CHAPTER 60
060: What's All the Commotion?**

He returned to the White Tower. As he opened the door and entered, Permu appeared in mid-air to greet him.

“Welcome back!”

It was the same spatial movement ability he had seen when he first came to the tower. She looked as if she had just shot out of bed, her eyes were drowsy and she was wearing baggy cloth clothes and wide-tousled trousers.

“I’m back. Were you sleeping?”

“It was about time for me to wake up, so it’s fine. More importantly, this way, this way!”

Permu pulled Jinwoo along to the familiar greenhouse garden. She brewed tea herself and brought out biscuits and cheese from a jar stored in the corner of a cabinet.

For someone who had just woken up, she was incredibly energetic, seemingly unable to bear waiting any longer to hear Jinwoo’s story.

Despite that, the minimal etiquette of a queen seemed to be ingrained in her, as she barely managed to restrain her fidgeting mouth until the tea and refreshments were perfectly set.

The tea time preparations were completed within ten minutes, and the two of them quietly took their first sip. The warm tea flowed down his throat, completely calming Jinwoo’s heart.

This wasn’t his home, but he felt a comfort as if he had returned home. It might have been because he thought of this place as the safest location on the 6th Floor.

“How did it go? Did your errand go well? Was there any danger? Did you see the main body of Mother World Tree?”

As soon as he took a sip, she asked, her eyes sparkling. He had expected her to ask this. She had always been extremely curious about the outside world, and stories of the 6th Floor were something she couldn't hear from anywhere else.

“Wait, wait. I’ll tell you one thing at a time. Just calm down.”

“Yes.”

Unable to close her twitching mouth, Permu covered it with her own hands. With a wry smile, Jinwoo began to explain, one by one, the events that had transpired after he left the tower.

Even so, there wasn't much to tell. The 6th Floor was a place where a light fog lingered everywhere, and that fog was all high-density mana. Not only that, but the water, air, and land were also steeped in dense mana, so every living thing that grew in this land had the effect of a minor elixir.

So he had absorbed mana little by little through various means, including wild berries and peaches.

And then, he discovered the goblin shaman's herb garden, which led to a fight.

“A goblin shaman! A shaman challenged you to a fight all by himself? I’ve never heard of a goblin who cultivates herbs!”

As expected, the mention of Keron immediately sent Permu’s excitement level soaring.

She had never seen a goblin, but she had heard many stories. She had heard that goblins were low-level creatures that couldn't even inflict a single wound on a knight like Rona, even if they swarmed in by the hundreds.

A shaman might be a high-ranking individual among goblins, but a goblin was still a goblin. But such a goblin existed on the 6th Floor, and was even cultivating an herb garden?

“He was a pretty strong fellow. Not on your level, but he had a short-range spatial movement technique, and more importantly, he had a spell that called down lightning.”

“A spell that calls down lightning? A goblin?”

“I found out later that the fireball goblin shamans use originally came from lightning. Well, that story comes later, so I’ll tell you about it then…”

After that, he told her about defeating Keron. About chasing the fleeing goblin and arriving at a cave. About meeting Keron’s master, Kanok, inside the cave, and cutting away his Erosion. And as a reward, he was treated to a hearty meal and even got to learn the aforementioned magic.

He explained the entire sequence of events in detail, without leaving anything out. He thought she would be disappointed if he omitted anything, so he was as meticulous as possible, not even leaving out the emotions he felt at the time or descriptions of the scenery.

“Gasp! Ooh? Wow!”

Permu listened intently to Jinwoo’s story, barely even breathing.

Among all of it, Jinwoo had thought she would be most surprised by the part where he cut away the Erosion. And indeed, Permu was surprised at that part, but she didn’t harbor any deeper emotions.

Rather, she felt intense emotions about the series of adventures Jinwoo had experienced itself. Envy, and admiration.

“Amazing, just amazing! To have experienced so much in such a short time and returned!”

“I suppose so. In terms of time, it hasn't even been a few days…”

“I’m envious. I want to go on a heart-pounding adventure like that, too.”

He had just been lucky; in reality, every moment had been a crisis. If he had met a more selfish, stronger opponent, he might not have been able to return.

An adventure was not full of romance, but accompanied by realistic danger.

…He could have said that, but Jinwoo didn't.

It was easy to lecture. But whether it would reach her heart was another matter.

For someone who's been trapped her whole life, and is fated to die trapped, she wouldn't hear a word of it even if I told her adventures are dangerous.

