Chapter 86: Divine Tree

The sudden appearance of this monster in the Black Lotus Flood, a C-class danger zone, sent shockwaves around the world. Not only did it evade the eyes of the Hero Association, which had managed the area for decades, but it also escalated the Black Lotus Flood to an A-class danger zone in just two hours after revealing itself.

This phenomenon was possible because the monster had rooted itself throughout the Black Lotus Flood, merging with the environment as if it were one with the land. It was a stark reminder to humanity, which had grown complacent after a long standoff.

Rumble

"Here it comes again!!"

It was also a disaster for Isuhun and Jake.

Boom!

Dozens of tree roots shot up with a deafening sound. Their size was so large that they looked like trees sprouting, but there was no time to marvel at the sight.

Whoosh!

The tree roots, which had been standing straight, suddenly twisted like snakes and lunged forward.

Faced with this terrifying scene, Isuhun quickly darted his eyes and shouted to Jake.

"Northwest!"

"Got it!"

As if they had made a pact, the two shot forward and swung their swords simultaneously.

Boom!!

The tree roots were shredded by the flames and blue sword strikes. Seizing the gap, the two quickly slipped through and escaped.

Crash!

The remaining tree roots narrowly missed the ground where they had been standing, and Isuhun, now out of the encirclement, quickly surveyed the surroundings.

'There... again!'

Tree roots were rising from the ground like worms at a terrifying speed. Isuhun, who had observed their movement with Touan, turned his gaze to where a path had opened.

What he saw was a giant tree beyond the forest. The appearance of the 'Divine Tree' emerging from the ground made Isuhun frown.

"We're breaking through again!"

"Got it!"

As they broke through the encirclement in the opposite direction of the Divine Tree, Isuhun coldly analyzed their enemies.

'At this level, it's probably just a B-class at best... Probably the aftereffects of being forcibly awakened.'

The Divine Tree, which should have awakened decades later, was forcibly roused, a natural consequence.

Thanks to this, they managed to break through the encirclement and escape, but the situation was far from ideal.

'We're getting closer to the lake where the Divine Tree is.'

Despite trying to run in the opposite direction, they were getting closer to the Divine Tree as time passed.

At first, he thought it was an illusion, but after examining the fog, Isuhun quickly understood the cause.

Ripple

The space itself was undulating like a mirage. The fog not only blocked the senses but also distorted space.

'This is a new ability the Divine Tree didn't have before the regression... But if it's the puppeteer, he's capable of anything.'

The 'Cube,' a bio-weapon that grants the abilities of heroes and demons by using their bodies as materials, was used to give the Divine Tree spatial abilities, isolating the Black Lotus Flood from the outside world.

Isuhun realized the situation was becoming quite troublesome.

'If this is the case, there might be a problem with the forced teleportation function... The students are effectively being held hostage.'

A cloak without the forced teleportation function is just a regular defensive item.

The Divine Tree's roots must have secured the students and are now holding them hostage.

'What are they after?'

Are they trying to eliminate someone among the faculty using the students as leverage, or is there a specific target among the students?

Either way, they can't just stand by.

Isuhun, having made his decision, spoke to Jake, who was running alongside him.

"Jake, we have two options."

"Two options?"

"The first is to keep running and hold out until the faculty arrives. It's safe, but we don't know how long we can hold out, and others might die in the meantime..."

"Second option!"

Before Isuhun could finish, Jake answered with a surprised look.

"Without even hearing it?"

"Usually, the second option is the opposite. It's risky but can resolve the situation quickly and save the others."

Swish!

Jake, who had cut through the attached tree roots with his sword, looked at Isuhun.

"If we're heroes, we should take the second option."

Isuhun studied Jake's determined face. Despite feigning calm, his eyes trembled slightly with fear, and his body was tense.

He's a student from a prestigious family, but ultimately lacks experience. It's natural to be afraid, but he won't back down because this is the right path.

'Now I understand why he had a short life...'

Isuhun, who now understood Jake better, reached out and patted him on the back.

[Extracting a bond from 'Miles Myers'.]

[The bond with 'Isuhun' is at Level 1.]

