Chapter 238
“……?”
At Odin’s sudden words, the hand that had been gripping the wall momentarily stopped.
It could have been a ploy to escape the crisis.
However, it felt strangely unbelievable that it wasn’t a lie.
“What do you mean?”
“It is exactly as I said. If you go to the World Tree now, there is a possibility that the Player of the Great Temple will make an action.”
“The Great Temple?”
The Great Temple located in the center of the Holy Kingdom’s capital.
Serving as the nation’s royal palace, only very special beings resided there.
If the Player of that Great Temple were at least within the top 100 rankings, or even higher.
-Ugh, I can’t see anything;
-It’s damn loud. Hahaha
-I already turned the sound off.
-Is the Black Dragon alive?
Kwa-kwa-kwa-!
The clash of forces still raging around erupted with a violent noise.
Because the powers of spirits and artifacts were mixed together, it seemed it would continue a little longer.
“Why are you telling me that?”
“It is to prevent an anomaly. If the players of the Great Temple move now, many things will become entangled.”
“…….”
Although the conversation was brief, something was clearly felt.
Odin, who had followed his master to join the Holy Body Faction.
Everyone was surprised that he had abandoned his own guild and left, but it seemed there was something more hidden.
“What do you intend to do there?”
Hanbit asked, meeting his gaze.
In the battle just moments ago, he certainly seemed to be giving his all.
But now, adding advice accompanied by cryptic words, it was difficult to judge.
“I simply want to know the truth.”
“The truth?”
“For what reason Master Kangcheol suddenly became tainted with hatred. The alternate world experienced by the players, the goddess who instigated him and delivered the oracle regarding Lord Black Dragon, and the true intent of this game. Since I do not believe all of these are unrelated matters, I intend to dig into everything.”
“…Ah.”
Seeing the sincerity in Odin’s eyes, Hanbit roughly understood the situation.
He had thought he had simply crossed over following his master, but it appeared to be the result of countless overlapping questions for him.
Hanbit was also curious about the reason for the change in faction of the No. 2 ranked Steel.
“Are you being watched because you went out of your way to speak in this situation?”
Natural questions arose from the conversation taking place in a cramped space where external sight and hearing were blocked.
Odin nodded and replied,
“The Holy Kingdom possesses many abilities and technologies that defy common sense. Sometimes, they even blur the boundary between the game and reality.”
“Reality? Are you saying it can inflict harm that far?”
“That is information that has not yet reached me. I can only tell you that it is connected to the death of Adventurer A.”
“…….”
The sudden appearance of the Adventurer A death case.
A vague suspicion lingered in the back of his mind.
If the Goddess’s power had intervened in any form, it would have been quicker to find the impossible.
However, it was still difficult to guess the 'reason' for the death.
“If you go to the World Tree now and die, do you think I will lose my life in reality as well?”
“…It is difficult to guarantee either way. The prevailing opinion is that we must use Lord Black Dragon to find clues about Erfort.”
“So, there is a possibility.”
Seeing Odin’s complicated expression, Hanbit nodded.
Death in the game was something he had never experienced before.
Of course, it wasn’t a bad thing, but curiosity and doubts remained.
Having died dozens of times while undergoing reincarnation, it wouldn’t have been strange for him to face a different outcome than others.
While leading to death in reality was a major issue, he had no intention of choosing any other option.
“I will go to the World Tree.”
“Lord Black Dragon, that is…”
“It is an important matter to me. Now that we have come this far to the Forest of Illusions, there is no second chance.”
The World Tree identified Hanbit, who possessed its lost branch.
Its objective was, of course, to retrieve the branch, but the World Tree had a childlike side.
It was an emotional tree, strong enough to close its heart immediately if it were to stop by the Forest of Illusions, the nearest landmass, and then leave.
In fact, given that there had been cycles where access to the vicinity of the World Tree was completely blocked, it was no trivial matter.
“Are you really sure you will be alright?”
Odin asked with a worried expression.
It was fascinating to see his former kind face returning once again.
“Of course, I have no intention of dying. I have to find a way to live.”
“That means… you have a plan.”
“It’s not really a plan. It’s just making good use of the environment.”
Hanbit's words were sincere.
After all, his plan was to make the most of the World Tree.
As a special being even among the primordial ones, there were many things about it that remained unknown to the outside world.
“…….”
Odin, gazing at Hanbit, fell into thought. With
the iridescent sword still piercing his shoulder, he looked quite pathetic.
Time passed like that for a moment.
“Understood. Then, would you please accept this item?”
Odin said, taking a blue orb from his inventory.
Seeing it, Hanbit’s eyes widened.
“Where did you obtain this?”
“I received it from the Great Temple.”
[Dream Resurrection Orb (Rank 7-Legendary)]
As the name suggests, it is an item capable of reviving those on the brink of death.
The rank and grade didn't matter. What
mattered was simply that obtaining that item was incredibly complicated and difficult.
“Is it alright for you to give me this?”
“It will look like you used it in this battle, so it is fine. It is not a perfect item, but you will be able to escape death at least once. I am sorry I cannot be of greater help.”
Odin held out the orb, adding an apology.
Naturally, there was no need for him to feel sorry.
“No, not at all. I will use it gratefully.”
Having received the resurrection orb, Hanbit quickly placed it in his inventory.
At the same time, changes appeared around them. The aftermath of the
surging
power was gradually subsiding.