Her envy was not childish, but natural. Anyone who had been trapped for hundreds of years would want to get out somehow.

“Permu. Can you really not leave this place? Is there no way at all?”

“No,” she replied to Jinwoo’s question with a lonely expression. “I’ve pleaded with Mother World Tree several times, but there’s no answer. I’ve tried to leave on my own, and I’ve tried to break down the walls, but it was no use.”

Within the tower, Permu possessed immense authority. She could change the tower’s structure at will and move through space freely.

But.

“It’s all only within the tower. No matter what power I have, I can’t leave the tower, nor can I destroy it.”

She couldn't use even a little of her power towards the outside of the tower. Her power, and her very existence, could only exist within the tower.

After looking dejected for a moment, she quickly lifted her head.

“U-Um!”

“Hm?”

“What will you do for your next adventure?”

As if mindful of the somber mood, she deliberately changed the subject with a bright voice. Jinwoo swallowed a wry smile and took out the map from his inventory, spreading it open.

“Is this a map?”

“Yeah. I drew the places I’ve been.”

“Is this the tower in the middle? Ah, are these the goblins you drew here? How cute!”

“This time, I’m thinking of circling the area around the tower.”

Jinwoo pointed his finger at the White Tower and traced a spiral path. Whereas before he had looked for a stream and followed the waterway, this time he planned to expand his search area by drawing circles with the tower at the center.

“I can’t go far, but I can search without missing any areas. And considering the dangers of the 6th Floor, not being able to go far is actually a good thing. It makes it easier to escape to this tower if something happens.”

“Oh my, you’re right! You’re so smart.”

“I read it somewhere.”

Searching this way, the distance to the tower would be short, so there would be no need to camp out. He could return to the tower before the sun set to sleep, and leave again early in the morning.

When he explained this plan, Permu clapped her hands and praised it as a truly great plan. It seemed she was particularly pleased with the fact that he would be sleeping back at the tower.

And the next day, as planned, Jinwoo left the tower early in the morning.

“Take care.”

Leaving Permu, who was seeing him off, behind, he stepped outside the tower. The faint, skin-clinging mist of mana greeted him as always.

It’s the perfect environment for training.

There was no need to go searching for elixirs or spiritual beasts. If he just found a place with good air and water and swung his sword, he could reach a considerable level.

The problem was that there was no safe place where he could dedicate himself to training with peace of mind.

Of course, there's no such thing as a 100% safe place in the world.

Even so, he had to be cautious of the dangers of the 6th Floor. This was a world where a goblin he met on the road could casually teleport and cast lightning. There were surely much more powerful beings out there.

For now, let’s focus on getting back.

Rather than being mesmerized by the dense mana of the Spirit Realm, he would retreat for now and think about it. In the first place, he had a lot of things he wanted to say to the God of the Moonlight Forest, who had suddenly dropped him here.

Ten days passed like that.

As planned, Jinwoo circled the area around the tower, gradually expanding his search range, and the area around the White Tower on the map grew brighter and brighter.

“You’re back? You haven’t eaten yet, have you? I’ve prepared it so we can eat right away. Let's eat together.”

Every time he returned to the tower, Permu would greet him as before and ask about his day.

Other than meeting Kanok and Keron at the very beginning, nothing special had happened. He had just looked around at the surrounding terrain, calmly drawn his map, and returned.

Even so, Permu enjoyed his trivial stories and played along. It seemed she considered the process of slowly filling out the map while exploring a dangerous place an adventure in itself, and she admired it.

My mana has increased quite a bit, too.

As the map was gradually filled in, Jinwoo’s mana also continued to increase little by little. This was because he had roasted and eaten every new fruit, fish, and small wild animal he came across during his search.

They were delicious even when just grilled with a little salt, and even better with a sprinkle of pepper. In those moments, Jinwoo never felt more alive. The increase in his mana was always something he noticed afterward.

“You’ll be leaving early tomorrow too, right?”

“I should. Tomorrow… huh?”

Just then, the talisman he carried in his pocket grew slightly warm. Feeling like a heated hot pack, Jinwoo took out the talisman. It burned itself away, but strangely, the fire only consumed the talisman and didn’t burn Jinwoo’s hand or clothes. All he felt was a slight warmth.

“Ah…”

Permu, who knew what the talisman was and what its burning meant, fell silent, unable to continue.

“I’ve got a message.”

It was a message that they had found the blue portal.

Permu looked like she was about to cry. No, she was actually dabbing at her flowing tears with her sleeve, barely managing to wipe them away. Her white sleeve was stained with tear marks.

