CHAPTER 69
069 - The Tablet
It was something he had never expected. The connection to the god's blessing still remained even after he left the 3rd Floor?
He had never heard of such a thing. If this were possible, wouldn't many Hunters on Earth be actively using blessings from the gods?
But not a single such case existed. A god's blessing was a relic exclusive to the 2nd or 3rd Floors, and it was supposed to disappear upon leaving.
If that weren't the case, why would Lin Shenlin have stayed on the 3rd Floor for years? He could have just returned to his home in Hong Kong and received the blessing there.
"How are you talking to me? Don't tell me I'm still inside the Gate… no, that's impossible."
For a moment, he wondered if he was still on the 3rd Floor, but of course, he wasn't. This was his home in Seoul, and he was currently hugging a bowl of popcorn and watching Netflix.
He'd even been through a near-plane crash on his way back from New York; there was no way he could be mistaken.
[The God of the Moonlight Forest pesters you.]
But no answer came, only the message that she was pestering him. Jinwoo glanced at his hand, then at the remote, and fiddled with the Netflix menu.
He went back to the children's animation page he had just skipped and enlarged it. But he didn't press play on the first episode yet.
"If I press this, the first episode will start. Do you want to watch it?"
[Yes, yeees…]
Her faint voice could be heard again. In fact, it felt even thinner and fainter than when he was on the 3rd Floor. Did being outside the Gate have some effect?
"Then answer my questions properly. If you answer me sincerely, I'll reward you just as sincerely."
[The God of the Moonlight Forest tilts her head. What are you curious about?]
"What I just asked. How are you communicating with me? Why does the blessing remain even though I've left the 3rd Floor?"
Jinwoo placed a hand on his chest. There, he could feel the blessing, like a glass bead that carried the scent of the forest.
A fragrance like a damp forest covered in morning dew. It wasn't his nose but his entire body that felt it.
[It's… a little different from a blessing…]
"Different from a blessing?"
[The God of the Moonlight Forest answers. It is a concentration of the divine object's power that was enshrined in the temple.]
"The power of a divine object?"
[Nod, nod.]
He was truly shocked. Several times more shocked than when she had first spoken to him.
He had thought it was a simple blessing received on the 3rd Floor. A divine blessing that boosted his strength, cleared his mind, and cleansed his soul.
But it wasn't just a blessing; it was the power of a divine object. A part of the divine object itself had been planted in Jinwoo's body.
But when?
There was no need to think. It was right then, when he had flown to the 6th Floor.
[When I opened the gate to the 6th Floor with the Lord of the Ceiling's divine object… I made it and planted it then.]
"...Why?"
He couldn't understand the reason. Why would she do such a thing, tearing off a piece of her precious divine object and giving it to him?

There was no answer.
Whether she didn't want to answer or couldn't, he could only guess. But if he had to infer, he remembered something the God of the Moonlight Forest had told him on the day he returned from the 6th Floor.
Next time, please come find me.
Back then, the God of the Moonlight Forest, the World Tree, had asked him to find her true self on the 6th Floor. She had said that opening the passage to the 6th Floor was for that very purpose.
So, giving him the divine object in the process must mean it would help him find her.
‘She should have just said so.’
If that was the case, she should have told him beforehand. His course of action on the 6th Floor might have been different.
If he had known that the blessing boosting his power was actually the power of a divine object, he might have explored the 6th Floor more boldly…
‘No, maybe not.’
No, on second thought, nothing would have changed even if she had told him.
Even if she had mentioned a divine object, he would have acted the same way, being as safe as possible, hiding like a turtle, and searching only for the Blue Portal.
There was no way he would have recklessly traversed the 6th Floor just because he had one more divine object.
[Is that a satisfactory answer?]
"Ah, yes. I have other questions too, but…"
[The God of the Moonlight Forest fidgets. She complains that she can't wait any longer.]
"...Should we watch one episode first and then talk?"
[Yes!]
A much clearer reply than usual. Seeing that she couldn't focus on the conversation, Jinwoo pressed the button on the remote. The screen zoomed in, the production company's logo passed by, and the first episode of the animation began.

From that moment on, not another word was heard from the God of the Moonlight Forest. No words, but he could hear her breathing.
Heung, heung—the breathing of an overly excited child. Jinwoo found himself stuck watching the children's animation with her, unable to even turn his head properly.
When he had briefly turned his head to look for his coke, she had made a fuss about not being able to see the screen. It seemed the God of the Moonlight Forest was watching the TV through his eyes.
‘Alright, alright.’
There was no need to spoil her fun when she was enjoying it this much.
Sometime later, when he came to his senses, Jinwoo found himself binge-watching the entire first season of the animation with the God of the Moonlight Forest.

