Chapter 113: A Blessing and a Curse (1)
Under the Black Kingdom's continuous expansion, the Continental Alliance had lost ground in all regions except the southeast.
"However, if we manage to revive the World Tree here, it will be able to spread its influence all the way to the northwest, where the Black Kingdom lies," Kim Ki-Rok explained.
"So the power of a World Tree really is that strong," Lee Yeon-Hwa, Guildmaster of the Shine Guild, exclaimed.
"When receiving the blessing of a World Tree, elves—often called the children of nature or people of the forest—gain a blessing one and a half times as strong as what a human would receive."
"So they'll become even stronger than they are now?"
"That's right."
"All because of the World Tree?"
"Yep."
"So that's why the very first thing the Black Wizards did was burn down the World Trees..."
This had been explained to the Hunters before by both Aylphirane and the Archwizard Kan Cho-Woo.
Kim Ki-Rok nodded and continued, "That's right. They succeeded in destroying all of the World Trees except the one in the southeast, which was beyond their reach. And now, we are reviving one of the fallen World Trees. Of course, they're not going to just sit still while we do it. As we carry out the revival ritual, we must be prepared to face attacks from countless monsters and the Black Wizards."
Lee Yeon-Hwa frowned. "Even if they suffer enormous casualties doing so?"
"A single World Tree cannot immediately change the outcome of the war. However, it can create a foundation for the Continental Alliance's comeback. So even if it costs them dearly, the Black Wizards will do everything they can to stop the revival."
Team Leader Ji Cheol-Hyun asked, "What will they do if the revival ritual succeeds and the World Tree takes root?"
The various representatives were following Kim Ki-Rok as he climbed the wall to look out over the Black Forest. To determine their tactical moves, they first needed to predict how the enemy would navigate the surrounding terrain while pursuing their strategic goals.
Kim Ki-Rok stated confidently, "If we succeed, they will retreat."
Ji Cheol-Hyun asked, "How can you be so sure of that?"
"Once the World Tree expands its aura over this area, we'll be buffed while they're debuffed. That alone will reverse the strength gap. Once they lose confidence in their ability to destroy the World Tree, their best option will be to withdraw and regroup for another attack, rather than waste their strength continuing the assault."
"I see. And if we're able to create a permanent Gate through the clear rewards, we can send reinforcements for future attacks and work with the elves to stop our shared enemy."
"That's right."
"But on the other hand, if this location is occupied after the permanent Gate is installed, the Black Wizards could use it to cross over to Earth."
"That is also correct."
The pros and cons of a permanent Gate were extremely clear, and there seemed to be three advantages for them.
First, although it might take time to build trust, they could establish trade with the elves and the human nations of the Yuashiel Dimension and share information.
Second, it would generate a high-difficulty Gate suitable for A-Class Hunters. For A-Class Hunters whose growth had stalled due to a lack of strong opponents, this would allow them to begin leveling again.
Third, in the event that a dangerous Gate appeared on Earth, they might even request support from the elves. This was still only a faint possibility because, while monsters could cross through Gates during Breaks, there had been no recorded cases of inhabitants from other dimensions arriving on Earth via a Gate.
"Once a Gate has been permanently established, if the mana leaking from it rises or the mana density increases like it would during a Break, there's a chance it could become a two-way passage," Kim Ki-Rok said with a shrug. "We'll need to conduct several experiments to be sure... Well, that's not something we need to worry about right now."
In contrast to the numerous advantages, there was only one disadvantage, but it was a serious one. If this location were occupied by the Black Wizards, demons, or monsters, Earth could be invaded directly through the Gate.
"Ah! There's one more advantage to consider," Kim Ki-Rok said suddenly. "Our fourth advantage is the chance to prepare a shelter."
"A shelter?" Team Leader Ji Cheol-Hyun repeated, frowning in confusion.
"If an extremely dangerous Gate ever appears in South Korea and eventually erupts into a Break, causing monsters to pass through and invade Earth, we can evacuate civilians who are unable to fight through the Gate into the Yuashiel Dimension."
"Ah!"
