Immediately after the outburst, the Dungeon Management Office and the Hunters tried to find the victims, who had been turned into branches, and bring them indoors to safety. But then, a giant tree trunk grew out of the warehouse, grabbing the victims and pulling them in.
They tried to fight it off, but it was no use. Eventually, 999 branches clustered around the trunk. The confrontation ensued. The warehouse wrapped in branches looked like a silver forest.
“Can’t you just remove the branches?”
“I’ve tried, but it’s … difficult.” Kwon Jiwoon shook his head at Ki Yoohyun’s question.
The hunters went inside the warehouse and tried to cut the branches, but even if they cut them, they quickly grew back. Not only that, but some of the victims felt pain when the branches were cut, as if they were injured; perhaps because they have assimilated with the branches and share their senses.
If the branch is removed by force, the victim dies. Healing and other skills are also nullified. Since many of the victims were Hunters, they were outnumbered.
As a result, the scene was stalemated.
If time passed and the branches swallowed one more person who drank the Super Buff Coffee, it would be over.
I swallowed a breath that was shaking with tension and said, “Oppa, I have a way to save those people.”
“……! What kind of method is that?”
Someone must have recognised my face in this crowded scene. I heard a murmur around me.
“The owner of Cafe Rieul is here!”
“She’s the Hunter who makes the real buff coffee!”
“Whoa!”
The murmurs grew louder and louder, and soon turned into cheers. It was so loud, it hurt my ears.
People moved out of my way. Hunter Kang Hyunwoo, who was leading the scene, pulled the barrier tape to open the way. As if to say that I could do whatever I wanted to do.
Uh, huh? I haven’t said a word about what I’m going to do yet? What’s with all the cheering? Am I trusted like this just because I’m the owner of Cafe Rieul?
Puzzled by the enthusiasm, I looked back at Kwon Jiwoon, who in return gave me a wry wink as if to say, ‘As expected, I trusted you, my little sister!’.
No, not you, not that…….
“Ahaha…….”
I realisez. It feels a little strange to be trusted. But it was never unpleasant or uncomfortable.
A silver forest sprang up inside the warehouse. I walked towards the man with the sprouting monster branches.
Come on, wake up and let’s go home.
***
A man whose skin has turned to a hard, silvery bark was asleep. I could hear his even breathing. He didn’t seem to be in any pain, but I had a feeling he’d turn into a twig in just a few more minutes.
I immediately took out a large container of ginger ale from my inventory. The spicy smell of ginger spread out.
First, I scooped the ginger ale into a cup with a ladle. Then I used a spoon to carefully pour the ginger ale into the sleeping man’s mouth.
I made him drink the ginger ale over and over again. Then the sleeping man let out a violent cough.
“Kulk, kulk!”
“Are you okay?!”
“Cough, cough!”
A golden, sticky liquid flowed from his mouth as he coughed. It trickled down his chin to the floor, where it soon vapourised and disappeared. The hard bark turned into soft human skin. Rustling leaves fell from the tree. As the last branch disappeared, a system notification popped up.
[The Sephiroth Branch of The False World has been removed.
Sephiroth Branches of The False World: 998/1000 people]
“Ugh…….”
The victim is not immediately conscious due to his weakness, but he is fully functional. We can now hand him over to the healers outside.
“……!”
Just then. A tree trunk began to grow tall in the centre of the silvery cluster.
Is that the main body? The trunk grew thicker and taller, until it became a huge, rounded cocoon. As a result, the entrance was blocked, and the people who had turned into trees became entangled in the cocoon.
At the same time, long, thin branches swiftly flew towards me.
“Aah!”
The movement was fierce. Perhaps feeling the pain, the branch lashed out like a whip and knocked down a pile of boxes in the warehouse.
I heard it hadn’t moved in twenty-four hours? I poured out resentment, but there was no one to listen.
“Is it because of this?”
I looked at the barrel full of ginger ale. It smelled strongly of ginger. They had told me that Mandragora ginger is the natural enemy of the monster branches. Is that why it’s reacting to this smell?
I thought, and quickly jerked back, “Argh! Don’t come this way!”
The rampaging branch was about to attack me. If the barrel of ginger ale spilled, there was no turning back. I wrapped my body around the barrel.
“….Rieul-ssi!”
At that moment, a net of light scattered in front of my eyes. It was Ki Yoohyun. The dense particles of light grabbed the monster’s branches and cut them off mercilessly.
“Kiiieeeek!”
It was a high-pitched shout that hurt my ears.
……What kind of twig makes that sound? Is that actually a tree?
The bizarre screaming tree trunk began to slam itself against the building of Super Buff Coffee, right next to the warehouse.
Bang, bang, bang! Once it hit, the wall cracked; the second hit, a huge crack opened up; and when it hit it three times….
What kind of tree can break a stone like that? Isn’t stone actually harder than wood?
I didn’t even have time to make such a tackle. With a loud sound, the wall collapsed.
…….
…….
“Ouch…….”
I rubbed my back and lifted myself up. Although I fell heavily, I narrowly avoided being hit by concrete chunks.
