บท 97: Bad Dream
This is the second to last actual chapter, Uploads will resume on the 21st of September.
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Although Charlie already knew that this tree wasn't a serious threat, it was still surprising that it could even attempt to run away from him.
Despite its massive size, the tree somehow managed to pull up its roots, turning them into stubby, short legs that seemed far too inadequate to support the sheer weight of its enormous trunk. The sight of the towering tree waddling awkwardly through the dense forest was both bizarre and somewhat amusing. Its movements were sluggish, each step a heavy thud against the forest floor, and it was clear that its attempts at fleeing were more an act of desperation than a calculated escape.
Charlie couldn't help but smirk as he watched the scene unfold on his screen. There was no way he was going to let this tree get away, not when he had Batman at his disposal. With a few swift commands, he directed Batman to pursue the fleeing tree, his fingers dancing across the controls with practiced ease.
The tentacle tree, however, wasn't going to go down without a fight. Even as it clumsily attempted to escape, it launched a barrage of fruit bombs from its sprawling branches. The fruits, which were more like explosive projectiles, hurtled through the air toward Batman in a desperate bid to slow him down. But Charlie, ever the skilled gamer, could see the trajectory of the incoming bombs clearly displayed on his screen. With a combination of precise movements and quick reflexes, he expertly maneuvered Batman to dodge the explosions, avoiding the fiery blasts with ease.
As Batman flipped and rolled across the forest floor, deftly avoiding each explosion, Charlie couldn't help but think about the label of "ordinary human" that the game's editor had attached to Batman. It was almost laughable. Here was Batman, an "ordinary human," performing acrobatic feats that would put most superhumans to shame. He was leaping, dodging, and rolling with such grace and precision that it made you question the very definition of "ordinary."
The tentacles that the tree sporadically lashed out with were hardly a threat either. With the bat herbicide in hand, Batman was more than equipped to deal with this overgrown menace. The herbicide sprayed out in a fine mist, instantly wilting any tentacles that dared to come too close. The tree's attacks were rendered useless, its once formidable arsenal of vines and fruits reduced to mere nuisances.
The whole scene had an odd, almost surreal quality to it. If this were a Japanese anime, tentacle monsters would likely conjure images of magical girl battles or bizarre fantasy creatures. But here, in this Western-style game, the tentacle monster—a massive, lumbering tree—was being pursued by a dark, brooding figure clad in a bat-themed costume. It was as if two different genres had collided in the most unexpected way, creating a scenario that was both comical and oddly intense.
Batman, as a character, had seen his fair share of strange encounters, especially when it came to tentacle monsters. Over the years, he had become something of an expert in dealing with such bizarre threats, his skill points in dodging and escaping from tentacles maxed out from countless battles. And so, as the massive tree flailed its tentacles wildly and continued to lob fruit bombs behind it, Batman closed in, relentless in his pursuit.
Tentacle Tree: 'Don't come any closer!'
The tree's panicked thoughts seemed almost palpable as it realized that it couldn't outrun its pursuer. Despite being animated, its short legs were simply not built for speed. The massive trunk it carried slowed it down to a near crawl, and every step was a struggle. It knew, deep down, that there was no escape. So, in a last-ditch effort to defend itself, the tree suddenly halted, its roots digging back into the ground as it braced itself for the impending battle.
'Are you really scared of this bat lunatic?' the tree might have thought if it could, as it prepared to stand its ground.
Batman, however, was not fazed. He moved with the precision of a seasoned warrior, his every action calculated and efficient. With a swift motion, he raised his hand and unleashed another cloud of herbicide, the fine mist settling over a large area of tentacles, causing them to wither almost instantly. Rolling to the side, he dodged two more fruit bombs, the explosions lighting up the dark forest as he closed the distance between himself and the tree trunk.
In one fluid motion, Batman reached into his utility belt and pulled out an oval metal object. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled it at the base of the tree. The metal object hit the trunk with a solid thud, and for a moment, everything seemed to freeze. Then, with a sudden burst, the object exploded from the inside out, releasing an invisible wave of microwave energy that pulsed through the air.
The effect was immediate and devastating. The branches of the tree began to wither, their once vibrant leaves turning brown and brittle before falling to the ground. The fruits that had been its ammunition dropped lifelessly from the branches, rolling away like discarded debris. The trunk itself began to dry up, the bark cracking and peeling as the moisture was sucked out of it at an alarming rate.
Tentacle Tree: 'What is this?!!'
The tree's panicked thoughts, if they could be heard, would have been filled with terror. The weapon Batman had used was one of the special gadgets Charlie had discovered in the Batcave—the dehydration bomb. Its function was similar to the microwave weapon developed by Wayne Enterprises for large-scale water evaporation, as seen in the movie "Batman Begins," but this version was more refined, designed specifically to target plant life.
