Chapter 53 : Arrival in the 10,459th Dimension

Using the Tower Exit Stone, they arrived at the 10,459th Dimension.

Who would have thought it really worked.

Honestly, they hadn’t expected much.

If it worked, great. If not, no big deal.

But it opened this easily?

Usually, something like this should be difficult, right?

In novels or comics, people usually travel using machines or magic circles that took a lifetime to create.

Anyway, crossing into the 10,459th Dimension was far easier than expected.

It was a forest filled with towering trees.

A scenery impossible to find on Earth.

Between the tall trees, a cool breeze gently blew.

A pleasant scent of grass rippled through the surroundings.

“Ibangin!”

At that moment.

A woman’s voice came from somewhere.

Looking toward the source of the voice, someone was running.

An elf with shimmering silver hair.

At a glance, it was obvious.

She was the Elf Queen who had exchanged messages with them.

“Ah, hello.”

Thanks to the power of the World Tree, their languages didn’t feel strange to each other at all.

“Ibangin, you’ve really come.”

Silpia glanced between the two of them with her mysterious eyes.

Both emanated an unusual aura.

“I am Silpia, the guardian of this forest.”

Silpia introduced herself, bowing gently.

Through her translucent cardigan, a barely visible silhouette showed.

Embarrassed, Woo Min quickly turned his head, and Seolha blushed as she greeted on his behalf.

“I-I’m Seolha. This is Woo Min.”

Silpia smiled softly at the sight.

Then, Eillin behind her also introduced herself.

“I am Eillin, the Eastern Guardian who serves the Queen.”

No wonder the atmosphere felt unusual—she was indeed the Queen.

Snow-white skin and pointed ears.

A beauty so perfect it was beyond human reach.

It was no wonder people whispered ‘elf’ with awe.

She had a different charm from Seolha.

If Seolha’s beauty was a cold, human perfection, Silpia’s was an indescribable mystical elegance.

One that made onlookers lose their words.

“Eillin, please guide the Ibangin here. I will go listen to the voice of the World Tree.”

Entrusting Eillin with their care, Silpia gave a beautiful smile.

Due to overusing the power of the World Tree, her mana circuits were tangled, and her body wasn’t fully recovered.

Maybe that was why she hadn’t heard the World Tree’s voice clearly for the past few days.

Only faint, whispering voices echoed vaguely.

Thus, most of her recent time was spent sitting quietly in a deserted place, focusing on hearing the World Tree’s voice.

If the voice of the World Tree that watches over this entire forest was restored even a little sooner, the elves’ safety would be guaranteed.

After parting with Silpia, Eillin guided them.

With her silver long hair and expressionless face, she carried a large longbow on her back.

“First, rest comfortably here.”

The place she led them to was a small treehouse built high up on a large tree.

Its simple interior matched well with the elves.

“This is nice.”

Seolha said, sitting on the small bed.

The humble, unpretentious style must have resonated with her heart.

“Good. And this is a summon grass flute.”

Eillin handed over the grass flute.

It was made from a wide maple leaf, crafted so that even beginners could easily play it.

“If anything happens, just blow it and I’ll come running.”

Though her expression remained cold, Eillin faithfully followed Queen Silpia’s orders.

Giving them the summon grass flute meant she would do her best to serve them.

Among the elves, having a summon flute from the Eastern Guardian was like having the Queen’s personal summons.

The elf hospitality didn’t end there.

No sooner had they received the flute than the door of the treehouse they were staying in opened.

Two older elves were carrying food in both hands.

“We’ve prepared your meal.”

Service worthy of a luxury hotel.

The two short-haired elves expertly set the table.

Salad, vegetable soup, lightly cooked vegetable side dishes.

A neatly arranged vegetarian menu.

Probably because they were elves.

Though it lacked meat, it was unavoidable.

Using wooden chopsticks, Woo Min carefully took his first bite.

Then.

“Oh?”

It was much tastier than expected.

The somewhat bitter taste was perfectly balanced with sweet sauces.

Rather, it was a refreshing tang that whetted the appetite.

“If you need help, just call anytime.”

“I’m Ru, and this is Sol.”

With kind smiles, Ru and Sol quietly left the room.

They looked exactly alike. Could they be twins?

“Excuse me, Ru Sol?”

At that moment.

Seolha called out to the Ru Sol twins as they were leaving.

“What is it?”

“Is this the only room?”

“Yes. Since this is the first time guests like you have come, we don’t have prepared rooms. If you need another room, we can vacate ours.”

“Oh, no. It’s fine.”

“Then, have a comfortable day.”

Soon, a sudden awkwardness followed.

They hadn’t thought much of it, but being left alone in this cramped space felt incredibly strange.

“Should we just go back?”

“Huh? Ah, no, it’s fine.”

Look at this.

The awkwardness was suffocating.

They’d thought they had become quite close, but circumstances create the atmosphere, after all.

Feeling an indescribable mood, Woo Min just stared at the floor.

“Since we came this far, think of it as a vacation.”

“A vacation?”

“You climbed the 51st floor, right? It won’t matter if we’re gone a day or two.”

“Is that so?”

Trying his best to switch the topic and thaw the frozen atmosphere.

Yeah, since we’re here anyway, let’s think of it as a break.

