Chapter 444 – Declaration of War (6)

“Mary.”

Inside the World Tree’s darkened chamber, Nick cautiously opened the door, spotting Mary seated on the earthen floor and bowed his head.

“Tomorrow is… time for the cadets’ feedback. I think we should start getting ready.”

Mary had an obligation to lead the Forest Keeper Selection Tournament as the World Tree in charge, but she remained motionless.

She held her knees close to her chest and licked the blood flowing from her cracked lips with her tongue.

“…Mary.”

The solemn atmosphere. Lee Si-heon’s death was inevitably going to be revealed. The numerous World Tree caretakers refrained from informing Mary about the news of Lee Si-heon’s heresy.

Everyone was aware that Mary held Lee Si-heon in a special regard. Fearing that it might hinder Mary’s growth, they hesitated to mention it, even knowing that it would earn her resentment. Perhaps they were all passing the responsibility of conveying the truth to one another.

“Nick.”

Mary called the man’s name.
The two have been close companions for years.
After Mary changed her demeanor, a camaraderie blossomed between them, to the point of exchanging playful banter.

“Why… didn’t you tell me?”

Nick held his breath at the resentful tone in her voice. Today, his tie felt as if it were strangling him.

“…I’m sorry.”

Mary’s face was shadowed as she lifted her head.
Beneath the deep shadows cast under her forehead, the tear streaks revealed her inability to bear the immense sense of loss.

At first, she couldn’t believe it.
She dismissed the words of the girl sitting next to Shiba as a mere distasteful joke, but a few hours later, she was informed of the truth by an official from the cradle.

Lee Si-heon had been branded a heretic and killed three years ago.

“In order not to hinder Mary’s growth… it was an unavoidable choice.”

Nick spoke, weighed down by guilt and responsibility.

Mary let her head drop like a broken doll, and murmured in a raspy voice.

“I see.”

Not conveyed for fear of hindering her growth. What could be more despairing than this?

She had been charging forward, guided by her star, only to lose her way.

“…I see.”

Mary repeated the same words. Nick couldn’t bring himself to say the next thing, seeing her so forlorn.

As a mere manager, he couldn’t adjust her schedule. Mary had to go out tomorrow to manage the trainees.

However, could it be reasonable to carry out the schedule in her current state?

“There was no other choice… I see.”

Three days had passed since she had been locked up in her room. In that time, the leaves on her head had discolored and all had fallen off.

Mary clutched a handful of soil where she sat. The hand that had always tended to the fertilizer. Back then, she had a bad temper and thought it was just natural. The person who made her realize the preciousness she hadn’t known before.

Her eyes quivered once more.

“Can’t you see me now?”

Trees are akin to humans.

No, in contrast to humans who quickly forget fleeting memories, research suggests that ancient trees experience precious memories more intensely.

Mary had a deeper impression of Lee Si-heon than her entire life thus far. She, too, could feel emotions. Despite her responsibilities, she harbored a childlike desire to rely on someone. Mary’s shoulders trembled again.

“Pitiful… What should I do?”

Though she didn’t cry, she felt empty.

A memory so profound that it would remain etched deeply in Mary’s extensive life.

Unlike humans who easily dismiss past connections, trees remember even after living for thousands of years.

Although it’s not mentioned in this cruel world, it could be found in ancient texts.

The emotions of trees may not be easily stirred, but they form deep attachments to those who bring about change.

Trees often take their own life when someone they love dies.

To others, it may have seemed like a brief moment, but it was different for Mary.

“Nick.”
“Yes.”
“…Nick. You know, I…”
“Yes, Mary.”

Mary, drawing an uneasy breath, clutched her chest.

“It hurts so much right here.”

Memories raced through her mind. Nick closed his eyes.

Mary’s spirit was still young compared to other trees. The emotions she felt when parting with someone were even more intense than those experienced by humans.

“…It hurts so much that I feel like crying.”

Lee Si-heon’s face flashed through Mary’s thoughts.

-I can’t be the World Tree… My branches and stature are too small… Ppu, my roots are too shallow to become the World Tree.
-So, do you ignore everything?

It’s so strange. It was such a brief encounter.

