The villain's goal is to save the heroine

It was said to be a reminder, but in fact it was meant for Claire.

Now Mona and the little loli are in his hands, and only Claire is still free to move. It is obviously too late to say this now!

But there was no way around it. Who had Mona been so relentless? She'd let Augustus go outside, then come back inside and trigger the Screaming Tree, not even giving him a chance to learn about the Sacred Tree Forest. And now, everything had ended up like this. What a lousy teammate! Otherwise, Lin En wouldn't have scolded Mona again.

"Follow me!" Claire suddenly shouted.

Lynn looked in the direction of Claire, and saw that all the "tentacles" that wanted to get close to Claire suddenly fell heavily back to the ground, and they actually opened up a short and safe path wherever they passed!

"Gravity Field"!

Sure enough, the male protagonist is the most reliable at critical moments.

He acted contrary to his usual behavior and flew towards the area where the terrifying trees were more densely populated. On the surface, it seemed that he was making a stupid decision, but it offset the roots' pursuit and left Lin En with a relatively safe back!

You may doubt Claire's emotional intelligence, but don't question her character and ability. Judging from the content shown in the game alone, you can always trust Claire as a companion!

"Boost!"

Lin En didn't care about the male protagonist's route, but just urged him to speed up.

There was no way. Due to the vision suppression at night, he couldn't even tell the directions, so how could he care which direction to escape?

Moreover, at this moment, countless teeth-grinding screams could be heard in the ears, and there were "Screaming Trees" that were constantly oozing blood all around. Countless vines like tentacles were overwhelming. All they could do was follow Claire and break out as quickly as possible. For other things, they could only take things one step at a time.

Fortunately, their levels were high enough. Although they encountered some blockades along the way, it was not too difficult in the end. Five minutes later, they rushed out of the group of "Screaming Trees" and entered a relatively open area!

"Oh!"

"Oh!"

With two thuds, Lynn and Claire landed beside a lake.

The "Screaming Tree" behind him was still making hair-raising screams, but it suddenly stopped chasing, as if it had encountered an air wall and did not dare to enter this new area.

"call!"

Seeing this, Lin En finally breathed a sigh of relief...

Chapter 159 I can’t do anything to Lin En

Although they didn't know why the "Screaming Tree" suddenly gave up the pursuit, everyone was relieved that they were safe now.

Lin En put the little Loli back on the ground, and as for Mona, he threw her near Claire like garbage, and then didn't bother to pay attention to her.

This guy is exactly like "Lynn", a pure negative influence, so incompetent!

"Hey, stinky...stinky Lin En, are you okay?" The little Loli asked awkwardly as soon as she stood still.

Obviously, the little female ghost has a way of making people angry, but it is really a bit difficult for her to care about people. This feels really strange.

"What are you going to do if I say something happens?" Lynn chuckled, trying to ease the tense atmosphere.

However, the little girl curled her lips upon hearing this: "That...that means you're fine...! Okay, stand still while I cleanse you of the curse!"

Lin En then realized what Eunice was worried about...

Ha! No wonder this guy is so awkward! Also, if he was injured because of his own weakness, this guy probably wouldn't care at all, and might even laugh at him for being a useless trash!

But now, Lin En had blocked the dirty blood splashed from the terrifying tree for her. If she continued to mock him in this situation, it would be a bit heartless.

but…

"Don't bother." Lin En grabbed the little girl's hand and said, "This curse has no effect on me. Let's save some magic power to deal with Augustus. This is his territory, and he's already suffered a loss once. He won't let us succeed so easily again."

Eunice looked at Lin En suspiciously: "Are you sure? It's just a 'Purification', it won't waste much magic power..."

"It's different. This isn't the outside world. The less mana you use, the less you have. If it's not absolutely necessary, it's better to save as much as possible until the main problem is solved."

As he said that, Lynn let go of the little Lolita's hand and walked towards Claire and Mona.

Claire finally managed to comfort Mona and got up from the ground. However, when she saw Lin En coming over, the stupid woman's body suddenly softened again. She immediately fell back and lay on the ground, apologizing repeatedly in an almost trembling voice:

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry, I'm sorry...! I'm a stupid, hopeless, good-for-nothing bitch...! I've caused trouble for everyone again! It's all my fault...! Please, forgive me...! I will never do this again... I will sincerely repent...! Please... please forgive me!"

Claire was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but shout, "Sister... Mona? Sister Mona! What are you doing?! Stand up! Stand up!! No one blames you...!"

He immediately stopped in front of Lin En and said, "Lin En! If you say those words attacking Sister Mona again, I will take Sister Mona and act separately from you!"

Apparently, despite experiencing the events of the "Screaming Tree," Claire hasn't forgotten what happened before.

He was originally going to settle the score with Lin En, but the "Screaming Tree" happened to be awakened, so he put it on hold for the time being.

"Don't be so extreme. I'm not the kind of person who would pick a fight or scold others for no reason. At least I've never done that kind of thing to you, right? Or rather, I usually have a pretty good temper." Lin En responded calmly.

He really didn't lie about this.

