Chapter 365 – The Wounded Monster (4)

-Quadang bang!

My vision shifted abruptly.

Hardened clots of blood rolled down my barely regenerated skin. A sudden cough surged, spattering blood onto the wooden floor.

“Um… Brother?”

Tae-yang and Aori, who were sitting in the room, opened their eyes wide in shock.

A brief moment of silence. Tae-yang, his face drained of color, hurriedly got up and rushed over to me.

“Damn it, I thought you brought clothes and food. You look like you’re about to drop dead!”

I had only intended to pack a few things and be on my way.

But who could have known that I’d meet my master and have my very soul plundered in the process?

I writhed on the floor like a broken-backed rat, managing to let out a pained moan.

“I… hurt.”

“Man, you look like you’re in serious pain. Just wait, I’ll bring you a potion.”

“What kind of potion is that? Just leave it. It’s a waste of money.”

“It’s a top-tier potion I’ve saved as an extra life.”

Don’t they know that the ingredients of this world’s potions are love juices and semen? I shook my head.

I’ll never use the highest quality potions.

– Ugh!

I gasped for breath while suppressing the wounds with the power of healing. The pounding sound of my heart in my head subsided.

“Should I bind your wounds with a bandage?”
“…Please do.”
“Ah, really. It hurts my heart… What about the baggage? No, what happened before that?”

As Taeyang and Aori applied medicine to my wounds, I slowly recounted the events that took place at dawn. How I had a falling out with my Master. Our opinions didn’t align, so in the end, we had no choice but to confront each other with force. As a result, I was attacked at night and left in this state.

“Are you actually going to fight with that woman, White Peach, because you’re insane?”

Taeyang frowned and patted my shoulder.

“Hey, I genuinely believed it was worth a try.”

“It’s damn near impossible. There’s no one in the world who can defeat her one-on-one.”
“Still, I managed to land a hit.”
“A hit? Yeah, right. She must have gone easy on you.”

The title of the world’s strongest, which seemed like an overstatement, was actually far from empty words.

I thought I had seen enough at her side, but her depths became increasingly unfathomable. Tae-yang sighed deeply as he applied the medicine. Aori also held the medicine bottles in both hands and started sprinkling something that resembled fertilizer.

“But is this really medicine?”
“Yes. It’s made by grinding up various potions… It feels like Vaseline in the potion world.”
“No, not that. Aori.”
“Yes?”
“What are you sprinkling?”

With wide eyes, Aori looked at the medicine bottle in her hand. Leldan. For some reason, the familiar name sent shivers down my spine. It was a type of pesticide used to kill insects.

“Ah.”

A low, muttered exclamation. Startled, Tae-yang quickly grabbed Aori’s bottle.

“Aori, you crazy woman…!”

“Aaah!!!”

My entire body feels drained.

* * * * * * *

“Tae-yang.”
“What?”
“The king has withered like a squid that’s been mounted more than 30 times.”
“You did it, you maniac…”

Wrapped in a blanket and crooning softly, the path ahead seems utterly bleak. Can I manage well with these people?

Somehow, I managed to resolve the pesticide situation with my healing powers. I nearly died from a severe injury and being exposed to the poison.

Feeling somewhat wronged by this, Aori pouted her lips.

“Your Majesty, I feel wronged. Isn’t it strange for someone to put pesticides in the medicine container in the first place?”
“Tae-yang, how do I explain this?”

Tae-yang, who gave me a sly glance while sorting the medicine container, shrugged his shoulders.

“Some invited girls are brought into the room. There are quite a few trees, so sometimes I need to use medicine. But I didn’t know I’d somehow pick it up and spray it on people.”

Tree invitation… My head is spinning.

I buried my face in the pillow and murmured despondently.

“Deal with it, you guys…”

My body aches; my wounds throb. The magical reservoir is overloaded, on the verge of bursting. The accumulated healing power has been completely depleted by the use of the Black Sword. At least Sistus’ injury has nearly healed, and he could be treated in about a week.

“Brother, we still have to go.”

“Yes, we must go. I’ll buy clothes along the way.”

“Your Majesty…”

“Aori, it’s not your fault either, so relax your expression now. In life, you can sometimes spray pesticide on people instead of medicine.”

Aori closed her mouth and looked away. She’s an unpleasant character. It’s not easy to let go of her because she is competent.

“I don’t have any money to compensate for the damage, so please sell all of those cosplay clothes.”
“Ah, not those…”
“Enough. Tell me what you’re planning to do next.”

That’s enough joking around.
Tae-yang glared at Aori once and sighed.

He sat down on the floor, handed Tae-yang his notebook, and started explaining.

“First of all… How many have you managed to gather so far?”
“A little over ten.”
“That’s hardly anything. If you’re determined to become stronger, I won’t discriminate between methods. No complaints later, alright?”

At the quiet warning, I lifted my head from the pillow.

“What exactly are you planning?”
“No matter how hard I try, I can’t match the beauty of the trees. You’ve been involved with beautiful trees until now. You’ll have to accept that.”

Where does a tree have beauty?
At best, the flowers are pretty, the leaves are lush, and the overall appearance is majestic.

I was taken aback as Tae-yang’s chattering reminded me of a procurer.

“Do whatever you want.”
“You really said you don’t care about appearances, right?”
“What does a tree have in terms of appearance?”
“Really. Truly? No second thoughts?”

Every time the word “really” was uttered, the face drew 10 cm closer. Overwhelmed by the force, I couldn’t speak and merely stammered.

Could it be that these scoundrels genuinely judge the appearance of trees? What is an ugly tree, and what is a pretty tree?

“It’s different. Very different. As different as a solid knot and a non-solid knot.”
“Are you speaking Korean right now?”
“Yes.”
“What? No… um, just do whatever you want.”

