16. Moving Forward (1)

Jin-woo beat everyone without hesitation.

“Keaaargh!”

“Gasp!”

He smashed everything without letting them slide by. Everyone was busy running away from Jin-woo like zebras before a lion. No, they had to run away. Otherwise, all their expensive equipment would be destroyed. He stripped all the veteran applicants completely. He overlooked the rest that had their equipment properly destroyed, or were already incapacitated.

Jin-woo wasn’t that vicious.

“U-uwaaagh!”

“Stop him!”

So naturally, the applicants united and began to attack Jin-woo. Could it be how taking a test looked like?

It was just a useless rant. Withdrawing and surrender weren’t permitted as long as they entered the arena. The applicants couldn’t continue to take the A-Rank License test forever if they withdrew or surrendered. After taking the first round of the test, the applicants had no choice but to clench their teeth and went up to the second round.

No matter how many there were, however, they were no match for Jin-woo.

‘This is the last time.’

All the remaining applicants gathered together and took a defensive formation. It was a pretty plausible defense.

But it didn’t work.

Jin-woo’s body grew blurry, and then he appeared behind them.

“Huh?”

“What..”

“M-my body isn’t moving!”

Their bodies wouldn’t listen to them. They tried to turn their heads, but they couldn’t move. Jin-woo slowly lowered his sword. The moment the tip of his sword touched the floor, something strange happened.

Clang-clang!

All the artifacts they were carrying began to crack. Jin-woo slowly sheathed his sword.

Babababack!

“Gasp!”

“Kugh!”

Their armor and equipment exploded, and the fragments soared into the air. Everyone fainted with bubbles in their mouth. Fighting was impossible no matter how one looked at it. The examiner, who was staring blankly at Jin-woo, hurriedly raised the flag.

Now there were no applicants that were able to fight left in the arena.

“Lee Jin-woo #S1 with 3,500 points in total. T-the remaining points 0! The test cannot be continued!”

The calculation was easy. Jin-woo broke the best record, so the rest had 0 points. The test usually took a full day because of the veteran applicants’ trick, but now it had taken less than an hour. The test of the A-Rank License ended with the highest record and the shortest time records being shattered.

Jin-woo went down the stairs slowly. The failed applicants stared blankly at Jin-woo while receiving treatment. They should have had a grudge, but they didn’t even think about it. Nothing would happen even if they nurtured a grudge against an opponent like him.

This year, only one person passed the A-Rank License: Applicant #S1, Lee Jin-woo.

* * *

There was a bit of commotion among the Competent People that Jin-woo was the only person who obtained the A-Rank License. There was a fuss about whether it was a biased judgment or whether he was oppressing the competent people. However, Jin-woo’s theory, written test answer sheet, and finally, the practical test video were released through the Association of Competent People.

Only those with Competent Person Certification could see it, but the complaints disappeared as soon as they were released. Rather, public opinion had changed dramatically.

[F]#59,231: What kind of swordsmanship is that?

[F+]#42,321: That’s ridiculous.

[E]#13,521: He looks badass.

[D+]#7,230: Isn’t that Lee Young-wook? Wow, he’s just a minion.

The open chat used by Competent People was plastered with Jin-woo’s story. References to the paper titled ‘The Aesthetics of the Sword’ were so crowded that the pages went down for a while.

That was how beautiful Jin-woo’s sword was. It wasn’t just beautiful; there was a style that touched hearts. It was like watching a movie. No, the style transcended even that.

[-E]#21,112: I am a swordsman from Han Si-woon’s School. Even our Master fell for it. It’s quite cool these days.

[F+] 42,333: From what I heard, Semi-Knight Lee Jin-woo started with the basic swordsmanship of Choi Family’s Sword School, right?

[-C]4,311: Thanks for the good info. I’m going there right now.

Swordsmen possessed by Jin-woo’s skill began to flock to the Choi Family’s Sword School. Although the Sword Master often went out into the world, he hadn’t attracted many people. After all, the training was so severe. However, the once quiet Choi Family’s Sword School was now crowded.

