Lee Yuha.

Alias: Acrote.

A comet who appeared approximately seven years ago, four years before I became an S-class Hunter, and rapidly climbed the ranks.

She eventually reclaimed the top spot in Korea and became a high-ranking Hunter within the top 10 of the World Masters.

Her ranking is 6th in the world, with the 1st place being processed as [Unnamed] and therefore invisible.

[Iron-Blooded Empress] in 2nd place has been holed up in a Dungeon for a considerable amount of time.

[Tu Tanka] in 3rd place is governing his country, and [Tragedy] in 4th place is missing.

This leaves her, along with [Martial God] Roen in 5th place, as one of the most actively working top-tier Hunters.

‘More so than Kiara, Reynolds, and Shin Ara.’

Those in 7th, 8th, and 9th place don’t actively venture into Dungeons due to their own circumstances.

The last spot, 10th place, is vacant.

The World Master position isn’t just a simple ranking; it’s a wall.

Without a certain level of power and connections within a group, it remains vacant.

Anyway, let’s skip that.

‘Why is this person here?’

I don’t watch the news much and don’t really care about worldly affairs, but according to what I heard from Ha-jeong, didn’t she recently leave for a conquest?

“Hurry and sit here!”

The World Tree said to Ha-yeon, who was standing still, blankly.

Startled from her daze, she snapped out of it and sat down.

“So, why is she here…?”

Honestly, there was no harm in asking, so she asked, and the answer came immediately.

“There’s something needed for the conquest… yawn.”

Lee Yuha said, yawning.

The World Tree frowned at that and said,

“The story is mostly over, so how about you leave quickly? Didn’t you say your party member was cursed?”

“It’s okay… This level is within the acceptable range.”

The more she looked at her, the more she was reminded of Kaede.

Her personality… her way of speaking…

She imagined the two of them together, and it wasn’t so bad.

‘Well, she probably has no interest.’

As Ha-yeon thought that and smiled faintly, Lee Yuha scratched her head, stood up, and put her hand in her coat pocket.

“Going to Netzach?”

“Yeah, go and quickly pick the leaves and leave.”

They seemed to have been here quite a few times before, judging by their comfortable conversation.

Lee Yuha didn’t reply and opened the door to the room.

“Ah, right.”

She said, turning around.

She rummaged through her pocket for a moment and then threw a crystal ball at Ha-yeon.

“A gift, since we met. If you break that, you can use my ability once.”

“…..?”

Wait, suddenly giving me something like this?

Isn’t it important?

“Don’t think too much about it, I can make plenty more right now… Just because we’re fellow Korean Hunters.”

“I’ll gratefully accept it.”

After that, Lee Yuha closed the door and walked down the hallway.

Ha-yeon looked at the crystal ball for a moment and then shoved it into her pocket.

The World Tree plopped down on a chair that fit her body perfectly.

“Finally, the nuisance is gone.”

The World Tree said, smiling.

Honestly, she doesn’t feel like a Constellation.

‘Hmm… Come to think of it, the Constellation I met three years ago didn’t feel like a Constellation either.’

Is it just a feeling of being human?

Honestly, I thought they were just humans with powers beyond comprehension.

“So, why did you call me here?”

There must be a reason.

No matter how close we are, she wouldn’t just invite me for no reason.

And that thought was correct.

“I have a favor to ask.”

Honestly, if it’s a complicated favor, I’m thinking of refusing.

I need to receive the Divine Beast’s trial quickly.

“I’d like to say it’s not a difficult favor, so don’t worry, but… it’s a bit complicated. Still, it’s related to your goal and beneficial to you, so listen to it first.”

What is she going to ask?

More than that, how does she know my goal?

“What’s the favor?”

“Could you pick the golden apple that grows at the top of the World Tree?”

Golden apple?

Since it’s a fruit that grows at the top of the World Tree, it must be something amazing.

“…..But how is that related to my goal?”

How is that related to my goal?

When I asked that, the World Tree gave a background explanation before giving an answer.

“The golden apple doesn’t grant immortality like in your myths.”

It’s also a mixed bag.

The juice of the golden apple is nectar, and its taste is like ambrosia.

What kind of fruit is this?

It’s truly divine.

Wait, but it doesn’t have any abilities?

“Its effects… well, it increases the amount of mana and breathes life into the Constellation’s incarnation, I guess you could say.”

In short, it’s a top-grade elixir for increasing mana for Hunters, and for Constellations, it’s something that allows them to exist on this earth.

It would be essential for her, who has been in this elf form on this earth for a long time.

“Now, I’ll tell you how this is related to you.”

The World Tree said, looking at her.

Her expression was somewhat strange.

“Your goal is to receive the Divine Beast’s trial and gain recognition.”

She found out even though I never told her.

But I expected this much and thought it would be like this, so I wasn’t very surprised.

“You found out that the Divine Beast is in this place and came to the elf forest. But you probably don’t know exactly where that Divine Beast is.”

The World Tree said, taking a sip of the tea in front of her.

As she said, I know it’s here, but I don’t know exactly where it is.

