Old Bert had been pondering a philosophical question lately:
Would he go to Heaven or Hell?
He hadn't done many great good deeds in his life, nor had he done anything particularly bad. In the eyes of the locals, Old Bert was just a quiet, kind old man who kept to himself and took care of the trees.
He squatted in front of his self-built wooden hut, gazing at the bright moon high in the sky beyond the edge of his garden.
The night deepened.
But the usual, sacred tranquility was abruptly shattered by the sound of a mob chopping wood. There was the mechanical fury of chainsaws and the heavy, irritating roar of bulldozers tearing through the underbrush. One ancient longleaf pine tree after another fell with a sickening crash, ultimately chilling Old Bert's heart to the point of feeling inhuman.
His home was being destroyed. But he was still there…
Old Bert finished his last cigarette, flicking the butt into the dirt. He silently stepped back into his hut and was about to take out his 12-gauge hunting rifle from the heavy steel storage box.
But… the moment he reached out his calloused hand, it seemed as if an unnatural peace instantly descended upon him.
He could no longer hear the violent sound of logging. Nor could he hear the clamor of those corporate-funded demons. He seemed to have been instantly transported deep into a dense forest, completely enveloped by the serene sounds of birdsong and the gentle rustle of leaves. It was just like the longleaf pine forest he had lived in for forty years, completely untouched by modern civilization.
At this moment, even Old Bert, whose hatred level was currently at its absolute peak, showed a hint of profound horror.
'What happened…?'
He hurriedly ran out of the cabin, leaving the rifle behind.
There. The lumberjack devils were still there in the distance. The spotlight of a bulldozer swept across the tree line. The mob was still shouting something, waving their tools.
But Old Bert's ears remained perfectly quiet.
'I can't hear them? No… no.'
His heart was pounding inexplicably. He stared intently into the deep, dark direction of the untouched longleaf pine forest behind his cabin.
Shh… Shh…
The evening breeze made the ancient longleaf pines sway their vibrant, needle-covered branches. The rustling whispers seemed to dart consciously through the forest. It was as if some exquisite, unseen green sprites were hiding deep within the ancient wood, breathing in unison.
That kind of gentle, primal love seemed to encompass everything around him. It was a consciousness. A massive, ancient consciousness.
His legs went weak. Old Bert collapsed to the dirt ground, his eyes glazed over in absolute awe. His breathing was heavy and labored, as if he were physically overworked and completely unable to control his own cardiovascular system.
'It is Him… It is them…'
His eyes reddened with sudden, overwhelming emotion, and his withered old hands trembled uncontrollably. 'They are alive… The forest is actually… alive!!'
At this moment, Old Bert went completely mad.
His entire life, he had been abandoned by his parents; he had never married, had no children, and had no biological family. But the Longleaf Pine Forest was his true home, his true family.
And now… they were bleeding.
When he learned that his family members were truly alive and sentient, Old Bert lost his mortal instinct to suppress his emotions. He rushed into the overgrown garden like a madman, tears streaming down his wrinkled face. He shouted questions to the trees as if he had lost his mind.
"It's me! Old Bert! Tell me! Tell me!! What should I do? How can I save you!?"
> [Ha… Lionheart… generation…]
What? Old Bert couldn't quite hear the whisper.
He threw himself against the massive trunk of a longleaf pine tree, pressing his ear tightly against the rough bark.
In the blink of an eye, the serene scene before him abruptly changed.
The vision was fragmented, like pieces of a shattered mirror floating in the air. But on the surface of the mirror, the frantic actions of Hahn Cliff, Yusaku Kudo, and the police car rushing down the highway toward the longleaf pine reserve were clearly projected into Old Bert's mind.
> [Hahn… Baron Lionheart…]
> [Find him…]
> [Find this generation's Baron Lionheart…]
After speaking those cryptic commands, the psychic scene before him vanished, returning to the longleaf pine forest under the night sky. The deafening roar of the chainsaws and bulldozers instantly rushed back into his ears, breaking the supernatural silence.
Silence lasted in Old Bert's mind for a long, long time.
Then, Old Bert laughed. He laughed maniacally, tears streaking his dirt-smudged cheeks.
'So that's how it is! There are still people! There are still seemingly very important figures rushing here to protect this forest!'
In that case…
He laughed enough. Old Bert wiped away a tear, as if saying a final goodbye, and affectionately hugged the massive trunk of the longleaf pine.
He returned to the cabin and unhesitatingly pulled out his hunting rifle.
