CHAPTER 59
059: Filled In a Little**

“Do you know why goblin shamans use fire magic?”

“No. I’ve never really thought about the reason.”

“It is because, to us, fire is a god. Fire illuminates the night, cooks raw meat and purifies dirty water to protect us from disease, and at the same time, it is a symbol of fear itself.”

Goblin society possessed a culture on the level of a primitive society. Thus, it wasn't strange for them to worship and serve fire as a god.

As the priest of the tribe, the goblin shaman was responsible for managing the tribe's fire, and was also the one who prayed to it.

And so.

“The first fire came from the sky. Lightning struck from the sky, burning a tree and creating fire. The magic used by goblin shamans originates from that first fire. That is why if you trace it back, you eventually arrive at lightning.”

To Jinwoo, who knew nothing but the sword, it sounded like a fanciful story. It felt similar to listening to an old tale, a legend, or a myth.

That wasn't to say he didn't accept it. After all, the abilities Jinwoo had acquired were also far from common sense.

He was simply surprised by Kanok’s offer itself.

“You’re going to teach me such an important secret art so easily?”

From what Kanok said, the ritual to greet a god symbolized their race’s history and religion itself. It was astonishing that he would so readily offer to teach a secret art that wouldn't be strange even if it were passed down to only a single successor.

“Is there anything I would not offer you, my benefactor? Moreover, it was not only my life that you saved.”

“What do you mean?”

“I am speaking of my disciple, Keron. I tried to persuade him countless times to leave the likes of me behind and depart from this place. But he would not listen. To the very end, that child cultivated medicinal herbs and searched for a way to heal me.”

But no method had worked. A being once consumed by Erosion could never escape it.

“You, benefactor, saved that child’s hope from being broken. I am truly a blessed goblin. To have such a child as my disciple, and to have formed a bond with you.”

Kanok’s voice was low and calm, making it easy to listen to. The fact that he was a goblin was not an issue at all.

His body had not yet fully recovered. Although the Erosion had been excised, his discolored brown skin remained, and his emaciated body, from not being able to eat properly, was unchanged.

But his eyes were full of vigorous life, a sign that he would certainly not die in a place like this.

“I’ve only ever held a sword, so I don’t know if I can learn something like magic, but I’ll do my best to learn.”

“You need not worry. Unlike sorcery, the ritual to greet a god does not require complex knowledge or scholarship. Otherwise, how would young goblins ever learn it?”

“That’s true.”

Come to think of it, Kanok had said his magic was the same kind used by goblin shamans. There was no way a spell learned even by goblins, who had the intelligence of a small child, could be as difficult and complex as sorcery.

In that case, it might be worth a try.

“I’m in your hands.”

“I will teach you with all my heart and soul.”

As Kanok bowed his head, Jinwoo bowed in return. He felt sorry, but he didn't think it would go well.

There was no basis for this feeling. It was just that he couldn't really picture himself doing anything other than swinging a sword.

The medicinal water that had been dripping onto Kanok’s shoulder. That water was made by Keron, who had put all sorts of herbs into a small cave lake above.

“For La Kerra, innate talent is more important than acquired knowledge. The results differ depending on how pure a soul one is born with.”

“A soul without impurity…”

Jinwoo was now soaking his body in that medicinal lake.

“This is a lake I created to remove the Erosion. It wasn't very effective against the Erosion itself, but it should be excellent for purifying ordinary impurities.”

Apparently, a ritual bath was necessary before learning the magic.

Jinwoo submerged his entire body in the water, which was steeped in an herbal aroma so thick it stung his nose. It might have been his imagination, but he felt a slight tingling sensation on his skin.

So just by being in here, all sorts of impurities will be washed away?

Not only that, but Kanok was holding a small bell he’d brought from somewhere and was mumbling something. He said he was purifying the impurities on Jinwoo’s body with the medicinal lake and using the bell’s magic to check the innate purity of his soul.

Told that all he had to do was stay still, Jinwoo quietly soaked himself.

Perhaps it was heated by geothermal energy, but the lake water was moderately warm, creating the perfect environment for rest.

I have been too tense since coming to the 6th Floor.

He had faced many tense situations before, but never had he been this high-strung. It was a good thing he had the White Tower with Permu as a base, and had formed a good relationship with the goblins Kanok and Keron. If not, he might have been driven into a corner by now.

He closed his eyes and reflected on the recent past. The atmosphere was perfect for a nap, but he didn't feel sleepy. He waited quietly in meditation for the ritual bath to end.

But then.

