Eat The World Tree

“I’ll see you later then.”

“Yes, take care. By the way, the conversation we had between us…”

“Haha, of course. You think I wouldn’t know that?”

“Haha. That’s a relief. Some people need everything spelled out for them.”

After finishing the explanation, we had a brief chat over dinner and parted ways immediately.

Thankfully, unlike Bao, they understood quickly.

‘Next time, I’ll just gather everyone at once and explain.’

Luckily, this wasn’t something I had to handle alone.

This process revolved around the spirit and Maronnie. I was just a bystander here.

Things should proceed smoothly from now on.

‘It’ll… go smoothly, right?’

Maybe it was because I had been surrounded by abnormal things for too long, but sometimes it was hard to trust anyone with responsibilities.

In that sense, having someone reliable like Sugar around was such a relief.

Sugar, with her sweet voice and natural ability to strike up conversations with strangers, should be able to handle this flexibly.

‘The possibility of betrayal is… practically zero.’

Even with my tendency to overthink, I had set some pretty stringent standards.

Maronnie’s mental world.

The spirit’s empathy, which sensed emotions.

And, though baseless, my intuition, which had proven reliable enough.

Except for the last one, they were all pretty credible.

Reading thoughts and sensing emotions—these were the two most effective abilities for grasping someone’s essence.

“Am I just being overly suspicious?”

“Hyung.”

Taeyang, who had come to meet Sugar with me, responded to my musings.

“What?”

“Logically, if someone could hide something after all this, Flower would have conquered the world ages ago.”

“They’re practically on the verge of doing that now.”

“Oh, really? But what if a National Tree suspected to be with Flower appears? Are you planning to fight them on the spot?”

I shrugged casually, as if the answer was obvious.

“Wait.”

“Wait?”

Even if a National Tree was with Flower right now, there was nothing I could do.

Even stirring the public took a long time with my influence.

“I’m just gathering the bare minimum.”

“Can just the six of us stop it?”

“It’s not really six, you idiot.”

“That’s harsh.”

When things escalated, the traitors would reveal themselves.

Non-traitorous National Trees would naturally protect civilians without us needing to persuade them.

That’s the essence of a National Tree.

“Do you think so? What if they ditch us to protect the trees?”

“That’s not the National Tree’s job. That’s for the Order to handle.”

“Ah, I see.”

“And, if you find anyone suspicious, remember their face.”

“Why? So you can kill the men and… assault the women?”

I didn’t reply. Nobody knew how things would turn out.

I just conveyed my meaning with a subtle glance.@@novelbin@@

“Go on in.”

“Roger.”

Taeyang, understanding my intent, nodded.

Taking my phone out of my pocket, I checked the time: 8 PM.

The Forester Selection Competition wasn’t far off now.

This summer, no one would be able to become a Forester.

The cicadas’ cries pierced through the hotel windows as if to announce this fact.

-Bzzzz, bzzz, bzzz.

‘Saving lives, huh.’

Scrolling through my contact list, I thought to myself.

Since when had I moved for such noble causes?

“Heh.”

-Brrr, brrr.

Spotting a familiar name, I made a call. After a few rings, a voice answered.

[Hello?]

Jung Siwoo. It had been a while since we last talked.

Finding some free time, I reached out.

“How rare of you to answer. Not busy?”

[Busy, yeah. Been running around dungeons like crazy. Almost died this time. Ever had your guts spill out?]

“Oh.”

Siwoo seemed happy to be chatting, eagerly sharing his dramatic experiences.

Apparently, he’s still wandering dungeons, honing his skills to find his younger sister.

He claimed he was improving rapidly.

“Things have been noisy lately because of Flower. What about you?”

[Ah.]

I heard a bitter laugh through the phone.

[Man, I could use a drink.]

“Haha.”

This guy’s life isn’t easy either.

[How’s the Selection Competition? Heard you’re doing pretty well.]

“Same old. Let’s grab a drink sometime.”

[Haha, I’ll make time for sure.]

Even without seeing him, I could tell he’s been growing stronger quickly.

He was connected to as many people as I was, living like a protagonist. I couldn’t help but cheer him on from afar.

