Chapter 238
Chapter 238
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 238
Chapter Title: Baobab Tree (2)
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"Bro."
We'd been walking east for a while. As we caught some fish from nearby and grilled them for lunch, Sun spoke up.
He picked up a fallen leaf from the ground and put on a serious expression.
"If you're about to say something weird again, just stop."
"This is a lesson."
What the hell is there to teach?
"Take a look. What does this look like to you?"
"Just a normal leaf."
"Hey now, trees trained by professionals don't call this a leaf. You can't do that if you're going to be king."
This guy's lost his mind again and is about to spout nonsense.
After hearing it so much, I was starting to get curious now.
Fine, let's see how far he goes.
I glanced at the oil dripping from the fish tail, then turned my head toward Sun.
He was flaring his nostrils with utmost seriousness.
Ihyang was preparing the meal behind us, ignoring our conversation.
"Bro, check this out. Hey. Rag."
"Huh?"
Aori, who had been leaning against a tree resting, looked our way.
"What does this look like to you?"
When she saw the leaf in his hand, Aori shrugged nonchalantly and let out a haughty breath.
He pressed his index finger and thumb together, rubbed them, and snickered.
The creepy hand movements of a madman.
"Pfft... what else? It's a tree clitoris."
"You heard that, right?"
"What the hell does that have to do with this?"
Trees are lewd creatures where their entire body is an erogenous zone.
Sun whispered as if hypnotizing me, like it was the most obvious thing.
"The structure of a leaf is simple. This whole part is the leaf blade. This thread-like part is the vein. And the part connecting to the branch is the petiole."
"So?"
"...It's just like a human body. Touching the chest at first does nothing, but as you gradually stimulate it, it develops sensitivity."
Sun caressed the leaf with practiced motions.
He fixed the leaf with his index and middle fingers, gently rubbing the nipple with his thumb.
Tick, tick.
He stroked the central vein—the main one in the middle—like plucking it.
"This is the standard way to caress a tree."
"......I want to stop this conversation."
"Hey, bro. If you want to be a great tree husband, you have to learn."
"This might be common sense here, but not by my standards... it's messed up."
Sun said seriously.
"Keep this up for five minutes, and the knot will get nice and wet. At that point, contemptuously say, 'You're soaking wet, you slut. Your roots tingling yet? Feels good, huh?' and the effect doubles. Trees love being dominated."
"Why would a tree knot get wet?"
"Because... it feels good?"
How the hell do you know that?
"Of course, every tree's erogenous zones are different—whether it's the knot, leaf, or petal... You'll have to find out for yourself, bro."
"Uh, yeah, sure."
"You're not sounding too enthusiastic, bro."
I scratched the back of my neck.
Trees weren't much more than jerk-off material to me. But the crap coming out of Sun's mouth was beyond insane.
These guys were dead serious about trees.
Starting with slow caresses? They were way past human norms.
"Can't I just shove it in?"
"......"
Sun gulped.
"Bro, you get it. I like it beastly too. Actions that shock people always feel the best."
So that's what counts as beastly.
I recalled the Healing World Tree I'd met before.
That guy hadn't caressed at all—just shoved my thing straight into his knot.
...Wait, didn't he grope my body with his roots and branches?
Was that his idea of foreplay?
The Healing World Tree. More terrifying the more I thought about it.
I hoped he wasn't traumatizing other guys, wherever he was.
If he was waiting for me...
Shiver.
My body trembled in fear. Looked like my knot trauma lingered.
"Anyway, it'll be useful. Now, let me teach you how to caress flowers. First, bury your nose in as courtesy..."
"Let's stop for today."
His nonstop chatter was starting to feel too real.
I really had inherited the Wood Spirit King's power.
And the realization that someday I might have to jerk off into a knot. The Lewd Demon whispered it might be possible now.
Not a fan. Even with my abnormal life, this was too much.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 'World Tree of Purity' is furious! Just as I thought that, the World Tree of Purity cursed me out in my head. Now she even used emoticons.
She looked older. But why become human and not tree?
This one's weird too.
"Listening to you guys, it does sound intense. If I really—"
"Bro."
Sun cut me off, his face suddenly hardening.
Faint traces of mana flowing over his shoulder.
"Someone's coming right now."
Someone was charging straight toward us.
An ambush.
Not many cadets would attack a group of four.
Maybe looters?
Shh shh shh.
Rustling from the distant bushes.
Sounds of feet stomping, snapping vines and branches whole.
I spread my mana to pierce their movements.
One person. Rushing here.
"Bro."
"Get ready."
I summoned the staff I'd left on the ground into my hand.
Sun held his breath, thinly coating his body in mana, then shouted to the two behind him.
"Someone's coming!"
Aori and Ihyang tensed immediately.
"O-Okay!"
"Ihyang, you're not fully recovered, so stay back. You, come here quick. Guard bro."
"Got it."
Ihyang wielded dual swords, while Sun and Aori were fighters adapting to situations like me.
They could use magic occasionally and wield any weapon skillfully after absorbing power from Wood People or trees they'd been intimate with.
I cracked my knuckles, creating thin wind cutters behind my back.
Vmmm!
Crescent-shaped magic manifesting as mana trembled.
Crack!
A sound like a branch snapping nearby.
Aori gripped massive gauntlets from who-knows-where and stood in front of me.
I'm a mage now. I stepped back to fulfill my role.
I spread mana, planting spells in likely enemy paths.
Gaps between trees. High branches. Under bushes.
Every possible entry point got a trap.
Flames erupting from the ground when stepped on. The staff's effect minimized mana cost.
"Can you hold?"
3 seconds.
