Chapter 317
Chapter 317
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 317
Chapter Title: The Collapse of the Cradle (2)
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On the bed. Inside Lee Siheon's room.
Sun, who had a comic book draped over his face, let out a long yawn.
"Haaah... Why isn't big bro coming back? The vibe's been all tense lately anyway."
Maybe he'd caught on to Flower's preparations or something. It was about time for that anyway.
It had nothing to do with him, though—he just needed to rescue the Wood Spirit King.
Sun turned his gaze toward Aori, who was sitting on the floor beside the bed.
"Hey."
He called out half-heartedly, and Aori turned her head.
Her haughty eyes held the sentiment of, 'This guy's at it again.'
"How long are you gonna keep making that thing?"
At his question, she brushed off the wood shavings from her carving knife.
The sawdust fell from the blade, and Aori proudly held out the wooden piece in her hand.
"Made it real nice, huh?"
"What the hell is it?"
"Wooden pussy."
The so-called knot hole. Apparently, certain soft woods were popular for it among enthusiasts.
Aori's hobby, which had been just that up until last year, was improving day by day.
"You won't do your actual job of attending to him, but you're whittling dick holes like some pervert... Hey, what do you think big bro would say if he saw this?"
Aori rested her chin on her hand and pondered Sun's scolding at length.
"Praise me for doing a good job?"
"Tsk tsk tsk. You don't know big bro at all. I've never seen anyone who hates wood as much as he does."
"How could anyone not like pussy?"
"Exactly. So quit making that crap. Unless you wanna get chewed out."
Aori pouted and spread open her creation a bit to show it off.
The inner folds were meticulously detailed—a true craftsman's touch.
"I put a lot of effort into this thinking of the Sage."
"The Sage? Why her all of a sudden?"
"I figured hers might look like this. Imagination's free, right?"
"Holy shit, you psycho."
"His Majesty would like it if the Sage was that kind of person, no?"
"He probably would."
Lee Siheon's mentor and the overseer of this third trial.
Sun recalled the Sage's face.
Like a Northern European noble. Her skin was so pale it lacked any color, yet it held a pure, snowy innocence.
But she wasn't lacking in allure.
Those massive breasts were enough to shake any man's heart.
"...Now that I think about it, this might actually have some demand."
"Right?"
"Nah, but would big bro ever look at another woman? Unless it's for a stat boost. We've got plenty of beauties as pretty as the Sage around."
"Who?"
Sun immediately pulled out his phone and searched the internet for photos.
There, a face so fair-skinned it was second to none glared haughtily at a camera snapping her at the airport.
"White Path."
Sun declared it confidently. She deserved the title of number one in hunter looks.
The leader of the Peach Blossom Haven, excelling in both skill and beauty.
She might not surpass the Sage in prestige, but in pure looks among all the hunters he'd seen, she was the prettiest.
Though tastes varied, of course.
"So guys like this type of woman, huh."
"Fuck, if you don't like this, you're not human. Just holding her hand would melt you. And from what I've heard, she seems easy to hook up with."
The two were huge shippers of White Path and Siheon.
They could grab a [Support White Path♡Siheon] picket sign and scream like teenage fangirls any second.
Aori narrowed her eyes at his words.
"His Majesty doesn't have eyes for the Sage?"
"Not that, but..."
Lee Siheon was as flaky with women as his mental state.
Given the right spark, they could get intimate anytime without it being weird.
Riding the Wood Spirit King's luck, snagging one or two girls was practically his trademark.
"Still, who'd go after the Sage?"
"Yeah, true."
Aori nodded in agreement with Sun.
Siheon probably wouldn't even think of pursuing her, and above all, the Sage's position was terrifying.
On par with the Sword Saint. Or perhaps just a notch below.
And even that wasn't strange.
Both were living legends, after all. No one should even dream of hitting on her.
Even Sun, who lived wildly and would stick it in any knot hole he found, would vehemently discourage it.
