A Tree With Limbs

With concern etched on his face, June blinked a few times, questioning if what he was witnessing was truly real.

Towards the serpent's stomach, just before reaching its neck, two sickly branches were tightly wrapping themselves around its scaly body.

Alongside them, several more protruded from the surface, wrapping around and traveling up to the skull before stopping there.

June traced the thick branches to their source, which led his attention back toward the steep hill where the tree had initially been ripped apart.

Only now, it resembled something straight out of a nightmare.

'H-holy hell…'

Gone was the pleasant bark that once served as the trunk's skin; replaced by a dark and almost craggy one. Its surface was riddled with grotesque fungus, overlapped with repulsive boils that seemed to pulse like a heartbeat, growing by the second. 

Not only that, but there were also what appeared to be remnants of past victims that slowly began appearing — bones, skulls, and more — tangling within its twisted structure. 

However, what truly managed to send chills throughout June's body was what the trunk revealed moments later.

In the very center, a crack appeared, and from within emerged a loathsome hand.

Even from where he was, he could see it clearly, watching as it extended out from inside the abyssal trunk and placed itself firmly on the ground. 

But it didn't stop there.

A split-second later, the roots sprouted from underneath, expelling dirt and showering the hill. 

Before long, four new arms revealed themselves, lifting the trunk off the ground altogether.

With widened eyes, June took a step back, once again struck with both confusion and fear.

'How is this possible…'

First a colossal Serpent and now… a cursed tree?!

The Ark was truly a God forsaken place.

But, as if things couldn't get any worse, a voice suddenly rung out:

"Thou… shall perish like the foul Tarnished…"

It echoed from within his mind, but… June knew it was coming from the cursed tree somehow. 

He was sure of it. He didn't know how… but the tree was now sentient and speaking. 

Although slightly muffled and ghastly, June could understand its words… but not the meaning behind them.

Even so, he didn't bother trying. Instead, he turned around and began running. 

This was his chance to escape and find somewhere to hide.

He was sure the cursed tree had a bone to pick with the Great Serpent after what it did, so that meant he would be in the clear.

Except, he wasn't. He was only a fool for thinking so.

He already knew the Great Serpent could cover ground around them in a flash due to its seemingly endless body. Yet, he didn't even see it coming.

From the very northeast side, a long tail came crashing down in front of June.

Reacting immediately, he stumbled to a stop, narrowly avoiding becoming a splat of blood.

Unfortunately, the force of the impact sent him flying off his feet as he was hurled into the air a few meters off the ground.

"C-crap!!"

Not only was he sent into the air, but he quickly noticed the land that he had planned on running through crumbling, and what it revealed was… daunting.

Instead of seeing soil or bedrock beneath the sediment, the ground completely collapsed, revealing a deep chasm that housed a ravine underneath.

And now June… was about to plummet into its depths.

His arms flailed as he tried controlling himself, praying not to fall to his demise.

Luckily, there were still small ledges he could grab onto, and that's what he planned on doing. He extended his arms out and reached just in time… to fail.

His fingers scraped against the measly turf before he fell into the gaping chasm completely. 

"No!!"

With gritted teeth, he plummeted… for about a few seconds.

"O-oof!"

With a resounding thud, June landed back-first on hard ground, wincing as he rolled to his side. 

"U-ugh…"

Breathing obnoxiously, he surveyed his surroundings. 

He hadn't seen it due to the spur of the moment and the deep shadows enshrouding the ravine, but there were narrow ledges of natural terrain running alongside the ravine walls. Although jagged and rough, they relatively held together, albeit a bit unstable.

He allowed himself to lay back down and regain his bearings. 

So far, it was one surprise after another… at this point, he felt like his heart was going to burst out of his chest. 

A Great Serpent, then a talking tree that he was just resting against not too long ago…

Everything was so hard to process, especially for a mortal mind like his.

'Gods… just end it all at this point.'

June continued lying on the ledge, his chest slowly rising and falling as he let out heavy breaths.

However, his moment of respite didn't last long.

The ravine trembled under the colossal power of the two unearthly beings above, causing small rubble to come falling down and echoing throughout the space.

From the sounds of it, they had inevitably begun their battle.

Fortunately, this gave June much more time to scurry away and find someplace away from the Great Serpent — away from it all. 

He didn't even bother giving it much thought either, there was no way he was going to kill the damned thing. Not now, not ever.

With a groan, June got back up on his feet and began jogging away into the depths of the ravine, leaving the gaping chasm and deafening tremors behind.

Soon, the moonlight that crept into the chasm slowly faded away, leaving June in utter darkness. 

At least for a short moment. 

As he traversed further in, a distinct glow seemed to emanate from somewhere, dimly lighting the space with a tranquil teal blue, revealing the weathered stone and vibrant lichen. 

Following it, June ended up peering down the edge where the light evidently came from, noticing a pristine river running through the rocky depths.

Its gentle murmurs echoed throughout the space, and its otherworldly light danced on the walls, creating a placid atmosphere.

Without hesitation, June found a place to rest nearby, ignoring the distant tremors that still quaked on the surface as he sat down, his back resting against a rough wall.

He wasn't in the clear just yet, but he couldn't help letting loose and resting even if it was for a tad bit.

He'd think about what to do later; right now… he just wanted to close his eyes… and sleep.

'No!'

Quickly, he brought both his hands up and slapped himself awake.

Now was not the time to sleep. Right now, he had to find a way out of this damn ravine and away from the Serpent and cursed tree.

With a weary sigh, he stood up once more and began looking around.