Episode 220: Idun’s Golden Apple (3)
“D, finally… … It sprouted… … !!”
The last day of the ordeal.
Jaehyun cheered as he finally saw the sprouted seeds.
A dainty-sized bud sticking out its head greeted Jaehyun.
“It took a very long time. really… … .”
No matter how differently time passes outside and here in the Mist Garden, it was a long journey of 30 days.
After working hard for so long, Jaehyun finally succeeded in sprouting. It’s a situation he can’t help but feel overwhelmed by.
However, Jaehyun quickly came to his senses.
You have just taken the first step. The ordeal was not over.
‘At most, I only had 30 days to sprout.’
It would take much longer to properly grow an apple tree. He still has a long way to go.
“But it is true that there is hope. Ordeal penalty restart. If we start over, we’ll be able to get here a little faster.”
Jaehyun sighed and clenched his fists.
“Looks like there’s some progress? congratulations!”
When Jaehyun was distracted by sprouts, he suddenly heard Idun’s voice from behind.
Suddenly, with her hands behind her back, she looked at the seeds Jaehyun had grown. Idun smiled and smiled.
She squatted down on the floor and rested her chin lightly.
Jaehyun responded with a calm expression.
“It is true that progress has been made, but… That’s right, it’s all about sprouting a new sprout. It is rather a problem that I have only been able to do this for 30 days.”
“No, you were good enough.”
“… … yes?”
Jaehyun tilted his head at Idun’s resolute words.
I don’t think he was originally such a warm character, but what is it all of a sudden?
It was at that time when Jaehyun looked at her and questioned her.
Idun straightened his knees again and stood up from his seat.
“Do you think you have failed the ordeal now?”
“Well what… … .”
Jaehyun scratched his head and spoke frankly.
“It’s a test to grow a tree for 30 days, but I only sprouted on the last day. The odds of success are zero.”
“If this were a normal tree, it would be.”
“… … what does that mean… … .”
It was when Jaehyun tried to ask back with a slightly bewildered expression.
Deed deed deed!
Suddenly, a vibration arose from the bottom of the field, and the seeds began to change.
The sprouts sprouted from the seeds Jaehyun planted grew rapidly and began to grow in size.
* * *
Hard!
The tree was growing at a speed far beyond common sense that Jaehyun knew.
Even bamboo, which is known to grow several tens of centimeters a day, was not at this level.
‘What is this!’
Jaehyun blankly watched the growing tree with a shocked face.
The sprout became a small seedling before I knew it, and it didn’t take long to grow to Jaehyun’s waist. However, it did not stop there and the tree continued to grow.
As Jaehyun looked around with a puzzled face, he suddenly heard Idun talking.
“The first seed I gave you. It was the seed of a diseased golden apple tree. I’m sorry, but I wanted to test you too.”
“… The seed of a diseased tree?”
“The seeds of a diseased golden apple tree are not easy to germinate, and they require a lot of water.
Its biggest characteristic is that it does not grow without the will and conviction of the person who planted it.”
“Will… .”
“Yes, will. A tree will not grow if there is no will to nurture the bud and the will not to give up.
It was an ordeal that was designed that way from the beginning.”
Idun turned and approached the growing golden apple tree.
Then he reached out and touched the branch.
Still a tender branch.
But she knew.
This means that he will soon grow up to become a lofty giant tree.
“The golden apple tree is a mysterious plant. It grows and bears fruit in 30 days, but it does not sprout during the 29 days it is planted in the ground.”
“Doesn’t it sprout?”
When Jaehyun asked as if he was dumbfounded, Idun chuckled.
“okay! All it takes to grow this tree is patience and faith. Because that is all.”
‘It’s a futile ending for something of an ordeal.’
Jaehyun thought that Idun had managed to prepare for this ordeal.
she said at first. It doesn’t take much skill to grow a tree.
It does not require knowledge of miscellaneous plants or special fertilizers.
just waiting to believe.
The tree just grew.
The Trial of Idun.
It was Jaehyun who safely put the first button on, but there were still things I was curious about.
“A week after planting the tree, you suggested. How about changing the seed?”
“It did.”
“What was the reason?”
“hmm… … .”
Idun pondered for a moment, then looked back at Jaehyun.
“Because I wanted to know if you gave up. If you threw away a living seed because it didn’t grow well for a few days and chose something else… …
You must have failed the ordeal. That, in the end, is also denying yourself.”
‘me… … deny?’
Jaehyun nodded his head as if he had just realized that.
The third ordeal of Idun.
And the sick seed was passing one thing on to him.
This seed was projecting reappearance.
Seeds that did not even sprout until the 30th. But it grows and bears fruit in one day.
It was the same with the reproduction before the return.
He was weak and couldn’t climb up though he tried.
However, after returning, he blossomed his talent and reached the present state before he knew it.
Like a golden apple tree that continues to grow even at this moment.
‘Golden apple trees sprout on the 30th day after planting, and grow in one day.
That said, if I had changed the seeds halfway through, I wouldn’t have been able to pass the ordeal.’
From the beginning, Lee Doon assumed all of this and asked Jaehyun this question.
“But your answer was different. I didn’t give up the seeds. Instead, you asked
Are these seeds alive?”
