kali’s corpse.
Alicia cautiously approached and poked at the orb with a twig, asking.
“Oh, that? It’s a Mana Stone.”
“What? This? Then, maybe the black Mana Stone you were carrying is…?”
“Yep. It’s the same thing.”
“…?”
Alicia glanced between the black orb on the ground and the black Mana Stone in my hand.
“Uweeeek!”
Then, she turned around and began to vomit.
Looks like she couldn’t imagine that this Mana Stone was created from disgusting enemy magic.
Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.
‘Now I have another high-grade Mana Stone.’
Of course, I’m fine with it; my stomach’s strong enough for that.
I’m just pleased to have another high-end Mana Stone.
But what am I supposed to do with this?
Having a Mana Stone dangling around my body doesn’t necessarily make me stronger.
I should process it first and depending on the side effects, decide whether to keep it or sell it.
“Alicia. Keep your back turned.”
“Huh? Why?”
“It might be a sight you’d rather not see.”
“What on earth is it… Uugh!”
Thud.
I stabbed a dagger into Kali’s corpse, and as soon as I struck, another sound of retching came from behind me.
Well, I told you not to look.
Typically, the Dungeon Core is located in the last room.
However, in the unique dungeon created by the Heavenly Kings, you can’t find a core anywhere.
Because the core of a unique dungeon is the heart of the Heavenly King.
“Mi Jeong, hold this open for me.”
“…. okay.”
“Whoa man, why is it so deep? How far do I have to cut?”
“Th-That sound! It’s too graphic!”
“Then cover your ears or something.”
“My ears are too long to block them! This is what it means to be human!”
“What do you suggest I do then?”
Slice Squish.
After a long, grotesque struggle with the spider’s body, I finally found the heart.
The moment I cut it out…
Boom…
A massive tremor shook the entire dungeon.
The core of the dungeon has vanished, signaling its imminent collapse.
We need to escape fast.
“Ifrit, go up and bring back a ladder.”
|Do I look like your servant? Oh! More importantly! The cocoons are breaking!|
“Wait wait wait, hold on!”
At that moment, the cocoons began to crack open with a Creak Crack.
Ifrit reflexively tried to throw fire, but Alicia shouted to stop him.
She had a reason for stopping him.
“People…?”
What came out from inside the cocoons were none other than people.
Elves.
There was a commotion.
Dozens of elves were discovered in the middle of the dungeon.
These were elves who had entered this dungeon long ago.
It seems Kali had captured them alive to feed her baby spiders.
Unfortunately, some had already been eaten alive, but some were still alive.
Even though it seemed the dungeon was about to collapse, I was worried about how to rescue everyone, but it turned out to be a non-issue.
There was a shortcut from the last room to the exit.
The elves quickly brought back a ladder, and the evacuation occurred in the blink of an eye.
Everyone who lived was rescued safely.
I gathered as many remains of the deceased as possible as well.
Just as I was the last one to climb up and cross the door, the dungeon collapsed behind me.
I almost died.
“You are…?”
“Remember, you haven’t seen me. Understand?”
“Y-yes…”
I covered the mouths of the rescued elves.
Stepping out into the sunlight, a refreshing breeze greeted us.
Of course, there wasn’t a crowd of cheers welcoming us.
The dungeon, which existed beneath the World Tree, was classified as confidential.
So there’s no way the destruction of that dungeon was announced.
It was comfortable for me, as I don’t want my name to be well known.
“I truly apologize, Heavenly Michael Jackson. You accomplished this level of achievement and no one praises you…”
However, it seems the elders didn’t think so, as they continued to fumble around in front of me.
We’d arranged for a reward separately for the dungeon’s conquest.
This may allow me to squeeze out one more favor.
“Dad! Why are you so late!”
“Haha… I’m sorry.”
Hearing a voice on the verge of tears, I turned around.
I saw a stumbling male elf and a baseball cap-wearing elf boy rushing toward him.
The boy ran so fast his cap nearly flew off, crashing into his dad.
‘I knew he’d still be alive.’
They say if you believe strongly, reality will follow.
What a relief.
I turned away from the dramatic reunion of father and son.
It seems I don’t need to bother about returning the baseball cap.
I should just let them keep it as a souvenir.
After the commotion settled, we washed up, ate, and rested to soothe our minds and bodies.
Alicia was tired as it was her first time in such a filthy and horrible battlefield.
I had numerous minor injuries.
The wounds were ones that could quickly heal by just putting on a potion after roughly fitting my broken bones, and thankfully, there wasn’t anything too severe.
“Why can’t I use magic?! Didn’t I just master it?”
But the problem lay elsewhere.
I thought for sure I had awakened my magic in that dungeon.
I even broke the Heavenly Armor Plate, which is indestructible with physical force.
So why can’t I even use 1st Tier Magic yet?
“Hmm. Were you really focusing properly?”
“I was! Look! I can use Telekinesis just fine!”
“Hmm…?”
With a simple flick of my hand, a cup from afar flew into my grasp perfectly.
A simple telekinesis spell had become as easy as breathing.
Watching this scene, Alicia looked troubled.
“Having awakened in 5th-tier Telekinesis, yet unable to use basic magic… I’ve genuinely never seen this before. Would you like to come to the Magic Tower with me? I think I could write an enormous paper if I made you my research subject.”
“Stop with the scary talk. I don’t want to be dissected.”
