It has been over five years since the fall of the Nexus. During this time, Liu Shu dedicated herself to three things. The first was expanding her roots into the world. She wanted to cover not only the surface but even the core of the world with her roots.

The second thing she focused on was territory matters. She needed to keep an eye out for powerful criminals, organizations that surged wanting to do crime, and many other similar groups. While one might think that people would know how to behave, some lacked the self-control to do so.

The third, but no less important, focus was her family. Her four lovers were very… fond of her, to a level that other people would call their affection excessive. So, with such lovers, her Avatar had no other option but to be constantly pregnant. Every time she recovered from pregnancy, the four Sylvans would rush to fertilize the seeds inside her with eagerness.

Even during the months leading to the birth, they seem to believe that nourishment came not from the Avatar's upper mouth, but the lower one. So, Liu Shu went from having twenty-five children to forty-one.

With Green, Red, Grey, and Purple acting as houses, the space left for the family was so ample that the houses still felt relatively empty. With the help of these four big sisters, Verdantia and the other three had a relatively easy time taking care of the children. Not to mention, Liu Shu's ability to pay attention to many different matters helped tremendously. Even with over 40 children, none of them ever felt lacking in attention from their parents.

Sadly, today was a day of mourning. It was winter, with a grey sky casting overhead. Cinderielle and her mother were currently looking at an old man lying on a comfortable bed. The man's wrinkled face was peaceful, a faint smile etched on the corner of his lips.

"Father…" Cinderielle's face was somewhat hoarse, and her orange eyes showed traces of dried-up tears.

Cinderielle's mother sat by his side, her smooth and beautiful hand tightly holding the man's wrinkly one. Her green hair gently fell over, hiding her face behind it as she looked down at the man who gave her a child.

"Stubborn fool." Her voice was choked up, and clear tears slowly dripped down her nose.

When Liu Shu completed the <Temple Of Life>, she was delighted that her husband would be able to live for much longer with her. However, to her surprise, the man didn't accept the blessing.

Her husband had told her back then that he was satisfied. That he had lived a life that he was proud of, and that extending it was meaningless. Liu Shu respected the man's wishes and stopped providing her buffs and titles to him.

"Don't you want to see your great-grandchildren, you stubborn old man?"

Cinderielle's mother, Amarael, spoke with a reproachful tone. But anyone who listened could clearly feel the sadness behind it.

Cinderielle stood behind Amarael, hugging her gently. She also didn't understand why her father refused to live longer. However, since that is what he wanted, she couldn't really come in the way of his desires.

Amareal used the palm of her hand to clean her tears and sniffled once before she lifted her face. Cinderielle's heart clenched when she saw her face. It was a mess. Still, Amareal smiled, her voice somewhat choked from her sadness. "Y-You know, Cinder. All Sylvans who decide to be with a human are mindful of this moment. It is something that will come… It's inevitable with our different lifespans."

Cinderielle grabbed Amareal's hand, holding it tightly. The woman spoke softly. "Your father… He always knew. That's why he has avoided meeting you lately. He understood that if you got attached, this momentum would be more painful. He is such a fool, isn't he?"

Cinderielle teared up again. "A big fool. How can a daughter not be attached to her father?"

Amareal laughed, choking slightly from her crying. "R-Right? I told him so. His smile when playing with Pyara and the other grandchildren, him using all of his saved-up money to buy things… He really lived lavishly these few years! Leaving almost nothing for me, his wife!"

Her words and tone didn't naturally match. Her tone was soft and full of love, clearly proud of what the man had done. Now, though, that man was gone.

"Cinder…" Amareal spoke, hesitating. "When Pyara and the others choose a partner… Let's try to help her choose one with a similar lifespan."

Cinderielle understood that Amareal didn't want her grandchildren to go through what she was currently going through. Therefore, she didn't deny her words. On the contrary, she hugged her and placed her mother's face in the crook of her neck. "Alright. We'll try. However, if that child ever genuinely loves someone, I don't want to come in between too much."

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"A-Alright. That's good."

Liu Shu looked at everything silently, her roots slowly crawling up and coiling around them. Amareal looked at the roots, and her gaze became tender. "Thank you, Liu Shu."

The following day, Cinderielle and everyone else changed clothes to bright green ones. These clothes represented nature and the cycle of life. They were the costumes that were culturally appropriate to wear during funerals.

The procession was similar to before. In the middle of the lake where Tree and Aurelise resided, there were several flower beds to place the dead. These flowers were able to swallow and pour the life energy of the deceased into the surroundings. It was a way to return those who lived back to nature.

During the whole procession, the World Tree constantly looked over it. She spoke little to nothing, leaving the lead to the family.

