Ascension of the Sylvan Cosmos.

Chapter 144. A Chat With Verena.

While walking inside, the three Sylvans couldn't help but look at the now massive world tree. Their eyes were locked on her, and their cheeks were becoming redder by the second. 

'O-Oh wow, she has become… big… and… her silhouette is much clearer. '

'Hm… We should craft clothes for her. She looks… a bit too… seductive.'

'Hm. Is kidnapping her not an option? I swear that if I am gentle, I could…'

Verena looked at the three young girls and coughed. "World Tree… Liu Shu, right?"

Liu Shu asked. "Hm? What's wrong?"

Verena asked. "Don't you have clothes?"

"Clothes?" Liu Shu was puzzled. "What clothes? Are you speaking about those cotton pieces around your bodies?"

Verena laughed a bit. "Right, you are still quite a… "Wild" World Tree." Verena looked at the two snakes that coiled around Liu Shu and commented. "How about using those two in the meantime?"

The World Tree asked. "Huh? I don't understand why, but, sure, how do I do it?"

Verena guided the snakes to coil around the most private parts, giving Liu Shu a snake "dress." 

Tempestria coughed. "Isn't this worse? So… Sexy."

Verdantia was covering her face but leaving a big enough hole between her fingers to look. 

It didn't matter as much when she was completely bare because it didn't give importance to those special places. But not that they were barely covered. It gave them a strange attractiveness that even others couldn't help but notice.

A human man coughed. "I never really realized that a tree could look- ouch!"

A human woman by his side stomped his feet. "Don't be a pervert toward Liu Shu!" 

Verena tilted her head and sighed. "Well, at least you are not naked. Anyway, World Tree Liu Shu, as I said, I am Verdantia's mother. This here is her father."

Liu Shu focused on the potted plant she had been ignoring; if she had eyes, they would've widened in surprise. 'What's with this powerful aura of life?'

Branthis communicated mentally. 'Don't worry, young one. I won't do anything. You must be feeling an instinctual adverse response to my presence around here, but I promise that as long as you don't do anything, I won't either.'

Liu Shu asked. 'What Level are you?'

Branthis chuckled. 'That's rude to ask, little one.'

'Is it?'

Branthis asked. 'Would you answer me if I asked you?'

The World Tree answered quite confidently. 'No!'

Branthis laughed. 'There you have it.'

'Ohhh. I see~.'

Verena smiled. "Do you have any place where we can sit to talk? I don't mind standing here in the middle of the town, but I'd rather be comfortable."

Flor spoke. "Follow me."

Verena nodded and walked behind Flor. "Hm? Aren't you that Rose Fairy that Malachai sliced the arm, leg, and wings off?" 

Flor was surprised. "You noticed?"

Verena smiled. "I was looking at the battle situation for a while. It's not like I appeared in the best moment."

Flor coughed. "I see. Well, yes. I am that Rose Fairy. Why?"

Verena's smile widened, and she pointed at the buzzing wings and the arm and leg that should be missing. "Well… How did you regrow those? While regrowing limbs is not that difficult with the right medicine, it's not an easy thing to do." 

Flor frowned. "I understand you are strong, Miss Verena. However, why should we tell you all our secrets? I mean, revealing that you are Verdantia's mother is a double-edged blade. Because I know how Verdantia feels toward Liu Shu, I also know that you won't do anything drastic. Therefore, you are now a toothless Venus Flytrap."

Verena laughed. "Fair enough. I won't continue with this." 

Branthis spoke, a hint of interest in his voice. "You are very intelligent."

Flor shook her head as she opened the door toward the meeting area. "I am far from that. I have yet to learn many things."

After sitting down, they were about to talk when someone barged in with a confident strut. "Hey, Flor, is someone bullying you? Let me deal with them!"

Tempestria looked over and almost facepalmed when she saw Mariane's confident behavior. 

Verena's eyes flashed with interest, and she smiled deeply. "Oh? Mariane, right?"

When Mariane recognized Verena, her smile stiffened together with her six limbs and wings. "U-Um. Hello, Miss Verena, what are you doing in this backward place? Shouldn't you be fighting some big guys at another place?"

Verena laughed. "What? Weren't you going to deal with me?"

Mariane approached, her wings and antennae moving cutely. "How can that be!? I wouldn't dare mess with someone that's almost in the third sub-cycle and…" Looking down, Mariane gulped. "Her quite renowned husband."

Tempestria sighed. "Just sit around, Mariane."

Mariane snorted. "Hey, brat! I tried my best, but this woman is too strong, okay? She can probably deal with all of us by herself! Do you know that she once destroyed an entire faction with SEVERAL Level 30s? Also, did I mention that she did it ALONE? I am not going to mess with someone like that!"

Verdantia blinked. "Huh? When did Mom do something like that?"

Mariane pointed at Verdantia with her two left arms. "It was because of you, you little brat!"

Verena hummed. "Enough, Mariane. No need to reveal that."

Verdantia blinked. "But, Mom. I want to know."

Verena sighed. "Okay, Little Flower. But it really was nothing too special. Some of the Liferoot clan wanted my position as the head of the clan, and to weaken me, they hired powers from the Nexus to try and kidnap you. I discovered their ploy and went to destroy that power. Meanwhile, that Liferoot clan came to our house to try and get you either way. Your father dealt with those."

Liu Shu's voice was heard, curious. "Why would people of the same clan fight? Isn't that silly?"

