Chapter 610 – The King of Trees’ Subjugation (6)

Monstrous.

Its visage is ferocious, the bounds of its power, unfathomable.

This was my immediate thought upon beholding the Pando, a behemoth that blanketed the heavens. I could assert with certainty that the latent strength concealed by the King surpassed my own.

-Whoosh!

A westerly gale swept through. A shiver. The hem of my Black Dragon cloak, draped over my shoulder, rippled in the wind.

From the apex of the tower, the night vista of Seoul was devoid of the smallest speck of light from any window. Yet, it was dazzling, perhaps due to the glow of the luminescent rounds.

【 Ki-hi-ri-ik?! 】

Innumerable branches altered their path, soaring like wedges from a distance.

As these entities, which had previously pierced through hunters and weaponry alike, abruptly converged into one location, the gaze of the entire army turned our way.

It seemed the King had issued a separate command, prioritizing me as the initial target… Thanks to that, all eyes were drawn to me.

-Clink.

The melancholy echo of the Matan’s reload reverberated. Gu-seul, lying atop the rooftop, her gaze locked on the scope, hardened her expression and held her breath.

Hissing. The red-hot barrel began to cool. The ‘branches’ were densely interwoven in the sky, yet, excluding Gu-seul, none of us betrayed any movement.

【 Ki-hi-ri-ik!! 】

They descended upon us. Witnessing this spectacle, Tae-yang, seated beside me, murmured in a voice filled with wonder.

“Brother.”
“Yes.”
“Isn’t it strange? The place we once subdued is now the place we’re saving.”

While I may not remember everything, he wasn’t there at that time.

“Is that so? My memory has been somewhat… But you know, I’ve had my fair share of unpleasant experiences living in Seoul.”
“You were told not to come, yet you insisted on coming. Is that your point?”
“Wasn’t it you, brother, who said we needed a reliable person for this subjugation? Besides, everyone seems to be watching us.”

Indeed.

I hadn’t anticipated attracting this much attention. We were but a small part of the front lines, and apart from Hae-nul and Gu-seul, none of us had taken any action.

‘Even so, you should be watching.’

With my eyes narrowed, I gazed at the golden knight standing in the far distance, Angelica. She was the emissary of the World Tree of Justice, the one who had been unflinching in her efforts to kill me.

For a fleeting moment, it seemed as if our gazes met.

【 Ki-hi-ri-ik! 】

Just then, the ‘branches’ reached our location. With the momentum to pierce a skyscraper, they agilely adjusted their trajectory.

Ki-hi-ri-ik, Ki-hi-ri-ik!

These beasts, intelligent enough to scatter to make retaliation difficult. I bent my hand to signal.

– Click.

Gu-seul’s trigger was pulled. The sight of the purple barrage filled our vision for an instant.

– Boom!

The downpour of bullets. A torrent of rounds rained down, obliterating the incoming branches. It was as if a surging wave had swept away the spume, reducing the flying branches to dust.

Just a single shot. The branches that had filled the surroundings were either torn to shreds or unable to maintain their form.

Before long, the vast expanse of the now empty sky held no trace of any obstructive presence.

-Clank.

Gu-seul began reloading with an adept touch. Mana, unused and squandered, spilled from her shoulders, a torrent so severe it seemed to engulf the building.

“……”

An eerie silence descended on the battlefield, a stark contrast to the former desperation. Even the observing trees ceased movement, quelled by the unpredictable, destructive force.

The Association’s hunters could not mask the bewilderment and confusion rampant in their eyes. The Knights stood frozen, mouths agape.

“How many more times can you manage this?”
“Phehe, I can keep at it all day.”

The marble. Gu-seul, the Wolf of the Three Disasters, the king’s right hand. The power of the true second-in-command had the might to spear the heavens.

The zenith of Gunsmith. A firearm-type artifact that could only be utilized when all restrictions were unhinged. Despite the decreased efficiency of Odin, the weapon could harness an abundant amount of mana, a brute force advantage. The sheer mana accumulated within Gu-seul was potent enough to consume the continent’s atmosphere.

I straightened my hunched posture, readying myself. Tae-yang, with his patience, Healing, Aori, and Hong-Yeon all prepared to move.

“We proceed as per the strategy. Don’t overdo it. If it seems perilous, withdraw immediately.”
“I don’t foresee any complications, brother.”
“The King tends to worry excessively.”

Especially Aori, she wasn’t yet recuperated enough to return to the frontlines. Although she was equipped with combat artifacts, her role was to provide support and healing, like the others.

“No, Your Majesty, Aori can do it. Invincible~ Mecha Aori Public Ball!”
“Quit your prattling.”
“Eekkung!”

