The World Tree's Parasite
I hummed cheerfully to myself. Hmm~ Hng hng~ An elf, huh? A premium slave species with a long lifespan—perfect for long-term employment. Once tamed, they'd serve you faithfully for centuries. Plus, they had elegant appearances and excellent dexterity. 'Finally, a slave worthy of this grand self.'
Time to instill some proper terror into my new slaves.
I spread my wings wide and dove sharply, losing altitude in an instant. With a thunderous THUD, my massive feet slammed into the wide, open circular plaza. I tilted my neck at a menacing angle and raised my horns in their most threatening position. Tyrant's Descent, Fourth Form.
Kraaaaaaaaawr! I finished with my signature roar. Now the screams should start any second.
"......"
"......"
But the elves' reaction was strange. Instead of screaming, they didn't run, didn't draw weapons, didn't even tremble. They just stared at me with blank, wide eyes.
"......Rawr?"
What was this lukewarm response?
From the crowd, a woman stepped forward gracefully. Flowing golden hair. Clear green eyes like a forest lake. The very picture of an elven beauty.
"Welcome to the embrace of the great forest. I am the gardener who tends to these woods."
She stopped right in front of my claws and gave the tiniest dip of her head. ...Just a nod? Not slamming her forehead into the dirt, not dropping to her knees—just a polite little bow?
"One of the World Tree's children, and an especially mighty one at that, has come to visit. Mother World Tree will surely be delighted."
??? A line of question marks marched through my mind.
"Hold on. It seems you're under a serious misunderstanding."
I exercised my patience and corrected her, enunciating each word clearly.
"This grand self is not a guest. I am your new master. And what's this about a mother? This grand self has no parents. I am the Chaos Dragon Yumitas, who has existed since the dawn of—"
"Yes, yes. Within Mother World Tree's embrace, we are all brothers and sisters," the golden-haired elf said with a gentle smile. "Even you, Dragon, are a beautiful life born from this world. Are you not a child born within Mother World Tree's magnificent providence?"
"......"
She gazed up at the towering golden tree behind her with an enraptured expression.
"Behold its radiant golden light. The mother of all things, who has breathed life into this forest for thousands of years. She is the one and only god we worship. A wise dragon such as yourself will surely understand her beauty."
She looked utterly confident. The face of someone who didn't doubt for a second that I would agree.
For a moment, I was speechless as I glared at the golden tree. That tacky tree is a god? A tree slathered in gold leaf ranks higher than this grand self? Something bubbled furiously beneath my scales.
This grand self is the arbiter of the world. The ultimate lifeform. A supreme being. And I'm supposed to rank below some photosynthesis-obsessed plant?
"How dare you...!"
I wanted to open my jaws right then and chew that arrogant elf's head off, then turn that insolent tree into a pile of charcoal.
'No. Hold it together, Yumitas.'
I swallowed it down. Breathing fire here would be what a monster does. It would be admitting I was nothing but a strong, brainless beast. This grand self is an intellectual, wise dragon. I wouldn't be satisfied until these elves admitted with their own mouths, 'As expected, Dragon-nim is far superior to some insignificant tree!'
For that, I needed information first. The tree's weaknesses, cracks in their faith—anything. 'Alright. Time for an undercover investigation. Undercover Dragon! Operation commence!'
Shwoooosh! I transformed into the form of a young girl.
"......For the time being, this grand self shall observe you all personally. Consider it an honor."
The golden-haired elf's face lit up with joy.
"Really? We'll serve you with the utmost care!"
The surrounding elves all began murmuring at once. Oh. Were they shocked by a dragon's transformation?
"Oh my, she's so small and adorable..."
"Not quite as magnificent as Mother World Tree, but such a lovely form."
"How is her skin so fair and soft? And those horns are just too cute!"
"......Hng?"
It felt like they'd gotten a completely wrong first impression. Well, whatever. It wouldn't take long for them to learn the true terror of this grand self.
To get straight to the point—it took a long time.
Before I knew it, I had been ushered onto the World Tree's roots, seated in a prime spot atop fluffy moss. The problem was that the elves had gathered around me in droves, eyes sparkling.
