Spirit Tree (3)
I decided to team up with April. Jerard started stuffing his massive bag with this and that as he prepared to leave, and I finished my own simple preparations.
But as soon as we stepped out of the inn, people started pointing and yelling at us.
"That bastard's still doing this crap? Hey! That kid's the devil's spawn! Don't let him guide you—find someone else!"
"How the hell do you have the nerve to still be here? Do you know what kind of hell your grandfather put us through?"
"Get lost, you little shit!"
They were all screaming at Jerard. He just stood there silently, as if he was used to it.
"……Let's go."
"Jeez, when's that punk gonna die?"
"Follow in your grandpa's footsteps already!"
It seemed he was still catching flak for some incident from decades ago. It was unfortunate, but unavoidable. The game's quests had mentioned it several times.
"My grandfather would never do something like that. Mom always said there had to be a reason he left."
Jerard muttered to himself. From the way he'd handled it just now, this must happen all the time. Whatever the reason, enduring a life like that alone was impressive.
Doesn't feel like someone else's problem.
I'd grown up in a similar environment. One day, my parents and little brother got hit by a dump truck out of nowhere—like something out of a novel. Everyone in my family died except me, and from then on, I was an orphan.
"Orphan brat with no mom or dad!"
"No parents, so he's a mess... How dare you hit my kid? Try getting hit yourself!"
"That's why your parents died instead of you!"
The world didn't let someone like me be. I'd only lost my family, yet instead of comfort, they hurled the cruelest words at me—the one who deserved sympathy most.
Probably why my personality turned out like this.
Not everyone was like that, of course. There were people who helped me during my darkest times, and I'll never forget their kindness. That's when I made my resolve: Anyone who messes with me gets it back tenfold. And those who help me? I'll repay them someday.
"So, where to first?"
Lost in thought, I snapped back at Jerard's cheerful voice. He'd already shaken off what happened.
"There's a place with a tall tree statue shaped like a goblin, right?"
"Oh, the goblin statue? I know it."
"Head there first."
The terrain here shifted constantly, thanks to the barrier created by the giant tree. Positions swapped like a puzzle. The land was vast, so knowing didn't make it easy to find—but with a guide like Jerard, it changed things.
"That way... yeah."
Jerard unrolled his handmade map, scanned around, and quickly got his bearings.
"This way."
"Oppa, Jerard's so young and already this amazing? I even get lost going home."
April called me "Oppa." Probably because I seemed older. Though Damian wasn't that old either...
"You got any party experience? Your application only listed one skill."
April's paperwork had been unusual from the start. Normally, you detail your abilities, experience, and goals. Hers was bare-bones.
"Uh, no? This is my first party."
"First party in the swamp?"
"No, first party ever?"
What? I could see her level: 15, higher than mine. That was enough for Silver-rank requests.
No party experience at that level?
Two possibilities: She'd spent over ten years solo training magic. Or she was from nobility with zero social experience.
A fire-affinity noble house...
One family came to mind, but I'd dig into details later.
"Anyway, this place is great, right? Nice weather, fresh air."
The swamp's vibe was pure darkness—no sunlight, just gloom. And the scenery...
"You see the blood splattered everywhere?"
"Oh, that's blood? I didn't notice... Oppa, have you seen blood before? Jerard, you've guided plenty, so you've seen it too, right? Does it make you queasy or something? I've never seen it up close, so I'm wondering if it'll make me hurl or... (omitted)."
Some MC said rich audio was good. Mine was suddenly too rich—I couldn't keep up.
Personality: bright... no, innocently naive.
I needed to assess April. Decide if she'd be dead weight now or later. For now... we'd stick together. For now.
"Found the statue!"
How long had we walked? Around noon, Jerard located the spot. This led to the second sector—if nothing changed.
* * *
We passed the goblin statue and entered the forest. Two more shifts, and we'd reach the giant tree.
Rumble!
"T-The terrain's shifting! Everyone, stop!"
It wouldn't be that easy, of course. We'd barely entered the second sector when the swamp transformed.
Rumble! Rumble!
"The ground's moving! Whoa!!!"
April cheered like it was a thrill ride, while Jerard sighed watching her. He seemed to know her.