I thumped Aori on the back of her head and leapt from the building.

-Whoo!

The wind grazed my skin as I plummeted towards the frontlines. The ground beneath was half-melted from the heat, a grim testament to the earlier fallen Meteor’s immense sacrifice. Wounded hunters, propped against the debris of the melted building, lay strewn about, awaiting death.

Assistance from the medical staff would be scant. They wouldn’t waste their top-tier potions on mere hunters.

“Healing.”
“We only need to maintain until your husband arrives, right?”
“……Indeed.”

The atmosphere of the area shifted. Wherever Healing’s touch landed, the hunters’ injuries mended completely.

The power of Healing, capable of rapidly restoring severed limbs and damaged nerves, shone brilliantly in the battlefield.

“This is…”
“A miracle? Impossible.”

Hunters, who were on the brink of death moments ago, gazed at us with incredulous expressions. Initially taken aback, they recognized the situation and gratitude swiftly followed.

We were saving the enemy, a move that could backfire someday.

Regardless, those who upheld their principles to rescue civilians, deserved to be healed.

-Thump.

I restored the expended energy in an instant. The burden of Healing would increase, but we had potions to alleviate that.

The potions the sage brought by the warehouseful were ideal for replenishing our depleted forces.

-Thump.

“Sir. Sigh.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard. Rest in between.”
“…You’re worried, aren’t you? Hehe.”

Observing this spectacle, I could comprehend why the World Tree was revered as divine.

The scene unfolding before us resembled a tableau of healing.
It was no different from Jesus and his disciples.

– Plop.

At last, we had arrived at the front lines.

Guardedness, hope, anxiety, anticipation — a medley of emotions were reflected in the eyes that were all trained on me.

– Is that…
– The Black Dragon Wave? Could it be, the eighth… Flower?
– Why would Flower be here?

The surroundings were abuzz, and some even threatened us with their weapons.
Tae-yang and Hong-Yeon surveyed the surroundings, exuding an aura of vitality.

Regardless of the assistance we might provide, I wouldn’t allow such hostile gazes to be directed at me — a stern warning to all.
Perhaps due to our display of loyalty, some of the hunters backed off, visibly startled.
Needless to say, the general atmosphere of unease escalated.

‘Usually, one would need the guidance of a commander in a place like this.’

I was certain that the star I knew would not overlook the fortune that had just tumbled into their lap.

– Kwaaang!

Once again, the branches that had converged were swept away by Gu-seul’s demonic bullet.
There was no one as valuable as Gu-seul when it came to securing and fortifying territory.

Inside the Black Dragon Wave, I manipulated my arm and gathered magical energy into my hand.

“Halt. What audacity brings you here?”
“…”
“…Lee Si-heon. You.”

In that moment, I felt the chill of a blade creeping towards my throat.
Angelica, having removed her helmet, pinned me down with a gaze that could kill.

“You’re the one who should stop. Angelica.”

Before I could even retort, a spirit sword launched from Hong-Yeon’s possession struck Angelica’s sword.

– Clang!

“Ah!”

Even before harnessing the power of the World Tree, Angelica’s abilities were questionable for someone of the S-class rank.

A rank that had once seemed far beyond my reach. Well…
Hong-Yeon, with dozens of spectral blades sprouting behind her, bellowed with a voice imbued with contempt.

“To save humans and Wooden People indiscriminately falling victim to this disaster, His Majesty himself intervened and extended his hand. Show some respect.”
“…Ha. How absurd.”

Angelica gritted her teeth at Hong-Yeon’s fury, visibly annoyed.

“This catastrophe, King Mokryeong, was instigated by you in the first place.”
“Well, it seems to me that you hastened the disaster by attacking the wrong tower.”

Angelica, her eyes blazing with determination, retorted, only to be countered by Tae-yang.

“How did you even manage to survive?”

I felt no obligation to answer, nor did I have any desire to.

“Do not address His Majesty so casually.”

Just as I was about to dismiss her, Hong-Yeon’s fiery voice pierced Angelica’s psyche once more.

Hong-Yeon was speaking more harshly than I had anticipated.
I turned to look at her face. Hong-Yeon, her eyes reddened, quickly averted her gaze as soon as she met mine.

– You’re not angry, are you?

As I questioned her with my eyes, Hong-Yeon closed her mouth, seemingly embarrassed.
Given that Angelica was a sworn enemy of Hong-Yeon’s homeland, her anger wasn’t surprising in the slightest.

“Regardless. I have no intention of merging with the World Tree, so bear that in mind.”

