For a World Tree, time passed quickly and silently. If it weren't for her interactions with her family members, Liu Shu would've been dazed for years. What made Liu Shu snap out of her calm retreat was surprising news.
"Huh? Say that again?" Liu Shu's avatar glanced at Verdantia with wide eyes.
Verdantia laughed and hugged Liu Shu's Avatar with a smile. "Dewna is pregnant."
"Whoa…" Liu Shu blinked, confused. "Didn't she have her coming of age not long ago?"
Verdantia tilted her head. "Love, it has been twelve years since then."
"Twelve…" Liu Shu looked at Verdantia, baffled, and then realized that Dewna would be having her 30th birthday in a few months. When the scale of time registered in her head, Liu Shu spoke slowly. "It has been four years since the day I went berserk? Already?"
Liu Shu had a large number of children, approaching 80. The reason for the high number of children was the lack of Sylvan pregnancies. No matter how they tried, Liu Shu's Avatar was unable to conceive Sylvan children.
Therefore, birthdays and other celebrations were relatively common and often celebrated with small gatherings. If not, they would need to spend time on birthday preparations throughout the year.
Moreover, since Liu Shu's consciousness was spread out to communicate with her children in both normal and arboreal languages, time had become somewhat vague for our World Tree. Sometimes, before she knew it, a few months had gone by, and suddenly, the yearly time for the Flower Day Festival was around the corner.
Seeing the dazed look in Liu Shu's usually gentle eyes, the Life Sylvan sighed softly and asked gently. "Did time fly by quickly?"
Unaccustomed to the feeling, Liu Shu nodded softly. "Yes… Usually, after four years have passed, there would be news of new enemies, organizations, etc. However, since I started caring less about them, such news became sparse, and whenever I realize it, months or years have gone by." She said. "Speaking of which, didn't we have a similar conversation not long ago?"
Verdantia gently kissed Liu Shu's eyebrow and sighed. "We had it almost two years ago."
"Oh…" An awkward smile formed on Liu Shu's lips. "That long ago, eh?"
Liu Shu wondered. "That… How is the development of the new cities going around the young World Trees?"
Verdantia explained slowly. "The most successful is the one we've built in the previous Dark Aether Swamp. Do you remember that little one?"
"Yeah. Of course." Liu Shu laughed. "The Corrupted World Tree, who almost got me. It was a really close call back then."
"You dare laugh?" Verdantia's lips arched as she tightly grabbed Liu Shu's softness. "Keep laughing, and I'll punish you."
Liu Shu giggled. "It's ticklish~. Also, don't squeeze so hard; it will leak."
"Speaking of…" Verdantia took out a wooden bottle and smiled, her green eyes shining with deep feelings. "Time to milk you."
The World Tree rolled her eyes, but she didn't complain. Her body surrendered to the Sylvan, and Verdantia was only satisfied after filling ten bottles. "Great. With this, we should be able to feed the little ones who are too hungry and young for you to use your sap directly."
Liu Shu looked at Verdantia, amused. "I was suspicious about your eagerness, so I followed you and discovered something interesting. Guess what I discovered~."
The Sylvan froze, but Liu Shu ignored her and continued, light laughter in her voice. "Do you think I don't know that four of those will be shared among the mothers? Why hide it, eh? If you ask, I can even let you drink directly from the source."
Verdantia felt heat spread on her cheeks. "T-That… Ahem. It's very nutritious and good for the body." Even after many years, feelings between the wives remained fresh. Thanks to their long lifespan, strong emotions were much harder to dilute over time in them.
Liu Shu raised her eyebrows. "Oh. Drinking them secretly in your room while—"
Verdantia blurted. "ANYWAY, Liu'er, did you know that the number of
Liu Shu laughed and pardoned her lover by not pushing further. She rested her body on Verdantia's embrace and closed her eyes with a peaceful smile. "Yes. I know. I can feel their turbulent energies."
"Right, right…" Verdantia suddenly recalled something. "Speaking of which, the exploration of the new
"Is it? Well, the dungeon is large, so you might not have sent enough people to fill a single layer."
"Oh…" Verdantia showed a thoughtful expression. "That's actually quite valid. Should we investigate?"
"Leave investigating to the
"...Well, because they are an interstellar superpower? I think that's quite a valid reason not to provoke them."
Liu Shu glanced at Verdantia and smiled. "If I were afraid of interstellar powers, I would've never attacked the Nexus by myself."
"Hm… I guess." Verdantia sighed softly and tightened her hug, feeling the petite woman's soft body.
"So, you spoke about Dewna's pregnancy and left me in the air after we deviated from the subject." Liu Shu asked, curious. "Who is the father? It can't be Halthia, that girl, right?"
