Chương 616: Four Years Of Progress.

With everything set up, four years passed without any adverse incidents. Nualis's powers had become aware of Liu Shu, the Sylvans, and other plant species that were migrating in large numbers toward the Nualis Golden City, and the top amphibious species also sent a good batch of people there to try and assume positions of power. Simultaneously, Liu Shu's roots expanded to cover around a tenth of Nualis. Since she allowed the process to be entirely passive, her speed was not ridiculously fast.

Even then, it was quick enough to leave any other World Tree in shame. After all, when Liu Shu said 10%, it didn't mean ten percent of the surface, but of the entire planet. If instead she had focused on the surface, Liu Shu would've covered the world's entire crust and a bit more already. Regardless, the process was steady and going well.

"My current speed will accelerate much more once I have more experience and strength, so I won't have many problems in the future when taking over thousands of planets." The World Tree nodded to herself, feeling satisfied. On the other side, the active planet she was conquering, Vorathen, was about to be swallowed in its entirety.

"Only the very center of the core is left, which I can take over in a week or so." With her roots actively spreading across the planet, Liu Shu would naturally not leave it as an uninhabited planet. The large asteroid impact that killed all life in Vorathen caused a gargantuan crater spanning hundreds of kilometers, but its aftereffects were already starting to disappear.

"Vorathen's atmosphere, due to the heavy volcanic activity, is quite thick. Even thicker than Ceperet, so we have no problems there. Its spin is a bit fast, and days are half as long. But I do not yet have the strength to slow the momentum of an entire world in a controlled manner." Accelerating was easier than slowing down. When she slowed down something, she would need to redirect that energy somewhere, and her roots would collapse like chopsticks under the sheer angular momentum of a large rocky planet.

Forget about slowing it down; Liu Shu was not confident she could influence it in the slightest, even if she used all her strength. That's why she had been so careful with the Moon. The rotational speed of the core needed to be fast, but not too fast. So, after a while, she stopped touching in.

'As long as it is enough to create a magnetic field to protect the atmosphere from solar winds, that's good enough.' Other than Vorathen's almost complete domination, the Explorer Association got the news that the Dungeons from Level 25 to Level 49 had reopened. Naturally, all of them carried the <Atemporal> trait, which delighted the Explorer Association. With the <Atemporal> trait, dungeon delving was much less time-wasting. Of course, not for the individual, but for the society as a whole.

If someone went into a dungeon, they would be out in a few minutes. While those people lost lifespan normally while being inside the dungeons, it would occur either way without the <Atemporal> trait. The only problem that the Explorer Association encountered was that rescue missions were basically impossible. Even if those inside could send a help signal outside, by the time the helpers arrived, several hours or even days could've already gone by.

So, like with all things, the new types of Dungeons had their pros and cons.

"Hm…" Liu Shu observed the information on the Explorers who entered the dungeons for a while.

"In the end, the people can only enter once or twice a day without long-term effects. More than that affects the body eventually, making it age faster. The recommended amount is one visit per day." This was already leagues ahead compared to before, when dungeon crawlers would take weeks or months between dungeons.

"The casualties have also skyrocketed compared to before. It went from 0. 1 percent of deaths to around 1%... That's ten times the people who are dying in the <Dungeons>. Still, from what I am seeing, the problem is that they are not accustomed to long-term stays. Most of the new deaths were due to their inability to complete the dungeons before their rations ran out…" But Liu Shu didn't buy it entirely. Her eyes squinted as she observed a few of the testimonies.

'People have become much more ruthless inside because there is a lack of surveillance.' She had already warned Arven, the Explorer Guild Leader, but it seems that they can't do much about it.

'I also can't spend too much attention on it. Moreover, if I were to intervene against low-level people, my Experience Points would disappear overnight.' Very few things were penalized by the system, and murder and other moral crimes were not among them. The <System>'s protection towards World Trees seemed to stem from the necessity of these beings in nature. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"I need to invent something that can help correct these events. Otherwise, crime will continue to skyrocket. I can even see groups entering the <Dungeons> to escape my surveillance and plan things out of my sight." Liu Shu explicitly didn't trust the population. The reason was that she had seen how much ambition could cloud one's judgment. The very fact that there were still people who thought she was not beneficial to them would send anyone like Liu Shu into a spiral of negativity toward Intelligent Species.

Thankfully, Liu Shu was not daunted by these things and just accepted that there would be certain individuals whom she was unable to help.

"Let's see… The crafters have started catching my new techniques, and people are advancing quickly when developing technology. There was even a suggestion to create a parking space for flying vehicles. How should I call them? Airports sound nice. <Lignified Airport> it is then. Should I also create spaces for land vehicles and call it a Landport?" Liu Shu paused, her gaze somewhat strange.

