Weed ~The One’s Gardener~ - Chapter 90

She was curious about what kind of tree it had been. While staying in the hospital, she heard repeatedly that it was like a miracle had happened. People would ask if such a tree even existed.

But when she was discharged and went to check, there was nothing there. In the very spot where she had fallen and struggled, only the cut stump of the tree remained.

“Ugh.”

She felt dizzy. It was hard to breathe. Perhaps the influence of the unknown power she had used was causing her entire body to creak.

As she neared death, the shocking memory of having died once and then coming back to life resurfaced. She tried to shake off these pointless thoughts, vigorously shaking her head.

The fact that she was now teleporting at will was bewildering, and she had no understanding of how she was able to do it. It was all beyond her comprehension. But she didn’t have time to ponder such things now.

She was in a hurry.

It felt like she might lose the chase against Weed. Was this magic? She was relying solely on her instincts, having no prior experience. Naturally, she was at a disadvantage compared to Weed in terms of skill. For now, she was barely managing to stay ahead, but one moment of distraction could get her caught.

Her surroundings shifted suddenly, and her feet touched the ground. She clenched her teeth. Now she understood why Void had suggested it might be better to leave the pain to Weed, despite her dislike for him.

An unimaginable pain struck her body. If she hadn’t just kissed Weed, she might have collapsed.

“Aaaah!“

In the midst of repeating her teleportation, she stumbled and fell. Unable to regain her balance, she tumbled to the ground. As her body hit the earth, an excruciating pain coursed through her. Even with Weed’s help in easing the pain, it was still unbearable. It felt as though her skin was being torn apart.

“Hu…”

She quickly got back up and ran again. Any delay would mean being caught. She couldn’t afford to stay down. The longer she delayed, the longer he would suffer.

‘This isn’t even that painful!’

Yes, compared to that time, this was nothing. Was this a leap of progress? It felt as if all the pain she had endured up until now had been for this very moment.

As she approached the center of the sanctuary, the ground became increasingly unstable. The air was filled with more voids, and the places to land grew fewer. Some patches of earth floated freely in the air, with waterfalls cascading down from above.

It was an incredible sight. The deeper she ventured, the more she could feel the overflowing life energy against her skin.

It was beautiful, yet deep inside, a sense of emptiness stirred. Was this the influence of the void?

‘It’s there.’

Close by. The thing she had been searching for.

And soon, she would come face to face with it.

‘Ah, so this is it.’

It shone even from a distance. It was rooted in the highest place in Ligna, the most noble thing in this world.

The Divine Tree. Ligna Initia (The First Tree).

‘Weed.’

She recognized it immediately and sighed.

Towering high enough to touch the sky’s ceiling, its thick trunk was so immense that even several adults with their arms outstretched couldn’t encircle it. Though it appeared starkly dry, it was the largest and most majestic tree in existence.

She regretted not being able to see its brilliant golden leaves.

The crown he had made for her on the day of the banquet had been incredibly beautiful. If thousands of those leaves were fluttering in the wind, she would have gazed at it in awe. But even in its current state, it was magnificent, standing proudly in that spot and demanding admiration.

‘To be so stark and dry!’

Tears welled up in her eyes, mingling with her amazement.

She was seeing it for the first time. She was witnessing the void and Weed’s body for the first time. The place where Weed’s true self resided was teetering on the brink of being swallowed by the black void—land floated high above, and below lay an endless darkness.

Hana stopped running and turned around.

“Weed! Stop!”

“I won’t!”

His refusal echoed like a scream. Without regard for her words, Weed approached her boldly. As expected, he had no intention of listening. She stood her ground and quietly said what needed to be said.

“Stop. My love. If you truly love me.”

At that, he hesitated and came to a halt.

Though her voice was soft, he understood. She smiled at him. Weed’s face was streaked with tears, and it was likely to become even messier soon.

The sun was beginning to rise.

From a distance, its golden rays emerged, gradually illuminating the world. Everything in this beautiful realm of Lar, except for the stark and withered Weed, was revealed in the golden sunlight. Clouds stretched across the sky while the opposite side of the world remained shrouded in darkness.

A breeze blew through Lár de Ligna Initia, the most beautiful sanctuary on earth. The wind, blowing from one direction, tousled the hair of the two who stood facing each other.

It was finally the moment when the winner would be decided. Two people, on the brink of death, stood face to face—two people whom this world had driven to the edge of survival. And perhaps, even after today, the world would continue to move forward.

Wasn’t the hopeful sun rising now as proof of that?

“Weed, I’m not leaving. I’m not abandoning you!”

“You’re a liar! You always lie to me!”

“I’ll be waiting here. Please wait for me.”

As if she would return. As if she would come back and smile as if nothing had happened. In her words, Hana concealed the truth. If she waited here, he would soon stop crying. He would forget everything and become healthy again.

Weed knelt down as if begging.

“Hana. Lies. Please don’t lie to me…”

She could see him crying heartbreakingly from afar. She had seen this in her dreams many times—his face contorted in anguish as if he were struggling to breathe, crying out as if he were dying.

In her dreams, Hana had tried countless times to speak to him.

He mustn’t cry. On such a joyful day, how could he be crying?

He must not cry. He shouldn’t be crying.