CHAPTER 48: Why Is It So Noisy Up There?
Recently, a strange rumor had begun to circulate throughout Pandemonium.

It was about Ipril, the third-ranked contributor, famous for her un-Elven muscular build and extraordinary strength.

The rumor was that this Elf, who was said to be on the verge of ascending to the 5th Floor, was politely following a human.

"An Elf and a human? Did she hit her head or something?"

"For an Elf, who would never associate with other races, to be with a human… and not as an equal companion, but in a subordinate relationship. How bizarre."

The ferocity of the Elves was well-known not only to Earth's Hunters but also among the Dwarves and Beastmen.

They would never travel with anyone who wasn't a fellow Elf. In fact, the Elven nature was notorious for its hostility, making them more likely to kill other races than cooperate with them.

That's why an Elf accompanying a human was a spectacle in itself. That it was a famous figure like the 3rd-ranked individual in Pandemonium made it all the more unbelievable.

"Why is she doing it?"

"I heard that human raised his Contribution by several million in a short period of time."

"How short?"

"They say he surpassed 2 million in less than a week… and it's still rising every day. In the Moonlight Forest, of all places."

"Two million in a week!?"

Everyone who heard the news was stunned.

It was true that some gods were more generous with Contribution points than others, like the God of the Sky or the God of the Battlefield.

They were famous for awarding significant amounts of Contribution for clearing a single trial, which was why many flocked to them.

But the God of Moonlight Forest was not like that.

Not only was the god stingy, but it didn't even grant Contribution to anyone other than Elves.

To think someone had earned 2 million points in a week at the temple of such a picky god was something they couldn't believe even after hearing it.

"That's far faster than Lin Shenlin. How long has that man been in Pandemonium?"

"I don't know. Over three years, I think."

"Lin Shenlin was a hot topic in the beginning, but I don't think it was to this extent. Plus, he's been accumulating his points at the Temple of the Sky."

Lin Shenlin's overwhelming score of 120 million was partly due to his strength, but the advantage of the Temple of the Sky was also a major factor. The God of the Sky was particularly famous for handing out Contribution points freely.

And yet, this newcomer's initial pace at the Moonlight Forest was faster than Lin Shenlin's had been. Far, far faster.

"Is that human, Kang Jinwoo, also at the 5th Floor level, like Lin Shenlin?"

"Probably. Though there are no witnesses, since no one has seen him undertaking a trial."

"No one's seen him? Then how is he raising his Contribution?"

"Who knows. They say he's cooped up in the temple all day, so when on earth does he do his trials? Maybe he's skilled at stealth and sneaks around."

Hunters, Elves, Dwarves, and Beastmen alike in Pandemonium were all buzzing with talk of Jinwoo.

It had even reached a point where some of the highly aggressive and less intelligent Orcs were becoming conscious of him.

Several days passed.

Jinwoo was sharing simple tea and snacks with Ipril in a structure resembling an East-Asian pavilion.

"Drink up."

"Thank you, Master."

"Could you stop with the 'Master' stuff?"

Ipril politely accepted the tea Jinwoo poured.

The cup looked minuscule in her hand, which was as large as a pot lid, making it seem like she was holding a tiny espresso cup.

"The flavor is unique. I've never tasted anything like it in my world."

"Chartia specially selected this tea. I guess it suits an Elf's palate as well."

"Who is Chartia? Is she another of your disciples, Master?"

"I don't take disciples. Chartia is a human I know… no, an Elf I know."

She was a human reincarnation of an Elf, but it was too much of a hassle to explain, so he just called her an Elf.

"I see, Master."

Even after dropping hints and telling her outright that he didn't take disciples, she continued to call him Master. Her stubbornness was like a log that refused to be moved.

"I get your situation. You want to improve your skills to ascend to the 5th Floor."

"Yes. That is why I am accumulating Contribution."

"What does improving your skills have to do with Contribution? Are you trying to train by undertaking trials?"

"That is part of it, but my main goal is to receive a more powerful blessing by accumulating Contribution."

A blessing?

"I'm not sure if you've experienced it, Master, but when you receive a blessing, you overflow with more power than your original self. Your vitality, mental fortitude, mana, and senses are all heightened. While there are minor differences depending on the god's preference, there is no doubt that one becomes stronger."

"It's only temporary, though."

