Chapter 229 – Thorny Horseradish

“……”

We didn’t speak.

The silence was broken by Marronnier, her face clouded with discontent.

“… Do men usually perform such acts so frequently?”

My disposition had returned to its usual state, and having already witnessed and experienced all manners of intimate acts, she no longer needed to save face.

“No, I am the anomaly. It’s just how I am made.”
“I see.”

At my response, Marronnier buried her face in her knees.
Her expression was somber.

“But surely, you don’t usually copulate all day long, do you?”
“……”
“You surely regained consciousness at some point.”

I have no memory of it.

“… Was there a need to lick my toes?”

I believe I did indeed do that.

But she had enjoyed it.

“And why on earth the armpits…”
“Let’s leave that story here.”
“……Yes.”

The silence returned, stretching on indefinitely.

“When I return to the academy, what am I supposed to say? That I engaged in sexual activities in the dungeon during the Forest Keeper Tournament?”

Aren’t you supposed to return to your country, not the academy? Despite not being an academy student, it seemed she was still sticking to that narrative.
I swallowed the words that had risen to the top of my throat. It wasn’t something worth arguing.

Marronnier was always like this within the dungeon.

Whenever I regained my composure, she would chatter, subtly belittling me, using the fact that she had already been taken to spew her vitriol.

Then, when my urges returned, she would tremble like a scared rabbit. Begging me to stop. Expressing her dislike. Declaring her hatred for my penis. I couldn’t decipher her intentions.

-Zalgrak.

I heard a noise beside me. Marronnier had begun to collect her belongings.

She gripped her staff one last time, slamming it on the ground before looking down at me.

“… It is time for me to depart. You have not forgotten my words, have you?”
“To forget about the dungeon affairs?”
“Yes, and just… Please pretend you do not know.”

It was an accident. That was how she intended to dismiss it.
Since it wasn’t a bad proposition from my perspective, I agreed.

Marronnier nodded in gratitude before turning and leaving.

I watched her retreating figure, a name suddenly popping into my mind.

“Blanche.”

Whose name was it?

-Stand tall.

Marronnier, who had paused, turned her head to look back at me.

Perhaps it was my mood that caused my face to briefly assume a mischievous expression. My cheeks flushed a vivid red.

“Don’t… call me that way…”

Marronnier murmured in a voice as soft as melting butter before fleeing from my side.

So, that was her name. But what an odd reaction. I didn’t turn to look at her. Instead, I pulled a piece of fruit from my pocket and held it before my eyes.

‘I wonder if this…is edible.’

I wasn’t sure if I should even call this a fruit. A nut, perhaps? But that didn’t seem quite right either. I doubted it was edible.

The only item I managed to bring out of the dungeon, in my lust-crazed state, was this single piece.

When I opened my status window, a cascade of unseen notifications began to tumble down.

【’Arbor Encyclopedia’ has added the Spiny Chestnut.】

—
□Spiny Chestnut [Encyclopedia Number: 564] [Scientific name: aesculus hippocastanum]
– Alias: Marronnier
– A spiny chestnut from the deciduous tree family of the plant kingdom. Though the fruit resembles a chestnut, it is toxic and inedible. Noted for its use in landscaping.
– Flower Language: Genius. One in a thousand.
– Aptitude: [Magical Aptitude]
– Open Information: 36.11%

[With the encyclopedia opening privilege, minor stat increases and all aptitudes related to magic noticeably improve.]
[Due to the relations with the national tree of rich blood, the acquired abilities increase by 0.2.]
—

The moment the status window appeared, I immediately closed my eyes, feeling the surge of magic within me.

It was definitely stronger than before.

Raising the ability by 0.1 past the point of 10 could take months, even over a year of rigorous training. For me, this was a significant gain. And that was just from a single interaction with the national tree, raising abilities by 0.2. Including my magical aptitude, the increase was even more.

‘As expected.’

I stretched out my hand, conjuring a Wind Cutter like those I’d activated before.

-Whooosh!

