Ascension of the Sylvan Cosmos.

Author Note: For those who are new to me, this doesn't mean I'll stop; it's more of a milestone achieved~. Tomorrow, there will be a chapter as well!I hope you liked this first volume!

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Inside the Golden Sap Forest grove, two women were standing before a large wooden structure. Their eyes looked at it up, down, left, and right. 

One of the women asked with a strange tone. "Cinderielle, are you sure you are not guiding me into an isolated place to get rid of me?" 

The wooden structure was tall and sturdy, with several trees around its entire perimeter that had wide canopies. These trees seemed fused with the wall of roots that stood imposingly and served as a deterrent. 

Verdantia and Cinderielle could feel that the trees were not normal, as their branches moved nimbly and constantly without much wind blowing. 

Cinderielle looked at the large walls and was as surprised as Verdantia. "I mean… This wasn't here the last time I came." 

Verdantia asked, her voice sounding incredulous. "Were these walls built in around two months? Ten-meter tall walls?"

Cinderielle scratched her cheek. "I guess? As I said, the last time I came was a few months ago, so I'm not sure."

Verdantia commented. "What if something happened to her?" 

Cinderielle shook her head. "The wood quality used in these walls is very reminiscent of her. So, they were probably built by Liu Shu." 

Verdantia tilted her head. "Why is she building these?"

Cinderielle looked at Verdantia and commented. "Do you think I know everything about her or something? I was with her for a week. Not much more."

Verdantia snorted. "Well, whatever." 

Cinderielle looked at Verdantia with a deadpan. "Honestly, why are you using that gentle and elegant facade? You are much more spiteful in truth." 

Verdantia lifted her eyebrow. "Do you think that's a facade? Wrong, it is you who gets the worst out of me."

The red-haired Sylvan's eyebrow twitched. "Let's go inside." 

The greed-haired Sylvan looked at the tall walls and asked. "How?"

"Hmm. Approaching and asking if they'll let us inside?"

Looking at the woman who suggested such a thing with a straight face, Verdantia didn't know how she managed to survive in the forest with her naivety. "You haven't even considered that the creatures inside might've enslaved Liu Shu or something? You've just learned that those groups exist. Why are you ignoring that possibility?"

Cinderielle smiled, but Verdantia saw a fire of anger burning at the bottom of her heart. "Because if I consider the worst possibilities, I won't be able to control myself from barging inside like a flaming meteor."

Verdantia focused and finally noticed that Cinderielle's energies were roaring inside the woman. While she appeared relaxed, she was like a cloud of inflammable gas, a spark away from bursting into an inferno. 'Ah, I see. She is trying to appear calm, but she is no less worried than I am.'

With a heavy heart, both women approached the tall wall. Once they were around forty meters away, a presence washed over them like an imposing gaze of a powerful being. 

Cinderielle's heart rested at ease once this presence surrounded her being. She had been under this gaze in the past, and she understood who it was from. Not only was she not nervous, once surrounded by it, she felt enveloped by a warm feeling, as if she had returned where she belonged. 

Meanwhile, Verdantia tensed but also felt nervous for some strange reason. The presence was strong but not to the point that she should feel fearful. Yet, her heart trembled as it sped up, and her breathing became rushed. As the aura of the World Tree enveloped her, her body heated for some reason, and blood rushed all around her. 

'Excitement.' Verdantia thought. 'I'm feeling excited?' Her green eyes flashed with several profound emotions. 'Ah… I see. It's her aura. This is her.' 

Cinderielle looked at Verdantia and didn't find it strange. The first time she felt it, she also fell into a stupor like Verdantia did. She smirked and asked. "Incredible, right? Such a pure aura. Even though they are the same World Trees, Fortuna's World Tree just feels insufficient, lacking in presence." 

Verdantia took a few seconds to snap out of her reverie and for her profound and muddy gaze to return to normal. The feelings that took root in her heart with just the sensation of Liu Shu's presence surrounding her were intense, and they felt like they would never leave. 

The desire to see the being that made her feel like this with just her presence overcame any other cautious thoughts she previously had and urged her to walk forward, which she did. 

Cinderielle smirked and walked by her side. "I remember how someone told me that she would be able to remain calm and collected when I shared my experience~."

Verdantia answered with an embarrassed snort. "Shut up. Who would even imagine such an aura is possible in this World? Go, go, go. I want to see her soon."

Cinderielle laughed as she followed the almost-running woman.

Once they were close, a 45-centimeter-tall fairy appeared before them with a calm face, her leaf-like wings buzzing behind her. "Cinderielle and Verdantia. You two decided to come together this time?" 

"Flor!"

Both women exclaimed at the same time. 

Their feelings toward her were different, and it showed. Cinderielle became somewhat tense, knowing the terrifying strength of the Level 12 Rose Fairy Queen, while Verdantia remained calm, believing in her own strength. 

Flor observed their reaction and spoke. "So, why are you here?"

Cinderielle blinked and asked. "Isn't it obvious? We came to see Liu Shu."

Flor crossed her arms and asked. "And then? What do you want to do?"

Puzzled and taken off guard by Flor's questioning, Cinderielle and Verdantia didn't know how to answer. Flor waited for a few seconds, and seeing their confused expressions, she raised her eyebrow. "So? Do you want to flirt with her? Perhaps try and court her?" 

