Chapter 327: Seventy-Ninth Floor, Euros’s Forest (1)

[Climbers will now begin the seventy-ninth floor of the Tower of Ordeal: Euros’s Forest.]

The world came to a halt the moment the system window unexpectedly appeared. More accurately, the world and its inhabitants froze in place.

The breeze that had been brushing against my cheek disappeared. The rustling leaves stilled mid-sway, and even the drifting pollen remained suspended in the air, unmoving.

Aoshi, who stood before me with a bright smile, was frozen as well. Stuck mid-laugh, his small, uptilted lips revealed neat rows of white teeth.

What is happening?

Despite that, the climbers remained unaffected. Those gathered around the base camp looked around in confusion, clearly puzzled. I could see their lips move as they tried to speak, but I couldn’t hear anything. It felt eerily similar to the moments from before we entered the tower, when I was in the bar.

Unlike that time, however, the system window remained unchanged.

Instead, the world itself began to recede. It felt as if my consciousness was leaving my body. Slowly, I began to rise into the sky.

In the blink of an eye, the climbers disappeared as well. It felt like I was gazing down at the world from above.

So the seventy-eighth floor really is coming to an end.

It wasn’t the tower’s message that made it feel final, but this surreal sight unfolding before me.

I had no idea what the seventy-ninth floor would bring, but I could tell with certainty that whatever came next, we wouldn’t be in this world.

Strangely, a sense of regret crept in.

The temporary tent, the bed, the chairs, the cookware...

There was so much I had left behind. Because I had pulled them out of the mimic without much thought, I hadn’t recorded what was in use. I should have organized everything in advance and dealt with the Ancient Fire more deliberately.

It wasn’t about the points. None of it was particularly valuable.

The fact that I would now have to spend sorting everything out back in the waiting room bothered me more.

Nothing I can do now.

As I sighed inwardly, time began to flow once more within the frozen world.

𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Aoshi, still beneath me, was the first to move. His wide eyes grew even larger as he searched the now-empty space for us, glancing around and even peering up into the air.

Time passed briefly, but it was heavy.

When he finally accepted what had happened, the boy offered a faint, sorrowful smile. The smile was tinged with grief, and seeing it made my chest tighten with guilt.

I should have said goodbye. I didn’t expect it to end so suddenly.

Of course, it hadn’t ended completely—the next floor was called Euros’s Forest. On the seventy-seventh floor, it had been called Euros’s Flower Forest, but it had been shortened to just forest for some reason.

What will happen next?

With everything diverging from Ha Hee-Jeong’s previous life, there were no guarantees. I had my theories, but all I could do now was wait.

Just as Aoshi turned to leave, time suddenly accelerated. The world fast-forwarded like a tape being rapidly rewound.

With startling speed, Aoshi’s retreating figure grew smaller. The sun set, the moon rose, and seasons passed in a blur.

During that time, the flower forest gradually expanded and grew outward into a vast woodland. Then, a new message appeared.

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has prevented the World Tree from being corrupted before its birth. The World Tree Euros begins to sprout.]

The rapid acceleration of time came to a stop, and everything returned to its normal rhythm.

At that very instant, I felt myself being drawn, swept inward toward the center of the forest, as if pulled by some unseen force. The trees rushed under me as I flew overhead. The journey didn’t last long.

At the forest’s heart, a circular patch of earth shimmered golden between the clear, radiant vegetation. At its center, a sprout began to bloom.

Is that the World Tree?

It was so tiny that I questioned it for a moment. However, it then began to grow at a terrifying pace. The sprout shot upward, and its slender trunk widened rapidly. In the span of a heartbeat, the sapling transformed into a towering tree, then continued to grow, surpassing even the height of a skyscraper.

It looks a little different.

I had seen a World Tree once before, in Ryun’s world. This one was far larger, though, more awe-inspiring, and radiated a power I couldn’t begin to comprehend.

I raised Soulbound and looked toward Ryun. He, too, peered on with wide eyes, locked onto the World Tree’s ascent.

“That... that has... to be... the birth of... a natural... World Tree...”

“You’ve never seen it before either, right?”

“No... the World Tree... in my world... was planted... long ago... from a seed...”

“This one has a name already. Euros.”

