Chapter 607 – The Campaign Against the King of Trees (4)

The most immense congregation cloaking the firmament.
Pando.
The royal forest, crafted with the heavens as its bed, is veritably the demon’s cradle.

【 Creaking? Crack! 】

Seeds sown into the crevices of the dimension, bursting forth, the grotesque tree creatures shrieked, seizing the lives of the hunters.

“…How, how are we supposed to battle these beasts!”
“Ah, Ahhhhh!”

The area of a single tree barely covers a few square meters.
It wasn’t impossible to overcome if all the seasoned and knowledgeable hunters charged in unison.

However, compared to the previous suppression of the Heavenly Demon, the front line was exceedingly despairing.

The reasons were manifold.

Firstly, compared to the Heavenly Demon who had prepared for ruination over many years, they hadn’t been able to assess the strength of this adversary.
The Heavenly Demon was potent, but her mystical arts were already known to many. Merely crafting various artifacts in anticipation could significantly deter her.

Secondly, the strategies they devised bore no fruit.
To assume that the King, who had foreseen the future decades in advance, wasn’t equipped to counter the artifacts would have been a blunder.
The progression of technology inevitably accelerates beyond eras, and the artifacts he’d encountered were of a superior grade.
It was as simple as twisting a child’s wrist.

The third reason was straightforward.
Although the figures of the new generation had each secured their positions and relished unparalleled honor, it was strenuous to match the might of the established generation.

And then,

Simply because the King’s power was too formidable.

“Creak, creak!”
“Groan.”

Inside the city, creatures cloaked in the bark of trees started to wreak havoc.
They resembled decayed ancient trees, roaming the city as if they were demons.
Each bore a different appearance, yet all were of the same entity. Like ants born from a single colony, they acted with a singular intent.

“Creak?”

The creatures, sighting the hunters, spew forth their magical energy and advance.

Thud. Thud. The heartbeat-mimicking footfall sounds.
In an instant, the ruptured road was strewn with debris from the buildings.

“…How many of them are there?”

It was as if observing a vast horde of ants.
The loyal army of the King, moving with the intent to seize their prey and acquire strength.

In terms of size and the quality of their magical energy, they easily outmatched the hunters.

“Can we even win? Against those creatures?”
“…Damn it, seriously.”

The question of whether they could even win against a single one of those entities arose.

The sense of justice and sacrifice that had resided within each individual.
In face of the overwhelming numbers, the hunters retreated in despair, dismissing these sentiments as irrelevant.

“Pull yourselves together.”

Even in such a battlefield, there existed an individual born with the seeds of a hero.

The disaster extermination leader of the Hunter Association. Ji Seok Hoon.

A luminary of the new generation, renowned for his aggressive disposition and singular sense of justice; he had secured an executive role at a tender age.

“If we crumble here, the supply unit will be subjected to catastrophe. That’s the peril we should fear. They may appear unconscious, yet they seem to discern all of our vulnerabilities.”
“Commander… But…”
“Such times call for the ultimate sacrifice.”

Even if their actions were driven by self-interest, the moment they acquired their Hunter’s license, they were bound to pledge in the name of divinity.

-To wield power in defense of the world.

No matter the circumstances, they must not falter.
Tearing down the tower at the forefront of historical flux, where all manner of phenomena occur. Conquering the dungeons.
An illustrious profession that instigates the most significant transformation in the real world.

“Draw your sword. Gnash your teeth.”
“…The sound is fading. Commander. I’m becoming deaf. Combat is a noble pursuit, but… . In this state, communication may fail during the engagement-”
“Cease your prattle, prepare to advance.”

Blood droplets fell into Ji Seok-hoon’s ears.
Even he, who was evaluated as being on the brink of the S-rank, could not resist the sovereign’s will.

“The Hunter’s duty is to fight. Not to chatter.”

Terror. Turbulence.
He managed to suppress the nausea of emotion, but his trembling hands refused to obey.

