Eat The World Tree

Chapter 232: Timing (3)

“What?”

The forest, densely packed with bushes, was utterly silent. The first trial of the Forester Selection Competition was underway, with battles raging elsewhere.

“Excuse me for the first meeting… uh, um, do you want to do it with me?”

Was she crazy?

The three people present simultaneously thought.

‘What’s up with her?’

Lee Shiheon was at a loss for words.

‘What did this crazy woman just say?’

Taeyang couldn’t believe his ears.

Aori, too, looked like she didn’t understand why she said what she did. Lee Hyang swallowed nervously, unable to grasp the meaning of the words, and the tense atmosphere continued for a few more seconds.

Crackle, crack.

Only the sound of sparks from the campfire broke the silence. If this kept up, the awkwardness would never end. At the very least, she needed to convey that she had no intention of fighting.

“What did you just say?”

Unable to hold back, Taeyang spoke up, and Aori immediately retorted.

“I’m not guilty.”

“Bullshit.”

It wasn’t something she said intentionally. Looking at Lee Shiheon made her feel like she had to say it. It felt like an urge rising from within, not from her brain.

“Really, I’m serious. I’m not guilty.”

“Just ignore her. She’s always been a bit weird.”

Taeyang spoke while pressing down on Aori’s head. Shiheon, still with a hardened face, tilted his head once.

His eyes turned towards Aori. Her eyes were strangely bright. Even while claiming her innocence to Taeyang, she was fixated on him.

“Well… okay.”

Weird girl. She sure seemed that way. He swallowed the words that came to mind.

Taeyang thought to himself, ‘This could be bad.’

He was equally bewildered. Seeing Lee Shiheon had made his mind go blank. He desperately searched for words to salvage the situation.

‘How should I explain that Aori suddenly went berserk and charged at him saying she wanted to have sex?’

That’s ridiculous, of course. The problem was that Aori suddenly went off the rails, so why was he suffering for it?

Taeyang’s gaze wandered and finally landed on a woman blinking her innocent eyes. It was someone he and Aori knew.

Lee Hyang pointed at herself from behind Shiheon.

“…Huh? Is that Taeyang?”

Right, damn it!

“Hyang, Hyang, right? I thought I recognized that voice while I was checking around.”

Taeyang spoke rapidly.

“Oh, that’s why? You startled me.”

“Hyang, hello… I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Yeah? Hehe, hello Aori too.”

Lee Hyang was completely fooled. When Aori waved her hand cheerfully, Hyang also smiled and greeted her.

“Are they your friends?”

“Yes, they’re friends from Seoul Academy.”

Friends.

It was hard to believe that the naive, kind Hyang, who seemed like she’d help anyone if asked, was friends with those two weirdos. She called everyone friends because she was so friendly.

A brief silence. And an exchange of glances.

Growl.

“I’m hungry…”

Suddenly clutching her stomach, Aori’s growling stomach broke the tension slightly.

Korean Internet Community Site.

This year’s Forester Selection Competition was enough to cause a major stir in Korea.

With Jung Siwoo not participating, it was expected that no one would stand out in the first trial.

─ “This year, just keep an eye on Kim Soo-yeon. None of the academy cadets seem remarkable, maybe except for Sansuyu? But there’s been some noise about the Cornus Family lately.”

[Comments]

-ㅇㅇ : Just watch Kim Soo-yeon.

-JungSiwooOppaFan : Siwoo oppa ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

└ㅇㅇ : Is this fan in every post, damn Siwoo.

└JungSiwooOppaFan : What are you saying ㅡㅡ

└ㅇㅇ : Go to Siwoo’s gallery.

-ㅇㅇ : Hey, don’t badmouth Sansuyu!

└ㅇㅇ : Why do these sword gallery fans keep overflowing?

On community sites used by many people, there were no particular expectations. However, when the trial began, the academy cadets from Korea, expected to perform poorly, started causing upsets one by one.

