CHAPTER 51

Chapter 51: Why From the Sky?

Consuming an elixir is no easy task.
Simply eating it is a matter of putting it in your mouth, but there is much to endure to digest its energy.
Depending on the energy the elixir contains, one's body can be put in danger. Even if it isn't dangerous, fully absorbing all of an elixir's energy is nearly impossible.
Even for a grand mage well-versed in handling mana, some degree of loss is inevitable.
But absorbing it with the Dragon Sword was different.
There was virtually no risk, and none of the energy was lost. An absorption rate of nearly zero.
All of the Golden Apple's energy settled perfectly into Jinwoo's heart. There, it would protect his heart and aid his molting.
The word "molting" felt a bit strange for a human, who wasn't a reptile, but Jinwoo's body was being reborn into something entirely new.
‘M-Master!’
To Ipril's eyes, it was an incredibly mystical sight.
Jinwoo's consciousness sank deep within himself as a golden tide surged from his body.
The wave, large enough to fill the entire room, washed away and annihilated all the impurities and filth from within him.
Watching the continuous golden waves, Ipril was filled with an unconscious sense of awe.
‘I only took him as my master because of the contribution points.’
She hadn't followed him because she thought he was particularly strong.
She had taken to heart the words of the village elder, who said there is something to learn even from a newborn baby. So, she believed there was something to learn from Jinwoo as well.
But after coming to the ruins, she realized it wasn't a matter of simply having ‘something to learn.’
‘The way he cut down the Moss Snakes, the way he cut through the Golden Apple's energy to reach the Erosion. And now, this mystical phenomenon…’
Not a single one of his actions was ordinary.
Since meeting Jinwoo, his every move had opened her eyes. It felt as if her closed eyelids were being pried open, granting her new sight.
‘To ascend to the 5th Floor, I must also… walk such a path.’
He had said he couldn't teach her anything, but just by being near him, she was learning.
When she was agonizing over how to accumulate 48 million contribution points, she had no clue how to attain enlightenment. But now, by witnessing Jinwoo's enlightenment firsthand, she too was beginning to feel something.
‘For now…’
I will guard his side.
Jinwoo was currently in a deep meditative state, making him vulnerable to external threats.
When a martial artist attains enlightenment, it is safest to have someone stand guard.
Of course, there were no enemies to invade, and it was unlikely that a low-level monster like a Moss Snake would enter this sacred space, but one could never be too sure.
‘Just let anyone try to come here!’
Careful not to make a sound that might disturb his meditation, she let out a powerful roar only in her mind.

The first sensation he felt upon opening his eyes was refreshment.
His eyelids felt much lighter. His body felt more flexible, and above all, his skin had become incredibly smooth.
It wasn't just a simple increase in his physical specs; the gap between his body, spirit, and soul had narrowed.
‘This change is pretty big.’
Of all the changes he had experienced so far, this one was the greatest.
Even more so than the moment he absorbed the dragon's soul and obtained the Dragon Sword while fighting Johann.
A wave of pride and accomplishment washed over him, and Jinwoo wore a pleased expression.
"Master, are you alright?"
"Oh, Ipril. Have you been waiting long?"
"It wasn't that long. About half a day, maybe?"
"Half a day?"
Half a day had passed?
Jinwoo went above ground with Ipril and looked outside. It was already a pitch-black night.
"Oh, my apologies. I made you wait for nothing."
"There is no need to apologize. Conversely, if I were the one having a moment of enlightenment, would you have left me behind?"
"I suppose not."
"It is the same for me."
Her saying that made him feel even more grateful. Jinwoo chuckled and said,
"It's too late today, so let's stay in the ruins and head back tomorrow. We cleared a trial with a ten-day limit in just one day."
"As expected of you, Master."
"What do you mean, 'as expected'? You've barely known me."
Her tone had been polite before, but now it felt like she had become even more deferential.
He had made her waste half a day for nothing, so she would have been justified in being angry. Why had she become so humble?
Well, it wasn't a bad thing, so Jinwoo prepared to spend the night in the ruins with her.
"I will go take care of the nearby Moss Snakes."
Ipril took out an incredibly thick bow from her sub-space pocket and disappeared into the darkness of the ruins.
The creak of a bowstring being drawn and the thwip of an arrow being loosed. The death cries of Moss Snakes were heard several times, and then, silence.
When she returned, there wasn't a single drop of blood on her.
"You're good with a bow because you're an Elf?"
"It is my primary weapon. I developed these muscles to draw my bow."
"Really?"
He had thought for sure they were for punching.
Now that she mentioned it, he noticed that the bow stave was incredibly thick.
"Can I try drawing it?"
"Of course."
She handed him the bow, and the moment he took it, his arm dropped with a thud. It felt several times heavier than he had imagined.
Drawing it was not easy either. Jinwoo had to grit his teeth and pull with all his might. At this rate, he felt like his arm would fall off from exhaustion after shooting just a couple of arrows.
"Hah, I can't believe you shoot this thing so easily."
"It gets a little easier once you get the hang of it. Still, you truly are amazing, Master. I didn't think you'd be able to draw it."
Ipril said with a curious look in her eyes. It seemed the fact that he could draw it at all was surprising to her.
Just how powerful was the bow she carried around…?
They spent a peaceful night. Just as she'd said, all the Moss Snakes had been shot dead, and none attacked during the night.
When morning came, Ipril used a spirit to summon the wyvern rider, Poldre, who arrived around noon.
"What, it's only been a day and you're already done?"
"Something like that. Give us a ride."
"Hmph. Get on yourselves."
Poldre didn't even get off Gorong's back, just gestured with his chin.
Neither Ipril nor Jinwoo was incapable of mounting a wyvern, so it wasn't a problem.
A short while later, the two arrived in Pandemonium and headed straight for the Temple of the Moonlight Forest.
"By the way, wasn't the trial to bring back the Golden Apple? What are we going to do, since you ate it all, Master?"
"What do you mean, what are we going to do? This trial is a failure. Besides, we couldn't have brought back the Golden Apple in that state anyway."
"That is true."
Even if the Golden Apple had been in perfect condition, it would have been the same.
The moment he heard it was an elixir, he knew eating it was the right choice, regardless of contribution points.
There was no way he was going to offer up such a rare elixir just to get some points. He could get plenty of points just by giving her toys.
For reference, the god's voice conveyed its intentions directly, so there was no room for wordplay.
The trial to retrieve the Golden Apple meant bringing the Golden Apple to the temple.
[The God of the Moonlight Forest welcomes you. She is very pleased that you are back much sooner than expected.]
A welcoming message greeted them as soon as they entered.
Jinwoo and Ipril approached the altar, and he reported the failure of the trial.
‘I found the Golden Apple, but it was contaminated by Erosion. So I destroyed it.’
He added that he had ended up absorbing all the energy that was released.
When he reported this, an unexpected response came back.
[You have made a great contribution to the Moonlight Forest.]
- Kang Jinwoo - Contribution to the God of the Moonlight Forest: 6,184,986 (↑1,041,841)
‘What, it went up? By a million, at that?’
Contrary to his expectation of failure, the God of the Moonlight Forest awarded him contribution points. And a significant amount, too.
The best reaction he'd gotten from giving her a toy was around 100,000 points. He had earned ten times that in a single day.
"Uh, Master? Did you receive contribution points?"
"Yeah. You too?"
"I received 200,000! My goodness."
Ipril seemed to be thinking along the same lines, as she looked utterly astonished.
She was particularly shocked by the high number of 200,000, as she had never received so many points at once during her years on the 3rd Floor.
All she had done was find Poldre, ride a wyvern, and kill a few Moss Snakes in the ruins.
[The God of the Moonlight Forest is satisfied. Thanks to your resourcefulness, the matter was resolved quickly.]
Judging by the message, it seemed that finding Poldre was highly valued, but he couldn't understand why.
At most, it had only shortened a seven or eight-day task to a single day.
He had no idea what meaning saving a mere week could have for a high-dimensional god.
"Well, what's good is good."
"That is true, but… I am certain of one thing."
"What's that?"
"Master, you are greatly favored by the God of the Moonlight Forest."
There was no other explanation for her giving him 200,000 contribution points as well.
Even when she hunted down difficult monsters, the points she earned were only around 30,000 to 50,000.
But after going on a trial with Jinwoo, she received 200,000 points just for shortening the time by a week.
This wasn't just favor; it felt like an emotion on the level of love or obsession.