Fortunately, the lid was closed, so the ginger ale was safe.
The problem was that the monster branch had brought down the building, cutting it off from the outside world. The roots extending from the trunk were deeply entangled in the concrete mass. The surrounding area was a round cocoon of concrete and wood.
If trees were cut down carelessly, there was a risk that the building would collapse and people would be injured. As a result, the people outside who tried to enter after me were tied up.
Where are Ki Yoohyun and Choi Yichan?
“Cough, cough!”
I could barely see through the dust. I blew the dust away with my hand, trying to see around.
Then, the attack came, this time from the other side.
“Rieul-ah, watch out!”
Choi Yichan, who was nearby, drew his sword and swung swiftly. The blade sliced through the branches. The flailing branch soon lost its strength.
“….Tsk, behind you!”
This time, it was Ki Yoohyun’s shout. Choi Yichan made a sharp turn and cut it horizontally. He stood stood stiffly and spoke, looking down at Ki Yoohyun.
“You’re the one who’s supposed to block it, aren’t you?”
“Haha, who’s talking?”
Particles of light removed the monster branches. However, the branches continued to grow endlessly in all directions.
“That won’t work, Rieul-ssi, I’ll cover you.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t let them get close.”
With a bang, Choi Yichan stepped on a box in the warehouse and leapt up. Ki Yoohyun blocked the branches that attacked him from behind, making sure he was safe.
Oh, you two make a great pair…….
Ki Yoohyun, whose basics are strong, and Choi Yichan, who has just returned from hiding. Even though they had never fought together before, they were in perfect harmony.
I’m glad they’re getting along. I have to say that.
“Haha, ha…….”
The monster branches still surrounded us, but thanks to the two of them, I am out of harm’s way.
Now let’s do what I have to do.
But…….
[The Sephiroth Branch of The False World has been removed.
Sephiroth Branches of The False World: 997/1000 people]
[The Sephiroth Branch of The False World has been removed.
Sephiroth Branches of The False World: 996/1000 people]
…………..
[The Sephiroth Branch of The False World has been removed.
Sephiroth Branches of The False World: 989/1000 people]
Soon I felt my limit.
In this chaos, I find a sleeping person fused with tree branches. I spoon ginger ale into their mouth while keeping my attention on the branch that is about to attack me. After a while, the victim coughs up the golden liquor.
This whole sequence has taken too much time. There are over 900 people left. Will I be able to heal all these victims within the quest time limit?
I turned my head and looked around. The building debris and branches made it difficult to enter from the outside.
“……”
Ki Yoohyun and Choi Yichan have a hard time cutting through the endless branches. I can’t expect any help from others.
No, let’s not despair.
When a person is treated, the number of tree branches decreases. Wake up one more person by making them drink more ginger ale, and as you reduce the number of branches, the situation will change. I’m sure …… things will change.
Just then, as I stiffened with nervousness, I heard a voice.
“This way!”
Several people appeared on the other side of the cluster of silver branches. All of them wore vests with the same design, with the following inscription on the chest.
The Demon Cult Church ‘Twilight’.
And the one leading them from the front was a short boy.
“Eh……?”
“I’m here to help, Noona.”
I was surprised to see the boy proudly declaring with his hands on his hips.
……It was Ash, the part-time worker at my house.
“Ash! How did you get in here? The entrance was blocked by that monster branch!”
“I knew you would come here, so I came here in advance.”
“What if something dangerous happens!”
Asse was nonchalant in the face of my ranting. He even seemed a little proud of himself.
“Don’t worry. I’m not a child.”
“But…….”
“Hmmm, this is not the time for this, Master.”
Just then, an old man in a vest gently interrupted the conversation.
“I’ve heard a lot about you from the Demon King, you’re the master of the Demon King in this world.”
“What? No, there seems to be a misunderstanding of the title over there.”
“We are the people of the Demon Cult of Twilight. We’ll help you with your work, because that’s how we make the Demon King’s world beautiful.”
“……What?”
“Now, take it one by one!”
Following the old man’s instructions, the people in the vests carried the ginger ale in unison.
PREVIOUSNEXT
Translator’s Corner:
Is there actually a jinx for this blog, why everytime I talked about regular update, something happened….
Well, I’m fine if you’re curious. Just some kind of messed up family matters. It’s funny actually … it’s been two years since I left my home and received no support from them so it’s practically the same as saying I’m not part of that family anymore …… however hearing conflicts at home still make both my head and heart hurt. I guess that’s what blood ties are. I guessed even though I am a bad child who ran away from home, I am not that unfilial enough to be like my older sister who kicked my father out of his own house just so she can live there with her husband.
That’s too much information but it’s fine I guess since this is an anonymous blog. You guys were the only ones I could tell this too asdfghjkl It was really hard keeping things like this alone. Of course I have friends, good friends who care about me, but you know …… family matter is really embarrassing. It’s embarrassing to tell people that you’re not from a proper normal-functioning family. Thank you for letting me keeping this blog by not sharing it to the public. Please don’t share ……
I talked a lot …. I hope all of you will always be happy and surrounded with good relatives and friends.
