The Druid Who Devoured the Great Nature

The masked contractor was holding the two contractors by the back of their heads. Naturally, their lower bodies were being dragged on the ground. Blood seeped from their torn and scraped skin, dripping onto the floor.

“Was your name Lian?”

It was a request I had planned. I had familiarized myself with the personal details of the contractors.

“If you were expecting a fight, you’re too late.”

“……Too late?”

Cheolpeok!

Lian put down the two contractors and slowly looked around the area. A face hidden by a mask. It was hard to read his inner thoughts.

「The World Tree pokes the man and woman.」

‘No reaction. Are they dead?’

The bodies of the two contractors, revealed under the light, were mangled. When the World Tree touched them, they moved as they were pushed and pressed. There was no sign of life. There was no need to check their pulse. They were corpses.

‘An obvious ending.’

When I was watching the progress from the control tower, they were fine. It would be more accurate to say that they were running wild like wolves that had entered a flock of sheep. They were skilled enough to have arrived here safely, even if it took some time. If they had returned as corpses, the process was obvious. They had burned with greed, showed hostility towards each other, and had been defeated. The cuts engraved all over the corpses were surely Lian’s handiwork.

‘A sword wound… I thought it was just a hair’s breadth difference, but was he hiding his skills?’

The two contractors had lost their lives. On the other hand, Lian was relatively unharmed. Did he launch a surprise attack in the midst of the chaotic battle and it was effective? It was hard to be sure without seeing it myself, but it didn’t seem likely. I hadn’t hired any amateurs for this request. As a client who hadn’t used a broker, they would have harbored the intention of taking out each other and monopolizing the reward. There was no way they would have let their guard down in excitement during a chaotic battle.

In that case, it was ultimately a difference in skill. The whole story of the two contractors returning as corpses was simply that Lian was stronger than them.

“……They’re dead. All of them.”

Lian muttered quietly. Was it a mistake to have felt a sense of emptiness in his scattering voice? If it wasn’t a mistake, was that emptiness due to the loss of an opponent to fight, as I had joked?

Or…

“How much of the outside has been cleared?”

“About half has been dealt with. The rest are in the process of pulling out.”

“A sacrifice of half would have been enough for them to realize that this wasn’t a game they should be involved in.”

I was more than satisfied that they had played the role of supporting actors. They would probably never know in their lifetime that the damage they had suffered was a result of being swayed by my intentions. I didn’t feel sorry. I had set the stage, but it was they themselves who had made the decision.

Turning a blind eye to those who were running away. That was the only price I could guarantee them.

“The smuggled goods are in the container, so go and check. As per our original agreement, the reward will be distributed according to the number of survivors.”

The process of distributing the spoils of war is always more difficult than the war itself. Fortunately, Lian didn’t have to worry about this. He was the only one left, so he would take it all. It was an amount that would allow him to live extravagantly for ten years if he just found the right dealers and fences.

Generally, there were no people as crazy about money as contractors, so it wouldn’t have been strange if he had jumped up and down with joy.

“……”

But perhaps it was to be cautious. Lian showed no change in emotion. He silently passed me and checked the inside of the container. The guy, who had meticulously inspected even the inside of the train, said as if surprised.

“The goods that were smuggled out… are not here.”

“No matter how much backstabbing is a virtue in this world, there’s nothing more important than trust. I keep my word.”

Of course, if the spirit beast I was looking for had been included among the smuggled goods, the story would probably have been different. Since it wasn’t, there was no need to change my words.

“Or were you hoping for such an excuse?”

It was half a joke, half a suspicion. And unfortunately, the opponent’s reaction was not good. Suddenly, I felt a chilling tension descending in the air. Lian, who had gotten off the train, stood facing me at a distance.

“……What do you mean?”

“You can cover your face with a mask, but you can’t hide your gaze. If you’re so blatantly measuring the distance, anyone would be suspicious.”

