Chapter 321 – The Collapse of the Cradle (6)

“Then I’ll see you later.”
“Yes, go on in. Just to be clear, the conversation we had…”
“Heh, of course. Did you think I wouldn’t know that?”
“Ha ha. I’m relieved. Some people need to be told everything one by one.”

After finishing the explanation, we parted ways right after a brief chat and dinner.

It was fortunate that, unlike Bao, he understood quickly.

‘Next time, I should gather several people and explain everything at once.’

Luckily, it’s not something I need to handle alone. Spirits and Marronnier are the key to this process. It doesn’t matter if I’m not there.

In Suga’s case, I had no choice but to step up because my opponent seemed to see me in a favorable light.

He’ll take care of things from now on.

‘Will he… do well?’

Is it because there are so many abnormal things around me?
Sometimes it’s hard to trust and delegate tasks.

In that sense, I was in need of a trustworthy comrade. It was quite fortunate when Suga joined us.

With his mellifluous voice and ease in conversing with newcomers, I have faith that Suga will handle this matter with flexibility.

‘The possibility of betrayal… in essence, there is none.’

No matter how paranoid I might be, I have established such a stringent criterion.

The enigmatic realm of Marronnier.
The empathic spirits that sense others’ emotions.
My intuition, which has no basis but a relatively high probability.
Aside from the last one, their credibility is high.

Reading thoughts and discerning emotions. The two most effective abilities for understanding the true nature of an adversary are present.

“Am I being overly suspicious?”
“Brother.”

Taeyang, who had accompanied Suga to meet me, responded to my concern.

“Why?”
“If they could conceal their intentions after all we’ve done, Flower would have already dominated the world.”
“But they’re on the verge of domination now.”

“Oh, really? So, what if a tree suspected of being a Flower appears? Do you plan to fight on the spot?”

I nonchalantly shrugged my shoulders.

“We have to wait.”

“Wait?”

At this very moment, even if a tree turns out to be a Flower, there’s nothing I can do. If I tried to incite action using my own power, it would take quite a while.

“I’m only gathering the bare minimum number of people.”

“Can we stop it with just the six of us?”

“It’s not just six. Don’t be naive.”

“Talking too much.”

When things happen, the traitors are exposed.

Those who are not traitors will naturally try to protect the civilians without any persuasion from us. That’s the nature of the trees.

“Could it be? Are they willing to abandon us to protect the tree?”

“That’s not the job of the trees. It’s the work of the order.”

“I see.”

“Also, if you spot someone suspicious, memorize their face.”

“Why? To kill the men and assault the women?”

I remained silent. After all, no one knows how things will unfold.
Just bear that in mind. I subtly conveyed this with my gaze.

“Go in.”
“Yes.”

Tae-yang, understanding the meaning of my words, nodded.
I took my phone out of my pocket to check the time – 8 pm.
There wasn’t much time left before the selection of the forest keepers.

No one could become a forest keeper this summer.
As if to announce that fact, the cries of cicadas pierced through the hotel window.

– MAMAMAMAMAM.

‘Saving people.’

I thought as I browsed through my phone’s address book.

When did I start taking action for such a cause?

“Kick.”

– Ddurururu.

When I dialed the eye-catching name, a voice answered after a few rings.

[Hello?]

Jung Si-woo. We hadn’t been in touch lately.
Since I had some free time, I decided to reach out after a while.

“Why are you answering the phone? Aren’t you busy?”
[Busy indeed. I’ve been roaming dungeons a lot. This time, I nearly died and came back to life. Have you ever experienced your organs nearly popping out?]
“Wow.”

Jung Si-woo shared a grand epic with me, as if he was happy to talk on the phone after a long time.

He’s still traversing dungeons to find his sister, honing his skills all the while. His growth is skyrocketing.

“The Flower has been causing quite a stir this time. How about you?”
[Ah.]

A bitter laugh came through the phone.

[I could use a drink.]
“Heh heh heh.”

His life is quite the rollercoaster too.

[How’s the preliminary round? Are you doing well? I heard it seems like you’re making great progress.]
“Same as always. Let’s grab a drink sometime.”
[Hehehe. I’ll definitely make time for that.]

He’s someone who grows stronger quickly, even when you’re not watching.

He has as many connections as I do and lives like the protagonist. Even though I can’t see his face, I still cheer him on.

“Keep up the good work.”
[Mhm.]

I ended the call with a simple greeting, noting the weariness in the other person’s voice.

