Chapter 174: World Tree
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 174: World Tree
Parasitic Wood. A general term for the plant-like monsters that live as parasites on the World Tree. Unlike other monsters, they do not attack people.
This is because they can survive simply by clinging to the World Tree.
But did they merely survive? Even the very substance of their bodies was made from things like fallen branches from the World Tree's trunk—they were, in essence, creatures that lived by the World Tree itself.
There was only one instance in which these Parasitic Woods showed hostility: when something that could harm the World Tree approached.
Unfortunately, the Parasitic Woods did not possess brains sophisticated enough to distinguish friend from foe. They had only one thing: the reflexive behavior of a plant.
The Parasitic Woods would take anything that came near the World Tree to their nests.
“Ngh, ugh—!”
Captured by the Parasitic Wood's reflexive actions, Yohan began to thrash his body around as he watched the creature shove his penis into itself.
Unfortunately, with Parasitic Woods pressing down on him from all sides, shaking them off was no easy task.
Somehow, the Parasitic Woods had become one with the World Tree. To throw them off, one would need enough strength to rip apart the World Tree itself.
And although Yohan was a magic user, he wasn't powerful enough to shatter the World Tree.
“Sh... it...!”
Schlurp— Schlurp—.
These monsters, which possessed no thoughts or emotions, simply shoved Yohan's penis inside them mechanically and began to extract a sap-like semen from within him.
As a species that had survived its entire existence by extracting the World Tree's sap, their ability to exploit was second to none.
“Ugh—!”
Spurt—! As his semen was extracted with mechanical movements, Yohan scowled at the Parasitic Wood, which continued the process without stopping even as he ejaculated.
If asked whether it felt good or bad, physically, it felt good. It was like a well-made, fully automatic onahole.
But if asked whether the sex itself was good? That was a different story. It didn't feel good at all.
‘Fuck, seriously—!’
He had grown tired of sex even when it was filled with emotion and love. So now, sex completely devoid of feeling? There was no way it could be pleasurable.
The more serious problem was that—while the witches would at least back off when he was exhausted—these Parasitic Woods showed no intention of stopping.
They would probably exploit him until even his blood turned to semen, wringing out everything they could before he died.
‘I have to escape, quickly—.’
Flailing his arms and legs wildly, Yohan struggled to break free from his restraints. But no matter how much he thrashed, these damn plants showed no sign of letting go.
Just when he thought his life might end like this, tree branches flew in from somewhere and began to strike the Parasitic Woods all at once.
Swish— Swish—! Outwardly, it looked as if the tree was carving away its own flesh, but in reality, it was the World Tree shaking off the parasites growing on its skin.
“Whoa—!?”
Freed from the Parasitic Woods, Yohan tried to leave immediately, but a branch from the World Tree wrapped around his leg even faster.
Caught by the World Tree, Yohan stared at the branch holding him with slightly trembling eyes. The branch continued to coil around his leg, beginning to drag him somewhere.
“Hey, let go—!”
When Yohan shouted, the World Tree released his foot as if it had heard him. Slightly surprised that it could understand human speech, he tried to move away, but the tree grabbed his foot again as if to say, No, you can't.
“...Let go.”
Swoosh—.
“I want to leave.”
Fwoosh—!
It blocked him when he tried to leave, but let go when he told it to. It wanted something from him. He could tell that much.
Yohan stood and shrugged, as if to say he had no idea what the World Tree wanted. As he waited quietly, the tree seemed to decide it was time to talk, opening its body to form a large hole.
“...You want me to go in here?”
Swoosh—. The World Tree fluttered the edges of the opening as if to say yes. It even manipulated a branch to tap Yohan on the back, as if urging him to hurry inside.
Can I survive if I go in there? Yohan was quite worried, but he couldn't just stand here and do nothing—so he obediently dived in.
Fwoosh—! Dozens, no, hundreds of meters. After passing through a hole so deep he wondered if he would fall forever, Yohan landed with a thud on a thick pile of leaves.
