Chapter 28: Twisted Roots, Twisted Fate

[Entered Dungeon &@$%#!& (Lv.???) ]
“This is insane.”

I uttered a blunt assessment, looking at the stuttering status window.

The broken status window, the abnormal behavior of the magical beasts, and the suspiciously thick concentration of mana…this place was definitely out of the ordinary in many ways.

That’s why I couldn’t shake off my uneasy feeling.

The biggest weapon of a transmigrator is knowledge. Knowledge and information about this world accumulated from playing the original work over 1,000 times. Past and future, problems and solutions.

The privilege of a transmigrator that turned an orphaned girl who should have been wandering the back alleys into the top student of the prestigious Arcana Academy.

“…So, I need to solve this quickly.”

Find out where the ‘original work’ broke down and fix it. So that the future returns to the way I know it. So that everyone can have a happy ending.

With that resolution, I arrived at the end of the passage, and a small door made of intertwined tree roots came into view. And behind it, I could feel numerous presences.

I, holding the hilt of my sword tightly, carefully pushed the door.

[&@$%#!&(Lv.???)#@%]

When I opened the door, a warm spring breeze greeted me.

A small cave unfolded before my eyes, along with a soft floral scent. A cherry blossom tree emitting a faint light and clusters of luminescent plants shining mysteriously around it.

And various magical beasts sleeping comfortably around them.

I, who had expected a fierce battle, was momentarily dumbfounded.

Putting aside the question of why there was a tree inside a cave, the magical beasts around the cherry blossom tree didn’t even pay attention to me.

“…?”

The hostility of magical beasts towards humans is close to the instinctual realm.

Just as people eat when they are hungry and sleep when they are tired, magical beasts harbor hostility when they see humans. To that extent, the hostility of magical beasts towards humans is a given.

“Then why…”

I raised my hand to the hilt of my sword and carefully approached them. My eyes, which had adapted to the darkness, reflected the names of the monsters around the cherry blossom tree.

From the Yeti, which is said to appear north of the absolute defense line, to the Lizardmen, which can only be seen in the southern jungles. The types of monsters around the cherry blossom tree were truly diverse.

How on earth they were gathered in one place, I couldn’t even guess.

“….”

Between the Yeti’s habitat and the academy, there was the absolute defense line, the Imperial checkpoint, and the academy’s great barrier.

But the one sleeping soundly in front of me was clearly a Yeti. I couldn’t possibly forget the appearance of the mob I had seen countless times in the game.

“What is this…”

My head seemed to be overloaded by the continuous series of events that were beyond common sense. The connection between thoughts and thoughts did not flow smoothly.

I just wanted to let go of everything and rest for a while.

Like those comfortably sleeping under the cherry blossom tree. The warm spring breeze that blew pleasantly tickled my cheeks.

I felt a fuzzy feeling. Perhaps it was because the tension was released after realizing that the monsters wouldn’t attack. My body felt languid.

I want to rest with them under that cherry blossom tree.

The faint color of cherry blossoms spread in my vision. The closer I got, the better I felt.

“Ugh…?”

But why? Why did my senses sound a sharp alarm? It feels good, as if I’m on drugs, so why is it not okay?

As I approached the cherry blossom tree, my vision blurred. The fluttering light pink petals of the cherry blossoms felt nothing but beautiful. I want to look at this scenery forever.

The cherry blossom tree embraced my body as I leaned against its trunk. Feeling the warm spring breeze flowing around, I gently closed my eyes.

[The player’s Mentality (B) stat resists Status Effect: Charm]

“…Huh?”

I came to my senses after the roots of the cherry blossom tree had completely entangled my body.

Only then did the things that I couldn’t see with a hazy mind begin to come into view one by one.

The magical beasts weren’t sleeping peacefully. Rather, they were close to being exhausted. With the roots of the cherry blossom tree stuck in them, being sucked dry of their mana.

The beautifully blooming cherry blossom petals were the life force of the fallen magical beasts. This space was a huge trap.

“This…!”

The fog that had been heavily clouding my mind cleared. My blurred perception and judgment returned, and mana began to circulate through my body.

The cherry blossom tree, realizing that I had regained my senses, tightened its roots strongly. The gentle spring breeze that had been caressing my cheek turned sharp.

