Chapter 522 – Resentment (2)

System.
All too familiar.

Wasn’t it the status window that relentlessly pursued and tormented me to the ends of the earth?

After bestowing me with latent potential, The World Tree of Resentment would often stake my life as a condition for failing the quest.

I’ve been evading it for three years, and now it seems to be targeting Shiba. If true, I should immediately seek Shiba out. While I unknowingly had a hidden advantage, Shiba did not have such a luxury.

From Melia’s insinuations, chastity appeared to render one powerless.

‘However, if resentment can indeed manipulate the system at will… Shiba may have already faced more than her share of suffering.’

There’s information Melia hasn’t divulged. It seems the power to meddle with the system isn’t as potent as anticipated.

‘Is it Alba?’

The first thing that came to my mind was our enigmatic duchess who never reveals her true feelings.
Alba could have known the system and might have been able to interfere. And another thing.

‘When did Shiba become a candidate for the wife of the World Tree?’

I can’t get past this one even though I can overlook everything else.
Candidate for the wife of the World Tree.
Heat surged in my eyes, blurring my vision.

‘Haha…’

I composed my expression and lowered my gaze as calmly as possible.
The queen seemed to enjoy this atmosphere, sipping her tea while using my face as a side dish, like a seasoned yellow corvina.

I rose from my seat.

“Alright.”
“Would you like me to assign someone to help you? If the World Tree is the goal… We share the same purpose, so I can offer a piece of my own resources.”

The queen readily extended her goodwill.

I quickly reviewed the structure of the ATU and requested the greatest possible number from her.
Prajna.
The national tree and shaman of India, who adopted the principle of equal treatment for all.

I lacked her ability to foresee the future.

With Prajna, one could predict Shiva’s future. It would prevent impulsive actions and prove advantageous in many ways.

“I’ve heard there’s a being who can predict the future. You know, the one who practices sorcery.”
“Heh.”

The Queen seemed pleased with my response, clapping excitedly.

– Clap, clap.

“If you intend to exploit it for personal gain, the price must be steep, right?”
“What are you after?”
“Nothing, really…”

The Queen, drawing out her words, smirked with a glint in her eyes. The center of her fox-like gaze shimmered.

“Just tell me the story, amusingly. Right before me. Piece by piece. How she falls apart.”
“What a sordid hobby.”
“Poor World Tree.”

Pitiable?

As I prepared to leave my seat, I glanced back at the Queen. Her face brimmed with provocation directed at me, her chin resting on the back of her hand and legs crossed.

She extended her fishnet stockings, leaving her inner thighs exposed, playfully twisting the mesh and giggling.

“Well, it’s pitiful, isn’t it? Don’t you think?”

“Are you referring to the World Tree of Resentment?”

“Yes, of course.”

The Queen nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders.

“Even if the violated tree attempts to exact revenge with all its might… the opponent is still the opponent.”

From a human perspective, the World Tree of Resentment was like an innocent bystander suddenly attacked by a man without reason. It had been assaulted and sought retribution against its assailant. From Resentment’s point of view, it might have been a heartrending tale of revenge for an adultery victim.

“Am I wrong?”

Not wrong. However…

“It’s not my concern. You don’t seem quite right either, wanting to hear such a story.”

“…Stories of others’ downfalls are quite entertaining. Besides, they serve as cautionary tales.”

A cautionary tale, my foot. She seems eager and impatient to listen. The Queen laughed merrily. She’s a fickle one.

Anyway, Resentment and I have been at odds from the very beginning. We find ourselves in positions where we cannot understand each other, and our shared memories are nightmarish, something we don’t even want to consider as misunderstandings.

“Let’s go.”
“Yes, I wish you good fortune on your path. After all, I am your only collaborator in the same position.”
“Right.”

The World Tree of Resentment. Another world drawn in by mere self-gratification. It doesn’t matter now, but back then, I was deeply affected.