“Take care.”

[You too.]

Hearing the exhaustion in his voice, I ended the call with a simple farewell.

-Click.

Walking as I spoke on the phone, I soon arrived.

Standing before the hotel doors, ones I’ve grown sick of seeing, I knocked lightly.

-Tap, tap.

The sound echoed crisply.

At the same time, the bracelet on my wrist melted like molten metal, covering my entire fist.

-Creak.

As the door opened and I confirmed there was no one around, I immediately thrust my arm inside.

“Crazy.”

In the dark room, Guseul clutched her head.

Countermeasures against artifacts that record voices or images were already perfect.

Once the structure is understood, halting their function for a moment becomes possible.

Although even that could arouse suspicion.

It didn’t matter.

Flower had already begun their operation.

“They should have waited at least two weeks. What are they rushing for?”

If they were going to strike, the timing should’ve been after.

The ideal moment would have been after returning the dropouts and when civilians were minimal.

‘Flower’s goal has always been the downfall of the World Tree. Wasn’t minimizing unnecessary sacrifices their core principle?’

This was the rule established by the saint who originally founded Flower, a rule still implicitly enforced under pressure.

Guseul bit her lower lip tightly.

The plan was falling apart.

And Lee Shiheon was nearby.

She couldn’t let Flower’s ugly side be revealed any further.

At least not if they were to recruit him as an ally.

“They’re determined.”

She had no idea who stirred things up. Most of the executives were wary of Lee Shiheon.

But turning their backs on him would be like smashing the foundation and pillar of the Eighth Faction.

He was meant to be the cornerstone of Flower.

Guseul had no choice but to contact someone she knew.

Practically a parental figure to her.

Though she intended to protest, the response she received was unchanging.

[For now, just follow that woman.]

A dry male voice resonated.

“But if we miss this opportunity, Lee Shiheon will—”

[Since when did you get to talk back?]

A heavy, scornful tone. Just hearing it made her mind freeze over.

Guseul held her breath with a pale face.

[Opportunities will come. You wouldn’t understand, but the king will eventually return to us.]

“……”

-Click.

“…Yes.”

Even if she didn’t respond, the call ended on its own.

Yet, her body, conditioned by habit, instinctively answered.

Her legs gave way, and she collapsed to her knees.

Te Matua Engahero (Father of the Forest).

The name of the entity she had just spoken to.

He was one of the three subordinates under the Eighth Executive, the ruler of nameless trees like Guseul.

The term “nameless trees” referred literally to those without “flower language” or “names.”

They had no known origin, no family, and were treated as less than human—mere weeds.

“Hongyeon.”

A sigh escaped her lips.

“…Does that person truly intend to destroy the World Tree herself?”

The Eighth Faction lacked a designated executive.

Before Hongyeon was appointed as a proxy, it had been a lawless wasteland.

“Even knowing they’ll be discarded in the end… Why go this far?”

Hongyeon’s influence within Flower was steadily growing.

She had expanded her reach into areas where other executives refused to tread.

However, overextending often invited ruin.

Now, Guseul couldn’t even offer excuses to Lee Shiheon.

The Cradle infiltration, which should’ve been handled by another executive, had fallen to Hongyeon.

‘Lee Shiheon, already disillusioned with Flower. If he finds out about this…’

His potential recruitment into Flower would vanish.

And without the Eighth Executive, Hongyeon’s demise would result in his fragmented power being devoured by the other executives.

‘How can they say it doesn’t matter?’

Her “father” claimed Hongyeon’s actions had no bearing on recruiting Lee Shiheon.

Thus, she was told to pretend to follow Hongyeon while focusing solely on bringing Lee Shiheon to their side.

Guseul couldn’t understand.

-Knock, knock, knock.

A knock echoed.

With trembling legs like a newborn giraffe, Guseul stood up.

Her mind was far from intact amidst the sudden upheaval. Her emotions were a chaotic mess.

“Who is it at this hour?”

With an expression devoid of warmth, she grabbed the doorknob and opened it.

-Creak.

A large shadow rippled through the gap in the door.

A man’s hand abruptly pushed through and gripped the opening roughly.

