Chapter 63 : There’s Something Down There

Returning to the plains to place the Divine Tablet, Silpia appeared flustered.

Someone was lying collapsed in front of her.

A face I recognized very well.

Ah, it’s that brat, my younger brother.

“I-I didn’t do anything.”

Silpia, usually composed, even stammered as she spoke.

Anyone would misunderstand the situation at a glance.

Of course, I had a rough idea of what was going on.

“It’s okay. He probably just fainted on his own.”

The best man in my family, truly.

He faints every time something happens.

Can’t help it. For now, just carry the guy.

“Bbyak, I need a favor.”

Snap!

Grabbing the back of his clothes, I headed toward the house in the plains.

I roughly tossed him onto the bed and let out a sigh.

Then—

“Ugh, where am I…”

Woo Hyuk grabbed his head and regained his senses.

His dazed expression made him look around helplessly.

Then he spotted Silpia again.

“Help…”

With a muffled sound, he slumped backward, but I quickly grabbed his neck and helped him up.

“Get a hold of yourself.”

“B-but, hyung…”

“Ugh, I’ll explain everything.”

Before he lost consciousness again, I quickly summarized what had happened so far.

Meeting the elves in the 10,459th dimension.

The world tree, the colossal mech, and the new family member, the Celestial Tortoise.

Woo Hyuk’s eyes sparkled brightly after hearing it all.

“Really elves?”

“That’s right.”

“And a giant mech too?”

“Yeah. It’s true.”

“No way…”

Suddenly, Woo Hyuk looked at me differently.

He used to think of me as a somewhat slow older brother.

He’s pretty masculine himself, but hyung isn’t any less so.

Then one day, I told him I was an SSS-rank player, and now I’m a completely different person.

I’m closely connected with Seolha, the person I respect most.

And now I even brought elves.

Riding a cutting-edge mech, fighting giant beasts?

How could he not respect me?

“Hyung, when I grow up, I want to be just like you.”

No.

He’s already fine as he is.

“I’ll just stay your younger brother.”

“I have somewhere to go, so rest quietly, alright?”

“Okay.”

It felt strange to see obedient Woo Hyuk, but I let it slide.

He’s like that more times than not.

“By the way, where have you been, Woo Min?”

Leaving the dazed Woo Hyuk at home, Silpia cautiously asked as we stepped outside.

We had parted ways after a brief morning greeting and only met again at lunch, so it was natural she was curious.

“I climbed the 30th floor. As a reward, I even got an island.”

“An… island?”

Silpia shook her head, unfamiliar with the Black Tower.

Climbing floors, rewards—these were all new terms to her.

“Well, it’s a bit complicated to explain, but when you climb the Black Tower, you get these kinds of rewards.”

Since she could learn the details later, I briefly showed her the items I got while climbing.

“That’s really amazing.”

Silpia’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

From the moment I first met her, I sensed she was no ordinary person, but this went far beyond my expectations.

She was the savior of the forest, the parent of the world tree.

Though brief, we had gone through so much together.

As I thought about all this, Silpia’s face suddenly flushed.

It was as if the lovers from an old book had appeared.

A couple walking peacefully through the forest, chatting quietly.

Exactly like how we looked just now.

At that moment, a bright light flickered in the center of the village, and Seolha appeared.

She quickly scanned the surroundings and sighed in relief upon spotting me.

“Woo Min, you’re here.”

“I just got here too. Is something wrong?”

“Ahaha, it’s nothing.”

What nothing?

Seolha smiled slyly as if it were nothing, but she was unknowingly sizing up Silpia.

Actually, she had been uneasy since last night.

Crossing dimensions and now living together in the plains, naturally, the person she would spend the most time with was Silpia.

Just like how proximity brings hearts closer.

Compared to her usually busy self, Seolha would definitely have much more time with Silpia.

Jealousy stirred up for no reason, making her try to find Woo Min from morning, but their paths never crossed.

It wasn’t until lunchtime that they finally met.

And the two of them were inseparable.

Unknowingly, Seolha was subconsciously wary of Silpia.

“By the way, I climbed the 30th floor today.”

“I saw that too. The community’s buzzing since morning.”

“Community?”

“Yeah, it’s like a place where people can leave thoughts without showing their faces.”

“I see.”

Had I talked too much about things only we knew?

Silpia was completely out of place in the conversation.

I should buy her a computer and smartphone sometime.

It would make life here easier for her.

As we chatted while walking, we eventually reached near the world tree.

After installing the tablet given by the Kraken as a gift, it finally looked like a proper tablet.

“By the way, Woo Min, our dimension has something just like this.”

Silpia suddenly remembered what she wanted to say.

She had completely forgotten because Woo Hyuk had fainted out of nowhere.

“Really?”

“Yes, I’ve never seen it myself, but it was drawn in the diary of the previous queen.”

It was behind the diary that was quickly closed before reading the embarrassing parts, so we never got to verify it.

More surprising was that the Divine Tablet existed even in the 10,459th earth.

And on top of that—

“And the power of the world tree has increased. It’s still vague, but it was a dimension I’d never seen before.”

Silpia was experienced enough to notice the increased power while searching for the tablet.

