First Battle

My current Tree Planting status was:

All those unused Smile Points — I’d pour them out here and now.

With the combination of Wood Golem planting, crossbreeding, and healing trees, I could fight indefinitely.

As long as I didn’t run out before the Tycoon Wolf did, victory was possible.

Clutching a heap of stored Element Fruits, I ordered the Wood Golems to charge.

Each one carried a Fire-type Element Fruit in its hand.

The Forest Wolves had already been wiped out.

To summon more, the Tycoon Wolf would need to perform a specific preparatory motion — but Nadja had already disabled that.

So the Wood Golems advanced unimpeded toward the beast.

Sensing danger, the Tycoon Wolf whipped its tail in a wide arc, intending to crush them.

But the Wood Golems didn’t dodge.

Instead—they countered.

Even knowing their bodies would shatter, they threw out right hooks.

DOOOON!!

The Fire Marons they held scraped together and exploded.

“Guuoooonn!?”

A normal Wood Golem’s punch wouldn’t have hurt it—but a suicide strike using Element Fruit detonation definitely did.

The shockwave tore through its flank.

Of course, the Golems themselves couldn’t withstand the blast.

They froze mid-motion, bodies burned and splintered beyond repair.

Yet—even in death, they still had a purpose.

The final piece of the Wood Golem enhancement puzzle: Golem Fusion.

Wood Golems could be healed by trees.

And since they themselves were trees, that meant…

What would happen if a Wood Golem used another Wood Golem to heal itself?

The answer unfolded before my eyes.

One of the Golems threw a punch at the Tycoon Wolf—but failed to deal damage, injuring its own right hand.

Then it reached into the remains of a fallen comrade and absorbed part of its body.

The right arm it pulled back out was darker, denser—stronger.

With its newly reforged limb, it struck again—

“Grah!?”

—and this time, its blow dented the Tycoon Wolf’s body.

That was it.

The effect of Wood Golem Fusion—when a Golem consumed its own kind, it grew stronger.

Each fusion made it tougher, heavier, more powerful.

As long as I had Smile Points—the hopes and goodwill everyone had entrusted to me— the Wood Golems could grow infinitely stronger.

Raising my Tree Planting Level would’ve been smart, sure, but I’d been hoarding my points just in case of a day like this.

And now, over ten thousand points stood ready.

This was my full power.

I pulled more Wood Golems from the Harvest Pouch— my reserves running dangerously low— and directed twenty of them to flank the Tycoon Wolf.

But the difference in power was still overwhelming.

Ordinary Golems could do little more than draw the beast’s attention away from Nadja.

If I wanted to stall it longer, I’d need stronger ones.

I reached back into the pouch—this time summoning the Element Wood Golems I’d created through crossbreeding.

They were the result of dismantling part of Simurg-san’s Element Fruit Grove—a privilege he’d graciously granted me.

With gratitude to the Divine Bird, I unleashed the Element Golems toward the Tycoon Wolf.

Their movements were far more agile than their wooden kin, their blows laced with elemental power, each strike capable of wounding the monster.

Even so, the Tycoon Wolf remained faster.

My supply of Element Wood Golems was soon exhausted.

I couldn’t allow the line to collapse—so I immediately planted new Wood Golems and Element Trees, crossbreeding them on the spot to create fresh reinforcements, and sent them forward one after another.

But simply spawning Golems endlessly would lead to a slow defeat.

Worse, I was too far away.

They could only respond to direct, spoken commands— to coordinate them precisely, I needed to get closer.

And now, while my points were plentiful, was the best time to move.

“—I’m going in! Aira, cover me from here!”

“—Wha…! Please—be careful, Woody-sama!”

Aira’s expression shifted—from shock, to sorrow, to firm resolve as she looked straight at me.

A storm of emotions swirled behind her eyes.

But in the end, she said nothing— and silently saw me off.

That quiet trust gave me strength.

(…!)

Before I knew it, my body was trembling.

Not with excitement—this wasn’t some heroic thrill.

I was terrified.

Terrified of facing that enormous wolf head-on.

I’d studied swordsmanship under a tutor, sure— but I’d never fought to kill or survive before.

This was… my first battle.

Fear gripped me— but even so, I stepped forward.

With each step, the shaking faded.

My father’s voice echoed in my memory:

“Those who possess power have the duty to use it. One day, you’ll understand.”

The Tycoon Wolf loomed larger and larger as I closed in.

But once I reached striking distance—once I could see its full, monstrous scale— my fear vanished completely.

“All right—let’s do this!”

I summoned every last Wood Golem and Element Wood Golem I had left.

At this range, I could give them precise orders.

From here on— it’s the real fight!