Thumbs Up, Level Up

Chapter 225

Ji-Cheok had done press conferences before, but he had been in a hurry then and had only taken a few questions. This time, he had to take the press conference more seriously and he had to answer a lot of questions. He realized that some of the reporters were clearly paid by SL Group, and they were outright asking garbage questions.

He found out that some of them were from SL Group of Cheok-Liang’s upgraded hacking skills.

‘Wow… I don’t have high hopes for online security in Korea. Or maybe Cheok-Liang’s hacking skills are just that overpowered.’

There were many other reporters who were there to stir up the nationalistic pot. In addition, there were also reporters who just wanted to generate views and traffic for their own networks so they could get paid. Of course, there was also the shadow of the Jungha Group marketing team behind them.

‘Damn… Can they even be called reporters? They’re all here for the money.’

After the rather long press conference, he headed back to the bus and chatted with his teammates, who were resting. They were supposed to split up and go their separate ways, but they didn’t go home.

Ji-Cheok was informed that some buildings had been completed around the World Tree, and they wanted to see them.

“The tree… seems to be bigger than before. Am I mistaken, Brother Ji-Cheok?” Seong Kwang asked.

“You’re right. The tree has grown a bit.”

For some reason, the World Tree had indeed grown larger.

‘What happened while I was gone?’

[Slightly Larger World Tree]

[Class:?

Type: Tree

This is a World Tree that has grown a bit more, and is getting closer to maturity. It purifies the surroundings and generates pure mana.

The Sacred Site is strengthened.

Function: It designates the land on a 3km radius around it as a ‘Sacred Site’.

Function: In the Sacred Site, the stamina recovery rate is increased by 300%.

Function: In the Sacred Site, the mana recovery rate is increased by 400%.

Function: In the Sacred Site, the appearance of diseases is prohibited.

Function: In the Sacred Site, the plant growth rate is increased by 100%.

Function: In the Sacred Site, it always has a full supply of Earth Energy.

Function: In the Sacred Site, it cancels upper-intermediate-level curses.

Function: In the Sacred Site, the appearance of dungeons is prohibited.

Function: In the Sacred Site, negative power is instantly dissipated.

Function: In the Sacred Site, the power of Spirits is significantly increased.

Function: A more powerful spirit appears inside the Sacred Site and protects the World Tree.

Function: In the Sacred Site, the gardeners are protected under the aegis of ‘Absolute Safety’.

Function: Once per month, the World Tree bears 1 fruit.]

‘Why did it grow?’

?I believe that it grew to match the growth of its Master.?

‘Why would you make that assumption? Do you have any evidence to back it up?’

?Aren’t you listed as the ‘gardener’ of the World Tree? And since you are connected to the World Tree by some kind of fate, it seems likely that its sudden growth was caused by you becoming a God, as you are able to supply the World Tree with higher-quality energy. ?

‘It’s speculative but plausible. Anyway, the increased stamina and mana recovery rate are insane! On top of that, my Earth Energy and my plants have a one hundred percent increased growth rate. That means I can just start farming for a living. And the range of the Sacred Site also increased to three kilometers. I guess the new age is the age of the homesteader.’

?In the end, we may have to use this place to keep humanity alive.?

‘That… sounds terrible. I will never let that happen.’

?But, Master…. One must always keep the worst-case scenario in mind. Isn’t Ji-Han already doing that??

‘That’s true… But still… I will complete the dimensional barrier, and I will protect this world. For the Likes!’

?If it is your will, Master, I will follow you.?

“By the way, Seong Kwang.”

“Yes, Brother Ji-Cheok.”

“You should head to the orphanage.”

“Thanks for your concern”

“No need to thank me. Go on.”

Seong Kwang smiled, then ran off to his own business.

Ji-Cheok looked at the growing World Tree. They had crossed one giant mountain, but still had a long way to go.

? ? ?

The very next day, Ji-Cheok and Mu-Cheok moved into a penthouse at the top of a recently-built forty-story building. There were about forty movers that helped them bring everything from their former home. They did a great job, and all Ji-Cheok had to do was just stand there and watch them move.