"Anyway, talking like this won't change shit. Big bro'll handle it himself."
"Yeah."
Aori fiddled with her masterpiece.
Finally, she dressed it in panties to complete it.
Teddy bear undies under a noble appearance. It somehow suited it.
Clunk!
At that moment, the door opened.
Aori and Sun's faces whipped around simultaneously.
"Oh, big bro. You're back?"
"Ha."
The man, his face tinged with slight stress, let out a wry sigh the moment he saw them.
"What are you two doing in here?"
*****
Sun scooted over on the bed a bit and muttered.
"We were warming it up nice and toasty for you, big bro."
"Are you insane?"
"Haha, sorry."
Sun grinned ear to ear, clearly delighted at seeing him after so long.
Sansu-yu and Marronier had a lot of status-related calls, so they'd agreed to meet up for dinner after resting.
I had people to contact too, so I'd come back first. But this wasn't okay.
"Don't tell me you slept in my room the whole time I was gone?"
"Your bed's weirdly comfy, big bro. There's something kinda naughty about it, you know."
"...What?"
"You should've guarded your room better. We knew the passcode and everything... Ah, sorry. Sorry—ow!"
He kept firing off jokes that suited him perfectly, chuckling all the while.
I chucked my carry-on at his face and sat in the chair right next to it.
"Your Majesty."
Aori, what the hell are you holding now?
Whoosh!
Seeing her proudly thrust out the soft rubberwood sculpture made my head throb.
"...Yeah, you're always like this."
After being away so long, instead of tears, I was just pissed.
Having these chatterboxes around in my daily life was fun in a way, but tiring.
Still, it worked out perfectly.
"I've got a job for you two."
Sun paused unpacking my suitcase, and Aori, who'd slyly placed her wood piece by my bed, both looked at me.
"Oh. The Wood Spirit King's first move? You just came out to the world?"
"Nah. It's a favor from the Sage."
The Sage. At her name, the two shuddered.
Aori glanced briefly at her wood sculpture over there.
"I had a feeling Flower was about to barge in here soon."
"Yeah, you told us last time, big bro."
"I even got the exact date. It's their plan, so it could change, but it'll happen before the fourth trial."
Before the fourth trial began. There was a period when dropouts from the second and third trials boarded planes back to their countries.
I'd thought the attack would be scheduled after to minimize civilian casualties.
But the Sage shot that down flat.
"So that means we're going up against Flower?"
I replied flatly to Sun's question.
"Got a problem?"
"Nah, if it's your call, big bro."
He smirked.
"Then you're siding with the World Tree?"
"Not that either."
"Huh? Then you're not defending this place?"
Why the hell would I defend the Cradle?
The Sage's request was always about protecting civilians.
The goal was minimizing casualties. At least ensure the non-traitors among the cadets got home safe.
"Ah."
Sun nodded as if he got it.
"But that's the hardest part. The World Tree claims to value human life, but they treat people like less than ants."
"That's why she asked us."
"Us?"
"Sansu-yu and Marronier. And a few more I'm planning to gather."
Sansu-yu's combat power was already on par with a National Tree, from what I'd seen before.
Back in the first trial, she'd teamed up with other National Trees against Plum Blossom, right?
That was when she was still adapting to her power. Her potential overflowed.
Being comparable to a National Tree made her several times more valuable than other hunters from the start.
'Personally, I'd rather Sansu-yu quit.'
But if she wants to help, pushing further would be stubbornness.
"So we're the ones helping with that?"
"Got something to say?"
"We'll do whatever you say. But even with us, that's five. Think it's doable?"
Sun kept unpacking my luggage as he continued.
"It's Flower we're talking about. You think the Sage didn't anticipate that?"
It was risky, sure, but most of their forces would be concentrated here at the Cradle.
I planned to help the Sage as much as I could without costing myself.
"Just helping. We'll need more people."
"That makes sense. But with potential Flower members unknown, will it work?"
"At least I know who's definitely not."
