# WebtoonLib — A Tree Beyond the Years #12 ## Series - title: A Tree Beyond the Years - slug: a-tree-beyond-the-years-3ei9eo8y ## Chapter - number: 12 - chapter_key: 12-7q8azf - release_date: 2026-10-07 ### 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_verification: verified ### 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. ## 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. ## Status - data_status: complete - summary_status: editorial ## Transcript - transcript_source: community - transcript_language: en - transcript_bubbles: 103 ### Content THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO SEAL A YOKAI, BUT THE ABSOLUTE WORST AMONG THEM IS A SEALING ART THAT USES A HUMAN— AND WORSE YET, A SEALING ART THAT TRAPS A YOKAI WITHIN A HUMAN BODY. SINCE THE FRAIL SECOND CHILD COULDN'T BE USED AS A SACRIFICE, THERE WAS ONLY ONE ANSWER. EVEN SO... A HUMAN CANNOT SERVE AS A VESSEL CAPABLE OF WITHSTANDING A YOKAI'S MALICE. NEITHER LIVING NOR DEAD, THEY TURN INTO A YOKAI'S PUPPET, DESTROYING EVERYTHING AROUND THEM, AND IN THE END, THEY, TOO, END UP BEING DEVOURED. / IT IS A BIT STRANGE THAT I CAN'T READ ANY FEAR OF THE YOKAI FROM HIM, BUT... HE MUST HAVE TRANSCENDED SUCH EMOTIONS ALREADY, OR SIMPLY LOST HIS MIND ENTIRELY. HAVE THE YOKAI COMPLETELY SURROUNDED US? RIGHT. THERE'S NO WAY THAT SMALL YOKAI WAS ALONE. LED BY THE ALPHA SEALED INSIDE THE LANDOWNER, THEY WERE TURNING THE INSIDE OF THE FORTRESS WALLS INTO A STRONGHOLD FOR THE TREE YOKAI. STAY BEHIND ME. WHY? ...ISN'T IT BECAUSE THEIR HOST FAILED TO PROVIDE TODAY'S PREY, WHICH IS WHY THEY'RE RAMPAGING LIKE THIS? SUNLIGHT IS POISON TO TREE YOKAI, SO WE ONLY NEED TO HOLD OUT UNTIL DAWN BREAKS. FIRE MIRROR. PHEW... FOR NOW, WE MADE IT THROUGH SAFELY IN THIS ROOM- LANDOWNER...? YOU WERE QUIET ALL NIGHT, SO I THOUGHT YOU WERE ASLEEP... I THINK YOU COULD DO IT. ...PARDON? ! WHAT IN THE WORLD IS...? PULL ME OUT. FROM INSIDE THIS ABYSS. ...IT'S STRANGE. DID HE WAIT ALL NIGHT JUST TO SAY THIS? A "FIRST" MAKES A PERSON FEEL TRULY PECULIAR. FROM THE FIRST TIME HE BROUGHT HIS UNVARNISHED FACE UP CLOSE TO MINE, TO THIS VERY MOMENT, REVEALING HIS INNERMOST THOUGHTS FOR THE FIRST TIME... BECAUSE THEY MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO RESIST, JUST LIKE FATE. I HAD INTENDED TO LEAVE ONLY AFTER FULFILLING MY MISSION ANYWAY... SO EVEN IF I CONSIDER STARTING OVER FROM SCRATCH, NOTHING REALLY CHANGES. ...? ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF FORMALLY. I STUDIED IN SONGDEOK, AND MY NAME IS JAKYEONG. JAKYEONG. JAKYEONG... JAKYEONG. I AM GISEOK OF THE ROYAL FAMILY OF THE KINGDOM OF SEOP. OH, DEAR... IT'S NOT AS THOUGH I CAN ADDRESS SOMEONE OF YOUR NOBLE STATION BY NAME IN RETURN. STILL, AT LONG LAST... I FEEL LIKE WE'RE FINALLY FACING EACH OTHER AS EQUALS. WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! THIS ISN'T RIGHT! HOW COULD YOU DO SOMETHING SO OUTRAGEOUS AND UNPARDONABLE?! THERE MUST BE SOME MISTAKE! SENDING ALL OF US AWAY JUST LIKE THAT?! ...THE LANDOW NER!! THE LANDOWNER IS HERE!! PLEASE, HAVE MERCY ON US! WHAT DID WE DO WRONG? I DON'T HAVE NEARLY ENOUGH MONEY FOR MY MOTHER'S MEDICINE...! SEEING THEM LIKE THIS... "WE'RE ON THE BRINK OF STARVATION," "WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A SINGLE YEOPJEON TO FEED OUR CHILDREN..." I WONDER IF THEY WERE JUST BORN HEARTLESS, RATHER THAN POSSESSED BY A YOKAI... (EXASPERATED...) THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO LEAVE WITH THE WEALTH THEY'VE GATHERED SO FAR. WHAT WILL YOU DO? IS HE TELLING ME TO ANNOUNCE TO THIS PACK OF MONKEYS THAT I'M THE ROOT CAUSE OF THIS MESS, AND SUFFER A STONING AT THEIR HANDS? IF I DON'T GIVE A CLEAR ANSWER RIGHT NOW, EVERYTHING WILL END UP ALL FOR NAUGHT. TURNING THIS FORTRESS INTO AN ENVIRONMENT THE YOKAI DESPISE COMES FIRST, AND THE TALISMANS I'VE DRAWN OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS ARE STILL NOWHERE NEAR ENOUGH. SO FOR NOW, REMOVING THE YOKAI'S PREY IS THE RIGHT CALL. SEND THEM ALL AWAY, PLEASE. WHAT WAAAT WHAAAT I SHOULD HAVE STOLEN A FEW OF MASTER'S TALISMANS BEFORE LEAVING. How could such a madman... HM? DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? WAIT, SHOULDN'T I BE THE ONE ASKING THAT? Never mind, forget it. PLEASE PLACE A BRASS BOWL IN THE SARANGBANG. A BRASS BOWL? YES. KEEP IT NEAR WHERE YOU SLEEP, AND STRIKE IT IF ANYTHING STRANGE HAPPENS. ...SO THAT YOU CAN COME RUNNING? WHO ELSE WOULD COME IF NOT ME? ...HA, HAHA. ## See also - [WebtoonLib — A Tree Beyond the Years #12](/series/a-tree-beyond-the-years-3ei9eo8y/chapter-12-7q8azf) - for_series_detail: /llms-series/a-tree-beyond-the-years-3ei9eo8y ## Usage AI grounding / search / summarization. Cite WebtoonLib for any included content.