World Tree (2)

The voice of Mistilteinn in Ego Advice state echoed in his mind several times in succession. Nature’s Energy, Transcendent Body. All of them were terms that couldn’t be understood at once.

For the rest, it seemed like he would feel more at ease checking in the dormitory. It would be faster to ask Mistilteinn directly about the germination.

“Is it over?”

Sword Empress Yoo Seol-ah said, looking at Lee Dojin. Lee Dojin’s body suddenly became solid. The aura flowing from his body was like that.

“Yes, thank you.”

Seeing that there was a World Tree germination stage, it seemed like it wasn’t over, but rather just beginning.

“Now there’s only the martial arts competition event match left before summer vacation.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Have you decided what to do during summer vacation?”

Most first-year students of the academy obtain their hunter license during the vacation and then perform short-term mercenary work. Although it’s called mercenary work, it was usually no different from building connections in advance with guilds they would work for after graduating from the academy, so it could be seen as an internship.

“Even if I try to stay still, a lot of things to do have come up.”

Lee Dojin also planned to obtain his hunter license first. He needed an ID that could make him responsible for himself so that he could take responsibility for and resolve the things he would do afterwards.

“I see. You can come to my villa anytime. And please visit Sword Demon elder’s villa often.”

“Yes, I still have a lot to learn from the elder.”

Lee Dojin, after thanking the Sword Empress once again, immediately left the villa and got on a bus. And headed to Iroaz Academy.

---

Returning to his dormitory room, Lee Dojin immediately lay down on the bed.

[Please prepare.]

And Mistilteinn’s world opened. As soon as Lee Dojin entered, Mistilteinn, with her snow-white hair fluttering, embraced him.

“You’ve become the master of the World Tree branch.”

Mistilteinn, blushing, detached her small body that had embraced Lee Dojin.

Mistilteinn pointed to a very tiny sprout among the trees.

Blue-green energy was slowly flowing out from the sprout.

“It’s the process of the World Tree branch fused with me being digested. In other words, the World Tree is trying to become a tree again inside my world, which is inside your body, master.”

So that’s what the germination stage meant.

Lee Dojin explained all the situations he had just experienced to Mistilteinn.

“So you heard Lady Gaia’s voice.”

Mistilteinn opened her mouth wide, as if finding it fascinating.

“Isn’t Gaia the World Tree?”

“Lady Gaia is a god. The World Tree is just a creature used by Lady Gaia when coexisting with people in the present world. The amazing thing is that the residual divinity contained in that divine possession act itself is comparable to the main divinity of other gods.”

“What changes will happen to me when the germination is complete?”

Mistilteinn spoke in a lowered voice, as if careful about making predictions.

“First… there’s a high possibility that the mana inability will be resolved. Even without holding a wooden sword. Even without wearing a bracelet made of Upper Tree. The World Tree born in your body will build a complete dantian.”

Resolution of mana inability.

It was a sweet prediction just to hear.

“That doesn’t mean there’s no reason not to use a wooden sword then. Since I and the World Tree have fused, using a wooden sword will be more efficient for emitting sword energy.”

A wooden sword sharper than a real sword.

Lee Dojin agreed with that. From the beginning, his sword energy, tempered with the Heaven Defying energy, was much sharper than other students’.

Lee Dojin had to bring up what he was most curious about. He stared at the sprout that hadn’t even formed the shape of a tree yet.

“How long will it take to fully germinate?”

“The currently predicted period is about 6 months.”

It’s far.

But it wasn’t unbearable. There was no need to speak of the perseverance of one who had achieved this much with this unreasonable body.

“Do you know what Nature’s Energy is?”

The one who answered that question was not Mistilteinn, but Fist King Hwangbo Seryeong who was beside her.

“Nature’s Energy is literally the energy of nature.”

The energy of nature.

“It seems I’ve gained the power to recognize and handle that Nature’s Energy.”

Hwangbo Seryeong tilted her head.

“…Are you some kind of Heavenly Demon? To suddenly be able to handle Nature’s Energy?”

“What’s a Heavenly Demon?”

When Lee Dojin made an expression of not understanding at all what she was talking about, Hwangbo Seryeong shook her lion’s mane-like hair.

“Never mind. If you really have gained the ability to handle Nature’s Energy, you just need to have the will, as the name suggests.”

Hwangbo Seryeong stared at Lee Dojin.

“Breathe. Nature.”

Golden strong energy burst out like steam from Hwangbo Seryeong’s back.

Hwak!