"Wasn't I trying to fix the Dungeon things? My brain is jumping around so much lately with so much information. If I didn't have many abilities to boost my processing speed, I might've gone crazy already. Thankfully, I can use my space roots to help me process my thoughts." Focusing on the problem, Liu Shu entered the workshop and began crafting. Using her Woodcrafting and Runecrafting abilities, she was quick to develop something satisfactory and easy to reproduce.

"Arven! Are you free?" Arven was dealing with some documents in his office room when he heard the vast and gentle voice of the World Tree. Placing his quill on the table, a smile etched on his serious face, he answered.

"I am not free, but you can tell me your request." Liu Shu harrumphed.

"You are far too honest!" Arven's lips arched further.

"Weren't you the one always telling me to treat you less politely? Now that I am doing so, you are complaining?"

"Bullying me with my own words? Shameless!" Liu Shu harrumphed once more, but there was a hint of laughter in her voice. Arven smiled and leaned back in his chair.

"Alright, tell me. What's wrong?"

"I came up with something to help you with the increase in murders in the dungeons."

"Oh? I am all ears." Seeing the interest and seriousness in Arven's eyes, Liu Shu was satisfied.

"Here, check it out." Arven saw a necklace fall from the ceiling and easily caught it. Then, he analyzed it.

[Level 1-49 Pendant Of Malice (Advanced-Grade Complete-Level)] … Passive Skill: If anyone who's wearing another <Pendant Of Malice> attacks the user, the Pendant will send a signal to the <Stone Of Malice>. Passive Skill: If the <Pendant Of Malice> is taken off without permission of the <Stone Of Malice>, it will send a signal to the <Stone Of Malice>. Passive Skill: If the <Pendant Of Malice> is destroyed, it will send a signal and image to the <Stone Of Malice> about the creature that destroyed it.

Note: A pendant that gives no stats in exchange for incredible durability and very concise effects. It was created by a masterful crafter in order to help those who have been wronged. However, in the hands of the wrong people, this pendant will become a tool that can cause chaos.

After reading the effects of the pendant, Arven was stunned for a second before his face turned solemn.

"Can I see the <Stone Of Malice>, Liu Shu?"

"Yeah, you will be the one controlling it at will, after all. Only, this stone is very large. If I wanted it to support a few hundred thousand or even millions of Pendant Of Malice inputs, it needed to far exceed the usual capabilities of an item of its level." Arven was then guided toward the basement of the Town Hall, where Liu Shu placed the <Stone Of Malice>. Once there, Arven could only gasp in surprise.

"This… I expected something large, not something 10 meters tall." Liu Shu giggled.

"Check it out." Arven did as told.

[Level 100 Stone Of Malice (World-Grade Complete Level)] … Active Skill: The blood-linked user can give authority to check to other people (Up to 1000 people). Active Skill: The <Stone Of Malice> can recreate scenes that are stored inside of it at any time. Active Skill: The blood-linked user is able to send messages to those with the <Pendant Of Malice> (Internal cooldowns depend on the messages.) Passive Skill: It can attach to one being by the use of blood. The creator can always detach this link at will.

Passive Skill: The <Stone Of Malice> receives and saves all inputs from the <Pendant Of Malice> connected to it. Passive Skill: The <Stone Of Malice> is able to perceive actions to a certain extent, being able to rank someone's morality through it. The ranks are: Evil, Bad, Neutral, Good, Saint. (Careful, this trait is vague and not reliable.) Note: The <Stone Of Malice> is a tool crafted with the wish to control those out of sight and still be able to protect them.

Nevertheless, once it falls into the wrong hands, it can become a tool of mass control.

Liu Shu smiled at Arven's wide-eyed look.

"What do you think?" Arven didn't rush to answer. Instead, he pondered deeply and looked at it closely once more. He compared the effects of both items, and eventually sighed.

"This is… dangerous." Liu Shu felt satisfied with that answer.

"I am glad you noticed. This item is convenient for those who mean well. However, it can also be used for evil. Framing someone without the complete explanation of its functions is easy. More so when it's an item crafted by myself. Still, I've looked at you for years, and I can attest that you won't abuse your power with it." Arven was moved and smiled.

"Do you really have that much trust in me?"

"Yes. Unlike Adam, you are someone who takes your job seriously." Liu Shu paused, seeing a hint of Wert in him. So, she added one last sentence before moving on.

"I will send all the pendants to the nearby storage. Use the pendants wisely, Arven. Do not disappoint me." Arven nodded solemnly.

"I will."