Chapter 102. [Living Wood City]'s strength.
The Earth Sylvan's powers were enormous, and it showed. While the Rose Fairies, Fire Ants, and Myconids used ranged attacks to bother the group of five, Cinderielle, Verdantia, and Ignatia fought in a close-range battle with them.
However, the Level 9 summons of the Earth Sylvan had become Level 10, which increased their stats to a ridiculous degree. The attacks that previously injured their rocky bodies would now create slightly deep scratch marks and tickle them.
Similar to living beings, Summons also benefited from <Energy Cycles>. Their systems functioned similarly to monsters, having an overall <Tier > and <Level > that modified their strength.
Thankfully for Ignatia, Cinderielle, and Verdantia, Liu Shu was around them. Her 10% buff from the <Defender > title and her defensive structures were powerful enough to become a threat to these people.
Especially the Earth Sylvan, who was the main focus of the World Tree as they fought.
"You pesky little saplings, don't you understand that fighting with me is a losing battle!? Talent is nothing in front of absolute power! <Earth Spike>!"
The Earth Sylvan stomped the ground, creating a massive spike that struck Cinderielle on the stomach and sent her flying backward. Yet, when she attacked, Verdantia took the chance to summon several vines around her that quickly began whipping the Earth Sylvan's body with terrible strength.
With her staff increasing her Anima stat by 50, her attacks hit with terrifying power.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The Earth Sylvan's face twisted in pain as her Phoer Body Shards plummeted with each hit that broke the outer rocky layer protecting her.
Verdantia's voice, deep and intimidating like nature, spread around. "You are going to die for attacking Liu'er. Any other result won't matter."
The Earth Sylvan's ordered her three Level 10 summons to protect her, blocking the vines that attacked her and suffering serious injuries in the meantime.
The shield-bearing male human that had been taking care of the Wall's giant trees shouted. "Send those Summons to deal with the World Tree! Once that one is gone, the battle is won!"
The Earth Sylvan only hesitated for a moment. 'I just need to destroy the trunk and keep the core as intact as possible to avoid its death.'
Thinking about that, she used a skill for the golems to lose a bit of their thick outer armor and increase their movement speed. "GO!"
When they approached, Liu Shu actually didn't change the targeting of the <Mother Of Thousand Flower Field> and kept focusing on the two Aether Human users, keeping them as occupied as possible so that their ranged attacks wouldn't hurt anybody. The two trees on the walls that were in range were attacking one Shield Bearing human each, and combined with the almost 90 sub-Level-10 monsters, the humans were constantly being injured and losing Phoer Body Shards.
One of the human Aether users barked a laugh. "That World Tree is too compassionate! Does it really think that at Level 6, she can deal with three Level 10 summons!?"
"IDIOT! PAY ATTENTION!"
"Huh?"
The second he got distracted, Ignatia appeared in front of him, her compound insect eyes locked on his face with terrible killing intent behind them.
The fire-aether user's face hardened, and quickly tried to create a fire shield. However, the Ant Queen's flaming punch got imbued with all of her power and shot forward like a streaking comet, piercing through the hastily created defense and squarely landing on his abdomen.
BOOM!
[-1450]!
The body of the human bent as Ignatia's punch sunk deep into his body and shook all his internal organs.
Almost 15% of his remaining Phoer Body Shards were blasted off as he flew away like a shooting star.
Thankfully for him, the Earth Sylvan reacted quickly and created a dome around his body, protecting him from the Fire Ant's barrage that followed right where he landed.
It was at this moment that the sound of air whistling echoed together with a sonorous bang.
BANG!
The humans looked over toward the place where the sound originated and saw one of the Level 10 golems coming their way by pure momentum and an ethereal branch retreating backward.
Their eyes widened as another one of the World Tree's branches gained a bluish-green illusory extension that stretched for several dozens of meters and swung toward another of the golems.
BOOM!
Hitting it from above, the golem was smashed into the ground, creating a dust explosion. Then, for the third golem, roots burst from the ground coiling around it and squeezing with terrifying strength as another two branches flew in perfect arcs.
BOOM! BOOM!
CRASH!
The body of the rock golem couldn't bear the pressure and strength of the World Tree and exploded in rocky chunks. In a few seconds, the three Level 10 summons were dealt with, leaving behind an imposing-looking World Tree with waving branches.
The sheer aura it emitted after such a display of raw strength was incredibly intimidating.
Ignatia's mouth arched in a wild grin when she saw the flabbergasted expression of the human group. "Did you think our little one is helpless!? That a World Tree couldn't defend itself!? NAIVE!"
Liu Shu's aura skyrocketed right as Ignatia stopped speaking, and the buildings around the human group and Sylvan all started creaking and coming to life.
Among all the benefits Liu Shu got as a reward for her Sylvan Quest, there was one that she had yet to use.
<Living Wood City>
Between all the benefits it provided, there was one sentence that stuck out. "All structures have offensive and defensive abilities to a certain extent."
This meant that everything Liu Shu built could attack and defend itself. Of course, Liu Shu didn't want the buildings that she worked so hard to create to be destroyed, so she didn't plan on using this skill from the start.
However, now that everyone was tired and the battle was at the tipping point, her Aether Mana and Anima energy surged through her roots and carried all over the entire town, lighting all structures up with her energy.