There were clearly many benefits to establishing a permanent Gate, but that one disadvantage carried a catastrophic risk.
"Well, if a permanent Gate is established, there should be Hunters moving through it regularly. Even if this fortress faces an emergency, we'd have time to respond. It also wouldn't be a bad idea to permanently station some personnel here," he proposed.
Where there's a will, there's a way.
No matter the challenge, they would find a solution, just like they always had.
Still staring out at the Black Forest, Kim Ki-Rok turned to the assembled representatives. "Now then, let's end our discussion here. The revival ritual begins in thirty minutes. Please turn on your radios, complete your final preparations, and do your best to hold your assigned positions. If you decide it's impossible to hold out alone, don't push yourself. Request for support immediately."
The representatives all nodded their heads and dispersed to their positions.
The fortress had a total of four gates, and the Black Forest stretched all around the east, west, and north gates. To the south, there was only an endless plain, but the elves and the Hunters from Earth had still stationed troops there.
Once the Black Wizards appeared, there was a strong possibility they would direct monsters to attack the south gate, where the defenses were weakest.
After the guild representatives left the walls, Kim Ki-Rok began climbing down as well.
With slow, steady steps, he walked toward the keep surrounded by the inner walls. Letting out a thoughtful hum, he watched young elven warriors rushing back and forth. Below, the Hunters waited in formation—a reserve unit standing ready beneath the walls.
They would all have to do their best to block the monsters, the Black Wizards, and the demons. Once that was done, they would successfully revive the World Tree and, hopefully, create a permanent Gate as a reward for clearing this one. That would allow them to build relations with the elves and trade for high-quality enchanted weapons, as well as valuable enemy intelligence.
If everything went according to plan, it would be a huge help in the battles to come. The problem was the extreme difficulty and danger of such a battle.
Kim Ki-Rok muttered, "Looks like I'll have to die a few more times..."
[The Time Rabbit tilts its head and asks, "Hm? Didn't you say you would end things with this Attempt?"]
Kim Ki-Rok shrugged in response to the message that appeared before his eyes. "I never said I was going to end things with this Attempt.
I said I was going to end things with this life."***
Time Rabbit's Luggage was a skill that transmitted Kim Ki-Rok's current memories to the past each time he died. He had first awakened this unique skill when he was on the verge of death. Since then, he had repeated his life dozens of times.
Repeating his life allowed him to make different choices and see new outcomes. But it also meant endlessly returning to a cycle where each life ended in predetermined death.
The skill was both a blessing and a terrible curse. There was, however, a way to break it. It could all be over if Kim Ki-Rok took his own life or died of natural causes at the end of a full lifespan. But suicide wouldn't just end his life. It would end everything.
Earth was eventually going to be destroyed once the Hunters failed to stop the S-Class Gates before their inhabitants emerged. Even when they barely managed to clear a Gate or defeat the monsters that broke through, it didn't change the outcome. They had no way to deal with the Hell Gates. That was why Kim Ki-Rok kept repeating his life, and over time, he developed an ability no one else had, or was meant to have.
He called it Repetition. While not perfectly accurate, it let him retrace the same course of actions from a previous Attempt with about 90 percent consistency.
To use it, he relied on his original skill, Record, the one he had awakened with even before Time Rabbit's Luggage. With it, he could fast-forward through his life until the point where he planned to make a different choice to save his Attempt.
As he passed through the gates of the inner walls and entered the garden behind the keep, Kim Ki-Rok tilted his head and muttered to himself, "What Attempt was this again...?"
[The Time Rabbit shakes his head and says, "Haaah, watching this has been boring. Sooo boring. This is your 93rd Attempt already."]
Kim Ki-Rok shrugged. "That really isn't that many Attempts. After all, I have to keep challenging a Gate that far exceeds my level."
He had lived the same version of his life sixteen times now, repeatedly battling monsters contaminated by Demon Realm mana, then facing powerful Black Wizards who used that mana as fuel, and finally confronting the demons themselves.
So was sixteen times really that many?
No. It was actually very few.