“Hehehe.”

Ji Seok-hoon laughed boisterously in an attempt to calm himself.
Every Hunter watching him fell silent, their faces etched with expressions of unspoken admiration as they gritted their teeth.

“All those deprived of hearing, assemble here!”

A voice imbued with magic.

In an instant, the Hunters’ heads swiveled towards the luminescent sound emanating from behind them.
Hyun Si-young, the proprietor of the Summer Flower Magic Tower, pressed down her hat and invoked the magic of the sun.

“There is no battle that can’t be won. There are numerous lives still intact before me.”

The grotesque creatures drew nearer. A semblance of confidence began to blossom on the Hunters’ faces.
As their hearing returned and their breathing steadied, they felt as though the problems that had hindered them were gradually resolving.

“In the center! There stands the hero, Jung Si-woo!”
“Hurrah!”
“Neither Hunters nor national trees! All Hunters from across the globe are congregating here!”

The Hunters roared in defiance, asserting, “There is nothing we cannot achieve.”

“Aaaaa!!”

Cries of valor and shrieks of terror merged, exploding across the battlefield.
They were not mere decoys. They were warriors fighting for their homeland, heads of their families, and beloved partners.
Moreover, they were ‘Hunters’ in the authentic sense, protectors of a nation on the verge of collapse.

The Hunters who regained their composure rallied together, preparing for a breakthrough.
From a single squad, with wizards merging to form a company, and nearby Hunters amassing to form a battalion.
Even lower-ranked Hunters were equipped with artifacts provided by the state, ready for the fray. Soon, cheers erupted.

The morale of an army hinges on its commander.

The star-shaped sticker on Ji Seok-hoon’s shoulder glimmered.
Inauguration. An artifact bestowed directly by Byul, the president of the association.
He was recognized as the guiding star destined to shepherd the next generation.

– Rrrrrumble!

Warriors surged forward. The rebels who controlled the upheaval of the era, vowing to protect the world from the Flower and the king, had reclaimed their vigor.

Bang bang–a hailstorm of gunfire.

The cessation of gunfire was the signal to advance.

The Hunters gripped their throbbing hearts. For a moment, an unforgiving sliver of time passed. Waiting for death or glory?

– Click. A dull, hollow sound from the trigger. The time is now.

As the deafening din of war machines subsided, the Hunters, sensing the opportune moment, pounced. A tide of sharp steel needles engulfed the enemy.

The Hunters, tenaciously advancing, came face to face with the enemy.

“Aaaaaaaaaa!”

Engulfed in falling magic from the heavens, they became entangled in a melee with the enemy. Ji Seok-hun, at the forefront, channeled his magical energies throughout his body to cut through the horde.

The moment of reversal.

The commander.

– Thwack!

The leader of the punitive force, Ji Seok-hun’s head exploded before the first chapter of the war had even begun.

Blood splattered, bone fragments glittered against the dark.

Cruelly, pieces of his soft brain matter burst forth, and his headless body staggered grotesquely before collapsing to its knees.

– Thwack!

The body was brutally kicked, limbs torn away.

The light was fading. The man’s shoulder badge was ripped off.

A pointed formation, cleaved apart like a wave by a single tree.

Following the pitiful sight of helpless victims, the crowd split instantaneously.

The front retreating. The rear surging.

The sorcerers, who were auxiliary support, followed with their spells,

【Skreeee… Skreeeek!】

Hundreds of gnarled branches from the tree rained down, piercing the wizards’ throats.

As the defenseless wizards fell, Hyun Si-young, the tower master, ceased casting and bit her lower lip.

The front line wavered. There was time for a decision, but retreat was not an option for them.

Hyun Si-young knelt, placing down the artifact she had brought. She unfurled countless scrolls, beginning to cast a large-scale spell.

“…please.”

With a desperate prayer, a massive meteor rose behind Hyun Si-young. A meteor that could obliterate the cityscape before their eyes.