"Even if it's temporary, I can exhibit the power of a 5th-Floor knight. I want to analyze and observe myself in that state to find a clue to enlightenment."

He understood the theory. A blessing made you temporarily stronger.

It seemed she intended to study herself in that empowered state to devise a way to truly improve her skills.

He didn't know if it was actually possible, but it sounded plausible enough. It might even be a decent method.

'What was it like after I fought Johann?'

Back then, he had borrowed the blessing of the God of the Ice Valley and the Blue Sword to face Johann. Had he gained any enlightenment from that blessing?

Honestly, he wasn't sure. The effect of absorbing the dragon's soul had been immense at the time. On top of that, the Dragon Sword's mana absorption had led to explosive growth.

It was difficult now to gauge how much the god's blessing had contributed to that growth.

'Come to think of it, there's a temple for the God of the Ice Valley in Pandemonium, too.'

Maybe he'd stop by there later if he had the time.

Since he was already raising his Contribution for the Moonlight Forest, he wasn't interested in the other temple's points, but he was curious about what it looked like.

"I understand your situation, but that has nothing to do with me. Why should I provide you with valuable information for free?"

"..."

Ipril fell silent.

In this 3rd Floor, the method of accumulating Contribution was extremely valuable information. Everyone knew you had to clear trials, but details on which trials to take and how to solve them for more points were kept secret.

A secret didn't mean no one knew; it meant it was traded at a high price. And Ipril had nothing to offer Jinwoo.

"Th-Then, how about this…?"

She took out a few leaves from the subspace pouch at her waist and showed them to him.

They were brown leaves, small enough to fit in her palm, with some kind of seal stamped on their surface.

"What's this?"

"It's currency stamped with the seal of the Delphinia Kingdom. To put it simply, it's money."

"I only accept dollars or won."

"D-Dollars? What are those?"

"Currency stamped with the seal of the New York Bureau of Engraving and Printing."

As he said it, he remembered. New York's prestige had fallen sharply, so the dollar was probably in a precarious position.

Currency ultimately relied on credit. The city had suffered the disaster of Ireland and lost three S-class Hunters in a short period. It was only natural for its credit to fall.

"Hnngh."

Ipril crossed her thick arms and pondered. If money wasn't an option, she didn't know what else to offer. She had a few tools enchanted with magic; should she offer those?

"..."

Jinwoo shook his head and stood up. He had no intention of telling her, no matter what she offered.

"I'll be going now."

"Ah, please wait. Where are you going?"

"I was thinking of trying a trial at the temple."

The effectiveness of giving toys was starting to wear off. It wasn't that the God of Moonlight Forest had gotten bored of them.

The problem was that it had become too absorbed.

'It's gotten way too hooked on one series.'

Although Jinwoo had brought a variety of toys and picture books, they weren't all from the same series.

He had intended to pique the god's interest with a wide variety, but somehow, it had become excessively fascinated with just one series.

It had reached the point where it barely gave any Contribution for anything else.

The problem was, he had run out of toys from that particular series and had nothing more to give.

'Well, if I leave it alone for a bit, it'll get bored soon enough. Then I can gently entice it with a different series.'

He needed some time until then. In the meantime, Jinwoo planned to receive a blessing and try a trial.

• Kang Jinwoo - Contribution to the God of Moonlight Forest: 5,143,145

'I've accumulated a fair amount of Contribution, too.'

Jinwoo's Contribution had already surpassed 5 million. It was an unbelievable achievement for a period of just under two weeks.

With this much, the blessing he could receive should be substantial.

'The stronger the blessing, the more strongly the god's personality will be revealed.'

Then he might be able to find out if the God of Moonlight Forest was the World Tree.

If someone asked what he would do once he found out, he didn't really have a plan…

Still, it was always better to have more information. Better than being caught off guard later because he didn't know.

"I-I will follow you, Master!"

"You can follow if you want, but I'm not going to tell you anything."

"I understand your intentions perfectly, Master. You mean I must first show my sincerity, correct?"

No matter how he explained it, she didn't seem to understand. Jinwoo shrugged and headed for the Temple of Moonlight Forest.

[The God of Moonlight Forest blesses you. A blessing befitting the contribution you have accumulated.]

He received the blessing at the temple. Light gathered on the small tree behind the altar, and its power flowed into Jinwoo.

