Liu Shu knew that she couldn't underestimate a Fourth Energy Cycle. Therefore, she quickly checked her own stats. Sadly, when she did so, the system malfunctioned.
[System Error: Stats are being updated. An accurate numerical value is impossible to show. Level is unknown.]
Our adorable World Tree looked at that message with a baffled expression. 'I didn't know that this could happen. Didn't you show me numbers in the past… Oh, wait. It actually never really showed me numbers when I was Leveling Up, right? Or did it…? AGH! STUPID SYSTEM, ARE YOU GASLIGHTING ME!? (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻'
[System Hint:
"Oh." The angry World Tree calmed down instantly. "That makes sense, actually. I hope you clarify the next time before I start throwing words around! Hmph."
[...]
Liu Shu, unapologetic as ever towards the system, focused on Ignatia and Melody's plan. "According to our plan… The first thing I need to do is be loud! I am an expert in that! Hehehehe."
Kaelis flew quickly above the ocean surface, her speed creating an upward column of water behind her. Suddenly, as she approached, she felt a powerful presence envelop her. Then, it was as if an overwhelmingly powerful gaze locked right onto her. This astonished her, not because of the strength, but because she was still quite far from land. "Have Tianlian Liu Shu's roots spread until here already?"
"That's right!" A voice that mixed gentleness and cheekiness reached her. It was such an odd mix, but it fit perfectly as if the owner of the voice were a motherly woman about to make an innocent joke. "Who are you, eh? I don't like your aura."
Kaelis raised her eyebrow, curious. 'Well, I have a bit of time until I arrive and destroy her. Might as well distract her until I do so.'
"Are you World Tree Tianlian Liu Shu? I've heard quite a few things about you, so I just wanted to come and see for myself. I am a rogue
Liu Shu almost smacked her. 'Liar! Ugly liar! I'll see what you do later when I spank you until your soul and body separate!'
"Oh! I see! That's very not suspicious! You can come without problems!"
Liu Shu answered with a serious tone, making Kaelis' lips spasm. 'Is she mocking me? Or is she telling the truth? Why does she sound so serious saying those words!?'
"R-Right." Kaelis stumbled with her words, not knowing how to answer. "Either way," she quickly decided to change subjects altogether. "I heard that you are quite powerful. Have you reached the
Liu Shu glanced at the woman with a strange look. 'Does she think I am a child who would answer all her words? Still, with how they treat World Trees, they probably are not that aware of the intelligence a World Tree can achieve at my age. Even if I am relatively young, I am not stupid!'
"Who would tell that to someone they just met? Moreover, your aura is so… smelly. I don't like it. So, even if you come with good intentions, I won't be friends with you! It is too dangerous…"
Kaelis sighed in her mind. 'Why am I even trying to speak with her? I heard that she was a young World Tree, so I am trying to speak to her as if she were a child. Her attitude is making it too difficult. Hm?'
Kaelis frowned as she looked in the distance. "That's… you? I thought you were much further inland."
"I moved." Liu Shu blurted out, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
Kaelis almost lost flight and fell into the ocean. "Y-You moved? How did you move? You are a World Tree!"
Imagining the World Tree uprooting itself and starting to walk around was too frightening. A walking mountain was not exactly something that a person would want to see!
"How do you know that I am a World Tree?" Liu Shu accused, knowing full well that she indirectly admitted it before.
'Since you think that I am childish and ignorant, I should lean into the role with courage!'
Kaelis' guard lowered slightly as a sense of contempt grew in her heart. 'Did Evangeline and Eryndis die to this… childish World Tree? She couldn't even recognize that I checked her World Tree identity indirectly when I first asked.'
Kaelis slowly took her bow from her back and asked. "Hey, Liu Shu. Why did you move to the coast?"
"Well." Liu Shu asked, observing her little movements. "I was quite hurt after fighting the baddies. So, I decided to move to the coast to recuperate. There is a Life Tree nearby that can heal me from those wounds. In ten years, I'll be as good as new! Perhaps I can even break through into the
'Right. That won't happen.' Kaelis snorted. Then, she sighed softly. 'This is one of the strangest conversations I've ever had. Sadly, I won't ever be able to ask her… Wait.'
While Kaelis flew toward Liu Shu's
Kaelis' aura suddenly surged as her senses sharpened to the limits and flew outward, enveloping Liu Shu's
Liu Shu was startled at the sudden change in atmosphere. "Hey, woman. What's wrong?"