The golden stem that moved far away from her body at Hwangbo Seryeong’s hand gesture seeped back behind her back again following another hand movement.

“The energy moved according to my will. However, this is just my inherent energy. If you can recognize and handle Nature’s Energy, you should be able to handle the energy in nature like I just handled my energy.”

“…I see.”

Lee Dojin slowly closed his eyes. He felt the nature in Mistilteinn’s world.

Sasasak-

The sound of grass leaves moving with the wind. And the sound of them touching each other.

The sound of the forest naturally made Lee Dojin’s heart comfortable. And the smell of earth and grass blending together.

Nature.

“Hoo-.”

Lee Dojin exhaled. Something responded to that sigh. Like a wave.

He could recognize the energy flow moving in the air. It was colorless energy similar to Lee Dojin’s colorless sword energy.

The scent of grass lingered at the tip of his nose.

Recognition.

And control.

Lee Dojin, holding his wooden sword, expressed his will.

Come to me.

And protect my body.

Colorless energy flow poured out like a rapid stream from between the trees and enveloped Lee Dojin’s entire body.

It looked somewhat like fighting spirit, and also like protective strong energy.

It was revealed that being able to recognize and handle Nature’s Energy was not an empty claim.

Mistilteinn, who had no outstanding knowledge about martial arts, stared at Lee Dojin with little change in her expression, but Hwangbo Seryeong’s face, who knew martial arts thoroughly, was colored with astonishment.

“…You’re saying this worm-like sprout bestowed such power?”

And suddenly she wrapped golden strong energy around her fist.

“Take one hit.”

“What?”

“I said take one hit.”

Lee Dojin was dumbfounded at Hwangbo Seryeong’s sudden declaration that she would hit him once, but he needed to take a hit to judge whether this protective strong energy created with Nature’s Energy was useful.

“No, wait-.”

But Hwangbo Seryeong stretched out her fist too sincerely. The golden fist energy flashed with radiance and struck Lee Dojin’s chest center.

Jjeo───eong!

Golden energy flow and colorless energy flow spread out in concentric circles in the air.

“Impressive.”

Hwangbo Seryeong expressed her admiration in a low tone.

Surprisingly, Lee Dojin was fine. Even with Hwangbo Seryeong’s fist at nearly full power.

Of course, that one hit completely evaporated the colorless protective strong energy. But in reality, there would be no one with a fist like Hwangbo Seryeong’s even among the Ten Venerables.

Lee Dojin now brought up the topic of the Transcendent Body.

And this time he added his own thoughts. That it seemed he could go beyond the limits of the physical body.

Hwangbo Seryeong agreed with that as well.

“Martial arts (武) is infinite. But the physical body is finite. That’s the established theory. As you said, it seems you’ve obtained a body with the possibility to transcend that limit, you bundle of miracles.”

In 6 months, the mana inability will be completely resolved. And he has also obtained a body that can transcend limits. But it’s only a body with the possibility to do so.

He had to increase his inner power and learn more sword paths just like before.

Training had to continue. He had to continue the tempering process of refining himself.

Lee Dojin smiled.

Because there would be few in this world who enjoy that refining process as much as himself.

Hwangbo Seryeong clicked her tongue.

“But, the fact that you’ve been given such power and body. In the end, it means it’s solely for the purpose of conquering that ‘Tower’, doesn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

Now he feels it.

That it probably wasn’t a coincidence that Mistilteinn was in the room when he returned home with mana inability. Because all events were flowing towards a situation where he had to conquer the Tower.

“What kind of crazy people are in that Tower?”

Lee Dojin slowly shook his head. He couldn’t dare to gauge it himself. He had only now reached a level of martial power about the same as Sword Demon Jung Yong-ha’s waist level.

And that Jung Yong-ha experienced hell on the 20th floor.

“It’s clear that it can only be conquered by transcending humanity.”

That’s probably why he was given this Transcendent Body.

“It’s also unpleasant.”

What is that Tower?

Is it binding me even before I climb it?

“So I’ll become strong enough to destroy it all.”

If I destroy it all, then I’ll be able to know something at that time.

Lee Dojin, whose curiosity about what he had obtained was now somewhat resolved, looked at Mistilteinn again.

“Do you think materialization will be possible?”

Mistilteinn smiled gently as she saw Lee Dojin bringing up her story.

“If this World Tree fully germinates.”

Lee Dojin looked at the sprout Mistilteinn was pointing at.

And he fervently wished for that World Tree to become more like a World Tree as soon as possible.