Eat The World Tree

Chapter 221: Lonnie (1)

-Jiiing!

A moving magic circle. A man and a woman who popped out of the forest looked around.

“Lucky us.”

Taeyang and Aori.

Very occasionally, there were instances where they were transported to the same place simultaneously via the magic circle. It couldn’t get better than this if the people teaming up acted together from the beginning.

Usually, those who planned to team up first gather on the third day.

However, Aori looked uncomfortable as she glanced at Taeyang and frowned with her pretty face.

“It would’ve been better if I were with a handsome guy….”

“What did you say, you b**h?”

“Bullsht. You’re the loose one.”

Glaring at each other with the intent to kill, they engaged in a cold war of nerves.

“Premature ejaculator.”

“Slut.”

After belittling each other’s sexual functions, they glanced around with faces full of anger. There were no boundaries between them, having lived like family. Such was the relationship between the heir of the Tree Spirit King and someone who inherited half of his power.

“If you don’t like it, act on your own.”

“…Shall I?”

Aori was tempted by Taeyang’s words. He sighed with hurt pride.

Despite the words, they couldn’t separate. There was much to be done.

“So, how are you going to find that person?”

Their reason for being here.

While their purpose was to steal the power of many trees, the foremost reason was to find the successor of the Tree Spirit King. Their increased sexual desire proved that the Tree Spirit King was nearby.

Aori poked her cheek with her finger, pretending to ponder for a long time.

“Hmmm….”

Finally, she gave an answer.

“If we have sex with everyone, one of them might be the one.”

“Oh.”

Taeyang was impressed. It was a straightforward answer.

Aori spun around in a circle, sniffing the air.

“And. There’s a sexy smell.”

“What, what smell?”

“That person with the mask… the one who looked delicious.”

Aori sensually licked her lips as if they were itchy. Her red hair touched her tongue and hung from the corner of her mouth. Taeyang chuckled inwardly.

‘Crazy b***h….’

A woman with a radar on her lower abdomen. Though she usually appeared expressionless and thoughtless, when she targeted a man, she was relentless like a fox.

Aori caressed her lower belly and pointed in the direction of the forest.

“North.”

“So, what will you do when you meet that guy?”

Taeyang asked mockingly, and Aori responded with a calm gaze as if it was obvious.

“…Of course.”

Her sleek tongue stuck out from her parted lips. Aori licked the side of her index finger with her prominent protrusions on her tongue. A long string of transparent saliva stretched out. Her ripe, red apple-like tongue went back into her mouth.

“I’ll eat him up. Chomp~”

Her protruding canine teeth sparkled.

This forest seems like the worst place for a wizard.

-Slice!

A long blade of wind extended but dissipated midway. It was enough to slaughter several wolves, but it still felt unsatisfactory.

‘The natural recovery of magic is almost non-existent.’

Magic activation didn’t work well, and mana didn’t recharge. It was correct to assume that I had to ration the magic I had when entering the forest for a week.

“Hoo.”

After walking through the brush to create a path for a while, I stopped to wipe the sweat. I seemed to have walked for at least two hours, but there was still nothing in sight.

No map, no water, no food.

All I had was a teleport scroll for an emergency. An artifact that activates automatically when incapacitated.

Even I would lose strength if I couldn’t drink anything for a week. I needed to secure at least the basics to survive.

‘At least I can hear the sound of water.’

-The sound of a distant stream was my only comfort.

‘I hope Sansuyu is doing well.’

It would be better if she met the National Trees and wasn’t struggling. She wouldn’t forget to come to me, right? Though Sansuyu seemed dull, she never forgot her duties.

She wasn’t dumb either.

Her written grades were always at the top of the school.

Even when coming to the Forester Selection Competition, she prepared study materials.

‘Three days.’

The period until those scattered in the forest found their teams and settled. Until then, it was practically a solo game.

I paused while walking.

-Rustle.

A silhouette caught by my magic detection. As I approached the water source, I began to see a person.

A small silhouette steadily walking ahead. Sensing me, they turned sharply. Although I couldn’t see their face or body, we sensed each other’s magic.

A wizard?

Quick to notice.

I took a deep breath and gathered magic into my staff.

-Crackling!

Then the chills on my skin.

From behind the tree I was hiding in, blue light flickered and two forks of lightning flew at me.

-Whoosh!

I swung my staff to fend off the magic.

-Bang!

Left.

-Boom!

Right.

I blocked the continuously incoming magic with my staff. Standing still, swinging left and right, as if playing baseball.

The lightning that missed my staff ignited the surroundings. The burning grass turned to ashes and scattered nearby.

‘Not an ordinary wizard?’

As the magic subsided, I leaped onto the tree. Enveloping my body in magic made it much lighter.

-Crackling!

Dodging the lightning flying through the air, I finally saw my opponent.

A small woman wearing a large brown witch’s hat. As soon as she saw me, she extended her staff and conjured lightning.

-Swoosh!

As I twisted my head to avoid the incoming lightning, I lost my balance.

Tottering. My body seemed about to fall.

I reached down and grabbed the branch I was standing on.

-Spinning.

With a spin, I circled the tree.

After regaining my posture, I flew toward the tree in front of me.

That combat-ready body allows for calm and flexible responses in any situation.

Those elegant yet disciplined movements, perfectly suited to the situation, sometimes looked like a dancer’s performance.

-Swish!

Turning my body in mid-air, I stepped on the tree trunk.

Kicking off the trunk, I shot through the gap between two trees growing between me and the woman like a bullet.

-Crackling!

