Meanwhile, the President of the Magic Association, Aryumon, and Suhaksan, the Elder of Na Mualan, met at a secluded area at the edge of the World Tree.

A tiny clearing at the far end of the World Tree.

Chirp, chirp—

Sparrows chirped, and the leaves rustled gently in the secluded clearing. This place was so remote that few people ever stumbled upon it.

"Ugh..."

In a remote corner of the clearing, a man lay sprawled across an old, worn bench, clearly intoxicated.

Barely covered by a single sheet of newspaper, he was half-asleep in a state that could only be described as pitiful.

"Mister."

Seemingly noticing someone there, a young girl with pointed ears passed by and, unable to ignore him, called out.

"Ugh..."

There was no response.

"Mister!"

"Urk!"

The girl shouted again, causing the newspaper to slip off as the man's face came into view.

His patchy beard looked like scattered pepper, his tangled curls resembled a typical vagrant, and his round ears marked him as human. His shabby clothing hinted at his status as a beggar.

"What is it...?"

With dark circles under his eyes, he scratched his head as he slowly sat up. The girl stepped back, covering her nose.

"Ugh, you reek of alcohol..."

"Mmm. What do you want?"

"And what about you, mister?"

"Me? I am..."

The man lifted his hand.

Blue-stained liquid covered his skin.

"What's that?"

"Blood."

"Blood? Blood is red."

"That may be true for you elves."

"Human blood is also red. And you're human."

"Me? Do I look human to you?"

The man chuckled dryly as the girl nodded innocently.

This naive girl before him—did she have any idea? The blue-stained blood on his hand belonged to the mad black mage who had been slaughtering maidens for over a decade.

"Well... it was deserved."

His name was the Black Mage Slayer, Cheoriban.

Although Cheoriban was a black mage himself, he was hunted by other black mages.

Because he hunted black mages? 

Not really. It was more of a hobby. The natural order saw the weak black mages eliminated, so it was never a real issue.

But...

Long ago, he had challenged the *Black Mage King* and lost, which was why he was a fugitive to this day.

A black mage who dared to challenge the king could never return alive.

Presumptuously, he—a weakling—had coveted the throne of the strong, and though he should have paid with his life, he had disgracefully fled. Thus, it was only natural that he remained hidden.

"Hmm, it's quiet here."

Having fought a fierce battle recently, Cheoriban was feeling a bit fatigued, and fortunately, there were no pursuers here.

He was tired of spilling blood and wanted a brief respite.

"It's always quiet here."

"Not exactly what I meant, but yes, it's peaceful. Got no friends, huh?"

When Cheoriban smirked and asked, the girl shot back.

"I-I do have friends!"

"Who?"

"Ch-Chiko..."

"Isn't that your dog's name?"

"It's a cat!"

"Haha! A cat as a friend? Funny kid. Elves live for centuries, yet here you are... amusing."

But then—

An unsettling shiver shot down Cheoriban's spine.

Crash!

A colossal stone wall erupted from the ground, forming a dome around him and the girl.

"Ahh!"

As sunlight was suddenly cut off, the girl fell backward.

"M-Mister, was that you...?"

"Well... yes."

It was his power, but not his will that activated it.

The earth sensed the threat and acted to protect him on its own.

*'This is... mana projection.'*

It was an incredibly rare technique among mages, distinct from spellcasting yet involving calculations, making it unique.

*'This mana projection covers the entire World Tree...'*

Lowering the stone wall, Cheoriban stretched his neck, cracking it.

*‘So, someone worthy has come looking for me.’*

Realizing who it was, Cheoriban narrowed his eyes.

*'Aryumon Blurshun. What a bother.'*

The thought of that persistent mage chasing him all the way here made his head ache.

"Ah, I really need a drink."

And Aryumon wasn’t the only issue.

*'Where is that guy...?'*

Cheoriban had chased a black mage all the way to Na Mualan's orchard, but his trail had abruptly vanished, and he’d been searching in vain for days.

After lingering so long, it was no surprise that a high-profile pursuer like Aryumon would appear.

He hadn’t stayed in one place for more than a day in his decades of fleeing.

"Hmm. I might have a good idea of where he is... though I'm not sure if I should fight."

Cheoriban glanced up at the sky. The dense, towering World Tree that blocked even the clouds was a force of nature with its own will, making Cheoriban cautious about causing trouble here.

*‘The World Tree’s unusual stillness is unsettling...’*

Whatever the reason, caution wouldn’t hurt.

"...Mister."

"Hmm?"

Looking down, he found the girl watching him with curious eyes.

"Do you... have the love of the earth?"

"What? What kind of nonsense is that?"

