Chapter 236 – Striking the Mark (2)

What a peculiar bunch.

“So, you’re saying if you try it once, you won’t forget it?”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at Tae-yang, who was giving a passionate speech. Sure, I can understand nailing it to a tree. I can even concede that a hundred times. I too did such a thing out of sheer curiosity, so I know I don’t have any room to talk.

But enjoying it is a whole different matter. What’s there to like about nailing it to a tree? It’s not like I’m desperate for sexual relief.

“Let’s put that topic aside for now.”
“Ah, brother. I can’t let this go. Aori, please teach me quickly.”

What is she going to teach?

Aori, with her legs spread in an M-shape amid the soft grass, reached for her waistband to lower her underwear.

“I can do it right away. I can make it as similar to Ong as possible. I’ll make your roots tingle.”

Aori extended her insidious hand toward me. I pulled my body back before it could reach my knee.

Using her index finger and thumb, she flicked her own forehead.

*Snap!*

Aori’s forehead recoiled backward, following the path of the sun.

“Ouch…”
“Don’t touch me. I belong to someone.”
“Okay.”

She mumbled while holding her forehead. It was futile to expect common sense from them.

I wondered if King Mokryeong, who seemed to rule the world, was actually nothing more than a crude pervert. Whether it was the scoundrel who inherited his power or his descendants, they all seemed to have a screw loose in their heads.

“Brother. But I can’t yield on this. To use the king’s power properly, there’s no choice but to consume the essence.”
“Stop using that expression about eating the essence.”

Tae-yang seriously pondered.

“Then, how about grafting, like a noble?”

I felt dizzy.
Yes, that wouldn’t sound strange in this world.

I knew from experience that when I was involved with either Byeol or Se-Young, we would make risqué jokes metaphorically related to trees.

“Isn’t it strange that knots are considered the genitals of trees in the first place?”

The two tilt their heads at my obvious question, asking what I mean.

“What are you talking about? It’s a well-known fact, even if you search through all the books in the world.”
“Then all the trees would be standing on the streets, displaying their genitals?”
“Well, most trees do that. But the noble ones wear underwear.”
“Shouldn’t flowers or, at the very least, leaves be considered the genitals instead?”

In response, Aori tapped my knee.

“Flowers represent women in this case.”
“What?”

Aori places her hand on her chest.

“Nipples.”

Tree… nipples?

– Throbbing!

Can I really hang out with these two?

“Did you not even know how to properly caress?”

“As if I would go around consuming trees.”

I knew that grafting was one method of growing stronger, but I had never had the opportunity with a tree. Recently, there was Baekyang, but it was impossible since he was an avatar.

I feel a sense of self-reproach. Let’s return to the story.

Regardless of trees or anything else, I have no experience, so I’m stuck in place. If there comes a time when our bodies intertwine, it wouldn’t be strange to hear about it then.

“…So you all knew how I came to be here?”
“I didn’t expect to see you in the forest guardian selection trials. Aori’s intuition led us here for some reason.”
“You knew King Mokryeong would appear?”
“Yes.”

Tae-yang dusted the dirt from his hair and explained to me.

“At this time, King Mokryeong is bound to appear. Those in the know are aware of this. Flower, too. The World Tree as well.”

Is there some other way to know this? Even if I ask, these two probably wouldn’t know.

I was aware that I had inherited King Mokryeong’s power from Baekyang’s words, but in truth, my power had not been that of King Mokryeong from the beginning. The origin was the protection of Saekmok. If that power served as the foundation for King Mokryeong’s, then there was nothing more to say.

‘Do they not realize that I’m approaching, even as time is being manipulated?’

Indeed, Flower had made an attempt to get close to me. Lee Seong-Han, Azalea’s adoptive father, had suggested it to me. No matter how much I try to hide it, there are those who know my true identity somewhere.

“Brother,” Tae-yang asked me.

“Just to clarify, to what extent do you know about that power?”

King Mokryeong’s power.

Merging it with the World Tree allows one to steal its abilities. It is a capability I came to understand through my experiences with the World Tree of Healing.

And through the skills of a tree planter, one gains strength by engaging in sexual intercourse with a tree being. Naturally, each tree being possesses unique characteristics, and sometimes, in instances where a tree being has dense blood like a national tree, one can acquire abilities.

Climax. When it reaches an intensely overwhelming climax, it emits fruits. Consuming these fruits aids in the enhancement of one’s talents and abilities.

Upon explaining this, Tae-yang nodded his head.

“I only know the basics.”
“Is there anything else?”
“There are many, but it seems pointless for me to explain the trivial aspects. What’s most useful for you at the moment is subjugation.”

Subjugation.
Placing others under one’s control.

“Just hearing the name makes me quite reluctant.”
“Have you ever been betrayed?”

At the sudden question, I thought it over. If a negative conclusion to human relationships is considered betrayal, then I’ve experienced it a few times. If the actions my father committed were betrayals, then they would be betrayals.

If we broaden the meaning, that would be the case, but I have not yet experienced someone literally stabbing me in the back.

“Trustworthy people are difficult to keep by your side. In such cases, continuously… Simply be mindful when forming relationships.”

