The Battle Was Over

Although Hoger was a Knight Commander, no one had time to pay him any attention, even though he was currently "planted" in the ground like this.

And what about him?

He struggled several times, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't escape the gravity weighing down on him.

In the end, since it was difficult to breathe while buried in the soil, he gave up struggling.

Just as he was about to suffocate, someone finally pulled him out of the ground.

"Th... thank... you..."

Finally able to breathe deeply, Hoger gulped down the fresh air and stammered out his thanks to the person who had rescued him.

See? He had her to thank.

Lan Qingyou, the one responsible for all this, had never expected the first thing he'd say after she kicked him out of the ground would be that...

Finding it rather amusing, Lan Qingyou had to rein in the corners of her mouth before turning his head to face her.

Once he'd caught his breath, Hoger realized that the one who had pulled him out of the ground was probably the Witch of the Tower. Still, a tiny glimmer of hope remained in his heart.

Well, that was gone now.

When he saw Lan Qingyou's face, his "hope" vanished.

"Where is the branch of the Perching Giant Tree? This is your last chance. You'd better think carefully before you answer."

Lan Qingyou wasn't obliged to let him catch his breath.

She'd already obtained almost everything she'd wanted on this trip. All that remained was the branch, the central objective of this operation.

It wasn't particularly useful to her.

But that didn't mean just anyone could raise one.

To put it plainly, she could give it away, but no one could steal it from her. That was