Normally, falling at such a speed would have meant death upon impact with the ground, leaves or not, but perhaps because they were the leaves of the World Tree, they cushioned his fall gently.
“Ughhh...”
Of course, just because the leaves had absorbed most of the impact didn't mean he was completely unharmed. Yohan clutched his back and groaned.
After some time, Yohan, distracting himself from the pain, looked around to see where he was.
“This place is...”
[Welcome, traveler.]
At the sudden voice, Yohan looked up to find its source. In the distance, he saw a being formed from countless intertwined tree branches.
In terms of material, it looked no different from the Parasitic Woods outside, but he could feel a spiritual aura from her, a kind of charisma that the other parasites lacked.
“...And you are?”
[I am the World Tree.]
“The World Tree?”
In other words, the spirit of the tree. Yohan tilted his head and looked at the World Tree. Why would a being like her summon him here?
“Do you have some business with me?”
[Did you not see them above? The Parasitic Woods clinging to my body.]
“Well, I saw them, but...”
[Please take care of them.]
“Why should I?”
It was true that she was the World Tree. But that was no reason for her to order him around, nor for him to obey.
The World Tree smiled brightly and shrugged, as if telling him to think carefully about where he was right now.
[I could kill you.]
“Then you’ll die too.”
[Me? To a mere human?]
“Yes.”
Seeing Yohan's confident attitude, the World Tree seemed to realize he was hiding some secret and stopped its attempt to harm him.
The World Tree had the ability to perceive the emotions and feelings of others, and according to that ability, Yohan truly believed that if he died, she would die as well.
Despite the fact that he was just a human, and she was the World Tree.
[I do not know the reason... but in that case, please help me.]
“How nice it would have been if you’d started with that.”
[I will give you anything I can.]
The World Tree said, looking at Yohan. It sensed an alien energy from him, an energy unknown to it, the very origin of this land.
[If you wish, even the way back to your original world.]
“...What?”
Yohan's eyes widened in surprise as he stared at the World Tree. What did it just say? A way back to his original world? Did such a thing exist?
Seeing Yohan's interest, the corners of the World Tree's mouth lifted as it began to explain.
[You are not of this world, are you? I can tell by your energy. An alien existence, not of this land.]
“What does that have to do with a way back to my original world...”
[I am the World Tree. A being that has grown alongside the birth of this land.]
A tree that has grown with the world for thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of millions of years, for an immeasurable amount of time. Hence, the World Tree.
The tree that, in the distant future, in the era ruled by Makina, was cut down without leaving a single trace.
But now, in this moment, that same World Tree was offering to tell him how to return to his original world.
Yohan looked at the World Tree and asked again.
“There’s no lie in those words, is there?”
[Of course.]
“Can only I return?”
[I shall tell you that once you have helped me.]
The World Tree shrugged, as if it couldn't give away too much. Since it was putting it that way, Yohan couldn't refuse the request, so he cautiously nodded his head.
“Fine. I’ll grant your request. But if you’re lying, I’ll rip you out, leaving not even a root behind, and use you for firewood. Just so you know.”
[I do not lie. As long as you keep your promise.]
“Alright then, I’m leaving. Open the door.”
[One moment.]
As it spoke, the World Tree bound Yohan's limbs. Seeing the tree suddenly restrain him when things were going so well, Yohan sighed.
“What is it now?”
[Before you go—you must receive my power.]
“Ah... right.”
Yohan wasn't weak. He could handle one or two Parasitic Woods with his bare hands. The problem, however, was their numbers.
There were many of them. So many, in fact, that the speed at which they multiplied among themselves was far faster than the rate at which the World Tree periodically cleaned them out.
Therefore, Yohan needed a special power to deal with them.
[Then—I shall begin.]
“Uh... wait a second, why are you coming closer—.”
[This is the fastest way to give you my power.]
“Ah, no. I just finished getting my semen extracted—Ugh!”
Squelch—!
Yohan took the World Tree's virginity.
Meaning, he became the first man to ever fuck a tree.