It was a new day in Golden Sap City. Recently, the city has been attacked often, leading to some financial problems for people who live day to day. That was especially the case for Explorers and merchants who often needed to move back and forth between cities or go outside the walls.
Duren's day started early in the morning. As soon as the sun's rays began pouring through the window, Duren got up. He opened his eyes, surrounded by the fresh scent of nature in the morning. He was a Level 23 Explorer, so he was quite well-off in terms of wealth, allowing him to rent one of the famous Tree Houses of Golden Sap City.
Sitting up, he stretched and spoke softly. "Good morning, House."
Duren had been in Golden Sap City for more than a year. Therefore, he was present during the time that many were punished for abusing the houses. After that day, he realized that the Tree Houses they lived in were actual beings with thoughts and feelings. Perhaps they were primitive, but they were on a sentient level.
Since he started treating the house nicely, the house would answer back occasionally, going beyond and even using branches on the walls to help him tidy things around. After he said good morning, he saw a branch on the wall wave back and forth cutely. He couldn't help but laugh faintly. "I wonder if you have a name?"
After a few seconds, the root shook side to side in denial. "That's a shame. I hope that your mother, Lady World Tree, gives you a name one day."
He stood up from the comfortable bed and tidied the sheets. Then, he moved toward the bathroom and entered the showering area. Like the rest of the house, the showers in the tree house could be personalized. Duren decided to make a cubicle-like shower with a shelf at the side for the natural soap created from tree sap.
The water came from the city's enormous reservoir and was absorbed by the House Tree's roots, pouring down from some holes in the wooden ceiling of the shower.
Duren was not very knowledgeable about how it worked, but he heard from a friend that the water would then be absorbed by the House Tree, not wasting a single drop. After showering and shaving himself with a blade, the man walked toward the dining room.
He opened one of the shelves on the wall, taking a wooden plate. Then, he approached a cooking spot that used tree resin as fuel to start a fire. Some branches at the side wiggled, making Duren smile. "Thanks for keeping an eye on this. We don't want the fire to go out of control and hurt you, right?"
The branches cutely shook around, making Duren laugh. Although most mornings were the same, these interactions were soul-healing. Unlike his previous houses, he felt relaxed and secure in this place.
After cooking a breakfast made of eggs, meat, and some vegetables, he placed it on the table and poured himself some fruit juice he bought in the shop the Rose Fairies opened. "From what I heard, this juice is made from your mother's fruits! It is honestly quite expensive. However, the other day, a friend finally convinced me to buy it. I've talked to you about him in the past, Gafred. Remember him?"
Duren saw the branch nod and smiled. "That's great." Then, he started cutting the meat with some very sharp wooden cutlery while speaking aloud. "He said that the effects are basically miraculous and that it even healed some old wounds." Duren shook his head. "He is a boastful guy. However, I am willing to give it a try…" Duren was thoughtful and asked. "Do you want a little? If I pour it down the sink's hole, you should be able to absorb it, right?"
A little branch on the wall started bobbing up and down, and Duren grinned. "Okay. One serving for me, another for you!"
He stood up after pouring the juice into another cup, and he took a big gulp while pouring the other down the sink. "Cheers!"
Suddenly, a System Message popped up.
[You've consumed <Phoer Berry Juice>.]
[+2500 Phoer Body Shards!]
Duren felt a refreshing sensation around his body as some of the old pains from past battles got slightly better. He stood there, frozen for a few seconds. Then, he cursed. "That bastard was hiding this all this time!? Oh, I am going to beat his face black and blue when I see him again!"
Of course, Duren completely ignored the fact that his friend had to convince him to try it, meaning that he probably tried many times. Sadly for Gafred, his fate today was getting beaten up by Duren.
Duren sat back down on the table and sighed. "No wonder everyone who goes to that shop once becomes a regular. I am going to be one as well…" He smiled wryly. "Your mother's fruits are truly miraculous, eh? As expected from Lady World Tree."
The branches on the sides waved proudly, making Duren laugh. "Anyway, let's eat quickly! I am a bit late to the meeting with those brats."
Duren ate the food and cleaned the plates before going out. The water he used from the wooden faucet came from the same place, following the same principle as the shower, being used to "water" the House Tree.
