Chapter 272 – Twist the Tree (13)

Just a day remaining until the end of the second trial.

With the World Tree of Healing taking charge of my trial, I managed to pass the second challenge. It might have been an anticlimactic conclusion, but it was good for me. At least I wouldn’t have to see Mary, who was utterly captivated by the tree’s supremacy.

*Slurp.*

7 a.m.

The taste of pasta for breakfast. Despite the thick, gooey cheese being somewhat heavy, it was perfect for lifting my spirits. Lately, I hadn’t been feeling hungry in the mornings. Perhaps it was because I hadn’t slept in Cornus’s room. Even so, I managed to eat quite a bit.

‘It’s a good life.’

As long as I was certain to pass, I was as good as free.

Having eaten, my plan for the day was to receive some therapy from Cornus in the morning. Then, I would attend a meeting and explore the area during lunchtime to see if there were any suspicious individuals around. In the evening, we could all go out for a relaxed meal together.

The time in between was just right for taking Marronnier to visit the World Tree of Healing.

“Being too relaxed can make you uneasy, actually.”

I set down the fork I had been using to twirl my pasta.

Something was missing.
The one who always barged into my daily life, creating chaos before leaving.
A woman who would raise her fists at any opportunity, boasting that she’d win next time, but in reality, she was all talk and always ended up getting beaten, unable to muster any real strength. With her absence, I felt a void in my chest.
She ought to be confidently challenging me to a fight by now.
Could it be that her second trial isn’t going well?

“Hey.”
“What?”

I looked at Bao, who was tearing into meat in front of me.
Sansuyu usually woke up around 10 in the morning, and both Tae-yang and Aori tended to sleep in, so I had come to the restaurant alone for breakfast and happened to run into him.
We had been acquainted for a while, and since we were comfortable with each other, we sat together.

“So, when are we going to fight?”
“I don’t know.”

Bao voraciously chewed his steak even in the early morning.
Juices splattered all over the tablecloth as he tore into it.
Moreover, he savored each bite so deliciously that it stirred one’s appetite just watching him.

“Ah, *smack smack*.”

All of that was fuel for his muscles.
As his power allowed him to grow in size, it seemed natural that the amount of food he consumed would increase as well. The variety of dishes he had devoured since morning had already surpassed ten.

*Gulp*. Bao, having swallowed his food, provoked me.

“Why, do you want to fight?”
“No, I’d prefer not to.”

I imagined I wouldn’t be in a particularly good mood if he suddenly challenged me in the midst of my busy schedule. At the moment, it seemed like an opportune time, and I thought a quick confrontation would be manageable.

“I don’t want to.”
“You insolent wench.”
“Go to hell. We didn’t set a specific time, did we? It’s my decision. I’m not ready yet.”

So, with this being our last chance, we would only engage in a certain battle. I picked up a cherry tomato and popped it into my mouth, a twisted smirk on my face.

“Do you only eat that for breakfast? No wonder, Asians. You should eat more meat.”
“I eat so much, yet I still can’t beat you. Why bother eating?”

Bao’s forehead twitched, provoked by the comment.

“Ha, I won’t lose this time. I’ll be thoroughly prepared.”
“As time goes by, you’re the one who will be at a disadvantage.”
“You always pick the funniest things to say.”

To Bao, it might seem like a joke, but there’s not a trace of humor in the seriousness. It’s best to confront the situation as quickly as possible to find an advantage. The potential is certainly there, but pure abilities increase with each battle against the Arbor Catalog, particularly National Trees, or by defeating Flower’s famous executives.

If a challenge presents itself later, that’s fine too. Just pick the fights when desired. If it’s too much to handle, simply refuse from that position.

With an empty dish in hand, I stood up.

“I’m leaving.”
“Alright.”

Nonchalant. After observing Bao, who couldn’t take his eyes off the plate, I cleared away the tableware.

Inside the dining hall, early risers and cadets were having their meals. Among them, Marronnier could be seen sitting alone and grumbling. From a distance, I observed him, and as our eyes met, he looked startled, his eyes widening before he lowered his gaze, seemingly unable to bear the weight of my stare. The more I looked at him, the more he resembled a kitten.

It was about time for his subjugation to end. Tae-yang had said that Gukmok’s mental fortitude was far from weak, so he should be released soon.

I wished for a swift resolution.

“Let’s go back to our room.”

Today, I only needed to contact Azalea. The others had told me not to contact them, as they all had work. We were all far too busy, even Azalea, who had been contacted, had to forcibly make time for company work, cadet training, and studying spiritual arts.

I took the escalator to the upper floor. The hotel’s layout had become familiar by now. Arriving on the floor where my accommodations were, I entered the hallway.

“Who is that?”

“What’s this?”
“A tree?”

An inexplicable air of confusion hung in the atmosphere. A perplexing crowd had gathered in front of my room.

‘What’s happening?’

Had the students started another quarrel among themselves? I had heard rumors that some students, feeling a sense of rivalry about the academy’s rankings, often incited disputes.

In such cases, the matter is usually resolved quietly in the management office, or it ends with a notice of elimination. But from the commotion, it didn’t seem like that was the case this time.

To enter my room, I had to make my way through the crowd, so I had no choice but to squeeze myself in.

“My apologies.”

I offered a small apology while navigating through the throng of people. What on earth was going on to make people gather like this?