This was the power of money.

?Although you still have to move the important stuff with your Shadow Pouch, Master.?

‘I know. My Shadow Pouch really is convenient in that sense.’

The morning after he moved, when Ji-Cheok woke up, he started a closed cultivation training classroom that included Seong Kwang, Mu-Cheok, Ha-Na, and Ji-Byeok as the students.

In the meantime, the outside world was much noisier than Ji-Cheok’s classroom.

A Hero of the Philippines who came to the rescue of high-level Hunters! That was the title that Ji-Cheok was given there. And after he left the Philippines, conspiracy theories started sprouting about the Jungha Group’s infiltration into the Philippines and their connections to the internal mafia wars. That was what had set the world abuzz.

Of course, it was Ji-Cheok and Ji-Han who had ordered the people of the Tama Clan to do what they were doing. Ji-Cheok was starting a bloody purge to bring a corrupt country back to normal. Reasonably, some people thought ‘What the hell are you doing in someone else’s country?’, but Ji-Han begged to differ.

He told Ji-Cheok about getting the country back on track and forcing it to prepare for the future doom—a first step toward increasing the chances of humans surviving the apocalypse.

This made perfect sense to Ji-Cheok.

The Philippines had eighty million people. This massive country had been unlucky enough to become an intermediary hub for drugs, and there was no way of ending the vicious cycle. If it had been before the Gate Incident, they would have thought about solving the problem à la French Revolution, but unfortunately, the ruling class no longer consisted of normal humans, blue-blooded or otherwise, but talented Hunters. They were all selling drugs like crazy and making a fortune.

Someone had to stop that, but realistically, if that had been possible, they would have done it already.

‘I’m not a good person. The only reason I’m taking care of these people is that I don’t want to die.’

He needed them to be able to live a normal life and not have to worry about starving to death. That would make his plan go more smoothly.

Before that, he couldn’t afford to care about other countries.

‘In that sense, I’m a hypocrite too.’

?You might be the only person who would say something like this while sweeping up the mafia in another country, Master.?

Cheok-Liang was looking at him as if he was crazy.

Ji-Cheok had also asked Ji-Han to move along with Jungjin and take care of the miscellaneous stuff that he couldn’t be bothered with.

—Um Ji-Cheok…or should I just call you God Ji-Cheok now? Don’t worry about the miscellaneous things. I will take care of that. Instead, you should be more active from now on.

—There are many evil beings among the gods, and there are many who have good intentions, but they will not help humans in the slightest.

—God worshippers, like the Cultists from the [Forest of the Twisted God], exist in the real world too. The Cult of the Spider is a good example.

—I’ve been tracking them down and dealing with them in Korea. And since I can now give you the information without exploding… Please eliminate them.

—You will have your hands full because you have to destroy dungeons as well. In the meantime, I will be working with the Jungha Group and the Philippine government to take out the corporations connected to other God worshippers.

—But beware, Ji-Cheok. The other Gods will also be actively trying to have their worshippers eliminate you.

This was the advice from Ji-Han, and after hearing everything, Ji-Cheok knew that there was no time to hesitate. He needed to increase and strengthen his allies. At the same time, he needed to eliminate all of the underground cults who were plotting against them.

But first, he needed to start with the basics.

“Alright. Good.”

Even though his mind was elsewhere, Ji-Cheok used Qi Guidance to channel mana inside Ji-Byeok’s body along the Macrocosmic Orbit. Since she was a Hunter, she could control mana with her will. So, if he could just help her use that ability to get her mana flow through their body… she could start their cultivation training rather easily.

“Good. I feel that the energy is gathering in your Dantian. Good job.”

“This is amazing…”

‘It’s only hard when you don’t know the method. It is easy when you know how. Okay, next up is Ha-Na.”

“Okay!”

Ji-Cheok taught Ha-Na inner cultivation techniques, using his Qi Guidance. He also passed on the Northern Darkness Divine Art to her.

