Eat The World Tree

Under the moderately cleared brush and lit campfire, I, having dealt with the wolf, asked the woman about her story in front of the fire.

She, who had looked exhausted, now had a bright face and chattered away about her story while I tended the fire.

“My team members all got eliminated, so I ended up like this while trying to escape.”

I took a cup out of her backpack and filled it with juice, handing it to her. It was a return gift for the food she gave me.

“Thanks. If only I hadn’t met the National Tree suddenly.”

“What National Tree?”

“Plum Blossom. The Chinese National Tree… She had snow-white hair and looked really scary.”

She barely survived, carrying a single backpack, after having her magic and stamina drained by the National Tree, only to almost be killed by a wolf.

She drank the juice with a sniff.

Her mouth corners lifted slightly. She drank the juice like a cat, savoring it.

‘As expected, the selection competition revolves around the National Trees.’

“How many were in your team?”

“Over thirty.”

“Thirty?”

It was beyond my imagination.

It was impressive that a National Tree could take down over thirty people and equally impressive that the group had formed such a large team.

“That’s a lot.”

“You have to build up your numbers to face a National Tree.”

“But just gathering people randomly?”

I questioned her statement.

It’s not that I didn’t understand. There were only two ways for cadets to survive in this survival competition.

Either hide and survive for a week or maximize the advantages of teaming up to a size that even a National Tree wouldn’t dare challenge.

Of course, the latter had the drawback of supply issues, so it wasn’t preferred.

“I thought I’d be fine with this many.”

The National Tree was stronger than expected. She hung her head gloomily.

“Thanks to that, my magic and stamina are drained.”

It would be replenished after a few days of rest, but she was practically eliminated.

I opened the combat ration she gave me as a return gift and took a bite.

‘I never thought I’d taste this here.’

It was an instant-eating combat ration that heats up when you pull the handle, Korean-style beef and gochujang bibimbap.

The difference was the green packaging with a tree symbolizing the World Tree.

It tasted better than when I last ate it. It had a long shelf life and was a private product, so it was good to eat.

“Is it good?”

“Yeah.”

“Thank goodness. Hehe. Thank you for helping me. I really thought I was dead.”

She laughed generously with a dirt-smudged face and scratched her cheek.

“You wouldn’t die, you’d just be transferred after some pain.”

“No, the moment the wolf bit me, I’d have had a heart attack.”

“Are you really an academy cadet?”

“Of course~ I can even recite my student number now. 220282…”

She raised her index finger and began reciting her student number. That’s not what I was asking.

I wasn’t sure if I should call her cheerful or just absent-minded.

Still, it was rare to meet a Korean in such a place.

No matter how many great hunters there were in Korea, it’s just one country. There weren’t many Koreans in the Forester Selection Competition.

It’s always nice to meet a fellow Korean abroad.

“Do men really eat this in the army?”

“Yeah? …Wait a second.”

She looked interested and stared at the combat ration I was eating.

I answered nonchalantly but trailed off.

Suddenly, my neck tingled.

Army?

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“Do Korean men go to the army?”

“Yes? Of course.”

“Mandatory?”

“What are you talking about? Of course, it’s mandatory.”

Creepy!

“Oh, but academy cadets are exempt….”

I almost fainted, but her following words made me feel an immense sense of relief.

“By the way, it’s really amazing to see you here. Your name is Lee Shiheon, right? From El Academy?”

“How do you know?”

“Hey~ You’re pretty famous on the internet. The guy who wears a mask and had a match with Jung Siwoo!”

It’s understandable, given that it’s all over the internet.

Since Jung Siwoo was so popular, it’s natural that his fame rubbed off on me.

If there were fans, there were also many anti-fans. Some people who didn’t like the excessive attention Siwoo got saw me favorably.

“And you’re friends, right? It’s inevitable to become famous.”

Famous.

There was an incident.

Jung Siwoo, who appeared as a guest on a weekend variety show, mentioned me, causing a stir.

Siwoo seemed strangely grateful to me. Since it was a good thing, I didn’t say anything.

-Hey. What is this?

Of course, there were incidents.

-Sorry….

When numerous delusional stories about me and Siwoo began circulating on the internet.

I knew because I spent a lot of time on the internet due to lack of sleep recently.

“What’s your name?”

I asked while finishing my meal.

“Oh, didn’t I tell you? It’s Hyang, Lee Hyang.”

“First name?”

“Yes. Isn’t it unique?”

Gyeongsu tree Lee Hyang.

Because of the tree’s name, I remembered it instantly.

“From Seoul Academy?”

“Yes. With my friends… Who would have known it would turn out like this? Sigh.”

Seoul Academy. Did she come up from the countryside?

I looked at Lee Hyang’s face.

She looked like she would suit market clothes and a straw hat more than a sophisticated dress.

If compared to a cat, she’d be a Korean Shorthair, not a Persian.

If compared to a dog, she’d be a yellow dog or a Jindo, not a fancy breed.

After seeing only strong-willed women, seeing Lee Hyang made me realize there were also people like her.

“So, what now?”

At my question, she smiled as if it was nothing.

“What to do? I have to forfeit.”

Lee Hyang answered cheerfully.

I paused, holding a spoonful of food.

“Without regret?”

“Hey~ Just making it this far is good enough. And the supplies I brought were too precious, but now I can give them to you. Isn’t it great that I’m helping a fellow Korean… Hehe.”

