Chapter 60: Dungeon Affairs (4)
“I’ve found you.”
“...!”
-Vroom!
Instinctively, as the chainsaw revved, my outstretched arm was instantly severed.
-Splash!
The chains tore through my skin, sawed through my muscles, and pierced the inner tissues. I could feel the sensation of muscles being detached from bones. My dwindling energy stopped the chainsaw’s operation after a brief moment.
“!”
The sudden halt startled the girl.
“...You crazy b*tch.”
Despite the pain and battle frenzy, I focused on her emotionless face. My volatile energy throbbed menacingly as if it could swallow her any moment.
Even as the girl tried to extract the chainsaw, my bloody hand held onto it firmly. Without utterance, I reached out with my other hand to snap her neck.
-Vroom!
The chainsaw revved again. Blood spurted from the severed artery. If I let go, I would die. I clenched the chainsaw’s handle with my jaws.
Trembling, pain blurred my vision.
-Slash!
Another chainsaw plunged into my back. Unaware of the second person, my adrenaline had blinded me.
Two girls in black attire, eyes filled with hatred, looked at me.
“Cough, wheeze...”
I stumbled and escaped their grasp. They wielded blood-stained chainsaws. The trees watched us with an almost zombified gaze.
Embedded in the chainsaw’s handle was a green orb.
It felt similar to what Lee Seonghan once had.
“...Who are you?”
“No need for you to know.”
The younger-faced girl spoke with blatant disdain.
“Why are you after me?”
“Pathetic man, imbecile. You don’t even know?”
“How am I supposed to know after all the unfair treatment here?”
My vision faded. They might be a tad weaker than the liberated Lee Seoyeong if it came down to raw power or physical strength.
“Die here for the World Tree.”
“Beta, you talk too much.”
“...Either way, don’t think of dying easily. You’ll die here after suffering.”
My almost-depleted healing powers barely kept me standing.
Escape was impossible. Energy tightly wrapped around my body, slithering through every channel. Muscles swelled, and the bleeding stopped.
More precisely, more resiliently. Boosting my concentration, I got into a stance.
The wooden martial arts stance. An elite martial art I had developed.
Though still far from its peak, I had made progress. Pushing a step further, I forced myself beyond my limit.
-Thump, Thump.
I steadied my breath. In this tense situation where neither could retreat, our eyes exchanged looks that seemed ready to tear each other apart.
-Drip. Drip.
In the silence, only the dripping of blood marked the passing of time.
-Vrrrrrr.
The chainsaw started vibrating again, its chains glowing with power. Light burst forth from the green orb.
-Clank!
[―!!!!]
As they lunged at me with their weapons, dozens of trees surrounding me did the same.
-Vroom!
It was a noisy weapon for a surprise attack. Amidst the onslaught of trees, the girl named Beta swung her chainsaw at my head.
I swiftly turned my head to avoid it. Before its blade touched my trapezius, I struck her waist with my arm.
-Bang!
Concentrating my energy on a singular point, I instantly launched a blow. Any ordinary hunter would have been impaled on the spot.
It was ridiculous. To be in this state over just one man.
She almost laughed at the absurdity.
“Don’t you dare die.”
‘If you do, I’ll follow you to hell.’
Makyung Forest.
A sanctuary for abandoned trees.
Swish.
At the heart of such a forest, inside a well-built wooden house, Alpha was cleaning the blade of the chainsaw with a faded cloth.
Thud.
The door opened, and her younger sister walked in.
“Sis.”
“Yes?”
“I’ve sprayed all the potions.”
“What about the cuffs?”
“They’re secured.”
Cuffs designed to suppress magical circuits and lower abilities. Since they used the kind meant for the most heinous criminals, it was safe to assume the man wouldn’t go berserk now.
Alpha, having finished oiling her chainsaw and propped it against the wall, turned to look at her sister. Her sister’s eyes, still filled with emotions, shone brighter than hers. Alpha hugged her younger sister and caressed her head.
“You did well. Now, the World Tree will guide our path.”
“Do you think they’ll reveal our names?”
“Of course. They’ll let us know soon.”
To the Tree People and the trees, having a name held a value comparable to life itself. A name confirmed their existence, not merely a title but something of unimaginable worth.
That was why Tree People with titles were treated like nobility.
And those without were treated even worse than humans.
Being so low that they couldn’t even uphold the names granted by the World Tree, Alpha and Beta were such discarded children.
For them, the World Tree they served was a savior, a revered entity. Since it saved them, they blindly followed, regardless of right or wrong. To Alpha and Beta, Lee Shiheon was the worst kind of person, instilled as such by the World Tree.
They’ll ponder over Lee Shiheon’s treatment in the days to come. Whether it’s torture or drugs, one thing’s for certain: they intended to bestow upon him the most horrible death imaginable.
“Everything will be as the World Tree commands.”
Alpha and Beta got up and walked out of the house, heading toward a basement hut. Outside, the chilling air was palpable. The sharp scent of blood wafted in as they opened a door studded with thorns.
They looked at Lee Shiheon, who was tied to a bed.
“All preparations are complete.”
“Yes.”
In response to her sister, Beta remarked,
“What we’ve prepared is nothing special.”
To begin with, it wasn’t their idea, so the preparation was easy and simple. The World Tree’s revelations to them were brutal and horrifying, too horrid to even put into words.
“...cough cough.”
The man, opening his eyes, took ragged breaths, then, with blurry vision, he stared at the ceiling and the girls, murmuring with a sigh.
“Why did you keep me alive?”
A voice filled partly with resentment. Beta, infuriated, snapped back at him.
“Shut up! Before I use the chainsaw on your lips. Just talking to you makes me feel like vomiting. How dare someone who incurred the World Tree’s wrath speak like this?”
He calmly met her enraged gaze, succinctly replying,
“Who’s holding a grudge?”
His angry tone made Beta step back in fear, and then, feeling ashamed, she raised her voice even more.
“Heh, haughty. Anyway, you’re going to die today, and in the worst way possible.”
The man remained silent, but his gaze wandered, evaluating his surroundings. Feeling triumphant, Beta was about to make another comment.
“You won’t find any-”
“Beta, quiet.”
Alpha interrupted, silencing her. Alpha briefly assessed the man and turned her back. Beta followed suit.
No matter how much they bickered, the outcome was predetermined.
Lee Shiheon.
Today, he was expecting four guests.
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