CHAPTER 38
038 - The God of the Moonlight Forest
The atmosphere turned icy. The roots didn't have eyes, yet Jinwoo found himself in a staring contest with them.
The roots of the World Tree were filled with hostility and greed. But then…
At some point, the hostility began to slowly fade away.
'What the?'
In this tense standoff, Jinwoo was especially sensitive to the roots' movements, as well as the intentions and emotions they directed at him.
The initial hostility from when they had brazenly tried to snatch the Black Flame was completely gone. In its place were feelings of doubt and curiosity.
Ssk—
One particularly small root, having approached without him noticing, was now right next to him. Then, it gently, slowly, brushed against Jinwoo’s cheek.
"!"

It felt as if some unknown monster were licking his face. A shiver ran down his spine, and Jinwoo leaped back to create distance.
In response, the small root that had touched him swayed once, then emitted a mysterious energy that began to guide Jinwoo.
'My vision is…'
It wasn't a spell that made him lose consciousness or controlled him. Jinwoo’s body was still right there, wary of the World Tree.
Only his vision had changed. It was trying to show him something.
'A forest… a white building… is it some kind of royal palace?'
The view that unfolded before him was of a vast forest with a white palace built within it.
The entire forest served as the palace grounds, blending with the pristine white buildings. Like the Elf mansion he had once seen on the 0th Floor, the structures were built naturally, intertwined with the forest.
Soon, his perspective dropped to the ground. Then it moved deeper, further into the center of the palace.
It went to a place within the palace where few ever set foot, a location that only a handful of people in the entire kingdom were permitted to enter.
'The White Tower.'
The tower was the queen’s residence. She was the White Queen of the Delphinia Kingdom and the Priestess of the World Tree.
She was the supreme ruler of the kingdom, the head priestess who presided over rituals, and at the same time, the guardian of the World Tree’s secrets.
Jinwoo wasn’t surprised by the knowledge that surfaced naturally in his mind. It was being transmitted to him by the World Tree along with the vision.
His perspective finally entered the tower and headed for its basement. The thickest root of the World Tree was there, and it was where the priestess spent most of her day, offering prayers.
At this very moment, she was silently praying, and the first thing that caught his eye was her flame.
Whether it was Jinwoo's own perception or not, her flame burned with more grace than any Elf he had ever seen. It was so beautiful and noble that one could easily get lost just staring at it.
Her appearance came into view only after that. Her aqua-colored hair, which seemed longer than her height, was spread out around her as she knelt in prayer. Her attire was less that of a queen and more religious in nature.
It was white and loose, and its wide skirt and sleeves were also spread across the floor with her hair.
As she prayed quietly, she seemed to sense a presence and turned to look in his direction.
"Oh…?"
Her eyes widened. Jinwoo was surprised, too. Could she see him?
"Who in the world are you…"
How could a man she had never seen before—and a human, not an Elf—be inside this tower?
The White Tower, built in the heart of the Delphinia royal palace, was a forbidden land. Entry was prohibited to all except for a few High Elves permitted by the Priestess herself.
Not only were regular Elves and Dark Elves barred, but even the majority of High Elves were forbidden from approaching.
For a human male to have entered such a place… this was something that hadn't happened once in thousands of years.
Click.
With her astonished question hanging in the air, the vision was cut off, just like a TV being turned off.
In an instant, Jinwoo’s vision returned to the ruined rural village. Before him were the roots of the World Tree that had played this trick on him.
"..."
'…What did you just do?'
Jinwoo tightened his grip on his sword and asked.
The vision he just saw felt… yes, it felt similar to when a mage shares their vision with a familiar.
For that brief moment, his vision and the World Tree’s had been shared, becoming one.
But he wasn't the World Tree's familiar, nor was it the other way around. They weren't bound by any contract, so how was vision-sharing possible?
And that wasn't his only question.
"What exactly are you trying to tell me?"
Why show him the royal palace, and why show him the priestess?
He couldn't understand its intentions. Or was it the other way around? Perhaps the goal wasn't to show him something, but to show him to the priestess.

Either way, he couldn't figure out the meaning behind it.
It might have been different if they had talked, but all they did was see each other's faces. What meaning could there be in such a half-baked encounter?
Ssk…
But the World Tree seemed to have no intention of answering. Having unilaterally accomplished its goal, it burrowed into the ground and vanished.
He kicked at the dirt, but it was already nowhere to be seen.
It had run away. No, it was more accurate to say it had retreated.
"Tsk."
It was surprising enough that the World Tree was the source of the Erosion, but it also seemed to have some unknowable scheme.
He had learned many new things, but the things he didn't know had multiplied even more. Jinwoo clicked his tongue and put his sword into his inventory.

