Chapter 100: Seeds of the World Tree (2)
Silence settled over the conference room.
To plant the World Tree's seed, they would have to withstand relentless waves of Black Wizards, monsters, and demons.
One of the Hunters voiced a concern, "Is it really possible for us to last through all of their attacks? I don't see any way for us to buy enough time to plant the seed."
"It isn't impossible," Kim Ki‑Rok replied. "We simply need more allies."
If they asked the Association and the greater guilds for help—as they had during the last Gate Defense Battle—they could probably recruit a sizable force.
"In fact," Kim Ki‑Rok continued, "when the world system presented this quest, it also notified us that it had prepared a prophecy for the elves. They'll likely assist us as well."
Reassured that the guild would be able to cooperate with both the Association and the major guilds and that even the elves might help, the Hunters finally exhaled. But Kim Ki‑Rok quickly tempered their relief.
"The key question is whether the enemy will retreat once the seed is planted," he said gravely.
As tension returned to the room, he turned to the High Elf floating beside Kim Ji-Hee.
"Now, let's discuss what Lady Ayl told us." He turned to the High Elf floating beside Kim Ji‑Hee. "Lady Ayl, you said the World Tree can suppress the power of Black Wizards, demons, and any monsters that wield contaminated mana, is that correct?"
Aylphirane nodded. "That is why, after the Black Wizards summoned the demons, their first target was the World Tree."
Given this information, their quest most likely wouldn't end at just the first wave of enemies.
Kim Ki‑Rok faced the Hunters. "Even if we succeed in planting the seed, they'll try to destroy the sapling. Once we enter the Gate, we won't be able to leave until every enemy is neutralized. The difficulty is enormous, but so are the rewards. Even the world system seemed to treat this quest as a top priority."
Their eyes brightened at the mention of rewards, but Kim Ki‑Rok raised a hand. "That's why we must limit the participants."
A murmur of confusion ran through the group of Hunters.
"Huh?"
"What kind of limit are you talking about?"
"We'll need to set a limit," he repeated.
Kim Ki-Rok picked up a piece of chalk and began rapidly writing on a blackboard.
Level 70 or higher. Level 60 or higher for those with a B-Class Skill.
"S‑seventy?" someone gasped.
"At least seventy," Kim Ki‑Rok confirmed. "Ideally eighty."
A Hunter shot to his feet. "That's definitely impossible!"
Even if the members of DG Guild had leveled up from clearing contaminated Gates, they were still just a mid-tier guild with an average of Level 60 Hunters.
"In just a month and a half—no, we don't even have that. We also need a few days to prepare for the expedition. That means we only have a month and ten days left to train. Do you really think we can gain over twenty levels in that short amount of time?"
"If that's how you feel, then don't join," Kim Ki-Rok said flatly. "But I'm insisting for your own sake," Kim Ki-Rok explained as he picked up the piece of chalk once more.
Black Wizards: 70-80
Monsters: 40-90
Demons: 100-120
The protesting Hunter blinked in confusion. "Those numbers are...?"
Kim Ki-Rok replied, "Those are estimated levels, based on what Miss Ayl told me about her encounters with Black Wizards, demons, and other creatures tainted by Demon Realm mana."
All the Hunters' eyes widened in shock.
"You need to be over Level 70 just to survive attacks from the Black Wizards and demons," Kim Ki-Rok said, shaking his head. "That's why we had no choice but to set the bar so high. And honestly, Level 70 is just the minimum."
Anyone who wanted in on this quest would be risking their life, plain and simple. The Gate raid and Defense battles they'd fought before had all been extremely dangerous, but compared to this, they now felt like child's play.
As the room fell into a heavy silence, the Hunters finally understood why Kim Ki-Rok had been so strict about the level and skill requirements for the raid team.
Yoo Seh-Eun raised her hand, breaking the quiet. "Guildmaster."
Kim Ki-Rok turned to her. "Yes, Miss Seh-Eun."
"If we're over Level 70, will we be able to hold our ground against the Black Wizards and the other monsters?" she asked.
"You should be able to hold your own against the Black Wizards, but against demons?" he said while glancing over at Kang Woo-Hyuk. "We will need to arm ourselves with our best reinforced equipment."
Then he looked at Lim Yun-Ju. "And take stat-enhancement potions regularly."
Finally, he turned to Cha Min-Ji. "We'll also need scrolls enchanted with buffs, spells, whatever we can stack."
He tapped his chest with his thumb. "And of course, we'll have to prep in advance using cooking buffs, too."
Yoo Seh-Eun frowned. "So basically, we need to boost our stats in every possible way."
"Exactly," Kim Ki-Rok said with a nod. "If you're up against demons, that's what it takes just to survive."
Just to survive?
