CHAPTER 137: Land Prices Like Bitcoin
There was no reason to remain in Hong Kong any longer. Jinwoo and Chartia hurriedly prepared to return to Korea.

“Hunter Kang Jinwoo! There’s still so much investigation left to do on the White Land, what’s the rush to go back?”

Hong Kong’s Chairman Jang rushed out to stop his departure. Director Wei, the head of the Hong Kong Hunter Management Bureau, was with him.

“The investigation is a job for experts. I was dispatched as their escort, but something has come up that requires my return. There are plenty of other escorts, so they will protect them.”

“But…”

Chairman Jang didn’t want to let Jinwoo go. Jinwoo’s swordsmanship was already well-known throughout Hong Kong. On top of that, with the Prycia incident, Jinwoo’s reputation was now no different from that of a hero.

How wonderful would it be to have such a person as one of Hong Kong’s Hunters? A strong Hunter also had very high political value. If he succeeded in getting Jinwoo to defect to Hong Kong, it would surely solidify his own position.

“Are you satisfied with the Seoul Management Bureau?”

Director Wei, the head of the Hong Kong Hunter Management Bureau, spoke insinuatingly. He was much the same. Though his position was to manage Hunters, he was more of a politician than a Hunter. Similar to Chairman Jang, he tried hard to recruit Jinwoo to strengthen his own standing.

‘I have to get him, no matter what!’

The battle with Prycia. Numerous S-class Hunters had testified. They had been of no help at all.

As strong as they were, their pride was equally high. They were all among the strongest in their respective countries. They had all lamented their own powerlessness in unison and praised Jinwoo’s actions. The expressions were different, but the content was all the same.

If they could secure such a being…

“I’m going back.”

But Jinwoo was firm. He gave them no room for negotiation. The two still clung to him, but it was useless. They had no way to pressure him with force, and their authority was ineffective, so there was no way to hold him back.

Jinwoo left with Chartia to board a plane immediately.

—Did Kang Jinwoo and Chartia go back?
—Why, after achieving so much?

Many were puzzled by Jinwoo’s actions. He was the hero who had saved Hong Kong. Neither his actual contributions nor public opinion would stand in his way. The Hong Kong government, whether they liked it or not, was in a position where they had to cooperate fully with his investigation.

Yet in this situation, he was abandoning the investigation in Hong Kong and returning to Seoul. Many found his choice strange.

—He must want to rest after such a big event.
—Maybe he suffered a serious injury that can’t be publicly disclosed.
—We should just continue with our own investigation.

Though many questioned Jinwoo’s actions, they focused more on the White Land in Hong Kong. A considerable amount of new White Land had appeared due to the battle with Prycia. To investigate all of it, they were short on time no matter how much they had.

No one knew that a new tree was growing in the yard of Jinwoo's house.

“What did you plant in the yard?”

“Rather than planting it…”

Inside the plane on the way back, Chartia asked Jinwoo. Jinwoo thought for a moment before answering.

“That is the World Tree.”

“Excuse me? What did you say?”

Chartia asked again, unable to believe her ears. The World Tree was growing in his front yard?

“It disappeared with Prycia’s body during the battle. It seems to have absorbed her abilities and reappeared.”

“The ability to purify the Black Lands…”

“Yes, probably.”

Many had witnessed the unidentified tree root disappear with Prycia's body. That's why a large number of Hunters were digging up the battle site, searching for the body, hoping to analyze it and obtain the purification ability.

But it was no longer in Hong Kong. It had appeared in Jinwoo’s house and was growing.

After landing at the airport, the two headed straight for Jinwoo’s house. Throughout the journey, Chartia couldn't hide her excited expression.

‘The World Tree!’

She had the past life of an Elf. In her memories, she recalled seeing the World Tree faintly. A colossal tree, shimmering like a mirage in the distance, as if it were supporting the world.

‘Could it be real? If it is, will I be able to recognize it?’

Honestly, she was a little skeptical. To Elves, the World Tree was a being no different from a god. She couldn't just blindly believe that such a being was growing in a front yard.

And even if it were real, would she be able to recognize it? In her past life's memory, she had only seen a blurry silhouette from afar. She didn't know if she would be able to recognize the real World Tree even if it were right in front of her.

But all that worry was for naught.
“Ah…”
The moment she arrived at Jinwoo’s house and saw the tree growing in the yard, her instincts—no, her soul—reacted.
This was truly their god.
What was this feeling? Awe, reverence, perhaps even fear. As she trembled from the mix of emotions, Jinwoo met with Ma Doo-sik and shook his hand.
“You went through a lot in Hong Kong, Hunter Kang Jinwoo. I’ve heard all about your exploits.”
“More importantly, please update me on the situation.”
Ma Doo-sik nodded and began his explanation to Jinwoo.

