When Liu Shu approached the middle area, she felt a shift in the flow of ternary essences around her. 'Strange…'

Usually, when Liu Shu moved her roots, she could command and deform the rocks and earth around them, allowing her to advance unimpeded. Nevertheless, as her roots approached the center, she noticed that she was losing influence.

'This… It must be because of it. Right?'

There was only one being whom Liu Shu was cautious about inside the Dungeon, and it resided right in the center. Liu Shu mumbled. "But… Does that even make sense? I am over 100 kilometers away from the center. Are you saying that the dragon can influence the land this far away?"

Not many creatures had a natural dominion over nature, and World Trees were the species with the most powerful influence abilities. Yet, that didn't mean that they had exclusive power over it.

Her roots continued to advance, but after thirty kilometers, Liu Shu's roots came to a stop. "...The dirt is so tough here."

While she was complaining aloud, a voice reached her. "Well, it's natural. You are strong and have good control, but you can't enter another person's domain so freely."

"Huh?"

A giant tremor silenced Liu Shu's baffled exclamation. While the land trembled, a small mountain began rising nearby. Liu Shu observed the large mound crumble as it grew, and from it, sleek yellowish scales were revealed as the sun reflected on them.

The creature that rose from the ground didn't have wings, but the streamlined quadrupedal form, long neck and tail, and the aura of raw strength it carried made Liu Shu feel extremely threatened.

At the top of the previous mound, two eyes opened up, revealing a pair of deep red dragon eyes. Liu Shu looked at the 300-meter-tall creature with an awestruck heart. "Wow…"

The creature, now fully revealed to the world, was clearly the <Juvenile Earth Dragon>. The head's shape was ferocious, with spiky scales at the sides, while its back had spiky protrusions. The large claws that covered the entire digits were perfect for moving on land and ripping through almost any material. The muscles of the creature pushed against its scales, boasting incredible presence, and there was something like a bulging, hard head at the end of the dragon's tail.

The dragon spoke, his voice sounding deep and pleasant. "Hello, World Tree. I would like it if you didn't invade my personal terrain; otherwise, I'll have to go and steal yours in retaliation."

Liu Shu looked at the hill of muscles and power and didn't know how to react. "Um… Hello to you too… That, I wasn't intending to make trouble, I just wanted to spread my roots in this place…"

When Liu Shu entered the Dungeon, she was sure that, while the Dragon was mighty, she should at least be able to match its strength. After all, Liu Shu had a myriad of buffs to boost her stats.

And yet, now that she was face-to-face with the dragon, only one word came to mind.

'Nope.'

If she were using her main body, Liu Shu wouldn't be that intimidated, but with just roots? Liu Shu felt that she would be unable to break the scaly surface of this being.

The dragon lay back down onto the ground, creating a small earthquake. After getting comfortable and looking down, the dragon poked the ground once.

Liu Shu felt a strange, repulsive force, and soon, many of her roots were forcefully expelled from the underground. "W-What did you do?"

The Dragon's reptilian mouth was arched. "As I said, this is my domain. So, I am taking it over again. The energy you are releasing is making me lose control."

Liu Shu answered awkwardly. "O-Oh. I see."

"So," The Dragon looked around once and smiled. "I am inside a <Dungeon>. Quite interesting."

"H-Huh?" Liu Shu had felt surprised until now, but this time, her core almost jumped in fright. "W-What are you talking about?"

The Earth Dragon looked down with calm, red eyes and a smile. "Don't worry. Nothing bad will happen if I know. Honestly, when I woke up, I was a bit angry. So, I tried to destroy the dimensional barrier and escape. Who would've known that it was so sturdy?"

Liu Shu laughed awkwardly. "That… Sorry."

"You should be." The dragon poked Liu Shu's roots with his claws. "It's quite unpleasant to be used like this, you know? Especially as the creator of this Dungeon, you should've at least asked me first, don't you think?"

Liu Shu asked, confused. "But… Um. I thought you would be a non-intelligent monster."

The Earth Dragon blinked and hummed, his pleasantly rumbling hum transmitting vibrations through Liu Shu's roots. Then, he asked, curious. "Is this your first Dungeon?"

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"No…" Liu Shu coughed. "It's my third <Dungeon>..."

"Oh? Then you must've created quite low-level Dungeons before this one, right?"

Liu Shu felt a bit bad for the Dragon, so her roots fiddled together as she spoke with a guilty tone. "T-That. I don't know. This is the first <Dungeon> I've entered on my own. But! I have used humans and other species as monsters. Only… They didn't know that they were inside a dungeon. So, this time, I thought it would be the same."

"I see." The Dragon thought for a while, and then he smiled. "You should be a young World Tree that has yet to take over even one planet, right?"

"How did you know!?" Liu Shu was honestly surprised. This Dragon knew too much!

The Earth Dragon sighed softly. "Well, since I am stuck with you, I can tell you a few things. First of all, Dragons have ancestral knowledge since birth. We learn not from teachings like most intelligent creatures, but from the genetic experiences of our parents. That way, knowledge doesn't get lost between generations. Of course, we don't know everything straight away. It gets triggered when the conditions are met."

