The Monster-Eating Tree, Eternal Forest Tree
Following the Tree of Life, what the hell was this Eternal Forest Tree? Whatever it was, if it packed as much punch as the Bomb Flower, that'd be awesome. But unlike the Bomb Flower's dopamine-exploding blast, this one bewitched enemies. Was it actually useful?
"…Let's plant it for now."
You never knew until you tried it yourself. Still, plunking it right next to the house felt risky. What if "enemy" included other people? I'd feel bad if Seunghwa Jeong got mesmerized by the tree and started acting all loopy.
"Nyangnyang!!!"
I woke up the cat napping inside the house. Grabbing the penguin nearby, I was about to head out when…
"……."
A teddy bear stared blankly at me. It didn't look quite right, but I tied it to my side and set off anyway. Riding the enlarged Nyangnyang—now in her massive White Tiger form—we descended the mountain path.
This Eternal Forest Tree. It'd probably be best planted somewhere monsters swarmed. Mae would know the spots, but he was out on patrol with Nyangnyang right now, so I'd ask her.
"Where do monsters usually come from in droves?"
"Mostly around the Bomb Flower farm. They smell the blood, nyang."
It made sense—I'd been luring house-prowling monsters there to feed the farm.
"Then let's head to the Bomb Flower farm."
"Got it, nyang."
We made our way slowly to the Bomb Flower farm. By the time we arrived, a rotting stench was starting to waft through the air. Undigested monster corpses, no doubt. My stomach wasn't up for the sight.
"Let's go into the surrounding woods instead."
"Got it, nyang."
We reached the forest around the Bomb Flower farm. With summer closing in, it was thick with all sorts of grasses. I found a decent spot for seeds, planted one, and since the Turtle wasn't here, I poured water from my bottled supply.
Then I sat on some nearby grass, cupped my hands, and channeled mana from my body into the soil. It soaked in fast, stimulating the seed. A sprout emerged, a sturdy stem shooting up rapidly. The tree grew smoothly, reaching maturity in no time.
But…
"…Something's off."
"Kinda meh!"
"It's cuter than your average tree, nyang."
Unlike the massive trees scattered around, this one looked barely a year old—thin trunk. Compared to the neighboring pine, it was less than a fifth the size.
"I could snap this with my bare hands."
"Maybe it hasn't fully grown? No fruit yet!"
Trees were plants, after all, so fruit came last. Some didn't bear until mature, or had separate male and female trees.
"Does it need more mana?"
I kept channeling rapid growth, but nothing changed.
"Well, maybe it'll evolve after some time?"
"We should check back tomorrow, nyang."
Without monsters wandering in, we couldn't test its power. Should I have Mae drag one over? As I pondered heading back…
"……?!!!!"
Nyangnyang and the penguin whipped their heads around in unison. Had they sensed something? Then a monstrous roar echoed.
KRAAAAAHHH!!!
The ground trembled with the agonized bellow.
"What the—?!"
"Monsters from the Bomb Flower farm are moving, nyang!!"
Soon, one lumbered into view—a hulking humanoid with ruined, wrinkled skin and a blocky silhouette. One arm torn off, flesh melted or shredded across its body. Yet it charged straight at me. That let me ID it instantly.
"Troll…?"
"Get back, nyang!!!"
"How's that thing even alive?!"
Shock was brief. My two companions stepped protectively in front, ready for the troll. I trusted them and ducked for cover.
But then, the Eternal Forest Tree's branches stirred.
"…Huh?"
Whoosh— Branches whipped out with gusts of wind, stabbing into surrounding trees. An eerie glow emanated from the Forest Tree, flowing along the branches to infuse the others. Pines, maples, nameless roadside trees—all lit up spectacularly.
I was startled by the sudden motion, but then it hit me: this was our chance to see its true power.
"Guys! The tree's moving!"
"We see it, nyang. But until we know how, stay focused, nyang."
"Yeah! Just leave it to us!"
I almost said to block the troll half-assed, but if they were set, no need. I hid behind the Forest Tree to watch.
THUD THUD THUD!!
The troll dragged its dying bulk toward us, zeroing in on me. But entering the tree's domain changed everything.
