Things happen a bit differently in the novel, but you'll probably want to start around chapter 172.
Where do you read it? The WebNovel app I’m using only has it up to 159
Also, if you don’t mind letting me know, what are the major differences between webtoon and novel?
Lemme see...
Andrias is initially trapped in an enclosed space where time moves faster than outside (iirc 4 years pass for him, but only a few hours outside). The "walls" are impervious to attack, but there's the mark of a single sword slash and some ancient elven text left behind as evidence that someone had managed to escape before. Which... does Andrias no good b/c he's not skilled enough to be able to extrapolate the original technique from the mark alone.
He gets a message of possible evolution at a 30% success rate and goes for it. It fails; he gets a penalty of having to do something like 1,000 vertical and 1,000 horizontal slashes while in excrutiating pain. Timur and Nickel protect him from the greed spawn that start appearing. When he finishes the slashes, the pain vanishes. Fighting the spawn increases his success rate (like XP in a game). Andrias tries again at 75%. Another fail. Penalty, take 2! This time, he decides to try again at 100%. Success! He slashes his way out and off we go.
Still inside the tree, there's the scene confronting accomplice 2 (Sayle?), and Andrias says he wants to check if the elf is carrying proof of being a traitor. Accomplice 2 is all smug like sure, go ahead, aaaand Andrias beheads him. Fugen gets angry & prepares to attack, the roots get in his way, and one leads Andrias to the core/heart of the tree. Apparently the tree's immune system trapped him b/c of Original Sin, so Andrias gets an apology + gift and rides a giant root to the surface, carrying accomplice 2's dead body.
He tries to convince the angry elves that he's really acting at the tree's behest by showing them the world tree fruit the core had given him, but Fugen attacks, demanding Andrias hand it over. Blah blah sacred to the elves, blah blah unworthy human, etc. After the battle, Maximin shows up. As compensation, he basically demands Fugen chop off an arm. AND HE ACTUALLY DOES. With everything settled, Tapio's blessing happens.
I read it mtl on booktoki:
https://booktoki468.com/novel/1329777?stx=%EC%A7%84%ED%99%94+%ED%8A%B9%EC%84%B1%EC%9C%BC%EB%A1%9C+%EC%B5%9C%EA%B0%95+%EB%84%A4%ED%81%AC%EB%A1%9C%EB%A7%A8%EC%84%9C&book=%EC%9D%BC%EB%B0%98%EC%86%8C%EC%84%A4&spage=1
Seriously loving how the MC looked in his latest level-up. Anyone knows what chapter of the novel this is in? I’m too curious about what comes next to wait…