CHAPTER 70
070 - Found It

Jinwoo went to pick up Chartia in the off-road SUV he had just bought.

Considering his bank balance, he could have bought a sleek sports car, but a low-chassis vehicle was inconvenient for driving outside the city. The places he could go would be too limited, which didn't suit his purpose.

Still, it was thrilling enough. There was something about the angular body and massive tires that stirred a man's heart.

For a novice driver, Jinwoo handled the vehicle quite skillfully. After picking up Chartia, they headed out of the city.

"You're more skilled than I expected. Isn't this your first time out?"

"Not exactly. I've been going out every dawn for the past few days to get a lot of practice. I spent a long time just driving around on quiet roads."

He wasn't completely comfortable yet, but he looked quite the part of a driver, earning a compliment from Chartia.

"At this rate, we can definitely take turns driving. That'll be a big help for me."

"Paved roads are fine, but I'm not sure how I'll do out there."

"Everything is an experience. I'll be there if anything happens, so just practice comfortably."

The car carrying the two of them passed through the checkpoint and exited the barrier. They were no longer in a zone protected from monsters.

An attack could come at any time, from anywhere. Chartia's expression tensed slightly, but Jinwoo was relatively calm.

'Nothing nearby.'

With his ability to sense Blue Flames, he could detect any approaching monsters.

As long as they didn't use sudden spatial movement to approach, like Keron had, there was no problem. And it was highly unlikely that a monster of that caliber would be near the city.

He was more concerned about the rattling car. As soon as they left the city, they were greeted by broken asphalt, and maneuvering the car through it was harder than he'd expected.

He recalled when he and Chartia had explored outside the city before, how she had specifically taken out her motorcycle despite having a car.

"I see now why you insisted on riding the motorcycle back then."

"You mean before? Motorcycles are certainly more convenient. More dangerous, too, but still."

For an S-rank Hunter like her, the added danger was negligible, so it made sense that she preferred the motorcycle. Jinwoo even considered putting the car away and taking out his own motorcycle.

When he bought this car, he had also purchased an off-road motorcycle and stored it in his inventory. Of course, he had a license and had practiced a little.

But he soon dismissed the thought.

'Once we get further from the city, I won't be able to drive the car even if I want to. I should use this chance to practice while I can.'

The farther they got from Seoul, the more ruined cities they would encounter, and the road conditions would become even more abysmal. A time would come when he'd have no choice but to ride the motorcycle.

He felt it was right to get as much driving practice as he could now, while the car was still usable.

"Where are we headed?"

"I don't have a set destination. For now, I plan to just head south aimlessly and see if I can detect any Cores of Erosion."

"Are you using your detection ability now?"

"Yes. I don't feel any Cores yet."

Jinwoo's main goal was to find minions of Erosion, but he'd heard there weren't many of them.

While searching for minions, if he found any remaining Cores of Erosion, he would cut them down and absorb them. For the time being, that was a sufficient goal for their wandering.

"Doesn't this feel nice? It brings back old memories."

Chartia said, letting the wind blow through the wide-open window. Her bright blonde hair fluttered and scattered in the breeze.

"It does for me, too. It hasn't even been that long, but it feels like a lifetime ago."

"A lot has happened in between..."

Chartia glanced at Jinwoo with a newfound sense of wonder.

Back when they had first gone outside the city together, she had been amazed by his swordsmanship. The beautiful sword strikes that effortlessly dispatched monsters and found and sliced through Cores of Erosion in a single blow.

'It was similar during the plane incident not long ago.'

She had seen his sword during the plane crash, too. She had thought it beautiful then as well. Though the only blades Chartia had ever held were kitchen knives or a jungle machete, she found her eyes strangely drawn to his sword.

The sword she saw on the plane had improved significantly compared to the one he used to slice the Cores in the past. It showed signs of arduous training and discipline.

But at the same time, it felt as if he hadn't changed much at all.

'Thinking about it, it doesn't make sense. The Jinwoo from back then has now developed to the point where he's practically guaranteed to become an S-rank.'

His growth rate was unbelievable. He had faced many trials and gained strength by overcoming them, but even considering that, it was beyond common sense.

Yet, strangely, Chartia didn't find it odd.

'Mayor Ma Doo-sik was so astonished, calling him the greatest Hunter ever born, a talent who would save Seoul.'

