Chapter 003: The Big Tree

A slender branch, adorned with two or three tender buds, gently brushed against Raymond's leg, touching the bottles and jars spread out on the ground, as well as a few dark stones.

However, the leaves that had just been circling around Raymond have now reconnected the interrupted parts. Watching the anxious leaves on the ground, scurrying back and forth with their delicate stems, eager to join the ranks, Raymond's expression grew increasingly grim.

The leaves that were stepping on the back of his hand emitted a sound of surprise as they slowly floated down to the ground. The leaves, with their small mouths, swayed from side to side as if searching for the position they originally occupied

Raymond had no way to act according to the chip's prompts. He hurriedly fumbled to open the backpack behind him, carefully pushing the leaves that had crawled onto his leg to the ground. Everything in the backpack was dumped onto the grass in front of him, the sound slightly out of tune: "All my things are here, you can choose for yourself"

Startled, Raymond immediately lifted his hands from the ground and drew them close to his chest

The tender branch gently curled, wrapping a piece of black stone the size of a thumb around the twig, and then slowly retracted. Raymond looked at the face on the trunk, opened his mouth wide, and swallowed the stone...

"It is that bear-like beast!" Raymond, frowning, silently reached a conclusion in his heart

Chirp, chirp... chirp chirp...

The small hands of the leaves intertwine with one another, slowly moving their little feet in rhythm with the nursery rhyme. The gathered sound grows increasingly high-pitched, as all the little feet of the leaves tread upon the ground, producing a rustling sound.

But suddenly he realized that he was no longer the Raymond in the wellness pod, and immediately opened his eyes, where he saw a thick tree trunk and a lush canopy.

The body trembled uncontrollably, and Raymond, twisting his neck, saw a sloped hillside covered in weeds about ten meters to his right. A distinct mark in the weeds indicated that he had rolled down from above

At this moment, Raymond recalled the scene from before, the rustling footsteps of the books, and the faint nursery rhyme, all felt very close, as if they were right beside him

A desolate and slow voice suddenly appeared in Raymond's ear, asking: "Are you awake?"

Raymond furrowed his brow as he gazed at the trunk of the large tree, which was more than ten meters away from him. An aged face gradually became clear, and after the grayish-white eyelids opened, eyes appeared on the trunk, deep and wise, filled with inquiry

Faintly, a voice echoed in Raymond's ear, reminiscent of a child singing a nursery rhyme, with a tender tone, yet somewhat indistinct

At the bottom of the hillside, approximately ten meters away from Raymond's body, there were root-like stems, as thick as fingers, densely forming a protrusion with a diameter of several meters. From those yellowish-brown stems, a large quantity of purplish-black liquid was flowing out.

A gentle breeze caresses the face, bringing a refreshing sensation. Before my eyes, greenish-blue leaves appear, each the size of a palm, swaying and fluttering in the breeze.

Unknown energy fluctuations detected, insufficient data, unable to fully analyze. The mechanical core and the sound of the * diagram * book quickly appeared in Raymond's mind, and this bizarre scene before him made his scalp tingle and his head feel like it was about to explode

With the sounds coming from the large tree, the chip's urgent alarm also rang out simultaneously: "Alarm! Alarm! Unknown intensity radiation detected, immediately stay away by more than 300 meters!"

I woke up! Carefully responding, Raymond, whose eyes were streaked with red, found that the chip detection results showed that the large tree before him was still shrouded in an unknown energy field, making it impossible to investigate.

In just a short span of time, the leaves dancing and singing around the tree roots unknowingly surrounded Raymond in the middle. He supported himself on the back of his hands on the ground, while the little feet of the leaves stepped upon him, creating a tingling sensation.

It felt as if he were trapped in a pile of cotton, that floating sensation making Raymond somewhat drowsy

He quickly got up from the ground and followed the direction of the sound. When Raymond saw the source of the noise, his face turned pale, and the hair all over his body stood on end

Red streaks flashed in his eyes, and Raymond's pitch-black pupils became somewhat eerie as he gazed at the waterfall-like numbers appearing in his line of sight. The cold sweat on Raymond's face increased significantly.

Raymond's scalp tingled as the leaves, which had not found their place, angrily beat against his thigh with their tiny limbs, their small mouths on the leaf surfaces drooping, producing a sound akin to sobbing

Once again, after a long interval without receiving a response from Raymond, the tree's expression grew stern: "The beast that was hunting you has been slain, so you will need to pay an additional fee. Otherwise, I can only conclude that you have violated the principles of the sorcerer first"

Chirp, chirp... chirp chirp...

The土-colored plant roots are slowly contracting and writhing. Under the rapid comparison of the chip, a small piece of thumb-sized animal hide with black bristles is exposed within the roots, but it is quickly obscured again by the roots.

Amidst the rustling sounds, a hint of relief appeared on the face that emerged from the tree trunk, as the slowly extending branches pushed aside the leaves on the ground that were still singing.

The tender green leaves brushed against Raymond's thigh, causing a slight shiver on his exposed skin

Even the leaves nearby, still singing the nursery rhyme of Tonghe - Tu - Shuyou, could not reveal any anomalies to the chip

Thousands of leaves encircle the roots of the great tree in concentric circles, with palm-sized leaves growing limbs resembling hands and feet. On the leaf surfaces, small mouths open and close, producing faint sounds that converge into this nursery rhyme.

Task established, beginning analysis ... The mechanical chip executes the commands

Partially obscured by the leaves, there are scattered red fruits hanging from the branches, swaying gently, appearing very delicious

The once resounding nursery rhyme suddenly became exceptionally clear, and the faint sound of footsteps emerged from behind Raymond. With his head pounding, Raymond twisted his spasming neck, as the muscle cramps rendered his neck stiff and rusty.

Chirp, chirp... chirp chirp...

The sound of the nursery rhyme was crisp and tender, still echoing in the air. Raymond, with an unusually pale face, issued a command to the chip: "Scan the area within a ten-meter radius!"

The aged face that emerged on the trunk appeared very serious, and after a long pause, it slowly said: "According to the principle of equal exchange upheld by the sorcerer, you now need to compensate for my loss"

Experiencing pain all over the body, feeling dizzy in the head