Villain Transmigration: Where Time and Space Ends [3]

Chapter 5: Into the Forest [2] (Unedited)

"....interesting..."

"Indeed, this is interesting...!"

"Such a marvel..."

As the tree continued to seemingly mutter to itself, Furuta was unable to bear it any longer. "Excuse me, but, is there anything wrong?"

"Oh, my apologies. I seemed to have drifted in my thoughts. But, this truly is a marvel." The tree spoke in its deep voice in their minds. "Would you mind if we talk a bit more?... In private."

With its long, winding branches drifting about near them, the tree asked. Understanding the tree's meaning, the other three creatures made a bowlike gesture and retreated back into the forest, leaving Furuta alone to talk with the gargantuan crystal tree.

"Now then, since they're gone, let us talk in seriousness, trader." The tree said after a few moments of silence, perhaps waiting for the three to move away at a certain distance first.

Surprised, Furuta gaped at the tree in shock. "What do you-"

"There is no need to deny, young trader. I already know of your origins." The tree said in his head, seemingly chuckling as he did so. "Representing the entire Druid race, I truly must say thanks for the timely assistance, but, I believe you have yet to fully grasp the true extent of your mission. Therefore, shall we head straight to business?"

Left stunned to silence, Furuta nodded his head, not knowing how to respond otherwise. "Please."

"Then we shall start at the beginning." The tree rumbled, its branches wrapping around Furuta's body and lifting him up, making the now plantlike boy utter a cry of surprise. "Hold on tight!"

The branches carried Furuta all the way up to the tree's crown, way up high to the heights high enough for him to see the entirety of the vibrant and magical forest. "Firstly, what you need to know is about our race. We are called druids. Guardians of all life in the forest. We are born from energy of the world, the spirits of the passed, and the hopes of the living. We exist to protect, and to preserve. Where there is life, there are us. And this entire forest, is our home."

With the magnificent view all around and below them, seeing all life bustling about merrily, Furuta was filled with an unexplainable emotion. But, although he couldn't quite grasp what it was, he couldn't help but feel free, wanting to spread his arms and just enjoy the wind. Shaking his head, he tried to clear his thoughts.

"But..." The tree suddenly spoke in a grave tone, waking Furuta up from his drunken reverie. "Outside of the forests is a barren wasteland. And in that wasteland, a nightmare exists.... A race called the Sols."

"A long, long time ago, all lands in the entire world were forests. All beings were in peace. There were Aguars, Karraks, Druids, Jieutems, Lahuaras, many, many races. Each, all having differing characteristics yet, all of us were at peace, guarding our sanctuaries."

The tree started speaking in a joyful tone but, as he progressed, his tone slowly turned melancholic. "Now, there are only us druids that are left, and this last forest."

So this is most likely what I need to fix.

"Back then, Sols didn't exist. It was only until a few thousand years ago that they have appeared." The tree's leaves seemed to shudder, as if reminiscing past memories. "At first, when they were discovered, we left them alone. Thinking that it was just a new race making its presence known... That was a mistake that I will forever regret making."

"One by one, the different races died out, their forests, losing life as well. And the lifeforms in them, passed with them. Continuously, it happened, until this forest became the last and final sanctuary in the whole world." Furuta gazed at the tree with a complicated emotion, understanding the grief it could feel but, unable to understand it at the same time as he could not truly feel the grief it was feeling.