For a moment, my memories were so jumbled up that I couldn't even recognize where the hell I was.
The first moment of memory since birth.
A place I never wanted to recall again, the musty corner of the room with a moldy smell.
The smell of cheap perfume that irritates the nose.
The sound of a baby crying.
The sound of a family's laughter in good weather.
Someone's voice.
A head-splitting pain in the head.
The smell of grass, wood, humus, and mushrooms.
“…! ……!!!”
An urgent gesture and pain of slaps on the cheek.
I curled up reflexively and felt the darkness around me.
I heard a rustling sound and got goosebumps.
“Tsk… ! I wish he had just lost his consciousness.”
I got up, startled by someone's voice.
Am I late for work?!
“… what?"
Strange objects were flying around in my clouded vision, along with unfamiliar scenery.
A human face on a bird's body.
The first thing I saw was a grotesque figure.
But I've seen it somewhere.
That's obviously... .
“… Svengali?”
“Haha, why? Do you miss my face since it has been a while? Huh!?"
“Haaa!”
He screamed that way and glided down at a fast speed from the sky, aiming at me.
As I ducked my head down to avoid him, a shadow rushed out from under my feet and tried to hit him.
“…! ……!!!”
And something clinging to my face, shaking its roots right in front of me.
It was Mandragora.
"Ah."
It was only then I was able to come to my senses.
As I quickly looked around, I saw a tree branch that had tied Lee Ye-Eun's body, who had lost her consciousness, was dragging her somewhere.
"This… !”
I ran quickly, removed the tree branch, and hugged her as if taking her away.
Seeing that she was breathing lightly, I thought she had just lost her consciousness.
“…… .”
Mandragora, skillfully dangling from my collar, looked at her worriedly, and then went into my pocket.
I heard a rustling.
“I do not like it, hmm. In the mind… .”
Svengali was flapping his wings and looking down at me.
He was staring at me with eyes that said he couldn't understand.
“How on earth did he get out of my ability, and how did he come to his senses so quickly as soon as I vomited him out of my body, and how did his smell get so strong… .”
He was muttering to himself and flapping his wings out of Henir's shadow's reach.
Meanwhile, I felt a sense of incongruity in my finger.
When I looked at it without letting my guards down, I saw I was wearing a half-broken and shattered Ring of Corruption.
I pulled it out of my finger as if brushing it off.
At the same time, I saw notification windows popping up in front of me with a pain that felt like something piercing my head.
[???'s restrictions have been lifted.]
[Part of the forgotten memory is revived!]
[???'s judgment….]
[All stats have temporarily increased!]
At that moment, the door opened.
It feels like the world has expanded.
The world should have been exactly the same as it was just a moment ago, but I don't know why.
The only thing I know is that even though this feeling is unfamiliar, I don't feel repulsed.
Rather, it was a pleasant feeling for me.
… as long as I could get rid of this pain that felt like being hit on the head with a hammer.
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“Keuk… .”
I pressed my hand against my forehead, which was throbbing as if I had been hit with a blunt instrument.
In the head-splitting pain, various knowledge and memories that seemed to have been forcibly shoved were emerging as if they were unfolding.
“… yes."
… Anything lost in Svengali's body will return to its owner.
However, in that case, any damage or negative effects inflicted on Svengali will be nullified.
I nodded unconsciously at the first piece of information that came to mind.
Yes, Svengali.
I have to kill him first.
All the wounds I had inflicted on him inside his body would go up in smoke, but it didn't matter.
The fact was that the items and abilities I have are effective for him.
In particular, I was able to find out that Nidhogg's fang has a great effect.
However, as he knows that fact too, there is no way he will give me the chance.
And moreover, where we are now is a mountain range.
It's close to the summit, so there's nothing that could be an obstacle for him.
In short, it was an advantageous place for him.
“… Huu.”
I checked the status window along with the notification windows that I thought I had to check, and exhaled a little.
Even if it was just in the game, I thought that I should at least show him my ability to kill him in two digits.
It was just the beginning.
“……!!!”
As soon as I lodged the greatsword into the ground, Henir's shadow rose up.
I ordered him to protect Lee Ye-Eun, and made a branch of the World Tree into a bow.
Then, as I weaved the branches to form arrows, the guy flapped his wings and tilted his head.
“Are you going to shoot me with it?”
“What can’t I do?”
With those words, another memory of me walking the path of the bow was overlaid on me.
As I pulled the string with hand movement close to instinct, the arrow of the World Tree was shot at him immediately.
