Chapter 83. Verdantia's First Meeting With Liu Shu.
Verdantia, Cinderielle, and Flor walked around the wall for a while.
After Flor's words, both women were thoughtful. For them, the thought of sometime in the future no longer being useful for Liu Shu was a concept that never really crossed their minds. They were talented and young, so the thought of what would happen in the far future didn't cross their minds until now.
Moreover, their talent was high, and it could grow a lot.
However, could they really compare with a World Tree? They didn't know, but the thought certainly lingered in their mind.
Flor stopped flying and said. "We'll walk through here."
The two girls looked at the wall before their faces with an odd look. Their eyes shifted between Flor and the literal wall of wood, and Cinderielle asked. "Hm. Do we climb or something?"
Flor laughed. "Not at all. Walk forward and you will understand."
Feeling that it was fun, Flor didn't lead the way and looked at them with an amused expression.
In their minds, Flor was not someone who did pranks like these, so they trusted the Rose Fairy Queen and walked toward the wooden wall.
As they approached, they saw the wooden wall shifting and moving. Not the entire structure but the parts that formed it. Verdantia muttered. "Oh, so it isn't solid wood. It is made of roots and vines."
Cinderielle nodded. "I see. So, is Liu Shu controlling it?"
Flor flew behind them and affirmed their conjectures. "Yes, Liu Shu has solidified everything as much as she could, but this zone is around 20% weaker defense-wise. However, in turn, she can manipulate it to open and close.
Cinderielle hummed. "Interesting. So, this is similar to a gate in a common city?"
Flor nodded. "It is similar, but it can't really be forced open like those gates. The defense here, while lower than in other sections, is still sturdy. Moreover, those roots can defend themselves to a certain extent."
Verdantia squinted and suddenly exclaimed. "Wait, the wall is a living creature?"
Cinderielle was fascinated by how the roots parted to make way for them, but Verdantia's shout startled her, prompting her to look closer.
***
Name: Lignified Basic Living Wood Wall
Level: 4 [-/-]
Aether Mana Shards: 214/214
Phoer Body Shards: 1058/1058
Anima Energy Shards: 352/352
***
Cinderielle strangely couldn't look further than this, when she would usually be able to spy on the stats and even the skills of the creature when it was lower level than herself. 'Strange, why is that?'
Although she was curious, she didn't really think about it much. It was not strange for creatures like World Trees and all of those linked to them to have strong anti-analytical protection.
Flor commented. "Every building Liu Shu makes is tied to her in one way or another. I think they have been assimilated or something similar. Hence, they are all difficult to check or analyze. I'm surprised you can even see something. I personally can't even summon their status interface."
Verdantia explained. "I don't know if you are aware, but Sylvans, unlike other races, have a much higher ability to look into the system details thanks to our ancestry that goes back to World Trees."
Flor blinked. "I didn't know that. Interesting." Flor sighed. "You, Sylvans, are really quite something, eh? When I fought to the death with Cinderielle, she was Level 6, yet I, a Level 12, almost lost."
Verdantia blinked a few times with incredulity. "You both fought to the death?"
Flor raised an eyebrow. "She didn't tell you? If it weren't for Liu Shu stopping me, I would've killed her."
Verdantia looked at Flor deeply. "You are strong."
Confused, the Rose Fairy Queen asked. "Strong? I was almost defeated by a Level 6."
Verdantia shook her head. "You fought a high-tiered Sylvan that has unlocked her transformation. That in itself is crazy enough, even if you are an Energy Cycle above her."
Flor blinked. "Are you that strong?"
Verdantia commented. "At the same level, there are two ways to beat a Sylvan with transformation skills. One, you send many people to die until they are exhausted and can be killed. Two, you have superior equipment that allows you to breach the distance in strength."
Verdantia asked. "Cinderielle, explain your transformation skill."
Cinderielle pouted. "Okay here, I'll share it."
Flor saw a skill appear in front of her eyes and was met with a Wall of text that made her dizzy.
***
Aether Mana, Phoer, and Anima Energy receive +1000*6.
Anima Mana, Phoer, and Anima Energy regeneration increased by 5*6 per second.
Aether +20%, Physique +10%, Anima +10%, Willpower +10%.
Fire Damage +10%, Aether Mana and Anima Energy consumption for Fire-type Aether Mana spells -15%.
When activating the ability, the Sylvan can consume 10% Aether Mana or Anima Energy for each minute they want to activate this skill. (For example, you can consume 30% of each for a 6-minute duration or 50% Aether Mana and 20% Anima Energy for a 7-minute duration.)
The Sylvan can only use this skill twice a day.
***
Flor read it a few times, over and over again, to make sure she wasn't reading wrongly and then looked at the two Sylvans with a completely different expression. There was a mix of wonder and awe inside of her.
She was not afraid since she understood the nature of these two Sylvans. However, when she imagined a clan of wild Sylvans like their Rose Fairies, her heart couldn't help but tremble.
Verdantia clarified. "My skill is very similar. However, I'm attuned to life and not fire. Plus, my transformation also gives me summons. Small creatures weaker than me that I can spawn with my Anima Energy. In turn, my raw stats are a bit weaker than Cinderielle's."
Verdantia continued. "Now, not all Sylvans have effects as strong as ours. Between the quality of transformations, the purer a Sylvan's bloodline is, the stronger it is. Hence, the number of Sylvans that actually search for a mate from animal descendants are extremely few and rare. Their progeny can lose a lot of the innate Sylvan advantages."