【Skreeeek!】

– Thud!

A sharp branch flew, impaling Hyun Si-young’s throat.

Perhaps she had attempted too grand a magic.

The perceptive branches flew towards Hyun Si-young.

“…Gah, ghgh…?!”

Branches pierced her throat, and then, one by one, her thighs and stomach. The branches, rubbing along the pierced holes, magnified the pain by grazing the wound.

-Urr, ugh!

The magic didn’t stop. The gigantic meteor was slowly, steadily growing.

Even in that moment, Hyun Si-young’s body was becoming a porcupine.

The Meteor, forged by the sacrifice of one’s life force. The moment her casting concluded, the branches of the woodland creature savagely tore her body to shreds.

– Perok!

Flesh erupted and the meteor descended. The creature’s branches charged towards the meteorite, which collided with the atmosphere, igniting a wave of heat.

– Quack, quack!

The branches, having punctured the massive stone, swallowed up the decelerating meteor. Those rooted in the stone greedily drained its magical energy.

The trunk of the creature glowed red from the inside, a sight that would easily lead one to believe it was entirely consumed by the fire. But the ensuing developments extinguished any glimmer of hope the wizards might have held.

– Queek, Queek!

The branches, having successfully absorbed all the magical energy, branched into two and began to thrash wildly. The meteor, now reduced to a mere stone figure, fell helplessly to the ground.

A disaster gradually taking form. The hunters and wizards who observed this spectacle no longer remained on that path.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

– Kwajik!!

Sword energy cleaved the woodland creatures in the front in an instant.

Jung Si-woo steadied his breath and stared forward. Pondering the origin of this incessantly surging tide of monsters and wondering how long it would continue.

“Hoo…”

There was absolutely no magical energy left.

‘If this goes on… I’ll be the one to tire out first. I must locate the main body.’

The district stretching from Gwangjin to Seongdong-gu. The so-called divine heroes ventured into the heart of the catastrophe.

The association and the main force of the tower had surrounded Seoul, along with Namyangju, Guri, Hanam, Seongnam, Gwacheon, Anyang, Gwangmyeong, and Incheon.

It seemed as if they intended to slowly defeat the branches and monsters and drive them out… Judging by the silence, it was clear they were having a hard time.

“Siheon is coming.”
“…Do you truly believe that?”

Sansuyu, a knight in heavy armor, had a face that never showed fatigue, no matter how fiercely she battled. It was almost unbelievable to see her not even gasping for breath.

Jung Si-woo tightened his grip on his sword, reining in his magical energy.

‘10%…’

He’d have to proceed with just 10%. It would be a grave mistake to consider the main body defenseless just because it had unleashed disaster.

He had to conserve his strength. He couldn’t afford to reveal the full extent of his abilities.

– Kkirik!

Once again, the branches of the woodland creatures swooped in like a swarm of bats. Jung Si-woo raised his sword, lowering his body’s center of gravity.

It was then that Sansuyu made her move.

“Siheon is coming.”

– Suddenly!

With a speed surpassing sound, Sansuyu dodged the oncoming branch, severed its body, and clutched it tightly.

Immediately after, a bizarre scene unfolded.

The potent magic, budding subtly from the branch, flowed into Sansuyu’s body.

“…?”

Power?

Was that the reason for her inexhaustibility?
Sansuyu observed Jung Si-woo through a gap in her helmet.

“So, you just need to endure.”

Her voice was resolute.

To be frank, Jung Si-woo was leaning towards the likelihood that Lee Si-heon might not show up.
It was a prime opportunity to significantly deplete the World Tree’s energy. Given that he had already overstepped boundaries, he likely wouldn’t place much importance on the death of civilians.

Of course, this wasn’t to defame his character.
The reason Jung Si-woo thought this way was purely because it seemed logical.

Yet, Sansuyu had an unshakeable faith in Lee Si-heon, perhaps more than was warranted.

“Si-heon can win.”

Her trust was akin to religious faith.