“A different dimension?”

“Since the bond thread was broken, I couldn’t see clearly, but I saw a vast plain and trees.”

It was probably about exploring the existence of more distant dimensions.

Maybe this time, I could reach the retreat stone again?

With that thought, I left a space open at the retreat stone and shouted,

“The plain of the new dimension.”

But—

[The location is incorrect.]

An error message appeared.

It seemed some sort of bond still needed to be connected.

Then maybe I should try moving to the location of the Divine Tablet in the 10,459th dimension?

But again, an error message appeared.

[Location cannot be accessed.]

Hmm, the retreat stone wasn’t omnipotent after all.

What could “location cannot be accessed” mean?

Could it be submerged under the sea?

Ah, there’s nothing to do but wait. It should resolve with time.

But right now, something more important awaited.

“Shall we all go together?”

“To where?”

Since we were gathered, why not stop by the resort?

We’d also hunt the Megalodon, which we’d attacked alongside Gallow and the Skeleton Pirates.

“I got an island as a reward for climbing the 30th floor.”

Seolha was no longer surprised.

After all, she had been to many dimensions; an island was nothing to her.

If it were Woo Min, it was more than enough.

***

Returning to the village, the first to greet me was Mint.

She clearly preferred living on the island rather than the plains, so she stayed with the Kraken.

Of course, most of the day would still be spent together.

Then the massive octopus, Kraken, shook one of its legs in greeting.

“Th-that’s…”

Seolha froze, staring at the enormous octopus.

After the Phoenix and Celestial Tortoise, now the Kraken?

Seolha let her guard down at how naturally I called a mythical creature a friend.

Yeah, with Woo Min here, there’s nothing to fear.

If it’s anything to do with magical beasts, nothing will happen.

Of course, Seolha wasn’t the only one startled.

Silpia also hesitated.

No matter how friendly the elves were with all living creatures, the Kraken’s sheer size was intimidating.

“I have business with the Kraken, so you all should rest.”

The reason I brought the two here was simple.

To enjoy the resort.

Everyone must be tired from the past few days.

When else would you rest if not now?

Sunbeds and parasols were set up over there.

Everyone was relaxing.

I’d just catch the Megalodon quickly.

“Kids, you should rest too.”

Bbyak!

Bbiee—

Pachi-pachi!

Bow bow!

The siblings responded energetically.

There was no need to bother dragging everyone along.

After all, the only magical beast that can enter the sea is Toul.

At most, I could build a ship to sail.

“Is that okay?”

“Of course. We’ll be back soon.”

Leaving behind worried Seolha and Silpia, I prepared to set sail.

Our reliable captain, the Kraken, summoned a pirate ship.

Mint followed closely, cutting through the strong waves.

Kuaah!

After sailing for a while, the Kraken stopped.

Gallow flapped his wings.

Now that I think about it, I don’t see a single small fish.

This must be where they are.

The Megalodon threatens the peaceful resort.

Shall I try hunting some sharks?

What’s the plan?

Why does it matter?

There’s no use in strategy against overwhelming force.

First, the Grade S guardian Kraken dived.

Soon, something opened its massive jaws in the dark depths.

A giant beast.

Bigger than most large trucks.

The Megalodon.

It quickly attacked the Kraken, aiming to bite its neck and end it instantly.

But—

Too much?

To a Grade S guardian, it was no match.

The Kraken moved lazily, as if irritated.

It swung its enormous legs.

Even underwater, it was incredibly fast!

Any creature brushed by it would instantly die.

Boom—

The Kraken’s leg wrapped around the Megalodon like a clamp.

Water splashed as huge scales smashed into it, and red blood poured from the Megalodon’s mouth.

How dare it mess with a Grade S guardian?

The Megalodon, who thought itself superior, hadn’t realized it.

It perished instantly.

Just how long had it been underwater?

I took down one shark in no time.

No magical beast here could match the Kraken.

If it weren’t for the mission to guard the Divine Tablet, we’d have caught these already.

Kuaah!

With a mighty roar, the Kraken dived again.

Soon—

Scout—

It hauled up another.

But that wasn’t the end.

One more.

Two more.

It kept pulling them up without pause.

Wait, how many were there?

If I hadn’t come to work, it would have been a disaster.

Endless Megalodons kept getting caught.

No wonder the Skeleton Pirates sank as soon as they set sail.

You have to be able to move.

Getting even a little closer?

The Megalodon flailed violently.

But now, there was no need to worry.

Pest control?

We have a Kraken that caught a Megalodon!

Moreover—

Bubu bubu!

Our Mint joined in.

Though not as big as the Kraken, she was still a deadly assassin.

Even if not as powerful, she could fight.

If she charged with her small size?

Even the strongest Megalodon would perish.

Before long, the bodies of Megalodons floated on the sea.

This felt a bit excessive.

Still, it couldn’t be helped.

Who told them to attack first?

This was all self-defense.

As the cleanup finished and I was about to prepare to return, Mint suddenly blocked me with an urgent tone.

Bubu!

“There’s something down there!”

What is it, Mint?

You’re like a treasure hunter of the sea!