SWNOVELXO Chapter 74
Chapter 74. The World Tree Yggdrasil (1)
TL: xLordFifth
ED/PR: The reader
Kim Shimun hurriedly waved his hand.
“Hold on. I heard that only High Elves could accompany the World Tree.”
“That’s half right. Anyone who is akin to a High Elf has the right to be a companion.”
Ernen’s beautiful green eyes gazed directly at Kim Shimun.
“I have seen your true heart. It transcends race, a purity unblemished. You are certainly qualified to be the World Tree’s companion.”
“…….”
Kim Shimun was silent for a moment at Ernen’s firm answer.
After pondering for a moment, Kim Shimun said, “I have neither the means nor the place to nurture the World Tree.”
“Don’t worry about it. As long as you possess the spirit of the World Tree, I will take full responsibility for its growth, including its physical form.”
“Eh? Is that possible?”
“Of course. In return, could you… perhaps allow me and my kin, wherever they may be, to live around the World Tree?”
Ernen asked tentatively, gauging Kim Shimun’s reaction.
“That goes without saying. In fact, it’s something I would like to request from you.”
Kim Shimun readily nodded. For the nurturing and management of the World Tree, professional caretakers would naturally be necessary, wouldn’t they?
After all, the reason Kim Shimun had saved Ernen was to help increase the Elves’ numbers.
“I am deeply grateful, benefactor. I will never forget this kindness.”
Ernen bowed deeply with a sigh of relief. Rising up, she asked with a clearer voice, “Then, benefactor, may I have your name?”
“Kim Shimun.”
“Kim Shimun…”
After repeating the name a few times, she placed her hand over a piece of the World Tree’s seed.
“I, Ernen, companion to Revdrasil, vouch for Kim Shimun’s qualification.”
Ernen murmured softly. Soon after, shaa. A clear tinnitus rang out as the seed piece emitted a jade light.
It naturally flowed towards Kim Shimun’s chest where the Philosopher’s Stone was located.
[You have been selected as the World Tree’s companion.]
[Please name your companion.]
‘A name…’
After contemplating for a moment, Kim Shimun spoke, “Yggdrasil. That is my companion’s name.”
With those words, [The name of the companion World Tree is decided as ‘Yggdrasil’.]
[The World Tree attribute is added to the Philosopher’s Stone.]
[You have acquired the title ‘Companion of the World Tree’.]
[You have achieved the achievement ‘The Unique Companion of the World Tree’.]
[As a reward, you have earned 10,000 achievement points.]
Messages scrolled up one after another.
Along with them, a lush green light emanating from Kim Shimun’s chest evoked the essence of nature.
‘Refreshing.’
The expanse of green and vast nature spread throughout his body, washing away all impurities hidden within. Caught in his view as he floated slightly was Ernen with a look of regret. Kim Shimun naturally realized the reason.
“I’m being reverse summoned.”
“Yes. It seems it’s time for us to part.”
Kim Shimun’s body, glowing brightly in jade but paradoxically becoming more translucent, was undergoing reverse summoning.
“I’ll visit you in a better shape, benefactor.”
“I look forward to our next meeting, Ernen.”
With a smile exchanged in farewell, Kim Shimun’s figure completely vanished.
* * *
Diamond Rank.
Within the Corrupt Forest, which ranks among the top of this tier, [Hrrrr!]
“Hey! Here comes another one!”
Two men were combating a high-grade dragonic Drake.
Although calling them both men might be a bit of a stretch.
Because…”
Just die already.”
A refreshing beauty was ferociously carving up the massive body of a drake.
[AAARGH!]
The drake let out a scream filled with agony. Even in its scream, the threatening howl characteristic of a superior dragonkin was fully present. But, “Shut up.”
The refreshing beauty simply swung his sword with indifference.
Swish.
Despite the clear distance from which the sword was swung, the drake’s front leg was easily severed. Considering that drakes are known among dragonkin for their top-tier physical abilities and defense, this was an unbelievable display of power, even for a player ranked at the top of the diamond tier.
[YOU, HUMAN!!]
Perhaps because its front leg had been severed, the drake, instead of showing its usual dynamic movements, charged straight forward with its enormous maw wide open. However, swish.
A clean sound of severing was heard, and then, thud.
The heavy head of the massive drake hit the ground hard. Luckily, since the slash had come from a distance, the refreshing beauty didn’t have to face a cloud of dust.
He sighed softly and turned around.
“Senior, didn’t I tell you to pull them one by one?”
“There was no helping it. They’re upper-class dragonkin, aren’t they? Their senses are freakishly sharp.”
The bulky figure with a crook-like appearance, Park Jinwook, replied nonchalantly.
“This delays the clear. I told you, I need to watch my brother’s broadcast quickly.”
“Damn brat, I also want to watch our VVIP’s broadcast, okay? But what can I do? It’s daytime, and we’ve got a horde of upper-class dragonkin showing up.”
