"No news about them?"

"No, sir. They have disappeared like the previous group."

It was afternoon, and they were in an open garden with beautiful white flowers and vibrant green grass. The place was peaceful, with cute critters running around.

The man receiving the report was tall and handsome, with very rare penetrative violet eyes, jet-black hair, and an air of shadowy elegance. The atmosphere around him was phantasmal, yet with an underlying momentum that felt physical.

The person reporting was a human woman wearing a black uniform. She was extremely respectful toward the man before her because he was the leader of the .

Even when she herself was Level 17, and the person before her was three levels ahead, the difference in strength was significant enough that she didn't dare disobey.

The man stopped swinging his sword, becoming thoughtful. "The first group that went to investigate the recent movements of the Golden Sap Forest was made of a Level 10 and a few sub-level-10s, right?"

The woman nodded. "Yes, Sir."

The man hummed. "Them disappearing can be attributed to being careless. After all, there are a few Level 10 monsters in the Golden Sap forest. So, to recover things and also investigate if something is happening there, we sent a group with one Level 15 as the leader, a Level 13 Sylvan, and three Level 11s, right?"

The woman said stoically. "There was a Level 12 and two Level 11s, sir."

The leader smirked. "Well, almost the same thing. Moreover, the Sylvan knew how to transform, right?"

The woman nodded. "Yes, sir. She was an awakened Earth Sylvan."

"A Level 13 Sylvan, while transformed, is very strong. Even an average Level 19 human could have trouble dealing with her."

The woman internally agreed, and the man asked. "Do we have higher-level Sylvans that had developed their transformation skills?"

The woman shook her head. "No, sir. She was the highest level Sylvan in our organization. The reason she even agreed to join us was because we could implant some extreme ideals and feed them to take root in her heart. She would ignore almost anything else without listening to reason."

The man looked at the woman and smiled. "And we just lost someone like that? Probably someone who could've grown to become my right-hand woman?"

The woman saw that, although the purple-eyed man was smiling, his eyes were glowing quite ominously. Before answering, she needed a few seconds to regain her composure and avoid a tremble in her voice. "Yes, sir. We lost contact with them."

The man rubbed his chin, thinking of what to do. "How long ago did this happen?"

The woman was a bit hesitant, but when his eyes landed on her, she told the truth. "N-Nine months ago."

"Nine months!" The man laughed. "Such a long time ago! So, I am quite curious. Why wasn't I informed that a group with five first-energy-cycle people had disappeared?"

The man turned and approached the woman step by step. "You know, if they were normal people that had not even reached Level 10, well, there is no problem if the information reaches a bit late. After all, those are easily replaceable. However, other than Fortuna City, which is the overlord of this area, the rest of the powers would fall asleep with a smile if a Level 10 joined them! Us included! Not to mention, anyone above that line would be quite a blessing. Am I wrong?"

The woman failed to control the trembling in her voice. "You are not wrong, Sir."

The leader of the Witherwood exharts laughed. "Of course I am not wrong, you stupid woman. Two Level 11s, one Level 12, one Level 13 Sylvan, and one Level 15, all disappeared mysteriously after visiting a Level 10 area! For months at that! And yet, only NOW did your brain neurons manage to make a working connection that told you to inform me? Did you shake hands with a lightning sylvan or something, allowing that idea to form?"

"Oh wait!" The leader exclaimed exaggeratedly and continued while slowly raising the tone of his voice. "You wouldn't be able to do that BECAUSE OUR STRONGEST SYLVAN HAS GONE MISSING!"

The woman kept her back straight, but her legs trembled with pure fear, and her face was completely pale. The anger swirling around the man called Malachai Nightshade was enough to make her want to run away. Yet, even with all that fear, she didn't dare move or say anything for fear of being killed.

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The handsome man sighed. "Really, this place's people are… useless. Tsk, tsk. I was too young back then and tried to court someone I shouldn't, forcing my parents to 'Exile' me to this forsaken place. I've been stuck at Level 20 for a while, unable to advance because resources here are so limited." He frowned. "I mean, I understand that I messed up badly, but was it necessary to send me to a place that would kill my innate talent? I could've probably reached the Second Cycle by now if I had proper resources…"

The man rambled. "If I attack Fortuna City, that woman, Eila, might come to visit me. Who wants to face a second-cycle monster or be targeted by a second-cycle World Tree?" The man looked at the woman and commented. "Do you know how strong second-cycle World Trees are? I've seen one of them literally bury an entire city in a few hours under their roots. Moreover, that city had around 10,000 inhabitants, with plenty of Level 20s and such! Very dangerous creatures."

