Veiled by Undetectable, Wolf left the cover of Demon Forest’s canopy and entered the bright blue expanse. Flying Demonic Beasts ruled this world. Despite their great mobility and ease of travel, these creatures rarely disturbed the distant humanity.

Higher Order Monster Beasts found common manlings unworthy of hunting. They seldom attacked regular folk, other than unfortunates, who stumbled across their territory, especially if those unfortunates held a rich source of World Energy.

Wolf, however, wasn’t an ordinary person. These Demonic Beasts would pounce at him on sight for multiple reasons. He was an intruder, and if he allowed his Internal Energy to leak, he would become a hated enemy and a delicious snack in one.

Surprisingly, Wolf used Fly for this expedition. The spell was as slow as ever, but this lethargic floating crawl suited him. Swift flight generated wind. Even though he lacked personal experience, bestiaries mentioned that flying Monster Beasts had an uncanny sensitivity to air currents, and whizzing by would attract unwanted attention.

So, Wolf took it easy. Using Fly, he would glide towards the Demonic Converter. Once close, he could scout for a suitable path among the branches, then go down and sever the tree’s crown before it reacted to his invasion.

Even Wolf found his plan naive. But he had to give this approach a chance. He believed that the three kilometer distant Demonic Converter wasn’t likely to unleash a lethal barrage of imploding apples at an unknown flying object drifting about.

At least that’s what Wolf initially assumed. He looked around and noticed that he was in the territory of White Ravens. Three dozen two meter tall birds rested in their nests. Wolf glanced up, spotting four members of ravens’ unkindness circling in the sky, patrolling their dominion.

Off in the distance, Wolf saw Mesmerizing Magpies and Copper Hawks defending their own habitats. However, no birds flew near the gigantic Demonic Converter.

They don’t snatch the apples? This surprised Wolf. These Demonic Beasts had access to the Demonic Converter’s upper stratum, yet they steered clear of the giant tree. Maybe the Demonic Converter has a way to defend from aerial attacks? Or something could live in its crown. Does it really shoot apples at anyone approaching?

Wolf considered that question, then returned to the safety of dense greenery and prepared Living Puppet. Better safe than sorry. After several minutes, he reemerged from the treetops. He approached the nearest lone raven, and one spell later, the young True-Namer had a White Raven thrall.

Wolf left his bird in its nest and kept close to the Demon Forest’s canopy while inching towards the Demonic Converter.

When he drew one hundred meters away from the edge of the vast crown, Wolf stealthily sank into the branches of regular trees. He scrutinized the giant green expanse. With his fully awakened senses, he noticed several feeding spots. That’s probably where it feeds the birds. It needs to demonize the Monster Beast controlling the sky, otherwise it would be vulnerable to aerial attacks.

Alright. Let’s see what happens when a White Raven enters the feeding ground. Reluctantly, the giant bird followed Wolf’s silent command. It flapped its wings, then soared towards the distant Demonic Converter.

Its sudden movement caught several other ravens’ attention. The birds cocked their heads, observing their companion. Then, they cawed in panic when they realized their family member’s destination.

That’s a bad sign. Wolf realized something was off, but he wanted to learn what happens when someone approaches a Demonic Converter from above.

He sensed the White Raven struggle against his control. Apparently, approaching the Demonic Converter like this is suicide.

Even though he knew the outcome, Wolf didn’t hesitate and sent the Eighth Order Demonic Beast to its death. Once the White Raven flew by, Wolf climbed higher, curious to see the fate of Demonic Beasts entering the opening in the lush crown.

The cavernous space in the Demonic Converter’s top seemed harmless as the White Raven dove in. Countless black apples hung inside, yet no Demonic Beast dared approach.

When the giant bird landed, the surrounding leaves trembled. Suddenly, branches stabbed from every direction. Boughs pierced the White Raven’s flesh, nailing the Demonic Beast in place.

Branches turned crimson, while the giant bird’s form grew shriveled. In less than a minute, the lively White Raven became a desiccated corpse, and blood running down the branches disappeared, turned into nutrients.

