Eat The World Tree

“Well, yeah.”

Back in the days when I had nothing, I used to worry about these kinds of things a lot.

How do I overcome this crisis? What methods should I use to grow stronger? Although these concerns hadn’t disappeared, now I needed to think in a different direction.

As a last resort, seducing the tree.

In the time given to me, I had to somehow raise the affection level of the tree called Merri. I needed to make this creature, who had reached the peak of human hatred, my ally.

I had to run a beautiful tree dating simulation.

[19,560p has been credited.]

This was the affection level I had accumulated over several months.

I scraped together the affection points from the World Tree, various trees, and people toward me, so it’s understandable that I gathered this much. The World Tree Auction, which I entered after a long time, handed me a bundle of points.

【 The World Tree Auction is a store accessible only to the World Tree's husband or prospective husbands. The affection of the World Tree and the Tree People toward you is used as currency. The only currency accepted is points (p). 】

【 Current Points: 21,560p 】

The World Tree gave 100p per affection level. The Tree People gave 10p per affection level, as far as I knew.

Entering the pink, cutely decorated icon, a description and shop unfolded before me. The shop was filled with various items reminiscent of an online shopping mall. Among them, I immediately moved to the gacha section.

Although there were many useful items in the shop, the prices were heavily inflated.

[Now's your chance! From F-grade items to EX-grade unique traits! 1 try for 100p!]

“Phew…”

Nostalgic memories surfaced as I stood in front of it and took a deep breath. There were times when I desperately tried to get unique traits or temperament. But now, it’s fine.

What I’m aiming for is so common that it should be very easy to get.

As soon as I pressed the gacha button, 100p was deducted, and something popped out into the air. A red-tinted pill. It’s been a while since I’ve seen this.

sytsem_start

▶Tree Circle Pill (B) [Category: Consumable]

A rare elixir for growing saplings. Imbued with sacred energy, it greatly helps the growth of young saplings’ abilities. However, if a human consumes it, there will be severe consequences.

system_end

‘I should give this to Shiba.’

As soon as the Tree Circle Pill appeared, I immediately placed it in my carrier. It’s a rare medicine that will aid Shiba’s growth. Or I could give it to Lee Seyeong. In this world, it’s treated as an important resource, so it’s useful anywhere.

Onto the next gacha. Not long after, one of the things I was hoping for popped out.

▶Mineral Water (F) [Category: Consumable]

Likely to be liked by young saplings.

In this skewed forest, the gacha meant only for the World Tree’s prospective husbands was thoroughly tailored to trees. The items that came out of the gacha also followed the taste of the World Tree.

At first, this Mineral Water was treated as trash?

‘But it’s one of the best foods for trees.’

I needed to get a few more of these and other items. I sat in my room, continuously hitting the gacha button.

My luck wasn’t bad. When I first enhanced my abilities, I invested everything in luck and potential. But luck wasn’t something that visibly manifested, so I hadn’t really benefited from it until now.

Rumble.

Something spilled out from the air.

A long hose connected to the machine, and something bell-shaped with a hollow interior. At the same time, bottles of formula were prepared. As I picked it up from the ground, I had a sense of what it was.

▶Milking Machine (C) [Category: Miscellaneous]

A fruit of love between two people. The World Tree supports you!

Effect 1: The extracted milk can be preserved permanently.

Effect 2: Can be modified to extract honey and sap as well.

“……Purity.”

【 'World Tree of Purity' tilts its head in confusion. 】

“This is your doing.”

No reply came back. It seemed Purity was behind this.

‘Why is something like this in the gacha…’

It’s not a bad thing. It was actually good. It meant Sansuyu could deal with her milk without anyone else touching it. But I never thought I could get something like this from the gacha.

‘How do you extract sap and honey?’

As I continued pressing the button, the hose model changed, taking on a plausible shape. It reminded me of the hoses plugged into a maple tree that I sometimes saw on the road.

“I’ll give this later.”

I stored it away and continued the gacha. Not long after, I obtained the items I wanted: Sapling Fertilizer. It was usually so useless that I once provided it directly to a nearby farm, but now it’s the most needed item for me. I also gained a few unexpected rewards: nutrients and mostly tree-related items. Normally, I would have cursed Purity for this, but given my current situation, I couldn’t be more satisfied.

The Next Day. Same Time.

As I walked with the fertilizer on my back, I could feel the stares from those around me. “Where on earth did he get something like that?” The looks of curiosity were evident everywhere. Every pocket on my body was filled with water bottles.

Thud!

I set the sack of fertilizer down on a bench and took a seat. As expected, the bench was in use. Not long after, the door opened, and Lim Jonghyun emerged.

Creak.

The moment the door opened, our eyes met. His slightly slanted eyes scanned me briefly before he smirked at the sight of the sack of fertilizer beside me.

“Having a tough time, huh?”

Normally, he would have just given me a glance. But for some reason, he spoke in a condescending tone. After the door closed and Merri was no longer in sight, I spoke up.

“It’s damn hard. What should I do with that tree? I just can’t see any solution.”