I am destined to move ahead, so there is no necessity for our paths to cross.

Should you choose to follow me in this quest to conquer the king, I won’t deter you.
However, be prepared to face the peril of death at the hands of the king.

-Thunk.

In that moment, a woman in the distance dropped her radio device.

She shot a glance in my direction, her face betraying her disbelief, as if her own eyes had deceived her.

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

Her breath was ragged.

The oppressive force that weighed heavily on her heart, and the suffocating heat enveloping her surroundings made her gasp desperately for air.

‘…Where is he?’

The place the status window had transported Shiba to was her own domicile.
A refuge she shared with her beloved mother.
Although all her possessions were gone, leaving no trace of past memories, the place itself was precious enough to evoke feelings of warmth and comfort.

“Beeep…”

A feeble whimper slipped past Shiba’s lips.
Her once safe haven was now a tragic scene of desolation.

‘Why?’

The pillars were uprooted, the roof had collapsed.
Shiba realized she was panting heavily before she was even aware of it.

For some reason, the air she inhaled felt burdensome. It was hot, and a heat haze was rising from the ground.

“…Sir.”

Though he might not hear, or even be in the vicinity, she called out to him.

“Sir, can you hear me…? If you can hear me, please respond.”

Just as she was about to reach for her cell phone, Shiba was reminded of her empty pockets and she raised her voice even higher.

“There’s no need for this. What’s the problem? Why would you do such a thing-“

Could this be something irreversible?

Shiba, who had emerged onto the familiar road, could not help but doubt her own eyes at the sight of the devastating spectacle.

“……”

There lay a man beneath the rubble, lifeless.
Perhaps he couldn’t muster the courage to evacuate. Or perhaps he deliberately chose not to until the very end.
It was a corpse of an apocalyptic prophet, clad in red and clutching a placard with religious prophecies.

-Tremble.

Shiba found her hand shaking.

She had seen death firsthand, and even experienced it, yet the gruesome reality of this scene was beyond description.

-Squirm.

Tentacles writhed in the sky. An incredible multitude of eyes gazed upon Shiba’s body as if savoring it.
Her heart pounded wildly.
Despite her best efforts, she could not accept the reality before her.

‘Could he… have done this?’

-Crash!

Suddenly, the rubble of the building behind Shiba collapsed.
Caught by surprise, Shiba pooled her magical energy to escape from the chaotic scene, and immediately found herself face-to-face with a colossal creature.

【Gruaahh.】

A tree.
A monstrous tree, twice the size of Shiba, flashed its eerie eyes and raised its fist.

‘No!’

Driven by instinct, Shiba’s body moved swiftly.
As she unsheathed her sword, imbuing it with her grey magical energy, a blade strike beyond what she could ever imagine surged forth from her.

-Crash!

Shiba, lunging forward, takes a swipe at the towering tree. Her movements are flawless, yet the assault lacks depth.

“!”

The tree retaliates, its limb striking Shiba’s shoulder with force. A single blow, yet critically damaging.

-Thud!

Shiba’s body, flung away, collides with debris, and falls limp. Despite having fortified herself with magic, the shock rendered her body unresponsive.

“Agh, choke….”

Dangerous. The realization hits Shiba as she casts a fearful gaze around her.

The same tree that struck her is advancing now. Shiba extends her senses, scanning her surroundings. Soon enough, she confronts the inevitability of her despair.

-Boom.

The sound of footsteps multiply.

-Boom, boom. Boom.

The rapid and numerous footfalls are indistinguishable from the pounding of her heart, echoing distantly in her ears.

Trees, innumerable, fill the landscape. An overwhelming count, easily surpassing dozens at a glance.

“……”

In the sky, ‘Branches’ are descending, observing Shiba.

Her hands tremble, the weight of her recklessness hitting her belatedly.

“Hic, hic.”

Shiba relinquishes her grip on her sword.

-Clank.

The sword, bereft of energy, embeds itself in the mud. As soon as she releases it, her senses return, and her hand instinctively recoils to grip the sword once more.

The sight of her blade appearing dual due to her confusion exacerbates Shiba’s desperation.

“No….”

A face flashes across her mind in that moment. Oddly enough, she is reminded of her father.

‘I cannot perish here.’

She is alone. Her aunt, her always dependable shield, is absent, as is her mother. An unmerciful army of countless trees surrounds Shiba.

Rising to her feet, Shiba extends her sword. Her lips are parched, but she can’t afford the luxury of moistening them.

Sword forward,
Feet backward.

Recalling Cornus’s teachings, she retraces the path her sword must follow.

But,

Shiba’s swordplay is dreadfully clumsy.