-Screech.

Startled, she tried to pull back, but the door was forced open by a strength greater than hers.

And there he was—the very person she had just been thinking about.

Eyes of ashen gray.

His gaze carried a faint trace of killing intent. In that moment, Guseul realized one thing.

The sudden shift in Flower’s plan.

This man knew all about it.

Entering the room happened in an instant.

Even though Guseul belatedly unleashed her magic, I had already shoved my shoulder through the doorway, knocking her aside.

-Bang!

The door slammed shut, and my bracelet morphed into the shape of a glove.

“…What’s going on?”

“You’d know best.”

In truth, Guseul and I were in a state of mutual ceasefire.

There were various circumstances, and we had exchanged words.

However, with Flower’s invasion imminent, she was nothing short of a lurking cancer.

Guseul was so startled she didn’t even let out her usual awkward laugh.

“I’m as bewildered as you are… I have nothing to say.”

“Flower doesn’t know much, huh?”

She was the biggest variable.

I didn’t fully grasp Guseul’s abilities.

She hid everything about herself from the start.

During the tournament, during the first trial—

Even now, I couldn’t quite gauge the depth of her capabilities.

‘Too skilled for a mere subordinate.’

Once, when I was offered a proposal, I said as much to her.

-“If it’s a coalition of factions entering together, it’ll be impossible to distinguish allies. Since you’re moving with the radicals, whether you live or die, it won’t matter.” ɌÀ𐌽ố𝐁Ěṣ

Back then, I had warned her she could die.

Guseul had responded indifferently:

-“…Do whatever you want.“

I fully intended to do just that.

“I’ve been through a lot because of you.”

This situation was no trivial issue.

While saving people was the goal, she remained a particular problem.

I activated a bit of magic, wrapping it around my arm.

“…Isn’t it a little too late for persuasion? Heh.”

Sensing hostility, Guseul reached into her outfit.

-Bam!

My body moved instinctively.

Before she could resist, I subdued her with maximum speed.

Her head slammed into the floor as she tipped backward, my grip tightening around her neck.

“Urgh.”

During the Forester Selection Competition, my stats had steadily grown.

This was thanks to significantly expanding my compendium.

-Crack!

I applied pressure to her neck.

Without giving her a chance to activate magic or an artifact, I intended to end this here and now.

As my fingers dug into her slender neck—

-Flash.

Something coiled around my wrist and yanked it upward toward the ceiling.

A wire, appearing out of nowhere.

Steel threads coiled tightly around my entire body.

“…”

The speed left me unable to react, though I had to admit her reflexes deserved praise.

Through narrowed eyes, Guseul seemed to mock me with a victorious smirk.

But this wasn’t enough to hold me back.

-Ping, ping!

One by one, the taut wires began snapping.

My hand fully encircled her neck again.

And I squeezed.

-Crunch!

Her neck broke completely.

Her pupils constricted, and her muscles shuddered violently.

The sensation of taking a life.

“No.”

I dismissed the idea of her death immediately.

From her split neck, black liquid oozed out, catching my attention.

-Squelch.

Guseul’s body was literally melting.

The viscous liquid, exuding a pungent stench like crude oil, dripped onto the floor.

From where her heart had been, a crudely formed clay figurine emerged.

[पेड़]

The figurine bore an unfamiliar script engraved upon it.

It had been Guseul speaking, yet it was as if a ghost were pulling the strings.

“…They’ve got all kinds of magic now.”

It wasn’t fake.

The person I’d been speaking to was undoubtedly Guseul.

Her power and magic were wholly her own.

Yet when I had choked her neck, it felt as if something had swapped in her place.

‘Spatial magic?’

If it were that, I wouldn’t have missed the traces of her magic.

This was something far more intricate.

Authority. A unique power akin to divine abilities.

I lowered my hand to stroke the clay figurine.

-Crack.

The figurine split apart, and the engraved script disappeared like melting snow.

From it, I felt a faint trace of magic.

It wasn’t Guseul’s magic.

It was a power I’d sensed once before, not long ago.

‘A shaman.’

I’d seen this script somewhere before.

The National Tree of India, Banya.

It was her authority.