Eat The World Tree

Inside the arena, the explosion had subsided.

-Beep! Squeak!

An urgent whistle sounded consecutively.

The cracked barrier was released, and the medical team rushed in to check the condition of the students.

“Immediate treatment shouldn’t leave any serious aftereffects. How about over there?”

“Here it’s a bit… no, quite serious. We need to treat them to know for sure.”

Potions were poured generously into wounds as pupils were checked. The audience silently observed the two unconscious competitors.

The match was over.

But no one stood up from their seats. Their hearts were still racing from the spectacle they had witnessed.

The spectators, as if doubting what they had just seen, could only nervously fiddle with the collars of their shirts.

“…Crazy.”

The exclamation that slipped out was no lie.

They had just witnessed a man’s debut battle with their own eyes.

The decision of victory or defeat was irrelevant.

What did that matter?

The two students had shown off their skills by burning themselves out.

That was all that mattered. What more could there be?

The protagonist of this match was already determined.

Lee Shiheon.

Sansuyu, sitting in the VIP section, stared blankly ahead.

“Siheon…”

A stabbing sensation in the chest. A knotted feeling, an inexplicable urge to reach out.

Sansuyu, emotionally blocked and riddled with trauma, was only conscious of her increasing focus on him, unable to fully comprehend the feeling of worry.

Sansuyu turned her head. At the edge of her vision, her father was frowning.

“Sansuyu.”

“…Dad?”

“Who is that guy?”

Usually, Sansuyu’s father, San Hyukwon, communicated through his secretary due to her difficulty in remembering names and expressing emotions.

But this time, the man spoke directly to her.

His eyes, unsettled with heightened emotions, were intimidating like a snake.

“……”

Sansuyu didn’t answer. Several thoughts crossed her mind.

San Hyukwon had set his sights on Jung Siwoo.

He had viewed him as a potential suitor for the World Tree and a promising talent.

However, Jung Siwoo’s prominence was briefly eclipsed.

By a man who had remained unknown for 20 years.

“It’s Lee Shiheon.”

Jiho, unable to contain himself, spoke up for Sansuyu.

San Hyukwon furrowed his brow and whispered to another secretary behind him,

“Lee Shiheon… look into him.”

“Understood.”

No doubt, everyone’s focus had shifted to him now.

For better or for worse.

Someone might even be plotting against his life.

---

That was a narrow escape.

Maybe that’s putting it mildly. But it’s true that they had clashed with full force.

‘I admit, my skills were slightly inferior.’

It was unbelievable that I had managed to reach Jung Siwoo’s level of skill, honed over 20 years, in just four months.

Nonetheless, it was a fight worthy of demonstrating our refined abilities. My master would probably be angry. Baekdo was sure to be chuckling, picturing herself winning the wager with eager anticipation.

I wasn’t sure how I appeared to others.

Honestly, the feeling was bittersweet once it all ended.

‘I should have been defeated.’

Not that I should have allowed myself to be beaten.

I should have been defeated.

We fought fiercely, with broken bones and damaged magic circuits. Jung Siwoo was nearly a walking dead man. So was I.

It was a desperate struggle, with everything laid bare.

Lying there, I stared at the ceiling, replaying the match in my head.

‘…If it had continued, one of us would have perished.’

Jung Siwoo was prepared to risk even his own life.

He was quite literally betting his life on that match.

And I lacked the strength to take down a Jung Siwoo who was so resolute.

Our skills were too closely matched.

With ruptured magic circuits and bone shards piercing our lungs, we were both severely wounded, fighting on nothing but resolve.

No matter how advanced the world’s medical technology and potions may be, they can’t resurrect the dead.

Jung Siwoo’s demise wouldn’t have been a mere accident.

The death of a top-class talent could have unpredictable consequences for my reputation and future.

That was the first reason for my hesitation.

-Thud.

The door to the hospital room opened.

“You’re here-”

Cheondo, who entered, wore a somewhat cold expression and placed a mask on the bedside table.

“-here?”

-Clack.

The mask landed with an unusual force.

“…Master?”

There was no response.

Cheondo looked down at me with eyes cold and devoid of any emotion.

A fear gripped me, feeling as if my insides were being torn apart. The air grew colder.

“Did I do something wrong?”

“…….”

I had broken a promise.

Despite collapsing in an extremely critical situation, Cheondo clearly understood my intentions.

“Do you have something to say?”

“I’m sorry.”

“That’s not what you should be saying, Lee Shiheon.”

Cheondo moved closer.

The usual fragrance of peach blossoms was absent.

“Lee Shiheon.”

I involuntarily swallowed. It was the first time I had felt fear towards my master.

“You know what you’ve done, don’t you?”

