021-040 · 030-ch26
Chapter 26: World Tree Exploration - 2
First, let me apologize.
In this work, I've tried to write a novel that skips descriptions and advances the story, moving away from novels with too much exploration and adventure descriptions that I'm good at and enjoy.
Therefore, the part I've currently written up, "World Tree Exploration and Its Aftermath," focuses mostly on plot development, largely omitting the details of the exploration.
(When I really get into writing exploration descriptions, I start writing everything from their every move to the state of nature.)
I was thinking about it after taking a survey the other day, and I'm wondering now if I should have included a bit more description.
If there's demand for that part, I plan to write the detailed exploration descriptions later as a side story, so please let me know with your comments.
In other words, to those who were expecting detailed content about the World Tree exploration, I'm sorry.
The author himself is still trying to figure out what there's demand for.
If you have any opinions, please feel free to send them via DM or other means.
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"Robo, break them from behind!"
『Bow!』
I single-handedly took on the waves of tree puppets and trents pressing from the front, while Robo ran along the wall and got behind the group, striking from the rear. Pushed by his attack, some of them lunged forward, and I, holding my spear at the ready, stabbed them, then poured fire magic through the spear to set them ablaze.
"Damn, they're tough! Take this!"
Then, when we were cornered against the wall, I unleashed a shockwave forward, creating an opening and forcefully breaking through. We reset to fight again.
"This isn't working at all. For things to become this troublesome..."
The attacks from trents and tree puppets were mostly clubbing strikes or attacks using branches and vines, so dodging them wasn't that difficult. Occasionally, there were individuals among the wood puppets that used magic, but it seemed to be earth magic unsuited for this place, merely firing rocks or stone spears at us, which wasn't too difficult. At least, unlike the wood puppets in the dungeon, they didn't carry weapons like bows or swords.
But there were just too many of them. Even simple attacks from monsters that don't use weapons, or complex but numerous magical attacks, become quite difficult to handle when dozens or even a hundred of them gather, and the fighting area is narrow.
"Tch, they're extinguishing the fire. And they're reviving again."
What made them even more troublesome was that the enemy monsters wouldn't stay dead.
We could destroy them. Their actual strength wasn't that great. If I cut them with my sword, they'd be severed normally.
But that was it. We couldn't kill them.
Even if we cut them, crushed them. It was as if they were connected like plants. As if new buds sprout from stumps. As if plants connect and grow together. The masses of trents and tree puppets would either revive individually or merge with adjacent individuals, quickly resurrecting and pressing forward.
Moreover, whether because they were trees containing large amounts of water or for some other reason, half-hearted fire magic only made them smolder without burning, and even if we managed to burn them, the wood puppets' water magic would extinguish the flames.
"I guess blowing up the whole World Tree is out of the question... Alright, Robo! Come here!"
『Bow!』
"We're going back! Retreat!"
『Bow?』
"This is annoying! We'll come up with a new strategy and try again!"
I called Robo, who was still scattering the monsters, and broke through the only entrance to the large room to escape outside. Since they were monsters that weren't actually that strong in simple terms, Robo's body charges alone had scattered them effectively.
Fortunately, there was no zombie movie-like scene where masses of trents and tree puppets flowed out of the room, so we ended today's exploration there, and Robo and I headed outside the World Tree.
"This sucks, man."
>>Yo!
>>Good work today.
>>As usual, intense fighting.
>>Today was particularly something else.
We returned to our temporary base, removed our equipment, boiled warm water, made tea with some random leaves, and took a breath. The base of the World Tree was always in shadow due to the World Tree itself and a waterfall, and quite cool from the evaporative cooling of the World Tree and lake water. In fact, it was almost chilly. That's why it felt so good to catch our breath with a warm drink.
"Today's was pretty rough."
