Exterminating a Giant Pest

Every time I climbed another floor, monsters appeared.

I didn't think the World Tree itself had made them. If it had wanted to kill me, it wouldn't have made a path leading to the boss.

Besides, the monsters with holes in their faces didn't only take the form of elves.

Humans, dwarves, orcs, beastkin. Even though the boss on this side had clearly only destroyed the elves, it was making monsters that imitated other races, too.

As I climbed higher, the monsters grew stronger, until fighting them with martial arts alone was becoming difficult.

I fought while adjusting the path of the flames so they burned only the monsters and caused as little damage to the World Tree as possible.

Maybe that was why it felt a little strange whenever flames burst out as I hit the monsters with my fists or legs.

'Did it read something like the World Tree's memories? Or was there some other way?'

Every time the mucous layers opened, I burned the monsters around me and climbed higher.

Since most were humanoid and walked upright, they were good practice for martial arts. I learned where to aim, and which parts were weak points or vital spots...