Weed ~The One’s Gardener~ - Chapter 82

Hana hugged the wand tightly and looked around.

The atmosphere was different from what she had anticipated. Given the nature of Lár de Ligna Initia, she had expected denser vegetation and more trees as she approached the center, but that wasn’t the case. Instead, there were no trees, and the floating patches of ground became more common.

The moon shone brightly overhead.

Contrary to the human belief that the deep woods were dangerous, the further she went, the more beautiful it became. Hana paused, staring up at the sky while waiting for the ache in her legs to ease. The place was incredibly beautiful, to the point of being mesmerizing.

She wished Weed was here beside her… to see this place with him.

“Hana…”

‘That voice!’

It wasn’t a hallucination.

Hana quickly turned towards where the voice was coming from. How had he managed to catch up? She had been using magic continuously, or so she thought.

Weed was standing with his back to the moon. His expression couldn’t be seen well.

“Now, where… where are you going?”

Even though she couldn’t easily see his expression, she could imagine it. His voice, trembling and soaked, sounded like a man who had done nothing wrong but was pleading for forgiveness.

“We, Weed, how did you…”

Hana clutched the wand tightly as she remained seated. The cool summer breeze had come to a halt, and for a while, the only sound was the soft hum and faint vibration from the wand’s magical orb.

It was becoming clear to her why something like the Wand of Light was considered useless to their kind.

Despite her being a novice in magical knowledge and ability, she had managed to use space-time magic to this extent. Yet, Weed had caught up to her so easily. The artifact, hailed as a national treasure, felt insignificant in his presence.

“Plea, please, come here. Hana, it’s cold.”

She had thought it would be nice to share the sky here with Weed, but they truly shouldn’t have met. He shouldn’t have followed her.

She wanted to see him, but not like this.

Hana could only manage heavy breaths, unable to respond. Her chest pounded, likely from the aftereffects of the magic. Her heart felt tight, almost suffocating, and with each passing moment, her breathing grew more strained.

“Huh? Hana. Come on…”

The voice had softened slightly.

As Weed approached, extending a hand, it was clear, even from his shadow against the moonlight, that he was trembling.

He walked very slowly towards her as if trying to coax a frightened wild animal.

Seeing Weed like this was heart-wrenching. He must have already realized that she had deceived him. He knew why she had done so and the lies she had told. He must be disappointed by the blatant lie.

Despite this, he approached gently, his voice subdued, perhaps hoping that Hana would not be further startled.

‘Who could ever hate you?’

She wanted to apologize right away, to hug him, gaze at the night sky together, and then go back.

In her heart, she wished she could lie, pretending she’d only gone out for a short walk. She longed to return and talk about the future as if nothing had changed. He would have listened, trusting her completely.

But it was too late for that. She had come too far. No matter how many stars they counted together, there was no future they could count on. Now, after coming this far, she couldn’t turn back.

Hana took a step back and stood up.

“Weed, no.”

“What do you mean, no?”

“Go back. Don’t come any closer.”

“Where are you going, leaving me behind?”

His voice rose in a desperate cry, loud enough to echo through the surroundings, yet there was no hint of menace in his tone.

Hana had no intention of engaging him for long.

She took a step back and raised the wand. A low hum resonated from the tip, followed by the crackling of the magical orb. Just as she prepared to strike the ground and cast the teleportation spell, something blocked her.

‘…What is this? The wand won’t move!’

More precisely, her arm wouldn’t move.

Hana quickly turned her head to look around. It was a tree—an unfamiliar one. A tree had suddenly grown behind her, blocking her escape route. Its long, cumbersome vines were now wrapping around her arm.

“Ah! This…!”

Something was growing from the ground, creeping up her legs. It coiled around her ankles, tickling her. The tendrils, delicate like blades of grass, climbed up her calves until they had completely wrapped around her legs.

If she kicked with all her strength, the stems would break apart easily, though the more she struggled, the tighter they seemed to wind around her.

Hana fought with all her might, but it was futile. The massive tree trunk behind her blocked any chance of escape. The stems were thornless and didn’t constrict her too tightly. Each vine seemed to explore her body like Weed’s delicate fingers.

If they were anything like him, these vines would never let her go. They weren’t harsh or rough. They retreated when she struggled or struck them, only to return, wrapping around her wrists and legs.

In the end, it was Hana who would tire first.

“Uht! Weed! Let go of this!”

The intention was clear. They were trying to hold her. Only one person in this place had the power to do this!

“Kuh, cough!”

At the sight of Weed covering his mouth, coughing dryly, Hana stared in shock, her mouth falling open.

The tree, rapidly growing with life force, and the vines moved according to his will. Weed was drawing power from the main body. The priests had warned that this shouldn’t be done often. Using the power of a body already severely weakened would only worsen its condition!

“Weed! Weed, please don’t do this! Please stop!”