Ch. 163

To resolve the curse of Florin, they had to first visit the Twelfth God, Yeonhong Chunsamweol.

Honestly, whether this could be the fundamental solution, Baek Yu-Seol was not sure himself.

He had only met Yeonhong Chunsamweol once, and even then, when he received her protection, he was in a state of unconsciousness, so he didn't remember much.

Come to think of it, he only knew the fact that Yeonhong Chunsamweol was the origin of his abilities, and in terms of knowledge, he was not much different from Florin.

"... It's been a while since I've entered here."

The roots of the Heavenly Spirit Tree, the Divine Realm of the families.

This place was created by Yeonhong Chunsamweol for the familiars.

It was protected by the barrier of the Heavenly Spirit Tree, and the door would never open without the permission of the High Elf Elder and the Elven King.

Although there was a slightly special circumstance before which allowed the intrusion of the Dark Mage, it would be safe to dare say that it was the safest place in the three realms.

"Your Majesty. Would it be alright if we didn't accompany you?"

"Yes. It's fine. Take a break."

Only Florin and Baek Yu-Seol entered the realm of the familiars.

Once inside, Florin planned to remove her mask, as exposing her face to other mages could lead to a situation similar to the Orenha.

"Well.... Shall we go in?"

Somehow, seeing Florin, who appeared somewhat tense, Baek Yu-Seol's consciousness had been pricked.

If they failed there, it would be quite embarrassing...

However, Baek Yu-Seol still believed that there was no reason why he shouldn't get the protection granted by Yeonhong Chunsamweol.

Hwaak!

As the barrier opened, the environment changed instantly as soon as they stepped inside.

The cradle of the Heavenly Spirit Tree.

It was protected by the blessing of the Heavenly Spirit Tree. They felt a quite cool breeze even in midsummer, but the interior was slightly humid and warm.

However, thanks to the body's quick adaptation to the environment, he didn't feel particularly uncomfortable.

"Let's go."

"... Yes."

Florin appeared tense, but as he stepped forward, she quickly followed behind.

The common fantasy knowledge that elves were good at climbing trees applied here as well; her stride would be even faster in this jungle-like terrain.

Of course, if he were to start using Flash, the story would be different.

However, even if he wanted to use it once, he would have to calculate distances and angles accurately, so it would be quite a headache.

For that reason, he didn't want to use it unnecessarily.

"You can take off your mask from here. There's no one here anyway."

"Is it really okay...?"

She hesitated for a moment, but then immediately took off her mask.

Since there was no one around anyway, and the enchanting power didn't work on the familiars.

"Haa..."

Even as she took off her mask, she was still vigilant.

Although her face was exposed, she seemed to be very reluctant.

After all, it would have become a habit to tightly conceal her body due to the accumulated traumas over hundreds of years, so it was unlikely that it would be resolved all at once.

"Feeling refreshed?"

"Yes... I feel very good."

"That's great."

They walked straight ahead.

Beyond the first floor, and towards the fourth floor.

Yeonhong Chunsamweol's main body was located on the fifth floor.

But no one could enter there.

So they were going to meet a clone of Yeonhong Chunsamweol on the fourth floor.

Although some might misunderstand that he could easily meet Yeonhong Chunsamweol on the fourth floor because he did so in the past, the fourth floor alone was at least four times the size of Seoul.

The reason he used the word 'at least' was because the area expanded depending on Yeonhong Chunsamweol's mood.

Normally, it maintained an area about six to seven times the size of Seoul, but sometimes it could exceed ten times when she was in a good mood.

Although the map of the fourth floor was recorded on the Sentient Spec, the reason he asked for Florin's help and obtained the assistance of 'Hanbaram Flower' was precisely for this.

Because even if the area expands like a rubber band, as long as you know the direction accurately, you can find your way.

Anyway, it was practically impossible to coincidentally meet Yeonhong Chunsamweol in such a place...

Nevertheless, they crossed the fourth floor without hesitation.

Sometimes higher-grade familiars would aggressively threaten us, but most of them were taken care of by Florin.

It was not that she repelled them with magic, but rather, they returned happily after being petted on the forehead a few times.

It was as if she was playing with a neighborhood puppy.

Indeed, perhaps it was because she was the Elven King; her friendliness was exceptional.

Well, since she was the king of all fairies, wasn't it natural?

... They walked silently for a while.

Originally, they had to pass through several nights, but perhaps because they hurried, they were able to reach the fourth floor in just two nights.

It was a completely pink space.

Everything from the light pouring from the sky to the plants lying on the ground. The soil, rocks, cliffs, and rivers; everything in this space could be considered quite romantic, but once you actually see it in real life, you wouldn't feel that way at all.

Honestly, he felt more of a kind of madness than romance.

Being trapped in this pink space, he felt like he would go crazy...

It was that kind of feeling.

"It's beautiful."

But whether it appealed to Florin's heart or not, her already beautiful expression became even brighter.

Looking at her like this, it made the atmosphere ambiguous.

The ability to completely change the atmosphere with just one expression.

Even before obtaining Yeonhong Chunsamweol's protection, he used to be quite indifferent to women, but seeing her smile, he almost held his breath for a moment.

Looking at that figure, he couldn't help but wonder that even if the Love Sickness Curse disappeared, there would still be many people suffering from unrequited love.

Amidst the bright pink atmosphere, from now on, they must find Yeonhong Chunsamweol.

Since all randomly appearing locations were recorded in the spec, they should be able to find her within three days no matter where they go.

However, contrary to his thoughts, suddenly all the pink colors in front split to the sides...

Another space came into view.

