Eat The World Tree

A bolt of lightning.

Spear-like strikes rained down like thunder and pierced through the man’s body.

Flash!

Countless spears, tainted with malevolent energy, extended well over seven feet in length.

Black scars appeared on Maehwa’s body.

Boom!

The strike landed.

Maehwa’s body bent toward the ground as another spear came crashing down.

When his hand touched the ground, yet another spear pierced through the back of it.

Maehwa let out a crazed laugh, his lips trembling as he struggled to break free from the force restraining him.

His muscles twitched, and he took a step forward.

Boom!

Thud!

Maehwa’s body collapsed again.

A descending spear pierced his neck.

Each spear formed from magical energy left scorched marks on his body as it impaled him.

There were no external injuries, but the internal damage was evident.

Shoulders and wings. Calves. The insteps. Head and left eye.

As the storm of lightning descended on Maehwa, his eyes quivered savagely.

Rumble.

A torrent of destruction subsided.

Only black mist lingered in the places where the spears had struck.

‘It’s not over yet.’

Squirm.

From within the mist, a silhouette twitched.

Swoosh!

As expected. From the mist, Maehwa’s body shot out.

He sprinted toward me, channeling magical energy into his hands.

His body lunged forward, almost tipping over from the shift in balance.

Brilliant white energy surged over his back in a steady rhythm.

Thud!

Feet pushed against the dirt. One step forward.

The process repeated.

Bang!

“Heaven-Earth Reversal.”

Under the weight of immense magical power, Maehwa’s body collapsed to his knees again.

A forbidden technique that bends the world to its knees, wringing out one’s very essence.

It was unlike the power Baekdo used. At least, not the same as the time I briefly wielded that miraculous power at my peak.

It forcibly reversed the heavens and the earth.

Due to the limitations of my own strength, I had not been able to use it freely.

Rumble!

When malevolent energy merged with the ultimate martial art, its original power was restored.

The earth began to crack, and a deep rumble echoed across the land.

Maehwa’s body, already kneeling, was forced further into the ground.

‘Eleonore, Luci.’

<Yes, Master.>

With a single word, magical energy surged forth.

The number of spears increased one by one.

Maehwa’s head lifted with difficulty, and my face was reflected in his eyes.

‘Fire.’

One shot.

Bang!

Two shots.

Bang!

‘Keep going. Until not even his bones remain.’

The protective energy surrounding Maehwa’s body began to falter. I unleashed a relentless barrage of spears.

Five. Six. Seven.

Ten. Twenty. Thirty.

By the time Luci and Eleonore, perched on my shoulders, let out weary sighs, I paused and looked down at Maehwa, who lay at my feet.

The mist cleared, revealing his face.

Blood trickled down his forehead.

“……”

Crackle!

Maehwa’s body, which had been lying still, suddenly rose, aiming for my neck.

I stepped back just in time, narrowly avoiding his claws.

“…It’s a power I recognize.”

Maehwa muttered hoarsely, his pale lips trembling uncontrollably.

Smirk.

A sinister grin spread across his face, revealing white, sharp teeth.

Blood dripped from his fangs, pooling on his chin as it fell from his punctured tongue.

“I’ve seen this before. Yes, on that day—”

White radiance slowly enveloped his body. The magical energy rising from his back caused me to frown.

“Baekdo… Did you really learn from that person?”

“……?”

“Oh— That person is strong. Beautiful… prettier than anyone. Keuhuhuhu.”

Rambling on about unsolicited matters, Maehwa covered his face with both hands.

His nails dug into his skin, leaving long, jagged scars.

Drip, drip.

Blood dripped from his hands, staining the dry earth below.

His face twisted further into madness.

“…What kind of expression would she make if she lost her disciple—”

His words were cut short.

Maehwa’s body contorted as he reached out for my neck.

I transformed the Mistletoe into a gauntlet to block the attack.

Bang!

Retreating, I loaded another spear.

Just as I prepared to fire, Maehwa vanished from my sight.

In a mere instant, so fast I couldn’t even register it with my eyes.

[Master, behind you—Chirp!?]

Suddenly, Luci’s voice stopped coming through.

The sound of a woodpecker breaking echoed as feathers scattered into the air.

I halted my wind-blade attack and turned to block a punch with my elbow.