“Well, I’ll be going.”

It was time to part. He didn’t know when he would come to the 6th Floor again, but it probably wouldn't be for a while.

This time, the God of the Moonlight Forest had used two divine relics to suddenly throw Jinwoo into the 6th Floor. Having experienced that, Jinwoo had no intention of ever taking out the Sky God’s scabbard in the Moonlight Forest’s shrine again.

“You will, you will come again, right?”

“……”

Jinwoo trailed off. He had no intention of coming back to the 6th Floor ever again, at least not for the time being.

But this tower didn't only exist on the 6th Floor. Even if not on the 6th Floor, it also existed in the Kingdom of Delphinia, in the royal castle of the world where the elves lived.

“I might be able to come back through the elf world.”

“Really? You can do that?”

“With this guy, I can get to that world too.”

Jinwoo said, showing her the Ego Sword at his waist. The Ego Sword let out a small kiiing sound, as if to say, ‘Leave it to me.’

Hearing that, Permu’s face brightened a little.

“If you come this way, please be sure to contact me. I’ll speak to the blockheaded elders of the royal castle in advance.”

Permu knew well that her own influence wasn't that great. The elders would probably ignore her, or perhaps get furiously angry. How dare you suggest we let a human, a bag of old bones, into the sacred land of the elves! they would say.

Honestly, she wasn't confident she could persuade the elders, but she didn't want to show a lack of confidence in front of the departing Jinwoo.

If it came down to it, there was also Rona. Rona had said she was friends with Jinwoo, so she would surely take her side.

“Alright, I’ll be counting on you then.”

Jinwoo nodded his head, thinking of the elves of Belen Village and Marie. He wouldn't mind visiting a dangerous place like the 6th Floor, but he did want to visit Belen Village again.

And also.

If I go there, I might be able to see the Eroded roots of the World Tree again.

This incident had made him even more ignorant about the World Tree. All he had learned in the Moonlight Forest’s shrine was that the World Tree had childish tastes; he hadn't learned anything about its connection to the Erosion. And on the 6th Floor, he hadn’t seen a single leaf of the World Tree.

“See you later, then.”

“Yes. Take care…”

Even though they had made a promise, her sadness didn't seem to fade as she waved her hand with a dejected voice.

After Jinwoo left the tower, silence returned once more. Alone in the tower, her hand dropped limply to her side.

She had always been alone, so things had just returned to how they were.

But for some reason, her heart ached.

Jinwoo headed straight for Kanok’s cave. Inside, Kanok and Keron were waiting for him.

“You’ve come. Let us go at once.”

“Keruk!”

Keron took the lead, as if telling him to follow, and opened the way. After following him for about half a day, they found the place with the blue portal.

However, they couldn't approach the portal right away, because a giant with the head of a bear was sitting in front of it, sharpening the blade of an axe.

Another bear?

A blue portal had also appeared in the lair of a large bear back in the Primeval Forest. It seemed he had some kind of connection with bears.

“Benefactor. I will lure it away, so please jump in during that time. Don't worry about us… B-Benefactor!?”

Just as Kanok was about to use magic with his not-yet-healed body, Jinwoo was already heading down the hill.

Kanok hurriedly used his magic and brought down a lightning bolt. KRA-KOOM! A bolt of lightning fell from the clear sky and struck the bear-headed giant that was sharpening its axe.

—GROOOOAR!

But the giant didn't even flinch. Was there something special about its fur-covered skin? There was a slight smell of burning, but it didn't seem to have taken any significant damage.

“Benefactor! I will try to attack its eyes…”

Even so, there was still a way to fight. Kanok expertly spoke of his next move and prepared his magic.

By then, the giant had already spotted Jinwoo and was charging towards him with heavy footfalls.

Jinwoo took out the Sky Sword, sheathed in its scabbard, from his inventory.

Even if its fur can disperse the lightning, its internal organs won't be able to do the same.

Jinwoo’s method was no different from Kanok’s. It was just that Kanok, who had no means other than magic, aimed for the bear’s eyes, while Jinwoo, who had a sword, aimed for its deeper internal organs.

Fzzt.

With a small spark of static electricity, the sword was drawn. At the same time, the power of Erosion contained in the scabbard imbued the sword, causing it to emit an ominous aura.

Frowning at it, Jinwoo nevertheless swung the sword down without hesitation.

The giant’s Blue Flame was cut, and its fur, flesh, and muscle were sliced through. And right on that spot, a thick bolt of lightning struck as a direct hit.

