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The Mist Vol 5 Chapter 34
🕑 Added 2024-11-27 12:46:48 +0000 UTCVol 5 Chapter 34
'I'm someone who works when there's reward and fun. Today, I was hired to play the role of a gardener to cut off rotten branches.'
With that, he leaped up the giant tree as if defying gravity.
'You seem to have quite a lot of rotten parts.'
As if gravity didn't exist, his body shot up several meters with each quick and light step. The tree couldn't just let Lucrecian, who was jumping higher and higher onto the branches, do as he pleased.
The giant branches thrashed about in the air as if trying to catch an annoying fly, and the leaves that still covered the sky and flew around also attacked in swarms.
Although threatening attacks continued to pour down, Lucrecian repeatedly dodged them by a hair's breadth, as if doing it on purpose, making the viewer break out in a cold sweat. Every time Lucrecian escaped, the divine beast's enraged screams echoed throughout the forest. Everything was in turmoil because of just one ant-sized Lucrecian.
How long did such chaotic attacks clutter the screen? As Kapros watched the pandemonium, he suddenly felt at one point that the tree's attacks seemed to be gradually cornering Lucrecian to one side. The branches that had been attacking randomly at first had been moving in a certain pattern for some time.
[ I've got you. ]
As Kapros watched tensely, wondering what Lucrecian would do in that situation, the tree's voice, full of satisfaction, broke through the cacophony of noise. On the screen, Lucrecian had stopped abruptly as if the image had frozen while he was running.
A small branch that had approached without notice was tightly binding his ankle. Lucrecian looked down at the branch for a moment and tried to stomp on it with his other foot, but the branch didn't break. Instead, it immediately revealed its true nature and quickly climbed up, wrapping around his waist.
Even when he struck it with his dagger, it only bounced off as if he were using a blunt blade. The tree, which had been still as if enjoying the sight, extended a few more branches towards Lucrecian's limbs and face.
[ Insolent human, you've become quite a sight. ]
'For a tree to have such a bondage fetish, I'm shocked.'
However, Lucrecian, still responding leisurely as if taunting, seemed to have given up on useless physical attacks and was slowly moving his hand towards the bottles at his waist. But the branches that extended without giving him a chance instantly entangled his arms and legs, blocking Lucrecian's arms.
Although his face wasn't visible, so his expression couldn't be seen, it was undoubtedly a predicament. The tree, which had wrapped around his limbs like a bug caught in a spider's web, let out a booming laugh and shouted loudly.
[ Now, all that's left for you is death! ]
At those words, branches much thicker than before flexibly bent and approached, starting to thickly wrap and entangle Lucrecian's entire body. After a moment, all that could be seen was a mass of branches formed like a large cocoon. The cocoon shook constantly from side to side, as if Lucrecian was resisting inside.
[ Haha, a resistance weaker than an insect's. What do you think will change with that? ]
Along with the tree's mocking voice, blue flames suddenly flared up inside the wooden cocoon, but disappeared without causing any damage. It was the same kind of flame as one of the effects of the bottle Lucrecian had used earlier.
'How can fire not affect the tree...?'
Even Kapros, who was watching, was surprised, but it seemed Lucrecian inside also needed a few more confirmations, as the flames flared up and died down several more times afterward. Following that, green gas and bright yellow liquid were also sprayed out, but both disappeared without any effect, just like the blue flames.
After a few more attacks of various colors poured out between the branches, but failed to inflict any significant damage, finally no more attacks came from inside the prison woven of branches. The large tree, which had revealed its name as Grand Tulu, laughed cheerfully as if it had expected this.
[ All humans eventually become careless. You, too, who were so confident, are no exception, human. Didn't you know that my solid body can move more flexibly and quickly than anything else when necessary? ]
...What kind of tree is this? It would be better to call it steel. Kapros inwardly wondered if he should be grateful that his quests so far hadn't involved dealing with something like this.
[ No one has ever invaded a divine beast and lived to tell the tale. You'll be the same. Now, it's time for you to disappear! ]
As soon as the tree's shout ended, the cocoon heaved greatly and then collapsed as if to crush Lucrecian inside. It was a moment of crisis where it seemed he might burst and die at any moment. As Kapros unconsciously frowned at the sight of the mercilessly shrinking branches,
[ .... ]
Suddenly, all sound stopped.
Even the leaf monsters that had been flying around ominously froze in mid-air and trembled. As Kapros was feeling puzzled by the scene that looked as if time had stopped, a low and leisurely voice flowed out from the wooden cocoon that had been confining Lucrecian.
'Hmm... I was annoyed, wondering when I'd be able to search through this oversized tree to find the requested item...'
It was Lucrecian's voice, sounding much more composed than expected. Moreover, the entire wooden cocoon that had been confining him suddenly started to turn black and slowly crumble. As Lucrecian leisurely bent down and emerged from inside, lightly tapping the remaining cocoon, even the parts that had remained turned to powder and flew away.
Lucrecian stood there without a scratch, holding a dagger with a quest jewel embedded in it in one hand.
'As expected, I'm lucky. To find it so quickly.'
Every time Lucrecian waved his arm teasingly, the gleaming blade of the dagger shone like a beast's fang, revealing its transparent sharpness.
Only then did the tree's voice resound, trembling.
[ How... can this be...? Surely my body shouldn't fall victim to such sorcery... ]
'Poison isn't sorcery. It seemed weak poisons didn't work because your bark was unnecessarily tough, but...'
