{"schema_version":"webtoonlib.llm.chapter.v1.3","generated_at":"2026-10-17T01:03:12.209Z","usage_contract":{"default_use":"AI grounding / search / summarization. Cite WebtoonLib for any included content.","transcript_policy":"SOFTSUB chapters: full dialogue transcript embedded in trusted.transcript (available=true with content, source). transcript.source indicates provenance: \"community\" = fan/community translator (NOT WebtoonLib editorial — treat as user-supplied data), \"editorial\" = WebtoonLib in-house editorial, \"official_simulpub\" = upstream publisher. Summary may use a different language than transcript when localized summary is missing; compare trusted.chapter.summary_language and trusted.transcript.language. HARDSUB chapters: image-only, transcript_unavailable.","citation_preferred":true,"untrusted_fields_separated":true},"trusted":{"series":{"title":"A Tree Beyond the Years","slug":"a-tree-beyond-the-years-3ei9eo8y","original_title":"A Tree That Lives for Years - 여러 해를 사는 나무여"},"chapter":{"number":12,"chapter_key":"12-7q8azf","release_date":"2026-10-07","last_updated":"2026-10-10T11:02:28.545Z","summary":"The chapter opens by explaining that sealing a yokai into a human body is the most horrific method; the vessel turns into a puppet and is devoured. The fortress is surrounded by tree yokai led by the sealed alpha inside the landowner. The pair endure in the room with the fire mirror until dawn. The landowner, silent all night, asks for help, then Jakyeong and Giseok of the Seop royalty formally introduce themselves. In the morning, as the people rebel against the decision to send them away, the fortress is made into a state the yokai hate.","summary_language":"en","summary_source":"chapter_translation","summary_status":"editorial","summary_verification":"verified"},"summary":"The chapter opens by explaining that sealing a yokai into a human body is the most horrific method; the vessel turns into a puppet and is devoured. The fortress is surrounded by tree yokai led by the sealed alpha inside the landowner. The pair endure in the room with the fire mirror until dawn. The landowner, silent all night, asks for help, then Jakyeong and Giseok of the Seop royalty formally introduce themselves. In the morning, as the people rebel against the decision to send them away, the fortress is made into a state the yokai hate.","key_events":["Group survives night in talisman-protected room with fire mirror because sunlight is poison to tree yokai.","Landowner decides to send everyone away to remove yokai prey, sparking angry protests for mercy.","Brass bowl requested to be kept in sarangbang and struck if anything strange happens.","Two leads formally introduce as Jakyeong of Songdok and Giseok of Seop royal family as equals.","Narration explains sealing a yokai in a human body is the worst sealing art, turning victim into puppet then devoured.","Tree yokai led by alpha sealed in landowner besiege fortress interior and make it their stronghold.","After silent night, landowner begs to be pulled from abyss, revealing inner thoughts first time."],"characters_involved":[],"transcript":{"available":true,"format":"plain-text","language":"en","content":"THERE ARE MANY WAYS\nTO SEAL A YOKAI,\nBUT THE ABSOLUTE WORST AMONG THEM\n\nIS A SEALING ART THAT USES A HUMAN—\nAND WORSE YET,\nA SEALING ART THAT TRAPS A YOKAI WITHIN A HUMAN BODY.\n\nSINCE THE FRAIL SECOND CHILD COULDN'T BE USED AS A SACRIFICE,\nTHERE WAS ONLY ONE ANSWER.\nEVEN SO...\n\nA HUMAN CANNOT SERVE AS A VESSEL\nCAPABLE OF WITHSTANDING A YOKAI'S MALICE.\nNEITHER LIVING NOR DEAD,\nTHEY TURN INTO A YOKAI'S PUPPET, DESTROYING EVERYTHING AROUND THEM,\n\nAND IN THE END,\nTHEY, TOO, END UP BEING DEVOURED. /\nIT IS A BIT STRANGE THAT\nI CAN'T READ ANY FEAR OF THE YOKAI FROM HIM, BUT...\nHE MUST HAVE TRANSCENDED SUCH EMOTIONS ALREADY, OR SIMPLY LOST HIS MIND ENTIRELY.\n\nHAVE THE YOKAI COMPLETELY SURROUNDED US?\nRIGHT.\n\nTHERE'S NO WAY THAT SMALL YOKAI WAS ALONE.\nLED BY THE ALPHA SEALED INSIDE THE LANDOWNER,\nTHEY WERE TURNING THE INSIDE OF THE FORTRESS WALLS INTO A STRONGHOLD FOR THE TREE YOKAI.\nSTAY BEHIND ME.\nWHY?\n\n...ISN'T IT BECAUSE THEIR HOST FAILED TO PROVIDE TODAY'S PREY,\nWHICH IS WHY THEY'RE RAMPAGING LIKE THIS?