Why Did I Have to Enroll

Why Did I Have to Enroll - Chapter 164

Lesson 33: The Star of Jade - 4

As the trees began to be uprooted, the invaders lost their minds and went berserk. However, as long as the Wolf Fang Tribe stood firm in their territory, there was a limit to the resistance the invaders could muster after losing their footing. Moreover, when Slothia, the Lazy Queen, began to seriously manipulate the trees within the territory, shaking off the parasites clinging to them, they could no longer hold out.

“Ugh, run, run away――!”

“But where to?”

“That guy, he’s coming! He’s coming!”

It would be great if he could just stand there and absorb everything, but there was still a distance limit to his power. So Ban Yu-won kicked off a branch and leaped into the air. Balancing easily with the concepts of floating and flying, Ban Yu-won cut through the sky, resembling the rare birdmen among the Beastmen.

At the same time, more and more of the concept of wood was being absorbed into his outstretched hands.

“Ah, aaaaa――!”

“Don’t come, don’t…!”

Who was it that attacked first, and now they’re telling him not to come?

With a snort, Ban Yu-won uprooted all the trees within a nearly one-kilometer radius, and the invaders finally lost their place to retreat and fell to the ground. Then, in a very natural flow…

―Thud thud thud

It came.

A giant worm burst through the ground, starting by swallowing several Beastmen whole, and countless Forest Worms, both large and small, began to swarm!

“Argh!”

“Ugh… retreat! Fall back!”

“We can’t fight both the worms and the enemy at the same time… run, run away!”

The swarm of Forest Worms, drawn by the vibrations, boasted a ferocity incomparable to the one Ban Yu-won had faced earlier. Ban Yu-won watched as the hellscape expanded, uprooting trees in the Beastmen’s retreat path in real-time.

“The more trees I uproot, the freer the worms move.”

―It seems the tree roots usually block the worms’ movements. But since you removed them completely, this is what happens. It’s a rare sight, even here, isn’t it?

“No one else can uproot trees as cleanly as I can.”

Ban Yu-won agreed with Celon. It wasn’t for nothing that the Beastmen were so attached to the trees.

―Don’t stay too long. These aren’t the main forces.

“Of course.”

After collecting as much of the concept of wood as he could, Ban Yu-won flew over the heads of the Beastmen, who were buried in Forest Worms, cursing him as they struggled and screamed, and returned to the territory of the Wolf Fang Tribe.

“Son-in-law!”

As soon as he landed lightly on a branch, Canid, exuding a fierce aura due to the ongoing battle, leaped onto the branch as if he had been waiting for Ban Yu-won’s return.

“What did you do to the trees?”

“I can replant them. But first, we need to take some measures here…”

The concept of wood condensed in Ban Yu-won’s hands was now emitting such a strong light that it was hard to look at directly.

“So, should I plant them?”

“Well, it might be better to leave it as it is for now. We have more than one enemy to fight.”

“That’s what I thought.”

Ban Yu-won stored the concept in the Code Core and threw it into his inventory, then checked the battle situation. All the trees in the area had been conceptualized, creating a long barren line across the forest. The thousands of Beastmen stepping on that line were being punished by the Forest Worms in real-time, and as the vibrations increased, more worms swarmed in, reducing their chances of survival to zero.

Thanks to Ban Yu-won’s swift intervention, the casualties among the Wolf Fang Tribe were minimal. There were quite a few injured and fallen trees, but Slothia was busily moving between them, healing them.

“Is your ability something you can use easily?”

“Not really. But after a little rest, it’s no problem.”

This was the first time he had used his power on such a large scale since awakening his authority, but thanks to the mental growth he experienced while completing the Origin Blade, the aftereffects weren’t severe. A little rest or drinking some ‘Blood Wine’ would be enough to recover.

“I see.”

“Is there something you want to ask me?”

“You’re quick-witted. I want to build a fortress.”

Though he said fortress, it didn’t mean a wall. A natural fortress, a barren land where the Forest Worms would handle any enemy that crossed the line. Canid wanted to isolate their territory until the tribe’s crisis was over. And that implied…

“Are there multiple tribes you’re hostile with? How many Beastmen tribes are there on this star?”

“How much did you hear from Luciel?”

“Up to the part where the psycho Constellation made contractors in other tribes and is controlling them.”

“Then you’ve heard most of it. There are two other tribes as large as ours on this star, and those two tribes have joined forces to attack us. Meanwhile, dimensional pirates have unified the weaker tribes into one massive force.”

It’s a situation more severe than the Three Kingdoms. How could they even think of holding a banquet in such circumstances?

“Since the situation isn’t very relaxed… I’ll start right away. Is this width enough?”

“It could be a bit shorter.”

“Got it.”

“It’s not something that can be done in a short time, so just do what you can and come back. That alone will be a great help.”

“Alright.”

Ban Yu-won sighed lightly and snapped his fingers. Eve, Lilith, and Tike, his constant companions, spread out at regular intervals. Though those watching didn’t understand, it was actually a rather terrifying sight. These companions all acted as terminals that could share and exercise Ban Yu-won’s authority.

Canid said it wasn’t something that could be done quickly, but Ban Yu-won planned to complete this natural fortress within the day.