“That’s... new to me... A natural... World Tree... being born... with a name... already... it’s unheard of...”

We had spoken while I was still bedridden from mana depletion. Ryun had been there with me during my exchange with that bastard god.

It wasn’t until now that he realized the immense life force he had sensed in the forest’s center had been the World Tree all along. Because it was the first time he had witnessed a natural World Tree’s birth, he admitted it felt unfamiliar and different.

Still, considering that he hadn’t been able to sense it at all until now, it seemed that naturally born World Trees had an entirely different nature.

“But is it supposed to grow this fast?”

“No... as far... as I know... it takes... an incredibly... long time...”

“I see.”

I said nothing more and simply watched.

The immense tree radiated an aura that was sacred, mysterious, and almost overwhelming. Just witnessing it inspired reverence.

Then, as the World Tree’s growth ceased, a massive gust of wind erupted from around it. The wind brushed against me gently but roared like a storm. It swept across the forest and shook everything in its path.

The pollen and spores that filled the forest soared high into the sky. Carried by the wind, they vanished into the sky, dispersing far beyond the horizon.

With its birth, the World Tree had cleansed the flower forest of all lingering toxins.

The notification window updated again.

[All climbers have received the blessing of the World Tree Euros.]

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok is now favored by nature and has gained affinity with flora and fauna. All stats increased by 5.]

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok, having the highest contribution, has been granted an additional reward.]

An additional reward?

Not bad. I hadn’t expected anything, which only made it more welcome.

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok’s soul has been engraved with Euros’s mark.]

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has received the infinite love of nature. The earth and plants will support even his smallest movements. He will receive immense affection from animals, even those encountering him for the first time.]

[He has acquired a Seed of the World Tree. He may plant it wherever he chooses.]

A Seed of the World Tree? They are giving me this?

That alone felt extraordinary, more than the blessing, the mark, or even the stat boost. I hadn’t even imagined the possibility of receiving something as monumental as a seed from a World Tree.

Catching my attention, a mass of light rose from the World Tree’s core and ascended into the sky. The small light slowly floated down toward me.

Without thinking, I extended my hand. The warm glow settled in my palm. When the light faded, a seed, no larger than a walnut, remained in my grasp.

As I stared blankly at it, Ryun looked similarly shocked. “That’s... the seed... of a World Tree...”

“Yeah.” I clenched my fist around it.

Warmth spread through my chest as I slipped the seed into the mimic.

Time began to accelerate again. Whatever lingering doubts I had evaporated in that moment.

Receiving the seed made it clear that everything had truly come to an end. The seventy-ninth floor wouldn’t contain anything significant.

We had hoped that, because the seventy-eighth floor had concluded on such a positive note, the next floor could allow us to catch our breath. Though we had been faintly concerned, now, we felt confident.

Day and night passed by dozens, hundreds, or perhaps even thousands of times. It all happened within the span of no more than twenty seconds, no less.

Then, I, suspended high above the ground, began to gradually descend. The moment my feet touched the earth, a message appeared.

[Spend time in Euros’s Forest. Time remaining: 47 hours 59 minutes.]

It was exactly what I had anticipated.

Unfazed, I scanned my surroundings. No other climbers were in sight, and only Doppy stood nearby. Even if the tower had teleported the climbers randomly like the last time, I doubted I was the only one sent near the World Tree.

Since I had been the top contributor, I was probably the closest to it, though. Moreover, receiving the seed had to have required proximity.

Doppy let out a breathless gasp as he looked up at the World Tree. “

Wooooah—!

”

I followed his gaze and lifted my eyes toward the dense canopy.

How can I describe this?

Standing this close to the World Tree, it felt as if I was enveloped in a constant invisible blessing. My mind was at ease, and I felt light on my toes. My recovery seemed to have accelerated, and the flow of mana through me had become smooth and uninterrupted.

I summoned a small spark of lightning to my fingertips.

My mana was regenerating rapidly. Moving felt effortless, and my breathing was steady. It was as if my internal organs were being cleansed.

This is an ideal place to train.

Perhaps it was due to the mark I had received, but considering that the others had been blessed, they were likely experiencing something similar, too.

We had been granted two days to do whatever we wanted. It wasn’t long, but it would do. That would be more than enough time to bring the party here and undergo some serious training.

