Infinite Evolution Hunter - Chapter 97

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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97
Eres, who had promised to let me converse with the World Tree, extended her hand toward my head. But with her stature, her fingers naturally fell short of reaching it.
“Arrogant fool. Can’t you lower your head?”
As I stared blankly ahead, her sharp words cut through the air. Reluctantly, I dropped to one knee to lower myself, and Eres placed her small hand atop my head.
“Mental attacks won’t work on me anymore, will they?”
“When did I ever say I would attack? A mental barrier is something you control as you see fit. I will relay your consciousness and allow you to resonate with the World Tree—simply open your mind.”
I had never attempted this before, but Eres had no reason to deceive me, so I focused my consciousness to open my mind.
A tickling sensation brushed across my thoughts. Something seemed to be prying at the shell that enveloped my spirit, trying to slip inside. Yet it was not forceful.
Eres withdrew her hand.
“There. It is done….”
Eres pinched her middle finger with her thumb and pressed it against my forehead. Her tiny hand was endearing.
Snap!
Before I could even register what was happening, a flick struck me. From my crouching position, the impact sent me tumbling backward. My skull, the hardest part of my body, rang from the blow. There was no way such a small frame possessed muscle, and I sensed neither aura nor any other energy. It was less a physical impact than something that shook my very soul. I had admittedly underestimated her for shrinking, but Eres was Eres, regardless of her size.
“Did you not open your mind?”
“I did open it.”
I rubbed my forehead.
“You did not. Again. And know that if you fail this time, you will receive another flick.”
The way she treated people harshly was similar to how I did.
While traveling with Eres in Telus, my skill ranks and stats themselves had not increased significantly. Yet thanks to her brutal training, I had learned to wield my original abilities at full capacity. The fact that I could fight the Blue Dragon and return alive owed much to this rigorous conditioning.
So Eres’s harsh treatment now would surely benefit me as well. On the other hand, I was grateful that Eres was not always on Earth.
“Head again.”
Her stubby index finger twitched.
Snap! Snap! Snap!
The sound of flicks echoed repeatedly beneath the World Tree. No matter how much I reinforced my head or wrapped myself in aura, the defense held no effect. What was this?
“I opened it, I’m telling you!”
I thought Eres would withdraw her hand from my head and strike again.
“That will do.”
At her words, I lifted my head and saw before the World Tree a child with green leaves instead of hair. Perhaps three years old? Smaller than Eres was now, with a smooth body devoid of any gender.
“It is the spirit of the World Tree.”
[Why are you draining my life force?]