Liu Shu's cold and all-encompassing gaze sharpened as the houses around the group of humans had many of their branches begin to move. With Liu Shu's power, the tree houses gained life and were prepared to attack.
Naturally, the humans and Earth Sylvan were not stupid and understood what was happening. However, they could do nothing as the buildings they thought were just obstacles began attacking them.
With the combined pressure from the army of low-levels, buildings, defensive structures, and high-level creatures.
The fight turned for the worse very quickly.
The male shield bearer could dodge one of the attacks directed at him, and before he could realize it, one of the seeds from the <Mother Of Thousand Flower Field> hit him straight in the neck, managing to break his defense and penetrating deep into his body. Then, the seed exploded, sending his head flying in the opposite direction of the body.
The Earth Sylvan and others saw it, but they couldn't even grieve as all the creatures that were focusing on him moved to deal with them.
The blonde shield bearer cursed and said. "Where is the leader!? Can't he deal with an insignificant Rose Fairy!?"
"He couldn't."
A female voice they had not heard yet appeared above them and looking upward, they saw Flor holding the amputated leader and covered in blood. Her face was as cold as the Moon's surface while looking down at them.
The remaining three humans and Earth Sylvan looked at the state of their leader with a pale face. The Earth Sylvan stuttered and shouted in shock and disbelief. "H-How!?"
Flor pointed at her and spat. "Like this. <Wind Slash>."
WHOOSH!
A terrifying wind picked up around Flor and transformed into a massive crescent, rushing at the Earth Sylvan before she could properly react.
BOOM!
[-2680]!
"AHH!"
The giant body of the Sylvan was pushed back as blood burst diagonally on her body. With Flor joining after throwing the unconscious leader and his legs on the top of a building, the fight was swift.
Not only did it become easy, the girls even coordinated and allowed Liu Shu to finish off all the humans so that she could suck up their experience points.
While it would be nice for them to have those Experience Points, they understood the importance of Liu Shu becoming stronger.
The only one that was left alive other than the leader was the Earth Sylvan, who fell unconscious after being beaten down by Flor, Cinderielle, and Verdantia.
Of course, even though Liu Shu gave the "last hit," the others also gained Experience Points.
The usual way of dividing experience points was individual and depending on the contribution toward someone's death. The benefit of giving the last hit if they had actively participated in the battle was receiving experience as if they had killed the creature by themselves, receiving 100% of the experience.
Of course, active participation was properly assessed by the system, and fooling it or finding loopholes was not something that a person could do. After all, the system followed the natural rules of the world while having a hint of autonomy.
Hence, people trying to loophole the rules were actually easy for it to spot.
After the battle, Liu Shu received such messages.
[Congratulations on defeating <Ceperet 11 Human Level>. You've gained 31 Experience Points.] x3
[Congratulations on defeating <Ceperet 12 Human Level>. You've gained 92 Experience Points.] x1
[Congratulations on defeating <Petalae 13 Terraeviridis Sylvan Level>. You've gained 255 Experience Points.] x1
Liu Shu looked at the experience she received for defeating the Earth Sylvan with confusion. 'System, she is not dead. Why have I received experience?'
[System Hint: <Experience Points> and <Proficiency Points> are energy gathered and created while actions are completed. While killing an enemy guarantees that <Experience Points> will appear, that doesn't mean that they are the only way of doing so. When the system judges that the fight is substantial and provides enough experience, <Experience Points> will be rewarded. However, it is rare for this to happen to non-World-Tree creatures because for <Experience Points> to be rewarded, the first condition is to have a substantial difference in strength and win.]
Liu Shu asked sharply while feeling a bit confused. 'So, it is a completely arbitrary and subjective way of giving Experience Points that only the system decides to give?'
[System Hint: Incorrect. The system is non-partial and one with the environment. It has no will, no conscience, and everything it says is a result of the knowledge that the Universe absorbed during the eons of its existence.]
Liu Shu was doubtful. 'Why help World Trees, then?'
[System Hint: <World Trees> are the creatures that are connected the deepest with their surroundings, being able to see further into the essence of the world than other creatures. They receive extra help because they can see further and deeper.]
Liu Shu looked at those words with a doubtful heart. 'Hm… Let's leave it at this for now. So, returning to what I asked, I received experience because the fight was substantial enough according to the system to receive experience. Can the opposite happen?'
[System Hint: That is correct. Yes, it can happen.]
Liu Shu asked. 'What's the difference between the system messages accompanied by "System Hint" at the beginning and those that aren't?'
[System Hint: Unable to answer.]
Liu Shu laughed. 'Sure, sure. Lord impartial and all-knowing System can't answer~.'
[...]
Liu Shu ignored the system and looked at her ternary essences.
***
Aether Mana Shards: 3,458/7,245 (+261/Hour)
Phoer Body Shards: 7,868/10,463 (+377/Hour)
Anima Energy Shards: 4,540/8,190 (+295/Hour)
***
'We had quite an intense fight. Yet, I am still relatively healthy, and they didn't manage to breach my second line of defense. Some of my structures are badly damaged, but nothing I can't fix.' Liu Shu felt happy and cheered in her head. 'Nice! Hehehe.'