Chapter 138 - Spirit of the Guardian Tree (17)

Damian stood still, holding the gift.

Trisha wasn't a fool. She could detect an unprecedented turmoil rising within him.

Though his eyes were directed at the gift in his hands, his pupils were unfocused. An emotionless expression, neither happy nor sad. His face looked more like a dead person frozen while holding a gift than a living one.

What is the gift, and why is Damian reacting this way?

Trisha's intuition couldn't begin to gauge what story lay behind this.

"Damian... was today your birthday?"

"..."

Damian didn't move. Trisha's expression darkened slightly. She spoke in a somewhat anxious tone, "...Who is it from?"

Then Damian suddenly returned to his usual self.

"No, seems someone left it by mistake. My birthday already passed."

Though his voice was no different from usual, Trisha could feel it. He was lying. Though his tone and behavior were identical, he seemed like a completely different person from moments ago.

Something invisible was clearly distorted.

Remembering her Drama Club senior's words "don't stir things up," she didn't probe further.

She feared that if she touched this carelessly, it might leave an irreversible mark. That was why Trisha was afraid.

"Someone must have confused the room numbers. I'll leave the gift with the maid."

"..."

He spoke while opening the door, seemingly trying to change the subject, "You wanted to see? Come in."

***

After gathering things from Witdruff Hall, Damian, and Trisha walked through the fog.

Fortunately, their conversation continued without interruption.

Trisha walked ahead, hands behind her back, hopping. Then she suddenly turned to face Damian and said, "First-years are still preparing plays, but my acting is improving so much that I might get an important supporting role in the main play soon."

"Seems it suits you well."

"Right! If there was a god of theater, they would surely be furious that such talent was wasted in obscurity."

Then she excitedly ran ahead again.

Trisha was struggling to untangle the emotional knot she sensed in Damian.

Fun experiences, daily life, incidents with people around them. She poured out many things, and their atmosphere wasn't bad.

But that wasn't enough. Even while making eye contact and talking, Damian was still far away.

"If you practice more, you’ll surely get a lead role."

"I know! That's why I have something to ask you today."

The fog cleared and Thorn Garden came into view. Trisha stood before the thorny vine fence.

"What is it?"

"Help me practice my script."

Then she ran ahead again, turning her back to Damian.

However, she stopped after just a few steps.

Damian wasn't coming forward, standing still in place. She immediately sensed he had something else in mind.

Trisha's heart gradually sank.

It bothered her that something else occupied his mind. The uncomfortable feeling was like a small thorn in her foot, seeming to dig deeper with every movement.

Trisha looked back.

He was still standing there, not entering Thorn Garden.

"Not today. I'll be back late, so go to bed first."

"...Why? What are you going to do?"

"I still have training left."

As he spoke, he took out his mask from inside his clothes and put it on. Trisha asked accusingly, "You don't usually train at this time. And—“

Damian cut off Trisha's words and answered impassively.

"I just get whimsical sometimes. I'm going, rest well."

Then he turned and left. It was clear he had only intended to escort Trisha here, never planning to stay together.

"...”

Trisha watched his retreating figure, sinking into helplessness.

***

The sun was already setting, dyeing the world completely red.

Lilith had gathered the remains of Planteras destroyed during magic training and lit a bonfire.

The embers were still small and not warm enough. She cupped her hands around her mouth, blowing "hoo-hoo" to warm her cold hands.

Then a Plantera approached Lilith slowly and held out a skinned mountain hare.

"...Are you telling me to eat it?"

The Plantera neither confirmed nor denied. It just waited for Lilith to accept.

She took it with both hands and said, "...Stop doing this. It makes me feel bad about destroying you all."

Whether the Plantera heard her words or not, having achieved its purpose, it stood and walked into the forest.

The Planteras' behavior seemed to have changed slightly recently. She was confused about whether this was their original behavior pattern or if they were treating only her differently.

Though it might be her imagination, sometimes they seemed to follow her words.

She pondered how to handle the large rabbit meat before finally putting it awkwardly on a skewer to grill.

"I'm not good at eating this..."

While grilling for a while, a loud noise erupted from near the hill leading to Mount Grace.

Bang!

Startled, Lilith turned her head. Birds scattered noisily into the sky and white light flashed beyond the forest.

She stared blankly at the scene, not noticing the rabbit meat burning.

Only when the acrid smell stung her nose did she realize the surface had blackened.