The blade of wind wavered, noticeably more potent than the day before. Pumping more power into it, the blade grew larger.

Intermediate level magic. As I propelled even more power into it, the elongated blade of wind expanded massively.

I hurled it into the waterfall.

-Whoosh!!

The sound of air bursting. The magic cleaved the waterfall, causing it to spew out rocks and soil, creating a significant disturbance in the lake.

‘If it’s this powerful.’

I sensed the need to swallow my pride and engage in another interaction.

The growth in my magical abilities was that significant. I might need to learn superior, first-class magic that goes beyond what I currently know.

Among all the magic at my disposal, only the Space Magic was of first-class value. An intricate spellbook that had yet to be fully deciphered in the market. It was passed down to me, originating from Zodiac’s master.

In essence, to obtain first-class magic, I must either gain a similar fortune or find a master.

‘But even the highest class varies…’

The most potent spell I’ve ever wielded is Windhole, a magic that can only be acquired from the elusive corners of the El Academy’s grimoire. Such a capability is hardly inconsequential anywhere.

It was the spell I employed when I found myself ensnared by a pair of twins known by the names Alpha and Beta.

Windhole was a lesson of kindness taught to me, and I had since honed it to a point where I was competent in its use. But even among the upper echelons, there are unmistakable hierarchies.

Similar to how an A-tier or S-tier Hunter merely represents a rank, the disparities in prowess and expertise are as different as night and day.

There were instances where high-tier magic was deemed more valuable than top-tier magic. Rarity and efficacy—their worth is determined by these factors.

‘Hmm,’ I mused.

But first, before anything else…

—
▶ Marronnier Blanche’s Horse Chestnut (B+)
– Upon consumption, one’s aptitude for elemental magic increases.
– It absorbs a portion of the magic from its parent, Marronnier Blanche.
—

The Horse Chestnut I held in my hand was rugged with prickles. As I peeled off its thorny shell, I discovered something akin to a chestnut inside, which I promptly tossed into my mouth. Despite the risk of poison, my body was that of a Hunter’s.

‘I surely won’t die from this,’ I thought to myself, but as soon as it found its way into my mouth, I grimaced.

“…It’s bitter.”

It tasted as if all the medicinal herbs from home were thrown into a pot and boiled fervently. After a struggle, I managed to chew and swallow.

Though devoid of any pleasant taste, it was tolerable.

Once I rinsed my mouth with clean water from my backpack, I stirred my magic.

-Zzzzt!

A cluster of electricity sprung to life in my hand. I hadn’t noticed it at first, but upon using it directly, I found it to be quite efficient.

Of course, given its nature as lightning, my aptitude-fitting Wind Cutter proved to be far more effective. Even so, considering its efficiency, it was a spell worth deploying occasionally. After all, this electrical shock was faster in terms of magic unfolding.

-Thud, thud.

Having dismissed the magic from my grasp, I dusted off my hands, extracted an artifact from my backpack, and prepared to proceed.

The artifact, activated by the infusion of magic, produced a square hologram in front of me, displaying a long list of cadet names.

‘A considerable number have been eliminated,’ I noted.

I scanned through the cadet names. Those whose locations could be tracked and those who couldn’t were differentiated by color, and I noticed a significant number of names in an alarming shade of red.

More than half of the hologram was bathed in crimson, indicating that over a hundred had been eliminated overnight.

‘It’s the first night with such a crowd… it’s understandable,’ I concluded.

It was natural for a multitude of minor conflicts to occur.

An excessive number of dropouts?

It was possible. But the number was exceedingly high. Compared to the previous Forest Keeper selection, the dropout count differed significantly.

‘…Could this be correct?’ I wondered, naturally skeptical.

First and foremost, I needed to locate Cornus. I managed to find Cornus from the list of participants and clicked on it.

Then, the hologram broke down into particles, swiftly transforming into a piece of parchment that nestled into my grasp. The parchment bore simplistic illustrations and arrows, pointing to the location of Cornus.