So I was trying to find it.

“Of course, the location of Gaia’s Divine Beast is…”

She pointed upwards with her index finger.

Could it be…?

“At the top of the World Tree.”

“Haa…..”

The first Divine Beast is the giant turtle, Elvaros.

The second Divine Beast is the nine-tailed fox, Ann, who controls flames.

The last one is a Divine Beast whose name I only know as Karian.

‘I thought at least one of them would be flying in the sky.’

That Karian must be a bird.

Damn it.

“You probably heard about the trial of the Divine Beast from Hairel… no, your Constellation, right?”

“? Yes, I heard about the contents of the trial roughly.”

From the second Divine Beast onwards, he told me the contents of the trial.

The System’s censorship only applies to those who don’t know of its existence, so after learning about the Divine Beast, the censorship regarding the Divine Beast disappeared.

The System isn’t on Gaia’s side, but a neutral entity.

Anyway, the trial of the second Divine Beast Elvaros, whom I caught first, is a trial divided into several stages.

Power is necessary, but you also have to endure the continuous onslaught of trials physically.

In the case of the second Ann, whom I caught recently, it’s endurance, resilience, and defense.

If you can block Ann’s attacks for 3 minutes without dodging, it’s a simple and short trial, but I almost turned to dust.

I had to block the raging flames and the forepaws that could move a mountain with all my might.

‘And the trial of the last Karian is.’

Power.

Since I tested stamina and defense, now I need power.

I have to fight Karian with all my might and gain her recognition.

‘There aren’t many humans who have all three of these.’

The Constellations can’t receive the trials, and the Hunters higher than me have no knowledge of the Divine Beasts.

Even among the Constellations, only a very small number seem to know about the Divine Beasts.

Like my Constellation or the World Tree in front of me.

‘Come to think of it, what exactly is my Constellation?’

I know he’s an extraordinary being, but I don’t know exactly what he is.

The World Tree said to Ha-yeon, who was thinking that.

“If you accept my favor, I’ll let you eat one golden apple… The effects are certain even for a high-ranking Hunter like you, I guarantee it.”

The golden apple that grows at the top of the World Tree, the elf’s god.

It’s definitely not a common item, but the fact that she’s giving it to me shows that she definitely wants to help me.

‘Or is she just giving it away?’

It might be surprisingly common.

Considering that even common potatoes were unusual in the SS-class gate, you never know.

“So, when are you going to receive the Divine Beast’s trial?”

“I’m planning to go whenever I have time. I’m planning to leave with Kaede as soon as this conversation ends.”

Looking at the contents of the trial, there’s no problem even if we receive the trial together.

The power of connections and relationships is also accurately classified as power by the System.

But there was a bit of a problem.

“How are you going to go up without my permission?”

The World Tree said, chuckling.

Ah….

“Well, don’t worry, I’ve been watching that human named Kaede, and she seems pretty good.”

The World Tree said, creating something from the tree and throwing it to her.

It was a short dagger made of wood.

[You have acquired the item, ‘World Tree’s Token (S)’.]

Of course, the maelstrom of magical power raging inside it was definitely not ordinary.

“It’s quite a helpful item for your assassin friend, it’s a gift, so give it to her.”

“Thank you.”

With those words, Ha-yeon stood up from her seat.

At the same time, she changed her casual clothes into Elysia Academy professor robes.

I received it when I left Elysia Academy before, it’s easy to wear and the performance isn’t bad, so I often use it when I need to wear temporary armor.

The name is… Derkael’s Immortality Mark 2?

[The Constellation, ‘Blacksmith of the End of Dimensions,’ chuckles at you for impersonating him.]

Ignoring the System window that appeared for some reason, she greeted the World Tree and left the room.

Inside the room where Ha-yeon left.

The World Tree crossed her legs, staring somewhere even though there was no one in the room.

“Hairel, is this enough?”

A sword appeared in the air.

It was the incarnation of the Constellation ‘Moon-Cleaving Flash’.

She doesn’t bring it out in front of Ha-yeon though.

-This should be enough to finish the trial without any problems… Should I say thank you?

“Shouldn’t you? Even if I owed you a debt, it’s a bit much to just take a golden apple for free, isn’t it?”

The golden apple is actually a very precious fruit.

It’s a fruit that ripens at the top of the World Tree once every 50 years, and even then, the power it contains is still weak for a year, so it can be blown away by the wind blowing from the top.

The golden apple is something you can only obtain by taking care of it with utmost devotion.

He obtained it now because of a past debt.

Of course, the World Tree received a lot of help, so she didn’t say much.

The World Tree, who was thinking for a moment, smiled faintly, recalling Ha-yeon’s face from earlier.

“More than that, no matter how I look at your contractor, she looks a lot like Eleina…”

-Stop, don’t talk about that.

The sword rang and said that.

The World Tree, who gave a bitter smile at that, muttered softly.

“I hope the tragedy of the past… never happens again.”

Because of that.

The World Tree’s conclusion was that she had to protect Ha-yeon.