-It must have been difficult.

Why does her chest ache so much?

Mary failed to understand that it was an emotion of the trees, a structure somewhat distinct from humans.

“I’ve grown… so much.”

Yet it was a fleeting connection. She didn’t sob uncontrollably, but…

“I miss you…”

Her heart ached as if it were being torn apart.

– Beep beep beep.

At that moment, the phone on Nick’s hip began to ring.

Should he answer it? Concerned, Nick picked up the phone.

“Yes. This is Nick, tree handler number 021. Can I call you back shortly? Ah… I understand. Yes, yes.”

Nick responded a few times before putting down the phone with a pale face. His eyes remained fixed on the phone screen.

Nick checked on Mary, who appeared frozen, clutching her chest.

“Mary.”

“…Yes?”

“You must flee now.”

And with that, an emergency was declared.

The place I once defended with all my might, I now intend to attack.

-Whirik!

I grasp the sword, crafted from mistletoe and copper bronze, without unsheathing it and infuse it with strength.

-Whiiing!

The hem of my black dragon robe flutters in the early morning breeze. The grass bends, and the guard who had been surveying the surroundings senses a presence and turns in my direction.

“…?”
“I heard footsteps.”

The three individuals moving in a coordinated manner are undoubtedly skilled in such matters. Their detected magical energy and the swords they wield indicate they are seasoned warriors. The tree pattern on the back of their hands suggests they are administrators of the order.

-Jerbuck.

I push through the grass to reveal myself.

“Who is there-”

Rapid communication and combat readiness.
As soon as the guard extracts their magical power, an alarm rings within the Foundation.

A complex security structure, with no need for separate communication.
However, there shouldn’t have been any magical power arising from the body of the priest on guard duty.

-Whoosh!

Approaching, I place my left hand on the sheath I intend to draw.
The source of the flowing magic is the Dantian. Depending on one’s control, it’s possible to suppress an opponent’s power source without using magic.

I strike the opponent’s chin with the handle of the sword I’m holding.

-Thwack!

“Argh!”

Simultaneously, a faint gunshot echoes, audible only to me.

-Bang, bang.

Even the sound of gunpowder exploding is muffled by the silencer, rendering it inaudible to them.
The guards standing on either side of the priest, who crumpled under my attack, clutch their shoulders and collapse.

“Is it done?”

Click – Gu-seul, with her gun loaded, approaches me, removing her finger from the trigger.

Gu-seul looked at the struck guard and brushed the dust off the fallen man’s jacket.

“The poison isn’t a lethal dose, but you’ll have to suffer.”
“Can he hear that when you say it?”
“No, I’m just saying.”

Gu-seul’s knowledge and intuition about firearms were at a professional level. It allowed ordinary people to overpower hunters with superhuman abilities without having to use a lot of magic.

Of course, the problem was that such a gun could only be made by Gu-seul.

“Long ago, among the dungeon rewards, there was a book that granted unique abilities. I’ve learned it.”

Gu-seul, wearing a playful smile, sent a signal to her back.

“It’s over~”

*Tadak, tadak!*

The sound of small footsteps echoed from right behind her. Wiki, who approached, hopped towards the priests and infused them with magic.

Despite quite a bit of blood flowing from the body of the priest shot by the bullet, Wiki did not show any emotion.

White magic swirled around Wiki’s hands, soon enveloping the bodies of the three guards. After a short while, Wiki released her hands and looked at me with wide, round eyes.

“I’ve disconnected it.”

Her words meant that she had removed the connection of any artifact linked to the priest’s body. If a guard’s movements were to cease, an alarm would sound in the Foundation’s security room, just like with magic. Wiki had taken measures to ensure no alarm would be triggered by the guards we had incapacitated.

“We have about 30 minutes from now.”

“Thirty minutes, and we haven’t even opened the door yet? That’s tough.”

At Wiki’s words, Gu-seul broke out in a cold sweat. It was a dangerous task that could cost us our lives, but it was impressive that she managed to hold herself together in the face of such peril.

In any case, we had eliminated all the initial sources of anxiety.

From this point on, it was a race against time. The method was simple.

‘Go quickly, loot quickly, and get out.’