The bomb's effect was both simple and brutal: it rapidly dehydrated the target plants, leaving them withered and lifeless. While it was primarily designed to combat plant-based threats, it could also be used on living organisms, albeit with a slightly reduced effect. In a pinch, it could even serve as a deadly weapon against aquatic creatures.
For the tree, dehydration was a nightmare. Even though it was large and strong enough to withstand some damage, the bomb's effect was terrifying. The once-mighty tree, with its sprawling branches and explosive fruits, was now reduced to a withering husk.
In that moment, the tree might have felt like it was experiencing the worst day of its life. It was as if it had somehow crossed paths with the most feared enemy of the tree world—a relentless bat-themed maniac who seemed to have every tool imaginable to bring it down.
'Forget it, I'm done.'
The tree, which had just moments ago taken root in a futile attempt to fight, now yanked its roots out of the ground again. The courage it had mustered for a final stand vanished in the face of the overwhelming power of the dehydration bomb. Its roots once again transformed into short legs, and it began to flee, dragging its enormous trunk behind it.
But no matter how hard it tried, those stubby legs simply couldn't carry it fast enough. Running or fighting, the outcome was inevitable. Its fate had been sealed the moment it encountered Batman.
After another short and futile attempt to escape, the tree finally split open, its trunk cracking under the strain, the once-mighty tentacle tree reduced to nothing more than a broken, withered relic.
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Meanwhile, in the cave behind the orphanage...
The infected crawled out from the shadows, emerging from every dark corner of the cave. The dim light from the torches flickered against the rough stone walls, casting eerie shadows that made the scene all the more unsettling.
Fana stood in the center of the dim orange light, her black dress flowing around her like a shroud. Her face was pale, her expression cold and distant. Beside her, the woman in red stood silently, her hair disheveled and wild. The shadows on the walls seemed to dance with the flickering firelight, rising and falling like restless spirits.
Raya stood on the other side of the infected, watching in shock as the scene unfolded. Her eyes were fixed on the red figure beside Fana, disbelief etched across her face.
"What... are you?" she murmured, her voice barely audible.
In that brief moment, Raya had witnessed something that defied explanation. The movements of the woman in red were unlike anything she had ever seen. It was as if she were watching a deadly dance, the woman's movements as graceful as a ballet, yet as lethal as a blade.
The woman moved with an otherworldly grace, her steps light and precise, as if her body were weightless. She seemed to glide across the ground, her movements almost dreamlike, as if she were performing in a world where the laws of physics didn't apply. And yet, with each step, she brought death to the infected, cutting them down with ease, as if they were nothing more than paper targets.
In a matter of seconds, the infected were reduced to lifeless heaps on the ground, their bodies crumpling under the woman's deadly blows. Raya could only stand there, stunned, as the last of the infected fell. For a brief moment, she was alone again, the silence in the cave almost deafening.
But her surprise was short-lived. Raya quickly regained her composure, a knowing smile spreading across her face.
"I didn't expect that. Now I understand why you were able to escape from here," she said, her voice calm and measured. "You are special, I can see that."
"It's over," Fana declared, her voice carrying a note of finality. She stood behind the woman in red, her posture regal, like a queen overseeing her domain.
"The end? Hahaha, you're mistaken," Raya replied with a chuckle. "You may have defeated them, but it doesn't matter. As I said, I don't need them anymore. There
are always substitutes.
That man brought me the seed, and I planted it here. I watched it take root, and it gave me everything I needed.
Although this wasn't part of the plan, I'll let you see it, Fana. The true form of my patron tree. I call it the Sacred Sky Tree!"
Her voice rose in pitch, her excitement building as she spoke. It was as if she expected the ground to tremble and the cave walls to crack open, revealing a towering, ancient tree with grotesque limbs and countless tentacles, rising from the depths of the earth...
But nothing happened.
Raya froze, her smile faltering.
Then, realizing that something was wrong, she took a deep breath, straightened her posture, and snapped her fingers. "Appear, my patron tree, Sacred Sky Tree!"
Still, nothing happened.
A gust of wind blew in from the entrance of the cave, causing the flames of the torches to flicker. The atmosphere in the cave grew tense, the silence heavy and oppressive.
"Impossible!" Raya exclaimed, her voice filled with disbelief.
She closed her eyes, reaching out with her mind to the subtle connection she had with the tree. What she sensed made her blood run cold. Her face paled, shock and horror overtaking her features.
This shock was far greater than when she had witnessed the woman in red earlier. It was the kind of shock that made her question everything she knew, the kind that shook her to her core.
Through the faint connection she still had with the Sacred Sky Tree, she could sense what had happened on the other side.
The tree—her patron tree, her sacred guardian—had lost. And not just to anyone, but to a bat-themed lunatic.
Why does this feel like a bad dream?
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