Verdantia chuckled. "Halthia is a pure woman. She doesn't have the ability to impregnate Dewna. Halthia is currently acting as Dewna's secretary… so to speak."
"Huh? I don't get it."
Seeing Liu Shu's confusion, Verdantia explained how her daughters and sons developed romantically. "As you know, our children's intelligence is slightly lacking in comparison to Sylvans, Humans, and the rest. They are not stupid by any means. In fact, their intelligence is two or three levels higher than we initially thought—comparable to that of a 13- or 14-year-old human. Nevertheless, they lack our cunningness and ability to weigh complex benefits and drawbacks from their actions."
Liu Shu nodded, and Verdantia commented. "Because they are not in the wild and can't hunt without consequences, they've developed quite a good strategy." Verdantia's tone was full of interest and pride. "Since their intelligence is slightly lacking, why not use the intelligence of their prey?"
"Oh?" Our World Tree looked at Verdantia, curiosity piqued. "How do they do that?"
"Actually, they've developed a skill from you. It is called
This surprised Liu Shu to no end. "But… Dewna didn't have anything like that when she was born. How did she develop it?"
"That's the interesting part!" Verdantia was a huge fan of exotic plant species, so the Alraune's development was something she was delighted to see. "Dewna and the others got this skill after their first mating and being fed by your sap. It seems to be a lesser version of your
Many thoughts flashed in Liu Shu's mind, but she didn't interrupt. Instead, she moved her gaze and went to Dewna's side, analyzing her skill list and seeing the description by herself.
Verdantia noticed Liu Shu's look of surprise and knew that she had read the skill in question. "The text is vague, but it can be explained easily. In Dewna's case, Halthia became her mate. Psychologically, it only made Halthia's feelings for Dewna sturdy and solid enough to be called unbreakable. Halthia, in turn, has become sensitive to those who had their essence sucked from Dewna. Naturally, Halthia, now enchanted by Dewna, pursues Dewna's happiness as her priority."
Liu Shu's face was strange. "Isn't that mind control?"
Verdantia generously admitted it. "Similar, but not quite. Halthia needed to be willing and then have some sort of ritual with Dewna. Once she made this deal, Dewna also became attached to Halthia, her feelings changing from seeing her as a friend to something more. If Halthia could have babies from Dewna, she would've been pregnant long ago."
Liu Shu still felt uncertain about that skill, but she didn't mind much. 'If both sides are willing, it is similar to a marriage that the system views over so that it doesn't break… Looking at it in that manner, it's almost an advantage…'
"Still, I have a question."
"What's wrong?"
"Won't the Soul Enthralled Mate become jealous of the Alraune's other partners?"
Verdantia shook her head. "That's why it is interesting! Halthia actually helps Dewna find good prey that won't harm her! If anything, she is even more open than before. Previously, I could see her stare resentfully when Dewna ate others."
Verdantia frowned a bit. "Honestly, there were a few times that I wanted to ask Dewna to separate from her, but I resisted the urge because she was Dewna's first partner."
Liu Shu looked at her wife and laughed wryly. 'Sylvan mothers are quite extreme with their predatory children, aren't they? I somehow doubt that Verdantia would even bat an eye if Dewna accidentally killed someone by sucking too much essence.'
"Anyway, after the contract, Halthia helped find some men and women, and now, she is leading them for Dewna's benefit."
"So, who is the father?"
Verdantia was a bit ashamed. "Well, we don't know. She got pregnant after mingling with four men at the same time one night."
"Oh." Liu Shu blinked and grinned. "Like mother, like daughter, I guess."
Verdantia looked away, bashful. While they didn't do it simultaneously yet, they had lost the shame of doing it in turns, one after another. So, the times when Liu Shu ended up with a surprise baby bundle were much more frequent than in the past.
"Still, it's strange. Did only Dewna get pregnant? There are more than a dozen of them in their twenties, right?"
The Life Sylvan commented. "Actually, Alraune and their subspecies are quite deft
Liu Shu knew many of these things since she spoke with her children often. However, hearing it from the active parent clarified a few interesting details. 'I should ask Harmonixia and the others as well.'
For the next month, Liu Shu became active and investigated the daily lives of her children with great curiosity. She came to one conclusion. 'As expected of Alraune and their subspecies, they are all like their Mommy: voracious.'
Seeing her daughters and sons entangle with an average of five people every night was an experience that left Liu Shu with subtle feelings. 'I am the prude one among the family… Well, this is good. The future is guaranteed to have many babies.'
If anything, she was worried about the Sanguine Blazes. None of them had found a mate yet, as they struggled with their feelings for Liu Shu. 'Hm… Cinderielle's angle on finding mates is wrong. I know what to do, hehe.'
"Cinderielle, come to my