Jinwoo didn't bother to answer. He neither confirmed nor denied it.
However, he thought he knew why the trial was a success even though he hadn't brought back the Golden Apple.
‘Was she planning to have me eat it from the start?’
That would explain it.
If the reason for bringing the Golden Apple wasn't to offer it on the altar, but to have Jinwoo consume it.
Then it would make sense why the trial was a success even though Jinwoo had absorbed all of the Golden Apple's energy.
[The God of the Moonlight Forest anticipates. The next item.]
‘By item, you mean the doll, right? Is a different series okay, besides that one?’
[Not possible.]
‘I told you, they’re all sold out…’
It seemed the trend hadn't ended in her mind yet.
Well, since he had cleared a ten-day trial in a single day, it made sense that her preference would still be the same.
[The God of the Moonlight Forest expresses dissatisfaction.]
She whined with displeasure when he told her he didn't have it. He somehow managed to soothe and placate her by offering some other toys.
This time, he gave her a sketchbook and crayons, thinking it would be nice for her to be able to draw the characters she wanted herself.
[You have made a moderate contribution to the Moonlight Forest.]
- Kang Jinwoo - Contribution to the God of the Moonlight Forest: 6,192,827 (↑7,841)
‘She doesn’t seem very interested in drawing, but it’s enough to distract her for a moment.’
He received just under 8,000 contribution points. It was a small amount compared to other toys, but in truth, even this was absurd.
Ipril had said she got 30,000 points for catching a serpent the size of a house, which meant that offering three sets of sketchbooks and crayons was worth nearly the same amount.
After barely managing to calm the whining god, Jinwoo left the temple.
A joyful-looking Ipril followed behind him. She was also beaming, having earned 200,000 contribution points in such a short time.
As they left the Moonlight Forest and headed towards the city center…
Whoooosh!
An unusual sound came from above.
The two looked up to see someone falling rapidly.
A moment later, with a KWAANG!, a cloud of dust billowed up.
"Are you alright?"
Jinwoo approached and asked about their well-being.
Inside the cloud of dust was a familiar face. Mahiri, clad in a plain black outfit, was coughing and spitting out dust.
And beneath her, cushioning her as if to protect her body, was the hatchling Kalesian.
Kalesian saw Jinwoo and was about to open his mouth in greeting, but then he saw Ipril next to him and borrowed Mahiri's voice.
"Jinwoo-ssi! You were on the 3rd Floor too?"
"Ah, yes. But why did you fall from the sky?"
"Well…"
Just then, another person dropped from the sky as if in pursuit.
It wasn't someone who had lost their balance and fallen like Mahiri, but a man who jumped down on his own two feet and landed perfectly.
An Asian man with sharp, slanted eyes and a slender build.
However, the energy dwelling in the sword he held was anything but ordinary.
"Finally, you fell."
Speaking in Chinese with a unique accent, he was Lin Shenlin, the man who firmly held the number one spot on the 3rd Floor.

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Awakened as a Hunter 51
Jinyu (眞) ②
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Awakened as a Hunter 51
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