Chapter 303 – The Master’s Cruelty (1)

A heavy pressure bears down on my shoulders.

I can’t help but feel that attacking this place was a hasty decision. Even though my skills have improved, this is the headquarters of the Flower. I had forgotten the possibility of encountering an executive here.

With so many places to breach, I had assumed this location was similar to Lee Seong-Han, on the fringes and connected to an uncontrollable pseudo-religion.

‘I never thought I’d come face-to-face with an executive here.’

The thought of fleeing crosses my mind. Cistus is known as a being that manipulates doppelgangers. Based on a previous encounter, his self-destruction could deliver a fatal blow, not only to my Master but also to me in my current state.

A walking bomb capable of reducing a factory to dust. ‘The Suicidal Flower, Cistus.’ Sompi, Goroshi, and I once had to pool all our magical powers to create a barrier to block his explosion.

Even that wasn’t enough, and I had once been exposed to an explosion, nearly dying as a result.

‘Yes?’

‘Bizarre?’

Lucy the woodpecker gazed at Sistus with her spirit eyes flashing.

‘I can’t see it with my eyes.’

Sistus as I saw him.
A toddler with short limbs.
Now that I had assimilated with the spirit, I could tell that the magic contained within him was so abundant that it couldn’t be ignored.

Lucy hesitated in her words.
As if questioning what she was seeing.
Her voice trembled with fear.

‘Calm down. What is it?’
<…I see the bodies of children.>

The very essence of Sistus’s being.

The ensuing silence was heavy.
The branches of the hornbeam tree swayed soundlessly.

A child was used for the creation of that doppelganger?
My gaze shifted to Sistus’s visage.

At a glance, it was the face of an ordinary child.
Yet, upon closer inspection, the shape seemed quite ambiguous.
An unsettling chasm, as if someone’s eyes and nose had been forcibly torn off and reattached. Cold sweat trickled down my back.
It felt like looking at a humanoid doll.

Sistus observed me from a distance.
His eyes scanned me from head to toe before he suddenly stepped forward.

Sistus’s doppelganger vanished before my eyes.

– Huung!

I barely managed to read the movement.
I narrowly avoided the kick by jerking my neck back.

The forceful kick sent ripples of air surging forth. The dust that had accumulated on the church floor was swept up by the gust he created.

“…Huh.”

Sistus’ words were tinged with surprise.
His intent to appraise me was plain to see.

‘When we first met, he seemed to recognize me. Does he not know who I am now?’

When I encountered Sistus at the factory, I hadn’t concealed my identity.
He appeared to know me then. Now, I could deduce the reason.
My existence within Flower was already well-established among the higher-ups.
I was widely known as the successor to King Mokryeong.

‘Even if he doesn’t recognize me now, I have no way of determining why.’

I extended my fist forward.
I had transformed my staff into a pair of leather gloves and donned them on both hands.

‘I cannot even ascertain whether alter egos share memories or not.’

Dark flames, fueled by my magical power, flickered and danced.

‘At this moment, I have no knowledge of when that alter ego was forged.’

It seemed likely the creation hadn’t been long ago.
Or perhaps it was simply an unused item in their inventory, with knowledge yet to be inputted.

Either way, it was of no concern to me.

Abducting children appeared to be Cistus’ plan.
Initially, such an act would have been forbidden within the Flower realm, as it undermined the goodwill of its inhabitants.
However, considering the presence of Cistus’ alter ego in this place, it seemed he acted despite being aware of this.
In short, there was discord among the higher-ups.

[…….]

The Hornbeam remained silent.
Trembling in fear, its branches shook like those of an Aspen.

“Let us postpone your punishment of four years for now.”
[Ci-Cistus, sir.]

Cistus, descending slowly from midair, retained his expressionless face.

Naturally, I knew what his next course of action would be without needing to see it.
Without a moment’s hesitation, I issued commands to the spirits.

“Both of you, back off.”
[Master… Gah!]

Eleanor is thrown back by the shockwave.

-Boom!

A crater appears on the floor of the stone-built church. It’s because Cistus’s heel slammed forcefully onto the ground.

A child’s body. Despite the inadequate physical condition for martial arts, the sheer force emanating from the fists cannot be ignored.

It doesn’t feel like dealing with a child at all. Lucy and Eleanor, knocked away by the impact, are sent flying into the air. Possibly intending to target the spirit, Cistus bends his knees.

Given the opponent, I couldn’t just strike with my fists either.

-Thud!

I strike the rebounding body of Cistus.

Cistus crosses his arms to block, naturally shifting his target to me.

‘It’s worth it.’

