Chapter 89. Berry Math? Changes in the Vault!

The new berries she unlocked were something Liu Shu was delighted to see. Now, she needed to use her usual calculations to see how many she could grow while funneling energy to accelerate their growth. After all, it was just 10% of the initial cost to give them 50 days of growth. 

So, if she divided the days and took into account the amount of growth needed, she could calculate the net spending of each of the berries. 'Hm… So, if I did the calculations right… I have experience berries and recovery berries costing 120 Aether Mana Shards and Anima Energy Shards. Then, the breakthrough berry would cost me a total of… 31,000 Aether Mana and Anima Energy. Finally, the new berries would cost 1,950 each.'

Liu Shu was thoughtful. 'Then, the days needed to grow them are 2 days for the first kind, 12 days for the breakthrough berries, and 3 days for the new berries. Dividing them by the days they take, I can calculate how much daily energy spending I need for them… Right?' 

Liu Shu did the calculations in an efficient and swift manner, showing incredible number control. 'My common berries cost 60/day, the new berries cost 650/day, and the breakthrough berry costs 2583.3/day for each I grow.'

Finally, the World Tree calculated how much Aether Mana she could produce daily. 'I can produce 261 an hour, which makes for a total of 6,264 Aether Mana Shards a day.'

Her mind spun with many combinations of growth, something she didn't do in the past. 'So, doing the math, if I grow one breakthrough berry and one of each of the new berries at the same time, I have around 1,080 Aether Mana Shards left.' 

Liu Shu couldn't help but think that it was a nice chunk. 'How much does maintaining my <Enchanted Growth> costs me?' 

Releasing her aura, the World Tree used her sharp senses to calculate how much she needed. 'Around 400 Aether Mana Shards?' Liu Shu's senses tried to pick up every single sensation while calculating and specifying the number more. 'No, it's closer to 350… Between 340 and 380, actually.'

Finally, she reached a conclusion. 'So, I have around 700 Aether Mana left? That is enough for… three berries for all four common berries?' 

Liu Shu got excited and smiled. 'So, I can constantly produce 3 <Delicious Berry>, 3 <Phoer Berry>, 3 <Mana Berry>, 3 <Energy Berry>, 1 <Breakthrough Berry>, 1 <Resonant Berry>, 1 <Refinement Berry>, 1 <Affinity Berry>, and 1 <Palace Berry>!' 

Liu Shu giggled. 'Nice, nice! Also, also, if I calculate the yield for every 12 days, I earn… Oh! Not bad at all! 18 <Delicious Berry>, 18 <Phoer Berry>, 18 <Mana Berry>, 18 <Energy Berry>, 1 <Breakthrough Berry>, 4 <Resonant Berry>, 4 <Refinement Berry>, 4 <Affinity Berry>, and 4 <Palace Berry>. Moreover, all of them are the Low-Level kind!'

Liu Shu's branches gently danced in happiness. 'I can produce all my berries and keep up with the <Enchanted Growth>! Hehehe. I am a fruitful tree! Everyone will like me more because I give them fruits, and they will be happy!' 

With those thoughts sorted out, she finally decided to open her <World Tree Eye> to see her surroundings and her own body's growth. While with her tree vision, she could more or less tell her height, for non-energy dependent details like height, color, etc, the <World Tree Eye> was much better. 

Her soul and mind started processing all the information, and soon, a 360-degree vision of her surroundings appeared in her mind. The sight that would make a human feel dizzy was comfortable for Liu Shu, who had only seen in this manner since birth.

The first thing she did was look at herself. 'Big!'

Her height from the surface to the top of her canopy had been constantly developing, currently reaching around 12 meters in height. Moreover, she could distinguish a slightly clearer female shape in her own trunk. 'Hehe, I'm getting prettier and bigger!' 

Naturally, as a tree, "big" was everything. So, her growth was not only in height but in "thickness" as well. The World Tree was slowly blooming into a curvaceous beauty. 

Liu Shu looked at her dropping branches, characteristic of her Willow tree characteristics, and saw that there were no fruits on them. 'Huh? Did they all get harvested?' 

Before her Level Up, since the berries she was growing were so cheap to produce, the number of them was much higher than what she could do now. However, thinking of how her body grew with plenty of energy, it was only right for the berries hanging on her branches to feed on that energy and mature as well. 'Then, the breakthrough berry should've been taken by Flor, right?'

Without any hesitation whatsoever, her aura firmly locked on the Rose Fairy Queen and she started her usual barrage of annoyingly adorable messages. "Flooooooor! FlorFlor Floooorrrrrrr! Flor? FLOR! FloOOOOoooRRR!'

The Rose Fairy Queen had noticed the increasing activity of the World Tree, so she expected that she would wake up soon. Moreover, knowing the little one, this outcome was more than expected. 

The Rose Fairy Queen, like an accustomed mother to her child's whinings, calmly woke up and stretched, flying toward the larger tree. "I'm here, I'm here. You can stop calling me, Liu Shu."

Liu Shu giggled. 'Good morning, Flor!'

Flor looked at the very high sun up in the sky and commented. "A bit late for a good morning, but, well. Good morning to you, too, Liu Shu." She smiled and sat on one of her branches. "How was this time's Level Up? Did making the whole town give any extra rewards?" 