Scratch scratch.
"Your hair is truly exquisite. Even the forest winds must be jealous."
"Mmm... yes, right there..."
As expected of elves, their hands were skilled. The gentle combing that scratched my scalp just right made my eyes flutter half-closed without me realizing it.
"For your horns, applying this dew oil works best. It'll bring out a wonderful shine."
Another elf carefully polished my horns with a fragrant cloth. Seeing them become glossy actually made me feel pretty good.
'Wait, this isn't right...'
"These only bloom on branches that have basked in moonlight for a long time."
"Ah~"
Nom nom nom.
"Munch munch... gulp. Hey, give me another one. No, not that!"
The elves giggled as they wiped the fruit juice from the corners of my mouth. It was warm. Fragrant. Comfortable.
'Get a grip, Yumitas.'
This was an undercover investigation. The massage was simply an unavoidable disguise to gather information. It was definitely not because it felt good that my toes were curling.
"......Hmm. You know how to attend to others quite well."
It was undoubtedly the highest-class service offered by premium slaves. Yet my mood grew increasingly uncomfortable. There was only one reason.
These guys weren't scared of me in the slightest! Not a single drop of fear or reverence! They were treating me like some 'fascinatingly pretty number-one favorite of our Mother World Tree.'
Me, the mightiest dragon. At this rate, wasn't I going to end up as a literal pet?
"Ahem, ahem! You lot. You're putting in quite the effort. It's admirable how you're struggling so desperately to avoid incurring this grand self's wrath."
"We're delighted that the dragon is enjoying herself. Mother World Tree will surely be pleased as well."
The golden-haired elf kept going on and on about that 'Mother World Tree' nonsense.
'Just you wait. This grand self will thoroughly uncover every crack in your peaceful little lives.'
Though fury boiled inside me, on the surface I elegantly accepted the next piece of fruit. Nom nom.
And so, acting as the Undercover Dragon, I meticulously observed the elves' daily routine. It didn't take long to notice something off.
Their days were eerily, horrifyingly identical. In the morning, they cleaned the World Tree's roots, trimmed its leaves, and pruned its branches. During the day, they ventured into the forest to hunt magic beasts. Then they carefully buried the corpses of those beasts at the base of the World Tree's roots.
When they offered up an entire magic beast, the golden tree's roots slithered out and dragged the carcass down into the earth.
Slurp slurp.
'...The tree is eating meat?'
What came next was even more bizarre. From the World Tree that had swallowed blood and flesh, a faint golden powder sprayed out. As the powder scattered, the elves all dropped to their knees at once and closed their eyes.
"Aah... Mother's breath..."
"The sweetest happiness in the world!"
"Being by Mother's side is everything..."
The elves' eyes immediately glazed over, drool trickled from their mouths, and their cheeks flushed bright red. They looked like people completely intoxicated by something.
'This is a damn drug den.'
The way they hugged the trunk and grinned stupidly was exactly like addicts lost in a haze. Above all, the elves had no lives of their own. They spent all day laboring, hunting magic beasts to offer up, then spacing out while absorbing the powder. That was their entire routine.
'Does that tree have some kind of hallucinogenic property?'
I approached one elf who was hugging the World Tree in ecstasy and stared intently at her face.
"......"
Ziiiing—Dragon Eye!
My pupils elongated into vertical reptilian slits. The dragon's eye that pierces through the world's hidden truths. Alright, let's see exactly what kind of drug they're on.
First, their bodies were perfectly fine. Clean blood, healthy organs, no traces of any drugs.
'...Not an addiction?'
Then why were they acting so loopy? I sank my gaze even deeper. Past the flesh. Past the blood and bone. I stared directly at the soul within.
"......Huh?"
A single thin thread extended from the elf's soul. It slithered out from her chest and connected straight to the World Tree. Every single elf in the forest without exception. All of them.
"......"
And then.
Slurp.Sluuuuurp.
Along that thread, the light of their souls was being sucked toward the World Tree. Yet the elves themselves felt nothing, simply smiling with blissful expressions.
