Chapter 17: Shared battery

“World Tree?”

Jo Sung-Il stared blankly at the girl who had identified herself as the World Tree.

“You’re really the World Tree?”

Even though the information had already registered in his mind, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of cognitive dissonance.

The World Tree, despite being classified as a plant, was essentially a monster.

It wasn’t native to Earth.

But what was with its current appearance? It looked human enough to be mistaken for a Hunter.

“How can you transform into a human so completely?”

He couldn’t even fully shed his monstrous form, even with a time limit.

“I was born on Earth.”

The World Tree said defensively.

“Like a spirit.”
“A spirit?”

Jo Sung-Il swallowed.

“You mean you were a supernatural being originally living on Earth, and you became like this because of the dimensional rifts that brought the monsters?”
“Yes.”

The World Tree, effortlessly appropriating someone else’s explanation, waved her hand.

“Me, eating.”

It seemed to be telling him not to bother her while she was eating.

Jo Sung-Il, though bewildered, didn’t press further.

He wouldn’t appreciate being interrupted during a meal either.

“…Alright, let’s talk after you’re done eating.”

Jo Sung-Il sat down nearby and began devouring the Black Wolf carcasses.

‘This is strange.’

He still couldn’t quite grasp the fact that she was the World Tree, but her way of consuming water was certainly peculiar.

It was more like absorption than drinking.

The water, drawn up like by a pump, transformed into an energy-like form and seeped into the World Tree.

It seemed much more efficient than absorbing through roots or drinking.

‘It does seem convenient.’

If she could replenish her energy just by absorbing water, she was much better off than him, who needed both food and water.

Crunch.

After finishing off the last Black Wolf, Jo Sung-Il stood up.

“It seems your mealtimes aren’t short. I’ll be going now. I don’t want to be seen by other humans.”

He had many questions, but he couldn’t waste time with the World Tree, who couldn’t communicate in her current state.

Jo Sung-Il started walking.

“I’m done.”

Splash.

The water that had been drawn up towards the World Tree fell back down.

“Hmm.”

Hearing her voice, Jo Sung-Il turned around and said awkwardly,

“Are you going home now?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Let’s go together.”

Jo Sung-Il started walking, but the World Tree didn’t move.

“What is it?”

Jo Sung-Il asked.

“Why aren’t you following?”
“Want a ride.”
“What?”
“Ride.”

Jo Sung-Il stared blankly at the World Tree.

“You want a ride?”

The unfamiliar expression confused him.

“You mean, you want to ride on me?”
“Yes.”

He understood correctly.

Jo Sung-Il groaned.

“I’m not a vehicle. And you don’t usually ask people for a ride.”
“Huh? You’re a monster.”
“…….”

He was speechless.

Jo Sung-Il stood there with a troubled expression, then sighed.

“Anyway, I’m not for riding. Walk on your own two feet.”
“Mean.”
“…Hmm. Even with that expressionless face.”
“Waste of size.”

Jo Sung-Il chuckled at her blunt criticism.

“Ever since I became like this, I keep attracting strange individuals.”

Jo Sung-Il turned his back, as if admitting defeat.

“If you can get on, go ahead. I’ll consider it if you can reach my….”

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a small weight on his shoulder.

The World Tree had climbed onto him.

“…I meant my back.”
“This is the only place to ride.”

She wasn’t wrong. Jo Sung-Il gave up arguing.

“First Han So-Yeon, and now you. Everyone wants to ride on my shoulders.”
“Who’s Han So-Yeon?”
“Someone. Similar to you.”
“Similar to me.”

The World Tree parroted his words.

“Honestly….”

Jo Sung-Il sighed and started walking towards Olympic Stadium.

Jo Sung-Il had just acquired his first permanent conversation partner.

---

“Just to be sure.”

Back at Olympic Stadium, Jo Sung-Il set the World Tree down and asked,

“Are you going back to being a tree now?”

The World Tree had to return to its tree form to generate the spore smoke that concealed the stadium.

That was why Jo Sung-Il, wanting to stay comfortably at the stadium, subtly inquired about her intentions.

“No.”

But the World Tree shook her head.

“I’m not being a tree anymore.”

A shocking confession.

“You’re the World Tree… and you’re quitting being a tree?”
“Yes.”