Some returned because of the hardship of training, but many stayed at the Choi Family’s Sword School. The will to pursue the style gave birth to a stronger force than expected. People who pursued the aesthetics of the swords began to gather with the trainees of Choi Family’s Sword School at the center. The Aesthetic of the Sword paper, the answer sheet, and the basic swordsmanship of Choi Family’s Sword School created a new wave of swordsmanship.

It was known as Stormy Sword, which originated from the stylish moves that poured down like a severe storm.

Jin-woo, who was in the car, tilted his head as his Honor and Influence suddenly rose. He had checked that his Influence rank went up thanks to Ella’s video, but now it had considerably and suddenly risen. Jin-woo returned to the G&P building after a by Frontline Group. He sighed and loosened his tie.

“Ella’s video has exceeded 400 million views.”

“Already?”

“Yes, we released it as an official song, and it is sweeping all the charts in Korea and abroad. Especially in Japan, it is the overwhelming number one.”

“I see.”

In Japan, it was said that they even held screenings in theaters. She said that they only watched Ella’s video for two hours, but Jin-woo nodded like it were natural. Considering Ella’s appearance, it was understandable that she was explosively popular in Japan. They were going to upload Arina’s video as well. Not with the artifact, but as a video extracted and uploaded to MeTube.

‘Considering the impact, it should be okay to proceed.’

“We opened a goods store next to Elonti’s agency building. It is said that people were coming to line up two days before the opening.”

“Those are Ella’s statues and paintings, right?”

“Yes, they are quite expensive, but I think it’s going to be sold out.

Ella’s statues and paintings seemed to be alive and breathing. Despite the price of millions of won, the competition rate was fierce. Elonti Entertainment’s income was immediately settled and went directly into Ella’s account. The Future Strategy Office helped run Elonti and was currently looking for talented people well-versed in the field to expand their business.

Yoo-na put her hand on the earphone and tilted her head.

“Young Master.”

“Why?”

“It is said that Lee Min-woo has come to the Cultural Center. It seems that he came alone..”

“My brother?”

Come to think of it, Jin-woo hadn’t seen him since he brought him notice from the Military Manpower Administration. He didn’t come to the celebration either.

Jin-woo headed to the Cultural Center first. There was no reason for Lee Min-woo to be left waiting there.

‘Is he here to see me?’

When Jin-woo arrived at the Cultural Center, he waved his bodyguards off and headed toward Lee Min-woo. He was waiting where Elonti’s agency building was. Jin-woo easily found Lee Min-woo in front of the Elonti goods store. He was wearing sunglasses at night, but he couldn’t hide his appearance.

He gave off a great aura. There was no one within a one-meter radius of him, although he was standing in line. He was standing in line, reading a book confidently.

“..”

“I-it looks like h-he has come to buy goods.”

Yoo-na stuttered in embarrassment, which wasn’t like herself at all.

‘Umm..’

Jin-woo was lost in thought on the spot. In the meanwhile, he received a couple of calls he inadvertently ignored.

“First..take care of the statues and paintings.”

“I understood. I’m going to arrange the people so it won’t be obvious.”

“Yeah.”

Jin-woo stepped back quietly. He didn’t want to create an awkward situation because he ran into him for no reason. Jin-woo nodded.

He had to respect his hobbies.

* * *

Gorgeous wings, high soaring crests, and elegant tail feathers. Sharp beaks and claws that look like blades. It was a monster. The two eyes glanced at them predatorily as drool dripped from its jaw. A predator drooling over the orcs!

The orcs were going crazy. These unidentified birds that appeared suddenly tore the orcs to shreds and preyed upon them. The strangely rich feathers they had even blocked their axes. It felt more menacing than wearing iron armor.

An Emperor visited Elonti, so the Orc Chief thought it was a creature created by the Emperor.

“Kugh!”

The Orc Chief touched the knob of his left arm. His whole body trembled when he thought of the Red Crest. He managed to get one of its eyes, but he lost one of his arms.

“Red Crest!”

The Emperor was on a different level, but Red Crest was the greatest enemy of all time. The third time he encountered it, he had no choice but to throw away his weapon and run away. The Red Crest that had golden feathers was growing stronger by eating orcs.