The cherry blossom tree rustled its body, and magical particles that looked like beautiful cherry blossoms poured down. A thick scent of cherry blossoms that made my mind dizzy wafted.

[#%@&$(Lv.???) uses the skill ‘Garden of Ruin’]

[‘Garden of Ruin’ inflicts Status Effect: Mental Erosion on the player. The player cannot resist #%@&$(Lv.???)]

[The player’s Mentality (B) stat resists Status Effect: Mental Erosion. Mana is continuously consumed.]

“Ugh…”

The pink mana mixed in between the fluttering petals seeped in. My B-rank mentality and ‘Mental Erosion’ clashed, making me nauseous.

I’m in danger if I stay here any longer.

I feel like my mind is being eroded. To the bottom. Into the abyss. I keep wanting to stay here. I need to escape somehow. But how?

My light purple eyes quickly scanned the surroundings. The entrance made of intertwined tree roots was long gone. The sword I was carrying had been taken away by the tree roots at some point.

I looked up. The tree, which was at least 10 meters tall, had my sword hanging on its top.

I, clenched my left hand, looking at that branch.

Whoosh-

At the same time, dark particles enveloped my body. The sensation of the tree roots that had been restraining me disappeared, and with a floating sensation, my body, transformed into particles, leaped into the air.

At the same time, a new quest appeared before my eyes.

[World ■est&-Ch@pt%r.???]
[Defeat #%@&$(Lv.???)]
-Rew#: #%*@
-Failure: Death

“I already know that, okay?”

Having kicked off the air and leaped, I snatched the sword, muttering sharply. The branches of the cherry blossom tree trembled as if embarrassed.

“-!!!”

The cherry blossom tree let out a cry of rage at losing its prey. Damn, why is a plant talking?

Pow! The roots that emerged, overturning the ground, were woven together to create a huge spear. The sharply sharpened tip of the root aimed at me as I fell.

At the same time, the luminescent plants that were emitting a faint light all opened their flower buds at once. Sharp teeth were densely packed inside the gaping maws. This, if I fell to the ground, I definitely wouldn’t be in a good situation.

“Tsk…!”

Aerial combat wasn’t my preference, but if this was the case, I had to finish it quickly.

The Stigmata shone through the torn glove, and space folded again. In an instant, the ceiling of the cave appeared before my eyes. The spear aimed at me pierced through the empty air, and a gap was created between the lush branches.

I leaped towards the sky to avoid that gap.

Space warped and twisted, and the Stigmata continued to sparkle. My stomach churned as I had used Blink three times in a row. I gritted my teeth and forced myself to regain my composure, gripping the hilt of my sword tightly.

Whoosh-

With a sharp activating sound, the sword was imbued with mana. Mana, darker than the darkness of the cave, gathered at the tip of the sword.

“-!!!”

The cherry blossom tree, belatedly realizing what I was trying to do, screamed and wove its branches, but it was already too late.

My body, after the strange floating sensation of Blink disappeared, entered the influence of gravity. Without missing that moment, I kicked off the ceiling of the cave and drew my sword.

At the same time, a dark flash of light fell upon the eerie cherry blossom garden.

[Defeated World ■est %@&$ (Lv.???).]

[‘Ancient Lich’s Dun■on Core’ absorbs the mana of %@&$ (Lv.???)]
[Mana Drain][D+ -> C-]
[Ma■■■rage][D+-> C-]

Various messages appeared before my eyes.

I dismissed the windows and sat down. My body felt drained.

One use of Blink to escape, one to dodge, and three to leap for sufficient power.

I had used my Stigmata five times in a row without properly shaking off the ‘Mental Erosion’, and the toll was greater than I expected. I felt like I was drunk. The world was spinning, I felt nauseous, and my body was staggering.

“Ugh…”

My head ached as if it would split due to the continuous magical calculations. I felt like my head was overheating. I held my head and looked forward.

Luminescent plants that had lost their light and limp roots. The cherry blossom tree was split in half as if struck by lightning.

Between the remains of the cherry blossom tree, a faint cherry blossom-colored light was flowing.

I could instinctively tell. The culprit that broke the ‘original work’ and created the strange cherry blossom tree, and gathered various monsters in the underground sewer and this place, was there.

I used my sword as a cane and slowly got up.