CHAPTER 120
120 — Whichever Path You Choose

The thicket fell silent again. There was no response, but it gave Jinwoo the impression that it was contemplating.
There was no need to rush, so he waited patiently. Soon, a white and ash-gray wolf emerged, sauntering out.
[…Since when?]
Since when? From the very beginning, of course. The Black Flame flickering inside the wolf’s body looked like a castle with magnificent ramparts. And the aura it emanated reminded him of the Sky God and Rondar.
A Lord was a being who possessed a Seed of Erosion. They radiated a completely different aura from a being that was simply eroded. He had known this from the moment he first saw the wolf, which was why he had tried to avoid getting involved.
And yet, because the creature kept circling him, he had no choice but to be drawn in like this.
“I was just taking a shot in the dark, but it seems I was right.”
[…….]
He didn’t tell the creature the truth. There was no need to say he had known from the start.
Belkarim didn’t seem to believe his claim of it being a wild guess. But she didn’t press further, so it seemed his intention not to speak of it had been conveyed.
[It is a pleasure. Are you the mortal Rondar spoke of? I hear you recently took Silbaern’s head.]
“You know Rondar?”
[He and I see eye to eye on certain matters, so we share some information.]
A low woman’s voice rumbled from the ground. Her way of speaking was identical to the one he had heard on the 2nd Floor.
It really was the God of the Ice Valley herself.
‘Seeing eye to eye with Rondar, she says.’
Did that mean they had the same goal, or at least, similar desires?
When he asked what that was, she, as expected, chuckled and refused to tell him.
[Why not ask Rondar later? He seems to be keeping a close eye on you.]
“On me?”
[I feel much the same. I saw Silbaern’s head fall, and it was quite satisfying. It was a predator who relied solely on its own strength and caused trouble for those around it.]
It seemed she didn’t have a good impression of Silbaern.
Considering that Silbaern’s forest bordered the territory of the snowy mountain, it wouldn’t be strange if they had been fighting over territory for a long time.
Even if that wasn’t the case, there were more than enough reasons to dislike a neighbor.
[But you wield Erosion… Are you using the divine object you obtained on the 3rd Floor?]
“…Yes.”
He felt it was a little different, but it was true that he was using a divine object.
[How about it? Since we have met like this, it must be fate. Would you not learn from me how to use that power?]
“How to use Erosion?”
[It is a fearsome power that devours all things, but that is what makes it all the more magnificent. I would like you to handle this splendid power well.]
It was a sudden proposal. She was offering to teach him the power of Erosion, which meant she was offering to be his teacher.
Since becoming a Hunter, Jinwoo had only ever learned from someone else once: when he learned the sword from Rona. Other than that, he had grown and learned entirely on his own.
He had no intention of taking on a teacher now, but…
‘Almost nothing is known about Erosion. If I learn from a Lord herself, I might be able to find out a few things.’
He might be able to find materials and practice on his own for other studies. But what humanity knew about Erosion was very little. It was almost nothing.
If he could learn about it, it would be a great opportunity, but…
“Why would you teach me? There’s nothing in it for you.”
He was curious about her motive for offering to teach him. It was fair to say he was suspicious.
He particularly remembered the time Rondar was wreaking havoc on the 3rd Floor. Back then, he had tried to ask for help and had been torn between the God of the Ice Valley and the God of Light.
At that time, the World Tree had adamantly opposed the God of the Ice Valley, saying it was absolutely out of the question.
Remembering the World Tree’s reaction, Jinwoo was filled with vigilance. Seeing this, Belkarim let out a soft laugh.
[Beings of the Spirit Realm value fate greatly. Whether it be good or evil.]
“Fate?”
[Because I received a delicious frozen treat from you.]
…So she did remember. At the time, they had only exchanged voices, so he thought she might not recall.
‘Do I have any bingsu or ice cream left in my inventory?’
With that thought, Jinwoo accepted Belkarim’s offer.

The place Belkarim took Jinwoo was to the back of the snowy mountain. It was a sight Jinwoo, who had arrived here through Silbaern’s forest, had never seen.
Half of the mountain, its entirety, was carved in the shape of a castle. Cut, stacked, and polished, it soared high as if to pierce the sky.
A sculpture made from this massive mountain.
However, it seemed it was not yet complete, as workers could be seen here and there. They were slaves captured by Belkarim, similar to Johann.
[Pay them no mind. They are nothing.]
Belkarim said so, but it was impossible not to notice. She led Jinwoo to the castle garden, which was also an artificial garden carved out of the mountain.
[I said I would teach you, but it’s a bit different. It would be more accurate to say I will help you remember.]
“Help me remember?”
Remember what? Memories of his past life?
In the garden were maids with their faces covered, tending to the place with delicate hands. They were different from Johann and the slaves carving the castle. All the maids here held a Black Flame within them.
‘Are they all the Lord’s direct minions?’
Each one of them possessed power similar to Grisella or Bertus, whom he had seen before. This meant they were completely different from the slaves used for menial tasks.
They noticed Jinwoo and Belkarim and lined up to show their respects. Belkarim glanced over them and gestured with her chin to the maid on the far right.
[All but that one may withdraw.]
The other maids bowed politely and dispersed like smoke. Only Jinwoo, Belkarim, and the chosen maid remained in the garden.
[With this child’s help, try tending the garden. If you are lucky, something might come to you.]
This was completely different from the training method he had imagined, and Jinwoo frowned. He had expected to deploy a barrier of Erosion or clash swords.
[This garden, you see, is no ordinary garden. It is not an artificial place I created.]
“Is that so?”
This was the being who used slaves to build a mountain and ordered them to carve a fortress from it. He had naturally assumed this garden was made in the same way.
But Belkarim shook her head, saying that was not the case.
[I want you to remember on your own, but I will tell you one thing in advance. This is the place where the Seed of Erosion was first discovered.]