Orc tribes from all over the meadows gathered together. Borrowing the power of other tribes to deal with the elves was a very self-deprecating act, but the Red Crest and the huge birds it led were too threatening. They had to cut the buds quickly.

‘The Emperor is not even here now!’

The Emperor who visited Elonti was also absent for a long time. It was information they obtained through bloody sacrifice, but as a result, they knew now was the right time.

“Oink! All tribes gathered!”

“Today is the end of those elves!”

They were the honorable orc tribes who gathered to destroy the elves. The Orc Chief looked at the other chieftains and nodded. The moment he gained the dark powers that the elves were hiding, he would become the ruler of all dimensions. He would become a new Emperor and start his invasion! Breeding and plundering!

That was the reason orcs lived.

Orc Chief raised his huge blunt weapon.

“Kill the elves! Kill Red Crest! Become the Emperor of Orc!”

“Oooh!”

“Kill them!”

The orc troops began to advance towards Elonti. There was no one in the orcs’ garrison as every one of them marched on the elves in an army of ten thousand. In front of this huge army, the Red Crest was just a little bird.

However, the preparations had to be thorough. The orcs moved quietly and secretly, digging into the ground. As soon as Elonti was seen in the distance, the Orc Chief raised his weapon.

Bwooooooo!

A horn rang out with cheers. It was the prelude to doom.

* * *

Jin-woo returned to Elonti. It felt like his heart was purified as soon as the trees entered his vision. All the stress he had accumulated seemed to disappear.

“My Lord Emperor!”

Ella rode a giant golden chicken as she approached Jin-woo. It was wearing an eye patch, and its gentle gaze was impressive. Its beak also had long-stemmed grass in it.

Elonti Golden Chicken, though now it was very difficult to call it a chicken.

“It’s been a while!”

“That’s right.”

It hadn’t been that long, but it was nice to see them anyway. Ella, who got off the chicken, greeted Jin-woo and hugged Yoo-na. Yoo-na looked awkward, but she didn’t seem to dislike it. There were many things to talk about, so they moved to the castle.

Yoo-na told her the detailed story.

“The statues and paintings are sold out.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Ella smiled so brightly after hearing that her delighted artisans stood out. Those weren’t popular at all in the Dimensional Store. When Yoo-na told her the selling price, Ella was surprised and almost fell back. Dellu, who was by her side, grabbed her as she was about to collapse.

“I-it’s so expensive..”

“Please check it out.”

When Jin-woo said that, Ella nodded and opened the currency exchange. Ella was able to use the Root Stone’s power to access the currency exchange and Dimensional Store. As she was checking the currency exchange, she abruptly jumped up in surprise. Then she began to check the unit with trembling hands, her pupils shaking wildly.

“I-I-Is this for real?”

When Jin-woo nodded, Ella closed the currency exchange and exhaled a rough breath. The amount was significant because Jin-woo settled everything except maintenance costs. It was much more than the amount Jin-woo had originally provided. Yoo-na smiled slightly and looked at Ella.

“If the sales amount of the original song, that is, the recorded song, is settled, it will be much higher than this.”

Ella’s face turned pale at Yoo-na’s words. She was almost out of breath. Dellu, who was standing beside her, patted her on the back. Ella let out a breath then let her upper body collapse on the table as if she had lost her strength.

Then, she jumped up.

“La-Lady Yoo-na, w-w-what did you say I was doing?”

“You’re a singer. It can be precisely defined as an elf-concept idol singer.”

“T-that’s a great job.”

Ella clenched her fist. Her will blazed, determined to work harder. Now it was time to see if it worked to awaken the will of the World Tree.

‘It took a long time.’

But finally, the time had come. As she spoke to Ella, she nodded with a determined expression.

“Yes, I will give it a try.”

Jin-woo and Ella approached the World Tree. It looked like something out of a fantasy movie as it loomed high above them. Although it was a shadow of its former self, the World Tree was still a sight to behold. Come to think of it, this was the first time he saw the World Tree up close.

‘It’s magnificent.’

The elongated leaves created a soothing atmosphere, and the white vines intertwining around it gave off a sacred and gentle aura.

The elves gathered around the World Tree. It seemed that almost all of Elonti’s elves had gathered except for the forces guarding the border. When Ella awakened the will of the World Tree, she was said to grant the prayers of the elves.

