Eat The World Tree

Chapter 254: Bao (2)

after a brief meal with sansuyu, i used my healing powers on her as usual. feeling the fatigue seep into my body, i had a private discussion with taeyang.

in a room café set up in the building, we availed ourselves of the free high-end cakes and coffee, and i sought advice on my issues.

“so, what do you think?”

bao has been barging into my room for the past few days, picking fights.

i humored her once or twice with a smile, but seeing her come around two or three times a day regularly, i couldn’t just leave it be. she’s stubborn to a fault.

when i shared this concern, taeyang casually scooped up the fancy cake with a spoon, suggesting it was no big deal.

“just beat her up.”

“what?”

“she sees you as easy prey, that’s why.”

taeyang raised a finger as if it were the most natural conclusion, licking chocolate cream from his lips and smiling.

“whether it’s a wild or tame horse, a spur is needed, and whether it’s a wild or tame dark tree, a club is needed.”

“that sounds a bit harsh.”

“it’s only natural for the tree spirit king to dominate a female.”

the tree spirit king, taeyang, and aori kept emphasizing that i was the tree spirit king whenever they got the chance. while i understood they wanted to impress upon me the gravity of my responsibilities, honestly, it still didn’t quite feel real.

“but, brother.”

taeyang put down the fork he was using to eat his cake.

“sister sansuyu doesn’t say anything even if she goes into your room, but why does that woman do it?”

“is sansuyu the same as her? they are fundamentally different.”

i replied with disgust.

being near sansuyu was healing. whether it’s her plump cheeks or the pleasant scent she emitted when close by, she had cute tricks. there’s a reason why it was called sansuyu therapy. these days, i didn’t mind physical contact, so sometimes she rested her chin on my stomach or fiddled with my hand. i felt a ticklish warmth with her, like when you saw innocent children.

“what about bao?”

immediately, a wall slam. being near her felt like the atmosphere of a high-difficulty fighting game, with sweaty close combat or inevitably having to use joint locks. she had a knack for making people tense.

as i explained all this in detail, taeyang yawned as if he didn’t quite catch what i was saying.

“in short, you prefer sister sansuyu over the baobab, right?”

“that’s true.”

i couldn’t live without sansuyu.

her soft cuteness was almost unique in the world. of course, our bond was deep, and even when i was a mess, she treated me without hesitation, which was why i wanted to cherish her.

“but what’s with bao, swinging her fists as soon as she sees you?”

“you did eat her up.”

true. but honestly, that was a horrible accident.

no matter how much of a seducer i might be, it didn’t work on a woman who wasn’t in the mood. i could, if i wanted, use strong seduction, but even if i went all out on bao’s erogenous zones, it would only dissipate the excitement of the fight, not so much the sexual excitement. in fact, whenever i used seduction, women always reached climax, but bao did not.

‘she has a high threshold.’

oh, was that a dirty thought? like a lioness about to make a move because there’s a man in front of her. having gained some experience, i could now guess a woman’s level of excitement. as the tree spirit king got stronger and learned about seduction, i had become quite skilled in this area. so, i thought it was okay.

i was about to escape and let go when suddenly she sprang up and pounced on me.

“you had plenty of chances to escape, but you liked being jumped on, brother.”

that’s true too. no excuses.

taeyang sipped his coffee through a straw. the famous brand’s iced coffee quickly hit the bottom. he took his lips off the straw and shrugged.

“you did it once, why not do it again? that time you just barely escaped, right?”

“yeah.”

“this time i’ll show you.”

“show me what?”

taeyang smirked, raising only one corner of his mouth.

“who’s on top, with a bat.”

“hey.”

-thud!

tonight, the punches rain down as usual. but the difference this time is that i didn’t bend my knees.

thanks to that, bao ended up looking up at me. she seemed unexpectedly flustered for a moment but then pushed herself and stood her ground.

“let’s do this.”

i slightly twisted my gaze to the side, and from the next room, taeyang and aori peeked out, barely opening the door. aori held an a4 paper with handwriting scrawled in her tiny hands.

[spirit tree king ♡]

what did tree king mean? they reacted in such an interesting way.

bao’s words, through the translator, sounded utterly arrogant. she puffed out her chest, as if she were different from the rest. her aggressive eyes scanned me. then she regained her posture.

“you’ll regret it.”

“hmph.”

she scoffed at my warning.

the bet was on. as soon as i got up, bao charged at me with her fist clenched. the fight was to be without causing much of a commotion. bao has physical strength, but her real power lies in her inexhaustible magic.

-whoosh!

i dodged the incoming fist and tripped bao.

“see.”

-boom!

“you never learn.”

i pinned her down immediately, restraining her.

“ugh!”

this time, she tried to tighten her grip around me as if to say it’s different. ridiculous. this kind of combat technique is completely unlearned by bao. no matter how genius, learning by mere observation has its limits.

this time, i planned to squeeze all the strength from her body.

to the point of exhaustion, preventing her from fainting.

i wrapped my arm around bao’s neck, pressing against her windpipe. was this how she lost again? realizing the situation, bao struggled, but once my grip was set, she couldn’t break free.

it’s not just about a match; it’s a technique to kill. i made sure to dominate more securely, making it impossible for her to escape.

the bare-handed fights here were much more aggressive compared to the world i came from. jiu-jitsu, capoeira. the names were the same, but the essence was different.

as the average capability expectations had risen, so had the flexible movements one could perform.

“let go! damn it. not this awful position again... it’s cheap!”

without responding, i maintained the posture for several minutes.

with her subdued by my hands and legs, just as bao’s consciousness was about to slip, i loosened my grip slightly to keep her alert.

“ugh, you bastard.”

swearing slipped from her mouth amid the recurring pain and agony. there was no stopping. i tightened my grip on her windpipe again, bringing her to the brink of fainting before scattering her consciousness.

thirty minutes.

sweat mingled with our clothes.

“haah... haah, haah.”

with every breath, bao’s pent-up breath burst forth. dry coughs escaped as her body slumped. she grabbed my arm, looking for a way out, but by now, she wouldn’t have the strength in her hands.

“won’t you surrender?”

“...never.”

bao resisted out of stubbornness, out of spite.

i tightened my grip again and repeated the process.

one hour.

bao’s eyes, previously bright, dimmed slightly. sweat soaked through our bodies and undergarments. my knee had to be positioned close to bao’s groin, and i felt moisture there. the firmness of bao’s body had vanished, leaving only the soft skin of a female.

as i gently stroked her neck, i could feel her pulse.

“not yet. i haven’t lost—never.”

she didn’t respond anymore.

the dreadful hours spent talking against the wall in an agonizing posture. gradually chipping away at her consciousness.

“never...”

she wouldn’t say she’d surrender. as i loosened her body, it sprawled out like a frog. leaving the pool of sweat on the floor, i lifted bao’s gasping form.

“...haah, haah.”

breath rose from her body.

i swiftly carried bao to my room. as i threw her onto the bed, she couldn’t even brace herself and collapsed.

a faint scent of flowers. as i touched her dark-toned, black-tinged thighs, curses escaped her mouth.

“damn.”

she looked at me, perhaps having regained consciousness. she drew up her legs, gathering her thighs.

the roughly torn uniform hung loose, revealing all inside with just a slight lift. the underwear was tight, showing only a white line along the crevice. the slightly lighter skin of her vulva was clearly visible because of it. that area was moist with sweat.

“...pervert.”

“yeah, right.”

too true. such words didn’t bother me.

now for round two.