“This… how can this be…”

At some point, Kanok, who had been chanting what seemed to be a spell or incantation, was staring with wide, astonished eyes.

Thinking there might be some bad result, Jinwoo frowned.

“What’s wrong? Is something bad?”

“Ah, no. It is the opposite. I cannot feel a single speck of impurity in your soul, benefactor. Judging by the clean state of the lake, the same is true of your body.”

It seemed he was surprised because, on the contrary, it was too clean.

Jinwoo had a guess about his body. It was the golden apple he had eaten on the 3rd Floor not long ago. At that time, his body and mind had been completely purified by the golden waves that washed over him. Because of that, there were likely no impurities left to be cleansed here.

But his soul was another matter.

“If it’s clean, that’s a good thing, right?”

“Of course… no, more than that, this is impossible. No soul in this world can be this clean. This isn't just pure white; it’s on a level that can only be described as bleached.”

“……? What do you mean?”

“I mean it is not natural.”

That… didn't sound like a good thing.

“It may have something to do with your ability to cut away the Erosion, benefactor.”

“Now that you mention it, I’ve absorbed the energy of Erosion several times, but my soul has remained unchanged.”

He hadn't questioned it before, but now that he thought about it, it was strange. How many times had he absorbed the Black Flame, which was Erosion itself? From the very first time he cut the Shadow’s flame in the movie theater to just a moment ago when he sliced away the flame that was eating at Kanok.

Jinwoo had cut down a truckload of Black Flames. But even after absorbing them all, Jinwoo’s soul was still blue.

“Every soul has at least one speck of impurity. Even the demigods who hold territory in this Spirit Realm are no exception. Needless to say, the same is true for the Monarchs. But a soul this white… I have never even heard of such a thing.”

Kanok’s words about it being “not natural” bothered him. He had thought that being unaffected after absorbing the Black Flame was an ability similar to purification. But purification was originally about removing impurities and returning things to their natural state.

Being so clean that it was unnatural felt a little different from purification.

“Is it a problem if it’s that clean? If not now, then maybe later?”

“My apologies. As I said, this is the first time I have seen such a thing, so I cannot make a rash judgment.”

That makes sense.

Jinwoo’s mind became a little cluttered, but it wasn't something he could figure out just by thinking about it.

“Then what about for learning the magic?”

“It is the best, of course. The sky is always more drawn to a pure soul.”

“Then let’s proceed for now.”

He would have to think about what might happen later, later. Jinwoo got out of the now-ineffective medicinal lake and dried himself.

A short while later.

In front of a large tree outside the cave, Jinwoo was grunting and rubbing his fingers together.

“For something I’m supposedly the ‘best’ at, this isn’t working out.”

“I-Indeed. Normally, by this point, a flame the size of a candle should have appeared.”

Kanok was also flustered by the unexpected result.

The ritual to greet a god was easier to learn for beings born with a pure soul. In that sense, he had thought Jinwoo would be able to create fire and call down lightning in no time.

But contrary to his expectations, there was no reaction at all.

It’s not like I don’t feel anything.

He circulated his mana just as Kanok had instructed. He meticulously controlled the path, speed, and even the density.

At the same time, he was told to envision a charred tree. To envision the tree, then the flame that burned it. To trace it back further to the lightning that created the flame, and then to raise his consciousness all the way to the sky that had sent the lightning.

He was told that was how one could learn the magic of La Kerra.

But nothing was working.

“Maybe I just don’t have any talent for this.”

“No matter how little talent you have, if you pour this much mana into it, at least a small flame should appear. Moreover, with a soul as pure as yours, benefactor, it would not be strange for lightning to strike immediately.”

Then why isn’t it working?

Suddenly, the groundless premonition he’d felt earlier came to mind. The one about how he couldn't quite imagine himself not holding a sword.

Perhaps things like magic just weren't his forte. Just as he was thinking that.

What if I try it with my sword?

The thought occurred to him: what if he tried using his sword instead of his fingers, like Kanok and Keron?

Bulkar did say the sword he forged has a strong affinity for lightning.

Jinwoo took the Sky Sword out of his inventory. The sword was housed in the scabbard, a divine relic he had taken from the temple, and because of it, an aura of Erosion was billowing out.

“Benefactor. That is…”

“Just in case, stand back a little.”

Kanok, who had suffered terribly after being consumed by Erosion, trembled with instinctual fear. Jinwoo couldn't exactly tell him, ‘Don’t worry, my scabbard doesn’t bite,’ so he told him to keep his distance. Besides, there was no guarantee it actually wouldn’t bite.