It's been about 5 days since we started exploring. After the first day, we've been steadily advancing to various places while keeping simple notes in a memo pad and recording our progress. This record is used later, after returning to base, to organize into maps and reports on large notebooks or paper. This is my exploration-style work, unlike traveling.
>>Something was different from usual battles.
>>It felt weird.
>>Those things, can't you kill them?
>>They're quite different from other monsters, huh.
"Yeah. They feel... different from other monsters somehow."
The monsters we encountered for the first time today. Trents—moving tree monsters named as such in the dungeon—and tree puppets that look like unadorned wooden dolls operated like marionettes. These two types were the new monsters we discovered today.
Within the World Tree, we've also encountered many other monsters, led by the large weasel-like reptilian monster from the first day, mainly enlarged small animals, and numerous insect-types like butterflies, moths, bees, and beetles. In particular, the insect-type monsters included many aggressive species, and we ended up fighting every time we encountered them. Well, most of the time, I could handle them to some extent by letting my barrier take hits to understand their attack methods before cutting them in two, so it wasn't much of a problem.
Among them, in the new area we explored today, a natural large room formed surrounded by tree trunks, a group of those trents and tree puppets were waiting in ambush.
"They were clearly different from the other monsters."
The monsters living inside the World Tree naturally have biological ecosystems. From a distance, I've observed them being in predator-prey relationships with each other, and obtaining nutrition from nuts, flowers, and other things. Besides the insect-types, bird and weasel-like monsters also normally have their dwellings, living in the World Tree's interior, which presents a complex yet forest-like appearance.
Also, while I'd never seen the tree puppets before, I had seen trents existing naturally before, and I'd both fought them when attacked and escaped large fires together.
Those monsters and today's monsters. I couldn't put it into words clearly, but I felt a definite difference.
"It's like... they're dungeon monsters, you know?"
>>Dungeon?
>>Whaddya mean?
>>You mean they attack right away?
>>Certainly inside the World Tree is like a dungeon, but.
"How should I put it... does 'the difference between enemies and the creatures living there' make it easier to understand?"
Dungeon monsters are basically enemies. They're a kind of system that attacks when humans come, and they don't engage in other life activities. They don't eat, don't fight over territory with other monsters, and don't sleep.
Exactly, a system for attacking humans. That's why it's easy to explore dungeons since the environment inside doesn't change between day and night.
"Those things... they're just a system for eliminating humans. A system for attacking. That's how they seemed to me."
>>Whaddya mean?
>>Ah, you mean what's often said about dungeon monsters?
>>Certainly those guys, when they see us, cooperate and attack.
>>Even so, to call it a system...
In that case, it exists here too. The reason that troubles my mind. The most troublesome discovery in this world beyond the dungeon.
Dungeons—special facilities that appeared on the surface too, of unknown origin or source. Places that seem to exist as if for nurturing intelligent life forms.
(I just don't get it... If there's a dungeon here too, then what's it for?)
Ignoring the comment section, I lost myself in thought. The once-warm tea had grown cold, and Robo yawned boredly.
Then.
"Huh?"
『Grrrrrrrrr......』
Suddenly, the World Tree's massive presence wavered. At the same time, the space above us grew noisy. Screeches, shrieks, and cries. Looking up, numerous wyverns, strange birds, griffons, and other creatures that apparently live in the upper parts of the World Tree took flight, while other non-flying monsters ran down the World Tree's sides.
"Something's coming. Robo, prepare to retreat."
『Grrrrrrr』
As the continuously growling Robo urged me on, I hurriedly attached the saddle and tied down the other luggage. Even during that time, monsters poured out from the World Tree in such numbers that it made me wonder where they all were, and above, monsters flew through the sky like clouds.
『GROWL! GROWL!!』
"Got it."
I had intended to observe whatever was happening, but Robo urged me with an urgent look, so I gave up on observation and jumped onto his back.
Immediately after. With a sound far greater than before, pushing aside and snapping off the spreading branches above—
Something huge appeared.
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