Bang!

A single clash sent a shockwave rippling.

Wrapping my body in a black aura, I followed Maehwa’s movements intently.

[Chirp, chirp!?]

Eleonore, perched on the wooden scaffolding, spun helplessly, unable to keep up.

I couldn’t afford to consider her situation right now.

Maehwa appeared and swung his fist.

Boom!

Two strikes. I gathered my knee and elbow to block the punch at a single point.

Despite that, the force pushed me backward, causing me to stumble.

“You’re weak.”

A voice came from behind me mid-flight.

Mocking, filled with disdain. I didn’t bother reacting.

Slowly, I assessed the battlefield.

‘….’

Crunch!

Even though I braced my body with all the aura I could muster, the attack still fractured my ribs.

Yet, the shattered fragments fused back together in an instant.

I analyzed Maehwa’s movements deeply.

“…Lee Shiheon!”

They were irregular, savage, yet talented and disciplined.

For a brief moment, I saw Baekdo’s image in Maehwa’s movements.

“Ha, hahaha!”

There was a faint glimpse of admiration and yearning in his combat skills.

I recognized those movements.

He had already accepted some degree of Cheonma’s power.

Unlike me, his magical attributes were similar to Baekdo’s, making it easier for him to replicate.

He twisted Cheonma Divine Art into a form of his own.

Maehwa, too, had traversed the same path that I, Cheondo, and Baekdo had once walked.

It was evident in his movements.

Bang!

My arm went numb from blocking his attack.

Maehwa paused and scrutinized my face.

I adjusted my posture, catching my breath.

“Sssss. Haaah.”

Fist forward, foot to the side.

I readied myself to counter Maehwa’s next attack.

“…….”

Maehwa, staring at me, clicked his tongue as if bored.

“Is that all?”

Clink.

“Not yet—”

A familiar bell chime rang briefly.

Space folded amidst white petals.

“—there’s still more!”

Boom!

The ground heaved like the sea.

Moving as if teleporting, Maehwa accelerated repeatedly, doubling his speed in an instant.

Straight along the path, petals from Maehwa’s flower carved a line, and a sharp pain surged through one of my arms.

A strange energy began gathering in his grasp.

Maehwa’s eyes narrowed, tearing slightly at the corners.

The area before me blurred as ghostly petals wavered in the air.

‘No way.’

A chilling sensation crept over me. Could he have really stolen the technique to this extent?

Unperturbed, Maehwa demonstrated the skill in his own way.

“Kkeuheuhuhu.”

He muttered softly.

“Baekdo.”

Boom!

For Maehwa, the only thing that sparkled in an otherwise dull world was a young woman, barely of age, on a small screen.

[What challenges did you face in clearing this dungeon?]

[None at all.]

The white-haired woman always walked away briskly, ignoring the reporters’ questions.

Sometimes her eyes were red, other times blue.

But what Maehwa remembered most clearly was that she was the most beautiful person he had ever seen.

Others might call it love at first sight.

‘I want to be like her.’

The desire to resemble her drove him mad.

‘A punch like this.’

‘Foot to the side.’

The blooming flower was white. The peach blossoms formed from her radiant magic were unmatched in beauty.

He never wanted to break such a flower.

But, at least once, he wanted to make it his own.

‘She’s magnificent.’

She was the reason for his efforts.

There was someone he had to emulate.

His talent was always sufficient. His potential, higher than anyone else’s, quickly elevated him.

From a C-rank Hunter to B-rank, then A-rank.

Finally, he rose to the same S-rank as her.

Maehwa’s authority was harsher than any other tree spirit, yet it allowed him to chase his dream.

He first discovered his authority after accidentally triggering a trap that killed his team members.

By the time he had mastered killing his comrades through traps, his body had become tougher than anyone else’s.

‘I can be like her.’

The method didn’t matter.

What mattered was that he had reached that level.

But Maehwa’s expectations were shattered at a single moment.

[Move aside.]

When someone he couldn’t defeat crushed him with a single punch.

Full of arrogance after earning the title of S-rank Hunter, Maehwa couldn’t help but fall for Baekdo during a disaster in China.

To be like her, he had to kill more people and try harder.

He wanted to reach her.

Ethics and morality were irrelevant. For him, there was only Baekdo.