“It’s just a joke. All the magic you’ve learned so far has been intrinsic, right? Perhaps you might only have an affinity for intrinsic magic?”
“It can’t be…”
That’s ridiculous.
What kind of trash character am I?
I want to toss Fireballs and whip around Electrical Whips too.
Elemental magic is easy to improve gradually by starting from basic spells.
Many people have learned it, so there are plenty of opportunities to get teachings.
But intrinsic magic has none of that.
I can only pray for a miraculous realization to happen or hope to meet some hidden master of intrinsic magic by chance.
This isn’t some martial arts world! What the hell is this?
“Ugh, whatever. At least I can use telekinesis now.”
“Hey, Yoo Jin.”
“Yeah? What is it?”
“But are you really going to keep letting her bite you…?”
Alicia asked, slightly awkward.
Ah, she’s talking about Mi Jeong, who’s still attached to my back.
I had gotten so used to the biting sensation that I had nearly forgotten it was even there.
“…. nawww.”
“What’s the issue? It’s not like I’m getting worn out.”
“Um, it looks a bit strange.”
“What’s the problem? Usually, people would think it’s a habit of a younger sibling.”
“A younger sibling biting the nape…? Did you come from a different world than me or something?”
Alicia frowned in disdain.
Since she’s right, I had nothing to say.
I did actually come from another world.
“Still, it’s about time… um, it’s time.”
“What time?”
“It’s a secret.”
I dropped Mi Jeong, who was drooling, and started getting ready to leave.
Mi Jeong gazed at me, her expression slightly forlorn.
“I’ll be back soon. You, Alicia, can either wander around Elvenguard together or practice magic.”
“…. okay. I’ll wait.”
Now Mi Jeong also wore a fiercely determined expression.
It felt like she had a strong trust in me.
Chuckling, I tousled her hair lightly and stepped out.
“Is it over there?”
I took a small note from my pocket.
It was the invitation letter.
Even though the address was written down, the geography and address system of Elvenguard were foreign to me, so I seemed to wander around for quite a while before finally arriving.
Asking for directions would have been much faster.
Stubbornly refusing to ask for help, I found myself arriving just as the daylight was fading.
“You’ve come at last! It must have been complicated to find your way.”
“Hahaha. It was quite a hassle.”
As the door opened, a sparkling smile welcomed me from the priestess, Mia.
I had never seen such a smile before.
Just looking at her made me feel good and smile back.
“Hurry in.”
“Excuse me. Is anyone else living here?”
“Yes, that’s right. No one comes into the priestess’s home.”
“What about me?”
“You’re the exception. I invited you myself. You’re my first guest, Yoo Jin.”
Mia decided to repay the promise of cooking me a meal.
I never expected to enter the house of a girl living alone like this.
“Oh…!”
The smell of the house was nice.
A lovely blend of woodsy scents and Mia’s body scent, making me want to keep smelling it.
“I’ll serve some drinks first.”
“What about the food?”
“Actually, it’s all prepared; I just need to heat it up.”
“Then why…?”
“Because I want to chat. You didn’t really plan to just come over for a meal, did you?”
“Of course not.”
Mia brought a bottle of liquor and placed it on the table.
30-year-old Triumph.
It seems she remembered that it’s my favorite drink.
Then, she rested her chin on her hand and stared at me intently.
A bit too intensely for comfort.
“I owe you a really big debt this time.”
“The price for listening to the World Tree’s prophecy for a lifetime is enough. It’s more than sufficient.”
“If we just pay that debt and keep our mouths shut, it’ll be easier for us. But that feels uncomfortable, you know? So… if you have any curiosity, feel free to ask! After all, we’ve seen all of Elvenguard’s secrets, haven’t we? I can tell you just about everything.”
She has a conscience, I see.
Mia is the best.
If it were those high elves elders, they’d be checking around and muttering, ‘Is this enough?’ and trying to brush it off.
So it’s time to ask Mia all the questions I’ve been wanting to ask.
First of all, the one I’ve been itching to know since day one.
“You mentioned that Ifrit went wild because he discovered the dungeon.”
“Yes. That’s correct.”
“How did Ifrit find out about it?”
This had been troubling me.
In the previous 12 rounds, Ifrit never once caused a ruckus about burning the World Tree.
So, it’s certainly due to a new variable appearing in the 13th cycle.
But what is it? I need to know to put my mind at ease.
“Who told him that? It was obvious he’d go crazy as soon as he knew.”
“Ah, that person… Actually, she’s not from Elvenguard.”
“Is there someone outside of Elvenguard who knows about the dungeon?”
Given their utmost effort to conceal Elvenguard’s flaws, they would conceal everything.
Yet, someone outside Elvenguard seems to know about the dungeon?
Who could that be?
“There’s only one person outside Elvenguard. Her name is Yulia Petenburg; she knows about the dungeon.”
“……”
What?
Why is Yulia’s name suddenly coming up?
My heart dropped, and cold sweat started pouring down.
“She visited Elvenguard about a week ago. I think she informed the Great Spirit of Fire at that time. Oh, this liquor was actually a gift from Yulia when she visited.”
“This…!”
Pointing at the liquor bottle, Mia noted.
30-year-old Triumph.
This is the drink Yulia taught me to enjoy.
Originally, Yulia had scorned Elvenguard and wouldn’t even show her face here.
Now, her activities have changed.
The only reason that comes to mind is one.
‘Yulia must have regained her memories…’
That confirmed it.
All three of the main heroines have had their memories fully revived.
