Chapter 389: Eighty-Seventh Floor, Mystical Beast Treatment (9)

[Heal the mystical beast under the alchemist’s protection. Time remaining: 82 hours 23 minutes.]

It was an all too familiar name. Even though I had already suspected he was involved, hearing it out loud still startled me.

“Kalain? ‘Sky of the Nine Heavens’ Kalain?”

The fairy nodded calmly. “Yes.”

“Wait, what exactly happened? What did Kalain do?”

“Before we get to that, answering your previous questions would probably be best. Is that all right?”

“Yeah.” I nodded.

Everything sounded connected anyway.

From how the fairy spoke, though, I knew the conversation was going to take a while, so I interjected, “Just a moment, before we continue...”

I shifted my gaze to the mystical beasts and fairies around the lake who still stood with their heads bowed. “I’d like them to relax a bit. Is that ok?”

“There’s no need to ask. Just state whatever you want. You are the master of the forest, after all.”

Something stirred inside me.

So this is what it means to be the forest’s master.

I wasn’t struggling to move because I hadn’t healed. It was because the power of the forest—the same force that had embraced me when I felt that strange dissonance—had entered me.

It just hadn’t fully settled.

Thankfully, it wasn’t as overwhelming as divinity or mana. The power was confined solely to this forest and its mystical beings.

So I really have become the forest’s master.

Through it, I could communicate with the mystical beings.

I inwardly sent them a quiet message, telling them it was all right to rest. The beasts and fairies relaxed their posture, though none left the lake’s edge. They simply waited patiently, showing no signs of wanting to leave.

There was no need to push them further.

I turned back to the fairy. “Can you pick up where we left off?”

“I understand that you’re aware the Primordial God has vanished.”

“

Huh?

I mean, yeah, I know. But how did you—was that something you learned through the test, too?”

“Yes. I didn’t see everything, but I came to understand fragments of who you are.”

It made sense. The forest had revitalized itself through my existence. I had received flashes of the forest’s thoughts, too.

“Did the other mystical beasts see that?”

“No. That ability lies with me alone. As a high fairy, I assumed stewardship of the forest after Seorden.”

That was a relief. Even if it had only been fragments, and even if she was an ally, it wasn’t exactly a comforting thought.

Still, the conversation kept drifting. It couldn’t be helped, not when this was our first time speaking, and so much had changed.

“One more thing before we continue. What should I call you?”

“My apologies. You may call me Serendel.”

Serendel. Did she name herself after Seorden? Or did he give her that name?

Her expression, tinged faintly with sorrow, kept me from asking.

“All right, Serendel. Let’s hear it.”

As if she had been waiting for my cue, she explained, “Seorden referred to it as death, but the Primordial God’s disappearance caused a deep affliction of the heart.”

“A deep affliction of the heart?”

“He became overcome by grief at the loss of his creator, the one he loved most. This forest was also a gift from the Primordial God for Seorden.” She paused and swallowed hard.

This memory clearly pained her. “Surrounded by the scent of his creator, Seorden fell deeper into sorrow with each passing day.”

“So that’s what caused the forest to decay? That’s why you all began to lose yourselves?”

“No. If that had been the case, Seorden could have recovered. He cherished us deeply. The forest remained intact, supported by the Core of Life the Primordial God had bestowed.”

The Core of Life?

Right. That had appeared in the system message before I blacked out. Although the message had been partially obscured, the Essence of Decay had unmistakably turned into the Core of Life.

I chose not to ask further because Serendel seemed prepared to explain the rest. “Time passed, and Seorden could no longer bear his suffering. He returned to his god.”

“You mean he took his own life?” I asked carefully.

“It’s something like that, but not quite. To be precise, he let the Tower of Ordeal absorb him. Since the Primordial God also created the tower, I believe he sought to return to His embrace.”

At last, I understood why Seorden’s Bracelet had ended up inside the tower, why my divine power had appeared here, and why the tower had brought me to the eighty-seventh floor.

Everything was connected to Seorden’s final wish.

The conversation had drifted again, so I brought it back. “You said the forest ended up like this because of Kalain. That comes next, right?”

“Yes. After Seorden disappeared, I inherited the stewardship of the forest. Nothing else changed. Aside from his absence, all remained as it was, except for the grief the fairies and mystical beasts carried for some time.”

Several of the beasts surrounding the lake let out low, mournful sounds, as if to confirm her words.

“Then one day, Kalain arrived. He came seeking a mythical beast.”

“For one of the tower’s trials?”

She nodded firmly. “Yes.”

Kalain had come here as a fellow challenger, just like me. That shifted my perspective slightly.

Perhaps, had the forest not been in this condition, the tower would have had me retrieve a mythical beast, too. Obtaining Poong-Wol’s core hadn’t been overly difficult, after all. The forest’s condition was what had made it difficult.

There was a good chance the bracelet had triggered a hidden mission.

Serendel’s voice grew heavier. “Speaking honestly, many of the forest’s mystical beasts harbor deep resentment toward the tower. They believe it stole Seorden from them.”

The timing of this sentence was clearly deliberate, and I could guess why she had brought it up now.

“There was another beast, alongside Poong-Wol, whom the Primordial God bestowed power upon. Her name was Hwa-Jo.”

I already understood what had happened.

“So Hwa-Jo became Kalain’s divine beast. She’s the one who took the Core of Life.”

“Yes. None of us ever imagined it would come to that. Hwa-Jo didn’t like Kalain at first.”

“Then he convinced her?”

