Chapter 28: Nothing Happened
At the end of the dark hallway, as I opened the door from where the light was seeping, there stood a tree that I had seen somewhere before.
“This tree is still unknown to the world. Its governing concepts and abilities are unknown.”
“What do you know?”
“I don’t know?”
Byeol, lifting both hands above her shoulders and shrugging, pointed at the tree emitting a bluish aura.
“Since I don’t know, converse and find out. My frequency doesn’t match with trees, so I can only feel emotions.”
“I was thinking on my way here, how does one converse with a tree? Don’t blame me if I fail.”
“Who knows?”
Byeol looked at the tree. The smooth tree without any rough bark seemed to have its own emotions, swaying its branches lightly.
“It seems very happy to see you?”
I saw the same thing.
Byeol patted my shoulder and energetically waved as she left the room.
“I’ll go watch a drama! Do well!”
“Are you leaving?”
-Boom.
Byeol left without answering.
After being dumbfounded for a moment, I, half on guard, approached the tree and rested my head on its trunk. Unlike the World Tree of Purity, how was I supposed to converse with this miscellaneous tree?
-Sway sway!
Looking up, the branches of the tree were swaying. They were so flexible; they looked like the tail of a puppy.
What should I say?
Recalling the place where I fought Lee Seonghan, I decided to ask about those crazy cultists first.
“Who are you to have such followers?”
The branches rustled as if responding to my stern voice, but there was no conversation.
“Can’t you talk?”
-Sway.
The tree reached out its branches when I tilted my head.
Was it asking to be held?
Reaching out and holding the branch, a ripe female voice echoed in my head.
[Can you hear me?]
“......So we can converse.”
I never thought I’d converse with a mad tree.
“Who are you? You resemble the World Tree.”
[I don't know. I've been there since I was born.]
“There?...The basement? What were you doing there?”
[I did nothing. I was just breathing in the white room. Except for when people in robes occasionally took leaves, nothing happened.]
“So you know nothing?”
[Yes, but what is the World Tree?]
“It exists. The mad ones threaten their lives at every opportunity.”
[They sound like bad people. But what is your name? You're the first person I can communicate with.]
So, conversation wasn’t normally possible?
I had encountered many bizarre things that something like this didn’t arouse any special emotion.
What was surprising was that she seemed relatively normal. I thought she would be a crazy World Tree worshiped by cultists.
Smiling gently, I told her my name.
“Lee Shiheon.”
[What a beautiful name!]
Her branches swayed as if she was happy to communicate with someone. It seemed somewhat cute.
Might as well befriend her to extract some information.
Clasping my hands behind my head, I spoke in the softest voice I could manage.
“So, you were exploited while knowing nothing?”
[Exploited. Yes, that's one way to see it. Did you kill those people?]
“Yes. They were bad. Why? Do you mind?”
[I don't mind... In fact, I care about you more than those people now.]
-Startled.
[I feel good energy from you. Warm, reliable...]
Uh uh uh, was it my imagination?
I stiffened my face at the inexplicable, sticky emotion in the woman’s voice. It gave me the creeps.
The branches of the tree gradually extended towards me. It didn’t take long for my wrists to be entwined with the branches.
[Um, Lee Shiheon.]
[You're feeling it, too, aren't you♡?]
In shock, I vehemently sang the national anthem in my mind, from the first to the fourth verse. However, the energy of the word ‘possible,’ engraved deep within me, manifested throughout my body.
[Now, I'm going to insert it.]
“Don’t.”
[Hehe, after swelling it so much. You too. Want to sweetly merge with me?]
“You didn’t have this kind of personality before...Agh!”
The hard crevice was widening. The inside of the tree was unusually soft, making me forget that my counterpart was a tree.
I lost consciousness for a moment, feeling like my soul was leaving my body.
['The World Tree of Purity' is sobbing!]
-Flash!
I opened my eyes at the sound of the astonished alarm from the system.
[Oh, you took me for the first time. Sob. This is my first time. Sob, sniff, uh♡]
Thoughts filled my mind.
Ah. I had committed a crime. I was walking a forbidden path.
A wave of self-loathing surged from deep within me, and I sighed, closing my eyes.
Was this...what it felt like to be violated?
The perpetrator received evil in return for committing evil. The tree, succumbing to pleasure, was letting out ecstatic noises. It felt heavy and creepy, although the bark was soft enough not to hurt the skin.
But at some point, the tree stopped moving.
[...!...?!...♥]
The tree was silent, clenching me and shaking.
She seemed to be lost in pleasure, flustered and speechless.
Shiba, daddy was sorry.
Amidst this, the thought of my daughter made my heart ache.
I thrust, wanting to escape this place as soon as possible.
[Oh, ah♡]
The tree seemed to have lost consciousness. She just clung to my body and continued to moan.
[Heuk, eut. Eup. Euk]
The more I thrust, the weaker the grip on my body became.
Twenty times? Thirty times? It seemed like the inside convulsed about that much.
Even amidst this, I was going mad at the fact that my penis was inserted into a hole in a tree.
I was so angry. I wanted to see Lee Seyoung and Sansuyu.
Squeak. Squeak. Squeak. Squeak.
Forcing the speed, the tree, applying strength to the roots and stems that clung to me, whispered in my ear.
[Rice, when it's. Inside the pot.]
“Damn it.”
I silently cursed and cast a spell.
-Whiz Whiz!
[Hukeuuueup!!!]
Slowly, the grip on my body from the tree weakened. The tightly closed hole was now open.
Leaning against the wall and pulling out, I held my face with my hands.
“......Ah.”
I was going mad.
“I feel like I’m losing my mind.”
I, the 20-year-old Lee Shiheon.
Sold my body for ten million won.
-Creak.
“Hello! Were you having a good conversation with the Nomad......”
Entering the room, Byeol’s innocent smile gradually crumbled as she waved her hand vigorously.
“......Ni?”
The tree was breathing roughly, spewing white liquid.
I, with disheveled clothes and a tearful face, didn’t say anything, my head buried in my arms.
I was so overwhelmed that I couldn’t even throw a tantrum out of unfairness.
“Shi, Shiheon?”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“Nothing...happened.”
Byeol silently came beside me and patted my shoulder.
My heart was full of sorrow, and I buried my face in her embrace.
Later, on the way back after completing the discharge procedures, she handed me several expensive elixirs.