Verena held a flowerpot with Branthis in it. Branthis, Verena's husband, couldn't help but sigh. "He was a good friend."

Verena smiled and gently caressed the plant in the pot. "I know."

"He really liked playing with the grandchildren as well."

Verena gently caressed her husband, who had lost a friend. "I know."

While she answered, her gaze moved to the side. There, another human male with an old but relatively healthy body stood tall. His muscular body from when he was active had become much thinner, but his straight back remained identical.

He was Wert. Wert observed everyone and sighed to himself. Looking at the World Tree, looking at the city around him… He felt somewhat foreign. The growth of the Golden Sap Arborarchy has been meteoric, making it unrecognizable compared to what it was before.

Especially the World Tree that deceived him at first, passing as a Life Tree. Thinking back, Wert couldn't help but smile. 'Such a mischievous one.'

He knew that even when Liu Shu had matured, her nature remained the same. Liu Shu came to visit him from time to time, speaking with him, telling him about interesting events, and other things. 'It's like a granddaughter visiting to tell her grandad about her day at school.'

"Liu Shu." His voice had also changed somewhat due to the stiffness in his vocal cords.

"What's wrong, Wert?"

"Just… I wanted to ask. The day I die, can I be buried below you?"

Liu Shu was silent for a few moments before speaking softly. "Of course. I'll gladly take that honor."

Wert's lips arched, satisfied. "Thank you, Liu Shu."

"Yes… Thank you as well."

Liu Shu sighed softly as she observed the domain. Life and death were interlocked, and in hospitals, they mixed. While some doctors attended to the old and those injured, others brought new life into the world.

Everywhere in her domain, Liu Shu could always lock onto someone breathing their last or breathing in their first. It was a sight that she needed to see constantly, to experience all the time.

A gentle and ancient voice reached Liu Shu through her roots, enveloping her with warmth. "Are you okay, Little Sapling?"

There was only one being in the entire world who called her like that. Liu Shu looked at the willow tree by the lake with her real eyes. Her lips arched softly as she spoke. "Yes, Mom. I was just reflecting."

Tree asked softly, her voice gently guiding the young yet powerful World Tree. "What are you reflecting about, Little Sapling?"

"About… Life and Death. The concepts feel… foreign yet near. Like fog around me that I cannot grasp. It's a strange feeling."

Tree spoke smilingly. "I see. What do you think that feeling means?"

Now that Tree asked, Liu Shu realized that she had never really thought about it. "What does it mean…? I am… unsure. Does it mean that I am not really part of this cycle? Or does it mean that I am so interlocked with it that it's difficult to sense? Like a fish in the ocean, not knowing they are surrounded by water."

"That question is difficult to answer. So… Don't feel rushed. Don't feel a need to answer it. Little Sapling, remember that you are really young. Ponder, sense, and observe everything. Don't feel that you are stuck. And, if you ever feel lost, ask me, Flor, or Ignatia. Ask Warlya, Lady Skyflower, or Lady Azure Rose. Perhaps, you want to ask Cinderielle, Verdantia, and the others… The important thing is, don't isolate yourself. You are not an observer, but part of the world."

Liu Shu stayed silent for a moment before answering softly. "I will try my best."

Tree didn't speak anymore, and Liu Shu focused on the funeral. It didn't last too long, and soon, they returned to their houses.

Amareal went into Red and stayed in one of her rooms for a few weeks. While Cinderielle was worried, Red reassured her mother that Amareal was okay. Cinderielle sighed and caressed the tree house's wall. "Well, since Red is taking care of her mother, she can be reassured. Thank you, love."

Red giggled, using a root to rub Cinderielle's cheek in a spoiled manner. "I love you, Mommy!"

Cinderielle walked outside Red and looked up. Her daughter's canopy and Liu Shu's canopy layered above her, hiding the sky with beautiful interlocking branches. She could see fruits slowly growing in Red's branches as well. "Red, love, are the fruits mature? Do you want Mommy to pluck your fruits today?"

"Ehh? Will Mommy really do it!?" Red's excited tone made Cinderielle feel a pang of guilt. 'Lately, I've been paying too much attention to my humanoid children. I can't forget about Red and the other small flora Liu Shu gave birth to before Pyara.'

When Liu Shu was accepting their seed through her mouth, she got pregnant a few times. There were some bushes, flowers, and other non-intelligent flora planted around Red that came from Liu Shu's avatar. So, Cinderielle decided to use that day to spoil these plant daughters. She watered them, changed their nutrients, and helped them by cutting some of their twisted branches or plucking their mature fruits.

The work felt fulfilling and peaceful, healing the grief and sadness from her father's passing.

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