Chương 509: Getting To Know Pelagia.

Two days later, Liu Shu complained to herself.

"Surrounding that big sister was truly a hassle. Why is her domain so big? Each time I thought I reached the edge of the domain, there she was.

'That's my domain.'

'That's my domain.' Mememe, mineminemine."

"... I can hear you." Liu Shu snapped at her.

"I know you can! That's why I am saying it! You are eventually going to become part of my domain. Why are you being so stubborn!? You'll be nicknamed Silly Big Sister in the future! Hmph!" The other World Tree was speechless.

'Still, isn't this World Tree's expanding speed too fast?' While she had covered a large part of the ocean, she had done it over many thousands of years. Compared to land World Trees, she was somewhat slower than the average. Nevertheless, consistency and constant effort placed her as the World Tree that covered most of the planet's surface. The World Tree felt Liu Shu's roots poke at another location of her domain, far away from where she previously touched, and then heard Liu Shu scream.

"AH! EVEN HERE!? WHY ARE YOU IN THE PASS BETWEEN ISLANDS!? NOW I NEED TO CIRCLE THEM AS WELL! AHHHH! I'LL FIGHT YOU, I SWEAR! I WILL FIGHT YOU IF YOU KEEP STOPPING ME!" Feeling Liu Shu thrash the place with her roots, creating small quakes that shook the underwater sea floor, the World Tree felt a bit of nervousness.

'She is actually quite strong, isn't she?' She also didn't want to fight, so she checked the location where Liu Shu was poking around.

'Oh?' That was on the edge of her domain, and if Liu Shu went between those islands and then straight, she would find the Abyssal Void Nexus's continent. With a curious gaze, the World Tree spoke.

"I'll let you pass between those islands, okay? It's at the edge of my territory either way." Liu Shu's voice reached her, excited and happy.

"Really!? Thank you, Big Sister! When I assimilate you, I won't call you Silly Big Sister anymore! I'll call you… Stubborn Big Sister!" The World Tree almost smacked the young World Tree.

"Respect your elders! Even if you are strong, older World Trees can create larger shades!"

"Hehe. I am the tallest, so you are wrong!"

"Oh?" The World Tree asked, curious.

"How tall are you? I heard that the tallest was Verdant Skyflower. The top of her canopy reaches almost 3000 meters in height."

"Huh?" Liu Shu exclaimed, confused. Thinking that she was surprised due to her height, the World Tree chuckled.

"See? You can't be arrogant—""Why is she so little?"

"Eh?"

"What?" Liu Shu asked back and snorted.

"Also, tell me your name! I can't continue referring to you as Stubborn Big Sister, right?" The World Tree spoke with a sigh.

"I go by many names. Some—" Liu Shu interrupted, already knowing the barrage of titles and names that was coming.

"Ah. Stop. Stop. Get to the point. The name that appears in the system! That's the one I want!" The World Tree felt a bit awkward at being interrupted from her grandiose introduction. Nevertheless, she gave it to Liu Shu. After all, even she was getting a bit annoyed at the nicknames that Liu Shu was giving her.

"My name is Pelagia Tidemother. You can call me Pelagia." Liu Shu exclaimed.

"That's a beautiful name! I am Tianlian Liu Shu. Hehe." She then hummed, thoughtful.

"Pelagia means 'of the sea', right? The tide mother of the sea… Wow~. Big Sister, your name is so pretty! Did you think of it by yourself?"

"No." Pelagia sounded lighter, clearly pleased that Liu Shu liked her name.

"Verdant Skyflower gave it to me when she discovered me. You see, I was growing between the Abyssal Void Nexus continent and the main continent of the Verdant Sanctity Covenant. While expanding, she encountered me, and she gave me that name."

"Skyflower…" Liu Shu hummed.

"She is so mysterious. All books call her the strongest being in the world. I am just confused as to why she never attacked the Abyssal Void Nexus herself."

"Well. That's for you to discover." Liu Shu snorted.

"You are acting like the silly system. Always so mysterious and wording things in a roundabout way. I am here for information, not riddles!" Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

"..." [...] Ignoring their reaction, Liu Shu's roots pushed between the two islands, destroying whatever the roots of the other World Tree were in her way. This patch of surface was too small to matter, even if destroyed. Still, as Liu Shu advanced at ridiculous speed, Pelagia looked on with astonishment and a bit of pain. She didn't expect Liu Shu to be so strong that she could snap her roots like broken branches. As Liu Shu advanced as if Pelagia were not there, the maritime World Tree became apprehensive.

'If that's her strength when just advancing casually… How strong can she become when being hostile?' Powerlessness filled her for a second, somehow understanding that if Liu Shu wanted to destroy her, she might not have a single chance of fighting back.

"Great! Now, straight aheaddd!" Pelagia felt a strange urge and spoke up.

"Um. Tianlian Liu Shu."

"Yeah?"

