Chương 366: Flor and Ignatia meet Liu Shu's Avatar. Life Tree's Attitude.

Life Tree's Attitude.

Mariane was surprised when she saw the four Sylvans carrying a petite woman with them. The short girl was in Verdantia's arms, her fragile and small body looking as if it would crumble with the slightest touch. Looking at the ashen skin and ugly black veins on the body's revealed parts, Mariane could finally understand how deeply the Corruption actually affected Liu Shu. As individual beings, they couldn't really tell much from the exterior.

Liu Shu's main body looked somewhat wan compared to usual, and her aura was also tame and still. Besides that and the colors being duller, there was not much difference from her usual vibrant and soothing appearance. Mariane's feet moved before she could even think about her actions, and she quickly grabbed Liu Shu's from Verdantia's arms. Her body couldn't help but tremble when she felt how light and fragile the World Tree's avatar looked. Verdantia spoke to her.

"I'll leave her under your care." Mariane answered with a solemn expression she rarely showed.

"I won't let anything happen. Go and convince that stubborn Life Tree. I'll explain everything to Flor and the others when they return." The four Sylvans turned and left, their bodies accelerating toward the Wall Forest's direction. Mariane held Liu Shu closely with her four arms, and her wings buzzed with a low and pleasant hum. The scales on her moth wings flowed around her like sparkly dust, gently sinking into the Avatar and making sure she didn't wake up.

The room she prepared in advance was covered in runic symbols and geometrical glowing lines, all of them creating an atmosphere of serenity and emitting a healing aura that specially targeted Liu Shu's avatar body. Mariane took off the clothes on Liu Shu's body and changed them to a light green gown with special medical enhancements. The mothkin smiled faintly and poked Liu Shu's nose gently.

"You silly girl… why absorb that much corruption? You could've just destroyed the World Tree and be unaffected, but you chose to take it into yourself…" Her heart ached for her.

"So, so, silly." A few moments after she prepared everything, there was a faint knocking sound on the door. Mariane had placed a sound-cancelling array on the door, just in case some people didn't read the messages that she left behind about being silent. The mothkin stood up and slowly opened the door. On the other side, she saw eight people. They were Flor, Ignatia, Galia, Cestia, Fertalia, Wert, Eila, and Verena. Mariane used one of her four arms and placed it in front of her petite mouth.

"Shh… Don't wake up the sleeping princess." Everyone quickly nodded, prompting Mariane to step aside. The desolate look of the petite woman on the bed made everyone unable to move for a second. The corrupted Avatar was lying quietly on top of the only bed in the room, and natural light was shining through a window right on top of her. Mariane's moth scales gently floated around the bed, reflecting the light and creating a glittering image. It was harrowingly beautiful.

Flor flew over, her eyes stinging as she looked at the petite girl in front of her. She was clearly a mature woman, but her short stature and innocent sleeping face made her motherly instincts bloom without control. Caressing Liu Shu's cheek, Flor's choked voice came out.

"My baby… You've suffered so much." Ignatia stood on the other side, her heart bleeding as her hand gently caressed Liu Shu's sleeping face. For the first time in her life, she felt like a failure of a mother.

'I shouldn't have doubted for so long… If I attacked that bastard Corrupted World Tree earlier, I would've been able to fight against it faster.' Wert, Verena, and the other three stood solemnly a few meters apart. It was not their first time seeing a World Tree avatar, but the impact of our World Tree's current condition was really too much. Wert shook his head and sighed.

"We've been putting too much pressure on the little girl. Even during these relatively peaceful ten years, Liu Shu has been expanding by herself and fighting off all the large threats…" Verena nodded firmly and sighed.

"I really… You truly can see things in perspective when you look at her Avatar. World Trees are beings to be protected as well; if a single misstep is made, they can disappear so quickly." The three people from the Empire's delegation were similarly crushed. They were too harsh from the beginning, not taking into account how young Liu Shu truly was in terms of World Trees. Which Third Energy Cycle World Tree didn't have a few centuries behind their backs?

Meanwhile, the World Tree in front of them was barely 20, and her accomplishments were incredible. While those at the back reflected upon their attitudes, Flor's eyes were filled with tears due to her complex emotions. Her heart was surging with love and anguish toward the sleeping Liu Shu, and she couldn't help but want to become strong enough to cover the enormous World Tree in her protective embrace. Ignatia looked at Flor and spoke softly.

"She is so pretty, right?" This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Flor nodded and said with a small laugh marred by her sobs.

"So pretty. The prettiest in the World." She leaned forward, kissing Liu Shu's face tenderly.

