Chapter Sixteen: Chimera
The cypress tree gazed at Ling Mo for a long time. The crimson glow in its hollow eyes gradually dimmed, and its roots, coiled like seven or eight tentacle-like limbs, slowly unraveled and burrowed back into the earth. There, in a new spot, it quietly took root once more, and after a while, even the bizarre face on its trunk faded away, restoring the tree to its ordinary appearance.
Ling Mo carried Catherine a few steps forward, then gently set her down. The moment her feet touched the ground, Catherine apologized anxiously, “I’m sorry, Master. I lost the dagger you gave me.”
Ling Mo was startled. He hadn’t expected that after nearly dying, Catherine’s first reaction upon rescue would be this—worrying about a trivial dagger! It was far from a typical response, transcending mere “thoughtfulness.” He opened his mouth, feeling a pang of sympathy. “It seems life as an orphan must be quite difficult, huh?”
Catherine didn’t answer. Seeing Ling Mo wasn’t pressing her about the dagger, she relaxed and lowered her head to examine her wounds. Earlier, her shoulder had been struck by the cypress, now swollen and red; she’d also been swept up by its ghostly claws, their barbs leaving crimson welts across her skin, some embedded deeply. Her neck, upper body, and thighs all showed signs of swelling.
“Master, what was that cypress, anyway?” Now that she was free from its assault, Catherine felt her body slowly beginning to heal, but the detoxification process brought a maddening itch. She struggled to bear it, so she made conversation with Ling Mo to distract herself.
“That creature is extremely rare. But I recall some legends on the continent mentioning its name—it's called the ‘Funeral Cypress.’”
“Funeral Cypress?” Catherine repeated the strange name, racking her brains for any memory, but found nothing. She looked up at Ling Mo, bewildered.
“For a detailed explanation, ask your viewers. Surely someone knows about it. You must be feeling awful right now. I’ll fetch you some antidote nearby—it’ll make the healing process more comfortable.” With that, Ling Mo turned and left.
Catherine opened her livestream chat and muttered, “Omnipotent viewers, does anyone know what exactly a Funeral Cypress is? I swear I paid attention in Survival class, but the teacher never mentioned this creepy thing!”
“I graduated with a degree in Magical Beast Studies, but I don’t know.”
“The Rainforest of Magical Beasts truly deserves its reputation as a forbidden zone—at night, it’s terrifying!”
“That Funeral Cypress moved like a monster! It even ran—scared me out of my wits!”
“Watching this horror show at midnight, I’m curled up in bed and don’t even dare go to the bathroom!”
“Count me in—too scared for the bathroom +1.”
“Anyone want to form a bathroom squad? Add me!”
“Just thinking of the exotic plants in my backyard makes my scalp tingle!”
“Don't say that. There's an old locust tree outside my window—usually looks lovely, but now I just want to chop it down as soon as dawn breaks!”
“Even the Magical Beast Studies grad doesn’t know? Must’ve attended some shady college!”
“There are plenty of unknown species on this continent. I graduated from Hartvis University, and I’ve never heard of it either!”
Seeing the conversation drift further off-topic, Catherine hurriedly said, “Guys, please focus! Can anyone knowledgeable explain this to your host? I nearly died just now—if I don’t figure this out, I’ll never dare look at another tree! If anyone can provide detailed information, I’ll reward them with 1,000 gold coins!”
Just as the viewers were all expressing their ignorance, suddenly a super-long message appeared, shining in dazzling font as if afraid Catherine might miss it:
“Funeral Cypress, also known as Snake Tree, is called ‘Paisweilus’ in the tribal primitive language, meaning ‘man-eating tree.’ It doesn’t require photosynthesis, prefers damp and dark environments, and often grows beneath the canopy of giant trees over fifty meters tall. It’s a symbiotic magical beast, merging with the primary magical beast ‘Blue Flower Snake.’ The Blue Flower Snake lures large animals, and the Funeral Cypress uses its developed branches to entangle the prey, injecting neurotoxins to slow their movements. Once captured, the snake tears and devours the prey. It’s a terrifying magical entity. Legends say it has two advanced forms: the War Ancient Tree of the Elves and the Devil Tree of the Abyssal Plane. The last recorded sighting was 170 years ago; the academic world believes it went extinct then. To find one here is astounding! Source: ‘The Druid Codex,’ Volume IV, page 4270, written by Grand Druid Malfurion Windwhisper. Whew, typing this much has exhausted me.”