She completely gave up on the meat and focused all attention on the flashing light.

"That's..."

As if enchanted, she stood and walked in that direction.

Her intuition was telling her something.

If she went there, someone she knew would surely be standing there.

So she entered the forest.

The deeper she went, the more her heart pounded nervously.

Soon she began stepping on Plantera remains. These weren't from her battles. Someone using a sword had cut them.

The thunderous sounds grew closer. Sounds of fierce battle echoed as if on a battlefield.

The Plantera remains were large and thick. Lilith finally realized this was the zone of Plantera scouts that even senior students avoided. These were made for killing, not training.

At last, she faced the battle scene. Planteras twice the height of normal people were gathering in one place. Clubs swung mercilessly. A single gesture from a Plantera could crack the ground and snap trees.

And there, a masked man was facing dozens of Planteras alone, wielding a brilliantly white sword.

The Planteras charged at full force. They were reckless like a herd of wild boars, but were ruthlessly slaughtered when they entered the man's sword range.

It was like watching a madman. His momentum suggested that if he had no sword, he'd use his hands; if no hands, he'd tear at them with his teeth.

Hair-raising killing intent. And the magical pressure emanating from around him was unimaginably powerful, feeling like it was squeezing her heart.

After dealing with all charging Planteras, the man stopped briefly, panting.

He wasn't unscathed either. Blood streamed from his head and forearms. The man seemed to pay it no attention.

Lilith bit her lip. Then, making a big decision, she spoke, "The bleeding is severe. You'll eventually collapse if those wounds aren't treated."

He just stood with his back to Lilith, gripping his sword so tightly veins stood out on his arms. He didn't even acknowledge her.

Is he listening? 

It felt like watching a wild beast incapable of dialogue. It seemed he would cut her down mercilessly if she took even one step closer. So, she felt afraid.

As if her existence meant nothing to him, he walked deeper into the mountains. Like someone hungry for battle.

***

The door of Thorn Garden dormitory opened roughly. Hearing the sound, Trisha carefully came down the stairs. She poked her head out from the railing to check the first floor.

Then she cried out in shock, "Damian!!"

He had collapsed in front of the entrance, covered in blood.

Trisha practically jumped down the stairs and hurriedly examined Damian's body.

"Damian, Damian, what happened...!"

He was unconscious. His clothes were torn in places and covered in wounds. Though he said he was training, he had pushed his body to the brink of death.

First, she needed to move him to his room.

Suddenly overcome with anger, she shouted, "Damian is the biggest dummy in the world!"

Trisha tried to lift his upper body but couldn't manage, so she changed tactics and pulled his arm.

Damian was dragged limply, held only by one arm like a corpse. A trail of blood marked where his body passed.

Moreover, his body was ice cold. She needed to check if he was even still breathing.

Trisha poured out scolding to the unhearing Damian, furious, "Damian really needs to be punished!"

After moving him to his room, she quickly gathered emergency potions. Then she poured potions into his body indiscriminately.

***

He was running while holding someone's hand. Pushed back, they kept climbing a high hill. A huge fireball grazed past. The hot sensation felt as real as if it were actually happening. It was a dizzying moment.

He looked back while running. Knights in silver armor. And wizards in pure white robes were pursuing them.

Strangely, they didn't feel like people.

He fled up the hill with someone.

And what they faced at the end was a high cliff with a river flowing below.

Reaching the dead end, Damian positioned that person behind him and faced the pursuers. Then drew his sword.

The knights and wizards formed a semicircle. They gradually pressed forward, stepping closer one by one.

Knife-like wind blew. The hair of the person behind him touched Damian. Long, fine hair. A woman.

And only then did he realize how alien this entire situation was.

Damian became aware this was a scene from a dream.

The blurry dreams he faced every night now appeared in clear, distinct form.

Knowing everything was a dream, he ignored the threat before him and turned toward the woman behind him.

Behind him stood a beautiful woman.

A clear sensation similar to when having prophetic dreams.

The problem was, before him was a face he had never seen before.

Soon the dream collapsed.

Reality gradually returned, and Damian woke from sleep. His palms were sweaty from being so tense.

He was lying in bed at Thorn Garden dormitory. Sunlight diffused by fog entered softly through the window.

He had no memory after returning to the dormitory the previous night.

He felt a heavy sensation in his stomach. He lifted his head slightly to check.

Trisha had fallen asleep bent over beside the bed, her head resting on his stomach.