FLIA 21

Although he was said to be in a weaker category than dealers or tanks, Yohan was still a high-level awakener, and his broken arm healed completely in less than a week. When he cautiously unwrapped the splint and tested his arm, there was no more pain. Before setting off, Yohan packed several days’ worth of food and medicine into his backpack. Just as he stepped out the front door, Lee Hyunmook pointed to the old cart he had brought back from the supermarket and asked casually,

“Want me to push you in the cart until the path ends?”

Yohan shook his head and refused.

“How old do you think I am to be riding in a cart?”

Yet moments later, Yohan was screaming, unsure whether it was out of fear or excitement, as he rode in the speeding cart. Of course, a cart pushed by the strongest awakener in Korea was ridiculously fast, both terrifying and thrilling. When the road abruptly ended, Yohan, breathless with excitement, got out of the cart. It felt like they’d traveled a distance that should have taken three hours in just thirty minutes.

“It was kind of scary, but fun…”

Lee Hyunmook, who had run almost like a rickshaw and still showed no signs of exhaustion, ruffled Yohan’s hair again. This time, it really did feel like he was being treated like a child, but Yohan decided to let it slide.

‘Mr. Hyunmook is thirty-three now, right?’

That made them ten years apart. And being treated like a kid didn’t feel all that bad. Clutching the straps of his backpack, Yohan marched forward with determination. What used to feel like an endlessly terrifying abyss now felt just a bit less scary after awakening.

It hadn’t been long since Lee Hyunmook lost his spear, but he walked in one direction without hesitation, as if he could sense where it was. How long had they been walking? He suddenly stopped and tilted his head. Before them stretched a thick, overgrown forest.

“…This wasn’t a forest before. Looks like the swamp has spread.”

Then he looked at Yohan with contemplative eyes. When scouting around their shelter not long ago, Lee Hyunmook hadn’t entered the forest. It probably meant it was dangerous. After a moment of thought, Lee Hyunmook made a decision.

“From here on, it’s better if you walk ahead of me.”

It seemed he had judged it better to retrieve the weapon even at some risk. Yohan swallowed dryly and stared into the dark forest.

“M-me? In front?”

“That way, I can respond right away.”

Yohan was scared, but instead of backing away, he stepped forward with courage. Lee Hyunmook placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“And can you light the way while we move?”

“Of course!”

Overjoyed that he could be of help, Yohan immediately summoned particles of light. This illumination ability took much less energy than purification and could be maintained for a long time. As the bright light poured out, shrieks rang from the dark forest entrance and grotesque creatures scattered. Yohan took a deep breath.

“Then I’m going in.”

Trusting only in Lee Hyunmook, he stepped into the black forest. He had barely taken a few steps when the ground beneath his feet already felt soft and mushy. Though he was walking in front, Lee Hyunmook walked diagonally beside him, close enough that it felt like they were moving together. That eased Yohan’s tension a bit.

Creeeak… eeek… disturbing cries echoed from all directions like the calls of deranged monkeys. The forest, now filled with light unlike anything he had seen in the abyss, stirred ominously.

It was hard to advance through the corrupted wild forest, untouched by human hands. If he hadn’t awakened, or if there weren’t any light, he would have stumbled countless times by now. How long had they walked like that? Lee Hyunmook suddenly extended his arm and halted Yohan, murmuring lowly,

“Something’s not right.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“The trees here aren’t the same kind as the ones near the house. And all the trees around here look exactly the same.”

Different kinds of trees? Yohan looked at the tree closest to him, there was a knot twisted eerily, grotesquely, like a human face staring right back at him. He quickly turned to look at another tree. The same uncanny appearance. Even so, he couldn’t tell the difference between these and the ones near the house. But he could understand the part about them all looking identical.

The knot’s position, the twisted form, the branching limbs, none of it differed. And in the next moment, Lee Hyunmook grabbed Yohan and started running. The moment he moved, the trees did too. The knots that looked like human faces were shifting toward them.

“U-ugh!”

Afraid he might bite his tongue, Yohan covered his mouth instead of screaming. Suddenly it was clear, those countless gazes had been watching them all along. Then those gazes began writhing and moving. Trees tangled their branches, shifted their roots, and began to merge. They were closing in, surrounding them.

