Eat The World Tree

Chapter 229: Chestnut

It was quiet.

I couldn’t remember twenty hours out of the twenty-four.

That was my only impression when I came out of the dungeon.

-Shoooosh.

I stared blankly at the cascading waterfall. After sitting there for a long time, I picked up a nearby pebble and threw it across the surface of the river.

Ping, ping, ping.

The pebble skipped across the water.

It caused several ripples before sinking.

“……”

We remained silent.

The one who broke the silence was Marronnie, with her haggard face.

“…Do men usually do it that much?”

Having returned to her usual temperament, and having already seen everything and experienced all sorts of play, she no longer kept up appearances.

“No, I’m just different. It’s just my constitution.”

“I see.”

At my answer, Marronnie buried her face in her knees.

She had a detached expression.

“But normally, you don’t go at it all day, do you?”

“……”

“You did come to your senses at some point, right?”

I didn’t remember.

“…There was no need to lick my toes, was there?”

I think I did lick them.

But she liked it.

“And why the armpits…”

“Let’s stop talking about that.”

“……Okay.”

The silence that returned was long.

“What should I say when I go back to the academy? That we had sex in the dungeon during the Forester Selection Competition?”

You’re not even going back to the academy, are you? You’re not even a cadet, yet you maintained that facade.

I bit back the words that came to the tip of my tongue. There was no need to ignite such a topic.

Marronnie was always like this inside the dungeon.

When I momentarily regained my composure, she would chatter and subtly put me down.

Just like now, she would use the fact that she was the one who got laid to insult me.

And then, when she returned to her normal state, she would tremble like a coward again. Don’t do it. I hate it. I hate your dick. I didn’t know what she wanted.

-Clatter.

A sound came from right next to me. When I turned my head, I saw Marronnie packing her things.

She grabbed her staff last and slammed it into the ground. Then she looked down at me.

“…Now, it’s time to go our separate ways. Don’t forget what I said.”

“Forget about the dungeon?”

“Yes, and just… pretend you don’t know.”

It was an accident. She planned to let it go that way.

It wasn’t a bad thing for me either, so I agreed.

Marronnie nodded her head in thanks and turned her back to leave.

I watched her go and then suddenly uttered a name that came to mind.

“Blanche.”

Whose name was that?

-Halt.

Marronnie stopped and looked back at me.

Was it my imagination, or did her face suddenly become sly?

Her cheeks were bright red.

“Don’t… call me that.”

With a voice that seemed to melt, Marronnie said that and fled from my side.

So that was her name.

But why did she react like that?

I didn’t look back at her. Instead, I took a fruit out of my pocket and held it up to my eyes.

‘Can I… really eat this?’

I wasn’t sure if I should call this a fruit. A nut? It didn’t seem right either.

It seemed inedible.

The only thing I managed to bring out of the dungeon while being obsessed with sex was this one thing.

As soon as the status window opened, notifications I hadn’t seen before started pouring in.

【 ‘Plant Encyclopedia’ has been updated with the Chestnut Tree. 】

□Chestnut Tree [Encyclopedia Number: 564] [Scientific Name: Aesculus hippocastanum]

-Alias: Marronnier.

-A member of the Buckeye family, the Chestnut Tree has fruits that resemble chestnuts but are toxic and inedible. It is well-known as a landscaping tree.

-Flower Language: Genius. Innate talent.

-Aptitude: [Magic Aptitude]

-Unlocked Information: 36.11%

[Encyclopedia Unlock Benefit: Slight stat increase and noticeable increase in all aspects of magic aptitude.]

[As a relationship with a National Tree with thick blood, post-natal abilities increase by 0.2 each.]

As the status window appeared, I immediately closed my eyes and felt the magic within me.

I had certainly grown stronger than before.

From the point where my stats exceeded 10, increasing them by 0.1 would require several months. In severe cases, it could take more than a year of training. So, for me, obtaining an opportunity like this was significant.

Simply having intercourse with a National Tree increased my stats by 0.2.

Including the improvement in magic aptitude, the results were exceptional.

‘Indeed.’

I spread my hands and created a Wind Cutter as I had before.

-Buzz Buzz Buzz!

The blade of wind was visibly more stable than the previous day. I infused it with more magic power, growing it further.

Intermediate-level magic. As I infused it with even more power, the blade of wind grew larger.

I threw it into the waterfall.

-Whoosh!!

The sound of the air tearing. The magic, splitting the waterfall, caused it to spit out rocks and dirt.

A great upheaval occurred in the lake.

‘At this level.’

…It seemed necessary to let go of my dignity and engage in intercourse.

The growth in magic was remarkable.

Now, I may need to learn top-tier, first-class magic beyond what I currently knew.

Among the magic I could use, spatial magic was the only one worth considering first-class.

A complex magic book not released to the public.

It originated from Hwangdo’s teachings and was passed down to me.

In short, to obtain first-class magic, one must either gain a corresponding opportunity or find a teacher.

‘…Even among top-tier magic, there’s a hierarchy.’

The highest-level magic I had used was Wind Hall.

A magic one could learn only at the end of the El Academy’s magic books. Even this level would not be underestimated anywhere.

It was the magic I used when I was kidnapped by twins named Alpha and Beta.

I learned Wind Hall first and improved it to the point of usability.

However, there is a distinct hierarchy even among top-tier magic.

Just as an A-grade hunter or an S-grade hunter is merely a rank, the difference in skill and proficiency is vast.

Sometimes, high-level magic could be considered more valuable than top-tier magic.

The value varies based on rarity and performance.

‘Hmm.’