The space that had shielded outsiders from the eyes and ears was vanishing.
“I have one last question to ask. How did you become so strong so quickly, Mr. Odin?”
Hanbit brought up the question that had not gone away.
Then, Odin looked at the electricity surging around him and said,
“They said you showed talent regarding spirits. Although the details were not disclosed, it appears that monster research and the power of Astels were used together for the modification of high-level spirits. As for the level and stats… they were the result of consuming elixirs.”
“Elixirs?”
“I have absolutely no idea about that part either. However, it was an item that showed tremendous efficiency, to the point where it was difficult to compare it to quests or hunting.” Odin
added that there weren’t many of them.
However, the very existence of such an item was already a huge problem.
*Swoosh*—
Just then, the rift between the colliding forces widened significantly, revealing the scene outside.
Odin quietly added,
“I will find a way to meet you again. Please take care until then. Ah, the leader of the players who entered the Forest of Illusions is Rael, Rank 271.”
“Understood. I will make sure to see you later.”
*Crack*—!
Along with their final exchange, a massive electric current erupted between them.
It did not inflict the slightest damage on Hanbit.
*Swoosh*
—Naturally shifting his position toward the ground, Odin pulled out the multicolored sword embedded in his shoulder.
Realizing his intention, Hanbit thrust the sword imbued with the attribute of light once again toward the empty space.
*Rattling*—!
As the blade pierced, the blood-red ground began to distort.
It instantly swallowed Odin’s figure on the ground.
*Thud*—!
Quickly disengaging, Hanbit grabbed a tree branch and surveyed the surroundings.
Swoosh—
As the skill was deactivated, the spherical wind field vanished.
The electric field created by Odin had also completely disappeared.
"-Huh?
-It's over?
-Who won?
-Didn't Odin just get slammed into the ground?
-To think he could beat this;"
Viewers, having only seen a vague result, were certain of the Black Dragon's victory.
However, given that no message appeared, Odin must have escaped safely.
"Are you okay?"
Hanbit, having moved to where the group was, asked while looking at the sky.
Fortunately, he seemed to have fully recovered.
"Just as you said, the purification of light worked incredibly well. But you really defeated Odin? He was so strong."
Haneul also looked full of questions, having not seen the battle properly.
It would be better to convey the story about Odin in the real world.
"As expected! I believed in you!"
"You kept biting your nails…"
Pingpong showed an exaggerated reaction, while Noeul confessed the truth. Given
Odin's power was certainly strong, their concern was understandable.
Hanbit, who had been watching the undulating ground, turned his gaze to the elf looking at the forest.
“Wendy, we’re going to the village now.”
“…Yes!”
Wendy’s expression brightened, as if it were the news she had been waiting for.
It must have been because she was worried about the village, where the elves were most likely to be.
“The damage could be severe. They said there is an enemy stronger than that person earlier.”
“Stronger…”
Fear settled on Wendy’s face once again.
The information Odin had conveyed at the end regarding the enemy leader.
It was Rael, who held the high rank of 271st.
“Let’s go. We’re going to skip ahead.”
Ta-ta!
Pushing off with his foot, Hanbit began moving toward the center of the forest.
Swish!
Splash!
Clearing out the monsters that appeared here and there was not difficult.
He chose to put the few elves he encountered to sleep, just as Kyle had done ahead.
Gurgle—
A few puddles of blood formed to close the distance.
They didn’t look good, but the effect was undeniable.
“It’s over there!”
Just as they continued moving,
Wendy shouted, pointing her finger straight ahead.
There, the sight of a unique wooden building came into view.
‘I wonder if it burned down.’
Lacking information about Rael’s power, he assumed the worst-case scenario.
The most dangerous thing in this forest was fire.
Naturally, mediocre power wouldn't work, but the magic of the 271st rank was a cause for concern.
Fortunately, it seemed he wasn't a skilled practitioner of that lineage.
"Let's go."
Ta-ta!
Pushing off once again, Hanbit and his party pressed on toward their destination.
However, their hopes were dashed as darkness immediately descended.
"Ah…!"
A corpse was visible below the path.
It was the figure of elves who had died with their eyes turned crimson.
"Siloel, Nirelle, Talendir…"
Wendy whispered the names while shedding tears.
It wasn't that she hadn't anticipated this outcome, but the shock of seeing the reality was immense.
-Ah.
-T_T
-Crazy adult faction bastards;
-Please, teach them a lesson, please.
-Kill them all, seriously.
The chat window heated up at the tragic scene.
As Hanbit recognized all the faces, a sharp rage quietly welled up inside him as well.
Ta-dat!
Accelerating a little more, he reached the edge of the village.
People were moving inside.
In the center stood a woman holding a scythe.
It was Rael, the 271st player of the Holy Body Faction.
“……!”
Wendy, seeing the sight from a distance, opened her eyes wide.
Countless corpses surrounded Rael.
They were all elves.
“Aaaargh!”
Losing her composure, Wendy kicked her feet and ran into the village.
Whoosh—!
Hanbit, using Gale Flash, passed her in an instant and headed toward Rael.
And just as he was about to thrust his multicolored sword…
Swish—
Her head slid and fell to the ground.
An incredibly sharp cross-section had formed on her neck.
“This is…”
Hanbit turned his head and looked at the other players around him.
Their situation was not much different.
Swish—
swish—
a silent death, devoid of sound or anything else.
There was only one being here capable of such a thing.
“Charlotte.”
