Chapter 64: The Hive Takes Notice

There were three people in the room, each draped in black robes.

They revealed their identities with the brooches they wore.

The brooches pinned to their chests were shaped like a skull, an ant, and a mushroom, respectively.

The one with the skull brooch rose from the leather sofa.

The others seated across from him flinched, looking like children caught doing something wrong.

Their gazes followed the skull as he walked toward a wall made entirely of glass.

Beyond the glass, the midday Seoul skyline of Gangnam spread out below.

“Barnum, whom we sent to Baek Dowoon, was captured?”

He stood before the glass, speaking in a low voice.

The one with the mushroom brooch bowed deeply, folding his entire upper body.

“I’m sorry! It was a foolish thing for me to do…!”

“You idiot, why did you go and make trouble doing something you weren’t even told to do!”

“…”

The ant-brooched one seized the chance to scold the mushroom.

Mushroom, with head hung low, silently took Ant’s rebuke, but his fists, clenched atop his knees, trembled visibly—he was struggling to keep his emotions in check.

Ant seemed pleased with this, a sly smile curling on his lips.

Skull turned to look at Mushroom, still bowing.

“I know full well you did it to get into my good graces, so how could I truly blame you?”

“What? But—”

Ant was thrown off by the unexpected words from Skull’s mouth.

He opened his mouth urgently, eager to argue, but couldn’t get a word out before Skull gestured for silence.

At the command, Ant bit his lips in frustration but obeyed.

“Still, when a mistake is made, it is only right to accept punishment, wouldn’t you say?”

“…Yes, that’s true.”

“You are not to attend any more meetings from now on.”

“What? Wait! Are you stripping me of my officer status?”

“Hm? Why would a mere Barnum be reason to remove you from your post? I just don’t want you at the meetings, that’s all.”

‘Because I don’t want to see your face.’

It was as if those words had escaped his lips despite his closed mouth.

Mushroom, who’d started to lift his body in alarm, let himself droop again. Meanwhile, Ant grinned, as if pleased by his misfortune.

“Baek Dowoon….”

Skull broke off, turning his head.

Mana was swirling by the double doors.

The swirling mana quickly became a teleportation spell.

From the teleportation magic appeared two people in robes.

Their brooches were shaped like a circle and a ‘wolf’s head.’

Skull asked them immediately, his voice sharp.

“What brings you here?”

“We’ve come because of Beol.”

“Beol? And why is that?”

As he spoke, Skull checked the time.

The clock on the wall read 10:07.

“By now, she must have killed the orphanage’s head nun.”

“No, she failed.”

Failed?

Skull looked at Circle, unable to grasp the meaning.

If he’d said “she didn’t,” Skull would have understood—it fit Beol’s capricious nature.

But Circle had said “failed.”

That meant she’d tried to kill the nun and couldn’t.

“Look at this.”

Circle extended his right arm.

A hologram sprang up instantly from the smartwatch on his wrist.

The three stared at the hologram.

The video showed nothing but trees.

“All I see are trees?”

“Look closer.”

“…?”

Ant cocked his head, puzzled.

Skull gave a low hum, as if he’d noticed something in the video.

At the same time, Mushroom, standing next to Ant, gasped.

Finally, Ant squinted, realizing the secret hidden in the footage.

“No way… That’s Beol, isn’t it?”

When Skull asked, Circle nodded.

Ant and Mushroom echoed Skull’s reaction with low hums.

The video was full of trees.

But at the roots of one tree, something humanoid was pinned beneath.

It looked utterly drained, as if all energy had been sucked from it.

At first glance, it resembled a withered, gnarled tree.

“What on earth happened? Why is Beol dead like that?”

“No, she’s not dead. She’s alive.”

“…What?”

At Circle’s words, Skull peered at the footage again.

So did Ant and Mushroom.

They studied Beol closely.

Upon second glance, she wasn’t buried under the tree roots—rather, it looked as though trees were growing out of Beol’s own body.

Then, her right eye shifted, staring straight at the camera. Her left eye was buried under the roots.

[Kill me, please kill me.]

[Demon. That bastard is a demon….]

Beol pleaded for death in the video.

Ant and Mushroom shivered at the sight.

Skull stroked his chin, murmuring.

“That bastard…? Bastard?”

Bastard.

A power related to trees.

…Tree?

A man came to mind, one who once tossed a giant pine branch to the sky.

“Could it be… Baek Dowoon?”

“It’s certain. We confirmed Baek Dowoon was in the area.”

Circle nodded to confirm.

Skull, having assessed the situation calmly, swung his arm.

In his hand, a long staff made entirely of bones appeared.

He slammed the staff against the glass.

Despite the force, the glass didn’t break, though a sharp cracking sound echoed.

“…Baek Dowoon!”

“Calm down, my friend.”

“How can I possibly be calm! How many of our people has he—!”

Skull’s outrage quickly faded.

A knocking sound came from the double doors.

It was a polite knock.

“Come in.”

The doors opened and someone in a black robe entered.

On his chest was a ‘beetle brooch.’

“Uh…”

“What is it, is the Libra Guild causing trouble now?”

“Huh? No, sir. He’s here.”

Beetle replied in a rush, bowing politely.

“He?”

“Choi Donghoon of Aigaion has come.”

“Ah, right. It’s today, isn’t it.”

“Yes, he’s waiting downstairs now.”

“Then let’s greet our guest first.”

The staff vanished from Skull’s hand.

“Baek Dowoon can wait.”

With that, he left the room.

The others followed after him, to greet Choi Donghoon.

Only Mushroom was left behind in the room.

“Baek Dowoon….”

Mushroom’s fists trembled.

[Pruning has been completed.]

Pruning was finished.

As expected, trees grew from the burst limbs.

