Three days had passed.
Naturally, his father had not returned.
There wasn’t a hidden stash of his father’s belongings in the storage room corner either.
Ha Suyoung searched the entire house, but his father’s personal items had vanished without a trace.
It would have been impossible to pack everything up overnight.
Even the lighter Ha Suyoung had secretly hidden during his childhood was gone.
He unearthed the spot where he had buried it years ago, only to find a piece of paper instead.
[This guy, did you think I wouldn’t find it if you hid it here? I’m taking this too.]
Staring intently at the note, Ha Suyoung let out a weary sigh.
“Is my father really a god?”
Making a massive tree grow overnight was physically impossible. It wasn’t as if the sacred tree had been transplanted from elsewhere.
“And this is supposed to be my inheritance?”
Standing in front of the enormous tree, Ha Suyoung looked up at it blankly.
Seeing it like this, it seemed even larger.
From its appearance alone, it looked as if it had been around for at least a few hundred years.
“I have no idea what kind of tree this is.”
It didn’t seem to be a common type of tree.
Although he wasn’t a botanist, he had a strong feeling that this tree didn’t suit the climate of Korea.
“If my father really is a god, this tree might be a species not found on Earth.”
He wondered if trying to identify the tree would only complicate matters further.
Ha Suyoung moved a little closer to the tree.
“But what am I supposed to do with this?”
His father had clearly said that with this, he wouldn’t have to worry about making a living for the rest of his life, and that he should use it well after he was gone.
“If I use this tree well, can I achieve my lifelong dream of becoming a building owner in Cheongdam-dong? But how do I do that?”
As he muttered to himself, the branches suddenly shook violently.
Startled, Ha Suyoung stepped back slightly.
“What the…?”
The branches had definitely shaken hard, even though there was no wind.
As he squinted his eyes suspiciously at the tree, he heard a voice.
– “Son, can you hear my voice?”
“Ugh, aaah! F-Father!”
Startled by the sudden, vivid voice of his father, Ha Suyoung stumbled backward.
“W-Where are you? Where are you speaking from, Father?”
– “I’m right here. Right in front of your eyes.”
“Y-You mean this tree is you, Father?”
– “No, this tree is the inheritance I left for you. The one speaking to you now is merely a messenger planted in this tree.”
“A messenger?”
– “Think of it as a residual thought I left behind. Since it’s not the real me, the topics I can discuss with you are very limited. I left this voice message because I was worried you wouldn’t know how to use the inheritance. Think of it as a user manual. It’s the 5G-era now, isn’t it? With machine learning AI being all the rage, I thought I’d try something like this.”
The voice in his head was vivid and clear.
With his cheeks flushed, Ha Suyoung clenched his fists.
“Father really was a god!”
– “Indeed. Not just any god, but the god of gods, a franchise god.”
“Franchise god?”
At a name that sounded like something ripped straight from a Starbucks branding strategy, Ha Suyoung felt momentarily dazed.
– “There are similar stories in Earth’s mythology. In the past, I was called an ancient supreme god.”
“Then why did you suddenly become a franchise god?”
– “The term ‘ancient supreme god’ is too solemn, insensitive, and excessively authoritative. So, I changed it to a more sophisticated expression. Don’t you like it?”
– “Remember, the one speaking to you now is not the real me, but a messenger and voice-supported AI user manual left to help you properly utilize this inheritance.”
“You don’t have to keep emphasizing that. So, what should I call you? Can I just speak informally?”
– “This guy, even if it’s just my voice, you should at least maintain some respect!”
“For an AI manual, you seem quite emotional.”
– “It’s only natural, as it’s the residual thought left by the universe’s only franchise god.”
“…Can’t I just call you the ancient supreme god? That sounds much more impressive. Anyway…”
Ha Suyoung regained some composure.
Talking to his father’s familiar voice seemed to have calmed him.
He gently touched the tree and asked,
“If I use this inheritance well, can I become a building owner in Cheongdam-dong?”
– “That’s why I left the voice messenger. This ‘Galactic Divine Tree’ is not something trivial. It’s a great medium that can help you grow into the next generation’s Franchise God.”
“What? What did you say?”
– “I saw potential in you. You have a one-in-ten-trillion chance of succeeding me as the Franchise God. You possess tremendous potential.”
“No, Father. A one-in-ten-trillion chance is practically zero, isn’t it?”
– “Do you think a one-in-ten-trillion chance is small in this infinite universe? Even not being zero is incredible. I found you after a journey spanning 100 billion years.”
“Then why didn’t you stay by my side to nurture me? Why did you have to leave?”
– “I can nurture you by leaving this inheritance, and I must leave to find other possibilities. Only my true self can identify the potential of a franchise god, so I have no choice.”
“So, Father… I mean, your true self is currently traveling to find another successor?”
– “That’s right. You’re quick to understand. As expected of a successor with a one-in-ten-trillion chance.”
The tree began to shake violently.
It seemed to be expressing joy.
– “Now, son. Take this. Hold out your hand.”
Caught off guard, Ha Suyoung cupped his hands together and held them out.
To his surprise, a branch moved smoothly, as if it had eyes, and descended to his hands.
A tree that spoke with his father’s voice, a tree that moved on its own like an animal.
This really isn’t an ordinary tree. I wasn’t just hearing things.
The tip of the branch began to glow with a golden light, and a liquid resembling gold started to form.
As it gradually thickened, it finally dropped onto Ha Suyoung’s palm with a plop.
“What is this?”
– “It’s an elixir. At your current level, it’s the only nurturing aid the Galactic Divine Tree can provide.”
“My current level?”
– “The Galactic Divine Tree holds endless training courses and great power to nurture you into a franchise god, but most of the gifts are beyond what you can handle right now.”
Did that mean this single drop of liquid was the only thing he could currently manage?
– “The elixir is an exclusive property of the ancient supreme god, or rather, the Franchise God, with effects that promote the growth of the body and soul, complete healing, and resurrection. Oh dear, I still slip into old habits sometimes, having only changed the title a billion years ago.”
“No matter how I think about it, ‘ancient supreme god’ sounds better.”
– “Take one drop of the elixir daily to quickly transcend humanity. More than that could cause great harm to your body and soul, so I don’t recommend it.”
“So, you’ll only give me one drop a day from now on?”
– “That’s right. Overuse could cause serious harm, so don’t gather it to drink all at once. Make sure to take just one drop daily. You must remember this.”
With those words, he no longer could hear his father’s voice.
Ha Suyoung called out several times, but there was no response.
“Surely the voice messenger doesn’t have a daily usage limit, right?”
Muttering to himself, Ha Suyoung suddenly focused on the warm sensation in his palm.
The golden liquid, pooling like a translucent mercury drop, was exuding its presence.
It felt like he had just woken from a dream.