[Exclusive] Korean Academy Cadet Competes with the French National Tree!

Lee Shiheon. Day 1 of the Forester Selection Competition. Achieves unexpected results, surprising even the expert hunters...

“I didn’t not investigate Cadet Lee Shiheon, but... he’s an unpredictable cadet.”

“And why do you think so?”

“At first, he used a sword, then during the tournament with Jung Siwoo, he fought with his fists. And now... he seems to be competing as a mage. I don’t know why, haha. The important thing is, he’s achieving results.”

TV, internet, MokTube, and various media outlets delivering special news started talking about Lee Shiheon. Interviews with instructors who knew him spread through communities, generating various reactions.

─ “Who is this guy I’m seeing on TV?”

(Maronnie and Lee Shiheon’s duel.gif)

Isn’t he fighting a National Tree? How did he do it?

-ㅇㅇ : If I knew that, I’d be an expert, you fool.

└Author : Sorry;; why are you so angry.

-PassingHunter : The trial is survival for a week. It seems the National Tree was conserving her magic and got caught. Though it’s significant, it’s something that can happen.

└Author : Oh, is that so? I thought he completely overpowered her.

└ㅇㅇ : Yes, if you look closely, you can see them negotiating while talking.

─ “How to eat the French National Tree like a piece of cake.”

(Lastly, Lee Shiheon and Maronnie talking about something.)

-ㅇㅇ : LOL he got taken down.

-ㅇㅇ(13.424) : Ah, but she’s really pretty. A bit lacking in physique, but super cute.

└Minirae : Don’t you know she has millions of fans? If you don’t know who Lee Shiheon is, you’ll get death threats immediately LOL.

└ㅇㅇ(52.13): But seriously, her physique isn’t bad either. Other National Trees are just on another level; look at those pale thighs.

└ㅇㅇ: Wow, he worked so hard to win, and now he’s getting death threats?

─ “I don’t care who Lee Shiheon is.”

(Maronnie’s disheveled outfit photo)

This guy touched her?

This bastard.

A cadet defeating a National Tree is unimaginable. However, such an unimaginable event happened again in another region. Guseul and Baobab Tree’s one-on-one duel.

Unlike the brief sparring between Lee Shiheon and Maronnie, their fight was a bloody battle.

A fight with Africa’s National Tree, considered the top in combat. Normally, just competing would be impossible.

Boom! Boom!

The TV screen showed Guseul’s skillful movements.

Despite the slow-motion, the scene of shooting arrows while climbing between trees left a deep impression on many people.

A fighter focused on close combat versus an archer relatively weak in close quarters.

Nevertheless, Guseul performed admirably.

─ Flutter.

(A gif of a Taegeukgi [Korean flag] waving in the wind)

-ㅇㅇ: After France's National Tree, now Africa's too?

-ㅇㅇ: The commentators are speechless.

-ㅇㅇ: Lee Shiheon is now defeating dungeons with Maronnie. He’s hanging out with a National Tree.

The stellar performances didn’t stop there.

Lim Jonghyun, always considered Jung Siwoo’s rival, also defeated consecutive cadets and achieved excellent results.

Sansuyu, running freely through the forest, displayed his dominance by defeating nearly fifty cadets.

─ (Celebration) Swordsmanship Gallery, all members support our Goddess Sansuyu (Congratulations)

No objections accepted.

If you disagree, you’re right.

-ㅇㅇ: Agreed.

-ㅇㅇ: But is this okay?

└ㅁ: If it ruins her reputation again, it’ll be deleted. That’s the swordsmanship gallery for you.

└ㅇㅇ: Ah, just….

-ㅇㅇ: The pride of the swordsmanship gallery! Awesome, Sansuyu!

└Champinamu: Isn’t this the guy who used to badmouth Sansuyu?

└Champinamu: Sigh… It’s a celebration, so I’ll let it slide.

