Chapter 120: The Mother Tree
Maeve tried to call out their names, but the cloth stuffed in her mouth only let out weak, muffled sounds.
Even so, she refused to give up. She inched toward them by wriggling like a worm. She squirmed, rolled across the floor, and after a great deal of effort, finally rested her head on top of Ikarus’s legs.
Her breathing gradually became steadier, and her heartbeat slowly calmed as soon as she came into skin-to-skin contact with one of her husbands.
After all, it was the only thing that reminded her she was real and that this wasn’t just another nightmare.
But where were they?
[You’re in the Sylvara Tribe, Host!]
Pinky suddenly popped up in front of her, making Maeve jolt in surprise.
’Stop scaring me like that!’ Maeve shouted in her mind. ’Why am I here?!’
[The Sylvara Tribe recognized Axan, Host. Since all of you looked like you were in trouble, they decided to bring you back to their tribe.]
Maeve’s eye twitched as she listened, unsure how she was supposed to feel about that.
If the Sylvara Tribe had planned to let her and the others enter their territory anyway, then why did they have to use such a violent method?
Her arm still felt slightly numb from the tranquilizer dart. From the looks of it, Ikarus and Axan had been given a much stronger dose because neither of them had shown any sign of waking up.
Not long afterward, the wooden door suddenly creaked open. One of the women from the Sylvara Tribe stepped inside. She glanced at Maeve and immediately called out, "Hey! This one is awake!"
Before Maeve could react, the woman strode over, grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her to her feet. "Mmph!"
Maeve stumbled after her, unable to resist with her hands still tied behind her back. Fear quickly filled her heart. She twisted her head again and again, trying to look back at Ikarus and Axan, but the woman dragged her away without giving her a chance.
They walked through several wooden huts before arriving at the largest one in the village and the woman pushed Maeve inside.
There were no decorations in the spacious room. Several elderly men and women sat in a circle, their wrinkled eyes fixed on Maeve the moment she entered.
The room fell silent for a moment. One of the elders slowly stood and walked toward her. His old eyes carefully examined her from head to toe, as though he were judging a rare treasure.
The others soon did the same.
They circled around Maeve, observing every inch of her body without saying a word.
Maeve’s scalp tingled. ’Why are they staring at me like that?!’
After what felt like forever, one of the elders finally smiled. "Perfect..."
Another elder nodded in agreement. "She is perfect for the Mother Tree!"
Maeve’s eyes widened. The Mother Tree?
Another elder stepped forward. "The Mother Tree has been waiting for someone like her."
The moment those words reached her ears, every horror story Maeve had ever heard flashed through her mind.
It reminded her of all the horror movies about cults and similar groups, where the main character was sacrificed to their god.
What if they wanted to cut her into pieces and bury her body beneath the Mother Tree? Even worse, what if they planned to make her become one with the tree? Would she end up trapped inside it forever, forced to exist as part of the Mother Tree without ever being able to move again?
Her face instantly turned pale. "Mmph! Mmph! MMPH!!"
She struggled with all her strength, shaking her head over and over as she stared at the elders with terrified eyes.
’Don’t sacrifice me!’
’I’m not your offering! Don’t sacrifice me to your god or whatever it is!’
Unfortunately, no matter how hard she tried to speak, the cloth stuffed in her mouth turned every word into muffled sounds, so no one could understand what she was trying to say.
"Let’s bring her to the Mother Tree!" one of the elders shouted.
Maeve’s eyes widened, but she couldn’t do anything as the villagers surrounded her and led her toward the Mother Tree, which stood in the very center of the settlement.
However, instead of the beautiful, towering tree covered in green leaves and colorful flowers she had imagined, the Mother Tree looked as though it was dying.
Its once-lush branches were almost bare, with dry leaves drifting to the ground one after another. The massive trunk was cracked and withered, as if all the life inside it had long since faded away.
’So this is the Mother Tree?’
For a brief moment, she couldn’t help but be amazed by the enormous tree standing before her. Even in its dying state, it was still the biggest tree she had ever seen.