"You mean that's still not enough to fight them on equal footing?" she asked, stunned.
Kim Ki-Rok's expression turned grim. "The Black Wizards who summoned the demons managed to conquer half the continent, and there weren't many of them. To stand a chance against a demon, you'll need to be at least Level 90, with A-Class or better equipment, and B-Class or higher skills."
Yoo Seh-Eun pressed her lips together. Around her, the other Hunters had gone quiet. The weight of what they were facing had finally sunk in.
"When I first received this quest, I seriously considered calling for backup. Not just from Korea, but from the entire world."
It was certainly a reasonable thought, given the stakes.
But then he shook his head. "In the end, I realized... that's not an option."
"Why not?" Cha Min-Ji asked, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
Why choose the more difficult path when there was an easier, more convenient one right there?
"Miss Ayl," Kim Ki-Rok suddenly called.
"Yes, Guildmaster Kim?"
"Could I ask you to give an explanation on the powers of the World Tree?"
Aylphirane nodded and began. "The World Tree grants all living things in its domain the blessing of growth..."
As she spoke, Kim Ki-Rok began writing her words on the blackboard.
The World Tree enhances the growth and strength of all living beings within its territory.
The World Tree weakens any monster tainted by contaminated mana or anything connected to the demon realm that enters its domain.
The World Tree will grant a blessing of nature to all living beings in its territory.
The guild members were astonished as the full contents of the World Tree's blessings were revealed: increased experience gain, boosted stats, weakened enemies tied to the demon realm, enhanced elemental resistance, and the Awakening of talents for those with the potential to become an Elementalist.
After listing out the benefits, Kim Ki-Rok slammed his fist against the blackboard with a loud bang.
"So," he said firmly, "the World Tree isn't just some legendary plant, it has five distinct, powerful blessings. And our DG Guild currently holds two of its seeds."
The room collectively gasped. Now they understood why Kim Ki-Rok had chosen the more dangerous path.
"If we fail to complete the Gate mission, we risk losing those seeds," he said, looking around at his guild members with an uncharacteristically serious expression. "We might've been the ones to discover them, but if we can't even contribute to clearing the Gate, we don't deserve to keep them!"
Everyone fell silent. One seed, as required by the World Tree itself, had to be planted in the dimension beyond the Gate. But the other? It had to be planted here, in South Korea!
A Hunter hesitantly spoke up. "What if we just... didn't tell anyone? Kept the second seed secret from the other guilds and the Association?" As the words left his mouth, the flaw in his thinking became obvious, even to him. "No... never mind. Forget I said anything."
Kim Ki-Rok nodded. "Exactly. We can't keep it a secret. The World Tree doesn't just bless a chosen few, it affects everyone in its territory. If word gets out that we tried to hide the second seed, the DG Guild would lose the trust of the other guilds involved in the Gate raid."
No matter what precautions they took, the truth would come out eventually. That's why, when they asked for reinforcements, it would be better to be upfront about the second seed from the start.
"Guildmaster," Kang Woo-Hyuk raised his hand, speaking on behalf of the crafting Hunters.
"Yes. What is it, Mister Woo-Hyuk?"
"Won't the greater guilds be tempted to seize the seeds for themselves?"
"Once we complete the hidden quest, Miss Ayl can help accelerate the World Tree's growth. If it takes root smoothly, its territory will cover Seoul in a week, Gyeonggi Province in a month, and the entire Korean Peninsula in three," Kim Ki-Rok explained. "At that speed, no domestic Hunters would have any reason to try and steal the seed. Everyone here benefits."
"Wait... its territory is really that big?" Kang Woo-Hyuk asked, eyes widening.
"In the other dimension, five World Trees managed to bless entire continents. If ours grows properly, it could eventually cover half of Asia," Kim Ki-Rok said.
Kang Woo-Hyuk muttered, "If it's going to cover China and Japan, then—"
"No," Kim Ki-Rok cut in with a shake of his head. "If we plant the seed here in Korea, we'll have a full year of exclusive access to the World Tree's blessings. Don't you think that kind of power would tempt our neighbors to interfere?"
Kim Ki-Rok was certain that any country would be tempted by the chance to control the World Tree. The blessings it offered were a massive advantage, so massive, in fact, that some might even try to limit the tree's growth just to keep the benefits for themselves a little longer.
Everyone in the room nodded, the implication settling in. That meant they could only turn to domestic guilds and the Korean Hunters Association for support.
Then, DG Guild's Scroll Maker, Cha Min-Ji, raised her hand. "Guildmaster."
"Yes, Miss Min-Ji?"
"You said the World Tree blesses all living beings within its territory, right?"
"That's correct."
"Then what happens if someone leaves that territory?" she asked. "Do the blessings vanish?"