After finishing everything, he took his metal armor and sword together with his bag and shield. "Welp, since the War has entered a temporary pause, it is time to go to work! Who knows when those maniacs will try and attack your mother again?" Duren shook his head as he headed down from the fourth floor of the House Tree, where he lived. "I didn't expect Lady Fortuna to be so unwelcoming, to be honest."
When he was reaching the lower floors, he saw another man who was frowning. Suddenly, the man kicked the wall quite hard while cursing. "Fuck! Why are you not listening and changing the things as I tell you!?"
Bang!
Duren's pupils shrunk, and he lunged forward, grabbing the man by the neck and slamming him against the wall. "Hey, what the fuck do you think you are doing!?"
The man's eyes were currently spinning from the violent impact. However, even in this situation, he was able to recognize the renowned Level 23 Explorer. He tried to answer through the terror he was feeling. "L-Lord Duran! W-What did I do to offend you?"
The man's voice sounded choked up as Duren's grip was not light. When he heard the question, Duren's face sank with anger. "You hit the House and ask me what am I doing!? Why the fuck would you hit the Tree House who takes care of you!?" Duren warned with killing intent in his tone. "The houses bear a lot and don't really retaliate unless they are about to get in real danger, but don't you dare try to test those limits, or I'll rip your head off. Am I understood?"
For Duren, the Tree House was like a big puppy that he needed to protect. Even though the Tree House was probably stronger than him, he understood how truly gentle these beings were.
The man almost peed himself and repeatedly nodded. He was a Level 9 man, and the presence of a Level 23's threat felt like a sword poking his heart. Duren looked at the side and asked. "Did this guy bully you?"
A branch lowered and gently shook from side to side. Duren hummed. "Good. If he ever hits you again, just throw him out the window." Then, he threw the man to the side and spat. "Trash."
Ignoring that small confrontation, Duren walked outside and looked around. The streets were much more lively than one would expect during tense moments. The reason was the strength that the World Tree had shown. Many knew that one of the top sects in the surroundings, the <Midnight Foxglove Sect>, had come to attack with a ten-thousand-strong army with almost all soldiers being Level 20 and above. And yet, no one saw the army; they only heard the wails of soldiers being slaughtered coming from the forest.
For many in the city, the Golden Sap City's soldiers moved out, and after a few hours, almost the same number of soldiers returned while the other army had been annihilated. Such an event made everyone reevaluate the place they were currently living in.
Beyond many things, one piece of important information that many learned was that the flower ring surrounding the Golden Sap City's inner area was a bit more than a flower field.
Duren remembered hearing the bombardment and looking through the window. The sight of thousands of large flowers pointing at the sky and shooting seeds one after another made his heart shake with awe, and he felt his own mind be humbled.
Reaching his usual blacksmith, Duren walked inside and raised his hand. "Hey, old man. How are you doing?"
The man he spoke to looked around fifty with white hair at the sides of his head. "What old man? I am just a few years older than you."
Duren laughed. "I am here to check that dagger I asked you about. Do you have time now?"
The blacksmith pointed in front of him, where two women in armor were standing, and he asked sarcastically. "Do I look like I am free, Duren?"
Duren smiled at the two women. "I am just joking with him. I'll wait until you Ladies are done."
The two women smiled and nodded. Duren walked around the smith's room and saw the pristine armor, weapons, and other types of interesting gadgets like chains, hooks, whips, and even scythes. Duren walked to one of those scythes and hummed. "Do people really use this as a weapon?"
To be fair, he felt that the weapon was just inferior to a spear or any similar polearm. Of course, he had seen proficient users during his years who would slice him in half easily. Even then, Duren was never a fan of this type of "quirky" weapon. A shield, a sword, a spear, an ax… those kinds of weapons were what Duren favored.
"Hey! I am done. Come here."
Duren turned around and walked over to the counter. "Say, what do you do with the broken weapons and such? I know that most of the professions can create items that are easy to dispose of. However, as a blacksmith that uses metals, your items can't really be grounded and released in nature to be absorbed, right?"
The blacksmith raised his bushy eyebrow. "Ho? Where does this question come from?"
Duren smiled. "After living in this city, I got curious about how all the trash seems to be so nicely sorted out. Some places have trouble with that, and you can even see it on the sides of the roads. Golden Sap City, on the other hand, seems to have no problem with it."
