Regression of the Transcendent Blacksmith - Chapter 17

========== REGRESSION OF THE TRANSCENDENT BLACKSMITH CHAPTER 17 ==========

People with religion believe that when they die, they go to heaven or hell depending on their karma.

Elves were similar.

Elves believed that when they died, they would return to the roots of the World Tree and regress into a part of the World Tree.

The World Tree was that sacred and holy of a place.

And now.

The World Tree, which those elves longed to see even once in their lives, was right in front of Shin Tae-ho.

‘Huge.’

Shin Tae-ho tilted his head back to look up at the World Tree.

Before his regression, even in the advanced future, there were many high-rise buildings reaching 200 floors.

However, the World Tree had a different presence than those uninspiring lumps of cement.

What Shin Tae-ho saw in front of him now was merely one of the World Tree’s countless roots.

But that one root was as big as the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

Yepiel explained to Shin Tae-ho, who was watching the World Tree as if possessed.

“I said there was a lack of natural energy. I will allow you to recover here. However, do not touch the World Tree under any circumstances.”

“As long as I keep that, can I take as much as I want?”

Shin Tae-ho asked with anticipation.

Yepiel smirked as if they had expected such a question.

“Yes. However, the natural energy here is incomparably stronger than outside. Don’t ruin yourself out of greed.”

“Why? Are you worried I’ll take all this Qi?”

“Worried? That the great World Tree’s natural energy will be depleted? Puhut.”

Yepiel scoffed.

“I’m worried about you. If you contain more natural energy than you can handle, you’ll melt and assimilate into nature instead.”

“Is it that much? I like it.”

Shin Tae-ho took off his helmet, reached into his armor, and poked Yong-ryong-i.

“Yong-ryong-i. Come out for a second.”

“Who are you talking to?”

Yepiel was puzzled by Shin Tae-ho’s actions.

But when Yong-ryong-i emerged from Shin Tae-ho’s embrace, Yepiel was shocked.

‘What is that creature? I’ve never seen it before. No, more than that, to think I couldn’t even feel its presence…!’

“Yong?”

Yong-ryong-i, who had made eye contact with Yepiel, who was staring intently, frowned.

It was a face that seemed to ask why they were staring so intently.

Noticing that Yong-ryong-i was displeased by the way it cried ‘Yong’, Shin Tae-ho stroked its head.

“It’s okay, Yong-ryong-i. They’re not an enemy.”

“Ryong!”

Yong-ryong-i nodded as if it understood and relaxed its expression.

Shin Tae-ho let go of his hand so Yong-ryong-i could fly comfortably and said.

“The Qi here, can you feel it?”

“Ryong!”

Although Yong-ryong-i hadn’t told him directly.

Shin Tae-ho had noticed that Yong-ryong-i’s sensitivity to Qi was superior to his own.

Sure enough, Yong-ryong-i was also gulping as it felt the dense Qi of the World Tree.

“Don’t touch the tree. This Qi, you can eat as much as you want. No. Eat as much as you possibly can.”

“Ryong?! Ryong-ryong~!!”

Yong-ryong-i flew up, overjoyed.

As Yong-ryong-i flew toward the World Tree, Yepiel was startled and tried to stop it.

But Yong-ryong-i only flew high and did not touch the World Tree.

Instead, Yong-ryong-i opened its mouth wide and began to inhale the World Tree’s Qi to its heart’s content.

Kwaoooo-!!

The World Tree’s Qi, which had been filling the surroundings, poured into Yong-ryong-i’s mouth like a waterfall.

Yepiel’s jaw dropped at the suction power, which was strong enough to create a vacuum in the area in an instant.

It was surprising enough that a creature they had never seen before had suddenly appeared, but to think it had suction power like that?!

‘I, is this really okay?’

Yepiel looked toward where the World Tree was.

Yepiel was a World Tree Elf.

Yepiel could instinctively pinpoint the emotions of the World Tree, which Dark Elves or Pure Elves could not feel.

And the emotion felt from the World Tree was….

‘It’s… happy?’

Yepiel, who had been listening to the World Tree’s emotions, was shocked again.

The World Tree, which showed no particular reaction even when World Tree Elves, who were like its children, took natural energy.