Although he had tried to cover it with his wide clothes, he couldn’t escape the sharp eyes of a bird of prey. Tense muscles, a gaze measuring the distance. It was so suspicious that it was unreasonable to dismiss it as a groundless fear, blaming my own distrustful nature.

“Observing the opponent is a habit. It’s too crude to be a basis for suspicion.”

“It’s too blatant to be dismissed as a habit. If I was being too sensitive, I apologize. But can you deny it?”

“……”

Lian remained silent.

“As promised, I did not claim my share. So you’re not trying to silence me too, are you?”

In the first place, if he were a petty person without that much guts, he wouldn’t have volunteered for the request. Then was he scared of having touched the Brotherhood now?

I assembled various clues in my head. His words and actions, Kurt’s composure and disappointment, and the insignificant scheme that followed…

Should I try to poke him once?

“Was it a double contract?”

Lian’s finger twitched. I was right.

“You must have made a contract with the Brotherhood first. No wonder the Brotherhood executives were so relaxed for someone with a knife at their throat. If you were the one they were counting on, it makes sense.”

Kurt had dismissed this attack as no big deal and had persuaded the employee of the Arman Company. It meant that it wasn’t a lie to reassure his business partner. No wonder it was too lax. The resourcefulness of a Brotherhood branch manager. The scheme he had prepared was not just a threat and betrayal that mentioned a backer.

“That’s why you reacted to the word ‘late,’ right? You were planning to deal with the other contractors first and then face me, but you must have been flustered because your plan went awry.”

He must have thought, ‘Oh no,’ when he confirmed the annihilation of the Brotherhood. He had put in the effort, but had failed to protect the key figure. But it was a double contract anyway. If one side failed and the other succeeded, he could just stick with the successful side. There was no way Lian hadn’t been able to make this simple calculation. If he couldn’t do it even though he knew, it made sense.

“You want to avoid getting on the wrong side of the Brotherhood, but you also want to protect your credibility as a contractor. You’re too greedy.”

“……I’ve heard enough.”

Lian finally gave up on making excuses. He confidently placed his calloused hand on the hilt of his sword and leaned his upper body forward.

“Was playing detective fun?”

“So-so.”

“That’s a relief. Then I’ll point out one thing you got wrong.”

His thigh muscles swelled, drawing a bulging outline over his wide training uniform.

“It’s not that my greed is excessive. It’s that there was no option of taking your hand.”

“I don’t know how high up in the Brotherhood you’ve spoken to to be groveling like a dog with its tail between its legs.”

“It’s not the Brotherhood.”

A silent confrontation where even the sound of breathing echoed like thunder.

“It’s the same as you.”

He was mistaking me for a contractor hired by the Public Security Bureau. In that case…

“Councilor Sorbet?”

Both Giselle and I had only paid attention to the movements from Councilor Sorbet’s office. That wasn’t it. Come to think of it, Giselle had also indirectly hired me. In the end, it was a case of pawns fighting each other unintentionally.

“If you knew, you would have known what a foolish thing you’ve done. You’ve touched a powerful person in this city. The Public Security Bureau will not use its power to protect the likes of you…”

“So what?”

“……?”

Councilor Sorbet’s intervention. As much as I had been wary of it, even though I knew the truth, I just thought, ‘What’s come has come.’

“You could have taken all this wealth for yourself anyway. If the goal was the success of the deal, you could have just delivered the goods yourself, regardless of the life or death of the Brotherhood.”

Even without confronting me, he could have resolved this situation smoothly. Yet, he had volunteered for the trouble of facing me.

“Councilor Sorbet, you want my head to look good to the Brotherhood, right?” New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on novelFɪre.net

“Yes.”

“That’s what’s called excessive greed.”

The error revealed in the process of deduction was trivial. The conclusion did not change.

“The target is too high for your level to covet.”

“……!”

No more words were needed. The complicated circumstances could be set aside for now. Now it was time to prove who was right with each other’s lives.

***

The principle to follow when facing a swordsman is not to allow them to approach. It’s the complete opposite of when facing a mage.