"You act like you know April, but she said no party experience. What's up?"
"Oh, that? She's had parties before—just not successfully. I met her guiding another group once."
Then why lie to me? Trying to trick me?
"She talked too much, so the leader kicked her out before the fight."
"...Ah."
Made sense. I'd keep her for my goals, but anyone else might not.
"Anyway, the shift stopped... but we have a problem."
Jerard scanned once the shaking ended.
"...This looks like a dire wolf den now."
Thick black grass, blood-soaked patches, scattered bones, and a stench of rot. Exactly as he said.
Grrr...
Grrr...
Proving it, blue-maned dire wolves emerged one by one.
Levels 10 to 12.
Good—no alphas. Perfect to test my new gear.
Shing.
I summoned my new Grade 2 dagger. Normally, daggers were pointless against them—their hides were thick, unlike regular wolves.
But.
Whoosh! Slash!
-K-Kyaaang!
Attack speed boosted its flight and sharpness. Not deep wounds, but tearing their skin mattered. Tough with daggers.
"Whoa. You summoned a dagger and shredded them?"
Jerard couldn't hide his shock.
"Usually need at least a shortsword... Your ability?"
"Something like that."
"W-Wow! Not your average guy! I'll hang back."
Jerard retreated with his bag. Meanwhile, April prepped something.
"You can actually fight, right?"
She didn't seem the lying type, but worry slipped out.
She raised one hand, chanting. Her face changed—serious, unlike the chatterbox.
"Hey, Oppa. Gimme a sec to focus."
Was this the real her in battle? Intriguing character.
Fwoosh.
Sparks bloomed in her hand, then vanished as she clenched toward a target.
-K-Kyeng? Kyaaaang!
It hadn't vanished. The targeted dire wolf writhed in agony.
"Sharrarr."
"What?"
Fwoooosh!
Flames erupted from the wolf, swelling to engulf it.
Then.
"Kwaaaang."
She added another odd sound, whipping her hands apart.
Fwoosh. Fwoooosh.
-K-Kyaang! -Kyaaaang!
Fire spread sideways per her gestures—from one wolf to five, igniting the area.
Ignition, chained straight into Transfer.
Light the fire. Spread it.
That was an ignition mage.
Sizzle.
Short duration, though. Damage accumulated but wasn't huge. The rest looked unstable.
Duration and power average, but igniting and transferring? Natural talent.
I checked her status, pondering fixes. My fingers tapped my thigh unconsciously.
...The itch started again. The urge to build her properly.
Expand Transfer range? Boost Ignition speed? Builds swirled in my head.
"How'd I do? First time on monsters, right?"
This was scarier. That on her debut? Definite talent. She knew it too. Guide her growth right...
Anyway.
Ignition mages' flaw: damage builds up, doesn't burst. They'd taken a hit but weren't dead.
Screeech! Screeech!
Time to finish. I'd get all the EXP.
Whoosh. Whoosh.
Two two-handers summoned. Massive compared to daggers. Heavy for most, but not me.
Let's try 'em.
I swung at the flaming wolves. Slower than greataxes... but power?
Vwooom! Vwoooom!
Long blades whistled through air, smashing home.
Crack! Crack!
Slow travel, fast swings—thanks to attack speed.
...Didn't even need to soften 'em up.
As expected, devastating. Bisected on contact. Slow movement fixed by Shadow Strike. Void Rift for speed. Keep 'em near me? No issue.
Two-handers' weaknesses? Gone.
Were two-handers the best for Weapon Summoner?
Acquired 220 EXP.
Acquired 220 EXP.
…
Acquired 220 EXP.
Acquired 220 EXP.
Sweet EXP haul. Jackson, now April—seemed I kept running into exactly the talent I needed. Not just luck...
Didn't hurt me, though.
"Let's get outta here first."
Dusk fell. We moved fast, seeking rest. Days to the tree—we'd rest when we could.
But...
"Hm? What's this...?"
Jerard halted while scouting a rest spot.
"……."
"……Whoa, aren't these the wolves from before? Why are so many torn to shreds?"
Dozens of dire wolf corpses littered ahead, ripped apart.
No way.
If it was what I thought... maybe something we shouldn't have stirred appeared.