Park Jinwook, frowning heavily, pointed at the sky. Indeed, unlike the surrounding forest that appeared rotten and dark, the sky was clear and bright.
“If it were night, this night hunter Park Jinwook would’ve half-beaten them and pulled them already, right?”
“Sigh. You’re truly useless.”
“What, you little—?”
Kim Shihyuk exhaled deeply, causing veins to pop in Park Jinwook’s forehead.
“It’s odd that you, who are unconditionally strong, are the one acting out of the norm! Where else would you find a lunatic who could slice through upper-class dragonkin so easily?”
“Watch your mouth. Yujeong doesn’t take well to comments about her strength.”
“That’s because you tease her like that…! No, forget it. Better not to speak.”
He bit back his deep frustration and rummaged through his pockets familiarly, “Damn! This is the arena, right? Ah, I’m craving a cigarette.”
“Stop your nonsense and go pull some more. Actually, just bring them all at once. We’ll wipe them out in one go.”
“You punk, you even do broadcasts, how can you treat your sky-high senior like this? Your image is going down the drain.”
“It’s fine. I’ve set my broadcast to exclude dialogues, so our conversation won’t go out.”
“Cunning bastard.”
As Kim Shihyuk replied nonchalantly, Park Jinwook pouted and, shaking off the dried leaves stuck on him, “I’ll bring them on a massive scale then. Don’t whine about dying later.”
Just as he was about to vanish into the rotting forest again, [A special event has caused a change in the map.]
[‘Corrupted Forest’ has changed to ‘Regenerating Forest’.]
A series of message boxes blocked Park Jinwook’s path.
“A map change? They have something like that?”
Park Jinwook, seeing such a notice for the first time, was shocked.
Not only Park Jinwook but also, “Senior, hold on.”
Kim Shihyuk, who was about to take a break, touched the air a few times and then said with half-surprised eyes, “According to the chat, this happened because of a special arena event in gold. Did you see that?”
“These gold players these days are terrifying. They can change the map… Wait. Gold?”
For the two diamond rankers experiencing a map change for the first time, and involving a gold player, “Could it be!”
* * *
-Guys, did you see the message? What’s this map change about?
-I just did an arena run, and in the Corrupted Forest, I saw sprouts coming up.
-For real? A bud sprouts in that filthy map? Are you sure it’s not just mistaking a poisonous mushroom?
-It seems so. I’m in the Gold rank, and I saw leaves growing on the trees in the Corrupted Forest. Here’s a screenshot.
-This was done by someone named Kim Shimun.
-Kim Shimun? The Gold rank champion?
-Last time he was erasing some abandoned mine map, now he’s showing off despite being just a Gold?
-Feeling inferior, huh? Pathetic LOL.
Not just in domestic Galaxy Arena related community sites.
-A change in the Corrupted Forest?
-Rumors say it’s a Korean player.
-I heard from my Korean friend too. He’s at Gold rank.
-Gold? How does a Gold manage to change a map?
-It’s a special arena. Korean community videos are being posted in real time.
-I agree. The video of him fighting a Cockatrice was epic.
-I’ll have to use a translator to watch it.
From the world’s second strongest, the United States, to Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
The world’s attention rapidly focused on the map changing in real time.
[The top 3 most hated maps chosen by players, the dramatic change in the Corrupted Forest. The cause, Gold?]
[The map changing in real time, the protagonist is a winner of his debut in Gold rank!]
[Accomplice in the deletion of the abandoned mine map?]
[Player Kim Shimun, who is he?]
[Global attention, real-time reactions to the performance of a K-player…]
The press stirred public opinion, mentioning the deletion of the abandoned mine map, the result of the last special arena.
And watching all this was a man with a sharp expression.
Bang.
“Damn it!”
Kim Muyeol, the president of the Awakeners Association, slammed the desk hard. Contrary to the general belief that he was always cool-headed and sharp as a knife.
“Why now of all times!”
Kim Muyeol couldn’t calm his frustration. The reason was simple.
‘With all this attention, dreaming of an assassination is impossible!’
A secretive offer from Continental, a giant guild in China, had just become difficult to act upon due to the attention on Kim Shimun.
“Choi Changwook, we need to revise our plan. What’s the situation with Continental?”
Knowing how furious he was, Choi Changwook, a middle-aged man with a sharp face, bowed cautiously before reporting.
“They just arrived in Incheon.”
“Ha. Nothing goes right.”
A deep sigh. Rubbing his forehead roughly, Kim Muyeol looked at the monitor covered with stories about his nephew with an irritable look.
“Damn it. When I ask for one little thing, they dawdle, but now they’re quick to act.”
“Shall we send the message? They’ve just arrived, so it’s possible to reach them now.”
“Forget it. Those bastards won’t listen even if we tell them to. You know that, don’t you?”
“That’s true.”