The blacksmith commented. "Well, there are many techniques that allow us to reuse the metal. We smelt it, burn out the impurities, and change it into an ingot of whatever alloy it was made of. Then, they are completely reusable. The only thing we waste as blacksmiths is fuel. Leather and other types of materials are easy to repair or get rid of."
Then, he added. "But, if there is trash that's difficult to deal with, they are usually taken away by the ants."
"The ants?" Duren was surprised.
The blacksmith shrugged. "We were told that whatever trash we have that we can't deal with, we give to the ants. What they do with it is not our problem. They also do it for free, so whatever."
"Ho~." Duren smiled. "Well, let's get down to business. I need that dagger for the new lady that joined us."
The blacksmith asked. "Are you going to hunt?"
Duren nodded. "Yeah. We must get as much money as possible before the war restarts."
Liu Shu mulled over it for a long time, and eventually, she decided to first Level Up to Level 24 and then, if there was time, continue her Level Ups. After all, she needed to go dormant for a while during that process, leaving not only her but the entirety of the Golden Sap City vulnerable.
The last time she did a large Level Up spree, it took her several months. This time around, Liu Shu feared that it would take at least one year if she Leveled Up until Level 25.
Liu Shu first looked at her accumulated Experience points.
Accumulated Experience: 469,251
That number always threw her off. It was probably more than what she had accumulated during her entire lifetime. 'Well… I haven't been alive for a long time, barely four years… Right?'
With her long naps, Liu Shu had already lost track of her age. However, if she counted the time since she got the system as her first birthday, she was sure that she was not older than five.
Otherwise, Liu Shu was quite sure that she had lived much longer as a bush in the forest than she had lived as a World Tree. The many winters and summers she went through during that time were fuzzy, but she could somewhat remember them.
Liu Shu looked around the town and spotted Cinderielle on the farm, checking the cattle's health and other administrative matters that she had taken over after Flor started evolving. "Cinderielle!"
The red-haired Sylvan's cold and indifferent face melted as a smile appeared on her face. Other than to a very few, Verdantia, Tempestria, and Cinderielle were very cold and indifferent. They did things almost mechanically, as if the only thing that mattered in their lives was Liu Shu.
The World Tree was not sure if that kind of attitude toward life was a healthy one. However, because Sylvans were a very long-lived race, they had a lot more trouble developing a meaningful attachment toward short-lived races.
It was common knowledge that most meaningful relationships were created during the early years of a Sylvan's lifetime.
"What do you want, Tiantian? Is there something wrong?"
Liu Shu observed how Cinderielle crouched to check the udders of the farm animal and commented in the meantime. "I am going to Level Up for a long time. So, I came here to say goodbye for now~."
Cinderielle hummed, writing something in a notebook made out of leaves. "Tiantian, can you stay in a defensive stance while you level up?"
The World Tree asked, confused. "What do you mean?"
Cinderielle commented. "I mean, if World Trees were so vulnerable while they level up, there would be no wild World Trees. After all, once they started leveling up, they would be free prey." Cinderielle tilted her head. "It doesn't really fit with the image of an almighty primal predator that all creatures fear since the dawn of time, no?"
Liu Shu paused and hummed. "Honestly, I have never really tried. Each time I Level Up, I just let myself sink in the feeling while my body digests the world's essence."
Cinderielle hummed. "Try to think about a defensive root net that reacts to threats. Similar to your Tree Houses. Something that takes just an instinctive thought instead of a voluntary one. While the strength of that would be lacking, at least you wouldn't be completely helpless." The red-haired Sylvan smiled. "Moreover, once your base strength overcomes your previous strength by a lot, you'll probably be stronger in that subconscious state than when you were awake."
Liu Shu got silent as her root net created thoughts at a terrifyingly quick speed. Her entire root neet seemed to become alive as it tried to come up with an idea or a method to replicate what Cinderielle had just told her.
'The main problem is… How do I know who is a threat and who's not a threat? How do I know what to attack?'
Many ideas crossed her mind. However, most of them would almost certainly involve innocent people. While Liu Shu didn't mind much how others viewed her, what she didn't want was to hurt someone she cared about without knowing. What if she slapped a Rose Fairy that came to tend her branches? Or what if she dragged underground a farmer that's working near her roots and hits it unconsciously because they can't see them?
These things happened quite often, and she didn't want to attack those people. 'Ah…'
Liu Shu looked at her skills, and finally, it landed on <World Tree Wisdom>. Her SSS Rank skill. 'Say, Wisdom… Can you like, take over my defensive system while I am Leveling Up?'