KRA-KABOOOM!

A much thicker bolt of lightning than the one Kanok had hastily shot fell, delivering the final blow to the half-severed giant’s body.

It looked like it was almost dead just from being cut by the sword. Was the magic overkill?

Looking at the blackened, split-open body, he wondered if he really needed to go that far. But he quickly changed his mind.

This is the Spirit Realm. I don't know what tricks it might be hiding, so it’s right to kill it with maximum firepower when I have the chance.

Thinking of it that way, it was a wise decision. Jinwoo sheathed the Sky Sword again and threw it into his inventory.

Inside the charred corpse of the bear-headed giant, there was a small, shining yellowish orb. It was about the size of a pinky fingernail, and he could feel a rather turbid mix of mana from it.

“It’s an inner core. You should take it.”

Kanok, who had rushed over late, explained. So this is the inner core that spiritual beasts are said to have? Like a magic stone from a monster?

Although it was small, he could feel a quite condensed amount of magical power. The turbid feeling didn't matter. The Dragon Sword could filter out the impurities and extract only pure mana anyway.

“Well then, I’m off. Thanks for everything.”

“Not at all. We are the ones who have received a great kindness.”

“Keruk.”

Kanok prostrated himself as if performing a deep bow, pressing his head to the ground, and Keron followed suit.

Jinwoo waved to them and jumped into the blue portal.

In the end, I gained a lot of things.

It had been a short period of just over two weeks, but he had gained much. Both his mana and his soul had grown much stronger than before he came to the 6th Floor, and he had gained an ability to unleash with the Sky Sword.

But he had gained two things even more precious than that. One was the map.

, . Only two locations and their surroundings were drawn, but it was still valuable information. He now knew of two places that could serve as a base.

And the other was the connections he had made.

Next to the White Tower on the map, a simply drawn elf was drawn, and next to the cave, the faces of two goblins were drawn.

He didn't know when it would be, but if he were to come to the 6th Floor again, there would be nothing more valuable than this.

So he thought.

The place he returned to was inside the Moonlight Forest’s shrine. He had thought he might return to Earth, but it seemed that wasn't the case.

The blue portal was a portal that let you exit back to the 'place you entered from,' so it wasn't strange that he had come out back in the shrine.

“Hey.”

The first thing Jinwoo did after returning safely was to glare at the tree growing behind the altar and complain.

“What were you thinking, sending me to a place like that all of a sudden? I could have died.”

He was speaking lightly because he had returned alive, but the content was serious. He had been lucky to meet people like Permu and Kanok; if not, he would already be dead.

[The God of the Moonlight Forest sincerely apologizes.]

[I, I was just trying to open a small Gate, I didn't know you'd suddenly get sucked in…]

He had heard a faint voice a few times until now, but this was the clearest he had ever heard it. It seemed it wanted to express its sincerity that much.

He wanted to argue more, but there was no point in getting angry.

After leaving a warning not to do such a thing arbitrarily again, Jinwoo asked the one question he really wanted to ask.

“Are you the World Tree?”

[Yes…]

The reply came back more plainly, more surprisingly, than he had expected.

He had been almost certain, so Jinwoo wasn't surprised by the answer.

[Next time, please come find me.]

With those words, the World Tree’s communication was cut off. Jinwoo called out a few more times, but there was no answer.

Was the World Tree trying to open a Gate to the 6th Floor to ask me to come find her?
But the Spirit Realm must be incredibly vast. How am I supposed to find a single tree in that world? Especially in such a dangerous place where I can't even wander around freely.
‘Will I ever have a reason to go to the 6th Floor again?’
If I had my way, I’d never set foot in that place again for the rest of my life. That was the normal, rational way to think.
But I couldn’t deny that something was pulling me there.
‘There were a lot of delicious things, too.’
That wasn't the only reason… but it was certainly one of them.
In any case, letting out a sigh of relief at his safe return, Jinwoo left the temple.
But then…
"What the, what's going on?"
The city was teeming with people. It was never this crowded before, but now it was as bustling as the heart of Seoul.
Moreover, most of them were Hunters from Earth. Hunters of different nationalities and skin colors were swarming everywhere, each going about their own business.
Ruuuumble!
KRA-KABOOOOM!
To make matters worse, dark clouds had gathered over the Sky Island, which was supported by the giant tree above, and dozens of lightning bolts were striking down.
‘What in the world is all this commotion?’
He had no idea what had happened to the city during the two weeks he was gone.