But at Yong-ryong-i drinking its fill of Qi, the World Tree was showing the emotion of joy for the first time.

Yepiel stared at Yong-ryong-i with trembling eyes.

‘What on earth is that creature?’

To think it would eat the Qi like that, when even they, the World Tree Elves, would feel burdened if they took too much at once and had to share it.

Under Yepiel’s shocked gaze, Yong-ryong-i, which had been absorbing Qi vigorously, soon closed its mouth.

“Ryong-kkeuheuk~.”

Yong-ryong-i descended with a dragon burp.

Yong-ryong-i’s belly was bulging as if it were carrying an egg.

“Are you done eating?”

“Ryong~!”

Yong-ryong-i answered satisfactorily.

It felt a sense of fullness that it had never felt before, even after drinking all the Qi in the Tower.

However, Shin Tae-ho, who was carefully pressing and feeling Yong-ryong-i’s belly, shook his head.

“No. Yong-ryong-i, you can eat more. Go eat more.”

“Ryong?!”

Yong-ryong-i was shocked at Shin Tae-ho’s words.

No, I said I was full?!

But Shin Tae-ho was serious.

“It’s an opportunity you might not get again. Eat more, Yong-ryong-i.”

“…Ryo, ryong….”

Yong-ryong-i began to drink the Qi again.

After that, it said it was full a couple more times, but Shin Tae-ho kept telling it to eat.

In the end, Yong-ryong-i was only able to get a pass after the World Tree’s Qi had risen to its throat.

“Good. Well done, Yong-ryong-i.”

Yong-ryong-i, lying on the ground, could not answer.

It felt like the Qi would flow backward if it opened its mouth now.

Once Yong-ryong-i’s Qi absorption was over, Yepiel, who had been blankly watching the scene, came to their senses.

“Amazing. To think it could fill up this much natural energy…. Then now-”

“It’s my turn.”

“…What?”

Yepiel, who was about to say let’s leave now that it was full, was startled.

Shin Tae-ho spread his senses and filled his Qi Circuit with the World Tree’s Qi.

While Yong-ryong-i was eating, the World Tree’s Qi, which hadn’t come to him due to strong control, flowed in.

Shin Tae-ho’s expression became serious at the intense Qi flowing into his circuit.

‘As expected. The quality is incomparable to the Qi I got from the Tower.’

If the Qi he got from the Tower was water vapor, the World Tree’s Qi was like condensed, sticky jelly.

It was a concentration of Qi that a challenger who had just reached the 15th floor wouldn’t even dare to put into their circuit.

If they tried to take it by force, their circuit would be ruined.

But Shin Tae-ho was a body equipped with a level 7 circuit after finishing the tutorial.

Even if it meant pain, he could sufficiently handle the World Tree’s Qi.

Unlike Yong-ryong-i, it took a long time for Shin Tae-ho to absorb the Qi.

After a long time, Shin Tae-ho, who had filled his circuit completely, took a long, deep breath.

He could feel his circuit, which had never been full before, filled to the point of overflowing.

Yepiel, who had been watching that sight without being able to say a word, was horrified.

“You… what exactly are you? Are you a dragon?”

“I’m a human. A dragon? Don’t compare me to a lizard like that.”

Shin Tae-ho was displeased.

To Shin Tae-ho, a dragon was just a giant enemy that destroyed the Earth, popping out as the Tower collapsed.

Yepiel didn’t understand the word human, but they could understand that Shin Tae-ho was angry from his expression.

“R-right. That can’t be. I’m sorry. I made a mistake. Now, then….”

“Right. I need to fill this.”

‘What now?!’

Yepiel screamed inwardly.

In Shin Tae-ho’s hand was an Unknown Core he had taken out of his inventory.

‘I’m looking forward to it. Can the World Tree’s Qi fill this core too?’

One corner of Shin Tae-ho’s mouth curled up in anticipation.

Yepiel didn’t know why Shin Tae-ho was smiling, but they knew at least one thing.

Something was going seriously wrong right now!

The Unknown Core stopped absorbing Qi.

It didn’t stop because it was full.

