Eat The World Tree

Chapter 97: Masked Man (8)

In a spacious room.

An aroma akin to a bouquet of Sansuyu flowers in early spring filled the air.

-Rustle, rustle.

The pleasant sound of a pen nib scratching paper. The blanket wrapped around my knees was imbued with the scent of Sansuyu.

There was a saying that pheromones attracted the opposite sex.

Throughout our study session, her scent kept catching my attention.

A soft, enveloping fragrance that filled my nostrils.

I lifted my gaze to Sansuyu, who was focused on her studies.

Hmm.

Sansuyu seemed to struggle with a problem, bringing the back of her mechanical pencil to her lips and squinting her eyes.

Her cheeks looked like they would stretch if pulled.

Keke.

?

Hearing my laughter, Sansuyu looked up with a pout.

Why?

Just funny.

Whats funny?

Everything from one to ten.

Sion, youre weird today.

The strange one here was her, but she seemed unaware.

I propped my chin on my hand, smirking.

But

I should get her some friends.

Being such a highly esteemed princess, people didnt approach her easily.

No more accurately, it just turned out that way.

She was actually quite adorable up close.

Others didnt realize that. If someone discovered it, shed quickly become popular. Both boys and girls would flock to her, finding her cute.

Unable to resist, I reached out and pulled her cheek, feeling its softness.

-Stretch

Sion-ah? What are you doing?

I wanted to touch it.

-Slap!

She smacked my hand.

It feels weird.

Sansuyu narrowed her eyes into half-moons, questioning me.

Her large golden eyes seemed particularly beautiful today, shining in the light.

Maybe I should tease her a bit more.

Its a common joke among friends.

Do friends often do that?

She seemed to believe me.

Sansuyu hesitated for a moment before slowly offering her cheek.

Then do it.

I wont do it now.

She blinked in surprise, not expecting that response.

Unable to hold back, I burst into laughter, and she glared at me with a grim expression.

Always teasing me.

You know, dont you? Sorry. Should I stop?

No response came.

I wanted to say a few more things but feared getting hit again, so I changed the subject.

Are you doing well with your exam studies?

Somewhat. Academy questions are easy.

Right So, do you think you can top the class this time?

Im not sure

Sansuyu, drawing out her words, rested her chin on her hand and stared at me almost accusingly.

Of course, all I thought about was wanting to pull her squishy cheek, pressed by her hand.

Its all because of Siwon.

Siwon? You mean Shiheon. When will you say my name correctly?

Shiheon.

Sansuyu sighed.

Maybe it was because of her status.

She seemed to have a lot of concerns about her grades and such.

It wasnt long before Sansuyu asked

Are you aiming for the top rank, Sion?

For now? But youre aiming for it, too, right?

Yeah. I wont lose. Not in this.

Sansuyu spoke with conviction, her voice strengthening with resolve. She then shifted her gaze upwards to the bed.

I also looked up to see what caught her attention - the Corneus familys crest, a brown pattern with bright yellow flowers shining brilliantly beside the bed.

Having shifted her gaze from the crest, Sansuyu muttered as if making a declaration.

I wont lose. Were not friends in exams.

Then, she crossed her arms, clearly ready for a challenge. I watched her with amusement and chuckled.

Jung Siwoo is practicing like crazy. You have to beat him first to become the top.

At the mention of Jung Siwoo, Sansuyus face hardened.

Just as I said, and as she knew, our true challenge wasnt each other.

That guy, always displaying incredible combat skills.

Although he held the dazzling title of top student, I hadnt yet seen Jung Siwoos full potential.

No matter how exceptional my skills were, the story would be different if what Jung Siwoo had shown so far wasnt his all.

Who knows? He might have a way to perfectly conceal his abilities, like me.

As long as I hide my skills behind the faade of my status window, no opponent can gauge my true power.

Jung Siwoo might also have this possibility. After all, hes a candidate for the husband of the World Tree.

Friends are friends.

Rivals when its time to be rivals.

For some reason, this thought filled me with excitement.

It was like the old days, competing with friends over minor grades.

We both wont lose.

Watching Sansuyu burning with a competitive spirit, I agreed wholeheartedly.

I, too, had never lost in a serious academic contest.

What will you do if you lose?

But it would be more interesting to add a little wager to the mix.

Hearing my question, Sansuyu widened her eyes in confusion.

Why?

Just making a bet. If you beat me um, Ill introduce you to three friends.

Three!?

The perfect gift for Sansuyu, who was thirsty for friends.

She lit up, not quite understanding why we were making this bet.

Ill do it.

But you have to wager something of equal value.

Sansuyu pondered for a while, propping her chin with her hand.

What could match the value of three friends for Sansuyu, who was so desperate for just one?

I was genuinely curious.

Something of equal value?

Yes, that.

Sansuyu, with her eyes tightly shut, tapped her temple and then suddenly exclaimed, Ah!