Because it happened in the mountains, the dungeon didn’t purify like last time.

All that happened was that the mountain’s trees grew denser than before.

With the sacred energy of the World Tree radiating, it felt like this mountain would become famous for forest bathing.

Other than that, there was one more difference to note.

“Ah, demon….”

Beol, who had lost all strength, was now part of it.

I wasn’t sure if this could still be called human, since her body had merged with the rapidly growing trees.

It happened because I brought her severed limbs close to her body.

From those limbs, sprouts emerged, plants burrowed into her flesh, and grew vigorously, feeding off her remaining power.

And so, Beol became one with the trees.

[Quest Alert!]

A notification message appeared.

[You have fought and defeated a servant of the Demon Tribe. (4/10 defeated)]

[Current reward—Sap of the former World Tree.]

“What, sap?”

The reward was sap from a former World Tree.

I had no need for more Arkars right now, so it was useless to me.

I could try making other armor, but…

Thanks to my bark armor, the gear Yoo Jae-yi gave me was already sufficient.

“Well, I don’t need it anyway, so it doesn’t matter.”

I closed the notification window.

The former World Tree’s sap was just a mid-reward.

With six more to go, the quest would be complete.

I wondered what the reward would be for hunting all ten.

“Kill me, please…”

It pleaded with me.

I reached toward it, having just closed the message window.

With a bright smile, I stroked its cheek.

It felt like touching soft tree bark.

“You can’t say things like that already. You’re going to have to live like this for a while.”

“N-no…!”

“Let your regret come from your heart. I’m not even asking you to apologize to the children you killed.”

“Please, please!”

I ignored its desperate pleas for death.

As I put Arka away into my inventory and was about to head down the mountain, a discarded stinger caught my eye in the grass.

Its color had changed from black to silver, but from its size—about as long as an arm—it was definitely the one I’d severed from her right arm.

I thought it would have disappeared after being purified.

“Why is this still intact?”

[Young Tree says there’s no longer any foul energy in that stinger.]

Sprout sent me a message.

From the way it talked and the color change, it seemed to have been purified for sure.

I remembered how it had pierced through my bark to scratch my cheek.

I should check it out.

I picked up the stinger and lightly scratched my palm. A little blood oozed from the scratch.

The bark armor was useless against it.

“You carried a nice toy around, didn’t you?”

“Ah…”

It stared at me, holding the stinger.

From the look on its pleading face, it was as if it wanted me to stab it with the stinger.

Not a chance.

I put the stinger in my inventory and immediately headed down.

My next destination, naturally, was Ark Shelter Orphanage.

People there might be worried about me, so I hurried back.

In front of the orphanage, familiar faces awaited me.

Kim Sangchul and Lee Jaewook.

Were they not even pretending to tail me anymore?

“What are you guys doing?”

During my hospital stay, we’d dropped honorifics.

They had asked, saying they wanted to be close like brothers.

Since we were no longer guildmates, I agreed.

I couldn’t have them calling me “Team Leader” forever.

Kim Sangchul answered.

“What do you think? We’re guarding this place for you.”

“You guys, guarding here?”

The orphanage had multiple layers of Dohee’s protection magic.

It was far safer than with B-rank Hunters like Kim Sangchul and Lee Jaewook standing guard.

They knew it too, and nodded with slight, sheepish smiles.

Then Lee Jaewook asked,

“Did you catch the intruder?”

“By now, he’s probably regretting ever messing with this place. Somewhere on that mountain.”

“As expected of you, hyung!”

When I gestured over my shoulder, Lee Jaewook gave me a thumbs up.

I’d been called hyung before, but never hyungnim—it felt a little awkward.

It would be easier if he just called me hyung, like Kim Sangchul.

“Go on in. The head nun is waiting for you.”

“Oh, and there’s a little kid with her, too. He was crying in her arms.”

That had to be Kang Woo-hyuk.

Crying in her arms?

He must remember attacking the nun.

“…Tsk, maybe I went too easy on him.”

“Huh?”

“It’s nothing. Thanks for everything.”

I waved them off and passed by.

They called out, “Thank you for your hard work!” as I left.

Hard work, really.

Anyone would think I’d done something difficult.

Inside, I saw the nun sitting on a bench in the playground.

Beside her, Kang Woo-hyuk had fallen asleep clutching her hand, exhausted from crying.

The nun mouthed, “You’re back?” without making a sound, worried about waking Kang Woo-hyuk.

“Hey, wake up.”

I ruined her efforts in a second.

She glared at me fiercely, but I only watched Kang Woo-hyuk rubbing his eyes.

It’s not that I was too scared to meet her gaze.

Kang Woo-hyuk only woke after I shook his shoulder.

“Mm…?”

His eyelids lowered, slowly, once and then again, before opening wide.

“Ah! Mister…!”

“…”

“Pfft.”

The nun burst into laughter.

When I glared at her, she didn’t bother to hide her amusement, only shrugging her shoulders.

I’m only twenty-six, not even old enough to be a hyung, let alone a mister….

Now I kind of wanted to be called hyungnim.

“Take a look at this before you go.”

I took the stinger out of my inventory.

At the sight, Kang Woo-hyuk gasped and hid behind the nun.

Its color had changed, but he recognized exactly what it was.

“You know what this is?”

I asked, and he nodded slowly.

Still hiding behind the nun.

But his eyes remained fixed on the stinger.

That was enough for now.

“What do you think it means, that I have this?”

“…”

“It means that monster is gone now.”

The boy’s eyes widened.

His trembling lips formed a question.

“…Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“Really, really?”

“Really, really.”

“Uuuh…”

Tears welled in his eyes.

His lips closed, but soon opened again.

He couldn’t hold back the sobs anymore.

I felt sorry for him and patted his head.

“You did well.”