"I’ve never seen a mage like you who controls the earth. I can hear it. The earth likes you. It moved of its own will."

"Will you stop saying weird things?"

"But it’s true."

"Enough. Go away."

"Wha—?"

As Cheoriban waved her off and began walking, the girl, startled, reached out.

Though they were in a clearing, it was part of the World Tree. A misstep could lead to a fall.

"That's a cliff over there...!"

She shouted, but it was too late.

Or so she thought.

From the tree, thick pillars of earth emerged, forming a path under Cheoriban's feet.

The rough, tangled earthen columns appeared to have been created by nature’s will, not a person’s.

"Wow..."

The girl stared at Cheoriban’s disappearing back with wide, sparkling eyes, imagining what a spirit of the earth might look like.

---

After staying in Yiphanel's garden for three days, I suddenly remembered something I had forgotten. It was both trivial and crucial.

*'Attendance!'*

Today was Monday.

A school day.

I jumped up from my meditation spot in Yiphanel’s garden and dashed outside, where a white owl suddenly swerved and crashed into my head.

- “Ack!”

"Gah!"

We both yelped as I barely managed to grab it before it fell to the ground.

"Ugh, my head..."

Though it was my first time seeing one in person, I recognized it immediately.

*The Stella Safety System.*

If a Stella student left for a mission and failed to check in, a tracking owl would locate them via a device in their uniform.

Equipped with high-level invisibility and spatial-transference magic, these owls could reach any distance instantly and almost never revealed themselves.

The fact that I could see this one... might say something about my heightened senses, but it was also probably a bit clueless.

- “Beep... beep...”

The owl tilted its head up, made a strange sound, and then, in a deep voice, addressed me.

- “Baek Yuseol! Student Baek Yuseol! Failure to return by Sunday without a valid reason results in a penalty!”

"No, but I had a reason..."

- “However! If you are currently in danger, press 111! If you cannot return due to exceptional circumstances, press 112!”

"Where do I press?"

The owl spread its wings.

Snap!

A dial pad, like an old-fashioned telephone, appeared under its wings. After a moment’s thought, I pressed the dial marked H2, and with a little chirp, the owl flew back to Stella Academy, likely reporting my situation.

"Did that work?"

It's a good system, though still inconvenient.

I really wished Alterisha would hurry up and invent something more user-friendly, like a mobile phone.

*'Then again, she’d need to invent satellites and transmission towers first...'*

Finally relaxing, I collapsed on the ground.

Whoosh...

The breeze awakened every cell in my body.

Only three days had passed, yet it felt like I had become an entirely different person.

I hadn’t acquired any superhuman powers, but all my abilities had grown steadily, and I felt proud of the progress.

*'This is the true value of the Crimson Spring’s Blessing.'*

Looking back, I felt foolish. In the game, I couldn’t use the full range of the Twelve Celestial Branches’ Blessings, so I’d dismissed their value as mere attribute enhancements.

But...

Hadn’t I already felt its power multiple times?

The Crimson Spring’s blessing had granted Flower-Embedded a charm that captivated everyone, and it had heightened my ability to read others' minds.

I had left so much potential untapped in these blessings.

*'The next thing I should focus on... is definitely Silver Winter.'*

In the game, this was one of the most enigmatic abilities, never fully unlocked by any player.

But it might not be so difficult for me.

Unlike a character in a game, I was living and experiencing this world firsthand.

[Silver Winter’s Blessing Lv. 1]

* Sensory boost: 40%
* Mental strength boost: 12%
* Ability not yet unlocked.

*Tick-tock

, the silver time flows...*

Such a strange skill.

Among the Twelve Celestial Branches’ Blessings, it was a gift of time, yet it only offered minor boosts.

I hadn’t given it much thought in the game, but had I considered it more deeply, I might have pursued the hidden potential it held.

How, exactly? The question only briefly crossed my mind, as I knew it wouldn’t be too challenging.

With the Crimson Spring’s blessing guiding my self-reflection, reaching enlightenment was no longer out of reach.

*'I can take a short break, right?'*

Flower-Embedded was probably discussing future plans with Elder Suhaksan.

Now that they knew Yiphanel was the cause, they were likely preparing purification magic to cleanse the area.

So, what should I do?

*'Since I’m already late, one more day won’t hurt.'*

When someone is on the brink of being late for school, they get anxious, but once they’re actually late, there’s a strange calmness that sets in.

That’s exactly how I felt.

Perhaps because I had already missed one full day, I felt like I had let everything go.

So just one more day.

I decided to spend one more day in Yiphanel's garden.

Two days couldn’t hurt, right?