“I don’t know what passed between them. But I believe Hwa-Jo couldn’t accept the idea that the tower was using this forest, a space the Primordial God had created for Seorden. Perhaps she wished to erase the forest entirely...”

At first, it seemed like an impossibly convoluted puzzle. However, now that the pieces had clicked into place, everything made sense.

It had always been Kalain. Recalling my encounter with him on the fifty-second floor, it wasn’t surprising. He had been pathologically obsessed with revenge.

Though, strangely, he had also shown flickers of kindness.

Serendel continued, her voice heavy with remorse, “This happened because I failed in my duties. If you would prefer to appoint a different fairy as high guardian of the forest—”

“That’s enough,” I interjected, “It wasn’t your fault. No one could’ve seen this coming. Better that you, who is familiar with this forest, continue the work than someone I pick at random.”

She paused, then finally said, “Thank you.”

Despite her remark, her face showed little relief. It was clouded with guilt.

She seemed to carry a strong sense of responsibility. That wasn’t a bad thing.

I reassured her again, “Really, it wasn’t your fault. Stop blaming yourself. Kalain’s the bastard here. Just keep doing what you’ve always done.”

This time, I didn’t just use my words; I used the forest’s power to soothe Serendel.

Though I was unfamiliar with the power, and it felt awkward to wield, it worked. Her expression brightened slightly, and as I gradually adjusted to the forest’s power, my physical condition began to recover as well.

Stretching lightly, I changed subjects, “By the way, why did the forest test me in the first place?”

“That was simply the selection process. Although the Primordial God created the forest for Seorden, the Primordial God was the original owner. Since the forest possesses its own will, it likely wanted to find someone worthy.”

“What if I didn’t pass? Or wasn’t good enough?”

“In that case, it would have chosen to kill you instead.”

“Even with all of you still here?”

“Sometimes, losing one’s existence is better than being misused.”

That line of thinking unsettled me, but I could understand the logic behind it. Still, to think I was the next master after the Primordial God. I couldn’t say it felt bad.

Even if the forest couldn’t act on its own, it was still a sentient being. The fact that it had acknowledged me to some degree meant something.

“So, what exactly does being the forest’s master get me?”

“The forest and the children will move for your sake. Every living thing within the forest, including the trees themselves, will support you.”

It wouldn’t directly assist me in combat, but faith was faith, even if it came from mystical beasts and fairies.

Considering that the primerval god had created this forest, there had to be something here that neither Serendel nor I fully understood. One day, it would prove useful.

Now that I had a clearer grasp of everything, my mind returned to the first time I entered the forest.

“By the way, the fairy I saw back then... who was that?”

“That was me.”

“Why did you just watch and disappear?”

“At the time, I had lost my sense of self, so I wasn’t acting rationally. I simply caught the faintest trace of Seorden’s presence and instinctively followed it. When you noticed me, I panicked and vanished.”

“And you helped me afterward because of Poong-Wol?”

“That’s partly why, but more importantly, your divinity restored a small portion of the forest. Helping you was almost instinctual.”

A soft smile tugged at Serendel’s lips. “If I may speak frankly, Poong-Wol’s presence alone wouldn’t have caused me to offer such detailed help. I apologize.”

“No need. That was merely a hypothetical, anyway. I get it now. You’re fine.”

It was just as I thought. If I hadn’t used the bracelet, it probably would have been much harder to find this place. I could have even ended up wandering through the forest for days.

“By the way, do you have any idea why the Core of Life changed like that? When I obtained it, it had turned into the Essence of Decay, and Kalain didn’t even have it.”

“I’m afraid I don’t. The forest and the Core of Life are bound together, so it makes sense that the core’s energy would change if the forest suffered. What happened afterward, however, I cannot explain.”

Whatever the case, Kalain had definitely taken it. Whether he had colluded with the followers of Glorious Decay, had it stolen from him, or had run into problems after a deal, I couldn’t be sure.

“Alright. I think that covers most of it.”

“Have all your doubts been resolved?”

“For now, yeah. Nothing else is coming to mind. I’m not supposed to do anything else here, right?”

“No, the forest has returned to life, and the children have reclaimed their existence. However...” Serendel hesitated, dropping her voice to a whisper as she read my expression.

I smiled to let her know she could speak freely.

“The children wish to remain near you. You restored them, and it has been so long since they last saw the forest’s master.”

“That’s fine with me.” I pointed upward with my finger. “But first, I should treat Poong-Wol. He’s still in pain, isn’t he?”

“Yes, of course.”

“As for leaving this place—” I didn’t even have to finish the question.

I already knew the answer.

This was the forest’s heart, a hidden sanctuary only accessible to those granted permission by the forest, the mystical beasts, or the fairies.

I could move freely between here and the outside world, not to mention I had full access to both divinity and mana.

“Yeah, I get it.” I opened a portal leading to the cabin. “If you all want to be with me, would you like to come too?”

“Well...” Serendel trailed off, her expression conflicted.

“What’s wrong?”

“There’s a stranger there. The children are hesitant.”

“Cho-Yeon doesn’t seem like a bad person.”

“They’ve only just regained their sense of self. Before they met you, the only stranger they had ever known was Kalain.”

That explained it. I understood why the mystical beasts were reluctant.

Was it PTSD? Perhaps not exactly, but something close to it. I wasn’t sure of the precise term.

“Alright, I’ll treat Poong-Wol and come back. I don’t know what I can do for the kids, but—”

“Just being with them will be more than enough.”

“I see. Then I’ll do that.”

I nodded slightly before turning toward the portal. It was time to heal Poong-Wol.