Liu Shu oversaw everything while she constructed the defensive structure. She saw how the defense reacted to the attack, the signals sent during the attack toward her, and the subconscious processes behind how the defensive structure gathered and used the ternary essences. With her incredibly deep senses as a World Tree, she could follow everything from start to finish and make some adjustments for efficiency.

The entire construction process took five days after the first test that happened on the first day while protecting the Rose Fairy. While it shouldn't have taken so long, Liu Shu was a perfectionist by nature related to these aspects.

When the final link of the roots was connected, a powerful energy pulse spread from Liu Shu and covered the entire structure, activating the subconsciousness inside the new being.

[Your construction work was successful.]

[Congratulations, you've created .]]

[Congratulations! You've assimilated . All their stats and abilities are visible, and their name has changed to .]

[System Hint: Assimilated structures will have a basic level of sentience and can act on their own. They will also be tied to the World Tree and grow with them. Their experience gain will be funneled toward the World Tree, and when the World Tree Levels Up, so will they.]

[System Hint: Defensive structures can be ordered to ignore specific creatures. The World Tree can also actively control them. However, while Defensive Structures have their own ternary essence reserves, forcefully controlling them will consume the World Tree's ternary essences as well. Moreover, while defensive structures Level Up with the World Tree, this, in turn, makes Leveling Up much more arduous for the World Tree as it will increase the time spent to do so.]

Liu Shu read everything slowly and nodded. 'Okay, I understand. However, system, where are my proficiency gain messages? Did you forget about them?'

[ is at MAX Level. Other skills related to construction have not yet been officially learned by Tianlian Liu Shu.]

[System Hint: Proficiency is never lost. It will be translated into the appropriate points and levels once the user breaks through or learns the knowledge. Skills can also be unlocked via actions without the need to learn the specific skills through books or manuals. After all, proficiency is experience, ability, familiarity, and knowledge related to the skill. The System page will show the appropriate Level and Tier for skills. When certain limits are broken, or knowledge is learned by the being, the chance to Tier Up without paying experience is possible as well.]

Liu Shu read that and summarized it. 'So, if I'm good enough, I can Tier Up Skills without paying those stupidly high Experience Point princes?'

[System Hint: Experience Points to increase the Tier of the skill are used to transform the Experience Energy into knowledge by the system interface.]

Liu Shu looked at that message and asked, curious. 'What are you, system?'

[The system is the consciousness of the universe after taking a semi-material form. Creatures are able to interact with the system as an evolutionary development. Naturally, creatures that are able to interact with it managed to gain strength and survive, while those who couldn't weren't able to continue their progeny. The trait of being able to interact with the system has been genetically passed down. Nowadays, there are no sentient races that can't see or interact with the system throughout the universe.]

Liu Shu looked at those words and felt something odd. 'Hm… Is that the truth…?' She was not sure, but it just didn't sound right. After all, why would it be partial toward World Trees? Liu Shu knew that the system did not act like it did with her for Flor or other creatures. The favoritism toward World Trees was clear.

However, Liu Shu's mind, while having developed enough to start questioning these basic things, was not developed enough to reach any conclusions. Hence, she happily forgot about it and opened her . 'Well, whatever. Let's see how the looks!'

Information flowed through her roots and body, orderly and organized. When everything was processed, the world opened, and she could look at her surroundings.

Her vision expanded and spread around her, revealing everything in a 140-meter radius.

With it, the changed landscape entered her mind, making her exclaim. 'Pretty!'

At the sixty-meter mark, a beautiful ring of flowers was spread evenly. The flowers were around thirty centimeters tall, which was bigger than the average Rose Fairy. All flowers were tubular and drooped down like bells when they weren't active.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

The charming landscape created by the flower ring and Liu Shu in the middle gave a magical yet captivating aura of natural wonder. While Liu Shu's aesthetic sense was immature, even she could sense the charm behind it. 'I built it nicely~.'

It was not her intention for it to look good, as practicality was everything for her as a tree. However, since it ended up looking pretty, it was naturally a plus she was happy about.

Liu Shu looked at her experience points next and saw that she had accumulated enough to level up.

Accumulated Experience: 1953

Level: 4 [0/1900]

'I can Level up! Hehehe' she was naturally ecstatic about it. While World Trees and related creatures weren't impatient to Level Up, that didn't take away from the surprise and excitement of it when it occurred.'

Her awakening didn't go unnoticed by Flor and the rest. After all, the presence the carried with it was noticeable once you got used to it.

Flor flew over from admiring the flower ring and smiled. "Liu Shu, you are awake. How was it?"

Liu Shu giggled and said excitedly, like a child bragging to their parent. 'Look, look! It's nice, right? It is a strong defense for creatures far away! Now, even long-range creatures like you, Flor, can't hurt me easily!'

Flor asked with an amused expression. "What if they destroy the Flower ring?'