Verdantia sighed. "Sadly, this creates an elitist society, and there are Sylvan groups that hate non-pure Sylvans. This naturally creates resentment between other races, and hence, our World is filled with conflict. Moreover-."
Verdantia stopped speaking when her sight moved toward the center of the space inside the walls and spotted the beautiful and relatively small World Tree.
While Liu Shu's trunk's female figure was still vague and nothing like a World Tree that has gone through its first Energy Cycle, the inherent beauty and pureness of her aura were fatally attractive for Verdantia. For the Life-Attributed Sylvan, it felt like the Level 4 World Tree was nothing but an amalgamation of life.
Flor looked at Verdantia warily. 'I hope she doesn't jump at-. Huh?'
Verdantia felt so overwhelmed by the strong beating of her heart that she turned around and swiftly tried to flee the place.
Flor was startled and called her from behind. "O-Oy! Verdantia! Where are you going?"
Verdantia, her face as red as an apple, continued moving away while looking down. 'Oh, roots above. Why is she so beautiful? I can't, I can't… I CAN'T LOOK AT HER STRAIGHT!? AHHHHH! SHE IS SOOO, AHHH!'
Cinderielle burst into laughter and moved quickly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Verdantia, are you-ha!?"
Out of pure reflex, Verdantia grabbed Cinderielle's hand and performed a perfect shoulder throw.
BANG!
"Guahg!?" Cinderielle made a sound as the air was forcefully expelled from her lungs. 'I-Isn't Anima this woman's strongest stat!? Why is her physical strength so high!?'
Verdantia realized what she did in front of Liu Shu, and her face became even hotter. 'WHY AM I PERFORMING LIKE AN APE IN FRONT OF HER!? STUPID VERDANTIA, REGAIN YOUR BEARINGS!'
Verdantia ignored the groaning Cinderielle and took a deep breath, even using her own life attribute to calm down her heart. 'Okay, deep breaths. You got this. Yes, yes. First, talk with her, and then we can have ten children- NOT! VERDANTIA, THAT'S TOO MANY STEPS YOU SKIPPED!'
Meanwhile, Flor approached Liu Shu while holding back her laughter. "Liu Shu, I'm back."
Liu Shu's ethereally gentle but cheerful voice reached her, making Flor's soul feel at ease. 'Welcome back, Flor! Who is that strange-acting woman? She looks so silly, hahaha.'
Flor had to forcefully stop herself from bursting into laughter when she heard that. 'I guess first impressions have fallen with the leaves.'
Flor answered Liu Shu between laughter. "She is called Verdantia, another Sylvan that wanted to meet you, like Cinderielle."
Liu Shu focused on Verdantia, allowing the Life-Attributed Sylvan to feel her presence, and this caused the already nervous woman to stiffen.
Liu Shu was told by Flor to not speak with others, but communicating as she did previously was not prohibited. So, she sent a pulse of energy that had a welcoming vibe.
In Liu Shu's mind, if Flor allowed them inside, they would probably not be bad people.
Verdantia, who suddenly received a message from Liu Shu, was panicking and quickly turned around to look at Liu Shu. "H-H-H-H…"
Sadly, Verdantia, who was too nervous, got stuck in the first sound of the "Hello" word.
Liu Shu was puzzled and asked Flor. 'What is she saying? She can't talk?'
Flor couldn't hold it in anymore and burst into laughter. "Hahahahaha. Oh roots above, hahaha. Verdantia, you are killing me! Hahahaha."
Verdantia's red face became redder and she screamed with a shrill voice. "Why didn't you tell me that Liu Shu is the prettiest and most beautiful creature to ever exist!?"
After she said that and realized what she blurted out, her face became almost maroon because of the blood rushing to her face. She was so embarrassed, that a few white flowers began blooming in her hair.
Liu Shu looked at those flowers with surprise. 'Ohh! She can grow flowers as well!? They are pretty.'
Flor wanted to mess with Verdantia badly, so she smirked and said what Liu Shu commented. "Well, she just said that your flowers are pretty."
Cinderielle, who heard Flor's comment, felt a surge of jealousy and sympathy. 'Ah, there is no way she can-.'
Even before Cinderielle finished her thoughts, Verdantia froze and then fainted. Flor and Liu Shu looked stunned as Cinderielle approached the fainted woman, who had a broad smile on her face. "Tsk, lucky you. I still haven't shown my flowers to her."
She couldn't help but pout. Still, if she showed them now, it would feel like she was asking for praise, so Cinderielle didn't rush.
Flor asked, confused. "What happened? Why did she faint?"
Cinderielle sighed and explained. "A Sylvan's most intimate part, not in a sexual way but in terms of appearance, is her flowers." Cinderielle pouted. "Being praised by someone you like for having pretty flowers is probably one of the highest compliments you can say to a Sylvan."
Flor asked, bewildered. "Why are you pouting?"
Cinderielle was not one to hide her feelings, so she stomped the ground and pouted harder. "I'm jealous."
Flor's eyebrow twitched, but in truth, she was glad and relieved about how these two reacted. 'Their love is not as impure as I thought. They just adore Liu Shu, and naturally, they want to court her eventually. However, it really feels like they won't cross any boundaries until Liu Shu matures.'
A small smile appeared on Flor's face, her heart feeling a bit more at ease.