Ascension of the Sylvan Cosmos.

Chapter 271. Initial Exploration. Liu Shu’s Proposal to Taro.

Advancing with her roots on a hostile forest was proving to be more annoying than what Liu Shu expected. After all, if she needed to push through bothering root nets which were all trying to stop her from advancing, it became something like pushing through a crowd that was walking in the opposite direction.

“UGH! CAN’T YOU ALL SEE THAT YOU CAN’T HURT ME!? STOP IT ALREADY!”

She had been trying not to kill the trees willy-nilly since the warning from the system. Moreover, if she wanted to assimilate this forest, she couldn’t make every tree die before doing so. After all, Liu Shu wanted a forest, not a bunch of shrubs!

Still, even with her annoyed shout that actually hurt the spirit of the surrounding trees, the roots all around kept clinging to her. Liu Shu grumbled in her mind while she continued to advance. ‘Silly trees from the Lakeborn forest… why are they resisting so much? Tsk, if they were humanoid, you should prepare for a spanking once I assimilate this place!’

“Don’t…”

“Stop… Invading…”

“Kill… The… Invader…”

‘Huh?’ Liu Shu glared at the tree that spoke about killing and used a burst of Aether Mana to grow and shoot her roots at that particular tree. “Die.”

BANG!

Liu Shu’s roots coiled around it and made it burst into splinters, killing it instantly. 

“Hmph, that’s what you get. I don’t mind you trying to stop me or kill me but don’t be vocal about it, or I’ll kill you!”

After two days of advancement, Liu Shu’s roots started to have a bit of trouble keeping up the pace and pushing through. “Ugh… Their combined strength is really high… How far am I from the other side of the forest?”

Since her vision was limited by the roots, she was unable to glance in the distance. Even her natural vision, which could reach further away than her <World Tree Eye>, failed to see an end to the forest. ‘This forest is really big! At this pace…’ Liu Shu observed the tens of thousands of tangled roots around hers and grumbled. ‘... They will actually be able to stop me.’

The World Tree observed the surrounding auras more closely, thinking about where to head over. In the meantime, she moved her roots underground and started snapping tree roots one by one. Patiently, every five seconds or so, she could snap one root from hers, slowly recovering her freedom. 

“Hm?” While looking around, Liu Shu realized that there was a source of energy that stood out from others. It was in the central area of the forest. “I wonder… Is that the reason why they desperately want to stop me from advancing?”

The World Tree looked around her now massive domain, trying to find similar auras, and eventually, she found one right by her side. “Hm?” Looking where this aura came from, she ended up in her <Lignified Vault>. “I have something of similar value… What is it?”

Looking around the now massively spacious vault, the World Tree eventually spotted the source giving off that particular aura. “Oh…! This thing!”

It was the orb that the Myconids gave her long ago when she discovered them underground. “What was it about?”

<Shattered Core (Unranked)>: ???

“Oh…” Liu Shu’s lips twitched. “I still can’t know what this is…? I refuse to believe it! System! Wisdom! Analyze it!”

[Analyzing…]

“Oh?”

[Analysis complete.]

“Oh!”

<Shattered Core (Unranked)>: ???n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“GAH! STUPID! SILLY! USELESS! GOOD FOR NOTHIIIIINGGGG!”

[...]

After venting and calling the System a few names, Liu Shu relaxed and humphed. “Even if you don’t want to tell me, I’ll figure it out myself! The thing in the middle of this lake seems to have a relation with it.”

And so, Liu Shu restarted to push forward, now freer than before, as many of those roots trying to stop her had been shattered. As she was advancing, there were people who called her from time to time. Taro, for example, had already started his plan to convert the people of his city into Liu Shu’s followers.

The process had been going on for a few weeks as he spread good propaganda about her in the town. He focused on the superficial benefits that Liu Shu’s presence could give, and even that was already tempting enough for many in the town.

Taro, sitting in his main office, handled a few documents and looked around the spacious and luxurious room with brown furniture, white walls, and a wooden floor. The atmosphere of the room was one of relaxation and focus, helping him concentrate during his long working hours.

After taking a look at the calming surroundings, he spoke aloud. “Liu Shu, can I bother you for a bit?”

“What do you want!?”

Taro blinked twice at the frustrated tone of the World Tree. His lips arched gently as he asked. “Are you busy?”

Liu Shu answered half-angrily. “No! I am not! I am not angry in the slightest!”

Listening to her tone, Taro couldn’t help but laugh. “What are you angry about?”

When Liu Shu heard his question, the World Tree exploded in grievances. “These stupid trees are so annoying! And the system is annoying and useless, too! And the people of your town can’t stop committing crimes, and I have to keep an eye out! And the people of my town are always saying my name and distracting me! And Fortuna is poking me with her roots to ask me about things! And! And! And! AH! LET’S GO TO WAR! WAR IS MORE RELAXING THAN PEACE! TARO, FIND ME AN ENEMY!”

Taro burst into laughter. However, he was also slightly empathetic. As a World Tree whose roots had spread for tens of kilometers, her sensing organs were expected to be incredibly developed so that she would not break from sensory overload. Even then, Taro could imagine that for someone as young as Liu Shu, getting accustomed to it was a bit more difficult than for other World Trees that grew much slower and could digest things easier.