The woman didn't know what to say or how to react to the usual deviations in subjects that sometimes their leader had. She had in the past thought that maybe he was a bit touched in the head, but even then, she didn't dare to vocalize her thoughts.

Malachai blinked twice and looked at the woman. "I digressed quite a lot, didn't I? It's happening quite a lot lately… Anyways, where were we?"

The woman stuttered. "You were talking about the disappearances and Fortuna, sir."

"Right. I was talking about that and getting angry at that…" The woman nodded, careful not to let her thoughts be reflected in her face.

Malachai sighed. "Well, Golden Sap Forest… Hm. Do I make a personal visit? But, I am quite well guarded, and many people will know if I leave this place. What if there is something really interesting there that I can make mine? If others discover it, it will be quite a waste. How many free people are there?"

The woman paused and thought for a while, eventually saying. "I can't say for sure, Sir. May I go check?"

Malachai frowned. "Why do you not know? You are something like a helper for me, right? You should know these things!"

The woman felt a chill go up her spine and quickly defended herself. "Sir, I have just received the report and came to look for you immediately. I did not have time to look for any follow-up information, as I wanted to know your intentions first."

"Oh, Really? Well, then go and come back as quickly as possible. I want to know what is going on."

The woman made an elegant bow and quickly left, making Malachai blink. "Am I that scary?" He touched his angular jaw and commented. "I think I am quite good-looking, though. Well, perhaps she is a strange human woman who prefers plants… Human woman… What was her name again?" The man frowned and realized a bit later. "Ah, Aeiliana! She is the only woman with brown skin in our place, so she must be Aeliana."

Somewhere in the Golden Sap Forest, the energy was gradually becoming denser. During the last months, the grove where the World Tree lived had undergone noticeable changes.

All the trees in that nearby area looked tame, and some looked tired. Their branches and trunks were bending because of a lack of nutrients, and a few others had blue roots piercing through their bodies and slowly moving as their Phoer Body Shards slowly dropped.

Going deeper into the grove, a tall and menacing wall formed of powerful and solid-looking roots could be found. Unlike nine months ago, its shape and size had undergone a magnificent transformation.

It was taller, and the roots were orderly, giving it a complex form.

Moreover, one could see that the wall had moved outward as the being that created it became stronger.

If someone analyzed it, they would see that the wall had reached an impressive Level 8. Moreover, the trees on the wall had increased by one after the circumference expanded. That was not all, as those defensive trees on the walls had grown longer branches, increasing their range.

Going further in, a flourishing town appeared. The residency area had expanded from 10 to 20 houses, and there was even a new area with a bunch of wild animals. These animals were animals similar to chickens, and they could be used as a source of meat and eggs. They were called .

They were a domesticated species that had evolved to become one of the main sources of meat for the whole population. The best thing about them was that, since Sylvans had certain empathy, the way it was genetically changed made it similar to a fruit. What did this mean exactly?

The 's meat tasted quite horrendous until they died of old age. This was because, like fruits, they took time to ripen. In the meantime, during their lifetime, they would lay eggs. There were two types: non-fertilized eggs, which were also used as a source of food, and fertilized eggs, which would become the next generation.

This created farm animals that lived as they pleased, and when they died of old age, they could contribute their bodies to the cycle of nature.

It was also a race with a naturally short lifespan of around 4 years and able to multiply quite quickly. Sadly, their potential was even lower than that of Rose Fairies, and all of them were born as F-Rank monsters with almost zero chance of becoming F Rank.

In recorded history, only a singular F+ Rank existed, which evolved after accidentally eating a powerful fruit from a World Tree. That chicken lived for 8 years, and its corpse was sold to a powerful Sylvan for the birthday party of their child.

The most interesting fact about them was their size. Unlike what one would expect, they were taller than a human when standing straight, reaching around two meters in height. Their bodies were also quite efficient at producing milk, which was why they were so widespread. It was as if nature created them to be the perfect farm animals.

Besides the farm, the town's structures had all become slightly more refined. While they all maintained their tree shape, the canopies were beautifully arranged, and their trunks were more stylized.

All these changes were caused by the World Tree living in the middle of the town, which had developed and reached Level 8, growing to nearly 17 meters in height.

On this day, as Liu Shu was doing her daily routine of checking her surroundings, she noticed a creature approaching from the sky. 'Hm? A bird… no. A Sylvan?'