Chapter 252 – Please Don’t

Inside a room with the lights on.

– Swish.

He swept back his snow-white hair and, similarly, flipped the pages of the book he held with both hands. His mind was restless, making it impossible for him to fall asleep.

His body, still reeling from the aftermath of the battle, felt the urgent need to exchange blows with a worthy opponent.

‘Endure. Bear with it.’

Causing a commotion here would do him no good. He still had numerous adversaries and many more fights ahead. For the sake of the future, he was someone who could always be patient.

‘However…’

Plum pondered as he turned the pages of the book.

‘Back then, that fellow.’

The black-haired man wearing a mask. He had managed to stand against Plum, skillfully alternating between sword, fists, and magic.

No matter how many opponents there were, Plum had assessed that he had a good chance of victory. What had he misjudged?

“Hmm.”

By an unknown force, he experienced the humiliation of his body sinking into the ground.

Alternating between questions and her own answers, the only thought that entered her mind was that she had to try to connect once more.

– Swish.

With a smile, Maehwa turned the pages of the book. There, among the photographs of El Academy cadets arranged in sequence, she found the face of a man wearing a mask.

“Lee Si-heon.”

The name of the man from that time.

Recalling this, Maehwa smiled.

Because there were still many battles left to fight.

* * * * * * * * *

“Wow, what a mess.”

Curses involuntarily escaped her lips.

“To think they’re still fighting and sitting down upon returning.”

It wasn’t even that white-haired madman she had seen back then.

I don’t dislike the thrill of battle and the euphoria of victory. In fact, I tend to enjoy it more than most people do.
If someone were to approach me right now and challenge me to a duel, I would readily accept without hesitation.

However, at this moment, all I want is to rest.

Sleeping on a dirt floor might be refreshing for a day or two, but now I desperately crave the softness of a bed.

“No matter how much you enjoy camping, there’s nothing better than a bed at home, don’t you think?”

As I tightened my grip on the arm that was choking him, Baobab’s body trembled violently.

“Ha… ha…”

My entire body is drenched in sweat.
It’s only natural, considering how intensely we fought. Thankfully, the miscellaneous items in the room remain unscathed.

Twister.

A technique that involves securing the back position, anchoring the legs, and then twisting the neck in the opposite direction to simultaneously manipulate both the cervical and spinal vertebrae.
I made some slight modifications to the move.
Given Baobab’s highly specialized physique for combat, I had to push him much further than most people.

He wrenches Bao’s body so violently that an onlooker might fear his spine would snap.

There was a reason why Bao didn’t writhe to climax now.

With just a bit rougher movement, the man would become half-paralyzed.

*Thud, thud.*

Sweat beads on his arm. The skin, unlike muscle, is soft, and due to the nature of the grappling technique that clings to the opponent, various parts are bound to make contact.

It was also true that there was no opportunity to pay attention to the sensation of the chest or abdomen.

“You, if you escape from here for real—”
“What if I do?”

Bao flounders, but there’s no chance he’ll break free.

“You’ll die, you know.”
“Then let’s stay like this.”

Bao is also conserving his power. If he used his abilities, he’d be easily freed. When it’s truly time to die, he’ll use his power of his own accord. In that sense, as he applies more force, Bao’s body contorts, and the sound of bones creaking is heard.

*Creak.*

“I’m going to win.”

Could this be considered cheating?

Even with his vision clouded, Baobab restrained himself from using his full strength. Perhaps he was a fiercely committed combatant, one who never breaks promises made to others. Keeping in mind the African custom that considers fights sacred and unbreakable promises, Baobab seemed to follow suit.

– Aaaahhh!

As I exerted more force, Baobab’s body convulsed with increasing intensity. Gradually, his breathing grew ragged, as if he found it difficult to withstand the pain without his own power.

Swaying.

His chest trembled.

“Isn’t it time to give up?”
“Shut up…”

– Kwaaaak!

“Stop, just stop.”

Even though Baobab’s body was larger and better developed compared to women, it was still vastly different from mine.

