Sweet Thorn
< Our bitterness is no different from the rot of the poisoned apple. Hopeful thorns burrow into its flesh, turning what was once rancid into a sweet nectar to attract the most perfect apple >
ORIGIN : Trauma
ATTRIBUTE : Nihilism
< Page of the Queen of Sweet and Bitter Thorns >
< 3 >
We were never content with ourselves. Each host we took left us yearning for the next vessel. A river of blood followed our every move. It seeped into the soil. All life fed on the same fluids that we sought to consume.
We devoured them whole, and yet, we were still incomplete.
Perfection became a wish. A body unrestricted by the brambles was impossible.
Why? Humans are made up of bones and flesh. Bones we can replace. Flesh we can drape on top of us. Yet our lungs did not function. Our organs did not turn. The white of our eyes reflected nothing but the unchanging nature of our existence.
Did it matter in the end? The skies are boundless now. Our legs are free to wander the world in search of clearer skies. And yet, our bodies fail to receive the water that we once desperately yearned for.
We sit, and we wait, rotting everything around us. Hoping. Praying, in envy – poisoning, to one day find that one perfect apple. We bear the apples like the oak trees. We return to our roots, leaving the poisoned apples behind, waiting for it to be delivered to the one who can bear the fruit of everlasting miracles.
* * *
< 74 Poisoned Apples scour the Forest of Everlasting Envy >
Red’s Stats continued to increase with each creature she consumed over the course of the next 2 days.
In total they had spent 3 days inside of the Forest of Everlasting Envy. Any hope to find survivors was squashed by the lack of drinkable water. But with Snow, any pond, lake or water hole could be purified using [Cleanse], making it safe for consumption.
The Envious Brambles granted MAG ATT whilst the Bitter Thorns provided addition ATT and MAG DEF.
But it could not increase forever.
By now Red had cut down over a thousand Bitter Thorns. Her Stats saw a notable improvement.
Hatchling Red LEVEL : 45 ORIGIN : Original HP : 16,500 ^3/min ATT : 570 (+35) MAG ATT : 300 ATT DEF : 480 MAG DEF : 200 MP : 15,000 ^3/min RESIST : 50 AGI : 32
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< ACTIVE SKILLS >
(O) Huntress’ Slash II [9/10]
(O) Punch I [2/10]
(S) Friends! I [4/10]
(E) Appraise Object [8/10]
She was immune to taking damage so long as they did not strike her flesh directly. Red had to constantly remind herself that her clothes contained these stats, not herself. Another thing to keep in mind was that her ATT was not high enough to break free from the Bitter Thorns if they managed to capture her.
“I was gaining so many level ups for Huntress’ Slash earlier. Why has it stopped? I betcha Agate’s messing with me.” She turned to Snow for answers.
“Experience dictates it completely.”
“Huh?”
Red didn’t understand a word that was said.
“Think about it like this. If you keep doing the same thing over and over again, then are you going to get better at it?” She had to explain it in layman’s terms.
Not that Red knew what this meant either.
“Of course I am! C’mon Snow. What are you even talking about? If you keep hunting, then you’re bound to get better.”
Snow shallowly sighed as they entered a new part of the forest. The trees were spread apart further. They were also far larger, standing at over 15 meters high with trunks thicker than 5 meters.
Grass grew in small patches here, and the canopies overhead were just as thick as the previous section of the forest.
“You can only learn so much from hunting the same creature a thousand times. Don’t forget that there are much stronger things than the Bitter Thorns in this world.” Snow further explained.
“So I can gain levels faster if I use it on stronger enemies?”
“It’s the same with Healing magic. I can heal ten thousand cuts, but that wouldn’t improve my ability to put someone together again.”
“Uhuh. I guess that makes sense. Should we stop here? Mr. Huntsman?”
“Do… as you wish…”
Red and Snow carefully lowered him till he could comfortably rest on his back. But even that was difficult. His backbones were warped to the point where he had to turn on his side. Snow removed the drapes from his body and languished at the sight of his broken form.
“… I’ll heal you immediately. My Mana’s back.”
She didn’t comment on what he looked like. Nor could she bring herself to deliver the horrifying news. 3 days since his initial infection resulted in his body morphing as though a tree was growing inside of him.
His spine was twisted like the brambles above the trees. Each node of his spine carried hideous spines that tore parts of his back open. She gently roamed her hands around his back, feeling what were once firm muscles become calcified.
“Does it still hurt?” She whispered.
“It’s manageable.”
“You’re lying…”
“Would it make you happier if I admitted to it?”
“It’s not about that!” Snow exclaimed. “It’s… Red. Hold his head for me.”
Red moved into position and firmly held Mr. Huntsman in her arms. It was the 10th time they had stopped to heal him. His wounds were getting worse by the hour. With how quickly time was accelerated here, any untreated wound was a death sentence.
A cut as small as a nail had the potential to fester and ooze with puss. If enough time had passed, then they’d be afflicted by an unbearable illness. Shortly after, death was certain.
“It’s only a Trickle Corrupted Zone. Trickle. Why is it like this?” Snow recited through clenched teeth.
White particles lifted from his body. But her magic could not repair his body structure. If they performed surgery on him to remove the Brambles, then he would die in the very next minute.
Red could see it, and the Huntsman could see his back reflected in her eyes.
“Has it fused with my skeleton?”
“It…” Snow shut her mouth, focusing on nothing but healing the man.
“Little Red…?”
“It’s wrapped around your spine like a snake. Your breathing is no good, Mister. Has it got your lungs too?”
“Down here…” The Huntsman tapped on Red’s stomach with a gloved hand.
The finger that touched Red folded into itself, as though there was nothing inside of the glove at all.
It was because there wasn’t. He had no fingers left. They had all come off. His toes, fingers, ears – all extremities had rotted off.
“Is the diaphragm. Above are muscles that help with breathing. Those… are attached to the ribs. Snow won’t say a word. But I know the condition of my body better than any Healer. Are you trying to let me die comfortably?”
“You are not dying here!” Snow shouted.
“Mister! We’re going to get you of the forest!” Red fiercely scolded him. “Aren’t you super strong? You can’t die here!”
She was surprised by just how weak humans were. He bled as easily as an insect. Humans couldn’t function for beyond a few days without needing water. Red was the same, but seeing a person withering before her eyes reminded her of their mortality.
I killed humans before. I shouldn’t be surprised. Am I fixated on this because I don’t want him to die?