A truly straightforward approach.

Among those who safeguard the foundation, there must be skilled individuals. However, even those who might have posed a threat three years ago were no longer particularly menacing now.

“Ebony, have you got your backpack?”
“…”

In response to my question, Ebony, who had followed Wiki, nodded her head.

‘How curious.’

One might wonder what she was doing, but she didn’t ask why she was involved in such an endeavor from the beginning to the end. Perhaps it was because we hadn’t yet become close friends.

Ebony’s hand already clutched a dagger with a fiercely gleaming blue blade, as if she had made up her mind.

“Okay, if you fulfill the role I’ve assigned you well, I’ll give you two Master Stickers.”
“…!”
“Master Stickers?”

A hint of determination appeared in Ebony’s eyes, and Gu-seul showed interest.

“Yes, something like that.”

In any case, time was of the essence. I grazed the foundation’s wall with my fingertips, gauging the approximate distance to the entrance and stepped forward.

Silently, in a straight line, I led the way, leaving the three of them behind.

– Paang!

Following the wall of the foundation, the overgrown grasses vanished, and soon we arrived at a massive gate.

No one noticed. As we slipped behind the guardians of the entrance, dealing with them one by one, the situation was resolved in mere seconds.

-Paaak!

A perceptive battle priest had summoned magic to his hands, but he wasn’t armed with artifacts, as he wasn’t a guard. He was struck by a swung sword sheath, falling backward.

Stomp on the ground and take to the sky.

Though at first glance, they seemed like formidable adversaries. Yet, defeating them was as easy as snapping a child’s wrist.

Had Mugung and the Heavenly Demon once thought the same when they saw me long ago?

‘One on the right, two on the left.’

Without exerting any effort, I reached out with my hand, stirring up a gust of wind.

-Paang!

A shockwave devoid of magic rippled through the air.

The priests, in their twenties, fell to the ground in an instant, and I twisted the still unbound hands among the fallen ones. The three who arrived late saw me.

Gu-seul seemed incredulous. Wiki’s eyes sparkled, and Ebony wore a considerably surprised expression. Under normal circumstances, I would have boasted to Wiki with a proud smile.

But now, this is the real deal. We must stay vigilant from beginning to end.

“Let’s go.”

* * * * * * * *

The world we live in is different.

Lee Si-heon, who seems to defy the laws of nature alone, swiftly took care of the surroundings.

Even the priests who appeared to be quite skilled lost consciousness within five moves.

‘…This guy is insane.’

The man on the front line dealt with his opponents effortlessly.

A battle involving beings that transcended the ordinary realm.

“I wonder if that old lady was like this in her prime?”

Mugung or Heavenly Demon. However, Gu-seul soon crushed a fleeting thought that crossed her mind. She moved her sweaty hand to provide support with a firearm from behind.

-!%@%!!

_Bang, bang!_

In just a moment, the chaotic scene was resolved instantly.

Wiki opened the door, Lee Si-heon cleared the path, and Gu-seul and Ebony briefly surveyed the surroundings, taking down those who approached. It was simple.

“The Knights were temporarily under the escort of several World Trees,” Wiki indifferently muttered while unlocking the door. It was the reason why the young girl had postponed the raid for three days.

“Now was the best time.”

How she had obtained that information remained a mystery. If it hadn’t been for Wiki, they might have had to destroy the entire Foundation.

‘The proper ones will come soon.’

It was time for the Foundation to take notice and respond to the raid.

-Thunk!

Countless seedbeds were visible through the open door. A vast, white house unfolded before them. Thousands of young, sprouted trees were planted at regular intervals, like seedlings.

Wiki placed her hand on the floor, murmured something, and quickly conjured a portal. Lee Si-heon had already left to find the room containing the World Tree of Growth, as planned.

‘Hurry, hurry.’

Gu-seul glanced at the seedbeds and holstered her gun. Those pure and adorable little sprouts.

The outwitted Foundation would soon arrive with its forces. They had to move quickly.

The power of those young trees was necessary to restore the Chinese region. Gu-seul tapped Ebony’s shoulder, who had been silently observing Lee Si-heon’s actions.

“Alright, let’s get started.”