There were a few I could rule out as Flower. Solid fighters, too.
I knew from fighting them directly.
Sun tilted his head, not quite getting it.
Aori just listened quietly, ready to follow me.
"Big bro."
Sun stopped unpacking and looked at me seriously.
"Helping people is great and all. But you know this is a huge opportunity for you, right?"
"I know."
"Huh?"
Sun was stunned by the unexpected answer.
"What?"
"I said I know."
The Cradle, home to trees of countless species from around the world.
But with its tight security and focused attention, it was hard to touch.
The day Flower invaded, as someone neutral to both sides, I could massively weaken their forces.
And there'd be plenty of nice bonuses on top.
That's why I was helping the Sage.
I calmly laid out my thoughts.
What I was aiming for here. And what else we needed to know.
This major incident could be manipulated into any heinous act publicly.
After hearing me out fully, Sun's jaw dropped in admiration.
"...Big bro. You actually have a brain, huh?"
"Wanna die?"
"Nah."
It was a line we had to cross eventually.
And now it couldn't be delayed any longer.
I had to make the most of this opportunity given to me.
World Tree husband candidate. Wood Spirit King. Heavenly Demon's power. Top-tier potential.
My growth over the past few months was remarkable—no need to hide it to survive.
"But it's weird. The Sage asking the Wood Spirit King—that's you—for help. No tricks?"
"Tricks or not, she doesn't seem hostile."
I brushed off Sun's words and recalled the Sage's face. On a whim, I opened my status window.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ ‘Arboreal Codex’ entry added: Mulberry Tree. ‘Arboreal Codex’ entry added: Fig Tree. ⚔ STATUS ⚔ □ Mulberry Tree [Codex No: 452] [Scientific Name: Morus alba L] - Alias: Mulberry - Plant Kingdom Wood Person Family Moraceae Genus Morus. Grows 3~4m tall. - Flower Language: Wisdom, Unfulfilled Love. - Aptitudes: [Magic Aptitude], [Intelligence Aptitude] - Unlocked Info: 14.51% ‘Plump among lime-green mulberry leaves.’ ‘Ripe mulberries bared like a mother's nipple, turning red.’ ‘In spring, untying her sash to nurse just once before leaving—the mother tree.’ - Mulberry / Kim Do-su 「Heading to the Small Hut」 2015. p.3. [Codex Unlock Bonus: Slight stat increase. All magic-related aptitudes. Wisdom rises noticeably.] [Due to relation with dark-blooded trees, acquired stats rise by 0.2 each.] ⚔ STATUS ⚔ □ Fig Tree [Codex No: 453] [Scientific Name: Ficus carica] - Alias: Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. - Plant Kingdom Wood Person Family Moraceae Genus Ficus carica. Flowers spring to summer. Native to western Asia and Mediterranean coasts. Grows widely. The biblical Tree of Knowledge; legend says when figs sprout, the Savior returns. - Flower Language: Abundance, Fertility, Bountiful Fruit, Diligence. - Aptitudes: [Spirit Aptitude], [Wisdom Aptitude] - Unlocked Info: 1.01% [Codex Unlock Bonus: Slight stat increase. All spirit-related aptitudes. Wisdom rises noticeably.] 'Hm?'
Two trees.
Not one, but two recorded.
Even though it was just one person—the Sage.
Even with Imperial Path's triple personality, only one tree was recorded.
Considering that, this was odd.
'They're both in the Moraceae family, but still weird.'
With the Sage, anything was possible.
Either way, it benefited me. The stat growth was the most noticeable yet.
Did that mean fruits from both?
I wouldn't sleep with her again anyway.
I shook off any lingering thoughts lightly.
Checking my dantian, the magic power accumulated was definitely much more than before.
Only Imperial Path had given me this feeling so far.
This method was the most superior for boosting abilities.
The stronger the partner, the bigger the stat gains, it seemed.
I rolled my shoulders to loosen up.
The boosted spirit aptitude would bring plenty of growth to my birds, too.