Liu Shu hummed. 'They can try. However, my defensive structure is different!'

Flor was startled and asked. "How so?"

Liu Shu giggled. "Well, the true body of the structure is underground! So, the flowers above can aaaaaalll be destroyed, but that will only take like 30% of the total Phoer Body Shards of the structure! Also, also, you know that the Flower Ring can regrow flowers quickly at the cost of Phoer? So~...' Liu Shu giggled maliciously. 'They can destroy the flowers and approach, and when they think they are at a safe distance, bam! They get surrounded by flowers and get slaughtered! Hehehehe.'

Flor imagined herself in that situation, and considering the firepower the flowers showed against that bird, she couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. 'Once Liu Shu levels up… Dangerous.'

"Say, Liu Shu, can I analyze them?"

Liu Shu smiled. 'Of course!'

Flor looked at the ring and tried to look deeper.

***

Level 4

Aether Mana Shards: 1058/1058

Phoer Body Shards: 343/343

Anima Energy Shards: 484/484

***

Looking at those numbers, Flor was somewhat relieved. 'They are crazy for a Level 4, but at least they are not as ridiculous as Liu Shu's stats.'

Moreover, while the had just 343 Phoer Body Shards, it having that amount and, for example, a Rose Fairy having 343 shards was a different situation. One would need to spend much more effort to slice off all the Phoer Body Shards off the structure than to do the same with a creature like a Rose Fairy. Hence, to kill the , you had to do damage to its entire root system to the point that it would be impossible to recover.

Remember that the Phoer Body Shards represent the vitality of the creature. So, with it being assimilated by Liu Shu and supported by her, unless Liu Shu was defeated, completely killing off the structure was nothing but a pipe dream.

Flor circled around the entire ring of plants and asked Liu Shu. "This is quite nice. I wonder if it would be able to tank my attacks."

Liu Shu was startled and asked. 'Why do you want to attack her? Do you not like her?' Liu Shu spoke a bit faster than normal and looked a bit nervous. "F-Flor, is a good child. She is nice and peaceful unless you provoke me, then she will make one thousand holes in your body. B-But, she is not a bad child!'

Flor laughed. "Don't worry, Liu Shu. I won't attack it. Also, you speak as if it has its own mind. Don't you control it?"

Liu Shu sent a message filled with confusion. 'But she has her own mind.'

Flor paused and looked toward the World Tree with an incredulous look. "It…" Flor realized that Liu Shu was calling her a she, so she changed her wording mid-sentence. "She has what? How could a building have its own mind? Even though she is made of plants, she shouldn't be sentient, right?"

Liu Shu looked at Flor strangely and asked back. "Why not?"

Flor opened and closed her mind, not knowing how to answer. 'Isn't it normal for buildings to not have minds!? Am I the strange one, or is Liu Shu the one in the wrong!?'

She couldn't help but rub her forehead as another wave of headaches hit her. 'Ah… whatever. Buildings are intelligent now, got it.'

Out of curiosity and with a tentative tone, she asked. "Is the vault also sentient?"

Liu Shu answered back with a strange tone, as if Flor's question was silly and obvious. 'It is made mostly out of my roots, Flor. Of course, it is sentient. I am the vault in a large part.'

Flor looked at the World Tree with a deadpan. "Right. It is obvious."

Liu Shu agreed. 'It is.'

Flor, in her mind, shouted. 'IT'S NOT OBVIOUS, LIU SHU!'

But, outwardly, she didn't say anything and decided to nod and smile. Ignatia came a few minutes later and looked around with wonder. "Oh? Did the small one finish?"

Flor nodded as she sat on Liu Shu's branches. "She did."

As Ignatia approached, she suddenly felt the World Tree enter an excited state as a barrage of energy messages hit Flor one after another. She couldn't help but become amused as Flor's face went from a relaxed smile to an annoyed, helpless, yet pampering look. 'She really loves Liu Shu, eh.'

Ignatia laughed silently and heard Flor speak.

"Yes, yes. Those materials are from the caravan."

Flor gained a confused look, intriguing Ignatia more. "Huh? What do you mean, you don't want to Level Up?"

Seeing Flor get thoughtful, Ignatia asked with a smile. "What's wrong? Is the little one making trouble again?"

Flor shook her head. "She actually is making a great point. You know, she unlocked a special skill thanks to assimilating the Vault, right? So, she is wondering what would happen if she managed to complete that quest she had before reaching Level 5."

Ignatia was confused. "Level 5 is not an important level, though. From Levels 1 to 9, it's quite the same, right?"

Flor agreed. "I think so as well, but the earlier she completes them, the better the rewards, right?"

Ignatia shrugged. "Who knows? I only have one such quest as well, but completing it before Level 20 feels impossible."

Flor blinked a few times. "You do?"

Ignatia smiled smugly. "It's a secret, though."

Flor clicked her tongue and began pondering on how to answer Liu Shu.