Although it was less mighty than his own Heaven and Earth Chaotic Divine Art in terms of direct improvement to one’s destructiveness, the chance of Cultivation Deviation was negligible, and it allowed her to steal other Hunter’s mana to increase her Qi.

Later when she reached a certain level, he was going to pass on the Heaven and Earth Chaotic Divine Art, but for now… that was probably too much.

In principle, even if they used plenty of elixirs and cultivating under the World Tree, it would take them at least a year to become a peak master. Still, cultivation was a great backup skill. This was particularly the case for Ji-Byeok—since she was a tank who used physical attacks to begin with, learning cultivation was basically putting wings on a ferocious tiger’s back.

Ji-Cheok put his hands on Ha-Na’s back and used Qi Guidance.

“Breath out to empty your soul, and breathe in to fill the universe…”

While infusing her with Qi, he taught her the cultivation mantra. After two rounds of Macrocosmic Orbit, she was able to gather her Qi on her own.

“I did it! I did it by myself!”

“Congratulations! This is the basics of training your Qi… Now, if you buy some ingredients and bring them to me, I will make them into elixirs or spirit medicines.”

Ji-Cheok had the priceless Scrooge’s Alchemy, and if he got a few extra skills, he could also make spirit medicines that increased his Qi. It was best to make his own medicines, as the ones on the market were too expensive. Spirit medicine ingredients were expensive to start with, but the finished product was downright exorbitant.

Leaving the girls alone to cultivate, he turned around to find Seong Kwang and Mu-Cheok fighting each other. Both the Chronicler and the Priest showcased movements that would have made even the best melee Damage Dealers step back.

‘Hm… Good. They’re doing great.’

“Now, everyone. Keep up the training,” Ji-Cheok said.

“Where are you going, hyung?”

“I gotta go make elixirs.”

The ingredients that he had ordered had arrived. He also took a few leaves from the World Tree. It was a big tree now, so those leaves were merely a drop in the ocean.

These were all ingredients for Alchemy.

Leaving his teammates behind, he went up to the rooftop, where his devices for Alchemy awaited. All of them were special products sent to him by Jung Bi-Ga.

“Are you ready?”

?Yes, Master. Would you like to see the skill list??

“Show me.”

?Yes, Master.?

[Baopuzi: Inner Chapters], [Wudang Sect Pill Refinement Technique], [Path of the Golden Pill], [Changbai Sect Pill Refinement Technique], [Sunset Pill Refinement Technique], [Golden Elixir of the Immortal Path], [Divine Farmer Pill Refinement Technique], [Golden Snake Pill Refinement Technique], [River Pill Refinement Technique], [Detoxification Alkahestry], [Antidote Pill Refinement Technique], [Five Elements Alkahestry], [Crimson Mountain Immortal Elixirs], [Pill Refinement for Dummies], [Pill Refinement 101], [Pill Refinement Intermediate Theory], [Pill Refinement Advanced Theory], [Gold…]

A bunch of Alkahestry skills appeared in front of him. There were more than he could have imagined, and they were all skills for making elixirs related to cultivation.

‘There are so many… 180 million Likes?!?! Wow…that’s a lot.’

“How about skills related to Alchemy?”

?I have that for you as well.?

[Hermes Trismegistus], [Gnosticism Alchemy], [Shamballa Alchemy], [Ars Magna], [Flamel’s Scripture], [Alchemy 101], [Alchemy for Dummies], [Alchemy Intermediate Theory], [Alchemy Advanced Theory], [Paracelsus…]

There were also a lot of skills related to Alchemy. Altogether, they cost about 180 million Likes as well.

‘Why are they so similar?’

?I am assuming the System thinks the two areas of knowledge are of equal value.?

‘Maybe you are right… This is interesting.’

1. Baopuzi is a literary work written by Ge Hong, a scholar who lived during the turbulent Jin dynasty. The Inner Chapters discuss topics such as techniques to achieve transcendence and Chinese alchemy.

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