Chapter 230 – Timing (1)

With a single punch, a hole was created in the trunk of a standing tree. Gu-seul quickly descended from the tree to escape her opponent’s range.

From the branch where Gu-seul had been sniping the cadets earlier, a dark-skinned woman coldly looked down at her.

‘It has become too much of a nuisance.’

The power of the national tree is immeasurable.

The strength varies greatly, depending on the talent of each country or tree. They range from individuals who reach S-class to those lingering on the fringes of A-class.

While falling, Gu-seul assumed a landing position.

‘Running away is the best strategy.’

The abilities of the national trees are more valuable than individual martial prowess. She had to escape.

The woman in front of her watched as Gu-seul fell, then hurled herself into the air.

Gu-seul, who landed before her, pulled back her bow as she retreated.

Gu-seul expanded the mana on her fingers, aiming at the falling woman.

*Thud!*

“Whew.”

A dusty wind rose as the woman landed. As soon as the dirt haze cleared, they exchanged glances.

The woman narrowed her eyes at Gu-seul, who had her bow drawn.

Judging by her appearance, she was a warrior from the African nation—a country spanning an entire continent, yet most of its territory was rendered unusable due to the loss from the Gates. However, because battling monsters was a daily occurrence, their combat skills ranked among the best of all nations.

“Hey.”

Her words pierced coldly. As the woman exhaled a ragged breath, her enormous breasts quivered.

“Are you going to fight?”

“…?”

“I’m looking for someone right now. I’m not particularly eager to fight.”

Fortunately, Baobab’s words weren’t as belligerent as the rumors suggested.

It was odd that she, known as a berserker, would refuse a fight. Gu-seul’s eyes furrowed at this.

[Jiiing~!]

The surrounding cameras whirled through the air as if in a movie, capturing the scene between the two. Baobab intently gazed at Gu-seul’s face.

“You, you’re from L Academy, right? Do you know where Lee Si-heon is?”

A man’s name escaped her lips.

“…Lee Si-heon?”
“Lee Si-heon from L Academy. I think I’ve seen your face next to his. Do you know him?”

Of course, she knew.
He was also Gu-seul’s target.

Gu-seul tried to hide her anxiety with a trembling smile.

“Well, what if I do know him?”
“Tell me.”
“Hehe. Usually, you’d have to state your reason first. Why are you looking for him?”
“It’s a personal matter.”

She narrowed her eyes, seemingly irked by Gu-seul’s laughter.

Her relaxed posture belied the fact that she was continuously using magic to strengthen her body, yet her magical power showed no signs of waning.

Although she didn’t know the reason, was Baobab targeting Lee Si-heon as well? Gu-seul silently weighed the pros and cons in her mind.

Finding Lee Si-heon shouldn’t prove too challenging.

Initially, when teaming up was the basic premise, one could occasionally come across location-tracking artifacts to locate their own team.

Of course, as most dungeons open on the third day, it might be difficult to find any today, on the second day… but let’s see.

Having finished her calculations, Gu-seul smiled faintly.

“I don’t think I can tell you.”

Lee Si-heon’s elimination isn’t something Gu-seul would wish for. He needed to survive as long as possible.

“I’m taking the long way around.”

Baobab’s face hardened at Gu-seul’s words. A deep red mana enveloped both of his hands. He seemed slightly larger than before.

Could they win in a fight without liberation or artifacts? The nearby cameras prevented them from displaying their true abilities.

Gu-seul released the drawn bowstring while silently reciting a spell. Simultaneously, Baobab moved his body.

A clash between Flower and the national trees ensued.

A powerful tremor echoed through the forest.

* * * * * * *

– Thud, thud.

Marronnier struggled to catch her breath as she pushed her way through the dense woodland. The shock of the previous night’s events and the lingering afterglow of pleasure left her breathless and unsteady on her feet.

“I can’t do this…”

Over an hour had passed since she parted ways with Lee Si-heon.

Marronnier finally stopped and surveyed her surroundings. It seemed as if a significant conflict had occurred elsewhere, but fortunately, the camera hadn’t followed her.

She expanded her magical senses to search for any nearby presence. There appeared to be no one within a 100-meter radius.