The opponent is a self-destructive weapon. Its pure combat power isn’t very high.

If its purpose was solely for battle, I might understand. At best, it has a high output, worthy of an A-class rank. However, it cannot control its power effectively. The being appears either incomplete or a safeguard established to protect this place.

I infused my body with mana, accelerating my speed.

*Thud!*

Sistus, who had been suspended in the air, plummeted to the ground. His head pierced the floor, and blood seeped from my grasp on his face.

Cursed be this feeling of repugnance that envelops me as I confront a child.

“You…”

Sistus opened his mouth between my fingers.

“You’re strong.”

My forearm cannot be entirely gripped by both his hands. In other words, his body is that young.

Blood oozed from Sistus’s eyes as he trembled violently, as if having a seizure.

“There’s no other choice. I must relinquish this body.”

From between my fingers, the child’s eyes stared into mine.

“It’s quite impressive for someone wearing a human guise.”
“…”

The speech was longer and more natural than the one I had encountered before. The emotionless eyes and voice remained the same, but perhaps the quality of these manifestations had improved over time.

Cistus continued speaking.

“Congratulations.”

It felt as if he were trying to imprint trauma upon me.

“You’ve killed ten innocent young children.”

Cistus’s face contorted grotesquely, reflecting the images of the children one by one. I could hardly bear to look at them; their expressions, soaked in blood and on the verge of screaming, were mirrored in my eyes one after another.

Perhaps this, too, was part of Cistus’s scheme. It’s easier to kill a hero by pricking their conscience rather than using brute force.

The reason why hunters suffer from mental illness is likely due to the numerous beings like Cistus that they encounter.

I raised my fist. After all ten children’s faces were shown, there was a possibility that they would self-destruct.

Before that, he brought down his fist in a desperate move.

Perhaps the children hadn’t died and were still alive within Sistus’s body. Maybe they could be saved. The faces he had just seen, could they actually be the faces of those children?

He couldn’t deny having such thoughts. Yet, he was already too weary to concern himself with that. Sistus’s idea was cruel but futile.

– Kwajik!

His head was crushed, marking the end.

[Master, are you alright?]
“Uh.”

He used magic to hastily wash away the blood from his fist. Sistus’s body was roughly covered with sand.

He had killed ten, but spared another ten. Casually glancing at the children behind him, he turned his gaze back to the hornbeam tree.

[…Sistus, sir?]

The hornbeam tree murmured with a shocked expression. It hadn’t expected an executive to fall, losing its fighting spirit. As he approached, the tree’s roots defensively blocked his path.

“Come on.”

Sisyphus’ Punishment.
Now, it was time for me to descend.

“Tell me everything you know, bitch.”

* * * * * * * *

“He’s dead.”

As expected.
I sent out a widespread, scattered force, but it couldn’t even fulfill its purpose.

“Should have at least granted permission for self-destruction.”

Sisyphus sat on the throne, languidly tilting her head.
There was no one around her.
Tending to her needs was Sisyphus’ alter ego, and assisting with all aspects of her daily life were solely her alter egos.

With such manpower and capability, it was possible.

“I thought they could at least convey information. They failed even in that.”

Useless fool.
In the end, even an innocent tree would suffer.

At most, it was a single church in Texas. It wouldn’t have been surprising if it crumbled at any moment, and its obscure location made it inconsequential when targeted.

Neither the Hunters nor the Order acted against the church, as it did not handle highly classified information or partake in terrorist activities.

It was one of hundreds of locations set up for the purpose of amassing and distributing doppelgängers.

Nonetheless, it was shocking that they had suffered a defeat even after sending a doppelgänger.

“…It wouldn’t be odd for a defective one to emerge.”

Sistus narrowed his eyes, gazing at the area in front of the throne. The long expanse of the red carpet seemed to stretch endlessly, as if it encompassed an entire castle.

The space was equivalent to four or five soccer stadiums combined. It was densely filled with her doppelgängers.

Thirty thousand.

All of them were Sistus’s doppelgängers. Countless victims had been sacrificed in the creation of these duplicates.

A bit more manipulation would be necessary to utilize them properly, and those intended for use as self-destructive weapons were set aside separately.

Each of these beings is comparable to a B-to-A-class hunter. Sistus, possessing the physique of a fifteen-year-old, yawned languidly as she gazed upon her doppelgängers.

Her individual prowess is by no means lacking. This aspect reveals how Sistus managed to ascend to the third leaf.

“Not much time left.”

Vengeance for the wooden man and the World Tree. Sistus quelled her seething heart and a smile graced her lips.

* * * * * * * *

Handling the hornbeams that had utterly lost their fighting spirit was a simple task.

