Chapter 7. Flor, Leader of the Rose Fairies.

After Clavel flew in front of the Rose Fairy Leader, she spoke, trying to hold the excitement for finding Liu Shu. "Leader! I've found a fascinating tree! We need to leave here and move to that place before something happens to it! Although we might be a bit worse for a while, if we invest in that Little Darling, we'll probably have a breakthrough as a race!" 

Flor, the leader of the Rose Fairies, looked at Clavel with interest in her eyes. "Oh? So much praise for that Tree?"

Another of the fairies by Flor's side snorted. "Clavel, aren't you exaggerating too much?" 

Clavel rolled her eyes. "Aster, do you think I would joke around about this when it took so much effort to secure this Tree for our race?" 

Aster frowned. "If you know that, then you should know that this one is the highest-level Tree around. Stop being annoying and leave."

Clavel frowned. "Aster, you have yet to see what I have to explain. What the hell are you being so butthurt for?" 

Aster sneered. "I was the one who found this place, so if someone comes trying to take merit from me, I'll naturally be angry!"

Clavel rolled her eyes and gave Flor one of the <Delicious Berries>. "Look at this, Leader. You should be able to read its effects with your level."

Flor didn't say anything at first. Discussion between them was not as rare as one might think. However, Flor knew deep down that even if they acted aggressively, in times of need, they took care of each other the most. She had seen Clavel and Aster fighting side by side plenty of times. 

She picked the <Delicious Berry> and read its effects aloud for Aster to listen. 

"Let's see… <Delicious Berry (F- Rank)>: It is a common, seedless berry with a savory taste and pleasing scent. Low-level animals love it, especially birds. It can give one experience point when Level 9 and lower creatures consume it. A creature can ingest a maximum of three each day."

The other three fairies who didn't take Clavel's words too seriously froze. Aster's eyes were the ones that opened the widest. "W-What? Leader, did you misread?" 

Even Flor blinked twice and reread it, incredulous. 

Seeing that the text she was reading didn't change, Flor asked with a serious face. "What level is this tree? Is it a Level 20 tree? Or a Level 25 one? To produce such a strong fruit… It is incredible."

Clavel laughed and said smugly, feeling proud of the Little Darling. "She is Level 1!" 

The other three fairies that had remained silent gasped. 

Aster became a bit angry, thinking that she was trying to lie to them. "Clavel, stop joking around! How could a Level 1 tree produce this fruit? We can get more than 1000 Experience Points a year as long as we ingest the three berries daily! 1000! Do you know how much that means? Now, it is not the time to speak jokingly!" 

Reaching Level 10 in their entire lifetime was almost impossible. So, if their youngest fairies could gain 1000 Experience points a year, the number of Level 10s that would begin in the future would explode. After all, for these fairies, the amount of experience they needed to go from Level 0 to Level 9 was about 12,000. The higher the tier, the higher the experience needed. However, since most fairies were F Tier, they all hovered around the same numbers. 

If they could ingest this kind of berry constantly since birth, by the age of 12, a fairy would reach level 9! 

Not to mention the creation of Level 10 beings, since the children of higher-level creatures had a chance to evolve or have an easier time reaching those higher levels, it would improve the overall strength of their entire race for future generations. 

In short, it was, as Clavel said, a fruit that could change the Fate of an entire race. 

Clavel snorted and commented. "It's not a lie, Aster. Moreover, this little darling is super interesting and clever!" Then, turning toward Flor, she said. "Leader, we need to move quickly before something happens to her!"

Flor caught something else in Clavel's expression and waved her hand to the other three. "Leave us alone for a while." 

The three of them didn't dare disobey and flew downwards. When only the two of them were left, Flor commented with a gentle smile as she hugged Clavel onto her lap. "Now, tell me. You seem a bit too anxious. Did something happen?"

Clavel smiled shyly. "Nothing escapes you, Mother." Then, she approached Flor's ears and whispered. "Fraar died by the hand of this Tree. Moreover, he could only create one gash on her before being whipped to death."

Flor was not foreign to trees that could defend themselves. However, when she remembered Fraar's level, her eyes widened. "She killed a level 7 being at Level 1?" 

Clavel nodded. 

Flor's face became serious. The strength difference between levels was, more often than not, absolute. The only way to overcome this difference was with equipment and powerful skills or with tier difference. 

Equipment was not something creatures like them would wear, and powerful skills on a Tree were rare. So, in Flor's mind, the only way for her to overcome such an abysmal chasm in strength was Liu Shu's tier. 

Flor asked, curious. "What's her tier, Clavel?"

Clavel shook her head. "I don't know. But her Ternary Essences are already over a hundred, and her Phoer is approaching the 200 shards."

Flor asked again, incredulous. "Clavel, are you sure she is level one? Mother won't blame you if this was a complex prank or something, so tell me the truth."

Clavel pouted. "It is the truth!" 

Flor looked into Clavel's red eyes and nodded. "Okay, I believe you."

Then, she stood up and told her. "Guide me quickly. We must never allow her to fall into the wrong hands." Then, she spoke aloud, her voice spreading by her use of Aether Mana through the entire canopy. "Those above level 7 that are not ordered to act as guards follow me."

Meanwhile, our Liu Shu didn't know that she had made one of the strongest creatures in the nearby forest area worried and was leisurely growing her berries and slowly increasing her experience by slapping the bugs that approached her. 