“A ritual?”
“You are mine. It’s abstract, so you might not understand it well. As you use it, you’ll get a sense of how it works. You may be hesitant at first, but… there’s no power better than that.”

Tae-yang’s voice was quite serious.

“It’s difficult to think that people around you will always be on your side.”
“…”
“Even if they are on your side, they don’t act the way you expect them to.”

It was an ability that might come in handy someday. After hearing Tae-yang’s words, I decided to only consider it that far.

‘Domination.’

I had experienced that sensation a few days ago when I was trapped in a dungeon with Marronier. In fact, my memory of that time is hazy. I don’t even know how I ended up in a relationship with her. But I couldn’t forget the completely different feeling compared to when I was in the dormitory or in relationships with my lovers.

If the strange urge I felt back then was part of that ability, it seemed that I could use it directly with my own hands.

“There are many people targeting you.”

I know.

“It would be wise to have an ace up your sleeve that can be used at any time.”

That was Tae-yang’s advice. I am well aware that those opposing me now are beyond my wildest imagination. The Flower or the World Tree. Although my allies aren’t weak in comparison, their numbers are significantly fewer. Moreover, each one of them is so precious that I wouldn’t want them involved in my battles.

Is it right, then, to forcefully enlist countless people into my service? I’ll have to ponder that further.

“Hey.”
“Yes?”
“I’m asking out of curiosity, but could someone who has slept with me show me kindness for no apparent reason?”

Tae-yang’s expression grew stern.

“Well, I’m not sure… However, feeling an affinity with someone just because you’ve been intimate isn’t a notion exclusive to King Mokryeong, is it?”
“Is that so?”

“Yes, there’s a reason the term ‘Ddeokjeong’ exists. Simply forming a connection with someone implies a strong bond, sharing a certain level with that person. But why do you ask?”

I was just curious.
I had been pondering it for quite some time and thought that Tae-yang, who knew King Mokryeong well, might have some insights.

“As long as you don’t use that particular ability, it’s simply a matter of sharing love.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Oh, is a one-night stand different?”

In a broader sense, a one-night stand is still an instance of love-sharing.
It’s a way to quickly dispel each other’s loneliness and move on.
Or perhaps it’s a sharing of pleasure.

“It seems you’re not quite used to it, considering you didn’t even partake in the tree.”
“No one would be familiar with it, except for you.”
“It’s surprisingly a mainstream preference.”

I didn’t want to know.

Aori held the floral base with both hands while listening to our conversation.
Tae-yang glanced at Aori and sighed.

“Anyway… It would be better to discover King Mokryeong’s other abilities firsthand. Since he is the successor, he might possess abilities different from those of the ancient King Mokryeong.”
“The questions aren’t over yet.”

I know who King Mokryeong is.
I understand the magnitude of his power and have grasped the nature of his ability to subjugate.
I must encounter more trees in the future.
The mere thought disgusts me, but I comprehend the necessity.
I’m vaguely aware that it’s the only way for me to survive.

“Why am I King Mokryeong’s heir?”

Tae-yang promptly shook his head.

“Perhaps you were the most suitable candidate for wielding that power.”

Despite being from another world, I became the successor.
I couldn’t refute it, as there were beings who traversed dimensions.

I straightened my back and let out a sigh.

“What will you two do now?”
“Well, we must assist you, brother.”
“Meeting someone you’ve never seen before like this, and you’re going to help? Aori, you really are something.”

Aori grinned.

“It’s alright.”
“Yes, he’s abnormal, so I understand.”
“…You talk too much.”

Tae-yang shrugged his shoulders. He grabbed Aori by the top of her head, spinning it around as he spoke.

“Aori has been waiting for King Mokryeong since birth. As for me, I’ve only been waiting for you since being sold at the slave market. There’s nothing I can do but help.”
“You guys should live your lives. You’re not without abilities, right? Good enough to be selected as a forest keeper.”
“No status, and if caught, death awaits. It would be a hundred times better to die helping you.”
“We’re meeting for the first time today. It’s because I don’t understand.”

Tae-yang chuckled.

“Ha, that just means you’re not yet aware of King Mokryeong’s value.”
“Are you asking me to write anything?”

Tae-yang cautiously leaned back in response to my gaze.

“Uh… but between men…”

– Wham!

Tae-yang, struck hard on the head, flew backward.

“Ugh! Can’t one even joke? A joke!”
“You two offered to sacrifice yourselves.”
“Yes, brother. What can’t we do if we’re fed cup noodles three times a day?”

He speaks in a servile manner, rather than being insolent.
Gently rubbing his forehead, Tae-yang rose from his seat.
As he gestured with his eyes, Aori also stood up and took her place in front of me.

Those who have prepared themselves to aid King Mokryeong in his birth.
It is impossible for me to understand their thoughts or values.

They quirked their lips up in front of me, appearing both proud and ridiculous.

Two deviants who love trees.

“Now let’s hear your story, brother. How did you become the successor… and why have you come so far?”

Was it not a lie when they said they’d be useful tools?
For a moment, I wondered if they had some hidden agenda.

“There’s still much to teach you, brother.”
“Mm-hm.”

However, the personalities of these two are so exasperating that any lingering doubts simply vanish.

I slowly began to tell my story.