Chartia was surprised too, but not to the extent Ma Doo-sik was. Rather than being shocked, she had an unfounded premonition that this was meant to be.

It was a conviction she'd had since she first saw his sword back then—no, even before that, when she first met him inside the Erosion and witnessed his blade.

Deep inside, in a place even she wasn't aware of, there was something that was certain of Jinwoo's growth. The incident on the plane had only brought it to her conscious mind.

'There's definitely something more. I must have been more than just a simple Elf in my past life.'

Chartia thought Jinwoo had been an Elf in his past life. She had speculated he might have been an Elven knight or a mercenary.

But now, she felt he must have been more than just a simple knight. Perhaps he was something far greater, a being who might have even been recorded in Elven history.

Was there a way to learn more about Elven history? The history that remained in her memory was just a series of fragmented facts outlining the major events.

'Hmm... I guess I have no choice but to try and recall more of my past life memories?'

She thought about it, but there seemed to be no other way. The only other option she could think of was to befriend an Elf inside a Gate and listen to their history.

But she had little desire to enter a Gate, and more importantly, she didn't think she could befriend an Elf even if she met one. Most Elves were single-mindedly focused on killing other races to collect their souls.

"Huh?"

Just then, Jinwoo made a sound, and Chartia turned to look at him.

"What is it?"

"I've detected a Core."

"Already?"

"Let's go check it out."

It hadn't been long since they left the city. Yet he could already feel a Core.

Jinwoo turned the wheel in the direction of the Core, a slightly disappointed look on his face.

'It's not a minion.'

It was a bit disappointing, but he couldn't just pass it by. A Core of Erosion was still an excellent source of Black Flame.

The Core was located in a temple on Gwanggyosan Mountain. A broken sign lying on the ground bore the Hanja characters for Gwaniksa.

The inside was in shambles. The temple buildings were all half-destroyed, and goblin-like monsters walking on all fours roamed the grounds.

"Let's clean up first."

These low-level monsters were no match for Jinwoo or Chartia. As if they were merely cleaning, they found and killed every monster in the temple.

Even monsters like these yielded mana stones and Blue Flames to absorb, so it wasn't a complete waste of time.

"Phew, this side is done. How about you, Jinwoo?"

"I'm finished too. It's gotten quiet now that they're all dead."

With the growling monsters gone, the temple became incredibly silent.

Collapsed tile roofs, red pillars snapped in half—not a single one of the Buddha statues that had once benevolently watched over the living was left intact.

As dusk began to fall, the atmosphere grew quite eerie, especially for a temple deep in the mountains.

"Where's the Core?"

"This way."

The Core of Erosion was located in a small well behind the temple. It was built where mountain groundwater sprang up, so it could also be called a mineral spring.

The Core was a rock that was being soaked by the water 24/7. If it had been a Buddha statue, it might have felt a little unsettling, so perhaps this was a relief.

"I'll cut it down."

With no reason to leave it be, Jinwoo immediately sliced the rock. The Black Flame seeped into him, making his soul just a little bit stronger.

He didn't gain a new ability, likely because he had already acquired Rock Sword in the past.

"Jinwoo, should we sleep here for the night?"

"Hmm... no. We have the car, let's go a bit further down. A city center would be safer, don't you think?"

"Sounds good."

Chartia readily agreed, and the two left the temple and headed further down.

"Huh?"

"What is it?"

"There's another Core."

As they descended a little toward the city, he felt another Core of Erosion. It was right in the direction they were heading.

When they found it, it was in a clothing store this time. Like the temple, the interior was completely destroyed, filled with torn clothes and broken mannequins.

"Thankfully, there are no monsters."

Chartia was happy about that. No matter how easy they were to deal with, the presence of monsters was never a pleasant thing. The act of shedding blood itself was not enjoyable.

"Convenience stores and marts are all looted, but since this is a clothing store, all the goods are still here."

"Who would grab clothes while evacuating in a hurry?"

Though people had lived in this city long ago, Jinwoo could vividly picture the scene from that time.

The days before the barriers were properly installed, when Erosion spread indiscriminately. The images of people fleeing from attacking monsters, looting convenience stores, and holding out in supermarkets, trying to survive somehow.

Jinwoo cut down the Core of Erosion. This time, the Core was a half-broken mannequin in a corner of the store.