That's when they'd arrive.
I set spells to trigger on command and asked Sun.
"Pfft, bro. Do I look that weak? Even against average National Trees, I can win."
Sun answered confidently.
Can I trust that guy?
Boom!
In that instant, the tree trunk in front of Sun exploded.
Rrrrip!
The shredded tree toppled toward us with a bizarre noise, fragments flying.
A black fist charging straight ahead, red mana surging over the knuckles.
Yellow eyes gleaming through the debris.
"Found you."
Dozens of cameras trailed behind the woman with her sharp voice.
Whirr!
All shapes and sizes, lenses zooming rapidly to capture us.
The cameras circled us like migratory birds.
Bam!
The woman who burst through the tree reached out.
Incredible speed.
Sun hurriedly crossed his arms to brace, but she grabbed his wrist faster and hurled him away.
"Urk!"
Sun flew far without even hitting a tree, leaving only a groan.
"...That retard."
Aori muttered watching Sun vanish.
Thud.
The woman stepped on the dirt path with her worn shoes, brushing tree fragments from her face.
She eyed my mask with fierce hostility.
"Lee Si-heon."
Her lips torn long. Red mana.
Exposed outfit ripped her way— like continental fashion.
Cloth torn from belly and arms, upper and lower chest fully exposed.
Dark brown skin.
"Finally foun—"
Before the words left her mouth as she looked at me.
"Aori, move."
"Okay."
Confirming Aori retreat, I unleashed magic.
Twenty wind cutters from the sky.
Dozens rained on the woman's spot like arrows.
Grass and branches shredded like landscaping. Arc scars from wind cutters on the ground.
Whoosh!
I kept firing nonstop.
Redirected pre-set traps mid-air toward her.
Leaves fluttered down from branches.
As the dust storm cleared, I stopped the barrage and lowered my staff.
The woman's silhouette emerged soon after.
"Hoo..."
Untouched, as expected.
A spherical barrier enveloped her.
Advanced magic. Annual Rings.
Secret among National Trees and nobles—cadets couldn't know the incantation or theory.
For mages, it was a spare life.
Brown rings spun around her like a hula hoop.
Africa's National Tree, Baobab Tree. A smirk on her lips.
Why would a National Tree target this place?
She said she'd finally found me.
No prior encounters, yet here she was.
Following Aori and Sun. No way she was Wood Spirit King descendant too.
"...Rude greeting."
No time to relax.
I pointed my staff at Bao again.
Ihyang behind me held dual swords just in case.
Aori fully unleashed her mana too.
And Sun...
Boom!
Was flying back here.
Kaboom!
Sun's charging fist hammered Bao's annual rings.
A massive boom cracked the barrier, his fist shooting toward her body.
Of course, no Wood Person power.
Showing it on broadcast would make him a target.
Chaotic melee.
Shatter the rings, block counters, Sun knee strike.
As Bao counterattacked Sun, Aori dove in.
I spread my fingers, gathering mana.
...No spells I know can take a National Tree anyway.
Pure mana orb swelling in my hand like a whirlwind.
Filled with wind essence, of course.
My top spells useless here.
Attack magic plentiful, but no real damage.
I stretched the mana in my hand long.
Very long. Forming a blue spear.
Spear-like arrows rose slowly from my hand, resonating.
No good spells? Make my own.
Whirr. The spinning wind arrow sucked in surrounding air with a dangerous whine.
Not fully original—modified and combined existing ones.
Focused on destruction. Upper-grade power.
Boom!
Sun was pushed back by Bao's power, landing in front of me.
"Bro..."
"Yeah."
"Fuck, she's no ordinary National Tree."
He looked shocked.
"Exchanged a few punches. My bones are ringing. Aori won't last seconds either."
Glancing ahead, Aori twisted fiercely, fighting desperately.
Cat-like stance, small body clinging low agilely.
I fired the loaded spear between them.
Name...
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Upper-Grade ? Wind Lotus The spinning wind spear sliced between Aori and Bao, scattering traces like lotus leaves.
Kaboom!
A deafening roar punched a huge hole in the front tree.
Wind shook the surrounding bushes.
Shaking hair. Aori and Bao silently widened the gap.
"Negotiate."
I spoke first.
"No need for a war of attrition here."
Deal like with Marronnier. Only day three.
Bao glanced my way with a smile.
"Dunno... Doesn't matter to me? Lee Si-heon. Right?"
"Yeah."
"Just need you. Lee Si-heon."
Heavy declaration. Her finger pointed at me.
Then ominous mana flames rose from her shin.
A massive tree silhouette loomed behind her for an instant.
[Baobab Tree]
I knew it. That tree.
Top combat prowess among National Trees.
Flash!
In the breath of a single inhale.
As Sun and Aori relaxed briefly, she moved first.
Bao's hand snatched my head.
Enormous hand. By the time I noticed, her body had grown beyond imagination.
Like a giant.
2.7 meters.
Something like that.
Chills down my spine as my body lifted into the air.
Vision blocked by her palm. Another ear-ringing boom.
Thud!
Riiiing.
Tinnitus in my ears.
Back of my head slammed into the trunk—vision spinning.
I peered at Bao through her finger gaps.
The giant woman sat on my stomach.
Long thighs spread M-shaped over my torso.
Forest Keeper prelim outfit, thighs ripped too—crotch faintly visible.
No underwear?
"......"
Throb.
Head hurts.
"You... from DoWonHyang?"
Aori, Sun—suddenly, no one around.
Grabbed and flung far away.
Bao lounged atop me leisurely.
"Rice."
The name from her mouth.
"Tell me where that bastard is. Right now."