After the initial ambushes, Liu Shu's tricks stopped being so effective. Now that their entire group was alert and walking faster, picking them apart was almost impossible. Only those at the back were sometimes dragged out, but the killing pace was much slower.

By the time they were approaching the two-kilometer distance from the outskirts, the number of deaths on the army's side had nearly reached 70. For an army of 1000, the losses were not negligible.

General Tharn squinted. "We are advancing at a good enough pace. Vaya, please keep an eye around us, and if the ambush group attacks, release an arrow at them."

Vaya nodded and prepared her bow and arrow. "Understood."

"Torran!"

"Yes, general?"

Tharn asked her. "Use your affinities to control the plants around and fight the roots back from attacking."

Torran shook her head. "I've already tried a few times. However, it is impossible to link myself with the nature around me. The World Tree completely overpowers my presence and influence."

Liu Shu giggled. "Of course I do. You are in my forest, in my domain. You shouldn't try to steal what's mine. That's something very, very bad."

Torran snorted. "Once we are closer to your main body, you'll understand what 'something very bad' truly is."

"Scary~."

Tharn scolded. "Don't speak with the enemy. She might be able to affect our minds."

Liu Shu's smiling voice spread around. "And what tells you that I haven't already? What tells you that this is not a dream? What allows you to be so sure of your reality~?"

Greth snorted. "Don't listen. We aren't under a mind attack."

Liu Shu hummed and asked. "Really? Then, why do more and more people keep disappearing? At one moment, your friend is charging with you. The next moment, they are not here."

Greth shouted. "Don't listen! She has no power over us!"

"I have it, and you know it."

Liu Shu's voice was vague as to where it came from. Therefore, it felt as if she was speaking individually to each of them. So, when she referred to someone in particular, it made a few already unstable people doubt everything.

Between them, the female soldier who Liu Shu manipulated before felt her heart beating loudly as if it were being asphyxiated.

Liu Shu could feel the group's overall emotions—not deeply, but enough to know that their unrest increased the more she spoke. 'Let's see~. We are almost above the ant tunnels, so I need to distract them'

Her gaze focused on the female soldier, and she giggled. 'Isn't that right? So many friends are dying~. It's such a shame.'

"G-Get out of my head!"

Vaya looked behind her and frowned at the female soldier who disrespected her. Liu Shu whispered to Vaya. 'Kill her. She is so disrespectful.'

Vaya's eyes sharpened, and she pointed her bow exactly toward the Golden Sap Town. "Shut it."

BOOM!

When she released the arrow, a shockwave occurred around her. The projectile pierced through the canopies of the trees, whistling through the air and accurately falling toward Liu Shu.

Liu Shu looked at the arrow, stunned. 'How did she detect my exact position?'

The Level 24 Serpent resting on Liu Shu's body reacted and looked back. She opened her mouth and released a powerful water column that impacted against the arrow. The arrow pierced through the column of water for a short while until it stopped.

Then, the water fell like rain over the terrain.

Tharn asked. "Did you hit her?"

Vaya squinted. "No, sir. I didn't. Something probably blocked my shot."

"Oh? How about the chance that you might've missed?" Greth asked.

Vaya snorted. "Impossible."

Right when they were discussing, Liu Shu realized that they were right above the ant nest, and her gaze chilled. 'Time to send those little ones a few toys.'

She warned Ignatia, and when a soldier stepped over one of the small holes, Liu Shu used a root and dragged that person underground while closing the ground. Each of the holes would be one time use, after all…

Tharn shouted. "Dig! Get him out of the ground!"

An Earth Aether Mana user used his spell and tried opening the ground. However, Liu Shu's domain over the forest and her skill were strong enough to block it. Checking around the army, she opened another three of the holes they were standing on and dragged more people underground. Tharn looked at that and growled. "You are full of surprises, aren't you?"

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"Do you like them~?" Liu Shu asked, giggling.

Tharn snarled. "I like them enough that I want to meet you soon to repay my thanks."

Liu Shu exclaimed. "Oh! Then you are in luck! You are almost here, so don't give up! Come on, team~, you are almost near my town!"

Everyone in the army felt like digging the ground and chewing on the World Tree roots. However, that was one of the most useless things you could do against World Trees. Their roots spanned so wide and deep that wasting resources on anything that wasn't the Tree's core was futile and idiotic.

"Move out! Don't let her catch you in the pitfalls!"

Liu Shu looked at them speeding up, and she couldn't help but smile. 'They forgot about my other type of little trap~.'

As they ran quickly, Liu Shu's roots surfaced from the ground and tripped around ten people at the back. Tharn shouted. "Wait!"

However, the moment they stopped, several holes opened, and Liu Shu dragged people down toward the ant nest, where a mass of giant ants would swiftly devour them.

Tharn cursed aloud. "Shit!"

In that single second of hesitation, the ambush people rushed and dragged those people that Liu Shu tripped out into the forest. Vaya was prepared this time around and quickly shot an arrow.

BOOM!

However, a muscular man appeared in the way of the cannon-like arrow, using a giant ax to strike the attack.