For someone who had decided to rest, his days passed by rather busily.
His impression after binge-watching Season 1 with the God of the Moonlight Forest on the first day was that it wasn't half bad.
Being for children, it was inevitably childish and one-dimensional, but even considering that, it was a well-made series. He was able to enjoy it for its refreshing novelty.
However, that was the only day he binge-watched an entire season in one sitting.
[The God of the Moonlight Forest whines. She asks if she can watch just one more episode.]
"No. We agreed on three episodes a day, right?"
[The God of the Moonlight Forest protests. That's not what she agreed to!]
"No means no. Wait until tomorrow. Instead, let's go to the park this afternoon."
Showing her everything at once was bad for her education. Getting so engrossed in one thing that you stay up all night is something you can do when you're an adult. When you're a child, there are more important things.
…Somehow, it had become like he was raising a child. He wasn't even married, let alone had kids.
[The park is nice… The park here is a little comfortable.]
"There are parks you like and parks you don't?"
[It's not that I dislike them… but there are parks that the grass and trees dislike. There are many on the 6th Floor, too.]
That made sense. A park wasn't a naturally formed forest but a place decorated for humans or other beings. From a tree's perspective, it might be unpleasant.
Still, she said all the nearby parks Jinwoo frequented were nice. She could see that the grass and trees were comfortable and growing well.
‘Is it thanks to Chartia?’
It was probably because Chartia was managing Seoul's parks. While the direct management was handled by public offices, Chartia wielded considerable influence as a consultant.
With not only the director of the Hunter Management Bureau but also Mayor Ma Doo-sik himself strongly supporting her, a mere public office couldn't possibly ignore her.
‘It's a win-win for everyone since the citizens love it too. Though the civil servants with more work might be tired…’
For some parks, she only gave light advice, but for others, the renovations went as far as completely overhauling everything, starting from the pavement blocks.
The parks that were changed in this way all received positive reviews from the citizens, and thanks to that, public opinion of Chartia was also very favorable. Especially among families with children, the main users of the parks.
It was a shame for the civil servants who used to just coast through their work hours, but that was none of Jinwoo's concern. He was earning a lot of money, and he was paying an enormous amount in taxes.
While living this rather wholesome child-rearing…-like life, Jinwoo also handled other schedules.
He met with Chartia over the weekend, listened to her stories, and received several catalogs for cars and bikes.
"Don't rush into buying one, take your time and research them. You don't have to worry too much about the budget, right?"
"I have the compensation money from New York."
"You must have received more than me, so you really don't have to worry."
They visited dealerships together and looked at various options. He received a lot of advice, especially on things to watch out for in off-road driving, which was different from normal city driving, as well as know-how and necessary supplies.
While preparing his means of transportation, he also passed his license test. His physical abilities were already superhuman, so driving a car wasn't particularly difficult.
Meanwhile, he received a call from Ma Doo-sik.
—Hunter Kang Jinwoo. Are you free in four days? I'd like to keep my promise to take you to Restaurant Jeong-un, albeit late.
"Sounds great!"
Thinking, ‘It's finally time,’ Jinwoo accepted at once.
Four days later, Jinwoo met with Ma Doo-sik and headed to the restaurant. Jeong-un was a Korean restaurant specializing in traditional cuisine.
Perhaps for that reason, the interior was also themed around the simple elegance of old Korea, reinterpreted in a modern way. It was a design that evoked a strange sense of familiarity and nostalgia, despite being from an era he had never lived in.

"I will show you to your seats."

Guided by the waiter, they sat down and passed the time with small talk until the food began to arrive.

The menu was designed to satisfy the eyes, nose, and tongue, starting with an omija punch adorned with a small, flower-shaped pear, followed by smoked croaker with its aroma trapped inside, Hanwoo beef and fatsia shoot skewers, charcoal-grilled sirloin, and a seasonal table that included mussel pot rice.

For dessert, there was a frozen treat made of rice and soy milk, followed by a palate cleanser. Eating it as a full course provided a different kind of satisfaction than having everything spread out on a single table.

"How was your meal?"

"It was excellent. I can see why Juhyeok was praising it so much his mouth went dry."

He remembered Cheon Juhyeok from the 2nd Floor, raving about this place. He had said he’d gone with his grandfather and that there was no place more delicious.

Perhaps because of the fine meal, the conversation continued in a warm atmosphere. By Jinwoo’s standards, the desserts were very small, and he found it somewhat amusing to watch Ma Doo-sik's much larger hand delicately pick one up.