The World Tree’s spirit frowned. However, its cute appearance prevented any sense of intimidation.
“I’m sorry. But if you take root here, the people living nearby will be in danger.”
[Why?]
“This mountain nearby is a massive volcano. It could erupt, and your roots could grow so deep that they trigger earthquakes.”
[If I don’t cause earthquakes and don’t trigger the volcano, I won’t take life force?]
“What? You can do that?”
[I can talk to the mountain and avoid dangerous areas.]
“Does the mountain have a spirit too?”
[A spirit? Does it?]
The World Tree’s spirit tilted its head in confusion.
“The mountain, like the Earth, does not possess precise consciousness. It merely possesses will. However, I and the World Tree’s spirit are infinitely similar beings, so we can achieve minimal communication with them.”
“This World Tree is young yet has a spirit form. So why don’t mountains rich with spiritual energy like Baekdu Mountain have spirits or incarnations?”
“The World Tree is fundamentally a living being that possesses a spirit form from the beginning.”
Eres stood on one leg and picked at her ear before blowing on it. She was expressing her annoyance at having to answer through her entire body. When she was tall, her arrogance suited her well, but with that small form, it was infuriating.
“Alright then, I’m counting on you. And can you also remove the toxins under the tree’s shade?”
[I can’t do that.]
“Why?”
[My mission is to absorb filth and spread life force to the world. And when there’s a lot of filth, I have no choice but to generate a lot of toxins to purify it. Once purification is complete, the toxins will disappear too.]
“Is this area really that contaminated?”
It was hard to imagine a place as clean as Baekdu Mountain, so I couldn’t understand.
[There’s a lot of this underground.]
The tree roots writhed, and a drum barrel rose to the surface.
When I looked at it, a yellow barrel was covered with nuclear waste symbols and skull markings. It was clearly buried before North Korea’s collapse. The Korean Government had prioritized closing nuclear and biological weapons facilities after North Korea fell, but those that didn’t exist on paper couldn’t be found.
“This was just buried in the ground? Not contained in a concrete building?”
[No, it was just buried in the soil.]
My head throbbed with pain.
“Are some of them open?”
[A few are open. And the ones that aren’t are still leaking contaminants.]
“I guess we should be grateful the World Tree is purifying this for us.”
For a moment, cold sweat ran down my back, but hearing that the World Tree would purify it eased my mind, and now business ideas flooded in.
“Of course. The World Tree is an important being to all life in Tellus. Moreover, isn’t this near your country? It’s an immense blessing for your nation.”
“Because it becomes filled with life force?”
“Exactly. The Empire was able to become as powerful as it is now because it was established near the World Tree. Furthermore, humans on Earth have no resistance to mana, do they? Being near the World Tree, even without resistance, you won’t suffer pain. Instead, you’ll adapt to mana through abundant life force and gain strength.”
This was an unexpected benefit. Several ideas on how to utilize this came to mind as well. Once this crisis subsides, I’ll need to explore various applications.
“World Tree, from now on, don’t grow northward—only expand southward. In exchange, be careful not to cause earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.”
I pointed north and south with my fingers as I spoke.
[Okay. I can do that.]
It nodded and answered clearly. While I shouldn’t think of the World Tree in human terms, watching the small form of the World Tree nod and speak so distinctly was incredibly endearing.
[Besides, I didn’t like those northern ones anyway—they kept setting fire to my body.]
We had attacked too, but it seemed so insignificant that they didn’t even pay attention. It was fortunate that large-scale bombing had been postponed until we could fully assess the situation due to concerns about earthquakes and volcanic activity.
“If the World Tree had harbored ill intent, it could have annihilated all of you without hesitation. You should be grateful that the World Tree is a benevolent child.”
Even managing a few walking trees becomes cumbersome when their numbers multiply, but if this colossal entity decided to attack in earnest, there would be no defense.
Soon after, the World Tree’s trunk began extending toward where I stood, so I retreated. The already-grown portions couldn’t be relocated, so it shifted its growth direction southward instead.
“I should inform those outside as well.”
[Will you come again?]
“Few possess the capacity to commune with the World Tree. It is a lonely existence—laboring for others while receiving no recognition.”
“Couldn’t you resonate with the World Tree through others, just as you do with me?”
“An ordinary mind cannot resonate with the World Tree. Can an ant converse with a human? Your spirit is abnormally resilient for a human, which is why such communion is possible for you.”
She never speaks kindly; she always expresses herself this way.
“Alright, I’ll visit again.”
I stroked the World Tree’s crown. It was neither solidly tangible nor completely intangible—a peculiar sensation, as if something were fundamentally amiss.
[See you~]
The World Tree’s spirit waved goodbye to us.
“Hunter Lee Ji-seok! Are you certain about this?! That tree continues growing southward?!”
Director Baek Young-shin asked anxiously, unable to stand still.
“It’s a good thing. There won’t be any earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.”
“V-volcanic? You’re certain?”
“Why is this man so restless?”
“Who is this child?”
Director Baek Young-shin and those around him turned to Eres and asked.
“Hm? You haven’t met before? Eres, did you come directly from Tellus to here?”
“Why would I go anywhere else?”
Eres spoke with composed confidence, her arms crossed.
“Director, this is Eres, the Avatar of Darkness from Tellus.”
Director Baek Young-shin tilted his head with a puzzled expression, studying Eres as if to say, “This person?”
“A beautiful woman with a cold expression and impressive height. Interesting. Is that how you perceive me?”
Eres read Director Baek Young-shin’s thoughts.
“… That’s not inaccurate, is it?”
“Impudent. Since you called me beautiful, I’ll overlook it this time.”
“… Thank you.”
“Ahem…”

Baek Young-shin, his thoughts laid bare, let out an awkward cough.
I briefly explained to everyone what had transpired inside.
“Phew… I’ve caught my breath, but I need to report this to the higher-ups immediately. They’re making a fuss about the World Tree continuing to grow….”
Even after Baek Young-shin left to file his report, the World Tree continued its southward expansion, and China unleashed successive bombing campaigns, destroying most of the World Tree that had grown beyond the border.
* * *
Hearty laughter echoed through China’s temporary command center for the monster tree subjugation operation.
“That’s right! How could Korea, unable to even stop such a tree, be a match for the People’s Republic of China! Hahahaha!”
Major General Huang Bao of the People’s Liberation Army, having received reports of the results, laughed heartily.
“Once we collect the remaining roots and branches and incinerate them, the operation will be complete.”
S-rank Hunter Hong Long reported on the situation. Hong Long was a boxer and one of the rare hunters in the world who fought without weapons. He was renowned for his fluid offensive and defensive transitions using footwork and tai chi.
“Then, I’ll withdraw first…. What are you looking at?”
Hong Long’s eyes caught sight of something like red fireflies fluttering southward from the World Tree’s leaves.
“Some kind of red energy mass is flying away.”
The Commander’s eyes widened as he stared at the World Tree, but he saw nothing.
Countless red light clusters fell to the ground or onto trees and people. Where they landed, grass sprouted or trees grew noticeably taller, and people’s faces took on a healthy glow.
“…”
“What is it? Speak!”
Huang Bao shouted at the silent Hong Long. Hong Long could kill this bloated pig of a commander with a single finger, but he had to suppress his rage. The reason he endured such treatment was because his family was being held hostage in Beijing.
Officially, it was claimed they were being protected and receiving the finest treatment befitting an S-rank Hunter’s family. However, two years ago when another hunter went berserk, killed a military officer, and fled, that hunter’s entire family was executed as an example. Because of this, Hong Long and many other hunters could not defy the military.
“Life force is spreading toward Korea. It’s displaying potion-grade recovery… no, regenerative power.”
“What…. What? The wind doesn’t blow only southward, so why is it only going to Korea?!”
“It’s not riding the wind. The tree itself is launching it….”
“Damn it! Contact the informant we planted on the Korean side!”
Upon hearing the informant’s report moments later, Huang Bao’s fury reached its peak.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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