Svengali's body danced in the air.
The many arrows I fired at him couldn't even touch his body.
Svengali laughed so hard he lost his breath, and I stopped shooting arrows like a madman, clicking my tongue, and stared at him.
… Of course, I never expected to be able to hit that guy so easily from the start.
My goal was just to spread the arrows woven with the branches of the World Tree wide and far.
The notification window I had just checked was as I vaguely remembered it.
My World Tree and Lee Ye-Eun's World Tree.
The notification that the two World Trees had communicated and shared their abilities and characteristics.
My World Tree's ability was parasitism and absorption, while hers was erosion and assimilation of the surroundings.
When playing as Lee Ye-Eun, the first thing to do in battle was to take control of the surrounding environment to their advantage.
I felt that the seeds that I shot here and there were taking root and gradually transforming the surrounding area into one that was favorable to me.
Perhaps because of Lee Ye-Eun's ability, the amount and speed of mana absorption were incomparable to what they used to be.
'Then… .'
In the case of Svengali, it is standard to kill him after making him impossible to fly into the air.
However, there is no proper means of dealing with an enemy flying in the air here.
If that is the case, I have no choice but to steadily reduce his power and strike a decisive blow when he shows an opening.
Normally, a long-term battle should have been avoided, but as long as I did not have to worry about mana depletion, I would not be the first to fall.
“Uh, uhhh… .”
Meanwhile, Lee Ye-Eun groaned and tossed and turned.
Her eyes were shaking, and her eyes met Henir's shadow, who was staring at her blankly.
Then she immediately threw a fist and punched him in the face.
“Huh!? What the hell is this... !”
"Senior."
"Ah."
When I approached and called her, Lee Ye-Eun's body trembled.
… I knew very well why she was like this.
But at least now wasn't the time to talk about it.
“Ji, Ji-Hyuk… .”
“We’ll talk about it in detail later. It’s a bit urgent right now.”
She looked at me with trembling eyes and immediately started looking around.
She was far superior to me in this respect, so I didn't need to explain further.
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As expected, she quickly grasped the situation and got up, glaring at Svengali with sharp eyes.
“… That birdbrain bast*rd.”
I can't get rid of my anger if I don't tear him to death.
Lee Ye-Eun muttered as she brushed the dirt off her body.
After saying that, she held out her left hand as if asking me to hand her a bow.
Without a word, I touched her hand, precisely the branch of the World Tree, which had taken roots in her body.
“Heyak… !”
Lee Ye-Eun, who let out a thin scream and blushed slightly, stared at me fiercely.
As if reprimanding me for what I was doing in this situation, and I gesture at her left arm as if saying, take a look.
Her gaze rested on her left arm.
And I swear, her eyes shook so much that it would never happen again.
"Congratulations."
In the original story, it was definitely a branch of the World Tree that could only be obtained after clearing a long quest.
However, I remembered that in the setting book, it was clearly written that if she achieves great enlightenment or mental growth, she may awaken under the influence of it.
"Ah… .”
I smiled as I watched her raise her left arm as if sighing.
“Now, no one can discuss senior's qualifications. You've become the owner of the branch of the World Tree.”
"Yes, yes… .”
Lee Ye-Eun nodded slightly.
Branch of the World Tree.
What she has wanted all her life.
She just smiled when she saw it flowing down her left arm.
“…… .”
I silently stretched out my right arm.
Then a branch of the World Tree stretched out and entwined itself with hers.
The usually belligerent and violent one silently handed her the mana it sucked in from the surroundings.
"This… .”
“I think senior knows better than I do without having to explain. … and honestly, it’s not the kind of problem that can be explained properly.”
It was just as I said.
I could tell what abilities I had through the status screen, but not her.
It was not a problem that could be solved simply by telling her, so she had to find out herself.
Also, as my and her abilities were mixed, I couldn't tell how her abilities had changed.
“Don’t be impatient, just feel it.”
All I could do was encourage her.
Lee Ye-Eun looked around with trembling eyes.
“Ev, even if you just tell me to feel it… .”
At that moment, there was a loud noise.
“Tsk… ! An artificial composite life form with no more reason than an ant's tear... .”
“……!!!”
Henir's shadow, which pounded Svengali, who was rushing at us, let out a silent roar.
I told her, still not letting down my guard against him.
“Don't worry too much, senior. Don't feel pressured."
Everything will be fine.
“Haa, really… .”
Hearing that, Lee Ye-Eun sighed with a sound that seemed to be losing strength.