But that number represented the lives Kim Ki-Rok had sacrificed just to bridge the skill gap between himself and his enemies: monsters, Black Wizards, and demons alike.
[The Time Rabbit mutters, "I thought for sure you'd end things in the 91st Attempt. So why did that one fail again?"]
Kim Ki-Rok answered with an indifferent expression. "The Black Wizards managed to predict where a Gate would appear in advance. Because of that, a large number of Hunters walked into a trap and were massacred."
[The Time Rabbit nods and says, "Ah, right. That did happen, didn't it? Because of that, a lot of potential S-Class Hunters died."]
In the 91st Attempt, Kim Ki-Rok had won the battle against the demons. There had been heavy casualties, but they still achieved victory.
The real problem was that the Black Wizards had figured out how to detect Gates and ambushed one. Every Hunter who came through was slaughtered.
Among the fallen were several Hunters who would have played key roles in defending against the S-Class Gates. With them gone, those defenses failed. Even if they barely managed to clear them, Earth would still fall when the weakened Hunters couldn't stop the Hell Gates that followed.
[The Time Rabbit mutters in a low voice, "Then we had to give up the 92nd Attempt right away just because the Saint died."]
That Attempt had ended almost as soon as it began. When Saint Renee died during the World Tree revival operation, Kim Ki-Rok took one look and said, "Ah. This is hopeless." Then, he offered his neck to the monster he was fighting.
As he walked along, reviewing his past Attempts with the Time Rabbit, Kim Ki-Rok arrived at the garden.
"Mister!" Kim Ji-Hee called out excitedly.
Kim Ki-Rok crouched and stretched out his arms to catch her as she ran toward him. He picked her up with ease.
"Has our dear Ji-Hee been studying hard?"
"Yeees."
"Have you been having fun?"
"Mister."
"Hm?"
"I don't think that studying is a good fit for me."
"Heheheh."
Kim Ki-Rok patted Kim Ji-Hee on the head as he held her in his arms, then made his way toward the center of the garden.
In the open space where a fountain had once stood before being removed, three High Elves were gathered around a cauldron.
Kim Ki-Rok's face lit up. "Oh! Is that the Growth Elixir?"
Serena nodded. "That's right. However, Hero Kim Ki-Rok, may I ask something?"
"Yes, what is it, Lady Serena?"
"Since three High Elves will be powering the ritual to revive the World Tree, do we really need to use an elixir on top of that?"
"We need it as insurance in the worst-case scenario."
After repeating this life sixteen times, Kim Ki-Rok had come to understand the true challenge he needed to overcome in order to save this Attempt. There wasn't a problem with their strategy or tactics, but as it stood, there were some critical issues.
The most glaring obstacle was that the Hunters lacked the raw power to take on monsters, Black Wizards, and demons directly, but beyond that, the High Elves couldn't even join the battle right away. Without the Growth Elixir, the ritual to revive the World Tree took longer, which delayed their arrival and led to heavier allied losses.
Then, there was the slow pace at which the World Tree would expand its area of influence. Without the elixir, its blessings reached the troops late, delaying the buffs they needed to turn the tide.
"You told me that if you use the Growth Elixir, you can greatly shorten the time needed for the revival ritual. Isn't that right?" Kim Ki-Rok asked carefully.
"That is correct," Serena confirmed with a nod.
"In that case, we should go over what to do in the worst-case scenario. As soon as the ritual ends, put on the earpiece I gave you. That'll let us transmit battlefield updates to you instantly, so you can move to where you're needed most without delay."
In Kim Ki-Rok's previous Attempts, even after completing the revival ritual, the High Elves had needed time to leave the keep and assess the battlefield before joining the fight. Because of that short delay, they hadn't been in position to intercept the large-scale strategic spells cast by the Black Wizards, and the allied forces had suffered heavy damage as a result.
"Understood," Serena agreed without hesitation.
The three High Elves immediately began their preparations for the ritual to revive the World Tree.
Upon seeing this, Kim Ki-Rok slowly turned around. He bent his neck left and right to stretch his muscles, took a deep breath, and then made his way toward the battlefield.
Alright. This is it.