For her, the flow of time was fuzzy, so she didn't feel bored even if a few hours passed without anything happening. She was happy to bathe in the Sun, feel the wet and nutritious soil, or look around with her <World Tree Eye> at the nearby creatures. 

While she peacefully continued with her day, a notification from her <Charm of the seedling> triggered.

[<Charm of the Seedling> has attracted a <River 6 Beaver Level>. Proficiency increased by 6.]

When Liu Shu saw the name of the creature, she couldn't help but feel helpless. 'Is this bad friend coming for me again? Why are so many bad friends coming for me?'

Before becoming a World Tree, Liu Shu had had a very uneventful life. Some bugs and such sometimes attacked her roots, but all in all, she was just a small sapling in a large forest that got ignored by everything. 

She was relatively lucky that no one passed by her side and decided to uproot her out of boredom as some people might do with flowers on the side of the road. 

However, now that she had gained so many auras, the creatures that previously ignored her were now looking her way. With everyone who ignored her now looking her way, it was normal for her to attract so many beings. 

After a few moments, the Level 6 beaver appeared in the range of her <World Tree Eye> skill. 

It had 483 Phoer Body Shards, which were neither too many or too little. 

Liu Shu calmly observed the beaver approaching and waited. If this beast went its way, then she wouldn't bother attacking it. 

However, if it came to bite her…

Meanwhile, the River Beaver strode forward, confident in itself. In this forest section, trees that were level 5 and above were rare, so it was a perfect place to find timber for its dam. He had recently found a partner and was now finding wood to create the nest where they would live in the future.

Looking around, the beaver observed the trees until she spotted a peculiar one. 

Looking at the relatively short and somewhat thick tree, the beaver got thoughtful. Although she was tiny compared to the surrounding trees, the wood quality was the best this beaver had ever seen.

It decided to take it. Even if it was one log, it could be used in the inner part of the nest. 

What the beaver didn't know was that, besides Liu Shu, there were another 15 or so beings observing it.

Flor looked at the Level 6 River Beaver approaching Liu Shu with cold eyes and asked, her tone worried. "Clavel, are you sure that little thing can defend herself? It's just a little over two meters tall."

Even Clavel was a bit unsure. After all, she hadn't seen Liu Shu in action other than slapping one bug. Fraar's body was good proof, but who knew if the Little Darling could replicate that achievement? 

Therefore, she said. "This beaver is much weaker than Fraar, so it should be possible…" Not entirely confident, she asked. "Leader, can you save her if things go wrong?" 

Flor easily nodded. "Don't worry. I can see that it is the one you spoke about by the fruits on her branches. Moreover…" Flor squinted while looking at Liu Shu, feeling a strangely strong vital aura coming from her. She muttered to herself. "It can't be, right? Why would one of those appear here?" 

Clavel asked. "What's wrong?"

Flor shook her head, placing the idea in the back of her head. 'Regardless of whether she is or isn't, what we came here to do doesn't change. 

"Don't worry, Clavel. I was thinking about how much damage to let that little one take before I stopped the fight."

Aster looked at Clavel and smirked. "The Leader is probably feeling exasperated. Even if it has 176 Phoer, it has three times less than that Beaver. How could it fight it? Isn't it better to just protect her instead of letting her fight?" 

Clavel frowned at her. "Hey, did I do something to you lately? Why are you being so annoying?" 

Aster stuck out her tongue. "When I see your face, I just want to be annoying!" 

Flor sighed with a smile. "Both of you, stop it."

"Yes, leader!" 

Then, she looked closely at Liu Shu and the beaver. 'Well, little one. Show me what you have.'

The beaver walked forward with confident strides, and Liu Shu's aura began leaking as a warning. 

The beaver was surprised, and then it made a face similar to a sneer. 'How dare the thing that he uses as a house be arrogant? I'll gnaw you down!'

Then, the River Beaver run forward at a very quick speed.

The fairies around tensed, prepared to rush forward just in case. Even Aster looked closely, all her focus placed between the two. While she had mocked Clavel, she was as much of a lover of trees as the others, and seeing that Clavel wasn't lying, this little tree was more than worth protecting. 

Although the beaver was relatively quick, Liu Shu's senses were much sharper than what the beaver could imagine when she entered combat mode. 

Once it was two meters from her body, Liu Shu realized that it wouldn't stop, so she attacked. 

<Willow Strike>

The Rose Fairies that came attentively looked at the Aether Mana and Anima Energy enveloping one of the Branches.

Then, Liu Shu attacked. 

BANG!

The charging River Beaver was slammed face-first against the ground with a pitiful cry. The branch dug deep into the tissue, damaging bones and making the Beaver's eyes almost pop out of its skull.

When the Beaver felt the harsh waves of pain, it knew it had provoked something out of his league and hastily turned to flee.

However, when the World Tree was attacked, it was not merciful. 

All creatures that offend a World Tree once became nothing but enemies. 

So, far from being done with it, even before it could turn around, five more branches were coated in Aether Mana and Anima Energy, and they lashed one after another in quick succession.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

The Rose Fairies saw with widened eyes as Liu Shu smacked the Beaver around, the branches digging deep into the animal until it dropped dead. Clavel was no exception, as her mouth was hung open.

Clavel reacted the first since she had previously seen Liu Shu killing that bug, and she turned toward Aster with a smug smile. "Hey, what do you say now? Was I right or not?"

Aster's eyebrows were twitching.