With the Erosion gone, the village elder called back the scattered villagers. Being Elves, they had plenty of ways to communicate through the forest, and before long, most of them had returned to the village.
The completely ruined village was so thoroughly destroyed that it would have to be rebuilt from scratch.
But there was a more immediate problem.
"..."
"..."
It was the subtle atmosphere between them and Jinwoo.
They had heard that Jinwoo had defeated the Erosion. But they didn't know how to treat him.
They had lived in a reclusive village for hundreds of years and were naturally very wary of outsiders. This was even more true for a human, who wasn't even an Elf.
There was no hostility. It was just a strong sense of caution and fear towards the outside world.
Caught in this atmosphere, Mari was fidgeting restlessly.
"Mom. Mom."
"Q-Quiet."
Just as Mari was about to say something, her mother pulled her into her skirt to stop her. In this tense atmosphere, she had no idea what her daughter might say.
"No!"
But Mari couldn't bear it any longer. She broke free from her mother’s embrace and clung to the elder.
The village elder was the wisest and kindest person in the village. Whenever Mari ran an errand for her, she would give her sweet wild berries and pat her head.
Mari felt that the elder would listen to her.
In the quiet silence, Mari's whining couldn't help but draw attention, and the villagers' gazes all turned to the elder.
They simply didn't know what to do. So they hoped the wise elder would make a decision for them.
And that elder…
"It's alright, Mari."
She soothed Mari, stroking her head with the same gentle touch.
"Welcome to the village of Vellen, stranger. We would like to formally welcome you as our village's savior."
The elder stepped forward before anyone else and bowed respectfully to Jinwoo.
It was merely an imitation of noble etiquette she had glimpsed in her youth, but to Jinwoo, it didn't look much different from the gesture of the priestess he had just seen.
The most important things in etiquette were the heart with which one treated another and an unwavering spirit.
"My name is Jinwoo. I happened to meet Mari about two weeks ago, and we became friends."
Jinwoo hoped he appeared just as polite as she did.
With the elder taking the lead, the villagers no longer had any reason to hold back.
They were still uncomfortable with the existence of a human, but because of that, they were all the more careful as they offered their thanks to Jinwoo.
Thank you for saving the village, thank you for getting rid of the Erosion, and so on. An endless stream of gratitude poured out.
"It's hard to say I saved it when it's all broken."
"Hahaha! Youngsters like us can just build it again."
He naturally got along better with the Elves who seemed to be around his age. Elves who looked to be in their 20s or 30s, both men and women, showed a strong curiosity towards Jinwoo.
Still full of vigor, they had many questions for Jinwoo, who was both an outsider and a member of a species they had never seen before.
'The fact that they look my age means they're actually 200 or 300 years old, right?'
Jinwoo paused for a moment at that thought, but there was nothing he could do about it. When he thought about it, Mari's actual age was over 50, meaning she had lived twice as long as him.
'Let's just not think about Elf ages.'
He knew very well that he would only be at a disadvantage if he dwelled on it.
"Alright, alright! Let's get this village rebuilt as soon as possible! You young ones, stop playing around and gather over here!"
"Yeees~"
"Okay, mister!"
After the whirlwind of introductions, most of the village Elves began the restoration work.
Roles were assigned, centering on the middle-aged Elves who had experience and a good sense for construction, and they set to work. Some went to gather materials, while others leveled the ground.
A temporary tent had been set up on one side, where the elder, who had difficulty moving, was resting and watching over the reconstruction.

