Chapter 155
Chapter 155
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 155
Chapter Title: To Protect Everyone (8)
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“To take down that powerful-looking beast in a single blow…. You’re incredibly skilled. Thank you, once again.”
Subtly.
I moved my head just slightly, as if glancing out of the corner of my eye.
There, I saw David staring intently at me.
His words of gratitude were more sincere than before.
I couldn't sense any pretense in his voice; it seemed he truly saw me as his savior in many ways.
I was regretting the painful wound on my right arm from using that ultimate move just now.
But hearing this… it felt like a price worth paying.
‘Hmm, but how should I respond? I don't really want to show my face…’
However, it was difficult for me to react to David's words.
I didn't want him to find out that I was Yuria.
Of course, I didn't think David's attitude would change much even if he knew I was a psychic.
But it was such a sensitive matter. Unless absolutely necessary, I wanted to keep it a secret.
“…”
Besides, this body couldn't speak. I had no other choice.
Tearing my clothes to stanch the bleeding on my shoulder, I gave a slight nod in response.
Thankfully, he seemed to take it as a sign of an unsociable, reticent personality.
He didn't seem particularly puzzled and spoke as if to wrap up the situation.
“If you're looking for other examinees, I suggest heading north. There was a commotion in that direction while we were moving earlier.”
“…?”
“And I don't know if this will help, but considering the enemy patterns we've figured out so far….”
I can't believe he's sharing information with me here.
It seemed he thought I was an active Fixer.
There were only 121 examinees left. And they had spent hours traveling on the airship.
Memorizing their faces wouldn't have been difficult for someone as smart as David.
So, a skilled individual who wasn't an examinee… must be a Fixer.
Especially since there are often Fixers who operate without revealing their faces.
He must have concluded I was one of those underground Fixers. For me, that was a rather convenient assumption.
‘I might as well go with the flow. It would be stranger if I *wasn't* a Fixer in this situation. I'll play along and send David on his way.’
I nodded gently in response to David's words, as if I understood perfectly.
Then, I pointed a finger at the group of examinees tending to their wounds and looked at David.
Did he understand my meaning from that gesture alone?
With a very serious expression, he thumped his chest with his fist and replied.
“Yes. I will lead these examinees to safety.”
“…”
“Then…. I'll see you later.”
With that, David turned with crisp movements and approached the group of examinees.
The examinees showed their willingness to follow him, as if they didn't want to stay here any longer.
Of course, some argued it would be safer to stay near me.
But when David insisted they shouldn't be a bother to me, they acquiesced.
Considering how he led them without backing down when the undead attacked…
He's truly earned their respect in many ways. It made me feel good, too.
“Thank you!”
“Please, survive!”
“…!”
And so, the examinees hurried away with David.
For some reason, they were overjoyed when I waved at them. They must have been truly happy to be alive.
Good. Now there are no eyes on me here.
I scanned my surroundings again to make sure no one was there, then walked toward the location Murmur had told me about.
It was a clearing with a massive tree at its center, with no other trees around.
Therefore, the key spot here was none other than the great tree, specifically its roots.
This should be close enough. Nearing the tree, I lowered myself and pressed both hands flat against the dirt.
‘Channel my psychokinesis beneath the ground… and find the box hidden deep within the roots…!’
*Snap, crack….*
Was it because it was so intricately entangled in the roots?
I heard the sound of something being forcibly torn from within the earth.
This must have been to prevent the hidden box from accidentally being exposed.
I felt like I could understand what Murmur had been worried about.
Still, perhaps because it wasn't buried too deep…
The hidden box emerged quickly.
‘This is… the box containing the World Tree Seed.’
The box Murmur had used to store the World Tree Seed was small enough to be lifted with one hand.
Perhaps because its contents were just a single seed, it looked like a box for a bracelet or a necklace.
Was it meant to suppress the seed's life activity?
The box itself was cold, as if a chill emanated from it.
I'd want to carry it with me during the hot summer.
Muttering such nonsense to myself, I lifted the box to eye level.
To think I went through all that trouble to get this.
A sense of accomplishment, like reaching a mountain summit, mingled with a slight feeling of emptiness in my chest.