Even if our raw strength was similar. The difference in weight class was evident. If I pressed down on him with my body and employed my techniques, he wouldn’t stand much of a chance.

‘I don’t understand why I have to be doing this on the floor.’

There’s no advantage for either of us in maintaining this stalemate for 40 minutes.
The body contorts to a perilous extent.

-Aaaaaagh!

Only then, feeling his life threatened, does Baobab cease flailing and grasp my arm with his hand.
Overwhelmed by pain, he clamps his mouth shut, unable to speak.

His gesture is utterly devoid of strength.

“…I yield.”

I’ve lost. All it would take is one sign of surrender, but he endures with malice and sheer force of will. His resilience is, admittedly, impressive.

‘No choice then.’

I press on Baobab’s neck, rendering him unconscious.

It doesn’t take long for his once rigid body, like that of a log, to become pliant as the tension dissipates.

-Thud.

Baobab’s hand falls limply.
I release him and sit on the bed, wiping away my sweat.

‘It seems he truly has lost his mind.’

I sigh, gazing at the unconscious man with closed eyes.

As I wiped my face with a towel, I detected a fragrance at the tip of my nose. The room was filled with the unique floral scent characteristic of Mokin. The smell of breast milk, the aroma of baobab flowers. I felt disoriented. When would my room regain its original scent?

I decided to take a shower first.

After quickly washing away my sweat and fetching a glass of cool water, I returned to the room to find Baobab still lying on the floor. Assuming she was unconscious, I carelessly undressed and changed my clothes. As I gently tapped her exposed stomach with my foot, she opened her eyes.

“…”

As soon as she lifted her eyelids, she fixed her gaze on my face.

“…Lee Si-heon!”

Her eyes rolled back as she sprang up, poised to attack.

-Clatter.

However, she lost her balance and immediately fell back down. Having just regained consciousness, it was no surprise she couldn’t stand up so quickly.

I took a sip from the mug of water and placed the cup on the bedside table.

“Did I win?”

Looking at the fallen Baobab, I said with a smirk.

“…No.”

Baobab immediately denied it.

“I didn’t lose.”
“You passed out first.”
“I wasn’t ready, that’s why.”

His wide-open golden eyes shone as if they would devour me.

It’s laughable. If it’s a matter of winning or losing, it’s obvious that anyone would side with me in this case. Insisting on the obvious is just pathetic.

Baobab must have known this himself, as he clenched his teeth tightly, and soon after, a timid voice emerged.

“If we fight again… I won’t lose.”
“Is that so?”
“Damn it. Today, I lost. Are you satisfied now?”
“That’s only natural. I won. Don’t I deserve something?”

As the conversation progressed, I embraced the pillow on the bed and gestured with my chin. The pillow is soft and feels good.

Since he holds fighting in high regard, maybe if I coax him skillfully, he’ll listen to reason.

“Why should I grant you anything?”

“Because I lost.”
“…Not yet, I haven’t lost. If we fight again, can we win?”
“Can we win by fighting under the same conditions?”
“Of course.”

Looking at White Peach again, her pride seemed bottomless.
Her stubborn stance was almost comical, making me burst out laughing.

“Alright, if that’s what you think, who am I to argue? But, let’s set that aside. I won today, so allow me to ask you something. Why are you trying to find that man?”

I spoke quickly, not giving her a chance to respond.

Baobab seemed to ponder for a while, then slowly opened his mouth and revealed his answer.

“Do you really want me to tell you?”
“Yes.”

He ran his hand through his own flesh.

With a sigh reminiscent of a lonely elder who has lived alone all her life, she murmured.

“I just can’t stand it. My brother left our home.”

An honest answer, with no trace of lies.

“Is that all?”

“Then what more do I need? When I leave home, I become incredibly busy and burdened with pointless duties.”
“Is there anything else?”

Just that? You tried to threaten me with that?

“…Sigh.”

There is something else. Bao touched his forehead, a curse teetering on the edge of his lips.

“Do you know what he said as he left? He won’t return until he’s fought Hyperion.”
“Hyperion?”
“It’s a tree mentioned in legends… But there’s no way something like that could actually exist. That fool is serious.”

