The four Sylvans were unsure after discussing the details with Liu Shu, so they went to ask those who were more knowledgeable.

In the same garden, Liu Shu invited all five of the envoys to gather, including Orwen. The first one to arrive was Elyne, who basically flew over at her quickest speed once she knew that Liu Shu needed her help.

Once she arrived, the Sylvans looked over and were instantly stunned. They had gone straight into Liu Shu's <Core Room> after waking up and had since stayed in their houses to take care of their pregnancies. Therefore, they had not met Elyne until this point.

"You…" Cinderielle looked up and down and asked, utterly baffled. "What happened? Weren't you a blonde and green-eyed human? How come your hair color and eyes have changed to resemble Liu Shu's?"

Elyne laughed, sitting by their side with a comfortable expression. "It was not a big matter. I was just very lucky and got blessed by Liu Shu. Now, I am part of her church, acting as her <Eternal Avatar> and guiding the growth of her religious group."

Tempestria almost choked on the tea. "That's not a big matter?"

Elyne smiled, her hair and eye color giving her a resemblance to Liu Shu's Avatar. Harmonixia couldn't help but marvel. "You really look similar to Liu Shu's Avatar. Will all the… What did you call your position? I was too distracted admiring your looks."

Elyne blinked. "Eternal Avatar?"

"Right. Eternal Avatar." Harmonixia smiled. "Will all of them have their hair and eye color transform?"

Elyne honestly wasn't sure. "From what I know, those who follow other World Trees and create a deep spiritual connection do not show physical changes. Most changes are usually shaped in the form of titles, talents, passives, and similar." She paused slightly. "Still… if I were to draw a comparison to other beings of her caliber…"

Seeing her hesitant to speak, Verdantia smiled. "Do not worry. Speak freely. Even if Liu Shu gets offended, she will at most throw a tantrum."

Elyne nodded and spoke carefully. "Other beings who are similar in the way that they affect their followers are Corrupted World Trees that reach multiplanetary influence."

"Is that even possible?" Tempestria asked, surprised. "Didn't the title <True World Tree> only trigger when a normal World Tree gained global influence?"

"Yes." Elyne sighed softly. "Sadly, there are ways to corrupt <True World Trees> as well. Therefore, even if they are not naturally occurring, they can be perfectly affected. Of course, similar to normal Corrupted World Trees, they lack the same spreading ability. So, powers that use those methods need to be careful not to cripple the potential of the World Tree."

The four Sylvans frowned, showing faint scowls. Liu Shu stretched her roots to caress their faces and waists gently. "There, there. Do not get angry. My defenses towards corruption are so sturdy that I doubt they can even take effect on me. So, stop imagining strange scenarios."

Right after, Elyne noticed the sudden tension around them disappear. They rubbed against the soft roots, squinting their eyes like satisfied cats. She couldn't help but cover her mouth to hide her smile. 'My~, they truly love her. I am glad.'

Across her few thousand years of life, Elyne had seen many World Tree partners. Sadly, among them, few love the World Tree purely. The majority became couples with World Trees due to influence, power, or a desire for certain benefits.

Of course, that happened everywhere among all races. Where there is affection, there are also conflicts of interest. Therefore, seeing the four Sylvans show such lovely expressions and also having an aura of comfort filled Elyne with joy. 'This is great. Now that I know they are not in a relationship out of interest, I can wholeheartedly admit them in my heart.'

She knew that what she thought didn't matter much. But the difference between worshiping the lover of a World Tree by forcing oneself and otherwise was gigantic.

Verdantia looked at Elyne while gently playing with Liu Shu's roots. "In the end, what you wanted to say is that Liu Shu has some Corrupt World Tree characteristics, right?"

"That is the case."

Liu Shu didn't mind that. Instead, she asked. "Is it damaging, Elyne? Do you feel bad after all this time?"

The woman thought seriously. She didn't want to be dismissive, after all. "The church's scope is quickly encompassing the whole world. There are some local religions our missionaries encountered. But how could they compete with the one and true divine being of this world? Still, as our following increases, the power of faith that flows through you increases."

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Elyne glanced at her System Page and continued. "Of the three powerful buffs, the third one that speaks of a strange energy called <Eternal> energy is the one I am still confused about. I've never in my life heard about this <Eternal> energy before. Not even in the deepest archives of the Covenant's libraries."

Tempestria hummed and commented. "So… What does that mean ultimately?"

Elyne sighed and commented. "If I were to summarize all my thoughts, it is… I don't dare touch it. It says that the backlash can result in permanent death. Not just death, but permanent death. That means that even the soul dies with it. While I wouldn't mind perishing for Liu Shu and having my soul reincarnate through her boundless roots, permanent death is too scary. The concept of not being able to return to Liu Shu's gentle embrace is… terrifying."

