53. Tower of Infinity (1)
After briefly scanning the room, her gaze soon settled on a framed picture hanging on one side.
It was a family photo with Han and his parents.
Jin Hwa-rin’s pupils dilated as she confirmed it.
Then, stumbling, she asked, “If your name is Mr. Kim Han… then, ‘that’?”
“Oh, yes. That’s correct.”
“Wow!”
Her mouth fell open.
Rising abruptly from her seat, she firmly grasped Han’s hand.
“I was a huge fan of Mr. Han’s parents, truly!”
“Uh, well.”
Han, feeling flustered, reached for the hand that held his.
“Oh.”
It was only then that Jin Hwa-rin realized her mistake, her face turning red.
She lowered her head and sat back down quietly.
Sipping her coffee in silence for a while, she added in a very soft voice, “I-I’m sorry. I got too excited for a moment…”
She continued in a hushed tone, “I-I’m a fan, really. I grew up watching Mr. Han’s parents. I want to become a hunter as great as them someday and stand tall in South Korea… Ah.”
“Ahahahaha…”
Han chuckled awkwardly.
What difficulty could he have read from his expression?
Realizing suddenly, she bowed her head again and apologized, “I-I’m sorry. They… said your parents are missing, right? I even forgot about that.”
“No, it’s okay. I’ve adapted in my own way now.”
Well, that wasn’t entirely untrue.
He had grown accustomed to it.
In the Korea of that time, Han’s parents were undoubtedly idols to many.
Perhaps a considerable number of hunters existing in today’s Korea had become hunters while admiring his parents.
It’s like the boys and girls today dreaming of becoming hunters as they look at Jin Hwa-rin before them.
But they are no longer in this world.
Yet, the world still seems to remember them, occasionally appearing in the media or on the internet.
Broadcasting their past images and appearances.
Anyway, with things being as they are, Jin Hwa-rin feeling apologetic isn’t particularly strange.
“Um, actually, it’s about what my parents said. Jin Hwa-rin.”
“Oh, yes! Please go on! I’ll answer anything I know! Anything at all!”
“Regarding my parents….”
Jin Hwa-rin chuckled awkwardly and then lowered her head.
“Sorry, but we also don’t know.”
“Is that so.”
“Probably other top hunters in the country are in the same situation. Especially Yerin, who is close to me, has looked into them before.”
As expected.
At those words, Han couldn’t help but give a bitter smile.
She had anticipated this.
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She knew, but hearing the fact from none other than a top hunter didn’t sit well with her.
“I’m truly sorry, Kim Han.”
“It’s okay.”
It’s just as well as it can be.
After all, she hadn’t really expected much.
If someone had known about her parents’ whereabouts from the start, the fact should have been revealed long ago.
She glanced cautiously and then spoke carefully.
“Uh… You’re an awakened being, right? It’s very faint, but I can sense holiness in you.”
“For now.”
Han nodded.
Awakened being, that sounds right.
Even though she didn’t know how much holiness she possessed or how exactly to use it, the fact remained.
Sip-
As she was enjoying her coffee, she let out a hollow laugh for a moment.
Curious as to why, she looked over,
And saw her laughing with a much more relaxed expression than before.
“Still, I was really surprised. I was briefly taken aback by the same name, but to think you’re their son.”
“I occasionally hear such things.”
The once dim atmosphere quickly brightened.
“Any abilities as well?”
“Um.”
Han fell silent for a moment at those words.
Was that considered a refusal?
“Oh, you don’t have to say if it’s uncomfortable.”
“It’s not that. Actually, I have awakened, but I don’t know what my ability is. That’s why.”
“I see. So…”
She was more confident than expected.
Much brighter and talkative.
Perhaps this was her true nature.
The tense atmosphere had softened considerably.
She, who was in the midst of a conversation, suddenly widened her eyes at the ringing vibration.
“Oh! Has time flown by like this already? It seems we’ve talked too much and it’s gotten late. I apologize, Mr. Kim.”
“It’s alright.”
This unexpected encounter ended more warmly than she had thought.
“Oh, by the way.”
Jin Hwa-rin, who was about to open the front door, turned back.
Their gazes met.
“Would it be alright if we met again when you come out of the dungeon next time?”
“Oh, of course. I’d even welcome it from my end.”
Han nodded.
Hoping for the emergence of an A-class hunter like her was also the same.
She might even provide assistance regarding her parents’ whereabouts.
Though she hadn’t exactly hoped for it to happen this way.
“Hm?”
At that moment, Jin Hwa-rin’s gaze shifted behind Han.
Her pupils carefully scanned the room.
Perplexed, Han asked, “Why are you doing that?”
“Oh, no. It just felt like someone was staring at us… I must have been mistaken.”
Upon hearing that, Han felt momentarily embarrassed.
…Could it be that she sensed the presence of an acorn tree?
That couldn’t be it, right?
However, the girl with a bright face, who seemed unaffected and cheerful, bowed her head.
“Thank you very much.”
***
Creak-, thud.
The front door closed.
After seeing off the guest, Jin Hwa-rin,
Han returned to the living room.
