The villain's goal is to save the heroine

Although everyone looked a little strange, Lin En did not stop his explanation:

"Those who were sacrificed and transformed into the 'Screaming Trees', if viewed from another perspective, have actually gained eternal life. As long as they remain in this space, they will never truly die. Moreover, as long as they are stimulated by the outside world, they will 'resurrect' in the same form as just now. Isn't that a sign of vitality?"

Lin En was naturally joking. However, he wasn't joking about the three people on the field, but about the fact that in the game's plot, there were actually people who voluntarily participated in the sacrifice out of fear of death...!

"How can that still be considered living?" Claire's tone became a little unnatural.

Naturally, the Asian male protagonist cannot stand such a thing.

"Well, but the bad news is, it's better to die," Lin En said in a sad tone. "The 'Sacred Tree' doesn't take the life of the sacrificed person. It simply deprives them of all the beautiful things that humans can feel. Family, friendship, love, happiness, satisfaction, vitality... In short, all that's left there is a shell. A shell that can only feel pain, fear, and despair, a shell filled with resentment, jealousy, and madness. So they usually force themselves to sleep, burying their senses in chaos, turning into a terrifying tree with both body and mind twisted. Once awakened, they are greeted by the most terrifying reality in the world, which is why they let out such terrifying screams and try to drag the living into the same hell as themselves."

Speaking of this, Lin En's mood finally became heavy. He had obviously accepted this setting a long time ago, but when he actually stood in the "Forest of the Sacred Tree" and when he had to tell these things as a person involved, he had a completely different feeling.

The blurry facial features imprinted on the torso were still vivid in his mind, and the screams that came one after another seemed to still echo in his ears. He just tried to put himself in their shoes, and all he felt was despair!

"But don't be so arrogant as to try to put them to rest." Lin En put himself in others' shoes and gave them a heads-up. "Let's not even talk about how many terrifying trees there are in this space that need to be dealt with. The key is... remember what I said just now? I said to avoid attacking them if possible. It's not that they are that terrifying, but that their blood has long been tainted with those extreme and intense negative emotions. Those emotions are like a curse. If ordinary people are exposed to them in large numbers, they might collapse and go crazy!"

"Wait, what did you just..."

"I'm more determined."

"whispering sound!"

The little girl curled her lips and showed disdain.

She was just being awkwardly concerned, but this jerk still put it on! Did he really think she'd forgotten about the pendant she'd gotten in the underground palace? It was just that the curse had been suppressed, so why bother talking about a stronger will...

However, considering that it was a curse that was blocked for her, the little girl did not expose Lin En, but only asked:

"Okay, I understand the basic situation, so what should we do next?"

Yes, without a doubt, this is the most important issue at the moment.

Although everyone has a preliminary understanding of the situation in the "Forest of the Sacred Tree", the core issue has not been resolved. They are here to rescue Cecilia, not to sightsee. What's the point of just introducing the background?

But Lin En didn't answer this question directly. Instead, he turned his gaze to Mona. Before she could speak, the foolish woman's forehead began to sweat. It was as if an invisible pressure was exerted on her. Her breathing became rapid and fear began to spread. It was as if a dagger was dangling at her neck, as if it could kill her at any time.

Seeing this, Claire quickly stepped forward to block the view and said solemnly, "Lin En, don't go too far!"

Lin En was a little confused: "Excessive? What's excessive?"

He turned his gaze to Claire. "I told you I wouldn't curse for no reason, and I won't. Don't act like I'm persecuting that foolish woman... I just wanted to warn her in advance. Even though Augustus was once a member of the Ebon Blade and even a hero of Kafa, his current actions are still unforgivable. I don't know how many sacrifices are needed to ripen a single fruit of the Sacred Tree, but a truly respectable person wouldn't use their achievements to wash away their sins. He's already dead and fallen, so if we have to take action, I don't want a repeat of what just happened outside... Any questions?"

Claire was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then her momentum slowed down: "If that's all, no! But you can't continue to provoke Sister Mona."

Obviously, if we put aside the issue of emotional intelligence, Claire is undoubtedly a pragmatic and reasonable person.

Judging from Mona's previous series of performances, this woman obviously has a very complicated and profound relationship with "Black Front". In addition, she already has a criminal record, so it is natural that she would be suspected, so Claire did not cover up.

However, not covering up does not mean not protecting. You can blame Mona, but not too harshly. This is Claire's bottom line.

However, Claire clearly underestimated the extent of Mona's collapse.

After suffering numerous traumas, Mona's spirit had become fragile. She'd first been surrounded by the Screaming Trees, then learned they were actually human sacrifices. A strange empathy had developed, and naturally, she felt immense sympathy for the sacrifices. It was only because Linn had taken precautions quickly, or else she might have actually suggested liberating them.

But then?