Hearing those words, Jaehyun raised his head involuntarily and looked at her.
Idun smiled.
“That obsession-like will that never gives up on anything makes you go forward. I know.”
“Then is this the end of the third ordeal?”
“What are you talking about! There is one more linked quest left. The third trial is not over yet!”
“also… … .”
Jaehyun, who was about to jump over, let out a sigh.
From the first time I received it, it was written as a linked quest, probably.
Even as Jaehyun, I didn’t think that the ordeal would end just by growing a tree.
“But don’t be too heartbroken. There is only one quest left now!”
“That sounds good. so. What is the quest… … .”
At that moment, along with Idun’s hand gesture, a voice message was heard.
―You have cleared the main quest The Trial of Idun (1).
―It is linked to the second quest.
―You have accepted the main quest 《The Trial of Idun (2)》.
―Displays quest information.
[Main Quest]
Trial of Idun (2)
Defend the tree from the evil beasts that aim for the golden apples, and harvest the fruit.
difficulty: –
Reward: Idun’s Gift
Time remaining: 12 hours
Failure Penalty: Trial Restart
“What is this… … Protect the apple tree?”
Idoon answered Jaehyun’s question with an innocent smile.
“that’s right! When the golden apple tree bears fruit, it scatters the incense of great magical power!”
Jaehyun nodded in agreement.
Certainly, the golden apple he ate before possessed tremendous magic power.
Didn’t Jaehyun also experience in the past that his total magical power increased at once after eating it?
“Probably by now, all of Niflheim’s monsters would have gathered! I don’t know, but there must be hundreds of them.”
“… … what?”
For a moment, Jaehyun asked back, forgetting even his respect.
Idun crossed his arms and nodded.
“As expected, the end of the ordeal is the battle! Among them, watching the Great War is the best!
Oh, then I’ll get out of the way soon. It will get in the way of the battle!”
“Wait a minute… … !”
Jaehyun stretched out his arms to grab Idun, but he couldn’t reach them. He gritted his teeth as he saw the vacancy of Idun, who had disappeared before he knew it.
“Idun… … When the ordeal is over, don’t leave me alone.”
Jaehyun took a deep breath.
Before he knew it, Poppy approached him and prepared for battle with him.
At first glance, the enemies surrounding the tree in all directions were about hundreds.
Krrrrrr!
All sorts of monsters, such as the demonic beast in the form of a plant that was heard and the troll he dealt with previously.
Jaehyun opened his magic and shouted.
“let’s go! Poppy, you protect the tree!”
Kreung!
Poppy responded to Jaehyun’s words and used the gigantic skill.
Poppy, who had grown in size before he knew it, was excited and waggled his tail.
Meanwhile, the apple trees were growing at a rapid pace.
―There are still 12 hours left before the golden apple tree bears fruit.
“This battle won’t be easy.”
Having said that, Jaehyun’s expression wasn’t too bad.
He poured out his mana at once towards the flocking demon beasts.
To Jaehyun, who also fought Nidhogg, they are not just pyramids.
… … Of course, there were too many of them.
―Active skill 《Poison Rain》.
The magic power that spreads from Jaehyun dispersed in the sky and soon created a huge purple cloud.
Poison Lane.
It was literally a skill that poured out poison.
‘Of course, I’ll have to be careful not to touch the golden apple.’
Shaaaaaa!
The magic formed from Jaehyun’s body begins to spread, and soon it rushes into the air and casts a shadow over the monster.
A dark cloud that extends its momentum by obscuring the artificial sun.
Seeing this, Jaehyun smiled.
Now he is trying to use magic of attributes that he has never used in actual combat.
‘I didn’t know I would be able to use poison property magic.’
Jaehyun thought so with a faint smile on his face.
Until now, I had been fighting a battle where I used Nidhogg’s fangs to stack deadly poison, so I didn’t have to use poison property magic directly.
It is common to use poison magic to grant an abnormal state of poisoning, and the power of the skill itself is not that great.
However, Jaehyun decided to use Poison Rain now.
The reason was simple.
A message coming soon.
―Due to the effect of the passive skill 《Venomous Dragon’s Sadism》, the poisoning status ailment is strengthened to the «Deadly Poison» status ailment.
―Applies the «Deadly Poison» status ailment to designated targets (multiple)!
―Enemies become poisoned (maximum stacking).
Jaehyun raised his eyebrows as he looked at hundreds of demonic beasts that had become deadly poison before he knew it.
Poppy also burned his fighting spirit, holding a white breath at the corner of his mouth.
Jaehyun took a step forward and activated the skill again.
―Active skill 《Formation of magic tools》 is activated.
―Artifact 《Nidhogg’s Fang (Myth)》 has been successfully created!
“Then, shall we test the new weapon?”
Jaehyun’s body leans forward, and soon his model disappears from sight.
Then, one of the enemies in front is mercilessly cut down without knowing why.
Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!
The Witchbeast, which was split into several pieces in an instant, was unable to even scream and died.
Jaehyun put his strength into the dagger he was holding.
The sound of the system that came with it made the corners of his mouth rise again and again.
―Damage is increased by 50% due to the effect of the passive skill «Poison Dragon’s Sadism»!