'At least it's not the power of Erosion.'

He examined the energy flowing into him; it wasn't that of Erosion.

Still, he couldn't be certain with just this. The blessing from the God of the Ice Valley had also been a pure energy, unrelated to Erosion.

'But the power is quite substantial.'

The blessing from 5 million Contribution points was incredibly potent.

It was incomparable to what he had received from the God of the Ice Valley in the past. Even including the Blue Sword from back then, the current blessing from the Moonlight Forest overflowed with more power.

If 5 million was this much, he could only imagine the enhancement Ipril received with 48 million, or Lin Shenlin with 120 million.

At that moment, Ipril was standing beside him in front of the altar with her eyes closed.

She wasn't praying with her hands clasped or anything, but it seemed the trial was being issued properly. Light seeped from the small tree and settled into Ipril's body.

"Support your comrade and show the light of trust. It seems the trial given to me is to assist you, Master."

"There are trials like that?"

"It's common for those who work in groups. I've always acted alone, so this is the first time I've received one."

The small tree flickered slightly, as if to vouch for Ipril's words.

Many people came to the 3rd Floor in parties or guilds using the Feather of Bonds, so he supposed that was why.

'Then my trial is…'

He had received the blessing, now for the trial.

As Jinwoo closed his eyes…

[The God of Moonlight Forest has expectations of you.]

He heard a quiet voice.

[Please retrieve a golden apple from the Garden of Briel Dra.]

It was an incredibly faint voice.

It was as if the voice lacked color, or perhaps it felt like a thin mist.

He hadn't expected to hear a voice. Following the God of the Ice Valley, was this the second time?

"The Garden of Briel Dra? What am I supposed to do there?"

"I don't know what this 'garden' is, but I know of the Briel Dra Ruins. They are located at the summit of the Keldra mountain range to the northwest."

He had seen the map of Pandemonium on HunterNet Blind and printed it all out.

The Keldra Mountains were quite far from the city; he'd read that it would take a typical B-class Hunter three to four days to get there.

Since it was at the summit, he would also need time to climb the mountain, so it would take at least five to six days.

[The God of Moonlight Forest expects your return before ten days and ten nights have passed.]

'Huh?'

A new message appeared. There was no voice, but the intention was conveyed.

"It says to come back within ten days."

"A restriction has been placed? That's good. Trials with restrictions yield much more Contribution."

"That's nice, but is it even possible in ten days?"

Getting more Contribution was great and all, but that was only if he cleared it.

Climb to the summit of the Keldra Mountains, search the ruins, find something called a golden apple, and then return to the city. Ten days seemed like a very tight schedule for such a trial.

"Don't worry. I know a fellow Elf who has tamed a wyvern and rides it. If we pay him a fee, we can reach the Keldra summit in a day or two."

"Oh, really?"

"He has helped me a lot when I had to undertake trials in distant places. Let's go find him right away."

Apparently, there was an Elf who ran something like a taxi service for his fellow countrymen undertaking trials.

It seemed that every race had its share of savvy businesspeople.

As he left the temple with Ipril, Jinwoo was lost in thought.

'Ten days… Is it telling me to come back after sleeping just ten nights?'

If it had been any other god, he would have just thought it was giving him a more difficult trial. But since it was the God of Moonlight Forest, it somehow felt different.

It was as if it were telling him not to stay out too long, to come back after just ten nights' sleep.

The two left the temple to meet the Elf who had tamed the wyvern.

KWAANG!
— KWAGAGAGANG!

On the way, Jinwoo looked up at a sound roaring from the sky.

In the distance, near the floating island where the Temple of the Sky was located, he could see a spectacle of sword energies shooting out in all directions, clashing with streams of fire.

"Why is it so noisy up there?"

"Who knows. Lin Shenlin is probably throwing another tantrum on the island. That guy drives away anyone he hasn't personally permitted, not just from the temple but from the island itself."

"Gods, followers… not a single one of them isn't a nuisance."

The God of the Sky, or rather, the Lord of Oppression and the Ceiling. As the one responsible for the Erosion of Earth, everything about him, from one to ten, was detestable.

It even made him look down on the actions of Lin Shenlin, who served such a being.

'Whoever it is, it has nothing to do with me.'

He didn't know who was fighting Lin Shenlin, but it was none of his business. He and Ipril left to find the wyvern rider.