The silence of the forest after the collapse of the second wave was no longer that artificial, empty silence from the beginning of his arrival.
This time, a real silence had settled. Daniel glanced around a few times to make sure there were no other monsters, and fortunately, there was no threat at the moment.
Of course, even if there were, it wouldn’t make much difference. Just as he had killed the previous beasts of corruption within seconds, he could kill the next ones too.
And in fact, the arrival of those monsters could be better because this way, the fruit would grow faster.
He stood a few steps back from the tree, his sword still in his hand. The blade of The Heaven’s Honor glowed faintly in the dim light of the environment.
A weak lightning bolt slid along its edge and then went out, as if the weapon itself was listening to something.
His gaze went up the silver trunk of the tree.
The fruit was no longer that small dot.
Now it was visible more clearly. It had become bulkier and more vibrant in color. Its light was no longer just a simple glow, but something like a pulse.
"...It’s growing." Daniel watched it for a few seconds without moving, but it wasn’t just growth; it was responding. This tree fed by absorbing life energy.
"Is that why they call it the cursed tree?" He sat down quietly beside the tree.
A tree being able to devour life force wasn’t that strange. Of course, it would definitely make others call it a cursed tree.
But he felt that the matter wasn’t that simple. He doubted that the tower would really choose such simple content for his floor.
"Unfortunately, I can’t reason more than this right now." He decided to stop thinking about the tree. No matter how much he reasoned, it was useless.
Besides, he was sure that sooner or later, he would figure out what the secret of this tree was.
His breath calmed, and then he decided to take a look at this forest. He released his divine sense from his body and began to extend it.
After obtaining divinity, he could use divine senses in addition to spiritual senses.
The world around him was no longer seen but understood. Flows, roots, and even hidden layers.
The surrounding trees were no longer just objects, but structures placed within something larger. Mana flowed inside them like blood in veins.
And among all of these, the cursed tree was beside him. He noticed that the cursed tree was located in the center of the forest, practically in the most precise way possible.
"Strange..." He also noticed something else.
Unlike the other trees in this forest, which had mana flowing through them, there was no such thing as mana in this cursed tree.
In fact, he couldn’t see inside this tree at all. It was as if something was blocking his divine sense.
But on the other hand, he was sure that whatever it was, it wasn’t mana. This tree certainly didn’t have mana within it, but rather carried something much stronger.
But what?
"Could it be divine energy?" His lips moved silently.
If that was the case, then the nature of this tree wasn’t just a target for protection. If that was the case, this tree could be a great help to him.
But he wasn’t sure, although the fact that he also felt familiarity with this tree made him more confident about his guess.
But at that very moment, as his perception deepened, something else entered his field of view.
Four presences, and to his surprise, they were human.
Daniel turned his head slightly, without turning off his divine sense. He didn’t get up from his spot, nor did he even hold his sword.
Simply because he didn’t feel any threat from these four humans. They seemed too weak for him. He could crush them just with his aura.
At the same time, the four people emerged from among the trees. Their movement was natural.
The moment the distance closed, upon seeing an unknown man sitting beside the tree, they reacted.
A dark-haired man stepped half a step forward, his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw.
Another girl, slightly further back, scanned her surroundings, assessing the positions.
The tension, in an instant, reached a breaking point. Daniel hadn’t reacted, but he was waiting for the slightest attack from them.
"Wait." But before it broke, the voice of the golden-haired girl, quiet but firm, echoed in the space.
Her hand had been raised to stop them. The other three immediately paused, though they remained ready.
Daniel looked at them for a few seconds and reduced the pressure he was exerting on them.
The girl came forward.
Her golden hair shone in the forest light, but what drew more attention were her eyes, too calm for someone in such a situation.
Her gaze remained fixed on Daniel, as if she was examining him.
’They aren’t players.’ Daniel was also examining them at the same time. He realized they weren’t players and were certainly natives of this world.
This could be a good opportunity to get useful information from them.
"Who are you? I’ve never seen a human with golden eyes before." The golden-haired girl suddenly asked, her tone quiet but cautious.
"A traveler who lost his way." Naturally, Daniel didn’t tell the truth and merely gave a simple lie as an answer.
"What is this forest?" A few seconds of silence, then he asked the next question himself.
"A masterless forest." The dark-haired man said shortly.
"Or at least... something no one has been able to own near the Holy Empire." But the same man quietly shook his head.
Daniel didn’t say anything, but he recorded this information in his mind. It was still too early to think and reason.
"We have come from the Holy Empire to see the tree you are sitting beside." The golden-haired girl then added.
"Who are you?" Daniel shifted his gaze between them.
A few moments of silence followed, and they exchanged glances. They were hesitant, as if a brief decision was being passed between them.
In the end, perhaps they thought telling the truth could help them.
Then the girl said:
"Elisira Von Halis. Princess of the Holy Empire."
Daniel showed no reaction, but his gaze deepened for a moment.
A princess.
So this group wasn’t just an exploration team.
"Kieran Loth." The man in front said shortly.
"Saren Wilder."
"Lumira Kain." And the last girl, who was still monitoring the surroundings, had the most hostile and cautious eyes among them all.
Daniel memorized their names, but what was more important was their aura. They were all strong. But not to the point where they could be a real threat to Daniel. Interestingly, their aura truly seemed holy.
And yet their gaze and behavior showed that they were used to such situations, at least everyone except the princess.
That meant three of them were professional fighters. Most likely, they were the princess’s royal knights.
But why would a princess come all the way here, to a region outside the empire, to see a tree?
Daniel looked at the tree again.
"What is that?" He said without taking his eyes off the tree.
"And why did you come looking for it?" Then he continued quietly.