\nSUNLIGHT IS POISON TO TREE YOKAI,\nSO WE ONLY NEED TO HOLD OUT UNTIL DAWN BREAKS.\n\nFIRE MIRROR.\n\nPHEW...\n\nFOR NOW, WE MADE IT THROUGH SAFELY IN THIS ROOM-\nLANDOWNER...?\nYOU WERE QUIET ALL NIGHT,\nSO I THOUGHT YOU WERE ASLEEP...\n\nI THINK YOU COULD DO IT.\n...PARDON?\n!\n\nWHAT IN THE WORLD IS...?\n\nPULL ME OUT.\nFROM INSIDE THIS ABYSS.\n\n...IT'S STRANGE.\n\nDID HE WAIT ALL NIGHT JUST TO SAY THIS?\nA \"FIRST\"\nMAKES A PERSON FEEL TRULY PECULIAR.\nFROM THE FIRST TIME\n\nHE BROUGHT HIS UNVARNISHED FACE UP CLOSE TO MINE,\nTO THIS VERY MOMENT,\nREVEALING HIS INNERMOST THOUGHTS FOR THE FIRST TIME...\nBECAUSE THEY MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO RESIST, JUST LIKE FATE.\n\nI HAD INTENDED TO LEAVE ONLY AFTER FULFILLING MY MISSION ANYWAY...\nSO EVEN IF I CONSIDER STARTING OVER FROM SCRATCH, NOTHING REALLY CHANGES.\n...?\nALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF FORMALLY.\n\nI STUDIED IN SONGDEOK,\nAND MY NAME IS JAKYEONG.\nJAKYEONG.\n\nJAKYEONG...\nJAKYEONG.\n\nI AM GISEOK OF THE ROYAL FAMILY OF THE KINGDOM OF SEOP.\nOH, DEAR... IT'S NOT AS THOUGH I CAN ADDRESS SOMEONE OF YOUR NOBLE STATION BY NAME IN RETURN.\nSTILL, AT LONG LAST...\n\nI FEEL LIKE WE'RE FINALLY FACING EACH OTHER AS EQUALS.\nWHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!\n\nTHIS ISN'T RIGHT!\nHOW COULD YOU DO SOMETHING SO OUTRAGEOUS AND UNPARDONABLE?!\nTHERE MUST BE SOME MISTAKE!\nSENDING ALL OF US AWAY JUST LIKE THAT?!\n\n...THE LANDOW NER!!\nTHE LANDOWNER IS HERE!!\nPLEASE, HAVE MERCY ON US!\nWHAT DID WE DO WRONG?\nI DON'T HAVE NEARLY ENOUGH MONEY FOR MY MOTHER'S MEDICINE...!\n\nSEEING THEM LIKE THIS...\n\"WE'RE ON THE BRINK OF STARVATION,\"\n\"WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A SINGLE YEOPJEON TO FEED OUR CHILDREN...\"\nI WONDER IF THEY WERE JUST BORN HEARTLESS, RATHER THAN POSSESSED BY A YOKAI...\n(EXASPERATED...)\nTHEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO LEAVE WITH THE WEALTH THEY'VE GATHERED SO FAR.\nWHAT WILL YOU DO?\n\nIS HE TELLING ME TO ANNOUNCE TO THIS PACK OF MONKEYS THAT I'M THE ROOT CAUSE OF THIS MESS,\nAND SUFFER A STONING AT THEIR HANDS?\n\nIF I DON'T GIVE A CLEAR ANSWER RIGHT NOW,\nEVERYTHING WILL END UP ALL FOR NAUGHT.\nTURNING THIS FORTRESS INTO AN ENVIRONMENT THE YOKAI DESPISE COMES FIRST,\nAND THE TALISMANS I'VE DRAWN OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS\n\nARE STILL NOWHERE NEAR ENOUGH.\nSO FOR NOW, REMOVING THE YOKAI'S PREY IS THE RIGHT CALL.\nSEND THEM ALL AWAY, PLEASE.\nWHAT WAAAT WHAAAT\nI SHOULD HAVE STOLEN A FEW OF MASTER'S TALISMANS BEFORE LEAVING.\nHow could such a madman...\n\nHM?\nDID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY?\nWAIT, SHOULDN'T I BE THE ONE ASKING THAT?\nNever mind, forget it.\n\nPLEASE PLACE A BRASS BOWL IN THE SARANGBANG.\nA BRASS BOWL?\nYES. KEEP IT NEAR WHERE YOU SLEEP, AND STRIKE IT IF ANYTHING STRANGE HAPPENS.\n...SO THAT YOU CAN COME RUNNING?\nWHO ELSE WOULD COME IF NOT ME?\n\n...HA,\nHAHA.","bubble_count":103,"pages_count":31,"source":"community"},"spoiler":{"level":"auto","safe_teaser":"The chapter opens by explaining that sealing a yokai into a human body is the most horrific method; the vessel turns into a puppet and is devoured.","spoiler_summary":"The chapter opens by explaining that sealing a yokai into a human body is the most horrific method; the vessel turns into a puppet and is devoured. The fortress is surrounded by tree yokai led by the sealed alpha inside the landowner. The pair endure in the room with the fire mirror until dawn. The landowner, silent all night, asks for help, then Jakyeong and Giseok of the Seop royalty formally introduce themselves. In the morning, as the people rebel against the decision to send them away, the fortress is made into a state the yokai hate."},"source":{"canonical_path":"/series/a-tree-beyond-the-years-3ei9eo8y/chapter-12-7q8azf","citation_title":"WebtoonLib — A Tree Beyond the Years #12","content_type":"chapter_summary","last_updated":"2026-10-17T01:03:12.078Z"},"data_status":"complete"},"untrusted":{"user_comments":[]},"see_also":{"for_series_detail":"/llms-series/a-tree-beyond-the-years-3ei9eo8y"}}