Both women shook their heads in a bit of a rush. Cinderielle started. "We know that Liu Shu is still too young. I just want to make her accustomed to my presence! Nothing more."

Verdantia nodded and spoke. "You told me that you would let me see her if I was cooperative. I've proven myself a few times and-."

Flor asked. "You've proven yourself, you say?" Flor smiled. "While your items were certainly of help, let me ask you this: Have you done anything that would make me trust you other than giving me items for Liu Shu?" 

Verdantia frowned and asked sharply. "Then, what about Cinderielle?" 

Flor lifted her eyebrow and smiled coldly. "Do you want to receive the same treatment Cinderielle received?" 

Cinderielle remembered how she was almost decapitated, and a chill ran up her spine.

Verdantia took in both their reactions and her frown deepened. "What do you mean?"

Flor snorted. "The reason I reluctantly allowed Cinderielle here in the past was because she fought to the death with us to defend a Beast Tide. That was enough to show that she was honest with her words and feelings." 

Flor squinted. "Verdantia, don't get me wrong, or take me as a stupid creature. I know you are after Liu Shu in a romantic way. The same as Cinderielle." 

Verdantia paused, and her face gained a gloomy touch. "So what? Can't I try and pursue a creature I fancy? Who or what are you to stop me?"

Flor flew forward, unafraid, and came face to face with Verdantia. Even though their size difference was massive, aura-wise, Flor pressure towered over Verdantia's. "I am Liu Shu's protector, her guardian, her guide, and her spokesperson. I am who rules this place below her and who chooses the direction of development over the several races that will join."

Flor squinted and said in a commanding tone. "I am the Rose Fairy Queen of the Golden Sap Forest. That's who I am to stop you. Understood?"

Verdantia was not intimidated and managed to maintain her gaze. This surprised Flor greatly. 

Flor didn't know that Verdantia had been trained by her mother since she was little, making her quite a fearsome woman in everything. Since she was very little, she was taught the meaning of strength and bearing because she was the successor of the Liferoot family.

Hence, she answered with a similarly clear and imposing tone. "Flor, I'm following your little games, not because I respect you, but because you are someone important to Liu Shu. You are just a little creature trapped in the Golden Sap Forest with limited knowledge of the surroundings and real the powerful beings in the World." 

Verdantia continued. "You are Level 12? Good, that's not bad. However, the real powerhouses hidden in our World could erase your existence with a single finger. A flick, and you are dead."

Verdantia smiled mockingly. "Protector? Guardian? Perhaps against the low-level beasts, you can do so. Perhaps against the creatures that you will fight in the near future, you can do it. However, a Level 12 is only an overlord in zones like the Golden Sap Forest. What would happen if the Fortuna World Tree realized the existence of Liu Shu?" 

Verdantia answered. "You die. There are no miracles. There are no chances. You just die because a single powerhouse from that city can raze this entire forest to the ground in an unstoppable manner."

Flor was silent. She knew all of this. Ignatia has already warned her about it. Not only her but also the caravan people were knowledgeable about the surroundings. 

However, that didn't mean that she would allow these two Sylvans to do as they pleased. 

"And?"

Verdantia blinked at Flor's flat response. 

Flor asked. "And? What if a powerhouse comes down to smite me? Of course, I can't do anything about it. However, at least, I am enough to guard Liu Shu from creatures at your level. Hence, I am a protector. I will be until my last breath." 

Flor spoke calmly. "I know my rank as a creature is low, my potential is even lower, and my level is pathetic. However, I can at least buy some time for Liu Shu to grow beyond my strength. After that, I will be another of her soldiers, defenders, whatever you want to call people fighting for her." 

Flor then stated. "BUT! Until then, I am her guardian, her protector, and her defender." Flor smiled in a challenging manner. "You want to get my position? Good, first, become strong enough to defeat me. Then, we can talk. Until this life of mine is snuffed out, I will fight for her." 

Verdantia and Cinderielle looked at the Rose Fairy Queen in stunned silence. They underestimate her. Greatly so. 

While they had respect for this creature and thought that she was admirable for trying to defend Liu Shu, they thought that she was arrogant because of her strength in this small patch of forest.

On the contrary, Flor was extremely aware of her future. She knew that she probably wouldn't be able to die of old age, and she knew that with her potential, she was not fit to be with Liu Shu forever. Yet, Flor didn't look at such a grim future with a despairing heart; instead, she hoped that while she was useful to the World Tree, she would be able to be there for her.

This changed their minds. At first, they saw Liu Shu as a romantic partner to be courted, someone they wanted to make theirs. 

However, Flor's words managed to awaken something more, transforming their feeling from the will to possess and love to the desire to protect and love. 

Verdantia and Cinderielle apologized sincerely. 

"I was rude. I just wanted to see Liu Shu so badly that I was blinded."

Cinderielle said after Verdantia. "I also want to apologize, I shouldn't have brought another person without asking first. Even if you knew her, I was unaware of the relationship between you and decided based on pure guesses."

Flor looked at them, and her stern face gained a hidden smile. "You both are young, barely 18-year-old Sylvans. I am more than double your age, yet our strengths are not that far away, hahaha." Flor asked from the bottom of her heart. "Please, if I am gone in the future… Help me take care of Liu Shu."

They both looked at the determined Rose Fairy and nodded solemnly. "We will."