It’s time to bring closure to this tenacious ill-fated connection.

* * * * * * * * * * *

This ill-fated connection persisted here as well. Most of the national trees affiliated with ATU likely harbor terrible thoughts about me.

During the seige at Descanso Gardens, I had defeated all the agents belonging to ATU. I also remember fighting a national tree during the forest guardian selection, but for those in ATU, this was an indistinguishable event.

“King.”

With the Queen’s permission, I was able to meet Prajna through A.B.

Dressed in traditional attire that revealed much of her sun-kissed skin, reminiscent of the Egyptians, she exuded an overwhelming beauty. Instead of undergarments, she wore a thin gold band that just covered the crevice of her womanhood.

“A partnership. I heard you were seeking me.”

[Banyan Tree – Wisdom, Longevity]

With a fierce expression, Prajna muttered and took a step towards me. Her barely-covered breasts swayed beneath the thin cloth.

The impression she gave was similar to when I first met Aori. She appeared expressionless, as she had not yet exposed any sign of her eccentric nature. Unlike Aori, Prajna seemed to be a person who, as A.B. described, thirsted for wisdom, appearing fierce but also exuding an air of intelligence. She possessed a different kind of insensitivity compared to Cornus.

Moreover, the writing that adorned her entire body seemed to brim with madness.

Large symbols were scribbled upon her body, beginning at the ankle bones, then sprawling across the thighs, the perineum, the buttocks, the armpits, and reaching up to the nape of the neck.

“Yonggun.”

Prajna recited. Her demeanor was quite peculiar, as she blurted out the main topic without any hesitation.

It seemed she couldn’t connect me with the person she met three years ago, when I was disguised as a king.

“Shall we change locations first?”

After suggesting this to Prajna, I brought her to the European branch of the Eighth Leaf.

It was a military area typically managed by Hong-Yeon. The location wasn’t far from Germany, where the ATU’s headquarters were situated, allowing us to arrive quickly via helicopter.

Once Prajna was seated in a secluded room, I had someone attend to her needs appropriately.

“So, what is it that you need to do?”
“You seem to be in a hurry.”

Prajna only gazed at me intently, not even taking a sip of the tea that had been prepared.

How, I wondered, could we make use of the power of this prophecy?

I hesitated to disclose Shiva’s information, but in an urgent situation like this, risks had to be taken.

I placed Shiva’s picture on the table.

“Can you see this woman’s future?”
“Future?”
“I heard your ability is related to prophecy, akin to the Flower Saint or the Five Great World Trees.”
“I’m not their equal. I am superior.”

Prajna furrowed her brow, appearing confident in her skills despite her arrogance.

“So, is it possible?”
“Only for a brief moment… However, I can’t pinpoint the exact time.”
“I just need to know if she survives.”

Prajna coughed discreetly and subtly raised her hand to reveal her armpit.
The characters inscribed there resonated.

“Li, Enbar, Huldin.”

Mumbling strange words, Prajna glanced at me.
Perhaps it was because I was staring at her smooth armpit. If someone openly creates a crease with two fingers like that, spreading it apart, it’s difficult not to look, even if it feels absurd.

“Why do you keep watching?”

My armpits were glowing. I sighed and gestured with my chin.

“Continue.”
“I checked some estimates. Wealth… Do you have any magic stones?”
“Plentiful.”

With a flick of my finger, I immediately produced several high-quality magic stones.

“…Space magic?”
“Is that strange?”

Prajna’s eyes widened in surprise, and she blinked.

“…No, not really. You’re a king, after all. It wouldn’t be odd if you’ve mastered space-related magic….”

Only a select few are able to use space magic on their own.
Though it’s said to exist, I’ve never seen it used by anyone other than the sage and Zodiac.
Since it’s a magic passed down directly from the wise, only they and I can use large-scale teleportation and blinking.