For example, before smashing the computer, he had actually played dozens of bad endings. The reason why he broke down was mainly because the game didn't give him any chance to survive. His uncle could tolerate it, but his aunt couldn't...!

But from another perspective, the fact that he could hold on for dozens of endings before breaking down was actually quite cultured!

He just has a bad temper.

For example, after his defense was broken, he was like a mad dog, spraying everything at full speed, and was even thrown out of the game...

Anyway, the same thing applies to Mona. After being annoyed by Mona, he also tried his best to attack her, and he just wanted her to die!

However, no matter how angry he is, he will have to vent his anger. He and Mona do not have a deep blood feud. The other party is like this now, what else can he say?

Of course, the premise is that there will be no more trouble.

He just calmed down, but it didn't mean that he didn't hate Mona. If this girl still didn't know what was good for her, he would scold her until she became autistic...!

Do not…

The stupid woman seems to have shut herself off.

He had only said something perfectly normal, and hadn't meant anything personally, but Mona was so sensitive she kept apologizing, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm just a narrow-minded, shameless person who doesn't know how to restrain himself... I shouldn't have caused you trouble for no reason... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'll never do that again... I'll change... I'll definitely correct it...!"

Lin En could swear that this time he really had no intention of implying anything against Mona. But Mona seemed to think that Lin En was being sarcastic and started apologizing again reflexively.

This is a bit of a psychological trauma...

At this time, Claire went to persuade her as usual, but it would have been better if Lin En was not here. Mona didn't even dare to raise her head while he was standing there, so no matter how she persuaded her, it was of no use.

Seeing Claire raise her head and about to yell at him again, Lin En shook his hand and said, "Don't get me wrong, I'm not here to cause trouble. It's her freedom to do what she wants. It has nothing to do with me."

Claire had no choice but to turn back and persuade her: "Okay, Sister Mona, get up quickly! It's okay, everything is okay, let's adjust our mood..."

But Mona ignored Claire and continued to thank her like a madman: "Thank you... thank you... thank you, thank you, thank you...!"

He thanked her countless times, then relaxed his tense body and stood up from the ground with difficulty, but he still kept his head down and was trembling with fear. His degree of fear was even greater than Vivian's!

Looking at Mona like this, Claire's eyes were filled with sadness. "I'm sorry, Sister Mona. It's all my fault that I didn't protect you well. That's why you became like this. It's all my fault..."

Claire was originally blaming herself, but Mona instantly became agitated when she heard this and grabbed her, "No! Don't talk nonsense! ... It's not true! I... I deserve this...! It's all because I've been too arrogant, so... that's why I didn't see myself clearly...! This has nothing to do with others, it's my own problem! I've thought this through clearly, don't bring it up again!"

There was even a warning tone in the words at the end.

Obviously, Mona was afraid that she would be suspected of shifting the blame to Lynn, so she resisted Claire who had always cared about her. It is conceivable how great the psychological trauma was!

However, now is not the time to assign blame. Although the "Screaming Tree" has begun to fade away and the screams have gradually weakened, it is an indisputable fact that they are still in the "Forest of Sacred Trees". Now they have to concentrate on doing the right thing.

"Okay, stop talking nonsense. If you want to chat, go outside. The first thing we need to do now is to find Cecilia!" Lynn said.

Although he really wanted to say that almost all the time wasted along the way was spent on Mona, but if he did that, the stupid woman would probably be lying on the ground desperately, and then Claire would start to understand and resist. If the family really fell apart at that time, it would not be a good thing.

only…

"I'm sorry...! I'm sorry for talking too much! I'm sorry, I'm sorry...!"

Mona inexplicably started apologizing frantically again, and her panicked look completely confused Lin En...

Chapter 160 The Secret Behind the Sacred Tree

Although Mona's attitude was somewhat stressful, Claire didn't say anything more this time...

In any case, what Lin En said made sense. There was no rush to deal with Mona's problem after they got out. Rescuing Cecilia was the priority now, and it was not appropriate to waste more time.

"You seem to know a lot about this place?" Claire took a deep breath and looked at Lin En expressionlessly. "If I remember correctly, you mentioned the concept of the 'Sacred Tree' outside. Why do you know so much?!"

I can only say that the male protagonist is worthy of being the male protagonist. He can remember even some insignificant details.

"Is it strange?" Lin En asked back, "Because I'm your mentor, I've had more years of free meals than you, and I'm Noel, who controls many of Kafa's trade routes. Is that a good enough reason?"

Of course, the truth is that all his information comes from the game...

"Is that so?" Claire remained noncommittal, obviously not completely believing what Lynn said.

Of course, this cannot be blamed on Claire. Compared to Linn, he was indeed too prophetic in dealing with the "Screaming Tree", so it is natural that he would be suspected.

Lin En continued, "It's not a question of this or that. This is the truth. Augustus has always been Noel's main focus, and some of the criminals you arrested were also among them. I once handed a list of problematic criminals to the guards, but unfortunately, your good sister burned it. If she hadn't done that unnecessary work, Siena wouldn't have had so many problems."

Lynn said this to dispel Claire's doubts, but how could Mona listen to such words at this moment?