Already having faced Continental several times, they were well-acquainted with their tendencies and methods.
Tap tap.
Kim Muyeol tapped the desk with his index finger.
He watched the continuous upload of videos about his nephew on the monitor before speaking.
“We’re pulling out of this operation.”
“Excuse me?”
Choi Changwook was taken aback. Understandable since.
“We’ve already gathered all the personnel needed. They’re currently on standby for deployment…”
“Cancel it. I have a bad feeling.”
It was just a feeling. But if something went wrong and that cunning nephew caught even a hint of their plan. Then it would be too late to undo anything.
“But we’ve already synced our lips with Continental about this. They might retaliate considering their nature.”
Choi Changwook answered in a hurried voice. They had prepared personnel on their end and even matched stories with Continental. Pulling out now could provoke some form of retaliation from them.
“Hmph. It’s not like those guys have ever stuck to a plan, right? Initially, they were the ones begging just to be let in the country.”
Kim Muyeol’s lips curled up cynically.
“A single pushback from us won’t give them grounds to complain.”
“But President. If by chance they mention anything about this smuggling operation…”
“Don’t worry. If it were the current guild master of Continental, maybe, but Zhang Liqiu isn’t foolish enough for that.”
If it weren’t so, I wouldn’t have bothered joining hands with those Continental folks. Murmuring so, Kim Muyeol lit up a cigarette.
‘The situation has involved that old man from Holy Trinity. Those guys won’t be the first to open their mouths.”
“Well, it is true that Continental tends to be overly cautious around Chairman Lee Suncheol.”
The Chairman of Holy Trinity, Korea’s leading corporation. An influential figure not to be underestimated.
Yet, it seems unlikely that Continental, reigning as one of the top two guilds in the world, would be so wary of him.
However, Continental has always been particularly sensitive about their relationship with Holy Trinity.
“Should we get in touch with the Chairman then?”
“Do that. He’ll understand if we hint that plans have gone awry.”
“Understood.”
“And…”
Huff.
Kim Muyeol, exhaling a plume of cigarette smoke, slightly raised his eyebrows.
“Speaking of which, have we figured out why Continental is so cautious around Chairman Lee Suncheol?”
“I’m sorry to say we haven’t been able to find out. They cover their tracks too well… My apologies.”
“Hmph, forget it. That sly fox wouldn’t leave an easy trail.”
As if he had never had any expectations. Kim Muyeol scoffed and turned his gaze back to the monitor. The background research had been at a standstill for years, hadn’t it?
“But it’s not like there hasn’t been any progress.”
Choi Changwook caught the Association President’s attention.
“Oh, is that so?”
“Recently, it hasn’t just been us. Others have been digging into Chairman Lee Suncheol as well.”
“Others? More than one group you say?”
“Yes. We’ve identified two forces, but we haven’t figured out their identities yet. They’re deeply involved, whether they have connections with Holy Trinity or not.”
“If they play their cards right, they might catch the scent without us intervening. Keep an eye on them.”
“Yes, president.”
Choi Changwook bowed and left the room. Silence filled the President’s’s office, with only the white smoke curling up toward the ceiling. Kim Muyeol continued to watch the articles about his nephew being uploaded.
“It’s infuriating.”
Like a sticky droplet clinging to the skin. A persistent, unpleasant feeling kept nagging at him. Based on his long experience. Kim Muyeol knew this feeling meant he was missing something important.
‘What is it that I’m overlooking?’
It was the same when his capable brother silently took the Chairman’s position. And when his cunning nephew hid his strength, only to secure a ranker’s position in one fell swoop.
Both times, things had happened outside of his field of vision, missing the chance to counter them completely. And now.
‘Kim Shimun, what are you hiding?’
Another child left by his accomplished brother. This half-baked nephew was giving him that same feeling. Especially.
‘You know me too well.’
Perhaps because they were both born out of wedlock?
His nephew Kim Shimun was more challenging than any other male member of the Kim family. There were reasons for this.
His situation reminiscent of his own past, and his talent. And those eyes, seemingly piercing through him. Despite being a bastard.
The guy had always perceived his true intentions, protecting his own brother early on. Even that shrewdness.
‘It’s similar to mine.’
Yes. That’s why this half-baked nephew was all the more irksome.
‘Fool. Even if he calls him brother, he’s the legitimate heir. He gains nothing by siding with him.’
As if lineage mattered so much. Like himself, doomed to be overshadowed by the legitimate line.
‘I should have cut him down when I had the chance.’
Fueled by a sense of kinship, his rage only grew seeing him protect his brother. With this realization.
‘Indeed, I should have dealt with him completely back then.’
This anger brought back memories of a past incident. But it was already a bygone matter. He knew dwelling on the past only brought regret.
Huff.
Kim Muyeol exhaled the last of his smoke, crushing the cigarette butt in the ashtray.
“Whatever it is, cunning nephew, I won’t be easily fooled.”