“Reaching it.”

He executed the technique.

A tingling sensation spread from his fingertips, and Maehwa’s movements became sharper.

“I’ve reached it.”

Ten Thousand Layers of White Blossom.

The magic in his body twisted grotesquely. A new type of flower, containing the traits of two trees, bloomed for the first time.

A monster.

It was clear why he bore the monumental weight of a National Tree.

“Finally, finally!”

Lee Shiheon’s movements triggered something.

After endless exploration of the unresolved, Maehwa finally succeeded in replicating it.

His voice burst with emotion, and his body grew even sturdier.

Now, he might even glimpse that elusive part.

A realm.

A state that only those who have reached the peak, endured excruciating trials, and faced death can achieve—the transcendent boundary.

Crack!

Lee Shiheon’s arm, fully attuned to the Ten Thousand Layers of White Blossom, shot out and grabbed Maehwa’s neck.

The same fist that had felt so heavy earlier.

“You’re weak.”

Now, he was ahead.

No, even in this state, he surpassed him.

He could go further. Become much stronger. Reach and brush against Baekdo’s level.

Boom!

Lee Shiheon’s body slammed against a massive rock, twisting violently.

Even with his bloodied face, his eyes still fixated on Maehwa, as if hiding something.

It was ridiculous.

How many barriers had Maehwa overcome in this short moment?

And yet, this ‘disciple of Baekdo’ crumpled under his attack.

“Kuh, kuhuhuhu.”

A manic laugh blossomed along with false peach blossoms.

“Kahahahaha! Isn’t it amazing?”

His laughter spilled out uncontrollably.

No one present could match his movements.

Even National Trees like Suyeon, Saku, or Africa’s Bao couldn’t hope to reach his level.

Even derisive chuckles couldn’t be dismissed easily.

The weight in his voice was distinct, sending cold sweat down everyone’s backs.

Even Haku, his ally, collapsed to the ground, losing the will to fight.

This was undoubtedly someone on the verge of reaching the realm.

“Lee Shiheon. Thank you. Because of you, I’ve come this far.”

Lee Shiheon’s brows furrowed, but Maehwa didn’t care.

Strength, speed, martial arts—it didn’t matter. He was superior in every way.

“After killing you.”

His fingers pointed to Lee Shiheon’s heart, as the silhouette of the person he admired flashed in his mind.

“Next, I’ll kill Baekdo, that woman.”

“……”

“No, I won’t just kill her. Slowly, savoring every moment.”

He thought it was only proper etiquette to use every possible method when killing someone he admired.

“I’ll gag her and violate her! I’ll watch her cry, then cut her throat.”

“…What?”

“First, I’ll bring her your severed head. Wouldn’t her expression when she sees her disciple’s head be amusing?”

His heavy voice resonated in their ears.

Until just moments ago, his face had been filled with nervous energy, but now it turned ice-cold.

Even watching him burn out in the end might be amusing.

“Her pure white skin. That translucent skin. Kehuh, huhuhuhu.”

His pants bulged noticeably.

Finally, Maehwa raised his fist.

To end it. The two blossoms on his fist aimed directly at Lee Siheon’s brow.

Boom!

Beeeeeeep!

‘It’s over.’

A ringing in his ears.

Flash—

It was a brief moment.

The sound vanished from his ears, and the blossoms and magic dissipated in an instant.

His vision tilted suddenly. Side to side. The moon in the sky fell to the ground.

His pupils rolled across the overturned dirt floor. No sensation remained in his fists.

‘Huh?’

He thought he was dead.

That illusion was fleeting.

His body regained awareness, and he realized the truth.

White magic was burning him, slicing his body apart piece by piece.

Unconsciously, he reached for his ear, but it didn’t hear.

His right ear was gone.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

The sound of his heartbeat. His blood vessels spun rapidly, muscles contracting.

An overwhelming sense of dread, as though he had encountered a natural predator. Black petals scattered at his feet.

Step.

A man, his body ablaze, walked toward him one step at a time.

Step.

Black liquid on his wrists solidified into clothes, and the blood evaporated to reveal a pale face.

He looked down at Maehwa with pure contempt.

‘…What, you.’

Thud, thud.

He was going to die.

In the moment the world went silent, he understood his fate.