Chapter 24. Ignatia Appears Again.

Flor has recently gained a problem. She had talked with Liu Shu about creating weapons and such, but she didn't know how to do it.

Of course, it wasn't like Flor didn't know some basic facts about it. Flor was someone who had roamed near cities for a few years while traveling to unlock her Level 10.

So, if someone asked who knew the most among all Rose Fairies, it was her. Not even the older fairies could compare since all of them just stayed in the forest all their lives living in the group.

That's why most of those older fairies were weakened Level 7s or 8s. Remember that as creatures aged, their ternary essences slowly dwindled. There was a limit, but natural death came as soon as they could not support the body's functions.

Anyway, regarding the creation of weapons, Flor was clueless. 'I said I would help, but how? If I knew how to create weapons, I would've equipped the Rose fairies with them.'

Amapola arrived, and Flor saw a few burn injuries on her. Her eyes scanned her Phoer reserves, and they were actually down a third. "What happened?"

Amapola sighed. "Queen, the ant queen wants to speak with you. We told her that you were busy, and she got slightly aggressive. These wounds are her warning."

Flor snorted. "Lately, everyone thinks that they can come and go in my territory as they please!"

She flew forward, using her skills, and quickly flashed through the sky toward where the chaos was occurring.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the Ant Queen smiled indifferently. "Little dolls, how about you make way? I want to talk with your leader, not fight her. If not, I would've carried a few more of my children."

Clavel looked at the nearly 200 ants behind her, and the corner of her eye twitched. 'There are more?'

Because the regeneration of the ternary essences was slow, swarming high-level creatures was quite a successful way to hunt stronger enemies. For ants, which could multiply quickly, it was a very intuitive and easy way to do so.

Clavel spoke. "Queen Ignatia, our Queen is unable to come and meet you. If you wait a bit, she will naturally come."

Ignatia hummed. "You also call her Queen? I remember that previously, you little dolls called her chief or leader. What changed?"

A gust of wind lifted the fallen leaves of the forest as Flor arrived. Ignatia and Flor exchanged glances, and Flor answered. "I changed."

Ignatia laughed. "Oh? The weakest of the above Level 10s has actually gained a bit of strength?"

Flor shook her head. "Ignatia. Don't provoke, you can't win."

Ignatia's lips arched. "Even when we outnumber you? While I admit your flying ability is annoying, it is not something I haven't prepared against."

However, Flor just said. "Ignatia…. You can't win."

Ignatia paused. In the past, even when Flor was provoked, she always opted to tell her that fighting was not worth it for both sides. However, today has changed.

Ignatia laughed, her voluptuous body moving with it. "Hey, you are quite funny, Flor. Even if you've become Level 11, could you please not underestimate me?"

Flor sighed and asked. "Why have you come."

Ignatia snorted. "Well, I also dislike getting entangled in pointless word battles." Then, she smirked. "Let me see that tree."

"I refuse."

The rejection came in a record time as Flor utterly slammed her wish into the ground and immolated it with two words.

Ignatia asked, speechless. "Can you at least think about it?"

Flor snorted. "No. That tree is completely out of limits for strange people. Especially someone like you."

The Ant Queen didn't know how to react to such a blunt answer. Negotiation would usually ensue until they reached a common ground, but with a flat-out refusal, there was no way Ignatia could slowly negotiate.

What was worse was that the Ant Queen saw Flor turning around as if their conversation had ended!

"Wait, wait, wait! Flor!"

 Flor turned around in confusion. "Anything else?"

Ignatia stomped the ground, making her ample bosom jiggle. "Many! Why did you flat-out reject me!? I have something that you will probably like!"

Flor didn't immediately dismiss her and listened this time. "Ho? For example?"

Ignatia smiled and called one of the one-meter-tall ants at the back. Then, she threw the pouch that had been hanging on the ant's pincers at Flor. While they were competitors, and some might even call them enemies, Ignatia knew Flor's character. So, she wasn't afraid of being robbed. "Look at those."

Flor used her Aether Mana to catch the pouch, which was almost as big as herself and looked inside. Her eyebrows rose a few notches, showing satisfaction. Ignatia grinned. "What do you say? Is that enough to let me see that tree of yours?"

Flor wanted to disagree, but if she really continued refusing, Ignatia would probably be angry. She didn't want another enemy with the Thornstrides constantly lurking around. "Wait for a second. I need to ask." Before leaving, she stopped because she remembered something. "By the way, it will take a while. Trees are quite slow thinkers."

Ignatia's eyes flashed. 'Oh? So the tree is the real chief?' Without showing her surprise, she grinned. "Sure, take your time."

Flor returned to Liu Shu's side and asked. "Liu Shu, there is a powerful person that wants to see you. She doesn't have bad intentions, so there shouldn't be any problems."

Liu Shu was looking at her system when she heard Flor's voice. 'Another little friend similar to Flor?'