'With this, things will be smoother.'

The bond flowing into his fingertips, Isuhun gauged the power it contained and looked at Jake.

"Alright. But promise me one thing."

"What is it?"

"Focus only on what I tell you to do, no matter what happens."

Boom!

Isuhun, who had cut through the tree roots with his Goseika, spoke with confidence.

"Then we'll definitely succeed."

***

A massive lake located in the northwest of the Black Lotus Flood.

Once known as the 'Lotus Lake' due to the dense black lotuses on its surface, it now looked quite different.

Rush

The lake had expanded to twice its original size. It wasn't so much that the water had increased but rather that it had overflowed, and the cause was the tree rising from the center of the lake.

Crack

Standing 70 meters tall and 100 meters in circumference, the tree was already overwhelming in size, and it continued to grow.

Will, observing this terrifying growth from atop the tree, marveled.

"To think someone would cultivate such a thing in a C-class danger zone... Whoever they are, they're truly disgusting."

If this is what it looks like when it's partially awakened, what will it be like when it's fully grown? Curious, Will looked down at the tree, the Divine Tree, when he heard a frantic call from behind.

"Boss!"

"One of the targets couldn't break through the encirclement and changed direction!"

"Is that so? They must be getting tired."

Using an A-class hero's spatial abilities to drive them in, even the top student wouldn't last long.

Feeling that this annoying mission was coming to an end, Will shouted to his subordinates.

"We're wrapping this up. Prepare for transport! Use the hostages to tie down the others after half-killing them."

"Understood!"

After giving orders to his subordinates, Will headed to the space behind him.

Swoosh

A giant lotus bud on top of the tree.

The leaves were half-black from the bottom, and the stems were densely growing, covering the surroundings and even penetrating the ground below the tree.

This lotus bud was the core and heart of the giant tree.

"Did the Cube get absorbed already? What a waste..."

He had tried to recover it, but as a corrosive-type monster, it had absorbed everything into its body.

Will, disappointed, approached and tore off one of the stems penetrating the tree, placing it on his neck.

Crack!

The lotus stem instantly penetrated his neck, and his vision darkened for a moment before revealing a different landscape.

Two students running towards the lake, dodging the tree roots. Despite knowing it was a trap, their determined faces made Will smirk.

'They could have saved themselves a lot of trouble if they had given up earlier.'

Determined to end this quickly for their sake, Will tore off more stems from the ground and connected them to various parts of his body.

Crack

As the stems grew, his body swelled, and his vision expanded. Finally, when he felt his 'body' rooted in the lake and nearby, he looked at the two approaching.

"Ugh..."

The intense gaze made the hairs on his body stand up.

The overwhelming presence from the giant tree made Jake involuntarily take a deep breath.

If this is how it feels from a distance, what will it be like up close? As the tree continued to grow, Jake, tense, heard Isuhun speak calmly from beside him.

"Remember what you need to do."

A short sentence, but it reminded Jake of his focus.

Shaking off his tension, Jake bit his lip and replied.

"Don't worry."

"Good."

With that, the rest was up to Jake.

Isuhun, turning to the enemy, tightly gripped the newly created bond stone in his right hand.

[Bond - Compression Stone]

[Grade: High] [Quality: Best]

A continuously compressing mineral.

It has the property of compressing by absorbing the magic power within it. If the density exceeds the durability, it will break.

*Compresses absorbed magic power.

A dense, dark blue stone.

Isuhun, gripping the bond stone extracted from Jake, immediately activated the bond mark on his right hand.

[Bond mark 'Iron Exploration' activated.]

Crack!

The compression stone shattered like ice, and the power within it merged into Isuhun's body.

Crack

A sensation of his bones, muscles, and blood vessels being compressed. His vision dropped by about 10% as if to prove it wasn't an illusion.

"Hmm..."

Blue steam escaping from the corners of his mouth.

Isuhun, confirming that all preparations were complete, looked at the lake, which was becoming visible through the fog.

Whoosh

As he dove into the ground, the lake spread beneath his feet.

Boom!!!

Before the sound, Isuhun had already reached the lake and started running on the water.

Splash!

A method of running by releasing