An unstoppable momentum.

Was that the right expression?

Everyone was performing exceptionally without exception.

These unbelievable events reached everyone’s ears, and many who learned about it later also doubted their eyes and ears.

Hey, a Korean took down a National Tree!

They say she’s cutting down dozens of cadets!

As the rumors grew, some people had different thoughts.

Some hypothesized that Sansuyu’s experiment succeeded.

Others explored the potential of Lee Shiheon and Guseul.

‘As expected, things are quite different.’

Cheondo, observing, thought this while watching Lee Shiheon, who was now moving better and using only magic without relying on Cheonma’s power.

Baekdo felt frustrated watching Lee Shiheon not use his fists. Hwangdo was squealing and waving a cheering stick.

Meanwhile, at his apartment.

“Dad! It’s Dad!”

“Do you like it, Shiba?”

“Dad did it!”

Sitting on Jin Dallae’s lap, Shiba pointed at the TV in amazement.

Hye-young and Dallae looked at Shiba proudly, smiling at Lee Shiheon’s impressive performance.

Watching TV all night were Lee Seyeong and Byeol too.

“…What is this?”

With stunned faces, they watched the recorded TV.

“Was Shiheon always this strong?”

Byeol asked, and Seyeong shook her head.

“Seyeong, if you don’t know, who would? He’s your boyfriend! Also, my boyfriend, but anyway!”

When the National Tree appeared, they thought he’d struggle quite a bit.

Maronnie, as a National Tree, had to conserve her magic. They thought maybe he could escape.

Instead, he smashed her and negotiated.

When the two entered the dungeon, Byeol and Seyeong simultaneously rubbed their eyes as if prearranged.

“That girl… surely isn’t weak.”

Byeol said, scratching the back of her neck.

“Maronnie?”

When Seyeong asked, Byeol nodded.

“I don’t understand how she got beaten like that. She’s a genius. A genius raised with the national push.”

“Oh… that. Wasn’t the original National Tree supposed to be someone who disappeared?”

“Yeah.”

Anyone involved in this would have heard about Maronnie’s past at least once.

Usually, news about National Trees spreads as national news.

However, Maronnie was an extraordinary genius magician.

A monster who mastered top-tier magic from a young age.

Of course, there was no opportunity for Maronnie’s strengths to shine in that fight.

Did Maronnie go easy?

No.

In fact, Lee Shiheon’s movement to end the fight so quickly was excessively clean.

If Lee Shiheon’s actions had been delayed even a little.

If his movements to dodge the magic had been any larger.

Maronnie might have immediately devised a counterattack plan.

Perhaps instead of negotiating, she would have pushed Lee Shiheon.

Preventing such a situation by decisively subduing Maronnie showed his skill.

Lee Shiheon hadn’t even exerted his full power.

Talent surpassing a National Tree.

Now everyone was denying it… but more people would recognize it as time goes on.

“…What’s going on.”

Byeol’s gloomy murmur made Seyeong chuckle.

She was surprised too, but it wasn’t the first time Lee Shiheon had suddenly changed.

When she first met him, he didn’t even know how to fight.

“At least it’s a relief.”

If his skills had suddenly disappeared, it would have been a big worry.

Unknowingly, he had become stronger.

Feeling her heart pound, Seyeong stroked Byeol’s hair.

“Hey. Why do I feel like I’m being treated like a cat?”

“Seeing that kid makes me want to raise a cat for some reason.”

“Agreed.”

But that cat… I mean Maronnie.

Why does watching Lee Shiheon and Maronnie make me feel chilly?

Pat.

“Meow.”

“What are you doing?”

“I just wanted to try. Would Shiheon like it if I pretended to be a cat?”

He’d like it. He loved any girl.

Seyeong looked at Lee Shiheon’s masked face on TV.

Just watching made a soft smile automatically appear on her lips.

Today, she could try a little harder.