—What? You made contact with a Lord?
The first thing Jinwoo did after Belkarim left was to contact Kalesian.
He couldn’t use magic, but he had a small bead he had received from Kalesian, which allowed him to communicate.
He briefly explained the situation with Belkarim and they exchanged opinions. After hearing Jinwoo’s words, Kalesian went to check the back of the snowy mountain himself.
—Humm… I cannot see the castle sculpture.
‘You can’t see it?’
—It seems those who are not invited cannot see it.
According to Kalesian, the back of the mountain still looked like the same snowy mountain to him. There was something that rejected intruders.
—However, the fact that we can communicate means that magic can reach you. Contact me immediately if anything happens.
As Kalesian said, the fact that this communication magic worked meant that magical support was possible. He urged Jinwoo to tell him right away if the situation seemed to be turning dangerous.

“This way, please.”
The veiled maid guided Jinwoo around the garden.
At first glance, it seemed like a tidy garden with nothing more to be done, but upon closer inspection, there were still many places that needed tending.
“Life grows and branches out without a moment’s rest. Tending to it is also a task without rest.”
As she said, the more he looked, the more work he found.
Together with her, Jinwoo trimmed the overgrown grass, pruned the flowers, tilled the soil, and planted seeds.
‘How is this supposed to teach me how to handle Erosion…?’
Jinwoo tended the garden without complaint for a while, but he couldn’t help but wonder. The maid answered him quietly.
“Do not doubt. My master has no intention of harming you. On the contrary, she wishes for you to regain your past power and glory in its entirety.”
“She wants me to perfectly recall my past life?”
“That is correct.”
Why? When he asked, the maid shook her head. It meant that she, too, did not know the reason.
‘…The remnant of Rondar left on the 3rd Floor also gave me a sword and disappeared.’
Rondar had given him a sword filled with the power of Erosion and vanished. And Belkarim was telling him to tend a garden to teach him how to use Erosion.
He didn’t know what tending a garden had to do with it, but in any case, their intentions aligned to some extent. They wanted him to possess the power of Erosion.
Even knowing that, Jinwoo couldn’t let go of his vigilance and suspicion toward them.
Because Jinwoo himself still had doubts about Erosion.
“What’s this?”
A few days later, while tilling the soil as usual, Jinwoo found something strange. There was a patch of blackened earth.
The power of Erosion. But it was incredibly small.
“Did Belkarim set this up?”
“Perhaps… It was not here yesterday.”
Neither the maid nor Jinwoo was a being to be surprised by such a small amount of Erosion.
Jinwoo was already too deeply steeped in a much larger Erosion to be shocked by something the size of a single seed.
“Is the task to get rid of this?”
“I wonder.”
If not to get rid of it, then to control it or grow it?
“No specific instructions have come down from my master. Whatever you do will be your choice.”
The maid relayed a message: Whichever path you choose, your soul will guide you to the correct one.
Hearing the word ‘freedom,’ Jinwoo observed it. He wanted to know what would happen to this small patch of Erosion that had grown from this pile of dirt.
It was not much different from the Erosion that covered the Earth. It was just smaller in scale, but it stained its surroundings and turned the land dead. If left alone, this beautiful garden would also die forever.
The slowly growing black energy covered the soil and stained the surrounding grass and trees. The first target was, naturally, the large tree nearby.
The energy coiled around the tree’s roots, staining them black. In that moment, Jinwoo’s heart was moved.
[A Fragment of a Past Life emerges.]
He drew his sword and plunged it into the black earth and roots.
The flow was severed, and the energy gradually lost its power. The thing that had indiscriminately swallowed all things in the world could not swallow Jinwoo’s sword and faltered.
Eventually, it was absorbed through the sword and became Jinwoo’s power.
He had gained power and protected the garden. By all accounts, it was the best possible outcome… but it didn’t feel like the right answer.
As if representing the turmoil in his heart, a wind blew. The wind partially lifted the veil covering the maid’s face. The mouth revealed beneath it was smiling, wrapped in ecstasy.
At the same time, the tree branches swaying in the wind let out a mournful cry.