Amid this pleasant mood, Ma Doo-sik brought up the main topic.

"Hunter Kang Jinwoo. There is nothing left to prevent your promotion to S-rank."

"Pardon? S-rank?"

"That is what I called you here to discuss today."

For Jinwoo, the topic came out of nowhere. He hadn't given much thought to his rank in the first place, as access to the Gates wasn't restricted by it.

The structure of the Gates was such that, in extreme cases, even an F-rank Hunter could enter the 5th Floor. Ranks were merely for convenient classification and served mostly as a measure of fame.

"I hadn't even thought about it."

"I figured as much. Most Hunters try to raise their rank to make a name for themselves and increase their value, but that doesn't really apply to you, Hunter Kang."

Kang Jinwoo's name was already as well-known as it could be. From the incident in Tokyo to Ireland, the Temple of the Sky God, and the recent plane crash.

Since he had no need to struggle to raise his value, he had naturally forgotten about his rank. Ma Doo-sik had reminded him of it today.

"I've already taken care of all the necessary paperwork. Your career as a Hunter has been short, but the achievements you've made in that short time are extraordinary, and your track record is second to none, so it wasn't difficult."

Ma Doo-sik explained, one by one, the requirements for an S-rank promotion and how he had handled them.

"The total amount of mana stones you've collected is a bit low due to your short activity period, but it's not a major issue. Your record of eliminating Cores of Erosion is also considered in the evaluation, and just dealing with Ireland puts you at a level other Hunters can't possibly match."

"So Ireland was the deciding factor."

"That's right. Without the Ireland incident, you might not have met the criteria."

Ma Doo-sik continued his explanation. While he had taken care of most of the tedious matters, there were a few things Jinwoo had to do himself.

There were documents only he could submit, a simple test and medical check-up, and one final thing.

"You must bring back A-rank or higher mana stones from the 4th Floor. The quantity depends on the size of the stones, but you can think of it as an average of about ten."

"Ten A-rank or higher mana stones?"

"It's to prove that if you can operate at that level on the 4th Floor, you can at least survive on the 5th Floor."

It was a valid reason. An S-rank typically referred to someone who operated on the 4th or 5th Floor, but the 5th Floor was usually considered the benchmark.

To prove one could adapt to the 5th Floor, they had to show they had no difficulty on the 4th.

"Once this condition is met, we can promote you immediately. However, do not rush. Hunters on the verge of promotion are often the ones who find themselves in danger. A single moment of greed can hold you back."

An action one would normally take safely could be compromised by a moment's hesitation born from greed. And in a Gate, such hesitation was almost always directly linked to a crisis.

That was why Ma Doo-sik always gave a stern warning to everyone being promoted, not just to S-rank, but to A or B-rank as well. Even if he didn't say it directly, he made sure the Bureau staff emphasized it in announcements and instructions.

Even so, every year there were Hunters who went out for their promotion and never returned.

He didn't think Jinwoo would be one of them, but he couldn't help but worry.

"It's alright. It's not like becoming an S-rank is urgent."

Fortunately, Jinwoo didn't seem to have that kind of ambition. Ma Doo-sik let out an inward sigh of relief.

After hearing everything, Jinwoo picked up the final palate-cleansing dessert and popped it into his mouth.

'Delicious. I should come here again.'

To him, how delicious the meal had been was far more important than the talk of his S-rank promotion.

Even while leading a busy life, Jinwoo felt a sense of fulfillment. How long had it been since he'd enjoyed such peace and stability?

'Still.'

He couldn't keep this up forever.

'I got my license, bought a car and a motorcycle, and I've stocked up on plenty of fuel in my inventory.'

He had also coordinated his schedule with Chartia.

It was time to leave.

He checked the luggage he had packed in advance one last time and put it all into his inventory. His inventory was already like a large warehouse, allowing him to survive comfortably for months even if he were isolated somewhere.

Months? If he was careful, he could live for years.

After making thorough preparations, Jinwoo left his house. Or rather, he was about to.

[The God of the Moonlight Forest stops him, saying something terrible will happen if he leaves like this!]

Just as he was about to leave, the God of the Moonlight Forest suddenly blocked his path. The message was so urgent that Jinwoo's expression turned serious.

"What's wrong?"

What was it? Why was she sending such a frantic message now, just as he had finished his preparations to leave?

She answered.

[The God of the Moonlight Forest points to the item she left behind.]

The tablet, plugged in to charge.

He’d forgotten the device, which was filled to the brim with all sorts of children's content downloaded for offline viewing.