The unkindness of ravens cawed in sorrow. A moment later, they shot up from their nests and flew erratically through the air. Their neighbors also let out cries. Wolf noted the considerable difference in tone. While ravens were full of sadness and confusion, the hawks, and especially the magpies, cried out in schadenfreude.

The Demonic Converter still moved its branches. While the surrounding birds raised a ruckus, it dug out the Monster Core from the White Raven’s shriveled head. Wolf watched the bark grow and swallow the bone orb.

It’s consuming the Demonic Beast’s Internal Energy. I wonder how it uses the energy. Does it advance its Order, or does it use it to grow more apples? Despite entertaining random thoughts, Wolf simultaneously considered the practical implications of the sight.

Attacking from above is too dangerous. Those branches pose a lethal threat, especially since my flying maneuverability is leagues worse than when I’m on the ground. But, this gave me an idea.

***

A gentle breeze blew. Everything was tranquil under the great Demonic Converter’s shade. In fact, this glade was only turbulent during Monster Beast migrations, when new Monster Beasts flooded Demon Forest, and when the Demonic Converter fed. When feeding, the monstrous plant lured surrounding Demonic Beasts to fight and shed blood near its roots.

These last few days, the tree lived peacefully. It enjoyed the nutrients from Demonic Beasts dying in the distance. The Demonic Converter preferred when prey died close to its core, but considering it didn’t have to invest any apples, the loss was negligible, while the harvest was bountiful.

It wondered what changed, but as long as troubles stayed away, it didn’t care. Unbeknownst to the grand tree, trouble set its sights on it days ago.

Demon Forest rustled, and nearby branches cracked and snapped. Then, eleven demonized Manticores leaped into the clearing. Raiders were rare. The Demonic Converter was used to Monster Beasts appearing, and had a routine to handle them. But it had already converted these Manticores into rations and guardians. So it failed to understand the reasoning behind their attack.

The Demonic Converter wondered, but still acted according to its established script. Tempting already demonized Monster Beasts with apples was a waste, so the tree went straight to tampering with their minds.

While the Demonic Converter shook its leaves, Manticores raised a ruckus, aiming for the apples on the lowest branches. As they pounced, Demonic Converter first focused on the nearest Manticore.

It moved the leonine monster’s mind, promising power and future bounty as long as it turned around. However, the Demonic Beast didn’t respond, surprising the Demonic Converter. The lead Manticore snatched an apple, and the Demonic Converter attempted to sow discord, but Demonic Beasts failed to react. Instead of quarreling, they seized their own apples.

A Manticore entered the canopy too deeply, and the Demonic Converter used the chance to impale it with its branches. It dispatched the Demonic Beast, draining its vitality.

This twist placated the giant plant to an extent. With this snack, it wouldn’t suffer a loss even if Manticores ate some of its apples. It paid close attention to the monsters. With a bit of luck, it could snatch another one, profiting slightly from this sudden development.

Yesterday it ate a bird, today a Manticore. Just as the Demonic Converter considered developing a scheme to earn food with such little loss using frequent small meals, it realized something was off.

The raven was harmless, but unnaturally suicidal. Fliers knew they couldn’t approach, unless the Demonic Converter invited them for a feast. It was the same for land-bound creatures. So, why did such bizarre incidents happen two days in a row?

While considering this, Demonic Converter snatched another greedy Manticore. While slurping on its nutrients, it sensed an energy fluctuation halfway up its trunk.

An aurora of rich brown light exploded. It pierced all the way through the trunk, severing the magnificent tree. In the burst of earthen radiance, a buck naked barbarian appeared, wielding a rusty sword.

The Demonic Converter realized this little savage scammed it. However, it was too late. Its crown slid to the side, ready to fall to the ground. The giant tree had already lost control of its apples, and it could only activate them while attached to the branches.

Wolf flew down at his unimpressive top speed before dismissing Fly and allowing gravity to aid him. He dropped like a rock, kicking off against the trunk with his feet and bounding away from the direction in which the Demonic Converter’s crown fell.