Tatatat!

I fired a barrage of bullets at the opponent without taking a single breath. Lian countered by swinging his sword. The bullets were cut in half by the sword blade. One for each breath. It was a precise and sharp skill.

‘He’s much better than I expected.’

Cutting bullets with a sword is, in reality, an extremely rare feat. Lian seemed to have decided on a direction of firmly planting himself and enduring like a great tree against a typhoon. As long as a person is not a machine, they are bound to expose an opening at some point. Even if not, if he succeeded in enduring, it would eventually become a battle of stamina. Lian, a swordsman with excellent physical abilities, had the advantage.

At least, that’s what Lian seemed to have judged. It must have been a conclusion he had reached after long experience. But this was an arrogant judgment that could only be made when he had mistaken me for an ordinary gunman.

‘It seems Cromwell didn’t leak my information.’

For me, a gun is nothing more than a supplementary tool.

Chwararak!

“……!”

A plant stem that grew from the floor and extended towards him. Lian did not panic and swung his sword to cut it.

Puhwak!

From the cut section, a thick liquid poured out as if a water valve had been opened. Lian, who was covered in it, just spat to express his displeasure. It was probably the sensation of being covered in the blood of an enemy’s corpse. It would be disgusting, but that would be all. I could guess his inner thoughts from the way he flicked his sword as if to say, ‘Is this all you’ve got?’

“……Kuk!”

It was right after that that a groan escaped from Lian’s mouth. The skin that was not covered by his training uniform. The place covered in the thick liquid was inflamed and red.

A euphorbia, also called a pencil cactus. A poisonous plant. When the stem or leaves are damaged, it secretes a thick liquid that has a toxicity that causes inflammation. Although the toxicity was enhanced by the World Tree’s ability, it probably wouldn’t be fatal given his physical abilities.

It didn’t matter. It was enough to annoy him and disrupt his movements. Defense is more difficult than offense. The moment you allow even one attack, the difficulty level skyrockets. Lian’s chances of winning were only going to decrease.

Shwik!

Lian pulled the string of his mask. As if performing the art of face-changing, the shape of the mask changed in an instant. A pattern that seemed to symbolize the wind. Unlike the previous mask that had covered his face completely, this mask protruded sharply beyond the outline of his face.

“I won’t be careless this time.”

Lian’s momentum changed along with his mask. He took a big step back with one foot and bent his knees, as if to switch from a defensive to an offensive stance.

He’s coming.

Swiiik!

It was similar to Kurt’s rush, but different. He had no regard for stealth. He ran with his body close to the ground. Perhaps because of his long limbs, the distance he closed with each step was extraordinary.

Tatatat!

Chwaaak!

I fired bullets at the floor and at the same time swung the vine like a whip. I had no intention of allowing him to approach easily.

Lian’s movement in response to that was unique.

Pat!

The floor, the wall, the stairs, the ceiling. Every time he kicked off the ground, his position changed. It was not a simple path of moving back and forth, but a three-dimensional movement that used the structures. It was a movement that showed its advantages in a narrow space. It was so flashy and quick that you would miss it if you tried to follow it with your eyes.

Irregular and quick movements. There was no way he could control such movements for a long time. Of course, he would reach me before that. If the goal was a short-term battle, it was a meaningless drawback.

Shugak!

His sword, which had come down from above my head, cut through the whip-like stem and plunged into the floor. A cloud of dust rose up. The gust of wind that had formed on the blade unraveled and swirled, shattering the lights on the wall. A deeper darkness descended on the area, and only his blade shone.

“Got you.”

Lian retrieved his sword and approached even closer. In the blink of an eye, his mask changed. Now that he had succeeded in approaching, he was switching to another ability. It also contained the determination to end it right here, without ever giving up the distance.

“We’ll see.”

Synchronization. A blue aura raced from the hawk tattoo engraved on my chest.

“Who’s the one who got caught?”

We’ll know when we see.

(End of Chapter)