Trying to calm my trembling heart, I barely managed to part my dry lips.

“Are you upset because I intentionally lost?”

“Not just that.”

Cheondo’s voice was soft, yet heavy.

“You didn’t inform me. You acted rashly and caused unnecessary trouble.”

I was aware of that.

“You toyed with your opponent based on petty emotions.”

“… That’s not-”

“Don’t interrupt me. Yes, you had your reasons. But did you think I’d be happy if you lost on purpose, thinking you were helping your friend?”

Cheondo took a deep breath and continued.

“You are my only disciple in this world. Even if it’s a lie. Should I, as a master, have to watch you lose?”

I had no response.

I didn’t even attempt to make excuses. It felt like a deserved reprimand.

I understood my master’s feelings.

Cheondo stared intently at me, then bent her knees and leaned in closer. Her deep crimson eyes seemed to penetrate every part of me.

“…Right.”

Her voice remained subdued.

“What did you gain in the end?”

Slowly,

I calmed my breathing. The pain was still fresh as if my lungs tore with each breath due to the recent treatment.

“I pursued practicality.”

It wasn’t a thoughtless decision to lose to help Jung Siwoo.

“What could be gained by winning the championship?”

I needed to establish my place in this world.

“And what could be gained by losing.”

Honor was like strong liquor, easy to become intoxicated with. It’s a useful tool to solidify my position, and currently, it’s the easiest to accumulate for me.

“My current priority is to bring guilds to my side and to win over the association and the church.”

However, the downside of honor is that it draws too much attention.

As long as there were groups targeting my life, increasing my visibility beyond necessity would only hasten my demise.

“If I had gone on to win, it would have been much easier to rally people to my cause. Beating the top student and winning as the 152nd, messing around with various guilds, making deals, becoming friendly, and leveraging connections with Baekdo and Hwangdo would certainly expand my network.”

Cheondo listened quietly to my words.

“So what? The honor gained that way is nothing but a bubble.”

“If I become too well-known before I’m ready… will those targeting me just sit back?”

They might move faster to eliminate the thorn on their side.

Cheondo wouldn’t always be by my side. I could be killed at any moment.

“When the bubble bursts, all that’s left are weaknesses.”

“So you lost because of that?”

“…….”

Idealistic power in religious groups and guild associations.

And terrorists becoming a global issue.

I saw more and more.

If I included the chessboard in my broad view, even though I still had much to learn, I could begin to estimate the path ahead.

My own feelings were also a factor.

“…Honestly, I wanted to help. That influenced my sudden change in direction.”

Jung Siwoo’s bluff about not going easy on me was of no concern to me.

I wouldn’t die from a penalty since I could remove the status window at that point.

The three top-grade potions I could acquire by completing the quest did not matter either.

My reason for making this choice was simple.

“If… later Jung Siwoo finds his sister, and my actions today cause a delay that leads to a bad outcome…”

I would be haunted by sleepless nights.

Although I risked a lot in this match, there were always ways to compensate for it.

There was no real loss for me. So, I went through with it.

…Even though I knew it wouldn’t look favorable to my master.

“When I disregarded Jung Siwoo as a factor, winning was the most advantageous for me. And when I took into account Jung Siwoo’s situation, losing was the most advantageous.”

Connections, honor, future direction, and my satisfaction—these were the factors I considered before reaching my conclusion.

That was all there was to it.

I fell silent. A prolonged silence followed. Cheondo, who had been gazing at me, finally spoke.

“…It was back when you resolved the Ent incident.”

Cheondo began reminiscing about the past, starting to speak as he sat up.

“Even then, it was quite a hassle because of one kid.”

She was referring to the time when I personally requested Hwangdo’s help for a child who had lost their parent during the chain rampage incident.

“… You’re too kind-hearted. That’s what worries me.”

‘Worry.’ Cheondo’s mood visibly softened as she earnestly shared her feelings.

The scent of peach blossoms began to waft through the air again.

“Changing plans for one person. Becoming cautious when a life is at stake… That nature of yours will bring about trouble someday.”

From a master to her disciple.

“There will certainly be those who exploit your kind nature.”

Cheondo voiced a harsh reality.

“When that time comes, I fear you’ll be too disillusioned with this world.”

“Why would Master…”

“It’s frightening. I might not be there for you then.”

I wanted to retort, but my throat closed up, leaving me unable to speak.

It was a future I had never imagined.

“I won’t apologize for getting angry. You were in the wrong. That’s enough.”

Cheondo reached out her arms and hugged my head. The pain from my injured head soon vanished.

“Become a bit tougher.”

Was that something a master should say?

Speechless, I was partly in shock.

My heart fluttered uncontrollably.

I just lay there, silent, embraced in her comforting hold.

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