Liu Shu's trunk and branches felt as if they were lighting up with excitement as she started rambling. 'Of course! Listen, listen. First, there were so many rewards that I got overwhelmed! I couldn't even think properly before I got knocked out by the energies and needed to focus on growing! Then, then, you see, thanks to completing the quest pre-Level-5, I received powerful things! And…' 

Flor listened silently and attentively, answering to all her gain with different reactions. 

The World Tree deviated in her speech and went through many branches, explaining how she felt during all that time, what her new stats were, and much more. The Rose Fairy Queen was surprised to learn about her meeting with the Myconids and about that thing she got. 'An unidentifiable item called <Shattered Core>? I wonder what that is…' 

Finally, Liu Shu started explaining the effects of her new berries in detail, and as Flor listened, her heart thumped, and her eyes widened. "W-Wait, Liu Shu, slow down."

Flor blurted words she never thought she would say. Usually, she was tempted to ask Liu Shu to speak quickly, but this time, she was having a hard time digesting the new information. 

The World Tree, unaware that the Rose Fairy Queen's mind was going through a tremendous shock, asked with genuine wonderment. 'What's wrong? Did you become stupider, Flor? I am not saying complicated things, right?'

Flor's eyebrow twitched, and she retorted sharply. "Who are you calling stupid!? For your knowledge, I am getting cleverer!" 

Liu Shu giggled and teased. 'I don't believe you~. If you were cleverer, you would've understood my words~, hahahaha. Flor is getting sillier~.' 

The Rose Fairy Queen sighed helplessly, knowing that the last sentence was just banter. However, remembering what she just heard, she wanted to confirm. "So, are you telling me that after <Nature's Gift> ranked up, all the berries ranked up with it?"

Liu Shu laughed. 'Yep, yep. I'm awesome, right? My fruits are the best in the world~.'

Flor patted the trunk, and her mind began spinning. 'She can evolve those fruits?' She was in disbelief. While Flor knew that Liu Shu would develop new fruits, she always expected the ones she had been producing to remain as they were. "Moreover… You said that the ones that we last harvested were the improved version?" 

Liu Shu agreed with her again. 'That's right! Don't you read the descriptions when you harvest them? Tsk, tsk. So careless~.' 

Flor rolled her eyes and looked at Liu Shu with a smile while giving chops with her hand to the tree's trunk. "Stop being so mischievous, Little One. I'm genuinely surprised, so can you answer me normally?"

Liu Shu heard her serious tone, so she cheerfully agreed. 'Okay, okay! I will answer seriously!' 

Flor first went to the Vault and asked Liu Shu to open it. The Rose Fairy Queen noticed that the shape of the door had become slightly more complex. Moreover, the door was not just a loose rock that Liu Shu needed to lift. It was now completely assimilated with the roots, and when Liu Shu opened it, they would gently curl on crevices done for them, creating a wild and nature-like design. 'It looks quite nice.'

Flor then went down the passage leading into the vault and noticed the walls having become much more polished while a neat stairway covered the previous slope leading into it. 

Once inside, her eyes couldn't help but widen at the upgraded <Lignified Vault>. 

The space had increased enough that the previously cramped vault now felt empty. Moreover, there were new features. 'It seems that as Liu Shu remodeled it, she took into account our recommendations.'

One of the corners was transformed into a space where Liu Shu could leave items for Flor and the rest to know what she needed. Even if she didn't have an item sample, the wall was similarly transformed into one filled with roots that could shift around to create words and symbols, similar to a screen, but made of roots.

The World Tree also created a space on the other side to sort out her currency. When she approached, she realized that there was much more than before. "Liu Shu, when did you get so much Sylvanium and similar materials?" 

Flor heard Liu Shu's gentle and ethereal but young voice. 'Hm? The quest rewarded me quite a few. Moreover, I have a few branches that produce them as well~. I can produce Sylvanium, Cognium, and Celestium! One a day~.'

Flor asked to make sure. "Sylvanium… shards, right?"

Liu Shu's puzzled voice echoed in her mind. What else?'

Flor sighed in relief. If the World Tree told her that she could produce one <Sylvanium Ore> a day, her little heart might not be able to take it. One shard a day was already crazy enough, one <Ore >, which had the value of 100 <Shards >. She wouldn't know what to do with such riches. 

From what she had been lately learning from Verdantia, an income of one <Sylvanium Shard> a day was enough to compare with a prosperous town. 

'She is really a big and cute treasure trove, isn't she?' Flor laughed as she looked at the abundant shards. 

Placing those thoughts aside, she went around and searched for the <Breakthrough Berry> Liu Shu talked about. After a few moments, she saw a root moving and coiling around one item, lifting it into the air.

The appetizing and nice-smelling berry came into sight, making Flor gulp. 'Wow. I've never felt this greedy for something in my life. If it weren't because I know it is Liu Shu's, I might've tried to snatch it away.' 

'Read the description, Flor!'

Flor did so, and her mouth opened. "W-What?" Flor's mind became chaotic. She had tried really hard not to freak out as explosive news arrived one after another. However, when she read the description of this berry, she felt her world being flipped around. 

Then, words she actually didn't expect to ever hear got Flor thunderstruck on the spot. 'Now, eat it!'

A stupid sound escaped Flor's mouth as the World Tree said something Flor thought was outrageous. "Ha?"