That Augustus, the former 'Ebony Knight', had actually committed human sacrifice and even attempted to sacrifice Cecilia! For Mona, who knew all too well what despair and fear were like, this was tantamount to sending someone to hell!

But what did she do about it?

Just because of personal feelings, just because of the special affection for the name "Black Blade", he condoned and even rescued that demon...!

At this thought, a wave of self-blame and regret, like a tsunami, instantly crashed into Mona's chest. This woman, shouldering the future of the Ebon Blade and becoming the leader of the Royal Knights, was now overwhelmed by responsibility and accountability. She seemed to see her father's disappointed face and hear the countless voices of the Ebon Blade Knights.

"How can someone like you be qualified to take over the Black Blade? You are simply a disgrace to the Black Blade!!"

"Actually, I've been wanting to say this for a while now. That girl has absolutely no skills at all, and she's always putting on airs. I don't know where she gets her confidence from..."

"Hmph! She's nothing but a traitor. She actually brought Black Blade back to the royal family. Has she forgotten how we were betrayed?"

The huge psychological pressure forced Mona to view herself more and more humbly. She felt that she was even worse than trash, and that she was simply a sinner of "Black Blade". She felt that she should live in a dirty and damp sewer and die in an empty corner...!

finally…

"thump!"

Mona knelt on the ground in agony, her whole body twitching uncontrollably, and the convulsions became increasingly intense, as if she was about to pass out suddenly...

Chapter 162: Finding Cecilia

Claire was shocked to see Mona like this.

He had no idea what was going on, so he could only quickly step forward and ask, "Sister Mona? What's wrong with you?! Sister Mona!!"

But there was no response.

He quickly checked Mona's physical condition again. After finding no obvious abnormalities, he quickly tore off a piece of cloth from his body and stuffed it into Mona's mouth. Then he turned to look at Lin En angrily:

"Lin En! What on earth did you do to Sister Mona?!"

It was obvious that Claire was really angry this time. To make such a strong male protagonist so angry was obviously touching his bottom line.

But Lin En was also very puzzled: "No, I didn't do anything. This stupid woman with no tolerance must have some psychological problems, right?"

Claire was furious: "You're still talking nonsense! It's all because of you that Mona is like this!!"

Lin En's tone turned cold when she heard this: "Shut up and don't put all the blame on me. The fact that she has become like this shows that there is something wrong with her, but..."

Lin En changed the subject and glanced at Claire: "It's quite simple to deal with."

"Then what are you waiting for?!" Claire was furious when she heard this.

But Lin En was calm: "What you're waiting for is none of your business. It's not my obligation to figure it out... Forget it, get out of the way."

"What are you going to do?!" Claire was obviously a little worried.

Lin En asked back, "Didn't you ask me to handle it?"

“…Tsk!” Claire took a step back unwillingly. “Lynn, if you dare to do anything wrong, I will never let you go!!”

"Really? That's really not good."

Lynn muttered as he grabbed Mona's collar, raised his hand, and slapped her in the face in front of Claire!

"Snapped--"

The force was so great and the sound so clear that even the rag that Claire stuffed into his mouth to prevent him from biting his tongue flew out!

Claire was furious at this, and was about to explode when she heard Lin En's cold voice: "Hey, didn't I tell you not to make trouble?! What are you doing? Do you want to be scolded again?!"

As soon as the words fell, Mona's body trembled violently, and then...

All right!

Obviously, compared to despair and regret, Mona is more afraid of being attacked by Lin En with more desperate and regretful words!

This has been engraved in her bones, overcoming the psychological pressure, and her body chose to obey Lin En's words first.

“I’m… I’m sorry… I’m sorry, I’m sorry…! I… I won’t dare to do it again…! Wuuuu… I won’t dare to do it again… Don’t scold me anymore… Please… I’ll do anything… Spare me…! Wuuuu…”

As she spoke, tears burst out again. This was the umpteenth time that her face was red from crying, and her once sharp eyes had begun to turn red and swollen.

Seeing this, Lin En threw Mona back to the ground, clapped his hands, looked at Claire and said calmly: "See, I was right, wasn't I? She just has some mental problems."

Of course, Lin En also knew that this was mostly caused by himself, but he didn't care. He never had any good feelings towards Mona anyway, and they wouldn't have much interaction in the future, so he just regarded it as a punishment for her.

but…

"You really are a scumbag!"

Claire was extremely angry about Lynn's behavior.

Mona might not be that strong, but the reason she became like this was simply because of Lynn's repeated insults and belittling! Claire believed Lynn was completely responsible, but not only did he show no remorse, he even slapped Mona's face right in front of him...!

If the current situation did not allow it, he would never let this scum off!

"I didn't deny it." Lynn accepted Claire's accusation calmly.

Regardless of whether he did those things in his previous life, since he is now Lin En, he cannot deny those beastly things.

This answer left Claire speechless.