They submit without any thoughts of defiance, humbled and cowering.

[…]

I sent Tina and the other children to the slums I knew of. Then, I held a private meeting with the two spirits. It wasn’t as if there were no remaining priests, but after the death of Sistus’ doppelgänger, they showed no signs of ever wanting to return to this place.

[Speak quickly, will you?]

The vigorous tree creature jabs its twig-like limbs at the branches, demanding an answer.

[Just kill him then.]
“You’re being a nuisance again.”

How deep must their connection to the Flower be for them to protect its secrets like this?

[…Everything is for the sake of humans. You’re human too. Why are you treating us like this?]
“Look at this.”

Now they’re even appealing to me. The emotions are so intertwined, it’s hard to believe these words come from a tree.

Humans join the Flower to protect human rights. I can accept that, even if I have to concede a hundred times. I also understand they have Gu-seul’s case to persuade me.

“But you’re a tree.”

I’m not ignorant of how the World Tree treats humans. I’ve learned much from the wise man about the hidden world and its reasons.

I have no desire to oppose such convictions. It’s just that the Flower and I have no choice but to be entwined, and we must fight.

The same holds true for the World Tree.

“You joined Flower because you like humans? You want me to believe that?”
[…If you don’t want to believe it, don’t. But it’s the truth.]
“Is it forgivable for someone who claims to like humans to bring children here and kill them?”
[Kill children? Lord Sistus is merely protecting them from the wicked World Trees.]
“Oh.”

This is sheer madness.
Having experienced killing Sistus’s avatar, I know it’s utter nonsense.

Above all, Lucy the spirit has long since discerned the truth.
That avatar was created through the sacrifices of children.

[He claimed to provide a sanctuary for the starving humans every day.]

For his own body, no less.

It’s difficult to persuade a madman.
I have no choice but to change my approach and resort to intimidation.

I took a step towards the hornbeam tree.

[Why…why are you coming closer?]
“I’ve told you repeatedly. Tell me everything you know. Why, how, and for whose purpose does this place operate?”

[I can’t say. I’d rather die.]
“Really?”

Then there’s nothing I can do.

“Let’s see how long you can endure without speaking.”

I reached out and snapped the branch in an instant. I grabbed the clothes he was wearing and yanked them back.

– Rip!

The clothes were torn away, exposing the enticing body of the tree.

[…Ugh.]

The response is irritating every time I hear it. A hornbeam tree that conceals its knots and body with its branches. As I reached out and grasped the branch, the knot, which was hidden by his hand, was revealed. It was shivering.

“You won’t speak?”
[…Are you going to sexually torture me?]
“Oddly enough, trees can withstand pain quite well.”
[…Ha, ha. I’ll never tell you. No matter how much you humiliate me. Never.]

I tore off branches as if amputating limbs, torturing the opponent until they would speak honestly. However, it’s a futile method for a madman.

In this situation, there was no alternative but to cloud the mind, with no intention of brainwashing or hiding anything.

“Lucy.”
[Yes, Master.]
“Come up here.”
[…What? Yes, understood.]

Confused, she climbed atop the hornbeam tree like a woodpecker. I first spoke to her as I caressed the wooden spaniel.

“You should stay inside.”
[Why, Master? Am I not helpful?]
“Because it might be somewhat provocative for you.”
[…I, I can handle it.]

I silently released the summon.

[Ma-, Master-]

The frantic wooden spaniel, calling for me, returned to the spirit realm. Now, only Lucy and I remained. As a soldier, Lucy probably wasn’t without this kind of experience.

[Um, Master, what exactly…?]

Lucy cautiously inquired. I replied dryly.

“Woodpecker.”
[…Pardon?]
“Mount me.”

It took her three seconds to grasp the meaning of my words.

[…!!!!]

The Hornbeam shuddered in fear.

[Hold on a moment.]
“Why are you trembling?”
[What on earth… Such a malicious act.]

But it was already too late.
Though Lucy’s face showed shock, she soon understood her mission. Dododo dododo. She began to move her head.

A woodpecker drills holes in a tree 20 times per second.
It moves its head back and forth at a speed of 7 meters per second.

When American football players collide head-to-head, the impact is 80g.
When a woodpecker strikes a tree with its beak, the impact is 1200g.

[Uh, ah… Uh, ugh, ugh!]

Considering it was a spur-of-the-moment idea, it was quite an effective torture method.
I sat down and observed the trembling Hornbeam.

“If you don’t want your bulge to turn into a medicinal concoction, it’s better if you talk.”
<...Master, you're so cruel.>

I was well aware.