– Click.

As I walked while on the phone, I arrived at my destination rather quickly. I found myself at the hotel door, a sight I had grown tired of seeing numerous times. I knocked lightly on the door.

– Tap tap. The door produced a cheerful sound.

Simultaneously, the bracelet on my wrist melted like molten iron and enveloped my entire fist.

– Thud.

The door opened. After confirming that no one was nearby, I swiftly thrust my arm inside.

* * * * * * *

“It’s insane.”

In the dark room, Gu-seul clenched her head. Measures against artifacts that could record the room’s visuals or capture voices were already perfected.

At first, it’s difficult, but once the structure is understood, it’s possible to halt their function momentarily. Though even that could raise suspicion.

It doesn’t matter.

The Flower has already sprung into action.

“I should have waited at least two weeks. What on earth are you being chased by?”

If it’s to burst forth, then it’s best to do so later. Ideally, it would infiltrate when there are few civilians left, after repatriating those who have been eliminated.

‘Flower’s ultimate goal is the fall of the World Tree. Wasn’t it an ironclad rule to minimize innocent casualties as much as possible?’

This rule was established by the saintess who first brought Flower into existence, and even now, there is pressure to uphold it in secret.

Gu-seul bit her lower lip tightly. The plan was falling apart.

Lee Si-heon was nearby at this very moment. She couldn’t reveal Flower’s ugly side any longer, not if she wanted to turn him into an ally.

“You’ve made up your mind.”

No one knew who had caught wind of the situation. Most of the higher-ups were cautious around Lee Si-heon. However, betraying Lee Si-heon would be tantamount to shattering the foundation and pillars of the Eighth Faction.

He should have been the cornerstone of the Flower.
Guseul had no choice but to contact someone she knew.

In essence, a figure akin to her parent.

It was meant for questioning, but the response returned was unvarying.

[Follow the girl for now.]

A dry male voice resounded.

“But, if we miss this opportunity, Lee Si-heon…”

[Since when have you been able to talk back?]

A weighty, contemptuous tone. Simply hearing it sent a chill down her spine.
Guseul held her breath, her face pale.

[Opportunities will come. You may not understand, but the King will eventually return to us.]
“…”

-Click.

“…Yes.”

A call that ended on its own without requiring a response.
Yet her body instinctively replied as it had been conditioned to.

Guseul’s legs weakened, and she fell to her knees.

Tumauta Engahero (Father of the Forest).

The name of the entity she had conversed with, and the three subordinates under the eighth leader.
He was the ruler of the Nameless Trees, including Gu-seul.

‘Nameless Trees’ refers to trees that lack both ‘flower language’ and a ‘name’.
They have unknown origins and no family lineage, and are considered as less than human – a derogatory term for such trees.

“Hong-Yeon.”

A sigh blossomed.

“…Does that person truly intend to destroy the World Tree themselves?

It represents the eighth faction, whose leader has not yet been determined.
Before Hong-Yeon was appointed as the proxy, it was, in every sense, a lawless territory.

“Even though they know they’ll be met with resistance, is there truly a reason to do all this?”

Hong-Yeon’s influence within the Flower realm was steadily growing.
Thanks to her reaching out and expanding her power, she managed to fill the gaps where other leaders failed to act.

However, taking on more responsibilities than necessary inevitably leads to ruin.

Now, Lee Si-heon could no longer make excuses.
An intrusion into the cradle, which, under normal circumstances, would have been carried out by a different leader.

Hong Yeon assumed the responsibility.

`Lee Si-heon, already disillusioned with Flower. If he gets caught…`

The possibility of Lee Si-heon joining Flower would vanish.

That would mean the eighth executive would never emerge. If Hong Yeon, who was exploited, dies, the other executives would split and devour the divided powers.

`Doesn’t this matter?`

Her father claimed that Hong Yeon’s actions had no connection to Lee Si-heon’s potential involvement.

So, while pretending to follow Hong Yeon, they were to focus on ensnaring Lee Si-heon. Gu-seul couldn’t comprehend it.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

The sound of a door. Gu-seul rose, her legs wobbling like a newborn giraffe’s.

Her mind was in disarray due to the sudden shift in circumstances. Her emotions were a whirlwind.

“Who could it be at this hour?”

With a face devoid of emotion, she grasped the door handle and opened it.

*Squeak.*

A large shadow flickered through the gap in the door.

Before long, the man’s hand burst through the door, gripping the gap roughly.

