A row of portable container booths stood before the Hong Yulong Gate.
They were prepared for the employees of the Iltae Group.
There were places to work and rest, as well as an emergency room for the injured.
What the employees mainly did in front of the gate was to exchange messages with the expedition’s liaison inside the gate and report to Chairman Woo Chan-sung.
Therefore, Im Jae-hyeok, the team leader of the Iltae Group’s Hunter Management Department, was once again communicating with the expedition’s liaison.
“……”
However, there was one problem with reporting to Chairman Woo Chan-sung.
It was because of the message delivered by the liaison.
[Under attack by the expedition’s Skeleton, currently fleeing.]
[Currently entered the expedition canyon, at a dead end.]
Not long after sending that message, the liaison collapsed.
It was because he had cast detection magic repeatedly, reporting an extremely urgent situation.
Literally until all his mana was completely drained.
Refilling mana was a matter of giving mana potions, but even after drinking them, his mental strength was not restored enough to cast magic again.
All that Team Leader Im could do now was wait until the liaison’s condition improved enough to cast detection magic again.
“The expedition has returned!”
At that moment, a hurried voice called out from outside the container booths.
From that voice, Im Jae-hyeok could guess what had happened.
The expedition was expected to take at least seven days, or up to ten days at most.
For the expedition to return in half a day meant it had failed.
“Ha…”
He sighed and stepped outside the container booth.
The expressions of the people emerging from the gate were grim.
Even Kim Min-joo, the supply team’s deputy manager who always comforted people, looked troubled.
It was clear that the expedition had failed, just as he had predicted.
Come to think of it, the person wearing the white mask who had stood out upon entry was nowhere to be seen.
They must have died during the escape!
There was obviously no one left to gather the Udamhwa flowers, which was why they had returned.
Having quickly assessed the situation, Im hurried to the last person who had left the gate: Woo Yeon-hoo.
“Vice Chairman! You must be deeply distressed—”
“Please take this, Team Leader Im.”
Woo Yeon-hoo abruptly extended his hand toward Im, who had come running.
It was a magic pouch about the size of a fist.
Im took the magic pouch with both hands and asked,
“What is this?”
“…Udamhwa.”
Woo Yeon-hoo bit his lower lip and replied.
Unable to understand the answer, Im tilted his head.
“Huh?”
“Did you not hear? I said Udamhwa.”
“I-I heard you. But… Udamhwa?”
Im asked again, but Woo Yeon-hoo had already averted his gaze.
The place where Udamhwa grew was definitely three days away.
Even though in a straight line it was only half a day’s distance, a barrier at the pass forced a long detour.
Yet, Woo Yeon-hoo had gathered Udamhwa and returned just one day after the expedition began.
Im couldn’t understand why his expression was so bad.
Why would he be angry after obtaining the Udamhwa he had dreamed of?
Woo Yeon-hoo shouted at his right-hand man, Oh Joo-han.
“Joo-han! We’re returning to the gate immediately!”
“All preparations are complete!”
Oh Joo-han replied and immediately led four party members into the gate.
Their faces as they re-entered the gate, carrying a portable mana generator on their backs, looked like soldiers going to war.
Im Jae-hyeok couldn’t make sense of it.
They had the expedition’s goal, Udamhwa, in their hands—so why were they entering again?
“Supply team, stay here! Min-joo, take care of the others.”
“Yes! Don’t worry, and come back safely!”
As Woo Yeon-hoo headed for the gate entrance, he spotted Im and frowned.
“What are you doing?”
“Huh?”
“I gave you the Udamhwa; what are you doing?”
“Ah! I’m—departing right away!”
Im hurried toward his car.
Getting in quickly, he looked back at Woo Yeon-hoo entering the gate.
Was he going to rescue the person in the white mask?
He was probably already dead, so wouldn’t that be pointless?
That thought flashed through his mind, but he quickly dismissed it.
Whether the white-masked person was alive or dead had nothing to do with him anymore.
What was more urgent was to deliver the Udamhwa quickly to Seoul.
*****
“Ugh, when will I be able to get rid of that hateful thing!”
Every time I aimed the log, the Skeleton Lord dodged here and there.
It was amusing to watch, so I pushed the log forward with a “Ebby.”
The Lord’s face twisted as if it wanted to scream, retreating.
Was it just my imagination, or did the white skull look even paler?
“Is that how you ask for something to be removed?”
“You lowly wretch! This is not a request but an order!”
“Ebby,” “Ugh!”
As I stepped forward, the Skeleton Lord backed away again.
Like humans shuddering upon seeing Teacher Ba.
Like hesitating whether or not to open the closed toilet lid in a public restroom.
That’s how much the Lord despised the log.
It was no wonder he called it hateful.
To me, it was simply ridiculous.
An A+ grade monster that can’t approach because of a single log.
“I won’t tolerate your arrogance any longer!”
“Oh yeah? Ebby!”
“Ugh! I won’t let your antics go on any longer!”
“Oh?”
I pushed the log forward again.
This time, the Skeleton Lord did not retreat.
He swayed slightly left and right but no longer dodged as before.
In the end, he decided to seize Teacher Ba.
