The burning tree crashed to the ground, sending powerful tremors through the surrounding area.
The force of the impact was intense enough to jolt anyone from their sleep instantly.
Granted, it was still daytime, so there shouldn't have been anyone sleeping... but that wasn't necessarily the case. For nocturnal animals and monsters, this was precisely the time to be resting peacefully.
"In that sense, it wouldn't be surprising if monsters roused by this commotion came out in foul moods."
"Gruu?"
Set purred at Rei, who was murmuring while staring at the fallen tree, as if asking what was wrong.
The tree had likely died completely. The flames created by Rei's magic had already burned out, leaving only the smell of charred wood hanging in the air. Fortunately, while the tree had been reduced to charcoal, it had retained its shape—meaning there was still hope for the magic stone.
"For now, let's store this tree. As for searching for the magic stone... I should hold off, just in case this gets recognized as an A-Rank kill. Honestly, I'm not sure bringing back a body that's half charcoal and half ash would even be trusted."
Two A-Rank monster corpses were essential for Rei. But whether this tree—no, this charcoal—would be recognized as such was another matter entirely. Parts of it had already crumbled to ash, and at a glance, it looked like nothing more than an ordinary giant tree. In that sense, it had been a truly troublesome opponent.
Still, as someone who had fought it, Rei was certain it was an A-Rank monster.
(For starters, a monster of this size should have been visible from outside the Forest of Magic. The fact that it wasn't makes it hard to prove this thing ever lived there.)
If someone had been watching Rei's promotion exam from outside the forest, they might have been able to vouch for the tree's existence. But of course, no one was out there, which made proving this tree was an A-Rank monster a difficult task.
Even so, Rei decided against extracting the magic stone for now. If he failed to find another A-Rank monster during his remaining exploration, this tree might serve as the second A-Rank kill he needed, following the Giant Wolf.
Not being able to use the magic stone was disappointing, though.
Rei's desire to store the remains quickly was also driven by the urge to leave the area as soon as possible. Fortunately—and it was genuinely fortunate—no enemies had attacked them from the sky while Rei and Set were dropping rocks, spears, and Flame Ore onto the tree. Perhaps the monsters below had assumed that approaching Rei and Set mid-assault would mean certain death.
But now, things were different. The battle had settled, and a tree that flying monsters hadn't been able to see before now lay in plain sight on the ground. No one would ignore that.
(Actually, did the flying monsters really not notice this tree at all? On the ground, the surrounding trees would have blocked the view, so some creatures probably couldn't get close—and those that did likely had their heads assimilated into vines. But in the sky... it wouldn't be strange for monsters to have wandered close.)
Not every monster in the Forest of Magic would have noticed, of course. But it wouldn't be surprising if a fair number had. That said, it was entirely possible that the tree, having fully wielded its A-Rank abilities, had somehow gone completely undetected by anything in the air. Still, given the sheer size of the trunk compared to the surrounding trees, the possibility of a flying monster accidentally colliding with it couldn't be ruled out either.
(Or maybe creatures kept smacking into it where they couldn't see, learned from the experience, and started avoiding this area altogether?)
Monsters possessed intelligence. Among high-rank monsters, being smarter than a fool of a human wasn't uncommon at all. Given that, it wouldn't be strange for creatures living in the Forest of Magic to have learned that this area was dangerous. That applied to ground-dwelling monsters too, which was probably why the tree's vicinity had been completely devoid of enemies.
With those thoughts in mind, Rei addressed Set.
"Either way, if we stick around in such a conspicuous spot, something's bound to come after us. Let's get out of here."
"Grurru."
Set purred in acknowledgment after Rei stowed the tree in his Misty Ring. Despite the sheer size of the thing, watching it disappear into the ring was almost anticlimactic—but both Rei and Set were long accustomed to such sights.
With the tree stored away, all that remained was to leave as quickly as possible. The clearing was wide and open, and with the tree gone, it was completely exposed from above. Right now, the tree's lingering influence seemed to keep monsters at bay, but that wouldn't last. Sooner or later, they'd resume flying freely over the clearing, and with no trees for cover, the spot would become an unparalleled vantage point—a prime feeding ground for anything with wings.
...Not that the ground-dwellers would just roll over and take it. Some would strike down their airborne attackers and make a meal of them instead. In that sense, the Forest of Magic was an equal-opportunity sort of place.
"Well, none of that concerns me. Let them do as they please. Anyway, let's head back to the hidden base. I'm beat."
Objectively, the battle with the tree shouldn't have been all that exhausting. Rei and Set had essentially won through one-sided bombardment. But that was how it looked from the outside. For Rei, who had actually been in the thick of it, the mental fatigue was considerable.