"…It stopped, nyang?"
The troll jerked its head wildly, like seeing illusions.
"The Forest Tree's power?"
"Looks like! But to be safe, I'll freeze its legs!"
Penguin blasted ice at the troll's legs for good measure. Frozen in place, it thrashed its head, pupils vanishing as it swung at empty air. Was I appearing in its nightmares?
"Better than expected."
A troll wasn't some scrub monster, yet this toyed with it effortlessly.
"But does it only mesmerize? No finish?"
It might repel them from the woods, but zero offense was a letdown.
Tap. Something nudged my shoulder. A branch from the Forest Tree's trunk.
Poke poke—whoosh— It gestured for me to back off.
"Got it. Guys! Let's move!!"
Trusting the tree, we shifted behind a big oak. Then the Eternal Forest Tree uprooted itself.
"……Ugh?!"
Using roots like feet, it lumbered toward the troll. Like a tree ghost—straight out of a horror flick.
It glanced at me, as if asking, really wanna see the end? Hell yeah. Staring blatantly, it sighed deeply, then gaped wide and swallowed the troll whole.
How'd that slim trunk fit a troll? Snake-downing-elephant style.
But if that was it, I'd just grimace and move on.
"GRRROOOOAAARRGH!!!!"
The troll's muffled screams from inside, thrashing violently. Visible bulging—grotesque as hell. I hid behind the White Tiger; one more glimpse and I'd hurl my morning fries.
"Bad tree!! Don't be so obvious!!!"
"Apologize, nyang!!!"
The companions raged instead. A sheepish chuckle echoed from the tree. Soon, a satisfied burp. I peeked out. Trunk slimmed back down.
…Digestion: top-notch.
One change post-troll snack: a fruit budding on the Eternal Forest Tree. It extended the branch invitingly. I plucked it—hard shell, pinecone texture.
"Can't eat this, right?"
"Probably not, nyang."
Penguin cracked it with his beak. Inside: one Forest Tree seed, like the original.
One monster, one seed? Or trolls were just that big? Pocketing it, I approached the returned tree. Curious about its reach after linking with others.
Could it dominate the whole forest solo?
"So, how far can you control?"
Branches extended everywhere, farther than the Tree of Life's range. One tree could cover a ton.
"Should I ring the whole mountain with these?"
"Smart idea, nyang. Mae and I might miss some."
No monsters since the wyvern, but you never knew. Sneaky ones could slip patrols.
"Cool. Spare time: plant Forest Trees around the house."
Strike while the iron's hot. I planted nearby, rapid-grew another. Both stood, eyed each other, adjusted territories.
"……!!!"
"…!!!"
Smart positioning. Way more useful than expected.
"Gonna tell Mae to send some caught monsters to the woods, not just Bomb Flower farm."
"Great idea!"
"All rare seeds so far specialize in killing and eating monsters, nyang."
True—skill-gotten rares all devoured foes. Coincidence? Only the Earth Apocalypse Online creator knew.
"Whatever. Good's good. Let's head home."
Near Sam Mart, home of the Haven survivor group.
Awakened survivors sighed deeply, resting by the Tree of Life as usual.
"Druid's been radio silent a bit."
"Just occasional potatoes, carrots, a few Bomb Fruits. That's it."
"Something wrong?"
Haven was thriving, reclaiming land steadily. This support sufficed, but doubts crept in.
"Maybe she thinks she's helped us enough and moved on to others?"
"Possible. Someone like Druid would help more survivors."
Logical. Power like hers meant saving more lives. But Seola always watched Mae's flight path, fidgeting anxiously.
"Haa…."
Guess we weren't special. Just one of many she aided. Recalling her first meeting with Hayun, Seola trudged listlessly to her room.
"……."
She carefully pulled out her hidden laptop, logging into the Ark. Officially promoting Haven and legally tapping power, but surfing felt great. Only now could she connect with others.
She'd frequented her thread before, but no PotatoFriesGirl updates meant skipping it lately. Did she crave attention that much? She shook her head.
This was just for Haven promo. Nothing more. Steadying herself, her eyes caught the top post.
Something stirred in Seola's heart.