[Wisdom: It is possible.]
The World Tree's branches ruffled in glee. 'Really!? I knew that such a high-level skill wouldn't be just an advisor!'
[Wisdom: … <World Tree Wisdom (SSS Rank)>'s known uses by the user are much more varied than just being an "Advisor."]
'Meh, an advisor that helps me learn quickly and understand all languages.'
[Wisdom: …]
'Speaking of learning…' Liu Shu shifted her view toward the Library and saw the lines of empty shelves being slowly filled with books. Since she created the library, she had Leveled Up a lot of times, increasing her book-printing speed. Moreover, Mariane, the <Library Guardian>, would sometimes take money from the treasury and go buy books of all kinds. She always bought two copies, though.
The mothkin was dabbling in some runes, surrounded by the relaxing silence accompanied by the clacking of her tools. Suddenly, a voice spread in the room.
"Mariane!"
The mothkin's hand twisted slightly as she jumped, startled. "Ah…" Looking at the ruined Runic Field she was writing, she sighed and asked. "What's wrong, Liu Shu?"
"Which ones are the books I can eat?"
Mariane smiled and pointed up. "The ones on the floor above this one." She added. "By the way, I am close to reaching Level 30. I might need to go into a small close-door retirement to do so."
"Woah~! You are so strong and quick!"
Mariane's wings flapped happily. "Of course!" Then, she commented. "Speaking of which. There are three books I recommend you read… Well, eat before you go Level Up. The rest are just general knowledge of the surroundings, history of some powers, historical figures, children's books, and many other types of books. You can do those later."
Liu Shu giggled. "Mariane! You didn't tell me the titles of the books!"
"Oh…" Mariane coughed. "Well. They are called <World Tree or World Forest?>, <World Tree's Powerful Subconscious>, and <The Mysterious Nature of a World Tree's Innate Knowledge>. I gave them a look, and although I understood very little, they might be interesting for you."
Liu Shu hummed. "Thanks! You are really worthy of being the Librarian of the <Endless World Tree Library>!"
Mariane puffed her chest. "Of course~! I am learning and Leveling Up faster here than in any other place, so I need to return the favor!"
"Hehehe. Thanks~."
Liu Shu's roots stretched from the ceiling of the other room and took those three books. Then, she activated <World Tree Wisdom> and absorbed their knowledge.
She took no longer than a day. By the morning of the next day, Liu Shu muttered to herself. 'This is quite… Handy.' She humphed. 'Why didn't anybody teach me about this before? So many things that I could've done while I Level Up! Instead, I wasted it all by just being a potted plant and enjoying the sun!'
Liu Shu paused, and she suddenly felt a bit sour. 'To be honest… Potted plants have it so easy… They don't need to worry about someone coming because they want to devour them whole!'
Changing her thoughts, she snorted. 'But they are all so weak! I prefer being a World Tree, hmph!'
She went to look out for Verdantia and saw her sulking in her house while taking care of her plants. "Verdantia-"
"LIU'ER!" Verdantia jumped and complained, her body slowly generating an increasingly ominous aura that made Liu Shu feel a strange chill. "Why did you only visit Cinderielle yesterday!? Am I less important than her!? Are you going to abandon me!? I won't let you, do you understand!? I told you that I love you, and I am waiting patiently, but if you dare not love me back one day, I'll uproot you and plant you in a garden where no one other than myself will be able to see you!"
"Huh?" Liu Shu looked at the fuming woman, utterly baffled. "What are you talking about? I just went to read some books."
Verdantia paused and calmed down. "Oh."
That strange aura completely disappeared. The change was so abrupt that Liu Shu didn't know how to react. "Um… Are you okay, Verdantia?"
Verdantia smiled gently. "Of course. I am perfectly fine. Are you here to say goodbye?"
Liu Shu observed the woman, checking on her just in case. After seeing that she was truly fine, she spoke. "Anyway, I am going to Level Up, and following Cinderielle's advice, I will create a defensive subconsciousness!"
"A what?" Verdantia blinked twice, confused.
"A defensive subconsciousness!" Liu Shu repeated proudly. "As World Trees grow in size, they can naturally not really keep up with everything that happens in their domain. Therefore, they usually create an active subconsciousness that takes care of threats. Like an immune system but on a much larger scale!"