I was almost out of time, but I still had a long way to go. That’s what I read in his eyes. Did he think I wouldn’t notice? Or was he just openly provoking me?

“Hah.”

One scoff was enough to see through Jonghyun’s thoughts.

Getting lucky fighting with Jung Siwoo… He had become arrogant after a lazy fight with one of the National Trees. He and Merri were no different. Merri, filled with arrogance and conceit, thought of herself as a superior being because she’s a tree. And Lim Jonghyun, who achieved nothing but arrogance due to his ancestor’s success. It’s the same thing. Humans should be beneath the Tree People. How dare they not kneel? Pathetic. That’s his way of thinking. Looking at those two, it’s easy to understand why Taeyang and Aori’s lives went off track.

The trashy Flowers who opposed them were probably the same kind of people.

“Aren’t you going?”

Jonghyun passed by me without a word. I ignored him as well and grabbed the doorknob.

Clack!

[You’re late again today, inferior species.]

I looked at the tree that greeted me enthusiastically.

“Good afternoon. This is Lee Shiheon, the inferior species.”

I immediately lowered my voice to a submissive tone.

“Today, you’re wearing red. You’re hanging on an upper branch, not a lower one, and it suits you very well.”

[…What?]

Merri was flustered by my torrent of words. Without giving her a chance to respond, I continued.

“Of course, my lowly, inferior eyes can’t fully appreciate your beauty. But I’m doing my best to express it in my own way.”

[Wha, what? Is that so? Ha… You’re more spirited than yesterday?]

“No, I should have acted this way from the beginning.”

[Of course. Yesterday, you were so rude. How dare a mere human think?]

“That’s right. Unlike the leaves of trees that grow daily, humans stop growing and just age. I want to resemble even a little of that aspect of you, the great tree.”

[…Are you making fun of me?]

“Not at all.”

I started to place the sack of fertilizer and the water on the soil. Merri’s voice trembled. Even she didn’t expect this situation. Of course not. She probably expected a lowly inferior species, feeling humiliated by yesterday’s mistreatment, to frown and sulk. She anticipated seeing me eventually break after a week of prideful resistance, desperately trying to please her while she laughed alone.

[…What is this? Who said you could bring something like this!]

“No one did.”

[Ha, what do you take me for? Did you think I’d like this kind of thing? Get rid of it immediately.]

“…Are you sure?”

[Of course.]

I made the saddest face I could, like a Chihuahua over 20 years old, scrunching my face.

“This is the utmost sincerity I can offer.”

[I told you, I don’t need it.]

I tore open the top of the fertilizer sack. The dark, glossy fertilizer spilled out. It was something repulsive to me, but its appearance and scent were irresistible to a tree like Merri, causing her body to tense.

[Stop…]

Her leaves trembled instead of her pupils, as though in a panic. Instead of sweat running down her face, droplets formed and fell from her leaves.

[Stop it-]

A branch plunged into deep agony.

“Would you consider trying it at least once, out of respect for my sincerity?”

[……]

“Please.”

A long silence followed. Under the white light, I knelt slightly. I pushed aside all personal thoughts and delivered the fertilizer. To these beings, fertilizer is like a full-course meal, and soon enough, I heard her response.

[…Bring it over.]

“Yes.”

I carefully dragged the sack of fertilizer and slowly spread it around. I was cautious not to spill any on my clothes, as it might earn me a scolding.

Unlike the fertilizer I knew, it seemed okay to use the entire sack. Merri’s body seemed to glow slightly after receiving the ample fertilizer.

It brightened up. Her leaves fluttered like a puppy’s tail.

▶Walking Pheromone (F)

I used every bit of charm I had. As soon as I activated that ability, a faint, sweet scent, barely detectable even by me, began to waft from my body.

Sway, sway.

Her leaves swayed.

[…Wha, what? It’s edible. Not bad for an inferior species.]

“Would you like some water as well?”

[Pour it.]

I immediately opened the bottle and poured it onto the soil. For a tree, this was a feast. I hoped her affection level went up because of this.

Merri shone for quite some time. It seems that during meals, she emitted a faint greenish light. The fertilizer I sprinkled on the soil melted away.

[……]

Merri focused on eating without saying a word. After a while, a slightly embarrassed voice emerged.

[Whew, well, for an inferior species… You have some sense.]

Could I take the trial now? I thought it might be possible, but I immediately calmed that impulse. Now was the time to wait. There’s still plenty of time.

‘If I bring up the trial now… The affection I’ve worked so hard to gather might drop.’

Was all this effort just to take the trial? I couldn’t let her think that way.

I was treating her with tree supremacy, as always. This was an act of common courtesy, unrelated to the trial. That’s the mindset I needed to instill in her. For now, that’s enough.

“Then I’ll take my leave.”

[Wha, what? Leaving already?]

Merri’s voice questioned my actions. I politely bowed.

“Being next to a human might disturb your digestion, so I’ll return at the same time tomorrow.”

[Oh, oh.]

She responded awkwardly. I opened the door and stepped outside. I didn’t forget to look back and bow once more.

That picky tree required the utmost caution. I needed to create a sense of emptiness in my absence. That was the plan.