Just then, a signal came through the Necklace of Accord. It looked like Ha Hee-Jeong was calling me over.

That was probably for the best—the others had likely gathered already.

Well.

I had planned to check in on Aoshi and Ferel before beginning any serious training.

May as well move as a group.

I activated the necklace and teleported to Ha Hee-Jeong.

***

[Spend time in Euros’s Forest. Time remaining: 47 hours 56 minutes.]

My former party members had gathered somewhere deep in the forest.

Everyone seemed pleased after reading the tower’s latest message. As much as combat could lead to growth, a floor that required no fighting like this was a rare and deeply welcome gift for the vast majority of climbers.

After briefly exchanging greetings, we opened a portal to the spot where we had established our base on the seventy-eighth floor. We wanted to check if any of the items we had left behind were still there.

Although I had expected it, there really was nothing left. The once-charred earth, blackened by the exploding ancient mech suits, had transformed into a lush forest filled with greenery.

Not far off, I noticed a man-made path running through the woods. It seemed like the tribes that once lived here had returned to the forest, now that the forest had been purified.

Still, the chances of finding Aoshi by simply following the trail weren’t high.

Rather than wandering aimlessly, I opened a portal to the place where his tribe had once resided.

“Nothing here either.”

“Yeah.”

“Looks like it’s been a while.”

“Yeah, there’s dust everywhere. The houses are mostly falling apart too.”

This place was empty as well. Only faint traces remained that suggested people had once lived here, but even those felt distant as if from another era.

Still, I didn’t believe Aoshi’s tribe had been met with disaster.

There were no signs of violence, nor any traces of a rushed escape. The village was too tidy for that. It looked more like it had been vacated with care, like a family that had packed up everything before moving.

“They probably relocated.”

“That’s what I think too. Everyone saw the forest being purified. This place is underground, so they probably moved back up.”

Seo Ho-Su nodded at my assessment.

With the village empty, we couldn’t pinpoint their location through a portal.

In the end, my thoughts returned to the man-made trail I had spotted earlier. We would have to follow it and find them the old-fashioned way.

“Looks like we’ve got no choice. Let’s head out and do some searching.”

The others nodded, and we made our way out of the abandoned village.

As we neared the tunnel that led upward, I sensed movement. Someone was waiting at the entrance above.

“Wait, there’s someone up there.”

“Someone? Could it be Aoshi? Let’s check it out!” Seo Ho-Su, who had always been fond of Aoshi, lit up and picked up his pace, his face bright with excitement.

At the tunnel’s end, we found a boy, probably in his late teens, seated casually in a chair.

It wasn’t Aoshi.

The boy was toying with a wooden bow, lightly drawing its string. The moment he noticed us, he spun around with a startled look.

“Oh! Ohhh!”

Leaping to his feet, he stood frozen for a beat. He was clearly trying to make sense of what he was seeing.

From his perspective, it had to have been shocking. People emerging from a tunnel no one had entered.

Thankfully, he recovered quickly and rushed over. “Th-that outfit. You’re the ones who saved the forest, right?”

“Uh, yeah, that’s us. But how did you know?”

“The chieftain told me to wait here! Just in case you came back. I’ll escort you!”

I glanced at the others. Everyone wore a smile. It seemed Seo Ho-Su’s hunch had been right: Aoshi had made preparations ahead of time.

On the other hand, Ha Hee-Jeong was observing the boy intently, not out of suspicion, but with a quiet sharpness as if studying something closely.

I understood why. The boy’s beaming smile bore an uncanny resemblance to Aoshi’s. Oddly enough, I could see hints of Ferel in him as well.

I cautiously asked, “Is your father’s name Aoshi?”

“Yes, sir!”

I turned to Ha Hee-Jeong. Our suspicions had been proven true.

She was looking at me with the same astonished expression I was likely wearing. The rest of the party was no different.

“You’re kidding—”

“This kid is Aoshi’s son?”

Well.

We had known time had passed, but we hadn’t realized just how much.

Aoshi had a child now.

Somehow, the reunion suddenly felt a little awkward. Still, we couldn’t just stand there staring.

I offered the boy a smile, then turned to the others. “All right. Shall we go?”