Childhood Friend of the Zenith

I had seen countless trees in my life.

Ordinary trees, of course, but also those from the otherworld—far too many to count. Yet among all of them, only one remained burned into my memory.

‘The tree with white leaves.’

The one I first encountered in Sichuan.

A tree with leaves so pure and white.

Just laying eyes on it had been enough to know it was no ordinary tree. It had exuded an inexplicable sense of awe, its alien presence naturally drawing all attention toward it.

I recalled that tree as I now stood before the one in front of me.

The sensation was oddly similar.

Though its size was no different from any other tree, its roots were so massive that they stretched across the entire space, far larger than its trunk.

Its color, however, was not white but a deep, blood-red.

And the feeling it emitted…

‘Hostility and revulsion.’

Unlike the white tree, which had radiated brilliance and reverence, this one filled me with an entirely different emotion.

‘So why… do they feel similar?’

Even as I stared at the red tree, I found myself comparing it to the white one.

I glanced around.

Was this truly a Vigo (hidden storage)? If so, it only contained a single thing.

Was this tree the treasure hidden within this Vigo?

Cautiously, I stepped closer.

The closer I got, the more overwhelming the nausea became.

‘I ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) feel like I’m going to throw up.’

If I let my focus slip even for a moment, I might burn this tree down on impulse.

Suppressing my emotions, I calmed my energy. There was too much I needed to learn—I couldn’t let myself act recklessly.

‘Why is something like this beneath the frontline?’

And in Gu Clan’s territory, no less.

Tap.

The tip of my foot brushed against the tree’s roots.

No reaction.

I stepped over the smaller, sprawling roots and approached the main trunk.

Finally, I stood before the tree.

“……”

Silently, I narrowed my eyes as I observed it.

‘What is this?’

How could something like this exist here?

With doubt filling my mind, I reached out a hand.

Just before my fingertips touched the tree, I hesitated. Was it safe to touch it?

Tap.

I pressed my hand against it.