“Whoa, a real wild academic appears!”
“Someone actually read ‘The Druid Codex’? And remembers the exact page?”
“Kneeling before this expert!”
Catherine exhaled. “So, it’s extremely rare?”
“Yes, very rare. The one you saw is the only specimen in a century, of immense research value.”
“Looks like I don’t need to be constantly on guard against such bizarre creatures,” Catherine smiled. “Thank you, ‘Academic Not Into Boys’—please private message me your micro-account, and I’ll transfer 1,000 gold coins.”
“I don’t need coins,” Academic Not Into Boys replied, “but I hope you can privately share your current location. This Funeral Cypress holds great significance for us Druids. If research goes well, we could gain a new transformation skill branch!”
Catherine thought for a moment. “If it’s as important as you say, then I don’t dare share my location yet. Moderator, are you watching? I hope the official Druid Association account contacts me for verification—only then will I feel safe sharing the location.”
“That’s only right,” Academic Not Into Boys replied. “You’re very professional! I’ll notify my teacher, and the association will reach out officially. Thanks in advance. My account doesn’t have much money, but when my teacher arrives, the rewards will be earth-shattering!”
“Then I thank you in advance!” Catherine smiled, then bit her lip and hissed, “Ugh, it itches so much—why isn’t Master back yet!”
“Don’t be ungrateful, host! Your constitution is already extraordinary, you know? According to our records, ordinary people injected with Funeral Cypress venom immediately suffer severe neural damage, lose muscle control, and collapse. In serious cases, even the respiratory muscles are paralyzed, leading to suffocation and death!”
“Damn, it’s that deadly?”
“I’m starting to believe it—martial arts really are profound.”
“Truly, there’s real substance—not just hype!”
“But claiming it’s deeper than magic is a stretch. Just look up at the magical web in the sky—that’s miracle territory, isn’t it?”
Catherine chuckled. “I’ve already boarded the martial arts pirate ship, so of course I hope it’s as big and seaworthy as possible! So, let me hype it up: Martial arts are invincible! Number one in the world! Welcome everyone to join the ranks! No tales, just facts—look at my skin!”
She showed the camera her injuries from the Funeral Cypress. The half-foot-long, one-centimeter-deep gash, once filled with barbs, had already healed completely. The barbs were pushed out by muscle strength, leaving only a faint red mark, which was visibly fading and would soon disappear entirely.
Catherine boasted, “See? That’s the power of martial arts! Female viewers—if you suffered such a deep, long cut, you know how ugly the scar would be, right? And as far as I know, modern magical medicine offers no effective scar removal. If you love beauty, what are you waiting for? Join martial arts! Follow your host closely, keep up with my journey, and let’s meet at the Scarborough Market—don’t miss it!”
“66666! Shameless advertising, but I give full marks!”
“Just hype it up—host, you’re a born pyramid scheme genius!”
“Damn, even I’m tempted, but the thought of all the training makes me hesitate.”
“If it makes me prettier, I’ll endure anything!”
“Host, stop bragging! You’re about to die!”
Catherine spotted the message immediately. The curse-like comment annoyed her, and she was about to have the moderator ban that user when rows of urgent red messages appeared:
“Host, behind you!!!!”
“What’s that thing!!”
“You really are about to die!”
Catherine whipped around. In the night sky, a twin-headed beast with wings was diving toward her. Its wings spanned over five meters, each head—one red, one blue—connected to thick necks, and its body was a blend of lion head, goat torso, and serpent tail. Catherine recognized it at once and felt a wave of despair: a top-tier Level Four magical beast, a member of the draconic pterosaur class—Chimera!