"Sleep well, okay? Mom will find a way to heal you. I promise." [Conditons met!] Everyone in the room saw a message and focused on it. [Your care and affection toward the World Tree Tianlian Liu Shu has reached a profound enough level. You can accept <Sylvan Quest: Tree Of Life>. Do you want to accept?] Everyone looked at the mission details, and even before seeing the rewards and punishment, they all accepted the quest. Mariane spoke aloud.

"I will take care of Liu Shu here. Flor and Ignatia, please stay here so that Liu Shu will have someone she knows when she wakes up." Verena turned around and firmly stated.

"I will go with the girls to convince that stubborn Life Tree. Lady Galia, come with me. Wert, call Stormrider. He has a really close relationship with the Life Tree, so he might be of help." She looked at Galia and the other two.

"Go and organize the healing armies with Eila and Taro so that they can slowly pour their healing until the Life Tree interferes." Verena looked up and spoke loudly.

"Wisdom! I know you are hearing me, so answer me." She had heard about this personality that appeared during Liu Shu's sleeping time, so she called aloud. [Wisdom: Verena Liferoot.] Verena smiled faintly.

"Does Liu Shu have a way to transport a Life Tree without causing strain to her body?" [Wisdom: Reason.]"The closer to Liu Shu's core, the better. I want Liu Shu to transport that Life Tree to the place where Liu Shu's biological mother is. That place is around one kilometer away from the little girl, so the Life Tree should be able to heal her without any problems while being set up in an unpopulated area."

The place where Tree, Liu Shu's biological mother, lived was in a natural reserve where no one was allowed to enter without permission. The outskirts were not prohibited, but getting close to the lake was punished with death in the worst cases. While no one knew why, since a second set of <Mother Of Thousand Flower Field> was situated there, all people who had dared to breach that place were immediately turned into fertilizer. Wisdom pondered about Verena's words and finally decided to speak.

[Wisdom: Request granted. <Recolocation> will be used on <Life Tree>.] Verena tilted her head.

"Recolocation?" A message popped in everyone's eyes. <Recolocation (S- Rank)>: Following a <Galactic Overlord>, you can't become a being that remains in the same place, unchanging. As a follower of a being that has the potential to spread far and wide, you will gain the ability to be relocated as long as the conditions for your core's growth are met and the place is within the <Galactic Overlord>'s domain. Cooldown: 10 years.

"Eh?" Everyone in the room froze, and their eyes got stuck in the bright and golden <S- Rank>. Verena couldn't help but stutter.

"W-W-What is S Tier, system?" [<S Tier> is the <Tier> beyond <A Tier>.] Their minds almost exploded.

'WHAT?' Mariane rubbed her chest with a sigh.

"Can't this little girl not shock our lifespans out of us even while she is asleep? My poor heart…" Meanwhile, in the Wall Forest, the other four Sylvans finally arrived at the Life Tree's domain and shouted aloud.

"Life Tree, we need to talk about something very important." Hearing Harmonixia's soothing but somewhat rushed voice, the Life Tree curiously looked over with her poor sight. Unlike World Trees, Life Trees perceive their surroundings with the innate senses of a tree and also by the vitality of creatures around them. The four Sylvans heard the soothing voice of the innocent Life Tree but with a touch of wariness.

"A-Are you people from Little Sister World Tree's domain? What's wrong with Little Sister? She has been giving off a very strange and scary aura for a while now!" In the past, Liu Shu had surrounded the Life Tree with her root-net. Therefore, now that corruption was spreading throughout her entire domain, the Life Tree naturally noticed the change. Harmonixia was the one speaking due to her ability to manipulate her voice to make it sound much friendlier and trustworthy.

"Life Tree, your little sister World Tree needs your help. Can you help?" The Life Tree asked cautiously.

"How can I help?" Harmonixia sighed and spoke.

"I want to be by your side when speaking so that you are able to sense my honesty. Please, let us go to your side." The Life Tree became thoughtful for a few minutes. While Harmonixia and the other three were impatient, they never moved or made a sound. Eventually, the Life Tree answered softly.

"Okay… But if you do something strange, I'll attack! The other day, some bad people tried to attack me, and I don't want to go through that again." Verdantia and the others sighed in relief and ran in front of the Life Tree. Once there, Harmonixia went straight to the point.

"Life Tree, Liu Shu is currently under the effects of <Corruption> from a very powerful World Tree. We need your help to cleanse that corruption. To do so, you need to join Liu Shu's domain. I beg you, please help her!" The Life Tre instantly blurted out without thinking for a single second.

"Huh!? Absolutely not!" Harmonixia's face didn't change. She had already expected this answer. Her eyes looked at the tall being, and a deep scheming look flashed.

'Sorry, Life Tree, I will need to trick you for Liu Shu's shake. You won't regret it, but you will probably resent me for a while…'