Seeing Elyne's pale face, the four girls knew that she was not faking it at all. Elyne was truly terrified. Seeing someone who resembled Liu Shu make that face stirred their instinct, so Verdantia, who was nearby, moved over and gently hugged Elyne. "There, there. You are not in any rush to know what that ability means. It will come naturally when the time is right."

Elyne blinked, and strangely, when Verdantia hugged her, she felt as if her body was melting in comfort. From the bottom of her heart, Elyne felt like a little girl being hugged by a gentle big sister. 'Huh? Huh? What's happening? What is this wonderful feeling?'

Verdantia noticed Elyne looking up at her from her embrace with wide, rabbit-like eyes, blinking adorably, and she chuckled. 'Cute. She really looks like Liu Shu's older sister.'

The reason for those feelings was her connection to Liu Shu. When the World Tree's fated companion showed gentleness, her feelings resonated with what Liu Shu felt, but to a lesser degree. If it wasn't a mild version, Elyne might've fallen in love instead of just feeling warm and fuzzy.

Harmonixia, who sat on the other side, laughed with her melodious voice. "Elyne, we are a bit late, but we are really grateful that you've decided to support Lian'er. Without you in the mix, we don't really know how the meeting with the envoys would've gone."

Elyne almost blushed in happiness. 'Wawawawa… What's happening? Why do all four of these little girls look so pretty, dependable, and comfortable? I feel like I am walking in clouds when they praise me.'

After Verdantia stopped hugging her, Elyne felt a sense of loss, but she used all 6,000 years of her life experience to hold back from showing her shameful reactions on her face. 'Get a grip, Elyne! They are not even a century old!'

Thankfully, Veyra and the others arrived then, saving Elyne from the sudden rush of comfiness that she almost melted into.

"We are here. I hope we didn't take too long."

Tempestria smiled faintly. "Not at all. Please excuse Shu'er if she calls during an important time. She really likes to call people whenever."

"There is no reason to apologize, child." Veyra looked at the four Sylvans, and she couldn't help but feel her fondness for them increasing. 'They feel so similar to Obsidianis… Why is that?'

Her child, a rare, darkness-attuned Sylvan, was born with exceptional talent. She was also tall and slender, with a gloomy beauty that made men gulp at the sight of one of her usual wicked smiles. Of course, as her mother, Veyra knew that her child was actually soft on the inside. 'Sigh… She didn't like any of the people I tried to pair her with. At this pace, she will be over 100 years old and still without a single experience of holding hands with another person romantically.'

After those thoughts, she looked at the four tall Sylvans with curiosity. 'They feel different from before.'

After they all breached Level 100, the feeling of similarity became even more pronounced, fueling Veyra's doubts. Looking down, she also noticed their slightly swollen bellies. 'Oh my, they got pregnant? Hm… Should I move here to take care of them?' Another detail flashed in her mind. 'If they are pregnant… Perhaps they are not like my Little Shadow after all?'

Veyra comfortably sat between Tempestria and Cinderielle, who most closely resembled her child in appearance. Meanwhile, Cael and Lysara took their spots on other chairs. Orwen, who also arrived, was quiet as he took a seat with the rest.

Veyra led the conversation, her smile welcoming and soft, unlike the cunning and intelligent one she had during her confrontation with Liu Shu. "What is the matter, children? If you want to ask for help about anything, you can tell me and the others." She glanced at Orwen and spoke calmly. "Do not worry about my colleague. He will behave."

Orwen was not offended and answered calmly. "I have not caused any trouble during the last few years, have I?"

Liu Shu spoke with a sigh. "If you had acted like this since the very beginning, you would not be hated by Mommy."

Orwen's thorns twitched uncomfortably. "... That ant queen wouldn't maintain her grudge, right? I've had no chance to formally ask for forgiveness since she's been Leveling Up the last few years."

Cinderielle spoke mischievously. "Mother-in-law will probably chew on your thorns for a while once she's stronger. Don't worry, since Liu Shu forgave you after the beating, she won't kill you… Probably."

Orwen almost flipped the table. 'Who would be comfortable knowing that a Humanoid Ant Queen wants to chew on your limbs!?'

Cael looked at him, and his low and masculine voice sounded. "If you listened, would you be in your current predicament?"

"How many times will you all repeat the same 'I told you so' in different ways!? I get it already!"

Lysara refocused the conversation. "As Veyra asked, what's the matter? Since Lady Elyne chose to follow Liu Shu, we will also help to a reasonable extent."

Verdantia poured a cup of tea for all five envoys and smiled. "That… Well, Liu Shu wants us to go to the Moon to help her terraform it. Is it dangerous for us to go in our current condition?"

Elyne kept her smile, but her hand gently reached for the cup as she took a sip. After the sip, she asked, her face frozen in a smile. "She is doing what? Sorry, I think I've misheard."

Liu Shu blinked at the sight of the five envoys picking the cups and slurping the contents. 'Hm… I feel a sense of deja vu.'

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