Hyperion.

It’s a name I’ve heard before. Come to think of it, the gem embedded in the mask I’ve been wearing was called Hyperion’s Jewel. It was originally a ring, but it transformed after The World Tree of Purity meddled with it.

Is Hyperion considered a mythical figure in this place?

“I’ve told you everything. Are you satisfied?”

The moment he finishes speaking, he shoots me a glare as if possessed.

After carefully considering the situation, I formed a hypothesis about Bao’s thoughts.

“So, you’re going to search for him because you’re worried about your brother?”
“What nonsense are you spouting? Haven’t you been paying attention to what I’ve said?”

Bao’s face contorted into a scowl. The translator’s performance was impressive.

“It doesn’t matter where that scumbag goes or if he dies. But damn it, I must exact retribution for being made a national laughingstock.”

Despite his words, the underlying sentiment seemed to carry more weight.
Both scenarios likely held some truth. Otherwise, there was no way a crazed woman would suddenly appear and start pounding the wall for no reason.

‘Still, it doesn’t seem to be related to Flower.’

The guy trying to find his older brother.

I understood his predicament. It was certainly frustrating to suddenly become a national joke. However, wasn’t it a bit much to impulsively start swinging fists?

“I get the situation now.”
“Are you going to tell me?”
“No? Why should I?”

Bao’s hopeful question was utterly crushed.

I can’t tell you; it’s too shameful. Even if I were to tell you, you wouldn’t be able to follow anyway.

I cast a final glance towards Bao.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you leaving?”
“……”

Bao rose from his seat, wobbled a bit, and managed to steady himself. Then, he stood by the door and glared at me.

“…I’ll remember this.”

Whether he remembered or not.

I fiddled with my phone, which I hadn’t used in a long time. Once Bao left, I planned to contact a few people who had been waiting for my ordeal to end.

Bao glared at me for a while, then slammed the door shut and left the room.

* * * * * * * * * *

[Hey, are you going to bring it quickly?]

“Sorry.”

The second trial in the selection of forest guardians:

The Choice of Leaves.

Simple, yet difficult. That is the crux of the matter. Several venerable trees, potential World Trees, are brought forth, and if they grant permission, one becomes eligible for the next trial.

In other words, the trees have the power to determine the continued participation or elimination of the contenders and trainees.

[Ah, really, this is why humans are no good~ The thing I hate the most in the world is humans.]

The human executive furrowed his brow ever so slightly.

In a room slightly larger than 10 pyeong, a mature tree, born in an environment best suited for the survival of its kind, was present. Affectionately called ‘Mary,’ she spoke with a more relaxed tone after seeing the wooden person beside the human.

[Well, the wooden person… at least they are tolerable. The water today wasn’t too bad. Next time, I hope you bring plenty of expensive fertilizer as well~♪]

“Um, Mary?”

[What is it?]

“The task you’ll be handling this time…”

At the man’s words, Mary chuckled.

[Ah, I know that. Just provide a suitable trial… If they meet my standards, they pass; if not, send them away, right?]

“Correct.”

[Don’t worry~ I’ll become the World Tree before long. I’m more than capable of fulfilling that role. Or are you belittling me?]

“Not at all.”

[Alright~ Go ahead. Let me see the ones I’ll be judging…]

The man presented two photographs.
Upon seeing the two faces depicted in the images, Mary smiled.

[Lim Jong-hyun, Lee Si-heon…]

Mary offered a smile as she looked at Lim Jong-hyun. Then, as she glanced at the picture beside it, she suddenly shook her leaves.

[…A human?]

Inferior species.
Tree supremacy.

Upon recognizing the true nature of the subject, Mary unfurled her branches wide.

[Hey, you two. Why am I judging someone like this… Wait a moment.]

The sight of the inferior species desperately trying to earn points.

Upon reflection, this could be somewhat entertaining.

[…Very well, proceed in this manner.]

“Is that truly acceptable?”

Mary rustled her own leaves with a voice that seemed to titter with laughter.

[A fascinating notion has come to mind.]