As I moved, filled with curiosity, I noticed that the crowd had formed a semicircle around my door, oddly enough.

What in the world? As I took a step forward, I felt the crunch of soil beneath my foot.

From my limited view above the door, I couldn’t discern anything noteworthy. As I moved closer, finally able to see the entire doorway, I discovered a girl standing in front of it.

The girl was only slightly taller than the doorknob, with a petite face. Her hair was a mix of pink and red hues, with branches sprouting here and there around it, reminiscent of our daughter Shiba. Just above her ears, on the sides of her head, red petals in the shape of a cross took their place.

Her hair twisted into a drill-like shape, adorned with tiny petals and leaves that seemed to bloom between the strands. She wore a plain white dress, which left her thighs, legs, and bare feet exposed as she stood on the tiles before my door.

Dirt clung to the girl’s body, and beneath her white dress dangled brown sticks, presumably tree roots.

She stared at the door with a worried expression on her face, not uttering a single word.

It seems as if she’s waiting for something.

I have no idea why that girl is standing in front of my door.
One would need to have encountered someone like her before to understand. Why on earth is she barging into my room?

I discreetly turned my head and asked the student next to me.

“Excuse me.”
“Yes?”
“What’s going on?”
“Well, that… I’m not really sure either. About five minutes ago, someone started pounding on the door, screaming for us to come out.”

It appears she’s one of the trees from the basement.

“Can a tree take on a human form?”
“Some trees can.”

Depending on their constitution and abilities, about 50% of the long-standing trees in this place are capable of doing so. However, materialization is both difficult and energy-consuming, so they generally don’t.

At that moment, the girl whined and gripped the doorknob, twisting it with effort. She strained to utter a voice filled with anxiety.

“…Come out.”

Upon hearing the girl’s words for the first time, I finally understood who he truly was. The voice was all too familiar to me.

For weeks, he had incessantly beckoned me, preventing me from sleeping. My former guardian tree, who would call only at odd hours like 1 AM, 3 AM, and 5 AM and then get angry when I was a little late. Recently, he hadn’t been reaching out, and I thought he had forgotten me. But now, he had returned.

At first glance, I believed him to be a member of the first generation of wooden beings, like Shiba, who could effortlessly shift between the forms of a tree and a human. However, upon closer inspection, I noticed his appearance was much more tree-like than Shiba. From the branches, leaves, and flowers adorning his head to the bark-like skin that covered his entire body.

“…Come out.”

My body stiffened at the sound of Mary’s insistent voice.

“Why aren’t you coming out?”

The melancholic tone in her voice was unusual, alerting the attention of those nearby.

Shouldn’t someone be called?
Whispers like these spread increasingly. Some people had already left to fetch others.
If the disturbance had grown this much, people would surely come. Regardless of how much blame is placed, once matters escalate to this extent, even Mary cannot avoid being warned.

“…”

Thud, thud.

Mary, who had knocked vigorously upon the door, now merely caresses it faintly.

‘…No, not there.’

Nobody was there.
Ordinarily, if someone doesn’t answer, it’s assumed they’re not there. Who would expect no reaction at all?
From that perspective, Mary’s condition was far from normal.
She seemed to be in a much deeper state of agony than I had anticipated.

What should I do?
I pondered for a moment.
At this point, meeting Mary would be nothing but a nuisance to me.
Even if I were to meet the person who, almost three or four times a day, proclaimed that humanity should go extinct, I doubt I’d hear anything pleasant.

Although the situation seemed quite dire… I had already passed the trial.

It would have been better for me to discreetly slip away, to end things on a good note without any embarrassment.

After all, it was Mary. That thought took precedence.

I quietly slid my foot back.

“…I’m sorry.”

I halted at the sound of her voice.

What had Mary just mumbled?

“I said I’m sorry. It’s fine now… Is it really that awful to see my face?”

She emphasized it twice, ensuring there was no confusion. In a voice completely different from the Mary I knew, almost crawling. She stroked the door, evidently very anxious about the surrounding commotion.

Why on earth was she acting like this? I already knew there were many shortcomings in Mary’s personality. In a way, I had prompted this situation.

‘But this… I never thought it would be this severe.’

Perhaps Mary had been treated far worse than usual. Or maybe she had been consumed by an overwhelming sense of inferiority, unable to even rationalize her own actions. In either case, the situation would make sense. She could have approached me out of sheer desperation.

Regardless of the reason, this was not the Mary I had imagined. I wondered what kind of emotional change she had undergone. The very person who had once declared that humans were no better than garbage or beasts had come to apologize.

I discreetly removed my mask. Although I told myself it was best to ignore Mary, it was amusing how my heart softened upon seeing her again after only a few days.

Once more, I made my way through the bustling crowd.

“Mary?”

Startled by my voice, Mary quickly turned her head. When our eyes first met, her large pupils were as dull as the ash-colored sky, heavy with dust.

Yet as more time passed…

Mary observed my flustered face and the expression intermingled with a faint smile, and gradually, a glimmer of light entered her eyes.
I am unsure if she discovered a sliver of hope.
In truth, I have little idea what it is she wishes to say to me.

“Hey…”

Mary choked up.

“…Why, why didn’t you come? Why.”

It was the moment when Mary’s emotions, previously unknown to me, erupted in an instant.