"That's a very good question," Kim Ki-Rok complimented her with a smile. "And the short answer is no. When you enter the World Tree's territory, you are granted a part of its mana. This blessing will be maintained until the mana naturally dissipates from your body. Even if you entered a Gate, which involves teleporting to a different dimension, the blessings will still be maintained..."
He paused mid-sentence, suddenly stroking his chin and gazing off into space like someone who'd just remembered they left the stove on, completely oblivious to the puzzled stares around him.
Then, without warning, he said, "Miss Min-Ji."
Cha Min-Ji blinked. "Uh... yes?"
"I'd been planning to keep the government out of this to avoid potential leaks," he said. "But thanks to your question, I realized we might still be able to request limited support," Kim Ki-Rok said as he thanked Cha Min-Ji with a thumbs up.
He slapped the blackboard with his palm and continued speaking, "That said, nothing changes. Only those who reach Level 70 by January 14th can take part in the Gate raid. Period. So, I will be releasing all of you from the seals that I have placed on you."
The restrictions he had placed on the guild members, limiting the use of high-class weapons and powerful skills outside of training, were finally being lifted.
"I'll be assigning each of you to specific Gates for training. We need to prove our worth in the raid, outshine the other guilds. If we do, no one will object to us planting the World Tree seed right in our front yard and raising it ourselves. Now, all of you should group up by level. Let's get moving."
Chairs scraped back as all the Hunters stood at once, quickly forming parties.
***
After sending off the DG Guild members who had proactively canceled their vacations for training at their assigned Gates, Kim Ki-Rok made his way to that place
with Kim Ji-Hee in his arms."Really now... I thought I could avoid coming here," he muttered with a sigh.
Kim Ji-Hee, perched comfortably in his arms and staring blankly at the enormous building in front of them, suddenly spoke up, "Mister."
"Hm?" Kim Ki-Rok looked down at her.
"What is this place?"
"This place?"
"Mhm."
Kim Ki-Rok gave a low hum as he thought it over. "How should I put it... This is the home of someone who gets yelled at when they mess up, and still gets cursed at when they do everything right."
"Is there really such a pitiful person?" Kim Ji-Hee asked, frowning in sympathy.
"Well, he's not really pitiful per se..."
But she had already turned her attention back to the building, tilting her head in quiet curiosity, processing his cryptic description.
"Is this even a house?" she asked skeptically.
Kim Ki-Rok gave a noncommittal shrug. "That's what they call it, so... sure, let's go with that."
With Ji-Hee still looking unconvinced and slightly tilted to one side, the two continued forward.
At the building's entrance stood a row of Awakened guards and uniformed police officers. It was an intimidating sight for anyone thinking of wandering in uninvited.
One of the Awakened guards stepped forward to halt them. "State your business—huh?"
The weather was bitterly cold. Kim Ki-Rok was bundled in thick clothes, a scarf wrapped around his face like he was smuggling secrets in his breath. Kim Ji-Hee had her hood pulled low to block the biting wind.
Because of that, the guards didn't recognize them at first. But the moment they caught a glimpse of her face, everything changed.
The Awakened guard gasped. "Oh my god."
Th-this was...
"Still hard at work, I see," Kim Ki-Rok greeted them with a casual smile.
"She looks exactly like she does in the videos," one of the younger guards whispered, stunned.
A middle-aged Awakened guard, the one who was the first to step forward, finally snapped out of his daze. He straightened his posture, cleared his throat, and did his best to look official. "My apologies. Have you made an appointment for this visit?"
"I'm afraid not," Kim Ki-Rok said, shaking his head.
"Are you sure?" the Awakened guard asked, blinking rapidly.
Kim Ki-Rok nodded. "I am."
The guard tried to remain professional. "May I ask what urgent matter brought you here without notice?"
"I just need to meet someone who works here," Kim Ki-Rok said, still smiling.
"I see... In that case, please give me their department and name, and I'll contact them right away."
Kim Ki-Rok scratched his cheek. "I'm not exactly sure which department he's in... but I do know his title."
Something about that answer made the guard uneasy. His eyes narrowed slightly as he asked, "Then... may I know the title of this person?"
Kim Ki-Rok answered without hesitation. "The President."
The guard visibly flinched. It took every ounce of training he had not to just drop his radio. "And... may I ask why you're requesting this meeting?"
Kim Ki-Rok's smile widened just a bit. "Because something is about to happen. Something that could be of great benefit to the country."
Despite all their years of experience serving the country, these Awakened guards were left speechless by Kim Ki-Rok's confident yet nebulous claim.
They had heard the rumors about this man and thought the stories were exaggerated. Some even figured they were just tall tales cooked up by bored Hunters.
Now? Now they weren't so sure.
In fact... the stories might have undersold it.
This really was him.
That Crazy Bastard.