Clang!

The five Second Energy Cycle powerhouses squinted, and Greth commented. "That person is at our level. We need to be careful if we follow them."

"AH!"

The shout of a soldier being swallowed into the ground snapped them out of their daze. Greth spoke aloud. "You need to make a choice, General. Do we mind the pitfalls more or the tripping? Torran can't counterattack due to her lack of affinity with this forest's plant life."

General Tharn was quick to answer. "Mind the pitfalls more. If we stop each time someone trips, we will be in trouble."

With that in mind, the army quickly moved out and maintained an excellent speed, covering terrain quickly.

Of course, Liu Shu and the ambushing group were ruthless and began picking up those at the back more often. Tharn only looked forward while Vaya kept firing arrows behind their army, determined to get at least one kill.

Sadly for her, the ambushers were too agile and swift, knowing the forest really closely. Her arrows were either deflected or hit trees. Each time the arrows hit a tree, though, the tree's trunk would explode, almost one-shotting them.

Below the ground, Ignatia was moving with her army of ants at the same pace as those above, catching the prey that were swallowed and delivered to them. "Today is a great day~. So much food and experience! Liu Shu, Food!"

"Okay~, two more incoming!"

Ignatia saw two of the tunnels widen very slightly, and then, two people fell from them, slamming against the hard ground. Those people rubbed their heads and looked around. The second they did so, their face completely drained of blood. "A-Ants!?"

Ignatia pointed at them and giggled. "Eat them, my children!"

The two soldiers looked at Ignatia, and their eyes went even wider. "Humanoid A-Ant Queen!?"

They quickly stood up, with zero intention of fighting and with fleeing as the only viable option. However, a massive Level 20 Ant Princess tackled one of them while a Level 19 Ant Soldier slammed the other, pushing them back down. Then, the smaller ants rushed forward and began spitting their fire at them.

"AHH!!"

The burning attacks slowly killed them while the rest of the ants moved forward. Ignatia approached them, breaking their legs with two well-placed kicks, and followed her army of children toward the next prey while the little ones ate the soldiers alive.

Unaware of the horrible fates waiting for them under the pitfalls, the army above kept marching and losing people. By the time they were around one kilometer away from the Golden Sap Town's walls, their numbers had diminished by 130 people.

Greth clicked his tongue. "We are losing too many good soldiers, Tharn."

Tharn answered back. "If you have a better idea, I would love to hear it. However, for now, we don't have any other choice."

Torran was looking at the surroundings when she felt a strange pulse of energy that came from the distance. "Tharn, something's wrong!"

Tharn looked around carefully, not seeing anything. Then, several whistling sounds appeared instantly followed by a barrage of explosions.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

"GAH!"

"AHH!"

"MY ARM!"

Tharn was surprised, but he didn't freeze and shouted. "Bombardment! Protect the sky! Deploy defensive and use scrying ! We need to know what is attacking us!"

While the army moved at his orders, another whistling sound entered his ears. Vaya, who heard it first, shouted. "Incoming!"

Aether Mana spells were deployed above the army, creating several shields. Then, the attacks landed.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Tharn quickly asked. "What was the attack!?"

A soldier started speaking. "General, it was-"

However, a hole opened a bit further away from his standing point, and a root snatched him into it. "AHH!"

Tharn asked aloud again. "There were more ! I need an answer!"

Another soldier started speaking, and as soon as he started speaking, Rhen rushed toward him.

Liu Shu, who was about to drag that person as well, decided against it when she saw the Second Energy Cycle warrior approaching.

The man could speak out thanks to Rhen's quick involvement. "General! They were seeds! It seems that there is a long-range striking force in the Golden Sap Town!"

Another whistling sound was heard, and Tharn quickly ordered. "Defense up!"

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

The second and third attack didn't cause too much damage. However, the first one was devastating. Tharn quickly looked around and asked. "Quick fatality report!"

A woman approached. "General! We've lost 54 people and have 112 injured ones; between them, 43 have been maimed! The attack was too abrupt to defend ourselves in the first round."

Vaya spat. "Cowardly! Since you like long-range attacks so much, take this! !"

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Aiming at Liu Shu through all the trees, Vaya's bow exploded with cannon-like arrows being fired one after another.

Liu Shu saw it and called for her summons. Of course, she didn't have just one Winged Arboreal Serpent out; there were seven of them in total, and Ophion was between them. He communicated with Liu Shu when she called. 'Let me intervene, Liu Shu.'

"Go ahead, Ophion. Defend me."

Ophion flew up, his massive body casting a shadow on the town, and closed his opened wings like a cocoon. "."

His wings hardened, and then he took the attack with his own body.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Vaya saw damage messages appearing and smirked. However, her smile stiffened.

[-1,250!]

[-1,211!]

[-1,450!]

[-1,320!]

[-1,005!]

'Such a hard defense!?'

Ophion opened his wings and sneered. "If you want to damage Liu Shu, you'll need a bit more firepower than that."

Liu Shu exclaimed. "Woah! A Level 25 Arboreal Winged Serpent is really strong! Ophion, you are awesome!"