What could possibly match the value of friends?

Eagerly anticipating her answer, I listened intently.

Yass!

Huh? What, what?

Yass.

Are you serious? Youre a noble. Think about it. I dont want to die at the hands of your secretary.

Well do it secretly.

I was speechless, unable to say a word.

With me?

Sansuyu nodded nonchalantly at my flustered question.

A very refreshing nod.

Who else but Sion?

Three friends were they worth that much?

Overwhelmed by Sansuyus sincerity, I was left in shock.

Whats going on here?

One bet with Baekdo and another with Sansuyu.

I had found myself in a situation where winning was a problem, and so was losing.

While stretching my sore shoulders and back in the training room, Cheondo, who noticed me, casually inquired.

Is something bothering you?

Im in a situation thats a bit critical for a man.

Judging by your words, it seems like a trivial worry. Just go for it.

Her advice felt oddly fitting, yet a bit off.

Master.

What is it?

A girl I know said shed have sex with me if she lost a bet. Does this mean she likes me?

Have you lost your mind?

Maybe I shouldnt have asked that.

No, but who would even say such a thing?

Exactly.

Enough of this nonsense. Focus on your posture.

I clammed up, feeling a bitter taste in my mouth.

I found myself missing Seyeong, although it hadnt been long since we last spoke. Maybe I should call her.

Of course, this didnt distract me from my training.

Its increasing steadily.

Well, yeah.

Muscle was replacing the lost fat, and the more defined lines of my body made it evident that my skeleton had developed considerably.

Cheondo, when asked, said it was as if I was born with the physique of a warrior. More precisely, it was something I had acquired postnatally.

Indeed, my growth now was overwhelming compared to when I first enrolled, relying solely on talent.

I loosened my shoulders and punched the air with force imbued with magic.

-Whoosh!

The punch cutting through the air created a faint noise.

Is it possible to become number one like this?

I felt a surge of confidence, yet worries lingered.

It would have been easy if it were me just before I broke through purgatory.

Even now, I could easily overpower other formidable students.

But the fact remained that I was significantly weaker compared to that time.

Where else can you find a shot like Baekdos well, theres that.

I had progressed enough to use one of the secret techniques.

Should I be satisfied with just that?

Are you talking about Jung Siwoo?

Yes. That guys the problem.

I observed him once after you mentioned him last time. Indeed, hes an enigma.

An ideal hero was formed from layers of effort and talent.

When I, who knew nothing about swords in this new world, crossed swords with him, I instinctively realized:

This guy would make it anywhere.

I might not know much, but my judgment wasnt that poor.

But Lee Shiheon, youre the same.

Yeah, I guess I am strong.

Cheondo pulled something out of his pocket and swung it.

-Clink! It hit the crown of my head.

Ouch!

Arrogance is a disease. Always remember that you can lose at any time.

-Roll, roll.

The object that hit my head rolled down my hair.

Holding it in my hand, I saw a bright red bead.

Whats this?

Its the unfinished version of the weapon I mentioned before. It changes shape when infused with magic. If youre desperate, feel free to use it.

A weapon made from mistletoe with the power of the Demon King, likely the only highest-ranked weapon of its kind in this world.

Even if its unfinished

Using it would surely guarantee victory.

I held it, contemplating it for a long time.

It should be fine to use it. No one will probably notice. This weapon isnt simple enough for others to recognize anyway.

For some reason, her words sounded like, Do you really need to use this weapon?

It felt like Cheondos subtle provocation, laced with a hint of mockery. He wouldnt stop me from using it, but would I be satisfied winning that way?

Master, do you know?

What?

I really enjoy using cheat codes when playing games. I dont mind using any means or methods to win.

An undiscovered top-tier weapon. Just thinking about it made me salivate.

Playing games as a munchkin was really fun. Like setting all stats to 100 in a Three Kingdoms game. Or playing tycoon games with infinite money. There was a unique pleasure in that.

So, youre saying youll use it?

You should listen to people until the end. If this were a game, then yes.

That was always my excuse. I was not opposed to cheating if it was a matter of life and death.

But that was a story for when there was really no other way

Take it.

I tossed the bead I had been holding to Cheondo. She caught it effortlessly with just her arm.

Heukdo.

The black peach tree.

The window in the corner of my vision shattered like broken glass.

Kwajijiji- A surge of black magic erupted.

With the training bracelet on my wrist and ready in my hand, I let out a light breath and looked at Cheondo.

Cheondo was looking at me with an Oh, look at this expression.

Her gaze was filled with a bit of joy and affection.

The exam is coming up, Master. Didnt you say youd be too busy to watch my training after the exam?

Oh?

Sansuyu, Jung Siwoo, Lim Jonghyun.

Each one of them, a formidable rival, daunting to face individually.

Now that I think about it, I honestly wasnt confident.

Why arent you challenging them? Your student is ready to go.

I was sure of losing.