"Ahead of you, there is the Abyssal Void Nexus' Continent. I wouldn't recommend spreading that way." Hearing those words, Liu Shu exclaimed.

"Whoa! Really!? Jackpot! To think that the first continent I found would be the one I wanted to find the most." Pelagia was confused about this.

"How come? Aren't you fearful of them?"

"Fear?" Liu Shu got thoughtful, her roots never stopping.

"Hm… I won't be arrogant and say that I don't feel anything. Is it fear? I don't think so. The feeling is more similar to wariness." Our World Tree commented, her tone mature and gentle compared to before.

"I understand that this world's truths are much more complicated than I think they are. Why haven't you or any of the other World Trees ever tried to fight among each other? I don't believe that your instincts are silent. They must be shouting at you to dominate the entire world. Or, why wouldn't all three World Trees spread their roots and attack the Void Nexus from three different fronts? Together, they are more than strong enough to deal with the Nexus Threat." Liu Shu always felt something amiss.

The balance of the world was too… artificial. A Level 99 World Tree's strength was too high. Before, she didn't understand to what extent. Now that she had reached her current heights, she understood.

"Even if the World Trees have half my stats, I can think of a thousand ways to defeat the Abyssal Void Nexus. Only if their stats are a third of my own would I start being apprehensive. And, from what I know, that's not the case. Skyflower and the others are not weak Level 99 World Trees." Pelagia hummed, her gaze thoughtful.

"I guess you will know soon. After all, Skyflower's roots are near this area. If you continue expanding that way, you will soon come into contact with her."

"Oh, really? I can't wait to meet Big Sister Skyflower!" After speaking with Liu Shu, Pelagia couldn't feel the maliciousness that she had previously thought Liu Shu would have. After all, as a World Tree that has conquered a continent, she must've annihilated a large amount of Life and World Trees. But there was not a single ounce of that murderous feeling someone like that would give off in Liu Shu's gentle and soothing aura.

"Um… Tianlian Liu Shu."

"Anything else, Big Sister Pelagia?"

"Yes…" The World Tree hesitated and asked.

"Why do you call me and other World Trees big sisters?" Liu Shu paused for a second before chuckling.

"I thought you would ask something important due to your solemn tone." Then, she explained softly.

"I call all of you big sisters because I want to be your little sister. Someone that you want to take care of, but someone who would support you through your toughest times. I don't want you to feel inferior to me, but I want you to understand that, like with family, I am the little sister who will help you when needed."

"Help?" Pelagia laughed bleakly.

"What help can you give? Uprooting us quickly so that we don't feel it? World Trees can't live together. That's nature, Tianlian Liu Shu."

"Hm? But you can with me."

"Eh?" Our Liu Shu chuckled and spoke softly.

"When I say assimilate, Pelagia, I do not mean swallowing you. I mean coexistence. I will spread my roots into your domain, and you will spread your roots into mine. It's that simple. Only, I will be the owner of the domain because… I am the best! Hehehe." Pelagia was stunned at Liu Shu's words.

"How is that possible? Coexistence between World Trees is impossible! Even in other wo—ahem, words… two World Trees can't share the same lands."

"How do Azure and the others do it then?" Liu Shu asked, curious.

"I know there are other World Trees in their domains."

"That's calculated cohabitation. Skyflower and the others allow those World Trees to spread on a patch of land, but not beyond. Any World Tree that gets ideas is uprooted by them."

"Woah… so brutal." Liu Shu muttered. Then, she said nonchalantly.

"Anyway, that's not how I do things. I like to live with other World Trees. Humans can coexist, Sylvans can also coexist, and even trees in the forest can share the earth. Why can't we, World Trees, do the same?" Pelagia answered, confused.

"Isn't it clear? That's because we are supposed to be unique. There must be one True World Tree dominating the entire land. There can't be other World Trees that stop them from fulfilling this condition. Otherwise… It is impossible to reach Level 100." Liu Shu hummed.

"Well. Believe it or not, you will know once you join me. For now, I need to create a bit of chaos in the Abyssal Void Nexus…" Liu Shu giggled.

"Seven years and I'll be able to transport my <Soulseeds> and form a defensive domain there~. Hehehehe." Ignoring Pelagia for now, Liu Shu continued advancing. After a few kilometers, she finally noticed the change through the composition of the dirt her roots expanded throughout. The more she advanced, the more acidic they were becoming. It was as if drinking the water and absorbing the minerals here would make her roots wither away.

Nevertheless, thanks to her new Passive Skill, <World Embracing Endless Roots>, such inconvenience was quickly overcome.

'Hmph, what is a bit of acidity compared to the heat and pressure of the world!' She had never stopped digging down with her roots, and back at home, she was almost 500 kilometers deep. At this depth, the temperature was enough to melt most metals, making the soil a strange mix of hard and soft materials. The compression forces were ridiculous as well. Still, her roots were strong and didn't falter.

"Abyssal Void Nexus, here I come~." Her voice changed from cheerful to cold.

"Time to pay your dues."