What a great retreat.

Good land, good air.

Forest bathing.

It felt like even the mind was getting clearer.

Only then did Seolha’s expression relax.

A vacation.

It was a word she hadn’t heard in a long time.

Alright, let’s rest for a day or two.

And then.

Bbyak bbyak!

Bbiee—

Pachi pachi!

Bow Bow!

The Sahyungje, who had been hiding until now, peeked their face out.

Today too, the adorable Sahyungje.

Where else could be better to rest body and mind?

Since becoming a player, he had lived too hastily.

Today was a real day to rest.

No sooner had that thought crossed his mind than a loud bell rang.

Tem tem dum—

The Ru Sol twins who had just left hurriedly returned amid the sudden commotion.

“Ibangin, this is a demonic beast attack. You must evacuate immediately.”

Demonic beasts?

There were demonic beasts even in this dimension?

“Let’s go quickly.”

“Got it.”

Though they hadn’t rested much, demonic beasts meant no staying put.

As Woo Min and Seolha prepared to leave, the Ru Sol guardian blocked their way with a distressed expression.

“No, you can’t. You are very precious guests. You must never get involved in danger.”

“That’s right. I, Sol, will stop you even if I have to break the rules.”

With a determined expression.

Like Eillin, she was a guardian who faithfully followed her duties.

But they weren’t ordinary players.

One was world-ranked number one.

Undisputedly the best player on Earth.

The other?

A level SSS player.

A man who monopolized the love of demonic beasts.

Now, no more hiding. Come out, kids.

With a quick signal.

Bbyak bbyak!

The first to leap out was Bbyak.

With red feathers flying, he appeared.

Ru Sol guardian couldn’t take her eyes off him.

A demonic beast.

But unlike the ones threatening the elf village, this was different.

Overflowing with sacred energy.

Could it be… the legendary Red Bird?

One after another, figures appeared.

The genius inventor Somi.

The lightning squirrel Toto.

Even Choco, the genius with a keen nose.

Upon the Sahyungje’s arrival, Ru Sol guardian was stunned.

Forgetting even the thought of blocking them, she just stood dumbfounded staring at the Sahyungje.

Then.

Bow bow!

Choco was the first to step forward.

Choco’s mission?

To bind the feet of the Ru Sol guardian.

When Choco clinged to Ru Sol’s body, she was too stunned to react.

Next?

Somi.

She had the same mission.

Leaping from her shoulder, she landed on Sol’s head.

They had neutralized the Ru Sol guardian blocking their path.

“I-Ibangin. You really can’t go.”

She hurriedly tried to stop them, but it was already too late.

“Sorry. We’ll be back soon.”

With Choco and Somi’s help, they headed toward the ringing bell.

***

Tem tem dum—

In the eastern forest Eillin guarded.

Beyond the shore, dark life forms were creeping closer.

Their identity: corrupted demonic beasts.

Thousands, even hundreds of millions lived deep within the ocean.

No one knew since when.

According to history books, about 5,000 years ago, during human wars, the ocean was polluted and the gods were angered.

As a result, the corrupted demonic beasts were born.

They were traces meant to punish all living beings.

“Everyone, prepare for defense.”

Eillin shouted loudly to the surrounding elves.

Demonic beast attacks, which happened periodically, were divided into three categories.

Level one, when only a few crossed the shore.

This was not hard to defend.

The first elf who spotted them would report and handle it preemptively.

A sort of precautionary strike.

But from level two, the situation became serious.

When at least one full group landed, elf warriors alone couldn’t defend.

Likewise, a single unit had to be deployed to prevent heavy damage.

Usually, a leader existed who controlled the group.

They were big and had a significant amount of mana.

No one except a guardian-level power could handle them.

Still, this wasn’t enough to alert the whole forest of danger.

Then what about now?

Level three.

A massive threat.

Five groups.

Five leaders landed on the shore.

Normally, the Queen who borrowed the power of the World Tree should have stopped this.

But the current Silpia had lost her power.

They were helpless.

Eillin’s expression hardened.

Even if she lost her life here, she couldn’t let them pass through to the village.

Kaak.

Twisting her bowstring, she aimed at one leader’s head.

Reducing the number of their leaders was key before the defense.

There was no time to distribute mana clumsily.

Pat—

As Eillin released her hand, a wooden arrow flew cutting through the air.

Charged with a significant amount of mana, it was different from an ordinary arrow.

A powerful strike that could pierce steel.

But these leaders were different.

Cheng—

One of the leaders detected the flying arrow and bent its head, using its back to block it!

These clever ones never rested trying to shoot down attackers.

It was only possible with the distraction of comrades.

In fact, the previous strike was a miracle.

It meant Eillin was extremely skilled.

It seemed impossible to hold out until reinforcements arrived.

“Everyone, fall back first. I’ll buy time.”

In the end, Eillin made a decision.

She equipped dozens of arrows on her quiver.

Then.

Goooo—

She poured all her mana into them.

She intended to burn the surrounding area.

Just for a moment, but it should stop the enemy’s advance.

After taking a deep breath and glaring coldly at them,

Just before releasing her bowstring, a red bird flashed in front of her eyes.

Bbyak bbyak!

The legendary Red Bird.

It was the Phoenix!