Ella stood quietly in front of the World Tree. There was tension in her expression. After all, it was something she hadn’t done in a very long time.

Jin-woo and Yoo-na watched from a little distance.

“Does the World Tree even move when it wakes up?”

“Yes, in the time there were many elves and animals, the World Tree was very active. It protected us from external enemies, and it was always our friend.”

“Really?”

“Yes, when the will was strong, and the whole forest was full of vitality. For me to see that again..it’s so thrilling.”

Jin-woo nodded.

“Well, you must have had a large population back in the day?”

“Yes, in Elonti’s heyday, there were about 150,000 elves. At that time, the forest was so active that we were almost worried about growing too fast. I can’t even imagine it now.”

“I see.”

If the whole race had 150,000 people, it was a fairly small number.

A light emanated from Ella’s body. It was very beautiful, but Jin-woo felt a bit uneasy.

“Dellu, did you say it was too active?”

“Yes, according to the records.”

Jin-woo and Yoo-na looked at each other at Dellu’s words.

“About that..how many views is it?”

“When I checked in the morning, it was around 500 million. The number of subscribers also exceeded 1 million and is now approaching double that.”

“Umm...”historical

Jin-woo was lost in thought for a moment. After listening to Dellu’s explanation, it seemed that too much willpower would be a problem. Ella was going all out with her will and mana.

“For now, just slowly..”

It was when Jin-woo was about to tell Ella to relax as much as possible that the light emanating from Ella grew stronger and stronger, becoming a pillar of light that soared into the sky. The clouds were cleared at once. Ella had a bewildered expression on her face, and the guards watched with wide eyes alongside the other elves.

Most of the elves had seen the sight of the will of the World Tree awakened before. A holy light emanated from Ella then, but not to this extent.

Whoosh!

The wind whipped around them. It didn’t come from outside but was blowing from the World Tree itself. The branches and leaves fell off.

Dddrrrrrr!

The vibration spread around the World Tree, causing the castle to shake. As the giant trunk pulled up from the ground, the sleeping chickens flapped their wings in surprise. At that moment, elf scouts scouting in the meadow came quickly riding in on chickens with an urgent report.

“A large-scale raid by the orcs..ah...”

“There are thousands of the...”

But they couldn’t finish their sentences and stared blankly at the huge trunk rising from the world. The elves nearby rushed to evacuate. Ella tried to calm it down, but the will of the World Tree was too strong.

Gwoooooo!

The body of the huge World Tree slowly raised itself. Jin-woo and Yoo-na had no choice but to stare blankly at the scene while Dellu dropped the spear she held in shock.

Thud! Thud!

The world tree wriggled and moved to the border of the forest. It was like seeing an octopus moving on land. No, more precisely, it was a Kraken. A thick cloud of dust arose throughout the forest. It was like a kaiju movie.

The World Tree quickly reached the border of the forest. All of the giant tree trunks that could be considered the feet of the World Tree were cut off as the root that could support the body of the World Tree was already eaten by the Emperor of Greed.

Dddddrrrrrr!

There was a sound like a steel frame twisting. The huge body of the World Tree began to lean forward, and the meadow darkened as if it had become night. The shadow was too big.

Paaaaaash!

There was the sound of air bursting.

Baaaaaang!

The World Tree completely crossed the meadow, kicking up bits of earth that soared into the sky before pouring down. Dust clouds covered the sky, making it look like a meteorite had fallen.

“..”

“..”

Jin-woo and Yoo-na still looked blankly at the scene, their mouths half-open. The elves were in a similar state. They couldn’t even be surprised because something so big had happened.

Ella, who had hardened in place, turned her body stiffly and looked at Jin-woo.

“W-w-w-what should I do?”

Her eyes were fluttering incessantly. They were all filled with something beyond confusion. The Orcs, who were advancing to Elonti, stiffened as soon as they saw the huge monster approaching them.

The legions of orcs stopped advancing at the overwhelming sight and looked up at the monster blankly.

“Tree?”

“Huh?”

“Oink?”

A huge tree fell and hit the thousands of orcs that were lined up.