“Alright, prepare to speak.”
“Is there anything else you need?”
“… …”

Silently, Prajna lifted the cloth that had been covering her breasts and bit down on it.
Her chest was now fully exposed. Fortunately, something similar to a nipple patch was affixed to the area.

It was no secret that the corner of her mouth quivered in surprise for a moment.

“Min, stick.”
“…”
“Two ears of an orc, and five cups of goat’s milk.”

Prajna held her top in her mouth as she recited the list of items. Interpreting her words, it would mean two orc ears and about five cups of goat’s milk.

Unashamed of exposing her breasts, Prajna continued to list a few more conditions.

“Protect my subordinates for a few days… Hehe, this should be enough.”
“Do you really need that much?”

There’s something sinister about this sorcery.

“…”

– Zing.

Prajna frowned as if she had read the hidden thoughts within. It appeared as if aggression had taken residence in her golden eyes.

“Can you get these items?”
“Mm. I can.”
“…Alright then, you have until eight days from now.”
“No. Right now.”
“?”

The conditions Prajna proposed were manageable; they could be met by exploring the nearby dungeon a few times.

“Get up. Gather your belongings.”

“No way, are you going to obtain it now?”

Shiba’s future is at stake.
She must move more quickly.

“Of course.”

He is a prophet long provided by ATU.
One must plunder the honey and seeds within to avoid calamity.

A small crack appeared on Prajna’s face.

* * * * * * * * * *

‘I can’t believe he managed to obtain it in just one day.’

It’s not difficult, but it requires time.
With such conditions set, the king cleared the dungeon in a single attempt.

The ability to effortlessly escape through the dimensional gap created by the dungeon was beyond belief.

‘…If it truly happened at Descanso Gardens.’

Feeling relieved for Lerad and A.B, Prajna thought to herself time and time again.

‘Well, it doesn’t matter.’

The objective always remains the same.

To dream of reaching the pinnacle of sorcery. The ATU serves as the foundation, and the alliance with the king before her is merely temporary.

“…Spread out widely.”

After sentencing the king, Prajna stood up from the table, scattering the components for the spell and removed her top.

A sticky band, as it was detached from her pubic area, revealed a faint fissure. The body of an incomplete sorcerer occasionally requires nudity.

For some unknown reason, the green-haired woman demanded more wealth than usual.

“…”

Prajna closed her eyes, reciting the incantations, and drenched her body with goat’s milk, one area at a time.

Shoulders, torso, lower abdomen. Head.

Guiding her damp, soaked body, she knelt and sat on the floor.

The patterns adorning Prajna’s body began to glow. Her forehead cracked, and a pair of triangular eyes, similar to a sculpted form, emerged.

(Sighing “Bba-an”).

A man who seems to regard himself as a spectacle.
Although quite irritating, Banya did her best to ignore it and continued with her task.

(Humming “Woo woo woo”).

She could see something… very faint.

“Ruins. A man in black clothes… Ent.”

Only three words could be uttered.
However, Banya’s eyes perceived a different environment.

A green-haired woman was weeping in front of the king.

‘What is their connection?’

A fleeting thought, and the vision of the future vanished.
A headache surged, and her body rapidly weakened.
Her chest felt constricted.

Banya lifted her sagging face and took in the sight of the king.

“Ruins? What does that mean?”
“I’ll tell you slowly… But-“

Banya raised her head.
The third eye on her forehead remained open.

(Vibrating “Ji-ing”).

Once more.
In Banya’s eyes, this time her own future unfolded.

The act of observing others with a third eye…
Reveals the most significant event that will unfold between the two characters.

‘…’

Prajna gazed at the king with a bewildered expression.

“…Ah. Ah.”

Unable to resist, she witnessed herself falling victim to adultery.
The king’s face above her bore a striking resemblance to the young man she had encountered long ago.

The one who killed Plum, the national tree,
Yet a being who should have been branded a heretic and already dead.

‘This man was the king.’

The distant future seen through him… was the worst.

“What are you staring at?”

Prajna was at a loss for words.