It happened because Yepiel, unable to bear it any longer, stopped Shin Tae-ho as if screaming.

“Stop! Stop now!”

“Why? It seems there’s still enough Qi in the surroundings.”

“At least this much natural energy must be maintained for the forest to live! Otherwise, the area around the roots will be damaged!”

“Is that so. That’s a shame.”

Shin Tae-ho checked the Unknown Core.

It had absorbed quite a lot of the World Tree’s Qi.

But the total amount was less than 1/100th of what he had absorbed from Arimir in the tutorial.

‘I knew it was immense. But comparing it like this, I can understand a little how great Arimir’s Qi is.’

The amount of Qi absorbed was enough to dry up the World Tree, yet it was only 1/100th.

And on top of that, the concentration of the Qi was even denser on Arimir’s side.

Furthermore, what was even more surprising was that this comparison target wasn’t just Tower Qi, but the World Tree’s Qi.

While Shin Tae-ho was surprised anew, Yepiel was equally surprised.

‘What on earth are these guys made of?!’

The World Tree’s Qi, which had always been overflowing, not just filling the area around the roots, but scattering natural energy into the world.

That sea of overflowing Qi was now clearly reduced and weakened, as if a drought had come.

Yepiel, who could commune with the World Tree, could also tell that the World Tree was exhausted from having too much natural energy taken away.

And Yepiel knew for the first time at this moment that the World Tree could get tired.

Shin Tae-ho felt awkward at Yepiel’s serious expression.

‘Hmm. Did I take too much.’

When Shin Tae-ho scratched his head awkwardly, feeling like he had done something shameless.

A message window popped up in front of Shin Tae-ho’s eyes.

[An unidentified entity looks at you with a tired expression and smiles.]

[An unidentified entity thanks you for your hard work and sends a gift.]

‘A gift?’

Shin Tae-ho was puzzled.

An unidentified entity that appeared out of nowhere.

Under the circumstances, this clearly meant the World Tree.

But why was it expressed as an unidentified entity instead of the World Tree?

And if it were a quest or clear reward, that would be one thing, but a gift?

All he had done was absorb Qi, so what was it thanking him for?

‘Is it for protecting it from outside the barrier?’

When Shin Tae-ho was agonizing over not knowing the reason.

Yepiel, having confirmed that the World Tree was exhausted but not angry, grabbed Shin Tae-ho’s wrist.

“Let’s pay our respects to the World Tree and leave. Even if I brought you here because you were a benefactor, you’ve stayed too long.”

“I’ll pay my respects. But there’s no need to go back out.”

“What? What does that mean?”

“I’m going to disappear.”

Shin Tae-ho moved his eyes to look at the remaining stay time.

The long stay time was coming to an end, and there was less than 2 minutes left.

But there was something he had to check before leaving.

“Yepiel. When I meet you again, what should I do so you can recognize me?”

“What on earth are you talking about?”

“It means I want you to tell me something that can prove I know you to a you who doesn’t recognize me.”

He had explained it as best he could, but Yepiel still couldn’t understand Shin Tae-ho’s words.

But Shin Tae-ho’s expression was definitely not a joking one.

Yepiel, feeling the sincerity in that expression, thought about it and answered.

“I still don’t know what you’re talking about, but if I don’t recognize you, say ‘I know about your silver treasure’.”

“Silver treasure.”

Shin Tae-ho repeated it to himself so he wouldn’t forget.

Yepiel, feeling uneasy about having told their secret, turned their head.

Ahem, Yepiel cleared their throat and looked back at Shin Tae-ho.

“But I will remember, so what is the meaning of this… huh?”

Yepiel’s eyes, which had turned their head, widened.

Shin Tae-ho, who had been standing next to them until just a moment ago, was nowhere to be seen.

Yepiel, with eyes like a rabbit, looked around.

This was the World Tree’s domain.

No matter how young they were, as a guardian, Yepiel could detect even a specific ant within this domain.

But Shin Tae-ho’s presence could not be felt anywhere in the World Tree’s domain.

“H, how could this happen…?”

A horrified Yepiel looked at the World Tree.

But the World Tree was just standing quietly in front of Yepiel without showing any emotion.

To be continued in the next chapter ▶