“….”
Han passed by the living room ceiling nonchalantly.
Where Jin Hwa-rin’s gaze had reached, there was a woman with transparent blue hair.
Yet, for some reason, neither Han nor Jin Hwa-rin recognized her.
It was as if she wasn’t a part of this world.
[Hmm.]
Her eyes narrowed.
“Could it be that she sensed me? That child.”
Perhaps it was truly impossible to be noticed.
It must have been just a simple feeling.
But even that was enough.
Her lips curved upwards.
[Good instincts. Perhaps it’s more useful than I thought.]
Soon, her body vanished without a trace.
As if being erased from the world.
***
Lately, flowers had been blooming.
[A golden silk flower.]
A small flower in a corner of the square.
The miracle that started from a single blossom gradually spread, and now, it had turned into a small flower garden in no time.
The count had increased to a hundred blossoms before they knew it.
Every day was different now.
Tomorrow, a couple more flowers would bloom, and the day after, even more would follow suit.
The number was steadily increasing in this manner.
“At first, this place was just a barren snowfield. It’s truly amazing how much it has changed. It’s worth seeing again.”
The growth of the World Tree brought changes that affected them as well.
New plants, new species were being born every day.
Along with the expanding area, old things long asleep beneath the frozen soil were gradually awakening.
Just as a colony of mice would wake up from a long slumber.
“Well, at first, it’s difficult for a single flower to bloom, but once it does, the number will increase quickly.”
And it wasn’t just the golden silk flowers.
Among them, flowers of different colors were also blooming together.
White celestial flowers.
– One of the widely known natural medicinal ingredients on the planet Frey.
Through processing, it possesses cough relief, antioxidant effects, and antibacterial properties.
Blue rose lilies.
– One of the widely known natural medicinal ingredients on the planet Frey.
Through processing, it offers health improvement, increased recovery power, and bronchial improvement effects.
And so on.
Though they seemed to be few in number, flowers of white, blue, and orange hues had started to bloom.
Their numbers would surely increase in the future.
“It seems like the speed at which flowers are blooming every day is getting faster.”
[It’s the effect of the earthworm colony. Their presence enriches the soil, gradually showing the effects of transferring seeds and pollen of surrounding plants.]
“Oh…”
Was it Ikchung, they said?
Certainly, there was no harm in listening to the system’s words.
Despite occasionally spouting strange things, it was a helpful creature in many ways.
“Moreover, now there are plenty of flowers that can be used as medicinal herbs.”
Most of these flowers were natural remedies.
Among the myriad products of Eastern medicine, there was no product quite like medicine.
Only these flowers were unique.
Therefore, its value was inherently precious, needless to say.
“Everyone, sleep well.”
As the elves passed through, they would occasionally stroke the flowers along the way.
Sitting in front of a bright flower garden, swishing her long tail while gazing down at the flowers, Muamuah asked, “Hey, is this something edible?”
“….? Um….”
She awkwardly smiled after pondering for a moment in response.
“It’s not particularly edible. Ah, but of course, one could consider it edible since it can be used as medicine.”
“Wow.”
Perhaps it was an exclamation from a slightly different perspective, but nonetheless, Muamuah seemed to grasp the notion of its value to some extent.
Muamuah let out a hearty chuckle.
“Anyway, it would be great if it thrived abundantly.”
“I wish the same for it.”
A conversation filled with different meanings, different wishes.
Yet, the intentions roughly got across.
A drop of saliva fell onto the grass.
“….”
Hani’s eyes narrowed.
That fellow wouldn’t actually go around picking and eating flowers, would he?
***
“Let’s try to conquer the next floor today.”
“Hmm. A challenge, is it?”
Muamuah lifted her head.
As if revealing her mood, a faint magic shimmered from the emerald transparent horn.
“We must continue to strengthen ourselves in the future.”
Irina knew that as well.
To exert the superior power of the divine, they had to delve into this colossal tower.
The bow in their hands at this moment.
It was understood by now that it wasn’t just given to them.
A harsh world.
With the World Tree growing, a looming, even larger threat.
To overcome all this, they had to progress through the tower, floor by floor, and claim its rewards.
“As we climb the tower, the power that the Lord can bestow upon us will also increase. Just like this bow here.”
Ascending the tower brings corresponding rewards.
And that, in turn, would be a significant power to further revitalize this square.
It would also serve the role of protecting the World Tree and everyone.
Irina loaded the bow.
The next floor of the tower.
No one knew what might be lurking there.
Thud.
The touch of the healer gently grasped her.
He didn’t say a word.
But Irina seemed to know what he was about to say, smiling as if she did.
“I know, sir. If it’s dangerous, we should retreat, right?”
(Thumbs up!)
As if responding to her words, he raised his thumb.
That’s the correct answer!
Safety comes first in everything.
Even when attacking the tower, if the thought of not being able to proceed further crossed their minds, they had to retreat without hesitation.
“Phew.”
With a moment of deep breath, Irina tensed herself just enough.
She, who had been eyeing the door, took a step forward.
“Let’s go in.”