But the moment she remembered what was happening, the fear returned in her heart. ’They’re really going to sacrifice me here!’
She struggled with all her strength, digging her heels into the ground and desperately trying to pull away. However, the people around her were much stronger than she was.
When they finally reached the tree, the villagers stopped.
Maeve squeezed her eyes shut. ’Please don’t throw me into the tree...’
’Please don’t bury me under it...’
She waited for something terrible to happen, but after a while, nothing happened.
Confused, she slowly opened one eye and realized the villagers had simply left her standing in front of the Mother Tree.
"Hmph?" Maeve tilted her head to the side in confusion.
For a few long seconds, nothing happened. The elders watched her silently, their expressions calm, as if they were waiting for something.
Maeve glanced around nervously because she had no idea what they were actually waiting for.
Then, not long afterward, a soft rustling sound came from beneath her feet.
Slowly, several thick roots pushed through the ground.
"Mmph?!" Maeve’s eyes widened in panic as the roots slowly crept toward her.
No! No, no, no!
She tried to step back, but before she could move, the roots gently wrapped around her ankles.
She froze, feeling as though her soul was about to leave her body.
But strangely, the roots didn’t tighten around her or cause her any pain. Instead, they held her with surprising gentleness, almost as if they were afraid of hurting her.
The villagers around her held their breath, and the entire settlement fell silent.
Moments later, a faint green glow appeared around Maeve’s body. The light slowly flowed from her body into the roots wrapped around her legs, and the roots immediately lit up with the same soft green light.
The cracked trunk began to glow faintly. A few dry branches trembled, and even some of the withered leaves stopped falling.
The elders’ eyes widened in disbelief. "It... it’s responding!"
"The Mother Tree is responding to her!"
Tears instantly filled the eyes of several elderly women. For years, they had watched the sacred tree slowly lose its life, yet now, for the first time in a very long while, it was showing signs of recovery.
At that moment, Pinky’s cheerful voice echoed inside Maeve’s mind.
[Congratulations, Host!]
[You have obtained a new title: The Heart of the Mother Tree.]
Maeve blinked in confusion because she didn’t understand why she had suddenly received the title The Heart of the Mother Tree.
[The title has greatly increased your compatibility with your newly awakened plant ability.]
[Current Bond Rate: 12.3%... 12.5%... 12.8%...]
The number continued to rise little by little. Although the increase was slow, it didn’t stop.
Maeve stared at the floating screen in shock. Her mind was filled with countless questions, but she couldn’t even form a single one.
The number kept increasing, but before it could rise any higher, a loud noise suddenly came from the place where Maeve had been held captive earlier.
Crash!
The wooden door burst apart, sending broken pieces flying in every direction, then two figures rushed out at incredible speed.
Crash!
The wooden door burst apart, sending broken pieces flying in every direction. Then, two figures rushed out at incredible speed.
"Maeve!" Ikarus shouted.
He held his head, which was still aching slightly, but he didn’t pay much attention to it because, at that moment, the only thing he wanted to know was where he was.
"Where’s my wife?!" Axan shouted as well.
His calm demeanor vanished the moment he realized Maeve was nowhere around them.
Ikarus gritted his teeth as he looked around, his sharp eyes scanning every corner of the unfamiliar settlement.
The moment they spotted Maeve standing in front of the Mother Tree with her hands and feet still bound and a gag stuffed in her mouth, their anger instantly surged from their hearts to their heads.
Without saying another word, both of them charged forward.
Their speed was so terrifying that the surrounding villagers barely had time to react before the two men had already crossed half the distance.
"Maeve!" Ikarus immediately pulled her away, and the root wrapped around her legs snapped.
The Mother Tree suddenly shook violently, as if it were screaming.
Not long afterward, Maeve also felt a sharp pain spread throughout her entire body before she suddenly began to convulse.
One of the elders shouted at him, "What are you doing?! We’re trying to help both of them!"