Liu Shu looked at Flor's stats just to remember the difference between them.

Aether Mana Shards: 12432/12432

Phoer Body Shards: 3612/3612

Anima Energy Shards: 5845/5845

Then, Tianlian Liu Shul looked at her own.

Aether Mana Shards: 1013/1013

Phoer Body Shards: 1499/1499

Anima Energy Shards: 1044/1044

'Another Flor… It would be very dangerous.'

Looking back at Flor, who had, at some point, sat down on one of her branches while swinging her legs, Liu Shu sent a message conveying affirming thoughts. 

Flor understood and smiled. "Hm? You've finished? Good. Tell me what you think about it."

Liu Shu asked herself if she trusted Flor enough to bring another of that caliber near her trunk. After thinking for a while, she decided that she did. So, she sent the message back to her, conveying another type of affirmation, one that was heavier in meaning, as if telling her. "I trust you."

Flor understood and laughed, hugging Liu Shu's thick and relatively smooth trunk. "Thank you for trusting me, little one."

Ignatia waited for around one hour before she saw Flor coming over. "Well, how was it?"

Flor commented. "You can go, but leave those 200 ants that you carried over far away."

Ignatia snorted and dragged out her tone as she walked forward. "Sure ~."

They walked inside and entered the grove where Liu Shu was. While walking, Ignatia also realized how many fairies were waiting at the side. After all, unlike her own race, fairies couldn't reproduce as easily.

After walking through the peaceful grove, Ignatia arrived at an open space. There was nothing around the tree other than some vegetation.

Even then, the place didn't feel dull. Ignatia looked around with a smile. "There are so many good things… Hm?"

Her eyes landed on the relatively tall tree, and her mind and heart raced. "Wow! Look at her trunk's shape. It's so pretty. Why is she like that? It looks like the very vague silhouette of a woman's body!"

Flor rolled her eyes and told her. "Go on. Didn't you want to tell her something? Or at least, check something?"

Liu Shu saw Flor arrive with an extremely tall person. For her, who was used to seeing the 20-centimeter-tall flying people, seeing the explosive Ignatia was a hit to the mind. 'Wow, she is so… Big.'

[<Charm of the Seedling> has attracted a <Fire 11 Ant Queen Level>. Proficiency increased by 110.]

This skill was always triggered when a new being approached her, so Liu Shu wasn't surprised at the sudden flux of proficiency points.

Ignatia smiled and stopped about five meters away from Liu Shu. "Well, hello, little one. I wanted to ask if it was okay if my children and I moved in nearby."

Flor blinked and looked at her with confusion. "Why? Did something happen to your nest?"

Since the Rose Fairy Queen knew the true race of Liu Shu, she didn't stop her from moving in. World Trees was a gathering of people from everywhere. They were a symbol of protection, strength, and wisdom in those countries. 

So, stopping someone from taking shelter nearby was okay with Flor. Not only that, she expected more creatures to appear that managed to be lucky enough to be by Liu Shu's side as she grew exponentially taller and stronger.

Ignatia had recently learned that Liu Shu usually took a while to answer, so she decided to answer Flor first. "There is nothing wrong with my nest. I just wanted to move closer to one of my previously abandoned nests. I'll probably need to fight off the rogue ants that went there later."

Flor smirked. "What if there is another Ant Queen in that nest?"

Ignatia smiled. "I'll kill her."

Flor paused, sensing intense killing intent coming from Ignatia. "Ho? So aggressive?"

Ignatia snorted. "There can only be one Ant Queen, and that's me."

Suddenly, the Ant Queen felt a strange aura envelope her, giving her the feeling that someone or something was eagerly welcoming them. Ignatia grinned. "Thank you, Lady Tree~."

Liu Shu and Flor looked at the tall woman's retreating back with interest. "Well, she is gone. Now, what are you going to do?"

Liu Shu planned to see her improved fruit-making in action, so she did so. First, she used the same 200 points of Aether Mana and Anima energy to activate the skill. Then, she used it across her branches.

The beautiful willow was suddenly swallowed in an explosion of flowers that covered her entire canopy.

Liu Shu was stunned. 'I created 1000 flowers!'

Previously, she could create around one flower per mana point. Now, she could do five without problems. She had created 250 flowers of each of the berries. Then, Liu Shu used her enhancing ability to make those flowers bloom.

Flor watched from the side with a smile, relishing in the creature that, at just Level 3, could manipulate the energies in such a manner. It was honestly unthinkable for someone like herself.

If she didn't have the advantage of having ten times her Aether Mana pool, Liu Shu would probably be able to outclass her mana usage-wise already.

Finally, after Liu Shu happily reactivated <Enchanted Growth> and the other actions she had placed on hold because of the assimilation of the <Lignified Vault>, Liu Shu turned her eyes toward the things that she wanted to create. Equipment!