"Aah... Mother, I love you..."
While having their souls drained. While calling that love.
Situation analysis complete. That golden tree wasn't a god. It was a ranch owner. It had made them worship it as the World Tree, worked them to the bone their entire lives feeding it fertilizer, and in the end, it sucked their souls dry. The elves had no idea and were happily being raised like livestock, calling it "Mother" this and that.
In that instant, rage surged all the way to the top of my head. Don't misunderstand. Was it because I felt sorry for the elves? Because I pitied those poor souls being raised like cattle? Absolutely not.
"How dare you stick your spoon in my rice bowl!"
I shot up from my seat. The golden-haired elf who had been combing my hair jumped back in surprise.
"Is there something uncomfortable...?"
"Shut up, you big-breasted idiot elf!"
Uncomfortable? Of course it was uncomfortable. It felt downright disgusting. Think about it. Who did these elves belong to? They belonged to a dragon. They were clearly marked as long-term premium slaves—my private property. And yet that property was being sucked dry without this grand self's permission?
"Exploitation is a privilege reserved solely for dragons!"
Using slaves, collecting tribute, and ruling over them. These were absolute rights that only Yumitas, the pinnacle of the world, could enjoy. On-site arrest complete. Prisoner number one: the World Tree. Charges: unauthorized embezzlement of a dragon's private property and the crime of being infuriating. The sentence is death.
Whoosh! I kicked off the ground and leaped. Light enveloped me as my body swelled. From the form of a girl to the Chaos Dragon.
My Dragon Heart pounded wildly. Rumble rumble—! Mana swirled and surged. A soft pink glow condensed within my mouth. There was only one target.
That insolent, tacky golden tree.
"Begone!"
Pink Bre... No. Breath of Chaotic Destruction!
Kwaaaaaaaa—! A pink beam of light shot out in a straight line. The moment the beam struck—
Kwagwagwagwang!
The proudly shining golden leaves turned to ash and scattered in an instant. Branches as thick as mountain ridges charred black and snapped off one after another.
I roared triumphantly.
"Mother of all things? What a joke! The World Tree is just a big tree!"
Now it was time for them to tremble in fear. Shake in terror at the Chaos Dragon's overwhelming tyranny and beg for mercy!
"Kyaaaaaaaagh!"
That's it! Excellent screams!
"Aaaaaaaaagh!"
"Uuuuurgh! M-my head!"
"My eyes! My eyes!"
Instead of prostrating themselves and begging for mercy, they all clutched their heads, rolled on the ground, and screamed in agony.
"Uh...? Hey, what's wrong with you guys?"
My Yumitas Breath had accurately struck only the tree. Not a single spark should have touched the elves?
Thud. Crack. The threads connecting the World Tree to the elves' souls stretched taut and then snapped.
"W-where... am I...?"
"What... have I been doing all this time...?"
"We've... spent our entire lives... just feeding fertilizer to a tree...?"
Gradually, life returned to their previously glazed eyes. The elves staggered, looking around in confusion.
That was when it happened.
Kiiiiiiiiiii—
The burning World Tree began to writhe. On the surface of the golden tree engulfed in flames, dozens of grotesque eyeballs popped out everywhere, their bloodshot pupils gleaming.
Crack. A long vertical split opened in the center of the tree trunk, revealing a maw packed full of razor-sharp teeth. Mother World Tree my ass—it was just an old tree monster.
[Why now of all times! At this exact moment!!]
The once-brilliant golden light had turned into a murky, pitch-black glow, and between the cracked bark, dark red mud poured out.
[The flower buds were just about to bloom! If only one single flower had bloomed and scattered its seeds, all the soil, wind, and water of this world would have become my roots! The mountains, the rivers, and even the humans beyond would have called me Mother!]
Hundreds of eyeballs glared at me with bloodshot fury.
[...No. It's not too late yet.]
Crack crack! Jet-black roots burst from the ground.
[A primordial dragon, you say... More than enough to make up for the lost millennium in one go! I'll use you as fertilizer!]
I smirked.
"Look at the firewood talking."