He held the Erosion-wreathed scabbard in his left hand, and with his right, he gripped the hilt of the Sky Sword, which Bulkar had personally wrapped in leather.

He envisioned the image Kanok had described, starting from the burnt tree and ascending to the sky, and circulated his mana.

Crackle.

There was a faint reaction between the sword and the scabbard. It was a spark of static electricity, so small it was almost invisible, but there was definitely a reaction.

It was a phenomenon that hadn't occurred no matter what he did with his hands. Jinwoo’s intuition screamed that now was the time.

Fzzt-zzzzzt!

The moment he drew the sword from the scabbard, he heard the distinct sound of tearing paper unique to an electric charge. Without killing the momentum of his draw, he brought the blade down on the tree.

KRA-KOOOOM!

Simultaneously with the flash of his sword, a thick bolt of lightning struck the tree.

After the powerful aftershock passed, an astonishing scene was revealed. The tree, split in two by the sword, had become a blackened piece of charcoal and was burning fiercely.

To do something like this with a sword…

When he received the Sky Sword from Bulkar, he had thought that he would one day learn an ability befitting the blade. But seeing it for himself was even more surprising.

Simply cutting something could be done by launching a blade of energy, but this lightning allowed for a much larger-scale attack.

[A Fragment of a Past Life emerges.]

Just then, the familiar message of an ability awakening appeared.

This ability is the magic of a goblin shaman, but I learned this in my past life too?

He thought so, but what emerged was something completely different.

[The striking thunder is also a part of the garden.]

Garden…

That word reminded him of what happened in Ireland. The memory he had awakened then. His past self in a small garden.

That garden wasn't small at all. His past self had thought it was small, but from Jinwoo's perspective, it wasn't. It was a world in and of itself, it was nature, and therefore it was a place where all sorts of phenomena and life forms circulated.

The lightning that struck from the sky was also a part of it.

“A-Astonishing, benefactor. A lightning bolt of this magnitude is not an easy feat even for me…”

Kanok approached, looking around with a surprised expression. The tree struck by the Sky Sword’s flash was nothing but ash, and the surrounding area was scorched black in a radial pattern.

A power that even Kanok, the master of the magic, could not produce without taking time to concentrate. Jinwoo had unleashed it with just the act of drawing and striking with his sword.

“Your innate talent is one thing, but your understanding and affinity for lightning are considerable.”

“This sword is made of sky-steel.”

“The material of the sword alone would not amplify its power to this extent.”

Kanok shook his head at Jinwoo’s words. It was true that sky-steel had good synergy with La Kerra, but that alone could not explain this level of impact.

He said this was Jinwoo’s own innate talent.

So this must be the fragment I just recalled.

He now understood what the phrase "The striking thunder is also a part of the garden" meant. That must be why he possessed an understanding and affinity that would surprise even Kanok.

From the medicinal lake to this fragment, it had been a day with much to think about. But.

I’ve gained a great weapon!

For now, he was satisfied with having obtained an excellent ability. It was his greatest harvest on the 6th Floor.

Keron returned the next day. He brought a great deal of food for his master, but unfortunately, he said he had not yet found a blue portal.

“Keruk, keruk.”

“He says he will set out again tomorrow morning. Please don't worry, benefactor, and rest here.”

Keron said he would diligently repay the kindness, and that he would find the blue portal no matter what.

There was no reason to refuse. He was offering to explore the dangerous 6th Floor, so Jinwoo was only grateful.

I can’t just sit around and play, either.

If he searched separately, their efficiency would double. When he conveyed this thought to Kanok, the goblin handed him a talisman made of tattered cloth.

“If Keron finds the portal, I will contact you through this talisman. You may move as you wish, benefactor.”

“Thank you.”

Teaching him magic, searching for the portal, and now this thoughtful gesture. After expressing his gratitude in many ways, Jinwoo left Kanok’s cave behind.

First, let's go back to the tower.

He would return to his base, reorganize, and then set out to search in a different direction. Since Keron would be searching in this direction from the tower, he could search from the opposite side.

Searching like that, he should be able to find a blue portal in no time.

Leaving the cave, Jinwoo began his journey back to the White Tower. With the map he had drawn, he could return easily.

He took out his map and a pen. In the center of the map, the White Tower was drawn, and he had drawn the path he took to get here. He added a drawing of a cave and two simply drawn goblin faces.

Two locations were now marked in the center of the map. They were just tiny marks on the whole sheet of paper, but he felt like he had filled it in a little.