[→]

The location of Cornus… East.

I shouldered my pack and embarked on my journey, chasing the direction the arrow foretold.

* * * * * * * * * *

An arrow, taut and straining in anticipation, took aim at a cadet.

Steady the bow, quell your breath. Release when the tremor stills.

The arrow, imbued with magical prowess, soared through the air and with a resounding ‘thwack!’, embedded itself in the cadet’s forehead.

“…Ugh!”

Without a proper breath, the cadet lost consciousness. It was a non-lethal arrow, charged with electric magic.

“One more down.”

Gu-seul effortlessly plucked another arrow from her waist. The artifact weapon, a gun, had its potency adjusted for the previous days, making it necessary now to use a bow that wouldn’t extinguish a life.

An arrow crafted with a wooden point. The bow was crude, but fortified by enchantment magic.

If survival was the main objective of this game, Gu-seul was undoubtedly the most accomplished. She was surviving in this forest not by clearing dungeons, but through her own unique survival tactics.

Hidden among the foliage, she delivered a strike from above.

Spotting a cadet approaching from a distance, Gu-seul drew her bowstring and murmured to herself,

“It’s fortunate to be disqualified now…”

As it meant a ticket out of the impending chaos.

There was no need for innocent victims; they were neither necessary nor enjoyable. When all was said and done, they only served to dampen the mood.

For the sake of the grand objective, no more victims could be afforded. The first task Flower undertook was to reduce the number of cadets.

Of course, it was a random directive from the higher-ups, one that didn’t include any of Gu-seul’s intentions.

-Swoosh!

“Urgh!”

The arrow-struck cadet fell unconscious without uttering a word. The artifact he held then activated, whisking him away to safety.

Gu-seul rubbed her inflamed palms against her thighs.

“…Thirty-three.”

The number of cadets she had disqualified overnight.

[Buzzing!]
[Whining.]

Seven cameras circled around Gu-seul, filming her every move. The number of cameras served as proof of Gu-seul’s ripple effect among the cadets.

‘I wonder how the others are faring.’

She pondered about her Flower colleagues, people whose names and identities were unknown to her. They, like her, had entered this forest guardian selection, either as cadets from various academies or in other capacities.

All of them, like Gu-seul, were steadily reducing the number of cadets. To the others, it would appear as if they were sincerely participating in the forest guardian selection.

After this trial concludes, the encounter with the nomad continues. A dance of protection and alliance building.
Once a number of trials are concluded, one earns the right to directly confront the World Tree.

The goal of the Flower was singular.

‘To assassinate the World Tree.’

She aimed her bow towards a newly appeared novice.
Tension seemed to make her hand tremble.

Here, at a place ordained by the divine will of the World Tree, broadcasted worldwide.
They lay bare the limits of these so-called gods, causing their vibrancy to wither firsthand.
Of course, there are other rewards to reap here.

Much was prepared in pursuit of this cause.

An arrow strained in tension.
The moment the bowstring is released, the projectile zips towards the novice at a blistering speed.

-Swooosh-ack!

An arrow, imbued with the magical power of blue electricity, flies at a speed no ordinary novice could evade.
Dark skin and dark hair. The face of a woman with golden eyes instantaneously swiveled towards the incoming arrow.

‘… Did she react?’

Swish- Thunk!

With a loud collision, the woman caught the arrow.
A dark-skinned woman who had ripped apart her contestant’s uniform from the Forest Keeper’s selection.

Those lion-like golden eyes stared back intently.

An extraordinary aura, it’s the National Tree.
As soon as that realization dawned, Gu-seul hastily retreated.

-Thump!

It was a swift and shrewd decision.

“Hey.”

But the woman, moving faster than Gu-seul, ascended the body and branches of the tree.

-Suddenly.

She thrust her face close to Gu-seul, throwing a chilling gaze at her.
Her face was as hard as fear itself.

“Who are you?”

Baobab.
Above her body, a spell as red as blood rose like a repellent mist.