Kaelis searched, but sadly, she couldn't find anything out of place. The reason was simple: Liu Shu's skill used to create these
"Well, regardless of whether you are a clone or not, you can't survive."
"Huh?"
Kaelis smiled. "Sorry. You were never meant to survive this long, Tianlian Liu Shu.
Even when she was almost 50 kilometers away, Kaelis confidently pulled her bow and released a single arrow. When that arrow shot, the air around Kaelis exploded as a shockwave pushed the ocean below her down, creating a crater on the water's surface for a moment. Then, that strength rebounded and shot upward in a column of water that hid Kaelis' body.
Liu Shu was startled for a moment when she sensed the power behind the arrow. However, as the arrow flew toward her, she was not flustered. "Hmph. You finally reveal your true colors, Abyss Void Nexus scum!"
The land before the
The arrow was like a flaming eastern dragon as it reached the first of the two dozen shields Liu Shu deployed. Then, the shield exploded.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
One after another, the arrows pierced through Liu Shu's shields, showing attack power several times above the artillery she had previously fought against. The power behind the arrow only stopped after 90% of the shields were destroyed. This made Liu Shu reevaluate Kaelis' strength.
'That arrow came from over 50 kilometers away. Yet, I almost couldn't stop it. Moreover, after firing that arrow, Kaelis took advantage of the column of water and disappeared from my sensing range. Where is she?'
"Above!" Her voice boomed, and then, a red streak divided the sky as the clouds burst open. Behind them, Kaelis's windblown brown hair fluttered, and her cold gaze looked down with indifference and murderous intent.
She was surprised that Liu Shu blocked her first attack. Nevertheless, that gave her an overall strength measurement of the
With that in mind, now at around 30 kilometers distance, Kaelis pulled her bow and released a barrage of
Liu Shu exclaimed, panicking slightly. "Ha? That was an attack she can repeat at will!? Impossible!"
At that time, the sound of a pipa reached her, and a system message appeared in her sight.
[You've been affected by Melody Songtree's
[+25% Stats for 5 minutes.]
[+50% defense for 5 minutes.]
[+10% damage for 5 minutes.]
[You'll be recovering 1 Phoer Body Core a second for 5 minutes.]
Liu Shu's roots jumped in surprise. 'Such a powerful buff!'
That was not all. Even before the first arrow arrived, Melody appeared in front of her
Her fingers quickly created a melody on top of the other melody without disrupting each of their rhythms. Then, a gargantuan shield manifested in front of the World Tree.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Liu Shu's shields and Melody's buffs and defense combined perfectly, blocking Kaelis' barrage.
In the sky, the woman frowned deeply, a trace of confusion flashing in her eyes. "Melody? Why is that disgusting Sylvan here?"
"She is not the only one.
Kaelis felt as if the sun suddenly manifested above her, and she quickly looked upward while using a defensive skill. "
BOOM!!!
A giant fireball appeared in the sky, accompanied by the body of someone streaking down from the clouds. Her descending speed made her appear like a meteor about to impact the land.
However, before she reached the ground, Kaelis shouted and released a burst of Ternary Essence, blocking her descent a few hundred meters before she impacted. "Who dares sneak attack this Lady!?"
Looking up, Kaelis was unable to distinguish the figure of her attacker. Before she could squint, the land below her exploded and hundreds of roots surged upward.
"Hmph." Kaelis snorted and stepped forward. With a loud sonic boom, her body transformed into a blur as she closed the distance between her and Liu Shu to less than 10 kilometers.
"Melody, your presence is inconsequential. Today, I will kill Tianlian Liu Shu."
Melody floated in front of Liu Shu with a cold face. "You'll have to kill me if you want to do that.
The entire air around Melody transformed together with the agitated sounds of the Sylvan's song, and thousands of sharp sound waves streaked across space like invisible death sickles.
Kaelis drew her bow back into a full moon, flames exploding around her figure. "
The arrow exploded outward, shattering the ground around Kaelis just with the shockwave, and then, both attacks collided into a massive explosion.
Kaelis didn't stop there, though. She turned around with a cold smile and released one of her normal flaming arrows. "Gotcha."
However, the murderous face of the Ant Queen didn't look surprised. "Did you?"
The ant queen's body quickly accelerated and closed the distance, avoiding Kaelis' arrow. "
BOOM!!
The body of the human woman transformed into a flaming meteor, impacting against a cliffside hill and creating a giant wave of dust.