Like opening the forbidden toilet lid.
To pay respect to that resolve,
“Hey, where do you think you’re going, you bastard!”
I ran frantically.
I ran with the log slung over my shoulder.
I could feel the pounding footsteps of the Skeleton Lord chasing me from behind.
He was an A+ grade monster.
The quest log saying “A+ Grade World Tree Quest” was proof of that.
No matter how many branches from the World Tree I had as support items, there was no way I could win against a stronger opponent by reckless fighting.
Fortunately, the gap between me and the Lord did not close quickly.
My body was moving better than usual.
It must be because I had the branch.
The passive effect of the World Tree item probably boosted my physical abilities.
“Stop right there, human! I will not forgive your offense to me!”
“You say that, but would you stop if you were me?”
“If you stop, I will kill you painlessly!”
“What nonsense!”
I would never stop!
I resolved that and thought of how to kill him.
The first thing that came to mind was the soil sent by Saesak.
The soldier- and captain-grade monsters were purified just by the presence of the soil.
Generals were fine but would be purified and melt away if stepped on or touched.
The Skeleton Lord had hidden his body with a cloak to avoid contact back then.
That was surely because soil could harm the Lord.
“Tch…!”
It was a pity I had no soil on hand.
If I had it, I would have sprinkled it as he chased me, making it impossible for him to avoid and easy to finish.
But regretting what I didn’t have wouldn’t change anything.
What’s not there is not there.
I had to think of another way.
Could I use this log instead of soil somehow?
Thinking that, I glanced back.
“…!”
“Won’t you stop!”
The Lord had already caught up right behind me.
At this rate, his large white hand would soon grab my neck.
Good, that’s fine.
I would use that determination to chase me.
I held the end of the log slung over my shoulder with my palm and stopped.
Then I knelt, lowering my body to prepare for impact.
“Hey, you!”
I felt like a pike soldier facing a charging cavalry.
Would I be trampled to death, or stabbed to death by the horse midway?
Whether lucky or unfortunate, there was neither dying nor killing.
The Lord, who seemed ready to collide with me, suddenly vanished from sight.
“Teleport?”
No, no.
Teleportation would still leave traces of mana flow.
Even an A+ grade monster couldn’t cast magic while completely erasing mana flow.
Then the only explanation was the effect of equipment items.
“…….”
Suddenly, a nagging feeling crept over me.
I had to get out of there immediately.
So, without looking back, I rolled my body forward.
“…From behind!”
The nagging feeling’s source was the Skeleton Lord.
He was right behind me, trying to stab me with a greatsword the size of my body.
I almost died without even knowing how…
Ah, but I don’t die that easily, come on.
“Impressive!”
Huh?
I think a good idea just came to me.
I rolled once more to increase the distance.
Standing up, I raised the log as if embracing it and charged at the Lord.
“Pathetic! You should have run away instead!”
In every era, the greatest weakness of the strong is always their arrogance.
And the carelessness that comes with it.
Of course, that’s not enough to close the gap between me and the Skeleton Lord.
The strong are called strong because they can kill the weak even while careless.
The Skeleton Lord swung the greatsword-bearing arm.
I only realized it swung; I didn’t even see it.
The greatsword I barely saw pierced my body.
I coughed up blood from my mouth.
My arms lost strength, and I dropped the log.
“Don’t struggle to live.”
“Hah, ugh!”
“You will soon be reborn as my subordinate and gain eternal life!”
“I don’t…need that…”
I stopped speaking and relaxed my body.
Playing dead.
The Skeleton Lord didn’t know that I didn’t die from most wounds.
Even with the mask and squinting eyes, the Lord didn’t recognize me.
Judging me dead, he slung the greatsword stuck in my body over his shoulder.
The sword jolted inside my abdomen, almost making me scream.
I grit my teeth and endured it.
Yes.
Endurance ultimately leads to victory.
Look at the Skeleton Lord’s smooth, white back of the head!
Isn’t it a perfect target for tapping?
Quietly grinning, I gently touched it.
Why did the Lord avoid soil and logs?
Because of the energy of the World Tree.
Anything containing the World Tree’s mana was a threat to him.
And the gentle touch was,
[Gentle Touch (A Grade) – The World Tree’s mana warmly envelops the fingers.]
An offensive skill containing the World Tree’s mana.
The Lord turned his head and looked up at me stuck on his greatsword.
His eyes widened as they met my grinning ones.
Of course, since it was a skull, he didn’t really open his eyes wide.
It just looked that way because he was embarrassed.
“Hello?”
“How…how are you still alive?!”
“Who knows? I’m not telling!”
I extended my right index finger and tapped the Skeleton Lord’s head.
He panicked and tried to shake me off, but gripped the greatsword tightly with his left hand.
“Ugh!”
Did you think I would fall off that easily? What a chance this is!
In that state, I hammered on the Lord’s white, hard head.
“Don’t you know? This position is perfect for rapid strikes?”
“W-what are you doing?! How dare you hit my head! Ugh, ugh!”
Do you know how long I tapped the screen of my smartphone?
I’m the one who made the World Tree sprout with this!