Marronnier promptly sat down at the edge of the forest, leaning against a tree.

“…Sigh. Ugh…Oh.”

She slid her hand beneath her skirt, feeling the dampness of her undergarments. Her nether regions were soaked in a sticky fluid.

“I really hate this… It’s so annoying.”

For a moment, she used magic to dry her nether regions. Marronnier swept her fingers across that area, exhaling a dizzying breath.

That incident was still vivid in her mind.
Perhaps she would never forget it, even at the moment of her death.

The shock had been so great… She had even contemplated sitting next to him and asking if they could spend time together.

Sitting on a tree branch with her legs spread apart, she wiggled her toes. Her knee socks were torn and unusable, so she had removed them. Consequently, her slender, white legs and thighs were exposed.

Marronnier bit her arm to prevent any sounds from escaping.

As she engaged in the forbidden act, her body trembled with convulsive shudders.

‘It must be because it’s only been a day,’ she thought.

Marronnier remembered the words she had spoken then. As she looked back on the events of the previous day, she was filled with regret.

“…Blanche… I love it… I’ll do this… for the rest of my life…”

Aaaaaaaaaaaa! Damn it!

No matter how urgent the situation, one shouldn’t utter such words.
Lee Si-heon’s response was yet another spectacle.

“So, from today on, you are my tree. Do you understand?”
“Yes, hehe.”

He probably wouldn’t remember.

“Kyaa… Aaah!”

– Pit, pit.

She spat out water and began to dry it magically. Her head cleared up a bit. The lingering memories of that time were incredibly unpleasant, but it wasn’t difficult to shake them off in this refreshed state.

Acknowledge the reality.
He is the national tree.

He is a pillar of France, and as a growing tree, he could become the most powerful person. He couldn’t merely turn a blind eye to such matters.

Marronnier repeated this thought to himself several times in his mind.

– Cuckoo, cuckoo.

Although Blanche’s narrow, ticklish knot did not seem to agree.

– Rustle!

Then came the sound of rustling grass.

“…Eek!”

Startled, Marronnier fumbled as she pulled up her pristine white panties.

She had indulged for far too long. Using her magical power, Marronnier hastily got dressed in a flash. As she hiccuped and gazed at the dense foliage, a charming red-haired woman emerged from within.

“A lewd scent!”

The peculiar woman appeared with leaves entwined in her hair. Marronnier, taken aback, instinctively covered her breasts with her arms.

Her cheeks flushed with arousal.

“…What? You’re not a man.”

The red-haired woman, Aori, puffed out her cheeks in disappointment.

“I was sure it was him.”
“What, who are you?”

For no apparent reason, she had shouted about a lewd scent. And now, she suddenly seemed disappointed with herself. Marronnier focused her magical energy into her hand.

No matter how disoriented, she was still capable of doing this much.

Wouldn’t it be better if he trembled with fear and pleasure, as in a dungeon? Marronnier can use magic even if an arm were to fall off.

Upon seeing Marronnier’s magical power, Aori stealthily made her way into the thicket of grass.

It seemed she had no intention of fighting.
Marronnier didn’t want to expend any more magical energy than necessary.

*Swish.*

Aori appeared once more.
However, this time there were two of her.

“…”
“…”
“…”

Marronnier, Aori, Tae-yang.

For some reason, the way they looked at him was peculiar. Marronnier covertly activated his own ability and read their thoughts.

And soon, fragmentary scenes unfolded in his mind.
Although the sound didn’t reverberate as vividly as before, their imaginations spread out like scenes on a muted TV screen.

What unfolded in their minds was a chaotic, lewd encounter between men and women.

Of course, Marronnier wasn’t present in these scenes.

He was just a young man filled with lascivious thoughts.

‘……’

Marronnier’s face flushed as she composed herself.

‘Why, why are all the people I meet like this…?’

Could it be that all commoners have such lewd thoughts as their foundation?
Was I the only abnormal one?
Do they all engage in such sexual acts on a daily basis?

They seem Korean. The commoners of that country are strange.
I met three people, and all three were like that.

