The reopening of the
Liu Shu instantly saw the
***
Dungeon Name: Cursed Mountain Path.
Current Status: Active
Dungeon Level: 10~24
Difficulty Rating: Easy~Hard
Number Of Floors: 1
Dungeon Reputation: World-Level.
Dungeon Alignment: Bloodlust, Vanity
Dungeon Theme: Cursed Fungal Survival
Dungeon Type: Smog-Filled Natural Labyrinth.
Boss Character Sheet:
Unique Traits:
***
While it had many debuffs and risks, and the
For people who wanted to aim beyond the
Liu Shu's roots gently poked out from below the ground, entering the
However, this was far from enough to put a strain on Liu Shu's mind. She easily looked at every screen at the same time, her mind processing what was happening inside. 'Hm… There are some disgusting groups.'
In one instance, there was a Sylvan woman betraying a group of humans. Meanwhile, in another dungeon instance, a few beast-men were surrounding a group of females with grins. Sighing, Liu Shu pondered. 'Hm… Is the inability to commit crimes outside making those who were quite aggressive before feel stifled? I should tell Arven to keep an eye.'
When the group of human men and the beast women were despairing, something ridiculous occurred. At one moment, they were feeling terror of their fate, and after they blinked, everything that was coming to harm them disappeared.
Their brains failed to process what was happening, thinking that they had been trapped in a hallucinatory maze or something. However, what happened was much simpler. Liu Shu used
A system message popped into her eyes.
[Warning. If you kill low-level non-hostile creatures, you will trigger an Experience Penalty.]
"I know, I know. There is no need to remind me. These people deserved it."
[Experience Points: -15,500]
"Ugh… Well, whatever, that's a bit less than a week's worth of Experience." Her gaze shifted away from the
Arven, who was supervising the construction of the
"No need, I eliminated them. The number of people doing it is low, and I know it is impossible to control everyone's impulses. Especially so when so many different species live together. Nevertheless, keep it to a minimum and never distract yourself from checking lower-level people. They are usually the most gutsy because they lack understanding of the world."
Arven was unfazed and nodded. "I will keep it in mind, Lady Heavenly Willow."
"Great… Hm?"
Arven noticed the exclamation of surprise and asked, his curiosity getting the best of him. "What happened…?" Right after asking, he regretted it. "Sorry, Lady Heavenly Willow. Your matters are none of my business."
Liu Shu looked at him, amused. She giggled a bit and spoke. "Didn't I tell you not to be so stiff? Just do your job properly, and we will get along, I promise."
Arven nodded lightly, his face betraying no emotions. Liu Shu continued. "About what was what I felt… Well, it seems that Flor and Ignatia are waking up. I will go welcome them."
Surprise flashed in the man's eyes. "Lady Flor and Lady Ignatia?" Then, he hummed. "It seems that some people will soon run out of luck."
"Hm?" Liu Shu was puzzled at Arven's comment, so she delayed leaving for a moment. "Why do you say that?"
Arven blinked. "Well. There are a few people who want to take over Lady Flor's position as the governor of Golden Sap City. Her disappearance for a few years allowed for a few people to gain some influence and a following. Of course, there is no malicious intent, just ambition. Moreover, since Lady Flor usually speaks as if she can't wait to give up her position, some people are preparing to fight for it."
Liu Shu listened dumbfounded. "Do they not know that it is I who chooses the Golden Sap City Governor? Would I allow a random individual to become the leader of the city under my direct management?"
Arven agreed, and a rare smile appeared on his lips, as if he were amused. "I know, you are the ruler here, no one else. Sadly, some people don't really understand what an
"Oh." Liu Shu asked, nonplussed. "There are still people like that, even after I've shown so many times that it's totally not the case?"
Arven smiled. "People tend to forget. You will have to refresh everyone's memories from time to time. Otherwise, before you know it, there will be a group claiming to want to be independent from you."
Liu Shu hummed. "Well, they can be if they want. I will just deny all my blessings from ever touching those people."
Arven's face stiffened a bit, a look of pity appearing in his eyes right after. "That's… a really harsh punishment. Not even the criminals jailed lose your blessings, right?"
Liu Shu hummed. "As long as the crime is not a grave one, I do believe that people can be given second chances. Mistakes are part of life, and if they are small ones, forgiveness is something I can agree with. But… Only second chances. Any repeat offender clearly has skulls too thick to understand the pity and mercy they've been given, so I cut my blessings from them. After I do that, they all collapse on their own, some even taking their own lives. Others go crazy and try to do something bad, ending up as ant food or fertilizer."
Arven was not surprised at all by their reaction. Liu Shu's blessings not only increased strength, but also talent, comprehension, luck, and many other facets of life that make you a straight-up better person. Imagine losing half your intelligence suddenly, becoming unable to do even a tenth of what you could do yesterday, and not understanding your own work or even studies. That was how it felt to lose Liu Shu's blessings.
As powerful as they were, their nature made them chains for her population. It was not a purposeful action on Liu Shu's part, but an inevitable outcome. After all, the feeling of powerlessness was soul-crushing, a punishment from Liu Shu towards those who refused to learn and failed to fit into society.
"Anyway, thank you for the heads-up, Arven. I will meet with Mom and Mommy now. I missed them quite a lot!"
Arven nodded and felt the World Tree's boundless presence disappearing. He breathed a sigh of relief,
Meanwhile, in a room underground, Flor and Ignatia's energies stabilized and got sucked into their bodies. Once they did, a pulse of energy thumped out, spreading past the edges of their room, but stopped thanks to Liu Shu.
Flor's body and wings had not changed at all, her appearance remaining identical to before. Only, her beauty and appearance became exquisite to the point that she looked like a perfectly crafted doll. Her windblown rose-red hair and ruby-like eyes gleamed even underground, and all elements seemed to bow down to her presence.
As her eyelids opened, the Aether Mana around her came to a stop, freezing under the presence of its ruler.
***
Race: Infant Aetherlord Flower Fairy (Mythical)
Titles:
Talents:
Passive Skills:
Description:
The Aetherlord Flower Fairy is the sovereign of all Aether-based fairy-kind. She is the first bloom from which every other fairy lineage descends and has gained the ability to manipulate Aether Mana. Her existence is intertwined with nature's core, granting her mastery over nearly every elemental force with profound healing powers. Were an Aetherlord Flower Fairy able to reach maturity, they would gain the ability to manifest elemental forces with their mere existence, touching upon the Aether itself.
***
At the same time, Ignatia's body had minute changes. Her red hair and red carapace remained identical, but the shell covering her ant's body parts became as beautiful as gems. Her insectoid black eyes gleamed, indicating that she was waking up, and her tyrannical aura, as the Queen Mother, swept all nests in the world, making all ants tremble with joy as their ancestral mother's aura enveloped them.
***
Race: Infant Unbreaking War Ant Queen (Mythical)
Titles:
Talents:
Passive Skills:
Description:
The Infant Unbreaking War Ant Queen is the origin of all physically dominant ant lineages, born with a naturally indestructible body and an innate authority over her brood. She is able to develop her brood with conscious genetic modifications, creating increasingly stronger generations of ants. Even at her earliest stage, her presence turns any colony into a disciplined, fast-evolving force built for raw power, endurance, and absolute battlefield domination. Were an Unbreaking War Ant Queen able to reach maturity, they would gain the ability to create galaxy-spanning civilizations of fully coordinated ants, gaining strength to control and share strength with her entire brood.
***