He could only take a deep breath, carefully help Mona up from the ground, and finally chose to skip the problem at hand and get the situation back on track.

"Lin, I can promise that neither Sister Mona nor I will let Augustus go! So, let's get back to the important matter. What should we do next?"

Lynn's eyes passed over Claire's face. "Needless to say? Of course, I'm looking for Cecilia."

That being said, he knew that the male protagonist probably hated and loathed him even more.

This is terrible inertia.

Obviously, the plot has changed greatly, but the huge inertia of the process still magically drags their relationship into a deep pit of deterioration. It is really hard to accept.

However, Lin En didn't care much beyond sighing. He simply continued, "Cecilia has been missing for three days now. In this space with extremely slow magic recovery speed, and with the half-undead Augustus watching closely, Cecilia is likely to have become a tree embryo. But don't worry, the situation is not that bad. Under normal circumstances, it takes three days for the 'Divine Tree' to devour a person. But Augustus not only didn't leave Siena, but has remained near the entrance to try to persuade us to retreat. This means that the devouring process is not going smoothly. Cecilia must have her own means of self-preservation."

In fact, it’s not a should, but a must!

As the number one genius in the Holy City Academy, Cecilia is not a stupid person.

In the game, she first realized the gap between herself and Augustus.

There was no way. After all, she was beaten into the "Forest of the Sacred Tree" by someone, and the gap between the two was nearly 20 levels. Augustus was still an undead creature, so no matter how much he cheated, he would not be able to defeat the other party.

Secondly, Cecilia quickly analyzed the nature of the "Forest of the Sacred Trees." Once she realized she had been cast there as a sacrifice, she stopped fighting Augustus and instead chose to seal herself with the divine fire. Due to the nature of the divine fire, the "Sacred Trees" were unable to erode Cecilia, significantly extending her ability to hold out.

Under the inertia of the process, Cecilia obviously adopted this strategy at this time.

They should have enough time. What Lin En is afraid of is that some accidents may occur due to his intervention and changes.

"In short, our current mission is to find Cecilia's tree in this forest of over a hundred thousand strange trees! While this may sound a bit far-fetched, as long as we take advantage of the lack of magic flow in this space, achieving this goal is actually not difficult."

This time, Lin En plagiarized Claire's plan from the game:

"On black paper, white is particularly conspicuous. On white paper, black is particularly conspicuous. The more opposite the attributes, the more abrupt they tend to be. And in this space, since there is no magic at all, even the slightest flow or resonance of magic will be extremely sensitive and glaring."

He then turned his gaze towards the male lead:

"Claire, aren't you close to Cecilia? Now things are very simple. We just need to proceed steadily. On the one hand, we should avoid provoking any of the fear trees. On the other hand, we should be on guard against Augustus. Then, we can trace the source through the objects that resonate with you. Everything will be solved... Am I clear enough?"

Chapter 163 What did you say?

That’s right, what Lin En is saying now is exactly the standard answer given by the game!

The "Forest of the Sacred Trees" is not a simple place. If there is no information, anyone who comes here will definitely have a headache!

Anyway, Claire and others suffered a lot in the game, especially with the help of "Lynn", the extremely pitfall-ridden guy. They stepped into all the traps that could be stepped on. The information he could easily say was actually the result of simulated trial and error. The rescue process was not easy.

But it’s different now. As a former player, standing from a God’s perspective, I will find that everything seems to be designed.

No matter what the player chooses, Claire will always be involved with Cecilia in the public security incidents that Mona is responsible for.

In the process, the relationship between the two will become better and better, and there will always be a "gift event". After completing a certain task, the two will receive a pair of couple bracelets from the prop dealer. These are props that can allow them to feel each other's presence. It is not only an important support for their relationship, but also lays the groundwork for the search for the "Forest of the Sacred Tree". It is the first and most important bond between the two!

Lynn knew this very well.

Before this, the reason why he sent the medicine to Cecilia in advance was to try not to disrupt the normal development of the two, and then play a key role at this important moment!

With him being a prophet, it wouldn't take much effort to maintain the normal plot of the game.

However, what he didn't expect was...

“…I don’t have anything like that.” Claire responded with a somewhat grim expression after a moment of silence.

Lin En didn't react for a moment, thinking that everything was going according to the script. He waved his hand and said loudly, "Okay, in order to solve the problem as soon as possible, let's take a short break..."

Then he suddenly realized: "Wait, what did you say?"

"I don't have anything like that," Claire repeated blankly.

At that moment, Lin En's CPU seemed to freeze. Although he heard Claire's words clearly, his brain seemed to have not yet processed the meaning of the words, so...

"What did you say?"

He asked again.

This made Claire somewhat uncomfortable: "I said, I don't have anything like that. Cecilia is not interested in those weird things. We don't have anything that can connect or resonate with each other."

"..."

This time it was Lin En's turn to be stunned.

Cecilia isn't interested in weird things?