Thankfully, Lee Hyunmook broke free of the encirclement just before it closed in. But the danger wasn’t over. Yohan’s eyes widened as his head slowly tilted upward.

A creaking, dark shadow loomed over them.

Wooooom… A sinister rumble echoed as the tree grew even larger. The sight of countless smaller trees merging into a single massive entity was revolting and horrifying. A monster, gathering its scattered clones to hunt its prey, now stood towering over them at least ten meters tall.

“Damn. Lightning doesn’t work well on trees.”

Lee Hyunmook muttered carelessly as he patted terrified Yohan’s back. His gaze locked on the top of the giant tree monster. A long spear was lodged diagonally into one of its branches. But he didn’t rush in. Yohan, realizing what was holding him back, took a deep breath and said,

“I’ll stay as safe as I can. You can’t fight like this, right?”

With a furrowed brow, Lee Hyunmook finally nodded. He set Yohan down at the edge of a clearing, formed where dozens of trees had vanished.

“…I’ll be back in no time.”

Had Yohan not awakened or wasn’t high-level, Lee Hyunmook never would have left him alone. Even if he wasn’t physically as strong as a dealer or tank, high-level was still high-level, he wouldn’t die so easily. Even so, Lee Hyunmook steeled himself to finish this within three minutes.

First, he unleashed an intense surge of lightning in all directions. Crackle! Black lightning scorched roots and branches. The giant tree monster, slowly scanning the area, finally reacted.

Woooooo… Ooooooh…

Whether a moan or a groan of awe, it cried out as countless branches writhed and shot toward Lee Hyunmook. Though its trunk moved sluggishly, the branches were fast as lightning. But Lee Hyunmook dodged them with ease. Anything too difficult to avoid, he incinerated into ash with lightning.

Bolts of lightning continuously struck the monster’s trunk. Each deafening blast shook the area, charged with tremendous energy. The tough bark began to burn away, layer by layer. As it charred off, softer inner flesh was revealed, leaking a thick, dark red sap like blood.

Yohan held his breath as he watched Lee Hyunmook fight. Just like during the subway monster battle, no other monsters dared approach. That was fortunate. Just like Lee Hyunmook said, this fight would probably be over soon.

Then it happened.

Thunk…

A faint but irritating noise reached Yohan’s ears. The moment he turned toward the sound, something burst from the ground. A writhing, pitch-black root.

“Ahhh!”

Yohan screamed and jumped aside. The root narrowly missed his head. Then, crack!, a loud snap, and a thick root the size of a human torso surged up. Lee Hyunmook, who had been halfway through burning the tree monster down, sensed the anomaly.

“Yang Yohan!”

Yohan barely dodged another root trying to crush him by throwing himself out of the way. But luck ran out with the third attack, it was impossible to avoid. Just as Lee Hyunmook arrived at his side, Yohan instinctively released his power.

Flash! A blinding burst of black and white light exploded. One was Yohan’s, the other Lee Hyunmook’s. Just before the roots and branches could strike, Lee Hyunmook snatched Yohan away.

Pop. Pop… White flowers bloomed where Yohan’s light had touched the wood. The massive roots, or branches, were now covered in fragrant, sweet-smelling blossoms. The tree monster, visibly flustered, swung the blooming branch stiffly, scattering white petals to the ground.

Staring at the falling petals, Yohan muttered in a daze,

“Looks like… an acacia tree…”

In the stinking black forest, the sweet scent of spring flowers filled the air like it was mid-April. The area Yohan had purified returned to ‘normal’, now they just looked like ordinary trees. Realizing this, Yohan quickly shouted to Hyunmook,

“Mr. Hyunmook, the spots I purified can’t move! Then I’ll…!”

That made sense, normal trees couldn’t thrash around like that. Yohan thought if he just purified the roots, he could bind the monster’s movement. But before he could even finish, Lee Hyunmook, almost as if reading his mind, shook his head firmly.

“I should’ve finished this faster from the start.”

Yohan’s mouth opened, about to protest, and then closed again. Lee Hyunmook had covered Yohan’s ears with both hands. Yohan’s wide eyes read the motion of his lips.

—If it’s not working… hit harder.

Then came a massive shockwave.