"WOW!" Liu Shu exclaimed, surprised. "That's very similar to Mommy Ignatia's skill!"

The Earth Dragon asked, curious. "Mother? Another World Tree? Or perhaps, a Sylvan or a Life Tree?"

"Neither!" Liu Shu giggled. "She is my Ant Mother! She is a Humanoid Ant Queen!"

The Dragon's pupils thinned for a second, his facial expression freezing as information flooded his head. Then, he sighed. "You have quite a dangerous mother, young World Tree."

"Liu Shu!" Our World Tree spoke proudly. "My name is Tianlian Liu Shu."

"Oh?" The Dragon smiled. "That's quite a good name. In the ancient tongue, it means [Heavenly Lotus Willow Tree]. Tian, with the meaning of sky; Lian, with the meaning of purity; and Liu Shu for the flexibility and softness of a Willow Tree. Whoever named you loved you quite a lot and wanted you to remain true to yourself, but never forget to be flexible as you spread your branches throughout the cosmos."

Liu Shu burst into exclamations. "WOW! WOW! I LOVE THAT! HEHEHE!"

The Dragon chuckled, his amused laughter making the earth around him sing in joy. "So, Tianlian Liu Shu, here is something that you should always keep in mind about your mother Ignatia."

"Hm?" Liu Shu asked, confused. "Is there something wrong with Mommy?"

The Dragon shook his head. "Nothing like that. If she loves you from the bottom of her heart, there won't be any problems. One question before I continue. Has your mother started developing ants with qualities of a <Crafter>?"

"Yeah! You know so much stuff!"

The Dragon smiled. "I was just guessing. You are only Level 99, yet you seem about to conquer a World from the ease of exploring the Dungeon. Therefore, you must be from a hidden corner of the universe, and your world must've never had True World Trees, right?"

"Yeah!" Liu Shu answered, her roots wiggling in amazement.

"Here is the advice: listen well."

Liu Shu listened attentively. The Dragon looked down at the roots and spoke slowly and clearly. "You are about to step onto a stage so large that you'll feel like a sapling once again. So, take it slow. No one can touch you before you take that last step. If you have loved ones, use this time to spend it with them as much as you can and build a family with your lineage. A World Tree's lineage will create talented and powerful progeny."

The Dragon paused as Liu Shu internalized his advice. After waiting for a few seconds, he opened his maw once more. "If you want to spread your branches and avoid getting stuck, you need to give up some things for future gains. Never choose the option with immediate returns if you can choose one that will benefit you more down the line more. Beyond that, you should tell Ignatia to start focusing on developing ants with basic intelligence. Otherwise, she will never be able to become a true overlord and help you."

Liu Shu internalized the advice and nodded solemnly. "Alright, I will do that."

The dragon nodded and commented. "So… Tell me more about the Dungeon. What did you have planned when you created it?"

Liu Shu explained her intentions and how she got to summon him. The Earth Dragon laughed while listening. "So, it was based on chance. If you look at it like that, it seems that you and I were destined. Alright, I'll help you. While I don't like being hunted down and killed, I won't lose my memories since the Dungeon will keep my mind safe."

Hearing his words, Liu Shu was somewhat relieved. Then, she spoke. "U-Um, do you have a name?"

The Dragon shook his head. "Don't give me one. If you do so, I will become a Named Boss Monster and my strength will increase. Once you feel that people can defeat the current me, you can come back and give me a name."

"Alright… I'll refer to you as just 'Earth Dragon' then."

"That's good enough." The Dragon smiled.

"Earth Dragon, I heard that you can evolve together with the Dungeon. Is it true?"

The Earth Dragon looked at Liu Shu and chuckled. "I am quite lucky that you are the owner of this Dungeon." Then, he poked the roots and spoke a bit playfully. "Don't worry about those things yet. I will speak to you when it matters. I'll allow one of your roots to move into my nest. That way, we can communicate at will. Still, can you move the rest of your roots out? You are weakening me by taking away part of my <Earth Domain>."

Liu Shu complied easily with the Dragon. "Alright! I will do that!" So, her roots receded.

"Oh? That's a good movement speed. Do you have an S Rank skill related to your roots?"

Liu Shu was once again impressed by the Dragon's knowledge. "Yeah! To think that you are just a juvenile Dragon… I can't even imagine how strong and knowledgeable a Mature Dragon can be…"

The Earth Dragon chuckled. "Actually, our intelligence develops quite quickly. Juvenile is more of a mark for the strength and stage of a Dragon's life. The major difference between me and an elder of my race is their personal experiences."

"Ohh!" Liu Shu nodded a few times. "Well, Earth Dragon, I will go for now! Have fun being a Boss Monster! And… Well, please have a bit of mercy if the people have some potential and they were here for the first time."

The Dragon asked, his eyes somewhat knowing. "Only the first time?"

Liu Shu commented lightly. "If they see you, are defeated by you, and they stupidly decide to return after being spared, that's their problem. Second chances are not bad, but beyond that, you are just testing the level of stupidity of the other side."

The Dragon laughed again and nodded. "Alright, if there are people with potential, I'll make sure to send them out with heavy injuries. They must learn from failure, after all."

"Thanks! Hehehe."

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