The news that Liu Shu was a World Tree all along spread around like wildfire. It didn't take long for almost everyone in the surrounding area to know that a new World Tree had appeared.

World Trees are an extremely rare species of trees that often fail to survive long because of people's greed. Therefore, whenever a new World Tree appears in the eyes of the public, everyone pays attention, and several groups move at the same time.

Some groups moved to protect it.

Other groups moved to subjugate it.

Plenty of groups moved to observe the situation.

The appearance of a World Tree signified change, battle, and unrest. It signaled a new era in which powers would fight for dominance over the World tree.

In the Small White Flower Forest, northwest of Golden Sap Town, Alaric slammed a table and exclaimed ridiculously. "World Tree!? Since when can a World Tree hide from the eyes of hundreds of experts!? Even the information networks changed from 'World Tree' to 'Life Tree' during the past months because those who investigated again couldn't feel anything related to World Trees from that piece of wood!"

To the northeast of the Golden Sap Town, in the Serene Small Lakeborn Forest, a group of people gathered, looking at the new information with surprise coloring their features. Jolie looked at the report and sighed. "No wonder I failed over and over again. That World Tree was probably watching us all the time we were in the Golden Sap Forest. All our plans, all our tactics, we were literally telling that World Tree how we were going to act against her."

Finnian frowned and clicked his tongue. "We should've attacked back then. If I knew that she was a World Tree and not a Life Tree, I wouldn't have given it a chance to grow. Now, attacking it is far beyond us."

Jolie nodded and threw the report onto the table. "Even if we attacked back then, with a World Tree guarding the area, our losses would've been horrible."

Finnian looked at Jolie's calm face and asked, somewhat confused. "Your should've at least felt the presence of a World Tree in the area. Your rituals and techniques couldn't have all been blocked by that World Tree, right? According to records, there was nothing there a decade ago. So, this World Tree is just a youngling."

Jolie extended her hand, and a woman with a veil approached, handing her a beautiful pen. She gently spun it between her long and beautiful fingers, and then, she tapped the table.

Runes spread out from the point she tapped. "While I am thankful that you believe in me so much, I must tell you that my powers are currently limited due to my Level. I have yet to attain Level 25, even though I have enough Experience Points accumulated."

Finnian crossed his arms and looked at the table. "What is this?"

"This?" Jolie smiled. "This is an eye."

"Huh?"

Finnian looked at the runes, confused, and Jolie tapped it again. The runes rearranged themselves like an eye, and then, an illusory image of the Golden Sap Town appeared. Jolie smirked. "I've been trying for a while to create this one. From now on, we should be able to see the activities of this town in detail~."

However, as Jolie's smile spread on her face, the image changed to a room in a library, and a moth woman appeared there. The mothkin looked at them and tilted her head. "Huh? Why are you trying to spy on Little Liu Shu? I know she is pretty, but you should mind your own business!"

Jolie's face changed when she saw the mothkin reaching out toward the illusion, and she quickly drew on the table so that she could close the rune field. "Hm? Tsk, tsk. Do you really think you can peek at a pretty lady here and there like a pervert and escape unscathed? Hehehe, no one peeks at Little Liu Shu without my permission! Go boom~."

Three runes in the middle of the eye-like rune field changed from a silvery green tone to pure white, yellow, and black. Jolie's face dropped, and she shouted. "Out of the room!"

Everyone quickly left the room, and right after, the place was illuminated with a white light, followed by a large explosion that sent everyone flying with their ears ringing.

Jolie shook her head and looked toward the place where the room previously was. Instead of that, there was now a giant crater, making Jolie's eyebrow twitch with annoyance. 'Why is there such a powerful Rune Crafter Master in that town?' A laugh escaped her mouth as her eyes became colder and colder. 'You are becoming a real headache, aren't you, Tianlian Liu Shu?'

Back in the Golden Sap Town, Mariane tilted her head from side to side, shaking her wings and creating a light scale-powder cloud around her. "Hm~. That must've been Jolie, the woman who created this doll…"

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Mariane looked down at the table densely packed with runes. In the middle of it, the cursed doll lay there, seemingly without restraints. Still, if one could look between the table and the doll, they would be able to see dozens of links tying it to the table.

"This doll… Yuck! If it weren't for Little Liu Shu, I would never have touched or looked at it. So many curses! So much sacrifice, yuck yuck~." Mariane took out her curly and very long tongue.

"Does it really have that many problems?"

Mariane slurped back in her tongue and smiled when the very recognizable nature-like voice filled her room. "Little Liu Shu! I am glad you are here. I need your help with a few runes~."

"Okay~." Liu Shu easily agreed. Then, she asked. "You still don't know how to destroy it, Mariane?"

"Hm?" Mariane shook her head. "Of course I do! I could destroy it with a flick of one of my fingers! And I have sixteen of them!" Mariane extended her four, four-fingered arms and wiggled her digits.

"Hehehe. I see!"

Liu Shu saw Mariane move around the room and pick a few things. "I want you to help me identify the meaning of a few runes! I have no idea what they mean. You are a really strong Rune crafter, so your help would be appreciated~."