If Fortuna and the others were gentle eaters, Liu Shu was basically stuffing her mouth with food, masticating it, and trying to swallow it simultaneously.

Taro commented. “While I would love to point at someone or something, I really can’t. There are no powers in the nearby surroundings that dare oppose you.”

Liu Shu was actually somewhat surprised by this piece of information. “Really? How so? Until now, everyone was attacking me all day because… I am very pretty!”

“Right, right. It is because you are very pretty.” Taro chuckled again, feeling that communicating with Liu Shu was incredibly refreshing. She was like a mischievous and talented niece venting on him. Taro then explained. “After the rumors that you’ve reached the <Second Energy Cycle> spread around, those that had been planning on trying to take you on gave up. A <Second Energy Cycle> World Tree is something that not many dare to mess with.”

“Tsk… Who snitched?” Liu Shu said, her voice pouty. “The one time I wanted people to attack, and now they all hide in the shadow of their mothers!”

Taro blinked twice. “Hide where?”

Liu Shu asked innocently. “Don’t you people go and hide under the canopy of your mothers when you are afraid?”

“Canopy…” Taro’s eyebrows twitched as he tried to understand the sentence the World Tree just uttered. “Well, that’s a… novel way of saying ‘Hide in fear.’”

“I am an innovator~! Hehehe.”

Taro could somehow imagine the willow-like branches of the World Tree dancing in glee. He shook his head and commented. “Anyway, I was calling you for something…” Taro blinked and rubbed his forehead, having momentarily forgotten. “What was it for?”

Liu Shu looked at the man with amusement. “Did you really forget?”

Taro frowned, and after two seconds, his face lit up. “Ah! I remembered. I wanted to ask if you are getting ready for when I start making the polls to have you as the town’s Sacred World Tree.”

“Sacred… Tree?”

Hearing the confusion, Taro explained. “I know that you don’t like to be glorified. However, that’s the easiest and fastest way to make the public accept you into their lives. If you are some kind of godly being, going against you as a religious figure will be much more complicated. The backlash against those who defy a religious figure is always much harsher than the one against a political figure.” 

“Oh…” 

That single word carried so much emotion or lack thereof, that Taro smiled again. “You don’t seem too happy about it?”

“Honestly… I am not.” Liu Shu commented, feeling a strange sense of alienation with that high and mighty position. “I feel that if I am treated as such, then the people who treat me as a sacred figure will discriminate against those who treat me normally… It’s a double-edged sword.”

The explanation actually made Taro pause. He rubbed his chin and muttered. “That’s… Quite truthful. If Flor, Cinderiella, or any of them treat you casually on the streets, your fanatics will probably attack them for it.”

This could actually develop in a very dangerous direction, making Taro hesitant to follow through with this plan. He had thought about it too one-dimensionally, it seemed. “I’ll think of another way, then. You are right that it might cause more problems than it solves, especially in your most intimate circle of people.”

“Right! Right! You make everyone treat me like a friend! Like family! That’s the bestest way possible!”

Taro heard her and took her words as a bit of a joking matter at first. “Okay, Liu Shu. I’ll try my best.”

After Liu Shu left, Taro thought about the World Tree’s words for a while. And, the more he thought of them, the less they seemed like a joking suggestion.  

Knock. Knock.

Taro blinked twice and spoke aloud. “Enter.”

The doors to his office opened, and his assistant entered with a smile. “City Lord, I am here with the reports you asked for… Hm?” The woman blinked and asked. “Is there something bothering you, City Lord?”

Her words surprised Taro, making his narrow eyes widened slightly. “Oh? How could you tell, Lyricis?”

The assistant, named Lyricis, smiled faintly and pointed at Taro’s hand. “Whenever City Lord feels confused, you like to spin your pen.”

Looking at his hand, Taro realized that he was, as Lyricis said, spinning a pen between his fingers. “Oh.” He paused and looked at her. “Say… What do you think about my plans for Liu Shu?”

The assistant pondered for a few moments, approaching and placing the documents on the table. “Well… I think that they are correct.”

“Correct…” Taro smiled faintly. “That’s an interesting way to say that you can’t find a thing to pick on them, but they are not what you think we should do.”

Lyricis smiled. “You are overreading me again, City Lord. I am more intuitive than you think in that regard.”

“I know.” Looking toward the window, Taro leaned on his hand and asked. “What do you think of a similar plan, but instead of a Sacred World Tree, we give her the image of a friendly and family tree? Like… Everyone’s World Tree friend.”

Lyricis paused and looked at Taro with surprise for a few seconds. To be honest, she had been thinking along those lines for a while, but she thought that the idea was so stupid that Taro might’ve laughed at her. So, when Taro suggested it, she was internally delighted. Keeping her composure, she answered with a smile. “I think that’s an idea worth exploring.”

Taro looked at the woman and smiled faintly. “Create a document on how you would implement it.”

Lyricis nodded formally. “Right away.” Then, she exited the room, and once outside, she made three jumps of happiness. “This! Is! Great!”