This woman, who had already collapsed and become autistic, felt even more narrow-minded and resentful of herself after hearing what Lin En said. With a loud "pop", she slapped herself hard!

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He apologized and slapped the other side of his face fiercely, cursing viciously: "I'm a useless person who only causes trouble! I'm a useless person who only causes trouble!! I'm useless!! How can I be so useless...!!"

As he spoke, his eyes became red again, and he slapped himself while tears began to fall.

Not to mention Claire, even Lynn couldn't bear to watch this scene.

"Stop!" Lin En shouted. "No one's going to settle accounts with you right now. Stop wasting time and making things worse. Don't force me to scold you again. Do you understand?!"

Mona was shocked when she heard Lin En say this. If she hadn't relied on the giant sword to support her body, she would have collapsed again.

"I'm...I'm sorry...! I was wrong...I really know I was wrong! I promise not to waste my time again..."

Although I said that, tears still flowed down my face.

Mona's current mood can really be described as broken. Everything seems wrong. She feels that she is wrong in everything, even apologizing...!

Yeah, how could she distract everyone at such a crucial moment? She's truly a piece of shit! She can't even do one thing right. What's the point of living?!

Seeing Mona's self-blame and collapse, Claire could only compromise with Lin En and said, "I...I understand! You don't need to explain this issue anymore. Just tell me about the current situation."

Obviously, he didn't want Lin En to continue to provoke Mona. In order to preserve this goal, everything else could be put aside.

Lin En had no interest in provoking Mona at this point, so he followed Claire's lead and explained like an NPC, "Anyway, this space is called the 'Forest of the Sacred Tree.' However, despite the word 'Forest' in its name, this space originally contained only one tree, known as the 'Sacred Tree.' Of course, there's also a theory that it's actually the World Tree, or a part of it. Anyway, if you go to the top floor of the Holy City Academy's library, you'll find relevant records among the few secret scrolls."

Lin En's words are actually a retelling of Mu Lin's lines in the game.

During the game, Mu Lin, as a knowledgeable senior instructor, actually happens to be someone who knows something about this space. The player's first acquaintance with the "Forest of the Sacred Tree" is through Mu Lin.

"'Forest of the Sacred Trees'? I've seen that information before, but the records say that the 'Forest of the Sacred Trees' is very peaceful. Isn't that completely different from the current situation?" The little Lolita at the side suddenly spoke up.

Should we say he is worthy of being called a genius in the magic world?

This guy actually knows something about this kind of thing!

"That's right..." Lin En glanced at the little girl and then asked, "But do you still remember Augustus's purpose?"

"That skull...? If I remember correctly, it's supposed to be sacrificed... and then resurrected or something like that?"

"Yes, Augustus intends to sacrifice Cecilia to the Sacred Tree."

"What's the matter?" Claire interrupted.

"That's a huge problem!" Lin En responded. "Eunice just said that the recorded 'Forest of the Sacred Tree' is completely different from what it is now. And that's actually true. It wasn't originally like this, and the 'Sacred Tree' wasn't some evil thing. Just like its name suggests, it was supposed to be a sacred paradise! It's just that the fruit of the 'Sacred Tree' is too potent! It can bring the dead back to life, turn flesh into bones, rejuvenate, and prolong life! For humans, the fruit of the 'Sacred Tree' is, to a certain extent, like a new life, so it's naturally coveted by humans."

Lin En revealed everything he knew:

"I think that in the beginning, people also regarded the 'Sacred Tree' as a miracle. But as time passed, human greed gradually became apparent."

"Although the sacred tree's fruit has miraculous effects, it does have a drawback: its yield is so small! If it blooms and bears fruit at its normal rate, it might not even produce one in a hundred years! How can greedy humans ever be satisfied with such a rate?"

"In order to obtain more 'Fruit of the Divine Tree,' the evil practice of human sacrifice began... Utilizing the devouring properties of the alien dimension, those with impure intentions began to perform sacrificial rituals for the 'Divine Tree.' They used those high-quality living people as fertilizer, and in an attempt to accelerate the growth of as many 'Fruit of the Divine Tree' as possible! And this method works! Through continuous sacrifices, the growth time of the 'Fruit of the Divine Tree' can often be shortened to ten, five, or even three years! This is the real reason why Augustus kidnapped Cecilia!"

Upon hearing this, Eunice's face turned pale. This genius in the magical path, known for her erudition, immediately came up with a terrifying hypothesis: "Wait, stinky... stinky Lin En, according to you... if there was originally only one tree here, and countless people were sacrificed there, then are all these countless strange trees we see..."

Lin En nodded slightly. "That's right. Every tree we see and cannot see now was once a living person. They became what they are today because of sacrifice."

As soon as the words fell, not only Eunice, but even Claire and Mona's faces turned pale with shock.

They had just experienced the pursuit of the Screaming Trees, the feeling of being trapped in a vast ocean. They could clearly sense that the number of these beings was definitely not just one or two thousand! And this was only a small part of the Sacred Tree Forest. If this number were to be expanded to cover the entire space, the cumulative number of sacrifices would be far more than...

One hundred thousand? !

Chapter 161: A Heartless Sacrifice

"The good news is that being sacrificed does not mean death."