Overall, not much had changed from what he had heard before. Symptoms of the Black Land around Seoul recovering had been discovered, and in each of those places, roots from the same tree were found. When they traced the origin of those roots, it led them to this very house.
“We’re keeping it a secret for now, but it’s only a matter of time before it gets out. The existence of the White Land is already becoming known, and many people can recognize the roots. The fact that they originate from this tree will soon be public knowledge as well.”
The change was too massive to hide. It wasn't even like Hong Kong, where only one specific area had turned into a White Land. Random spots all over Seoul were continuously being purified.
As Ma Doo-sik continued his explanation, his voice was filled with hope. It was a drastic change, but by no means a bad one. It was a positive sign that a dying city was beginning to come back to life.
‘This is the most crucial moment.’
In all of Ma Doo-sik’s career as mayor, no, in his entire life, there had never been a more important moment than this.
This was an opportunity. An opportunity for Seoul to develop further and become the center of the world.
Even setting aside such ambitions, the fact that humanity’s land was beginning to recover held significant meaning. All sorts of people with all sorts of intentions would soon flock to this city.
As the mayor, he had to control them well. He had to protect what needed protecting so they wouldn’t be torn apart by hyenas, while opening what needed to be opened. He wished he could monopolize this power, but doing so would clearly make him the enemy of the entire world.
To achieve that, first…
“We don’t know its true identity, but it’s clear this tree has a purification ability. That being said, Hunter Chartia.”
“Yes? Oh, yes.”
Chartia, who had been blankly stroking the tree, jumped in surprise at Ma Doo-sik’s call.
“Would it be possible to cut a branch from this tree and grow it in another location? Of course, this would require Hunter Kang Jinwoo’s permission, but I’m curious if it’s possible or not.”
“Wai—! You’re asking me to cut a branch of this tree!?”
“Yes, is there a problem?”
“That’s…”
The World Tree was their god. Even if it was for the purpose of planting a new one, making a mark upon its divine body was not an easy choice.
Fortunately, Jinwoo, who had overheard their conversation, casually cut off a few branches. It was already a familiar task for him.
“Let’s try planting one. It’s too much of a burden if a tree like this only exists on my land.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course.”
Chartia took the branches. At Ma Doo-sik’s gesture, a member of the Bureau approached Chartia and began speaking with her, likely to consult on the best place to plant them.
‘I don’t know if it will work or not.’
One thing was certain. It was a relief that Prycia’s purification ability hadn’t vanished completely.

—I succeeded in growing them.
A few days passed. Chartia had planted the World Tree branches throughout Seoul and had successfully managed to grow them. However.
—But I don’t see any purification ability. They’re just like ordinary trees… I can’t believe they’re the same species as the one at your house, Jinwoo.
The trees Chartia grew were ordinary. The species itself was completely different from the World Tree Jinwoo knew. They lacked the overwhelming presence of the being known as the Soulwood to the spirits of the Spirit Realm.
Perhaps it was to be expected, but they also possessed no purification ability. The only World Tree with that power was still the one growing in Jinwoo’s yard.
‘Is it because this is the only one that used Prycia’s body as nutrients?’
As a result, Jinwoo’s house drew even more attention. A great deal of research was conducted. They tried to intentionally cultivate or extract the purification ability, but not a single study succeeded.
Nevertheless, areas all over Seoul were still being purified. The natural recovery did not stop.
How should they use the recovered land? That, too, was the hottest topic among the citizens of Seoul.

‘It was bound to get out eventually.’
A change this massive couldn’t be hidden forever. The existence of the White Land spreading across Seoul—no, still spreading even now—was already known to all citizens. As was the fact that the source was an unknown tree root, and that this root spread from Jinwoo’s house.
The world’s attention, which until just recently had been focused on Hong Kong, was now fixed on Seoul. In fact, the level of attention was even higher than it had been for Hong Kong, where the source of the power was ambiguous. People all over the world wanted to plant the World Tree in their own cities.
—That power was originally on Hong Kong’s soil! No matter how much of a hero Kang Jinwoo is, it is against all principles to steal it without a word!
Hong Kong’s Chairman Jang roared with the veins on his neck bulging, but his claims received little support. After all, the right to a monster’s corpse belongs to the hunter who defeated it. That was an unwritten rule among hunters worldwide.
“Don’t worry, we’re shutting down all the nonsense, Hunter Kang Jinwoo. All you need to do is take good care of that tree. It seems that even Hunter Chartia is unable to properly care for it.”
Ma Doo-sik was blocking all the external pressure. He was encouraging Jinwoo to focus all his efforts on helping the World Tree grow.
From the incident in Hong Kong until now, as the political landscape shifted rapidly, the protagonist’s life also changed somewhat.
—Back it up! Back it up!
—Stop right there!
Jinwoo’s house was originally in the most run-down area on the outskirts of Seoul, right up against the city’s barrier. Recently, however, it had become noisy with the sounds of construction as all sorts of workers and equipment moved in and out.
A massive redevelopment. Workers came and went, surveying and measuring the land, while on one side, all kinds of people discussed what should be done with the area.
‘Are they trying to redesign the city with the World Tree at its center?’
To put it simply, the land value was skyrocketing like Bitcoin.