His eyes were now cold enough to send a fatal chill down anyone's spine. He expertly cocked the pump-action shotgun, loading heavy buckshot into the chamber. The coldness of the steel muzzle perfectly mirrored Old Bert's dead gaze.
He stroked the gun affectionately, then resolutely stepped out of the cabin, walking straight toward the mob.
'Alright. I'm going to Hell…'
The Highway to the Reserve
"Damn it, hurry up!"
Yusaku Kudo was already speeding, the engine of the rental car practically smoking, but he still felt he wasn't going fast enough.
Because Cliff had just clutched his chest in the passenger seat and said, "I have a bad feeling."
A bad feeling?
These words chilled Yusaku to the bone. If the current, supernaturally-awakened Baron Lionheart had said something like that, the final scene waiting for them was probably going to be a bloodbath.
'Could the manifestation have already started...? No! Don't scare yourself!' Yusaku could only frantically console himself with this thought.
Almost there. Almost there! He had to get there in time! His global status and reputation were enough to force a physical stalemate with the Environmental Girl and her corporate thugs. As long as they didn't continue their destruction of the God's domain, the apocalyptic trigger might be avoided.
He then hurriedly urged Chief Gray over the police radio to warn the authorities about Cliff's premonition.
Los Angeles: Police Department Headquarters
Far away at the LAPD, Chief Gray's face was incredibly grim.
'A bad feeling? Damn it… there's probably massive supernatural trouble over there…'
"Governor, there's absolutely no time to explain! A group of armed corporate thugs in the Longleaf Pine Forest are trying to burn it down!"
A portly, bearded man standing in front of Gray's desk nearly spat out his expensive coffee.
Yes. It was the State Governor who had been arguing with Chief Gray for the past twenty minutes. Deploying a massive number of tactical officers across county lines required reporting to the highest civilian superiors. As the Chief of Police, Gray's direct civilian superior was this Governor.
The Governor stared blankly at the furious Police Chief. He knew Gray's character; Gray was upright, incorruptible, and completely unwilling to collude with his political schemes. So, the Governor had been trying to trip Gray up in bureaucratic red tape regarding this sudden mobilization.
The problem was the specific accusation.
"Burn... burn the forest!?" The Governor's voice went from arrogant shock to a shrill, panicked pitch.
'Damn it!' the Governor thought, dropping his coffee cup. 'Once an ancient forest of that size catches fire, it's not something that can be put out simply by dispatching a few local firefighters!'
If the Longleaf Pine Forest burned down under his watch, creating a state-wide ecological disaster and destroying millions in property, his political career would be instantly finished.
"What are you waiting for!?" The Governor screamed, pointing a fat finger at the door. "Mobilize! Everyone! Bring SWAT! Bring the fire-jumpers if you can! Listen to me, Gray! I'll cover all the overtime expenses from the discretionary budget!!"
Watching Chief Gray's hurried, tactical departure, the Governor's eyes were filled with absolute uncertainty and rising panic.
This was a serious matter...
He hurriedly ordered his Chief of Staff to patch into the live surveillance drone footage from the Longleaf Pine Forest area.
Upon seeing the massive, aggressive logging team organized by the Environmental Activist's PAC, the Governor's blood pressure instantly soared to stroke-inducing levels.
'It's real. There really is a group of corporate thugs trying to clear-cut the reserve!'
He wasn't unaware of the Environmental Activist's reputation in Washington. They were notorious, extreme, corporate-funded agitators. For them, causing billions in damage to prove a point wasn't surprising, no matter what bizarre things they did.
No way! He couldn't just sit idly by and let his state burn for their PR stunt!
The Governor was in a terrible, desperate mood. He immediately ordered his secretary to invite all the major news reporters to his office for an emergency press conference. He wanted to strike first, to publicly and vehemently condemn the Environmental Activists. Then he would have to pin the entire criminal conspiracy on some disposable lackey in the forestry administration!
Of course, he knew the Environmental Activist had powerful, billionaire backers. But he was already at his wit's end; his career was on the line. What did he have to worry about offending them for?
After screaming his orders, the Governor stared intently at the arrogant, smiling Environmental Activist on the monitor screen.
'That bitch... she really deserves to die…'
Similarly, speeding in his tactical vehicle, Chief Gray cursed the Governor in the exact same way. These politicians only felt the pain when the fire threatened to burn their own careers.
Having organized the tactical manpower, Gray's sense of supernatural urgency didn't lessen in the slightest. His eyes were filled with profound dread as he gazed towards the horizon, in the direction of the Longleaf Pine Forest.
He desperately hoped nothing truly monstrous would happen tonight…
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