-Shivering-

Ordinarily, she would have let it slide, but her body began to tremble.
It felt less like a result of her disposition and more like the trauma she had experienced that day resurfacing.

It was a strange sensation.

As the ecstasy of pleasure was etched into her, she simultaneously felt fear.

Marronnier reflected inwardly.
A large, elongated something emerging from the heads of the man and woman. In her imagination, she saw a baguette – a warm, soft baguette, fresh from the oven.
With that thought, she managed to suppress her lewd musings.

…Nonetheless, it seemed smaller than his.
That must have been too big.

‘Ah, foolish. What am I thinking?’

-Crackling!

A rough surge of electricity shot from Marronnier’s hand.

“Eek!”

Startled, Aori and Tae-yang scurried away like rats. Marronnier sighed and slumped down where she stood.

“Kiss (Bijou). I can’t move anymore.”

As the golem rose from the ground, it hoisted Marronnier onto its shoulder. Her soft, slightly reddened buttocks, marked by a faint handprint, rested on the golem’s shoulder. She felt a bit more comfortable now.

At that moment, Aori and Tae-yang.

“Are you crazy? No matter the reason, how could you bring me to a place with a national tree?”
“But it had a familiar scent.”
“What familiar scent?”

The scent of semen. Even the aroma of pickled semen. No matter how skillfully it was dealt with using magic, it was impossible not to notice. Being a descendant of King Mokryeong, he couldn’t help but be aware, even if he didn’t want to be. Aori was about to say this but closed her mouth. There were times when she didn’t want to reveal a woman’s secret.

“We’ll meet soon enough, though.”

The man was drawing nearer. Aori clenched her fists tightly.

“What will we do when we meet? I’ve told you, we can’t have sex here!”

Tae-yang maintained a pessimistic attitude, but Aori pursed her lips in defiance.

“Well, take me to a dungeon then.”

“What? You want me to ravish you inside a dungeon?”

Tae-yang was at a loss for words as he tried to counter, but soon he rested his chin on his hand, pondering seriously.

“…Are you a genius?”

It was a surprisingly good strategy.

* * * * * * * * *

Racing towards where Sansuyu is, the distance seems quite substantial. It would take a full three days of running to traverse this dungeon in a single direction. If I made a mistake, I might not see her for days on end.

‘Even so, she’s not someone incapable of taking care of herself.’

Though not at the national level, she holds the second seat in the El Academy. As one of the top talents in a prestigious academy, she could hardly be defeated. There’s no need for concern. The only worry might be whether the breast milk jar would burst. That, too, was a significant issue.

‘I need to meet Sansuyu soon and build a house.’

A tent with blind spots that cameras cannot capture. Within it, one could alleviate Sansuyu’s pain without any worries. Healing her with the power of compassion, as well.

‘She’s like a troublesome cousin when I’m beside her.’

Suddenly asked to take care of her, I thought I could just watch a few episodes on TV. In the end, my hands were quite full.

I wonder if he’s doing well by now.
There’s no use worrying about family.

*Rustle!*

At that moment, someone triggered the detection of magical energy.

I stopped running and observed the presence of someone standing still nearby in the forest. There were two of them. Not two humans, but one human and one magical beast. It seemed as if they were caught in a confrontation, with the human at a disadvantage.

I made my way through the woods toward the scene.

Before long, I found the person who was on the brink of being overpowered by a wolf. They had long, black hair and a face wrought with terror. Their expression was gentle, somehow evoking a sense of injustice.

*Pant, pant.*

They appeared to be a mage, but exhaustion was evident. Their reservoir of magical power seemed utterly depleted. The woman, engaged in a standoff with the wolf, spotted me and cried out in desperation.

“Ah! Please, help me!”

Asking for help, even though we were in the midst of a fierce competition, I steeled my resolve.

Judging by the backpack he was carrying, it seemed he had successfully cleared a dungeon. With a bit of luck, he might even acquire an artifact. Coincidentally, it was also mealtime.

I generated electricity using my hands, without even needing to wield a staff. At that moment, the name of the peculiar female wooden figure caught my eye.

[Dog Cherry Tree]

This, too, was a strange name.