Under the shifting space, Baek Yu-Seol stood there in a daze.

Not long after, something revealed itself in between.

It was a fox.

Its pointed ears were tinged with red, but its body was white, which didn't quite match the pink atmosphere, yet it exuded a strange charm that captivated people despite the fact that it was an animal.

The fox spoke abruptly towards them.

"Have you come, my children?"

Baek Yu-Seol bowed his head out of respect, but Florin couldn't.

"Ah..."

She stared at the fox with a blank expression.

Yeonhong Chunsamweol accepted the gaze and spoke with a bitter tone.

"You... Don't remember me."

... When Florin nodded her head, a sense of guilt appeared on Yeonhong Chunsamweol's face.

"I'm sorry. Because of me, you had to bear so much burden. It's because of my greed. Because of my greed..."

Unable to say anything in response to Yeonhong Chunsamweol's self-blame, Florin shook her head with a confused expression.

Yeonhong Chunsamweol cautiously spoke.

"When I first saw you, you were a very small child. Yes, that's right. That's how it was. The High Elf elders must have pushed you into this place to test whether you have the qualities of a king... Don't you remember?"

Florin lowered her head, and Yeonhong Chunsamweol spoke with a tone laced with pity..

"The shock must have been immense. As you know, this place is by no means easy for a child to enter."

Familiars were pure.

However.

Was being pure always good?

No, definitely not.

If you haven't experienced 'pure evil,' you wouldn't understand.

They could torment and inflict pain on others with pure intentions.

There were even familiars of the Class 4 or higher here, and the despair and fear that young Florin felt while experiencing them... Baek Yu-Seol couldn't even begin to count.

"But I saw hope in you. Perhaps you could revive the withering Heavenly Spirit Tree and provide us with a perfect sanctuary... such hope."

So, Yeonhong Chunsamweol bestowed her blessings upon Florin, who was then just a young girl.

However, since she was exhausted after creating the Divine Realm of familiars not long before, Yeonhong Chunsamweol failed to properly control her power and ended up granting Florin an excessively burdensome blessing.

Subsequently, Yeonhong Chunsamweol fell into a long period of slumber, and Florin had to live her life tormented by the curse, unaware of the cause since she lost all her memories.

Just overnight, she became unable to show her face to the world forever.

"Anyone who meets your gaze will die. Your face is cursed. Hide. Hide for a lifetime. Never come out."

The elves didn't need a king with political significance to rule them.

They only needed a bridge to communicate with the Heavenly Spirit Tree, to convey its power and energy to them.

So, Florin was pushed away by people and became the noblest and most magnificent being in the Heavenly Spirit Tree.

Even though there was no one to acknowledge her sacrifice, Florin endured.

Hoping to someday be free.

"I... made you live in hell."

In the end, all of this happened because of Yeonhong Chunsamweol's greed.

Because of that, one person's life had to be ruined to this extent.

"Hate and despise me. I cannot dare to lessen the burden on your heart,"

Yeonhong Chunsamweol said.

Florin bit her lips and bowed her head.

Strangely, there was no trace of anger on her face, despite the fact that the person who had made her life miserable was right in front of her.

However, Florin, who had lived a life of self-loathing and acquired a fragile disposition, no longer had the strength to resent anyone.

She just... forced a smile.

"I'm fine."

Watching Florin in that state was truly heartbreaking,

Yeonhong Chunsamweol approached her as a human, then hugged her barefoot.

The sight of the two beauties embracing could have graced the cover of a fashion magazine, but they had to resolve things slowly.

Since they were in a space filled with the energy of familiars for too long, it wouldn't be good for Baek Yu-Seol's health due to his Mana Accumulation Retardation.

"So, do you have a solution?"

He cautiously raised his hand to ask, and Yeonhong Chunsamweol slowly distanced herself from Florin. She nodded.

"It would be better after I regain my strength, but it's impossible at the moment. My true body is dormant, and I have no more strength to give or recover my blessings. My current form... is just a shell which houses my consciousness."

Florin's expression saddened slightly at those words, but Yeonhong Chunsamweol's words weren't finished yet.

"There is a way. It's possible to mitigate the blessings by transferring power to another who has received my blessings."

Saying that, Yeonhong Chunsamweol looked at Baek Yu-Seol.

Originally, that was something they had anticipated, but they didn't know the method, so they came here.

However, there was a slight issue with that method.

"You need to have a special 'connection.' To do that, I need a certain sacred object, but I lost it outside and haven't been able to find it."

"Connection...?"

"Yes. Even if you receive the same protection, it's unlikely that you can transfer it without any cost."

To use a metaphor, it was like creating a kind of pathway.

Even if you receive the same protection, you develop different qualities, such as the power to attract people's hearts for Florin and the ability to discern the opponent's mind for Baek Yu-Seol.

To facilitate that exchange, there must be a pathway connecting each other, and currently, there was no object to assist in that process.

"What is it?"

Baek Yu-Seol hurriedly searched through his spec.

[Search: Florin's curse]

Florin

Yeonhong Chunsamweol's items

However, no relevant results appeared no matter what keywords he used.

It was an object not even recorded in his specs.

'How did Edna resolve the curse in the game?'

Just as he was about to search for that separately, Yeonhong Chunsamweol asked Baek Yu-Seol.

"Acquiring that item may be easy or very difficult. Are you confident you can obtain it?"

What choice did he have?

Whether it was recorded in his specs or not, he decided to save Foorin, and since he had come this far, he might as well go all the way.

"Yes, we have to save her."

He nodded decisively, and Yeonhong Chunsamweol finally smiled faintly.

But he suddenly felt uneasy...

Would it be okay?