Lee Hyang said this while looking at the backpack hanging on the tree.

“If I forfeit, you can take it. You can even just take the food separately.”

In the Forester Selection Competition, which was practically a stage for the National Trees, cadets who couldn’t realistically win had varied mindsets.

This was an experience. Even if I was eliminated, it couldn’t be helped.

True, but that’s not easy.

If you were lucky enough to endure for a week, you’ll get a few newspaper articles.

If you make it to the third trial, you’d even get offers from variety shows and jobs. It’s remarkable that she can give it up so easily.

“Ah, should I separate them for you? Is there enough space in your backpack?”

“Yeah.”

“Then please keep eating. I’ll quickly sort out the food.”

Lee Hyang put down her juice and started picking portable foods from her backpack.

“Hehe, I’ll have to brag to my friends that I met Lee Shiheon when I go back to Seoul.”

“Haha, you might even want to get my autograph later.”

“Really? Here on my shirt?”

Lee Hyang tugged on the hem of her shirt and pointed with her finger.

Didn’t she know that boasting about my autograph would only be a joke?

Lee Shiheon, not even some other National Tree?

People would just scoff at that.

“Ah… you were joking.”

When I said nothing, Hyang scratched her cheek and focused back on sorting the food.

“So you’re really planning to forfeit?”

“I don’t want to stick around and get bitten to death by a wolf.”

Forfeiting. Not a bad choice. You never know when Flower might show up.

Helping her was a different matter.

“Well, you made a good choice.”

“Oh, by the way, don’t go east or north.”

“Why?”

Hyang handed me the sorted food and began tasting the items with shorter expiration dates.

She split a slightly bruised tangerine and handed me half after tasting it.

Having finished the combat ration, I accepted the tangerine. It was refreshing, sweet, and tangy.

“There are rumors among the cadets. There’s something yellow to the east and white to the north.”

“Something yellow and white? What kind of names are those?”

“The white one is the Plum Blossom I mentioned. I don’t know about the yellow one.”

There seemed to be something in the east.

I popped another piece of tangerine in my mouth and thought about Hyang’s story.

“You don’t know?”

“Yes. A blonde woman is said to be searching thoroughly and dealing with all the cadets she finds.”

A blonde woman. Sansuyu’s face came to mind.

Would she really do that? There were many blondes in the world, not just Sansuyu.

Like Byeol, for instance, there were several blondes among the people I knew.

“Hmm.”

“I heard it indirectly… so it might not be true.”

“No, thanks.”

The direction pointing to Sansuyu was still east.

The probability that the rumored person was Sansuyu was high.

Was it okay to use magic like water? Even though she was a swordsman, her magic reliance was on par with a wizard.

Magic was the foundation of all abilities. I hope she will not be exhausted when we meet.

I was about to stand up and pack my backpack.

Then, someone tripped my magic detection field, which was faintly spread out.

Today, I seemed to be encountering people frequently.

“Are you leaving? Then I should clean up.”

“Wait a moment.”

I stopped Hyang.

“Yes?”

“Someone’s coming.”

Something was approaching quickly towards us.

It didn’t seem like they were using magic, only pure physical ability. They were tearing through the bushes roughly.

“Really? Oh, what should I do? Should I stay behind? I’m eliminated anyway, so I can try to block them. I might be a country bumpkin, but I’m good at holding my ground.”

Hyang said this proudly while patting her large chest. Not a bad idea. Should I really leave her?

I was tempted, but the presence felt unusual.

Not as strong as when facing a National Tree, but very unfamiliar.

It was a sensation like being connected by a long thread, as if I could pull them towards me by tugging.

I immediately signaled for my staff from the tree.

When I sent the signal to my staff, it floated in the air and flew into my hand.

“Wow….”

Behind wide-eyed Hyang, with one hand holding a Wind Cutter and the other imbuing my staff with magic, I prepared to face the two silhouettes approaching quickly.

-Sssssk!

A black presence cut through the bushes like a cockroach.

A red-haired head popped out from the bushes.

“Puh!”

Ruby-like red eyes. They didn’t seem hostile, but their gaze at me was sharp for some reason.

“Ah…?”

The woman spoke as she saw me right in front of her.

A subtle sensation, like my chest was being constricted, overcame me. I had seen her in the cafeteria before. The feeling was different, seeing her up close with magic spread out.

Goosebumps spread from my toes. The inexplicable solid sensation made me shiver for a moment.

-Rustle.

The man who followed the girl into the bushes locked eyes with me. He had blonde hair and slightly tanned skin.

At that moment, the unease I felt expanded, making my head spin.

Their faces also turned strange as soon as they saw me.

Not so much dazed as deeply shocked, like I was.

‘Who are these two?’

Magic condensed to the brink of activation. I hesitated for a moment.

Should I release it or chase them off?

My finger repeatedly curled and straightened, ready to shoot at any moment.

Seeing the magic deployed in my hand, the woman’s mouth tightened, and she spoke immediately.

“W-wait. We’re not here to fight.”

The woman’s trembling eyes.

“…Oh, okay.”

Stammering, she finally spoke a word.

She swallowed hard, staring at me.

“Sorry to be so forward, but, um… want to… with me?”

Gulp.

The sound of swallowing echoed absurdly after her words.

Her tongue, slightly sticking out of her slightly open mouth, shone like the color of a ripe, red apple.

“What?”

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