Then she closed her eyes and opened them slightly, smiling smaller than before.
“Yeah, it'll work out somehow."
With those words, Lee Ye-Eun closed her eyes, got down on her knees, and politely put her hands together.
Immediately, as I stopped in front of her to protect her, I heard a quiet voice that sounded as if she were singing a song.
“… We who drank thy spring water, are now... praying earnestly here for the feeble act of cutting off thy branches and leaves... .”
“You!”
Hearing her prayers, Svengali's mouth wide opened.
Then, things similar to the spear used by Lee Jae-Joon literally began to pour out of his mouth.
“……!!!”
Henir's shadow literally blocked the spears of thorns flying at Lee Ye-Eun with his entire body.
The guy was fixed to the ground with his entire body pierced, but the problem was that he didn't come back to me even after being reverse-summoned and receiving shocks.
No way.
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When I looked at him, he giggled.
“Do you think that I have lived all these years for nothing? I am well aware of the general characteristics of artificial composite life forms. I also know how to hold onto its feet.”
I heard another crunching sound coming from his body as he said that.
Crunch-crunch.
Soon, his body swelled several times, and at the same time, his shape began to change to a more angular and explicit form.
Immediately, he flew toward us, or more precisely, toward Lee Ye-Eun, who was in a trance and continued to recite prayers, as if a cannonball were being fired.
There was no way to avoid it.
Orc Chieftain's Bracelet, Branch of the World Tree. and Fortitude.
I used everything I could use.
Then, I thrust my greatsword into the ground and set it up like a shield, and braced myself for the impact to come.
Kuuung!!!
“Koheuk… !”
The impact was so massive that if it weren't for the fortitude skill, I would have collapsed immediately.
I choked, blood gushed from inside, and I could feel my arms being crushed vividly.
"Ohh."
Svengali grinned and looked at us.
The guy's eyes, which were narrowed as if he were provoking me, trembled.
Soon after, something like a vine came out of his body.
"You. Why are you looking at me with your eyes wide open, huh?”
It came precisely aiming at my eyes.
It was then.
Suddenly, a rock sprang up from the ground, and it did not just block the vines, it even hit his body roughly.
[The Apostle of the World Tree appeals to the Spirit for help!]
[The spirits of nature begin to gather here... They will not demand any price.]
[The spirits have confirmed your blessing and have given you their blessing!]
[At the earnest appeal of the Apostle of the World Tree, beings of nature begin to move willingly!]
[The energy of nature begins to gather in your body. Your physical body becomes strangely revitalized.]
“… finally."
It was worth gritting my teeth and persevering.
Lee Ye-Eun was supposed to have awakened the World Tree's ability, call of nature, and call of spirit.
I didn't expect her to use these two at the same time, but as soon as I saw the notification that they had come because of her long prayers and appeals, I let out a sigh of relief.
She was more certainly recognized by the World Tree than anyone else.
As if to prove it, there were powerful beings gathered around us, so powerful that I did not dare to look at them with Insight.
“This, f*ck… !”
The guy who noticed it hurriedly began to flap his wings to soar into the sky.
I quickly grabbed the greatsword and rushed at him.
[The presence of the wind breathes life into your footsteps.]
The Spirits, who were asked by Lee Ye-Eun, empowered me.
“You, you crazy… !”
He freaked out and swung his heavy wings at me, but as before, the rock soared again and blocked it.
[The presence of the earth protects you from harm against you.]
Immediately, I dug under his flapping wings and firmly grasped the handle of the greatsword with both hands.
What comes to mind is myself of another world who walked the path of the sword.
[The presence of the fire adds energy to your touch.]
[The presence of the lightning begins to dwell in your weapons.]
[The presence of the water revitalizes your body.]
[The presence of the swamp catches your enemies' footsteps.]
[The presence of the forest resonates quietly, obscuring your enemies' vision.]
[Numerous great energies are in balance in your body. Temporarily increases all stats.]
Even gaining the power to exhale aura, I swung it wide.
Soon after, the greatsword cut his wings and dug into the body, and began pouring the power received from the numerous spirits and beings of nature into him.
“Impossible…!!!”
Even though Svengali's body was literally shattered, the power of the sword did not disappear.
* * *
In the midst of the intense pain he was experiencing for the first time, Svengali quietly changed his mind.
Everything is fine, but Yoo Ji-Hyuk, and those damn organic creatures, I shall kill them.
As soon as he had that thought, his body immediately began to react.
Soon he became a giant old tree.