“Let’s get started.”

“Wait, take Slothia with you.”

“Eh.”

Just then, Slothia, having finished tidying up the trees, flew over to them. She swung through the air like Tarzan on the elastic tree branches. As Ban Yu-won admired her skill, Slothia looked at him curiously, tilting her head with very slow movements.

“Oh, now that the fight’s over, she’s slow again.”

“Fascinating… isn’t it…?”

“What’s fascinating?”

“Your… face…”

Can I hit her?

“Take her as a guard. As long as she’s in our territory, there’s no enemy that can threaten Slothia.”

“I don’t need… I’m fine.”

“Slothia, he’s a precious guest, so don’t be rude and take good care of him. He might become a valuable connection for you.”

“Ummm…”

Ban Yu-won felt the sinister ploy of a chief trying to marry off the village’s troublesome spinster along with his daughter, and he wanted to resist firmly. But…

“Umm.”

Slothia, who hadn’t paid him any attention when they first met, now nodded with a rather willing expression. Then, with unexpectedly quick movements, she climbed onto Ban Yu-won’s back.

“Hey.”

“Let’s… go…”

“Now’s the time to conserve energy so you can fight when needed, so please be considerate.”

With the chief’s laughing words, Ban Yu-won shrugged. The heavy weight and soft touch on his back weren’t unpleasant, to be honest.

“I’ll be back before nightfall.”

“The forest is scarier at night. Slothia will tell you when it’s time to come back.”

So that was another reason for sending Slothia along. Ban Yu-won glanced at the Forest Worms devouring Beastmen on the ground, then turned to Dokgo Yeon, who had retreated after a passive fight.

“Want to come along?”

“Yes, let’s go together.”

“Oh.”

He had only asked out of courtesy, thinking she wouldn’t join in such a troublesome task. But Dokgo Yeon, as if she had been waiting for him to ask, lightly leaped and landed beside him. Ban Yu-won, feeling that she seemed unfamiliar today, looked at her silently. Sensing his gaze, Dokgo Yeon calmly asked back.

“What?”

“Oh… nothing. Having you with me is reassuring.”

“Of course.”

“Then, off you go.”

Canid looked visibly troubled as Dokgo Yeon quickly joined the group, but Ban Yu-won ignored it and moved forward. Eve, Lilith, and Tike were already ahead, extracting the concept of wood. With Ban Yu-won included, the four of them wielded their authority appropriately, uprooting trees and easily creating a barren path hundreds of meters wide, like laying a road in a simulation game.

“You’ve come up with quite a dreadful idea.”

“Since I can replant them anytime, you could say it’s an eco-friendly strategy.”

“Reeeally…”

Slothia, who was lazily resting on Ban Yu-won’s back, naturally joined their conversation.

“It’s… cooperation…?”

“No, it’s not.”

“How…?”

“This one’s thought process seems a bit off.”

“That’s not the only thing that’s off.”

Wait, was the comment about Ban Yu-won’s face being strange because he didn’t look like a Beastman?

Ban Yu-won shook his head in disbelief.

“Ummm…”

Meanwhile, even after hearing that he wasn’t a Beastman, Slothia pondered for a while, then nodded decisively as she watched the forest road expand in real-time.

“With… this power…”

“With this power.”

“I… can rest…”

“I can rest.”

Suddenly, Slothia’s grip on Ban Yu-won’s shoulders tightened. Ban Yu-won felt her internal concept activate in a different way than before.

“Let’s mate.”

“Why do you say that word so quickly?”

“The second time a slothia speeds up…”

“Isn’t that when they swim?”

“What’s swimming?”

Ah, she’s never swum before. Ban Yu-won nodded in understanding, and Slothia, pressing her body against him, spoke.

“Not swimming, mating.”

“I didn’t want to resolve that foreshadowing like this.”

But he roughly understood the logic. Essentially, if Ban Yu-won was around, he could take on the role of the Lazy Queen, so she wanted to marry him and leave everything else to him. Ban Yu-won felt the pressure from Dokgo Yeon beside him intensify and replied firmly.

“Sorry, but I’m leaving after this special activity.”

“That’s fine. The work will be done by our child, not the male. We’ll just play together.”

“Ah, so that’s why you said mating.”

Finding a superior male to produce superior offspring. In a tribe where each has a specific role, having offspring to continue one’s role is crucial. Ban Yu-won’s authority wasn’t limited to trees, but it was predictable that Slothia would react positively after seeing it.

‘Even Luciel liked me because I was a capable male who earned well.’

Having gained a deeper understanding of the Beastmen’s instincts, Ban Yu-won nodded. But accepting Slothia’s proposal was a different matter. He was still hesitating to accept both Luciel and Mira simultaneously, being a typical guy from Earth.

“Sorry, but I’m not that easy. Try to appeal more.”

“Okay, I’ll show you a lot of abilities.”

So here, both genders appeal with their abilities. Ban Yu-won nodded again, smiling wryly. Dokgo Yeon, beside him, was glaring with pitch-black eyes, but he decided to ignore it for now.

As promised, Ban Yu-won succeeded in creating the natural fortress surrounding the Wolf Fang Tribe’s territory by nightfall.