Verena smiled softly. 'She is quite pure.' 

"Well, Liu Shu, living beings have something called greed. You will eventually learn more. Don't worry." Then, Verena commented. "Speaking of learning. Liu Shu, I heard that you have quite a few special berries. How about we do an exchange?" 

The World Tree frowned. "What do you have that I am interested in?"

Verena smirked. "Books~. Plenty of them!"

Liu Shu's voice raised an octave higher. "Really!? You have books!?"

Verena laughed and smiled softly. "You were right. I really love this little darling. So adorable." 

Liu Shu humphed. "I still don't trust you… Unless you give me books!"

The rest almost fell from their chairs. 'Are you so easy to buy, Liu Shu!? Are you sure you don't want to think this through a bit more!?'

Verena smiled. "Okay, then, I'll give you one for free. How about it?"

Right after she said so, a root came down from the ceiling and landed on the table. It was a very clear "GIMME!" from the World Tree.

The Sylvan reached into the bag she had by her side and took out a relatively thick book. "Here. This book is called <World of Thoughts>. This book speaks about the nature of intelligent races and their natural desire for conquest. Not only that, it also explains feelings and many other philosophical questions." 

Verena flipped the book a few times and commented. "It also speaks quite a lot about your race, World Trees. If your skill works as I think, this will increase your thought depth by a big notch. It will make you more thoughtful and perceptive to people's true intentions." Verena gave Verdantia and the other two Sylvans a look and smirked. 

Verdantia and the other two were confused until they realized, and their eyes widened. Cinderielle stuttered. "W-Wait, Liu Shu! There is no need to rush."

But because Liu Shu was so greedy for more knowledge, the root surrounded the book and slipped upward, eating the entire book.

Verena smiled widely and looked at the three Sylvans with a smirk. "From now on, this is the true start for your courting~."

The three Sylvans were speechless. They were quite comfortable with a naive Liu Shu and taking it slow, so now that their intentions would be revealed, they couldn't help but feel their stomachs twisting in nervousness. 

Verena commented. "Before you digest that one, do you want to know about the other books?"

Liu Shu quickly answered. "Yes!"

Verena smirked. "Then, tell me what kind of fruits you have to exchange with me. That was a gift on my part, but from now on, we'll do some honest trading. What do you think, Liu Shu?"

The World Tree hummed and asked Flor. "Flor, what do you think?"

Flor pondered for a bit before answering. "Reveal the first 8. They should be enough to trade all her books." 

Verena blinked and smirked. "Oh? Is there one that's too powerful to reveal?"

Flor looked at Verena and nodded. "Yes. I fear that if you know about them, it will become a problem. As you said, people are greedy."

The woman was surprised. "Even for me?"

Flor sighed. "Especially for you or other high-levels."

"Aren't you revealing much? I might become curious, right?" 

Flor shrugged. "And yet, that's better than revealing the berry's effect."

Verena's eyebrows raised, and she looked at Mariane. Mariane coughed. "Don't look at me. I only know about 8 of them. The others are still a secret to almost everyone. Your daughter should know about them, though."

Verdantia spoke. "Unless Liu Shu wants, I won't reveal them, Mom. Not even to you."

Verena hummed. "Do they have to do something with Tiers? Perhaps a Tier increase?"

Flor's hand twitched, but she remained unfazed for the most part. Verena smiled. "I mean, I know my baby's Tiers, but when she came back, some of them had changed~. If that's not a big hint, I don't know what it is."

Ignatia chuckled. "Lady Verena, I would recommend you not to scare them. While they have intelligence, they have gained it not long ago, so it is not that developed. Facing a larger intellect that guesses their intentions will feel very threatening, sometimes even more than facing raw strength."

With a nod, Verena spoke. "You are right. I apologize for that. Show me those eight berries, then."

Flor called for Clavel, and a few minutes later, she came back with 20 of each basic berry and 5 of each affinity berry.

When Verena looked at all of them, her relaxed smile tensed slightly. "Oho…" She clicked her tongue. "No wonder that old man didn't care about his son's mischief. He probably also knows about the other berries."

Ignatia asked. "Who are you talking about?"

Verena commented. "Well, when this place was occupied, Liu Shu's berries were picked by those who occupied her. Thankfully, they did the occupation when Liu Shu was still Leveling Up, probably the berries are what she could produce pre-Level-10. Were the berries different back then?"

Flor nodded. "They were <Basic Grade>. Now, they are <Low Grade>. The effects of the berries are considerably large. The affinity berries have not changed much, though. The ones I am not showing are the ones that have changed the most."

Verena took out a book and threw it at Mariane. "That's a Rune Crafting book that speaks in detail about how to hide a World Tree's aura and camouflage it as a Life Tree. I'll give that to your strongest Rune Crafter in exchange for knowing about the other two. Not buying them, but knowing about them."

Mariane smiled wryly. "You've really investigated us quite deeply."

Verena smiled. "Verdantia wants to live here, as her mother, I don't want any accidents."

Mariane sighed. "Flor, agree. This is too important for us. I can do it myself. However, this book has a lot of knowledge from stronger and older Rune Crafters."

Flor frowned deeply, and Ignatia patted her head softly with two fingers. "Agree, Flor. We need that."

Flor sighed and looked at Clavel. 

Soon, Clavel returned with one <Breakthrough Berry> and one <Energy Cycle Berry>.