He was about to head towards her when Mari caught him.
"Jinwoo! Let's go play! Rebecca and Daisy want to play with you!"
"Are they your friends?"
"Yeah!"
Behind Mari stood two children he hadn't seen before. They looked just as energetic as Mari.
Dealing with Mari alone was tough enough, but three of them…
"Hmm, I have something to talk about with the elder. How about you three go play and come back?"
"With the elder?"
"Now that I'm a guest of the village, we have a lot to talk about."
"Ah~"
Mari, who had been determined to play with Jinwoo no matter what, had a change in her eyes when he mentioned being a village guest.
Now that Jinwoo had been accepted into the village, there was nothing to hide, and they could meet here anytime. She realized they didn't have to play right this instant.
"Then we'll go play by ourselves!"
After sending the three children off, Jinwoo let out a small sigh. Then, he headed towards the tent where the elder was resting, as he had originally intended.
"Hohol, our savior seems to be very popular with the children. Mari seems quite fond of you, too."
"I'm just a toy that doesn't break no matter how much they play with me," Jinwoo said with a shrug. The elder watched him with an amused expression and gestured for him to sit.
"Please, have a seat."
"Thank you."
As he sat across from her, the elder brought out a small teapot and cups, pouring him a fragrant cup of herb tea.
He didn't know what kind of tea it was, but the aroma was deep and left a long-lasting scent in his nose. It wasn't just made with high-quality herbs; this was a cup steeped in centuries of skill.
"I'm honored to be served such tea."
"Hohol, this is about the only hobby an old woman like me can have."
The elder’s slow way of speaking had a calming effect on people. He wondered if this was what it would have been like to have a grandmother.
Jinwoo took a sip of the tea, wiping the bitter smile from his lips.
"There's something I'd like to ask."
"Yes. I will answer anything."
The elder seemed to have nothing to hide; she had an air about her that suggested she would tell him anything she knew.
"You were watching me fight, weren't you?"
"So you knew. As the village elder, I felt I had to watch over things, no matter what happened..."
What a sense of responsibility. That must be how she was able to lead the village as its elder for hundreds of years.
However, what Jinwoo wanted to ask was something else.
"Who on earth was that thing?"
"By 'that thing,' do you mean the minion of Erosion?"
"A minion of Erosion?"
"They are beings that collect the souls of Elves, Dwarves, and humans to offer them to their Lords. They are incredibly strong; some individual entities are so powerful that even an entire order of knights would struggle to defeat them."
He knew firsthand that it was strong. But there was another word that bothered him.
"Lords?"
"You don't know of the Lords of Erosion?"
"...Please explain in detail."
Realizing that Jinwoo truly didn't know, the elder cleared her throat with a cough.
Her explanation was simple.
In this universe, there are beings that cause Erosion, and there are 13 of them in total.
They send out minions to devour worlds, and the Black Knight Jinwoo fought was one such minion.
"Isn't Erosion a phenomenon that spreads like a domain being deployed?"
"No, yes. In the early stages, there was that kind of Erosion. But once it has devoured most of a world, it begins to send out minions. The reason is probably…"
"Probably?"
"To decisively finish off the inhabitants of that world who are putting up a final resistance. It must be difficult to annihilate everyone just by expanding a domain."
Indeed, that was a convincing reason.
It was easier to understand when he thought about cleaning. First, you wipe the large surfaces, and the corners come after.
Once the Erosion had painted most of the planet by expanding its domain, all that remained were the corners. The minions were sent to deal with those corners.
Of course, understanding the reasoning didn't mean he condoned it.
"If there are 13 Lords…"
"Yes… I'm referring to those who command the Erosion domains and their minions. As for who they are, let me see… As I said..."
"Is there one called the Lord of Snow and Ice?"
"Oh, yes. There is a Lord who is called that."
…Just as I thought.
With this new information, Jinwoo stroked his chin with a serious expression.
'All thirteen gods of the 2nd Floor were the Lords of Erosion.'
The being known on Earth as the God of the Ice Valley had introduced herself as the Lord of Snow and Ice.

The one who had lent him a blade to kill Johann was one of the very culprits causing the Erosion.
'Does that mean I pushed Johann into the hands of Erosion myself?'
Jinwoo scowled. He didn't feel sorry for Johann, but he felt an instinctive revulsion at the thought that he had aided the Erosion with his own hands.
Well, what's done is done.
"Could I hear the names of the other twelve as well?"
"Of course. First, there is the Lord of Fire and the Forge…"
That must be the God of the Furnace.
Even if they changed their titles to "God," their inherent traits and symbols remained the same. Thanks to that, Jinwoo was able to match all of their Lord titles with their god titles.
The Lord of Snow and Ice was the God of the Ice Valley, the Lord of Fire and the Forge was the God of the Furnace, and so on…
But.
"Wait a minute."
One of them.
Just one of them didn't match.
"The Lord of the Beginning and the Primordial? Who is that?"
"As the name suggests, I know them to be the very first Lord. It is said that all Erosion and all the Lords originated from them."
Jinwoo narrowed his eyes.
'Who is that?'
That one alone didn't match any of the 13 gods of the 2nd Floor. He recognized the other twelve, but this one was different.
'I'm sure the last god was called the God of the Moonlight Forest.'
The Altar of the Moonlight Forest on the 2nd Floor.
Jinwoo recalled the list of offerings favored by the God of the Moonlight Forest that he had read on the Hunter Net's anonymous forum.
The god's most favored offering was the corpse of an Elf, and among easily obtainable things, it liked things from the forest, like fruit and wild animals.
Therefore, the best-case scenario when entering the 2nd Floor was to gather as many offerings as possible in the Primitive Forest and then find the Altar of the Moonlight Forest to offer them.

A bright, full moon rose in the sky. She stood at the top of the White Tower, bathing her entire body in the moonlight.
The young queen of the Delphinia Kingdom, known as the White Queen.
However, at only around 150 years old, she didn't involve herself much in the complex matters of governance or state affairs.
She focused less on her duties as a monarch and more on her role as the Priestess who served the World Tree.
Since that was the most important duty for an Elf, she was also the most important person in the kingdom.
"The moon is beautiful again tonight, Mother."
On nights when the moon was this bright, Mother World Tree was pleased. Therefore, as the Priestess, it was her duty to bask in the moonlight to her heart's content.
Though it was a duty, it was also her favorite time.
A time when she, confined to a narrow tower and unable to leave for her entire life, could enjoy a small taste of freedom.
She gazed out at the world beyond.
What lay outside? What joyous events and what adventures were beautifully coloring the world?
She could not leave the tower, but her imagination could wander as far as it pleased. Imagining the world outside, which she had never seen, while basking in the moonlight was the only freedom permitted to her.
However.
'I wonder who he could be.'
Tonight, her thoughts were a little different.
Her eyes, gazing at the moon, became slightly hazy.