Chương 386: I-CARE

While Verdantia was acting as the delegation, Liu Shu continued expanding in all directions.

"Hm~? The earth here is a bit different…" Her roots dug silently through the terrain and felt a raspy and dry sensation, different from the usual muddy terrain. Looking over with her World Tree Eye, Liu Shu exclaimed in surprise.

"Woah! Is this the beach? I reached the coast!" In the books, Liu Shu heard that the ocean was like a massive lake of water that extended beyond the horizon. Of course, taking in such a view was impossible with the way she saw the world. After so many years, her World Tree Eye skill had leveled up, but not once did it tier up. After all, C Tier skills needed ridiculous amounts of proficiency points and Experience Points to break through.

To cross from C Tier Level 5 to Level Max, World Tree Eye needed 18, 000, 000 proficiency; to break through to C+ Tier, it required 324, 000 Experience Points. Speaking of skills, Liu Shu had made plenty of progress. Many low-level skills Tiered-Up without needing to pay Experience Points by just using them. Meanwhile, the higher-level ones were all advancing and becoming stronger. Overall, there had been a qualitative change compared to 14 years ago, even though she spent a large chunk of that time sleeping.

Once her roots reached the coast, she pierced the sand, and, for the first time, she tasted ocean water.

'Wowah!? The taste is so strong. How many minerals does ocean water have!? No wonder some of the common trees can't live near the sea, they would have their arteries clogged!' Fortuna's voice reached her, asking curiously.

"Why the sudden exclamation? Trying to act cute so that we pamper you?" Lakeborn joined as well, her myriad voices echoing with gentleness.

"Is everything alright, Liu Shu? You suddenly reacted cutely~." The newest big sister, Prarya, chuckled.

"Even you can get startled? Feeling your roots twitch in surprise was really adorable~." Liu Shu's Avatar puffed her cheeks.

"WAH! Why are you teasing me so in tandem, eh!? Why are you all so coordinated!?" The three big sister World Trees burst into gentle laughter. Prarya asked again, this time soothingly.

"Okay, okay. It's our fault. What's wrong?" Liu Shu harrumphed proudly.

"I reached the ocean!""""Eh?""" Liu Shu giggled.

"Hehehe. Did you not expect it? I am that powerful!" Prarya chuckled.

"Okay, okay. You are the strongest. How is the feeling of the land over there?" Liu Shu pondered, her roots wiggling around to feel the place.

"Hmhmhmhmh~. Big Sister Prarya and Big Sister Fortuna wouldn't like it at all. Hm… The taste is like the meal at noon, but without any sweetness and multiplying the saltiness by five!"

"Ugh," Prarya complained.

"Little Fortuna and I would be quite uncomfortable indeed." Lakeborn's voice commented curiously.

"It doesn't sound that bad… We would like to test the waters if possible."

"Oh, right! Lakeborn, do you want to be relocated here? We can use <Recolocation> if you want to! You'll be able to expand easily across the ocean as well~." Lakeborn asked, confused.

"But… We have expanded my roots through the rivers around this place already. Won't all that effort be in vain if we go there?" Fortuna chuckled.

"What are a few rivers compared to the ocean? Big Sister Lakeborn should go there! Moreover, the cooldown time of <Recolocation> is just 10 years. If you feel uncomfortable after that time, you can always ask Liu Shu to place you back in your lake." Lakeborn commented.

"We forgot that the cooldown of <Recolocation> was that short… Let us think for a few days; we need to speak with the people who created the city inside the lake." Liu Shu remembered that there was something like that.

"Tsk, tsk. Who was the one who told her to build a city there when there was the ocean nearby? Such a lack of foresight!" Fortuna and Lakeborn almost grew knots in their roots.

'Wasn't it you!?' Prarya asked Liu Shu.

"By the way, little Liu Shu. How is that baby doing?"

"Baby…? Oh! Are you asking about the World Tree in the Dark Aether Swamp?"

"Yes." Liu Shu glanced over and chuckled.

"She is doing nicely. At the moment, she is fighting with a… What's that? A mix between a wolf and a flytrap?"

"Oh? What levels?"

"Well, baby sister is Level 6, and that thing is Level 10. The battle is quite fierce!" If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The other three World Trees started discussing the baby World Tree like old mothers.

"Aish, I hope she can grow well."

"Right? Little Liu Shu can be somewhat forgetful at times. What if something happens when she isn't looking?"

"We think that Liu Shu should use <Recolocation> and change her to a new place." Liu Shu snorted.

"Hey! Don't pamper her! Rain and wind are what make flowers grow strong! We are not much different… Oh? She won! Tsk, tsk. You are all so distrustful of her." Prarya chuckled.

"Speaking of which, how are Aunty Tree and Aurelise doing? It's a bit of a shame that their roots are a tad too weak to participate in our conversation. I would love to speak with someone as ancient as Lady Tree." Liu Shu spoke confusedly.

"That's quite easy to do? I didn't include them because I thought you would hate it!"

"Eh?" Prarya and the other two were bewildered this time around. Lakeborn asked.

"Why would we be upset?" Liu Shu answered quite matter-of-factly.