-Grunt.

In a moment of panic, Gu-seul tried to pull away, but the door opened with a greater force than her own. The face of the man she had been thinking about just moments ago came into view.

Colorless pupils. There was a faint spark of life within his gaze as it met hers. In that instant, Gu-seul realized one thing.

Flower’s plan had suddenly changed, and this man knew about it.

* * * * * * * *

Entering the room happened in an instant.

Gu-seul, who had belatedly summoned her magic, pushed her shoulder against the door, shaking off her opponent.

-Bang!

The door slammed shut, and the bracelet transformed into the shape of a glove.

“…What’s going on?” Gu-seul asked.

“You know best,” the man replied.

In truth, Gu-seul and I were in a state of mutual ceasefire.

Various circumstances had led to this, and conversations had taken place. Yet, with Flower’s intrusion imminent, she was akin to a latent cancerous mass.

Gu-seul seemed taken aback, not even letting out her usual amusing laughter.

“I’m also quite flustered right now… I don’t know what to say.”
“Flower really doesn’t know many things, right?”

She was the biggest unknown factor.

I wasn’t even aware of Gu-seul’s true capabilities. From the very beginning, she had concealed everything about herself.

During the tournament and her first trials, it was the same. The issue was that I couldn’t grasp the extent of her abilities.

‘She’s too skilled to be a mere low-ranking employee.’

I had mentioned this to her when she had received the proposal in the past.

– If the factions join forces, it would be even more difficult to distinguish them. Since they’re initially acting alongside extremists, it wouldn’t matter whether they were killed or not.

Then you might die.
Gu-seul had replied like this.

-… Do as you please..

That’s precisely my intention.

“Because I’m struggling quite a bit.”

This issue is not an ordinary one.
Saving people is the goal, but this one is especially troublesome.

I invoked a trace of magic and wrapped it around my arm.

“… Seems too late for persuasion, doesn’t it? Hehe.”

As if detecting the hostility, Gu-seul reached her hand inside her attire.

– Kwadang!

My body moved instinctively.
Before she could even resist, I overpowered her with the utmost speed. Gu-seul’s body tilted, her head slammed onto the ground, and her neck was tightly constricted.

“Kek.”

My stats had been steadily growing during the Forest Keeper Tournament.
It was due to significantly increasing the collection.

– Kwak!

I exerted more force in my grip, intending to crush her neck.

I will put an end to this here and now, without a moment to activate magic or artifacts.

The moment my fingers dug into Gu-seul’s slender neck.

_Flash._

My wrist was wrapped by something and pulled toward the ceiling.

A wire, its origin unknown, had appeared.
Steel threads entangled my entire body.

“…”

The speed was too fast to react, but my agility was still commendable.
Gu-seul looked at me with furrowed brows, seemingly mocking me as if to say, “I got you with one move.”

However, I wasn’t pushed back that easily.

_Ting, Ting!_

The taut wires began to snap one by one.
My hand started to completely encircle her neck.

I tightened my grip.

_Crack!_

Her neck broke instantly.
Her eyes narrowed, and her muscles trembled.

The sensation of taking a life.

“No.”

Though it felt like I had snapped her neck, I immediately denied it.

He furrowed his brow at the black liquid flowing from the split in his neck, caused by his own fingers.

– Sizzle.

Gu-seul’s body was quite literally melting away. A viscous liquid, reminiscent of oil, released a pungent odor as it descended to the floor.

A crudely crafted clay doll emerged from the vicinity of her heart.

[पेड़]

The clay doll bore unknown characters imprinted upon it. Gu-seul had conversed with it, but it seemed to be a ghostly presence, poised to grieve.

“…There’s no end to the types of magic.”

It wasn’t a fake.

Gu-seul had indeed been the one to converse. The power and magic contained within her were solely her own. When he choked her for the last time, it felt as though something had been exchanged in the process.

‘Spatial magic?’

If so, there was no way he could have missed the traces of magical power. This was a far more enigmatic force at play.

A divine gift, a power residing within one’s innate abilities. He lowered his hand and gently caressed the clay doll.

*Squish.*

The doll splits open, and the characters inscribed on it vanish like melting snow. I could sense a faint magical energy emanating from the spot.

It wasn’t Gu-seul’s magic. It was a familiar power I had felt once before in the not-so-distant past.

‘A sorcerer.’

I had seen this script somewhere else.

Prajna, the sacred tree of India. It was her prowess.