But now was not the time to dwell on such trivial feelings.
If this were stolen, it would be the worst-case scenario. I had to destroy the seed as quickly as possible.
So, with the help of my psychokinesis, I opened the box with enough force to nearly break it.
‘Is this the World Tree Seed? It's… smaller than I thought.’
The World Tree Seed finally met the open air.
It was so small, belying the grand name of "World Tree."
I could almost hold it completely in my tiny hand.
If I drew a pattern on it, it was about the size of a ping-pong ball.
Well, the seed being small was actually a good thing.
If I shattered it and scattered the pieces all over the Sky Garden, it would be unusable.
I knelt before the unexpectedly small World Tree Seed.
And drew out the maximum output of my psychokinesis.
“…!”
*Crush!*
I focused all my mental energy, applying immense pressure to the World Tree Seed.
*I won't let the world be destroyed.* It was an all-out effort, filled with that desperate resolve.
But even after ten, twenty seconds…
The World Tree Seed remained completely unchanged.
No matter how much psychokinetic force I poured into it, it held its shape as if to mock my efforts.
Just how absurdly durable was this tiny object?
I had been holding my breath and straining so hard that I started to feel dizzy.
‘Tch, then what about the ultimate move that worked on that fused cyborg…!’
I raised my uninjured left hand and gathered my psychokinesis.
Was it because I didn't have to divide my concentration like I did during the fight?
A more refined mirage formed, just like when I practiced.
Overwhelming physical force capable of easily crushing anything in its path.
I slammed that Psychokinetic Flick Max with all my might into the World Tree Seed.
This was the maximum firepower I could currently muster!
A fearsome blow that could tear through alloys like paper.
“…”
But while the ground was ravaged by the aftershock, the World Tree Seed was perfectly fine, without a single scratch.
Instead, the wound on my right arm, which I'd bandaged with torn cloth, throbbed painfully as if it had reopened.
Why am I the one in more pain? Does this thing, this seed, reflect attacks or something?
…At this point, I had no choice but to admit it.
This thing was so damn hard, I could never break it with my power alone.
‘Then again, if it could be broken, Murmur would have destroyed it long ago.’
When I thought about it, it was perfectly logical.
Murmur was no fool; he knew better than anyone how dangerous the World Tree Seed was.
If it could be crushed by force, he would have dealt with it himself long ago.
He had hidden it in an unreachable place precisely because it was so difficult to destroy.
In the original story, where there were no major variables, its existence wasn't revealed until much later.
So, Murmur's judgment could be considered quite close to the correct answer.
Ah, so… what should I do now?
If I couldn't destroy the World Tree Seed before it was taken, then my entire plan was for nothing.
In that case, the only solution would be for Tempest to wipe out the entire Metahuman Liberation Army….
And I'd have to escape from those targeting the World Tree Seed at the same time. Hmm, that would be difficult.
‘Maybe if I use the Tesseract to become an adult, the enhanced strength might be enough to break it…’
But that presented another problem.
What if I transformed with the Tesseract and still failed to break the seed?
I would be wasting a crucial opportunity to change the situation.
And even if I succeeded, I didn't know when I might need the Tesseract's power again.
It felt like accepting a strategic loss for a tactical victory.
So, I'll decide then, if the time comes when I need it.
Holding the seed, I pondered for a moment and decided to postpone its destruction for now.
It was better to hold onto a sure card like the Tesseract than to eliminate a potential future threat.
‘In that case… *sigh*, for now, it's best to buy some time. I'll put the seed back in the box and return to Murmur. I'll figure out the next step then…’
I placed the seed back into the cold box and got up, cradling it in my arms.
If I couldn't break the seed, there was no reason to be alone.
For the sake of keeping my promise, returning to Murmur was the best option right now.
Well, I felt a bit sorry for ignoring what David had told me earlier.
But I didn't have the luxury of looking out for others, so it couldn't be helped.
“…!”
Just as I let go of my lingering thoughts and was about to leave.
I felt a violent tremor from not too far away, as if the Sky Garden itself was collapsing.
I instinctively looked up to see a pillar of storm rising as if to touch the sky.
It was, without a doubt, Tempest's magic.