In terms of raw combat power, the tree might not have measured up to a typical A-Rank monster. But its regeneration ability was on a completely different level—unlike anything an ordinary monster could manage. Even when Death Scythe had cut halfway through the trunk, it had simply regenerated.
Plant-type monsters did tend to have superior regenerative abilities. But that was only a tendency. Monsters were as varied as they came, and plenty of plant-types didn't regenerate all that impressively. This tree, however, possessed regeneration near the absolute pinnacle of all monsters.
The reason Rei and Set hadn't panicked despite witnessing such overwhelming regeneration was simple: they already knew of the Slime that had crawled out of the lake near the Treant Forest—a creature with an even more fearsome regenerative ability than this tree. Knowing of something more terrifying meant the tree's regeneration had been surprising, but not destabilizing.
...That didn't mean it hadn't been mentally draining, though.
"Oh, looks like some have already come to investigate."
Riding Set away from the clearing, Rei glanced up at the sky. Several bird-type monsters were already visible.
A bit eager, perhaps—but for creatures trying to survive in the Forest of Magic, checking things out was only natural.
"If they're already up there, there might be some moving around on the ground too."
Rei murmured the thought, but while the situation above was easy enough to read, the ground was a different story. Trees and thick brush grew everywhere, making it nearly impossible to survey the surroundings while on the move. If he stopped and focused on reconnaissance, he could gather far more detail. But right now, Rei had no intention of doing that. What mattered was putting as much distance as possible between himself and that clearing—and getting some rest at the hidden base.
There was still plenty of daylight left. Even so, he'd chosen to rest partly because of the mental fatigue from fighting the tree, and partly because he planned to hunt for monsters in the forest at night.
(Ideally, I'd like to find another A-Rank monster.)
He was fairly certain the tree qualified, but that was just his own assessment. He needed to find and defeat something that was unmistakably A-Rank—something he could bring back to the Guild as proof.
The Forest of Magic at night was a place no sane person would willingly approach. In that sense, Rei and Set were eccentric enough themselves. Most residents of Gilm would confidently label Rei an oddball without hesitation. Set might have escaped that label, thanks to devotees like Mirene and the Set Enthusiasts, who would defend him and argue he only seemed strange because he wanted to stay close to Rei.
(I can't exactly deny being called an eccentric.)
Looking back on everything he'd done, it was hard to argue with the assessment. And Rei had no intention of trying.
"Ah, there it is."
Set seemed just as eager to rest. It tore through the Forest of Magic faster than before, and soon the barrier protecting the hidden base came into view. The way they could instinctively navigate to its location within the forest was likely a function of the hidden base itself—and an incredibly welcome one at that.
"Grururru."
Set purred happily at Rei's words. Dealing with the tree had clearly taken a mental toll on him as well.
(Actually, while I was handling the trunk, Set was dealing with the vines. If anything, he's probably more drained than I am.)
The vines extending from the tree would have been unsettling enough on their own, but each one tipped with a monster's head gave them a grotesque appearance. And it wasn't just one or two—there had been nearly a hundred. Even destroying them accomplished nothing, as they regenerated instantly. Set facing down those vines and coming out mentally exhausted was only natural.
If someone asked Rei whether he'd want to do the same... well, if there were no other choice, maybe. But he certainly wouldn't volunteer for it.
"The Black Snake... still not here, huh."
Rei scanned for the Black Snake that had originally carried him and Set to the hidden base, but it was nowhere to be found. He'd confirmed it possessed some kind of transparency skill, similar to Set's Optical Camouflage, so he couldn't entirely rule out the possibility that it was lurking nearby, invisible. Still, Rei's instincts told him it wasn't close.
It wasn't based on evidence—just a gut feeling. Besides, he hadn't really expected to find it in the first place, so he didn't look particularly disappointed. If anything, having the Black Snake suddenly materialize while he was searching would have startled him more than pleased him.
He would have liked to communicate with it again, if possible. The Black Snake couldn't speak words, of course, so calling it a conversation wasn't quite accurate—mutual understanding was closer to the truth.
"Since it's not here, there's no point in looking. Set, let's go inside."
"Grurururru."
Set purred in response, and they passed through the barrier.
Naturally, there were no enemies inside. Anyone capable of breaching the barrier around this hidden base would be an existence Rei absolutely had to destroy. After all, this was the only place where a magic circle for performing Beast Magic still remained.
It was possible similar locations existed elsewhere, but unfortunately, Rei had only inherited a fraction of Zephyle's memories. He simply didn't know.