Before that, though.

▶ Marronnie’s Chestnut (B+)

-When consumed, talent in elemental magic grows.

-Partially absorbs the magic of the original, Marronnie Blanche.

The chestnut in my hand.

When I peeled the spiked fruit, a chestnut-like thing appeared inside. I popped it into my mouth.

Even though it was poisonous, my body was that of a hunter.

‘Surely I won’t die from this.’

I ate it, but as soon as it entered my mouth, I frowned.

“…It’s bitter.”

The taste was like boiling all the herbal medicine at home into one pot and drinking it. I chewed and swallowed it despite the bitterness.

It tasted awful, but it was fine.

I took out clean water from my backpack, rinsed my mouth, and gathered my magic power.

-Zzzzt!

Electricity crackled in my hand.

It didn’t look like much from the outside, but using it directly proved its efficiency.

Of course, since it was lightning, it wasn’t as efficient as Wind Cutter, which suited my aptitude better. But even with that in mind, it was still a magic worth using occasionally.

The deployment speed of this lightning shock-like spell was faster.

-Tap, tap.

I dispelled the magic from my hand, shook them off, and then took out an artifact from my backpack, preparing to move.

As I infused it with magic, the artifact activated.

A rectangular hologram appeared before me, listing the names of the cadets.

‘Quite a lot have been eliminated.’

I scanned through the list of cadets’ names.

Those whose locations could be tracked were marked in color, and there were quite a few red names.

More than half of the hologram was red. Over a hundred had been eliminated in just one night.

‘It makes sense since it’s the first night with so many people…’

It was natural for numerous small skirmishes to break out.

The number of eliminations?

That’s possible.

But there were too many. The number of eliminations was significantly different compared to the previous Forester Selection Competition.

‘…Is this right?’

It was natural to have such doubts.

I needed to find Sansuyu first.

I found Sansuyu’s name in the participant list and clicked on it.

The hologram disintegrated into particles and soon turned into a piece of paper in my hand.

The paper had a simplified map and an arrow pointing to Sansuyu’s location.

[→]

Sansuyu was to the east.

I slung my backpack over my shoulder and started running toward the arrow.

A tautly bent arrow aimed at a cadet.

I aimed the bowstring, held my breath. When the trembling ceased, I released.

An arrow imbued with magic flew and struck the cadet’s forehead with a bang!

“…Kk!”

The cadet fainted without even exhaling properly.

It was a non-lethal arrow imbued with electric magic.

“One more added.”

Guseul skillfully pulled out another arrow from her waist.

Her designated artifact, a gun, was adjusted for the previous day’s power, so now she had to use a bow that wouldn’t kill anyone.

An arrow with a wooden tip. Though crudely made, the enchantment made it sturdy.

If survival was the main focus of this game, Guseul would be the best performer.

She was surviving in this forest through her unique survival tactics rather than clearing the dungeon.

Hiding among the leaves of the tree, delivering a downward strike.

Spotting a cadet approaching from afar, Guseul drew the bowstring and muttered to herself.

“It’s lucky for you to be eliminated now…”

Because it means they could avoid the upcoming events.

Innocent sacrifices were neither needed nor pleasant.

It would only ruin the mood later when everything was over.

To achieve the grand goal, minimizing further casualties was essential.

The first thing Flower did was reduce the number of cadets.

Of course, it was an order from her superior, completely disregarding Guseul’s intentions.

-Swoosh!

“Kk!”

The cadet struck by the arrow fainted without uttering a word.

Then, the artifact in his possession activated and transported him to a safe place.

Guseul rubbed her reddened palms against her thighs.

“…Thirty-three.”

The number of cadets she had eliminated in one night.

[Zing!]

[Beep.]

Seven cameras centered around Guseul recorded her.

The number of cameras proved Guseul’s impact as a cadet.

‘I wonder if the others are doing well.’

She thought of her Flower comrades whose names and identities she didn’t know.

They had participated in the Forester Selection Competition either as cadets or in other capacities from each academy.

All of them, like Guseul, were swiftly reducing the number of cadets.

To others, it would seem like they were diligently participating in the Forester Selection Competition.

After this trial, they would proceed to meet with the Nomads, receive blessings, and build connections.

After several trials, they would finally confront the World Tree directly.

Flower’s objective was singular.

‘Assassinate the World Tree.’

She aimed her bow at a newly emerged cadet.

Her hand seemed to tremble with tension.

In this place, broadcasted worldwide and hosted by the World Tree, regarded as divine.

They planned to show the limits of those called gods and wither them directly.

Of course, there were other benefits to be gained here.

They had prepared a lot for this grand goal.

A tautly drawn arrow.

As she released the string, it flew toward the cadet at high speed.

-Whoosh!

Carrying the blue electric magic, the arrow flew at a speed impossible for an ordinary cadet to react to.

The face of a woman with black skin, black hair, and yellow eyes turned toward the arrow in an instant.

‘…Did she react?’

Whoosh - Thud!

With a loud clash, the woman caught the arrow.

A black-skinned woman, dressed in a torn cadet uniform.

Lion-like golden eyes stared intently at Guseul.

An unusual aura, a National Tree.

Realizing this, Guseul quickly retreated.

-Tap!

It was a swift and seasoned decision.

“Hey.”

However, moving faster than Guseul, the woman climbed up the tree’s trunk and branches.

-Thunk.

Suddenly, the woman’s face was in front of Guseul, casting a cold gaze at her.

Her expression was so stern it induced fear.

“Who are you?”

Baobab Tree.

Above her body, blood-red magic power rose like a mosquito coil.