"Let's find a place to sleep."

With Chartia nodding in agreement, they wandered through the ruined city, looking for a building to stay in for the night. Fortunately, they found a motel that was still mostly intact.

They passed the empty reception desk and entered a suitable room. The door was bent in half and the bed was split open; it was far from a proper room. Naturally, there was no electricity or running water.

They pushed the broken furniture to one side and set up a tent. With the door and windows broken, they couldn't block the draft, so a tent was necessary for a comfortable night's sleep.

Even though they were inside a building, they set up camp as if they were on a trip and had dinner together.

After taking off their coats and changing into comfortable clothes, the outside grew dark. Chartia boiled some water and made them each a cup of warm cocoa.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

He lightly clinked his mug against hers as she smiled, then warmed his throat with the cocoa. The night had become quite chilly, but drinking cocoa in front of the campfire warmed him up instantly.

[Today...]

Just then, he heard the voice of the God of the Moonlight Forest. Right, he hadn't done it yet today. He had been so busy driving all day and cutting down monsters and Cores that he'd forgotten.

"Chartia, sorry, but would you mind if I watched something for a bit?"

"Huh? Oh, sure, go ahead."

After getting permission from his companion, Jinwoo took out the tablet. He set it up on the table so it was clearly visible and played the animation that the God of the Moonlight Forest was so insistent about watching.

It was season two, episode three, a season they were already rewatching for the third time.

Somehow, he felt Chartia's gaze on him. He'd never been this conscious of her looking at him before.

Jinwoo cleared his throat awkwardly and explained.

"It's a promise... three episodes a day. Though I did tell her it might be two, or even one, when we're outside."

"A promise? With whom?"

"Well..."

He couldn't just say it was with the World Tree.

How would she, with her past life as an Elf, react if he told her that the World Tree was actually enjoying watching things like this?

She would certainly be dumbfounded. There was also a chance she wouldn't believe the story at all.

[The God of the Moonlight Forest claps her hands, clap, clap, clap.]

Contrary to Jinwoo's discomfort, the World Tree, the God of the Moonlight Forest, was giggling and enjoying the animation.

On the screen, the main character was defeating an enemy fairy and saving a companion. He envied how carefree kids were.

'Wait, who am I to call her a kid? The World Tree has lived tens, maybe hundreds of times longer than me.'

As he was thinking that, a chair was placed next to him. Chartia, who had been sitting across from him, had moved her chair right next to his.

"Can I watch with you?"

"Go ahead. I'm not sure if you'll find it interesting, though. It's for kids."

"So you're watching it even though it's not fun?"

"Well... it does have its moments."

"What's that? So you do find it fun."

Chartia chuckled and sat beside him, sipping her cocoa.

As she watched, she asked him various questions. Since she was skipping season one and starting in the middle, she naturally had a lot to ask.

However, the conversation soon shifted from the animation to monsters, Gates, his time on the 3rd Floor, and the 4th Floor exploration required to become an S-rank.

Jinwoo's eyes were fixed on the screen, but his mind and mouth were focused on his conversation with Chartia.

[The God of the Moonlight Forest jumps for joy.]

[Next episode... quickly...!]

'Yeah, yeah, I know.'

No matter what the adults were talking about, the child was completely absorbed in the screen.

Somehow, it felt cozy. The sound of the crackling campfire. The sweet, warm cocoa in his hand, and the warmth of another person beside him.

Chartia's Korean pronunciation, unlike that of a typical foreigner, was smooth and gentle. Meanwhile, the God of the Moonlight Forest was jumping up and down while watching the animation. Even the clamorous sounds from the show seemed to be just another element decorating this atmosphere.

That night, Jinwoo slept soundly for a long time without a single dream.

The next day, the two continued southward, finding and dealing with Cores of Erosion.

On average, they found one or two Cores per day. This was a considerable number, all thanks to Jinwoo's detection ability.

However, destroying the Cores caused their route to curve here and there, so they hadn't traveled too far from Seoul. Even after several days, they were still wandering around the nearby Gyeonggi province.

Just then.

"Found it!"

"Huh? You found one?"

"I've found an Erosion. A moving one."

He had detected a moving Black Flame. It was a minion.

But.

"I think there are other people, too."

He also sensed several Blue Flames surrounding that Black Flame.