The woman, reading my trajectory, fired her magic.

I hooked my staff onto a branch, stopped mid-flight, and climbed up the middle tree.

“…What?”

The missed lightning stretched uselessly into the wrong place.

The woman’s voice, translated, reached my ears.

[Ziiiing-]

Three cameras filming from the air. That’s quite a number.

Her blue hair glowed even in the heavy dungeon air.

The small national emblem on her shoulder marked her as French.

I held my staff like a club.

‘An unusually large number of cameras, and blue hair.’

So the opponent was a National Tree.

It seemed she was trying to conserve her magic, but at this moment, that would be troublesome.

-Crackling!

Four-pronged lightning aimed at vital points. Skillfully stepping on trees, branches, and the air, I twisted my trajectory.

Throwing in a few wind cutters for suppression, the woman’s face showed irritation.

-Whoosh!

Now the distance was less than a few meters.

“…Tsk!”

The woman reluctantly gathered magic into her staff. This time, red lightning appeared from it.

The lightning bolts filled my vision like a shotgun blast.

Amidst the intense magical fluctuations, I raised my staff high.

Holding the end of the staff with both hands, I swung it with all my might.

-Bang!

A solid hit. This time it’s a home run.

The lightning slid along the surface of the staff, converging into one point.

Crackling. The noise was like thousands of flies flapping their wings right next to my eardrum.

My muscles creaked. My body was only around A-grade unless I disconnected from the status window.

Nevertheless, I gripped the staff tightly and fended off the magic.

-Crackle!

The deflected magic created a large hole in a nearby tree.

The woman’s startled face. I brought the staff down on her head.

With all my strength.

-Bang!

A barrier formed.

“Hic.”

Startled, she hiccupped.

There was a slight crack in one point of the struck barrier.

“Wait-”

I stopped mid-swing, ready to strike again, at the woman’s words.

“Negotiation. Let’s negotiate. If this continues, I’ll have to use my full strength too. You don’t want to waste your magic either, right?”

The woman’s urgent proposal.

“…Is that something the attacker should say?”

Her lips twisted upon hearing my words through the translator.

“I didn’t know you were that strong. Okay. I’m sorry.”

“What’s the negotiation?”

“You know the atmosphere here. This is the worst environment for a wizard.”

The woman shrugged, sweating.

‘The National Tree of France….’

Maronie.

Negotiation, huh.

Considering the opponent was a National Tree, it would be troublesome if she tried to eliminate me without thinking of lasting a week.

Glancing around at the surrounding cameras, I spoke. The conversation wouldn’t be broadcasted anyway.

“If I bring you down now, I could gain quite a reputation.”

“Do you really think you can beat me?”

“Why not?”

I gripped the staff tighter.

Veins bulged on my forearm, causing the woman’s mouth to twist bitterly.

“We fought half-heartedly, and I won. What do you think would happen if we fought with full strength?”

“You’re tough….”

The translated voice was quite seductive, but in French, it sounded like a young cousin.

It might be more fun to converse in French.

“Don’t you have more to lose?”

At my question, Maronie gulped.

“What do you want?”

“Teaming.”

“Wait, that’s difficult, you know? With your skills, I’d welcome you, but the numbers don’t add up.”

“That’s not it. A non-aggression pact.”

When a team was set to three, it’s enough not to be targeted by three National Trees.

Maronie, thinking that was acceptable, nodded.

“Okay. Who’s on your team?”

“Blonde hair. You’ll know if I mention the Cornus Family.”

“…Oh, that girl.”

Maronie nodded.

While continuing the conversation, she subtly reached behind her back.

So expertly and discreetly that I almost missed it. A significant amount of dense magic was gathering in her hand.

Deflecting it would be difficult.

I retracted my staff and spoke to her.

“Then that’s settled.”

Maronie, visibly relieved, deactivated the barrier.

Her face, looking like a relieved and slightly scared, expensive yet chubby breed of cat, was cute.

She looked like a French native cat, a Chartreux. That’s the impression.

“You won’t break the promise?”

“Yes, yes.”

Yet her insides were quite cunning.

As I turned to leave, I accelerated my body and brought down the staff.

“Yaaah!”

Right beside her face. On her shoulder. Just grazing her cheek.

-Boom!

The tree’s body in front of me was roughly torn apart.

The staff, swung with force, was strong enough to resemble a morning star, causing Maronie to fall on her butt.

“Hic-”

Her witch hat fell, revealing her pale face.

“Why, why…?”

A face that seemed clueless. Her tone changed.

“You were gathering magic.”

She shouted as if feeling wronged at my cold question.

“I was gathering it just in case….”

Did I misjudge?

But that one action made me feel threatened. If she wanted to gain my trust, she shouldn’t have done that.

“You were secretly chanting an attack spell. Should I let it go?”

“Okay, okay….”

If we met outside, it’s different. Here, status didn’t matter.

No way a National Tree would hold a personal grudge.

‘What can they do, after all?’

Even if they held a grudge, it’s the Forester Selection Competition, and we hadn’t revealed our names.

In other words, it didn’t matter.

No matter what happened, it’s generally accepted.

As long as it’s not entirely against ethics.

Raw fights were enjoyable.

I held the staff properly.

Maronie, still hiccupping, trembled. She couldn’t see my previous strike.

I stared at the seated Maronie.

A skilled National Tree… A person of great help from a distance.

Since we had to clear the dungeon in the forest soon.

“Get up.”

“…Why, why?”

Let’s use her a bit.

I smiled brightly.

“Let’s stick together for a while.”