I averted my gaze. Suppressed by Tae-yang’s energy, I held my tongue, but the conversation meandered and fell apart. My mouth surely doesn’t exist for conversations like this. A deep sense of self-loathing swelled within my chest.

“Alright, I’ll take that as your decision.”
“What are you going to do?”

“Isn’t increasing the number of tree species your top priority right now?”
“Yes, but weren’t we heading to the dungeon?”
“We should do that too. However, I’ve lived in poverty and experienced wealth, rolling in all sorts of filth. I do know the best place to encounter a tree.”
“…Hmm. Go on.”

A single word dropped from Tae-yang’s mouth.
My face grew rigid, and Aori blushed.

Is he out of his mind?
That thought crossed my mind as soon as I heard Tae-yang’s words.

“Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
“I am a king, aren’t I? Is this the proper treatment for a king?”
“Right now, both the princess and queen are on the verge of death. What can’t be done in the name of a king? Brother, you have a mask to conceal your identity, don’t you?”
“…”
“Wasn’t it you who said you don’t care about the means and methods?”

He’s right.
It’s something that must be taken into serious consideration.

Persuaded by Tae-yang, I lowered my head. Aori, who had been watching me, broke into a wide smile.

“Alright… let’s go.”

* * * * * * * *

A tiny world, nestled deep within society, hidden in a corner and stubbornly adhering like chewing gum.

The sultry summer of the pleasure district melted into the embrace of others, accompanied by sticky sweat. An artificial city where the sun never sets: Nagoya, Japan.

There were places where individuals satisfied their carnal desires according to their respective social statuses. And, of course, among those statuses was the esteemed position of the tree, ranked highly among the wooden people. The fact that some of the world’s capitals enjoyed visiting this place circulated both quietly and openly.

A faint scent of drugs wafted gently through the streets, mixing with the smell of alcohol, cigarettes, men, and women. The status of those caught up in hedonistic revelry was high, so they indulged in pleasure even on the brink of the world’s collapse.

Guns, guns, guns.

A young girl walked, revealing her pale thighs. Her movements caused the surrounding streets to spread open like a prostitute’s legs.

Elegantly dressed, Aori surveyed the area with her arms folded under her chest, walking forward alongside two men.

The bustling surroundings.

Among those who frequented this place, there were influential figures and newcomers alike. The appearance of a fresh face stirred excitement in the crowd.

“Is this right?”

At Lee Si-heon’s words, Aori nodded her head.

“You look amazing, my lord.”
“Amazing and troublesome.”

Aori, who even held a designer’s license, had taken care of the clothing and makeup. A person with a keen sense of style selecting the attire and adorning the face could only lead to excellent results. Although her Infi mask concealed her true identity, allowing her to act without restraint, she never anticipated engaging in such a debauched act.

Lee Si-heon’s expression contorted oddly. Sweat began to form on his face, wrapped tightly in the Infi mask.

“Brother, let’s move quickly. Once we’re done here, I’ll go straight to another country.”
“……”
“Why do you look so down?”
“…It’s nothing. But I can’t speak Japanese.”
“There’s no demand for ordinary men who can’t speak Japanese. But handsome foreigners who can’t speak Japanese are highly sought after.”

‘Is this royal treatment?’

Anyone would think he was a slave being deceived and sold.
Lee Si-heon thought. If someone came and shouted that these guys weren’t on his side, he might inadvertently believe them.

“A host? Is that something I can do?”

He made his way through the crowd. Occasionally, pretty women approached and discreetly tapped Lee Si-heon’s shoulder or winked at him.
Unaware of their intentions, he had no choice but to ignore them.

“You just got flirted with, brother.”
“Huh? What?”
“Now, brother, hypnotize yourself. No matter what happens, I can endure it.”

Before he knew it, he had arrived at the deepest part of the alley.

The bustling crowd had vanished, leaving only three people behind.

Nestled deeper, a seemingly shabby door stood before them. Upon closer inspection, it was a sturdy artifact, its worn appearance merely a facade.

Tae-yang inserted his finger into the door’s crack, diligently manipulating something within, then opened it. Aori gently pushed Lee Si-heon’s back.

“I’ve explained everything. All you need to do is go in and get it done.”
“What am I supposed to do?”
“Ah, come on. Your Highness, just step inside, close your eyes, and savor the experience.”

– Thump. Thud.

A long staircase greeted him. Neither Aori nor Tae-yang offered any further words or guidance.

You’ll understand once you’re there. Figure it out on your own. As he brushed the dust off his shoulders and proceeded, a faint cluster of lights came into view. An unusual, medicinal scent filled his nostrils.

“Ah, you’re here?”

A Korean woman welcomed him. As she approached and caught sight of Lee Si-heon, she extended her arms wide, her face filled with admiration.

“Wow… This is a special S-class situation. You really have a unique taste. What are you going to do to me?”
“Huh?”
“Go ahead, enter.”

He discreetly handed him a black envelope and pushed him into a room.
Lee Si-heon frowned as he stepped inside.

-Screeeeech-

The door creaked open, revealing the interior. Upon seeing what was inside, Lee Si-heon’s body stiffened like stone.

“Uh.”

There were trees inside.
Gnarled, and of many different types.

Lee Si-heon had seen a sight like this somewhere before.
When was that?

“Ah.”

When he was kidnapped due to a trap in a dungeon. Almost forced to spend his life as a prostitute.

[Oh my! What a handsome fellow!]

“Damn it.”

As soon as they spotted him, numerous branches reached out as if they couldn’t contain themselves.

“Tae-yang, you son of a…!”

His voice disappeared, engulfed by the tree roots.

It was the moment when his compendium of mystical knowledge began to amass significantly.