"Don't normal World Trees kill all Life Trees they encounter?" The three had nothing to say this time around. It was the truth that before encountering Liu Shu, they would've probably acted quite aggressively against Life Trees in their domain. Fortuna chuckled and explained softly.

"Well, you are right. However, after joining under your domain, I felt a large part of my aggressive nature calm down. I currently feel nothing more than curiosity and good faith for them. I am sure that Big Sister Prarya and Lakeborn are the same."

"Is it…?" Liu Shu's main body released an energy pulse, linking her roots with Aurelise and Tree to join them in the I-CARE, or Inter-Continental Advanced Root Exchange. Aurelise peacefully felt the sun on her leaves when several presences suddenly approached her with terrifyingly vast auras.

"Oh? Is this Little Aurelise? So cute~."

"Her aura is so soothing… We want to coil around her and groom her branches."

"To think that I had such an adorable neighbor and never knew about it. Missed years!" Aurelise freaked out.

"What? What? What? Who is there? Don't mess with me, or my Little Sister World Tree won't forgive you!" Prarya's branches twisted.

"She is so cute~. Little Aurelise, don't worry, we are the other World Trees under Little Liu Shu's domain. We won't hurt you~, just let us coil around you occasionally, okay? Big Sister has no bad intentions~."

"H-Huh? Other World Trees!? I am not tasty, okay? Even if you crush me, I am a very bad fertilizer for the land!" Fortuna chuckled. Her roots were nearby, so she could playfully poke some of Aurelise's roots.

"Hello~. This is Fortuna."

"Hyahn!? Bad World Tree! Don't touch my roots without permission!" While they were teasing Aurelise, another aura entered the I-CARE. This time, the three World Trees felt an extremely old but soothing aura. Then, the mature and gentle voice of Tree reached them.

"Oh? Are these Liu Shu's seniors? Hello, I am Tree, Liu Shu's mother."

"... Wow." Prarya couldn't help but be taken aback. If Aurelise's aura was like a gentle but playful breeze, Tree's aura was a refreshing gale that soothed the heart and calmed the mind. Fortuna chuckled.

"I was already prepared since I felt you in the past, but… Should I say, as expected of Little Liu Shu's mother?" Lakeborn's myriad voices spoke with a smile.

"We like it… It's nice to meet you, Tree." Aurelise silently exclaimed.

"Ah! Big Sister Tree is so pretty! Even the big, bad World Trees adore her!" Everyone ignored Aurelise's fangirl nature while Tree answered gently and slowly.

"You praise me too much. Thank you for taking care of Liu Shu all this time." Meanwhile, Liu Shu giggled.

"Mom, Big Sisters are always super nice! Don't worry!"

"I know. I am glad for that, my little seedling." Tree laughed soothingly, making the others feel their roots and branches relax. Liu Shu puffed her cheeks.

"Seedling!? I am already so big! How can you call me a seedling!?"

"You will always be my little seedling." The Avatar's face turned red, and she stuttered.

"S-Silly Mom! I am not listening anymore! Hmph!" Leaving the World Trees and Life Trees to converse with each other, Liu Shu turned her gaze toward the Dungeon area.

"Hmm… I should open it soon. Right? I've been trying to delay it a bit to check the final details. However, quite some time has passed since then." Looking around, she quickly spotted Wert. The man was teaching a few young people about how to deal with the <Explorer Association> and the rules that they needed to follow. Seeing the grey-haired man explain things with a stern but gentle expression, Liu Shu couldn't help but smile silently.

After Wert finished his lesson, the room was enveloped in a gentle and soothing presence.

"Wert, there is something I want to speak with you about." Hearing the voice of the forest, the young students opened their eyes widely. One of them exclaimed while placing her hand on her mouth.

"L-L-Lady World Tree!?" Wert smiled and nodded.

"Sure. Give me a few minutes, and I'll go to my office."

"I'll wait." Then, the presence left as suddenly as it had arrived. One of the children asked with a flushed face from excitement.

"W-Was that Lady World Tree's voice?" Wert laughed.

"That's right. That's Liu Shu's voice. Still, Liu Shu has many voices, which she shows depending on how close you are to her. The one you heard now is her forest voice. She speaks through the trees of the world instead of through her own voice, giving it that characteristic echoey nature World Trees have." The eyes of the children glittered.

"Lady World Tree's voice is so cool."

"It is the most beautiful voice I've ever heard!"

"Ah… If I knew it was coming, I would've recorded it…" Wert shook his head with a chuckle and left the classroom. Once he arrived at his office, Liu Shu's presence once more descended around him. Wert smiled and asked.

"Well, big girl, what's wrong?" Liu Shu didn't mess around and communicated with him straight away.

"The <Dungeon> is ready. Do you want to do the honors of 'discovering' it?" Wert's white eyebrow raised, and he smiled.

"Why me?"

"Hm~. With this, your name will go down in the history books! The Association might also give this branch more power as well~." Wert laughed and nodded.

"Sure. If that's your wish." Liu Shu coiled a branch around his waist.

"Yes. Once you discover it, you can retire peacefully." Wert chuckled and gently patted the root around his waist.

"I will. Thank you, little girl." A soft sound of agreement reached him.

"En~."