Oak Banshee of the Forest

'Wow...' Rafeal looked at the portraits, and he was amazed.

It is so beautiful that even people who have not received art education will unconsciously be attracted to these lifelike paintings when they see them.

No matter which one is taken out and released in the outside world, it will cause a sensation and make art connoisseurs and collectors compete for it.

At this moment, the eyes of a portrait suddenly turned and met Rafeal's gaze.

"Ah!!!"

He suddenly screamed and jumped towards Astr, almost throwing his fragile companion into the snow.

"Of course the portraits on the tree are alive, Master Louis." Astr said with a smile, "Otherwise, do you still think you are visiting an art exhibition?"

"..."

Rafeal's lips murmured. After a few moments, he blushed, hunched his shoulders and back, followed Astr closely, and said nothing.

He looked at Astr's figure and couldn't help but wonder

'Why can he be so calm? Or even bland?It's like... he's been here a long time ago. It is like everything here is extremely familiar to him.

　....

Half an hour later,

Astr and Rafeal came to a huge oak tree. It is like the same version of the oak tree in reality. The brown paint is applied widely with the scraper to form a rugged trunk.

The ferocious branches are like countless arms, covering the sky and the sun, spreading above the head, and covered with thick snow. This ancient and majestic oak tree stands between sky and ground like a giant in an ancient painting. In comparison, humans seem so small.

Although Astr had seen it in the game before, seeing the tree in person, he couldn't help but sigh.

'It's so beautiful... It's hard to imagine what kind of magnificent painting tools its creator wielded to create it.'

"Crunch, crunch..."

There was a friction sound, and the snow fell one after another, almost dyeing Astr's dark blue coat white.

{Welcome to my space, oh lost traveller...}

An ethereal and melodious female voice came from the oak tree, as beautiful as a flute, echoing around, making the portraits hanging on the tree feel windless and automatic.

{Also, the "companion" who is stained with a disgusting aura...}

{...} Under Astr, the Canvasbane shrank in anger and fear.

Living in the oak tree is the first dungeon boss in the Lust Painter's territory, the Banshee of the Forest. She is at level 37.

Although in his previous life in the game, Astr cut down the banshee in the forest as easily as chopping vegetables, for him now, it is absolutely impossible to overcome this tough situation.

'Since we have met it right now, then we have to rely on our brains to win. Now I am an "NPC," and I have a degree of freedom that players cannot match.

' Although NPC has less freedom in comparison to players, sometimes NPC works better than players, and that power I have.'

Astr touched the cowhide bag tied around his waist and felt a cold, hard object touching his hand.

'First, the banshee must come out of her oak shell before I can use my brain more properly'

Astr took a few steps forward despite the huge pressure and said it loudly, but with admiration in his tone.

"Miss. Oak Banshee, I have heard your name for a long time. The legend of your beauty has been spread around the world. So can I get a glimpse of your beauty?"

As soon as these words came out, the man who was about to move the branches stopped twisting, and several maddening and terrifying gazes shot out from the gaps in the dark oak trees and fell on Astr.

Suddenly, Astr felt an instinctive fear and trembling climb up his spine, and the excitement wrapped in adrenaline also boiled in his blood.

Beside him, the Canvasbane glanced at Astr in surprise, and her heart was filled with turmoil.

'It is obviously his first time in the snow forest, but this human being not only knew that the person in the oak tree was the forest banshee, he also used kind words to poke the narcissistic nature of the oak banshee and make her notice him... Who is my venerable master?'

The Canvasbane sighed with emotion for the thousandth time, and her body couldn't help but bend lower in fear.

Astr licked his canine teeth, stared at the dark cracks in the trees with his icy-blue eyes, and said slowly

"These portraits have etched an indelible mark on my heart. It heightens my curiosity even more—who are you? How transcendent is this beauty that surpasses the world..."

"So, can you give me a chance to see your beauty with my own eyes?"

Astr wanted to win the opportunity for the banshee in the forest to reveal her true form.

There was a long silence. In the dead-snow forest, Astr could only hear his own beating heartbeat. On the side, Rafeal couldn't help chattering his teeth and closed his eyes in fear, waiting for the final verdict.

{...Can. However, I have a condition. }

Finally, a flute-like sound echoed around the two of them again.

Rafeal opened his eyes suddenly and stared at Astr in disbelief, just in time to catch the smile that flashed at the corner of his mouth.

'With just a few words of praise, this unknown Nightmare Creature agreed to Astr's request? Human beings can actually communicate with nightmare creatures and even negotiate conditions - it's so ridiculous.'

'If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it.'

Rafeal stared at Astr, feeling that this white-haired boy was unfathomable. In his heart, he regretted once again why he provoked him. It's really bad now.

The melodious flute sounded again.

{You said the portraits on the trees are beautiful, so you find the most beautiful portrait and bring it to me. And there might be my portrait in them, so choose wisely.}

{You only have one chance until I get tired of it. If you find the best one, I will let you go home. If you are wrong...}

{All of you will become my nourishment and live with me...hehehe...}

The eerie laughter echoed in the mountains and forests. The beautiful sound of the flute suddenly became extremely harsh.

"It's up to you. I will try my best." Astr gracefully performed a knight's salute, and he was not surprised by the result.

[New Quest: Find the most beautiful portrait in the forest and bring it to the Banshee in the Forest]

[Time limit: 3 hours]

[Reward: Return to reality, (?)]

[Punishment: Face-to-face with the true form of the Banshee of the Oak Forest]

After Banshee finished speaking, the oak tree fell silent, and the terrible sense of oppression subsided.

Astr sat on the canvasbane again and asked it to take him back to the forest.

As he walked, Rafeal looked up anxiously at the female portraits hanging on the branches and said anxiously:

"These paintings are all equally beautiful! How do we choose the most beautiful one?"

Astr glanced at him. He just glanced, then turned towards the portraits and chuckled.

"You don't think that even if we really complete the task, the oak banshee will let us go?"

Rafeal was stunned after hearing Astr's words, "Yes, isn't it? That's what she said, right?"

"Oh my, why are you like this? She is a nightmare creature, Master Louis."

Astr looked at Rafeal's stiff face fondly and uttered devilish words in his mouth.

"Of course not. After finishing the task, she will still make us her nourishment and 'integrate' with us."

".. ...."

Rafeal was completely dumbfounded, and his always-aloof face was now completely defeated. On the contrary, it was the smile that gradually widened at the corner of Astr's mouth.

'The energy of fear is always so pleasant.Thank you, Mr. Louis'

'If there are people like you I won't even need Potion for increasing my health'