The World Tree stated her intention, indifferent to his surprise.

“Can’t move as a tree.”

It was a very matter-of-fact statement.

“I can finally move again. I’m not doing it anymore.”

It was a declaration of tree-retirement. Jo Sung-Il clutched his aching head.

‘If she doesn’t go back to being a tree, do I have to find another place?’

He couldn’t move yet, as the Ranger Guild Leader was supposed to come.

He had to stay exposed like this until then.

“Do you like being a tree better?”

Seeing his troubled expression, the World Tree tilted her head and asked.

“Is being a tree prettier?”
“That’s not the point.”
“Then?”

Jo Sung-Il sighed at her persistent questioning.

“I need the smoke you create. Otherwise, everyone will see my huge body.”
“Aha.”
“It’s not ‘aha.’ Sigh, forget it.”

Jo Sung-Il decided to find another place.

“You stay here. I need to find a new place to hide this body.”

He didn’t want to part with his newfound conversation partner, but he couldn’t stay here.

The Ranger Guild Leader would definitely ask who the World Tree was when he arrived.

To avoid further complications, Jo Sung-Il decided to relocate.

“So long. I’ll come by to check on you sometimes.”

Just as Jo Sung-Il started walking,

“Ugh!”

He heard a strange noise from the World Tree and turned around in surprise.

But nothing alarming was happening.

Crackle!

A tree was growing. Where the World Tree had placed her hand.

“What are you….”
“Spore tree.”

The World Tree said without looking up.

“Hectos needs smoke.”
“That’s true, but could you even do that?”

The tree grew and grew, reaching the same size as when the World Tree had been rooted there.

Pop! Bang!

The spore sacs on the tree’s branches began to burst like balloons.

Spores scattered, creating the familiar smoke.

WHOOSH!

The wind picked up, and the surrounding landscape was quickly enveloped in spore smoke.

Visibility decreased, and the area inside the smoke became isolated.

Only Jo Sung-Il and the World Tree remained within the smoke.

“Done.”

The World Tree removed her hand from the ground and looked up at Jo Sung-Il.

“Good job, right?”
“Well….”

He hadn’t known she could do that, but it was something she had done for him, so he decided to offer some praise.

“Thanks to you, I can stay comfortably.”

Expressionless.
Her face still showed no emotion, but she seemed satisfied with his reaction and nodded.

“Then it’s okay.”

Thud.

The World Tree collapsed face-first onto the ground.

“W-What is it?”

Jo Sung-Il rushed to her side and checked on her.

“Can’t you withstand the spore smoke in this form?”

That would be ridiculous.

Even if she had taken a human form, it seemed too absurd.

“No energy.”

Fortunately, it wasn’t for such a silly reason. The World Tree muttered, her face still buried in the ground.

“Going to die now.”
“…….”

Jo Sung-Il rolled the World Tree over with his finger so she could lie comfortably.

“Are you really dying?”
“Used too much energy.”
“What were you thinking, using that much?”

He couldn’t tell if she was actually dying because of her perpetually expressionless face, but he felt a pang of guilt.

“Is there no way to recover?”
“Kenonian can share what he ate.”
“What I ate?”
“Yes.”

Jo Sung-Il, surprised, opened his mouth.

“Should I throw it up?”
“Give, energy.”

Energy. Jo Sung-Il closed his mouth.

‘I see.’

The World Tree replenished energy the same way he did. It seemed sharing was possible.

‘Like a spirit….’

He felt like he was starting to understand. But Jo Sung-Il focused on the World Tree for now.

“How do I do that?”
“Give hand, think of being sucked.”
“That sounds strange.”
“Then what should I say?”

Jo Sung-Il sighed and visualized what she had described.

“Unbelievable….”

It wasn’t a joke.

Jo Sung-Il watched as she shared not just words, but energy, and sighed.

“I feel like a portable charger.”

A very large one, at that.

Just as Jo Sung-Il was marveling at the energy sharing with the World Tree,

“…What’s that?”

Not far away, someone was staring at them with a bewildered expression.

“So-Yeon told me to come here, and….”

Han Sung-Hyun, the Ranger Guild Leader, stood there, holding the cell phone Han So-Yeon had given him.