Verdantia hummed. "I see. That's nice. Am I the first one to know about it?"
Liu Shu felt that Verdantia's focus was a bit off, but she answered honestly. "Yes. I am-"
"YEAH!" Verdantia pumped her fist, leaving Liu Shu baffled again. Of the three Sylvans, Cinderielle was the most mischievous, Tempestria the most easy-going, and then Verdantia was… the most honest.
"Ahem… As I was saying. I am going to tell Cinderielle and Tempestria later. I want you three to tell others so that they don't carelessly activate it. I warn you that when something is detected as a threat, they either get out of my domain, or they will be hunted down until they are completely eradicated."
Verdantia hummed. "Understood. We'll make sure that people behave… How about those creatures underground? Won't they trigger it?"
Liu Shu comforted her. "Don't worry, I have made sure not to touch their nest with my roots; I am just surrounding the place slowly and covering it. I will only react if they leave their nest and attack me."
"Understood!" Verdantia smiled radiantly.
Liu Shu giggled and said. "Bye-bye~."
Verdantia smiled playfully. "Goodbye, Liu Shu. I love you!"
The World Tree coughed in her mind and went away, feeling somewhat flustered. 'They've been saying it more and more often lately, but instead of affecting me less, it makes me feel more and more strange each time… Ugh…'
Looking around the place, she spotted Tempestria flying around with her sword while hunting down a few large birds.
"Tempestria!"
The grey-haired woman blinked and swiftly dodged the attack from the bird. She stopped mid-air, her gaze on the giant bird, and smiled. "Shu'er. You are here. Are you here to say goodbye?"
"Yes! Did Cinderielle tell you, too?"
Tempestria rolled her eyes while easily avoiding the Level 21 bird. "Tell us? Once she realized that you hadn't visited us, she started bragging and rubbing it in our faces."
"Oh…" Liu Shu answered softly, holding back her laughter. "That's so tragic, pfft~"
Tempestrai clicked her tongue, blocking the bird with her sword. "You dare laugh still? I swear that if you ever get one of those legendary avatar thingies, I am going to spank your butt until it is red!"
Liu Shu asked, laughing. "What if my skin is red?"
"I'll make it redder!"
"Hahahaha!"
After speaking with Tempestria for a bit longer, Liu Shu left and started making preparations. 'Okay, I want my subconscious to, first of all, fill the entire empty place inside my walls with Tree Structures. A bit of everything~. I should create another farm and stable, two more water reservoirs… Anyway, follow the proportions I've followed until now and the plans for the city I have created.'
Liu Shu pondered and continued. 'I should also make something like <Mother Of Thousand Flower Field> but on top of the wall for more offensive power! I also need to increase the size of the Golden Sap Forest, or it will become too small for me. I am a growing World Tree, after all! For the materials… Well, we've saved hundreds of <Bren> already and we are about to go over a thousand! That should be enough to buy the materials. I'll create a list and place it in the <Lignified Vault> so that they go buying as they can.'
Liu Shu observed everything and hummed. 'The only thing left is the berries… How about, instead of accelerating the berries, I just let them grow naturally? My canopy is huge, so I can grow tens of thousands of them without a problem. If I attack with my branches, the berries will go to waste… Well, I can't actively feed my berries when I am Leveling Up, so I don't really have an option… Did you understand, Wisdom?'
[Wisdom: Understood.]
'Great! Any details that you need to decide, I leave it to you! You can't speak through me, so if you need to communicate anything, use that thing in the <Lignified Vault>.'
After checking everything she needed to do while her mind went to sleep, she finally decided not to delay it anymore. 'With this new knowledge, I feel much more comfortable Leveling Up, so… Level 25, here I come! System, tell me an estimate of how long I will take!'
[Calculating… Tianlian Liu Shu wants to Level up from Level 21 to Level 25. Experience Points Needed 253,990… Estimated time from two to four years.]
"Huh?"
Those were her last thoughts before sleepiness hit her, and her consciousness was swallowed by the process.
También te puede interesar
Comentario de párrafo
¡La función de comentarios de párrafo ya está en la Web! Mueva el mouse sobre cualquier párrafo y haga clic en el icono para agregar su comentario.
Además, siempre puedes desactivarlo en Ajustes.
ENTIENDO