Liu Shu agreed and asked. "What are you doing with it?"

Mariane hummed. "Well, I want to know the trickery behind this doll so that we can detect similar items in the future when they come into the town! Well, we can call it City, to be honest. Liu Shu, this place has become giantic! I was inside my room for a few months reading and investigating a few things, and when I went out… BAM! The walls are almost double the distance away that they were! The tree houses are GIANTIC! Then, then, YOU! You are like WOAH! Very big, very pretty. I didn't know that you had such a good figure, Little Liu Shu! Very nicely shaped tits! I give them a nine out of ten!"

Liu Shu blinked. "Why not a ten out of ten?"

Mariane clicked her tongue. "Because they are made of wood! I don't believe they can be soft being made of wood, right?"

"Huh? But they are soft…"

Mariane paused. "Huh? Really?"

Liu Shu snorted. "Why would I lie? They have a relatively thin layer of stretchy wood and are filled with sap! Although I can harden them if I enter into battle, usually, they are really soft and bouncy!"

Mariane hummed several times and then said. "Okay, Liu Shu. My bad. However, I'll need to experiment and see if what you said is the truth! Experimenting is the basis of all research! And this research is really important!"

"Really? Why is how soft my breasts are so important?"

Mariane lifted her arms and said. "LIU SHU! DON'T ASK SO MANY QUESTIONS! ACCEPT THE SACRIFICE AND LET ME TOUCH YOUR TITS FOR SCIENCE TO ADVANCE TO THE NEXT STEP!"

Liu Shu looked at the ultra-motivated mothkin, not knowing what to answer or think. Mariane cleared her throat and said. "Anyway, we'll leave that matter for the future. Now, RUNES! We need to complete this before you start being harassed by everyone in the world. You are now a public World Tree! One that is controlled by monsters, at that!"

Liu Shu muttered. "But I am not controlled by them."

Mariane nodded a few times. "You are right, like always, pretty Liu Shu. Sadly, nobody believes that, Liu Shu. People in this world, Liu Shu, have a hard time allowing World Trees, Liu Shu, to grow freely, Liu Shu."

Liu Shu asked, confused. "Why are you repeating my name so much?"

Mariane tilted her head. "I don't know. I am perhaps excited about the newly acquired information that a World Tree's breasts are soft. Say, is your lower mouth soft as well? Does it have an entrance?"

"... Lower mouth?" Liu Shu asked, confused. "Are you referring to my vagina?"

Mariane snapped her fingers. "YES!"

Liu Shu answered truthfully. "It is soft and also has an entrance, yes. Didn't you know that the Sylvan female genitalia is inherited from us? However, Sylvans evolved strangely because they needed to reproduce. Some of them gained something similar to human male genitalia together with female genitalia."

Mariane stared at nothing for a few moments, dazed, and muttered. "Fascinating. I wonder if you'll let me explore your cave-"

BANG!

[-20,000!]

Mariane's limbs twitched like a squashed bug's, and she asked. "W-What was that for?"

Liu Shu answered with an embarrassed voice. "Even I know that place is something very personal! Don't get ahead of yourself!"

Mariane sighed as she stood up with a bump on her forehead. "I thought you didn't since you literally flashed the entire city with your naked figure. Did you know that there are artists selling your images? They are very detailed! Look."

Liu Shu saw Mariane take out one of the illustrations from a secret compartment on her desk with a baffled look. "Why do you have one?"

Mariane smirked. "Of course, because I am a healthy young woman and need to have a bit of fun-."

BANG!

[-40,000!]

"W-What sublime strength control… cough. Exactly twice as strong as before…"

However, the remarkably resilient mothkin stood up again and asked. "So, have you looked at the runes that I told you about?"

Liu Shu spoke, exasperated. "You were speaking about my private parts all the time. I don't even know what I need to look at."

Mariane sighed. "To think that even a non-plant creature like me finds you attractive, Liu Shu. No wonder Cinderielle and the others are almost daily going at it in their rooms… Oh, have you spied on them?"

Liu Shu muttered. "How could I spy on them? I always block my senses when someone in the town is doing something like that. I can feel that they are doing something, but I don't purposely look."

Mariane nodded. "You are a very considerate World Tree. Did you know that there are some very creepy World Trees that love to spy on people making love? Tsk, tsk. World Trees can become quite lustful because of the need to reproduce snowballs as they grow. I wonder if you'll become like that or be more like those abstinent World Trees?

Liu Shu sighed again. "So, what runes do I need to look at?"

Mariane pointed at a few scrolls that she had set up. "These! Help me, pretty please~. Also, what do you think about Cinderielle and the other two? Is there any other Sylvan in town that catches your eye? Tell this big sister! I'll be your love roots!"

Liu Shu answered, a bit bashful. "I don't find others besides Cinderielle, Verdantia, and Tempestria attractive… They lack… um… Aura? It's strange…"

Mariane lamented. "MY INNOCENT LITTLE LIU SHU HAS STARTED TO OPEN HER EYES TO SEX! NOOOO!"

BANG!

[-80,000!]

"O-Ough… I think you broke something…"