The climb proceeded swiftly and smoothly, almost effortlessly.
Similar to the Swimming Expert benefit, which allowed him to move underwater as freely as a native creature, the Tree Climbing Expert benefit operated on the sa principle. His body instinctively knew the optimal spots to grip and the best footholds for maximum efficiency and speed. He did not have to worry about a misplaced handhold or a sudden fall.
At approximately thirty-five kiloters high, Leyvi finally reached the point where the colossal tree began to branch out.
He stopped atop the first enormous branch he encountered. At this height, he no longer feared using a brighter light to illuminate his surroundings. The branch itself was so massive it felt like standing on another vast, living continent, a tangled forest of wood and leaf.
It was a complex network of countless smaller branches sprouting from slightly larger ones, which themselves grew from even larger limbs, all stemming from the main branch he stood upon. Even the smallest "twig" here was enormous compared to a human.
In addition, leaves of varying, gigantic sizes grew everywhere, forming a dense, living canopy so thick it completely blocked any trace of sunlight from above.
"I don't see any flowers," Leyvi mused aloud. "Does this tree simply not produce them?"
He had hoped to find sothing like nectar, pollen, or oils from the tree's blossoms. Anything produced by a being of this magnitude would likely possess incredible, miraculous properties. Unfortunately, there was no sign of them.
"Well, flowers are the reproductive organs of flowering plants," he reasoned. "Maybe this tree doesn't think it needs to reproduce."
As for the countless leaves, he did not dare to touch them. First, he likely lacked the sheer power to pluck even a single one. Second, even if he could, he feared angering the tree itself.
What if the colossal being considered him a re mosquito and simply slapped him out of existence? No, no, no. He was not going to court death like that. That was why he had been aiming for flowers instead.
After his brief survey, Leyvi continued his ascent toward the very top of the trunk. Now, however, he could no longer climb straight up. With more and more colossal branches barring the way, he had to navigate a winding, detour-filled path, slowing his progress considerably.
---
A day later, down below, Ava and the three disguised ladies were approached by a group of five n.
The n appeared polite and well-mannered on the surface.
But Ava, of course, did not let her guard down just because they seed harmless. She knew they did not have good intentions. Why else would one of them be hiding in the shadows nearby? If not for her new Quantum Eye, she would never have noticed the concealed sixth man.
"Nice to et you, ladies. My na is Rando," the leading man in a blue outfit greeted. They kept a respectful distance, not wanting to appear threatening. At least, not yet.
Since Rose, Lily, and Liyan were disguised as plain, average-looking won, his attention was focused primarily on Ava, who was currently the most striking among them.
"This is the first ti we have seen your faces here," Rando continued, offering an amicable smile. "Are you ladies new arrivals?"
"Hmph, go away. Co any closer and I will beat you up!" Ava replied, her tone as unfriendly as ever.
The n behind Rando exchanged glances and chuckled.
"Oh ho... this cute lady has quite the temper," Rando said, his smile unfaltering. "Please calm down. We have a rule here, and that is to avoid any physical conflict. Since you were not aware of it, you ladies must definitely be new here."
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"So what? Scram!" Ava raised her voice, her irritation plain.
She had been thoroughly enjoying experinting with her new eye power just monts before, and their interruption had soured her mood considerably.
The n behind Rando visibly bristled at the disrespect, but Rando raised a calm hand, signaling them to stay back. Her hostile reaction only confird his suspicion that they were dealing with newcors.
"Hoho. This cute lady, please don't be so aggressive. Listen to what I have to say first," Rando said, maintaining his practiced smile. "We are here to invite you four ladies to join our faction. You might not know this since you've just arrived, but it is highly possible that we'll all be stuck here, unable to ever go ho. Since you are near the stairway, you must have tried going up already, yes?"
Seeing no reaction from the won, he stifled an inward sigh and continued. He explained the rule of the free zone, the restriction on climbing the tree, and the portals located far above.
"…so for your own well-being, it's best that you join a faction," he concluded. "Our faction, of course. You can't trust the others. They'll turn you into slaves."
Ava glanced sideways at Rose. Hmph, I know that already. I saw a whole group of love slaves just a few days ago.
"Our leader is called ntal Lord Vincent. He..." Rando began.
"What a stupid na," Ava interrupted bluntly. "Does he have a ntal illness or sothing?" Behind her, Rose, Lily, and Liyan could not help but giggle softly. They were starting to appreciate having such a foul-mouthed, fearless girl on their side.
The n behind Rando grew visibly furious at the insult and began to mutter curses, but Rando raised his hand once more, signaling them to be quiet.
Inwardly, he was also beginning to lose his temper. He had wanted to leave a good first impression on the pretty newcor, but her attitude was anything but charming. If she acted out again, he would show her exactly who was in charge.
It was true that using force was prohibited in the free zone, but as long as they were discreet, nobody would ever know. And right now, nobody else was around this isolated area anyway.
Most people in the free zone congregated in the west, near Princess Waniwani's territory, where many won gathered. Here, in this quiet, overlooked corner, no one would pay them any mind. With their numbers advantage, capturing these seemingly clueless won would be easy.
"This cute lady, please don't say things like that," Rando said, forcing his smile back into place. "Our leader is considered the most talented Spiritual Cultivator of this generation! That is why he was given that title. If you join our faction, your safety in this world is guaranteed!"
"What does your leader being a Spiritual Cultivator have to do with keeping anyone safe?" Ava asked, her tone dripping with disdain. "Are you stupid? Is your entire faction ntally ill or sothing?" The three disguised ladies behind her muffled another round of giggles.
Rando's mouth twitched. He genuinely felt like beating this woman on the spot. But he took a slow breath, calming himself. As a self-proclaid diplomat, he had to resolve matters with words before resorting to force.
It was not just Rando's mouth that twitched. Ava did as well, though for a completely different reason.
These three bitches behind ... aren't you being a little too carefree, giggling like that? They outnumber us, you know? And there is still one hiding. Be on your guard!
"This cute lady, your jokes are a bit rude, you know," Rando pressed on, his voice straining. "Obviously, ntal Lord Vincent has the capability to keep his followers safe. Those portals up there, who do you think discovered them? Nobody can go up there, rember?" He put on a proud, smug expression.
Hmph! Who says nobody can? That sex fiend can go up there easily, Ava retorted silently.
"Our leader has unlocked one of the most difficult Spiritual Sense abilities, clairvoyance! He can see places far beyond the normal range of his spiritual sense! This is how he can keep us all safe from threats! How is that? Amazing, right? Hoho!" Rando laughed, expecting a reaction.
Clairvoyance? Can that sex fiend learn this ability too? Ava thought, her expression darkening. Hmph, he would probably just use it to spy on naked ladies. He'd better not learn it. The idea alone annoyed her.
Rando's laughter died in his throat, replaced by sheer speechlessness. She looked... annoyed? Why? Was there anything that could possibly impress this foul-mouthed girl?
---
anwhile, Leyvi finally reached the very top of the colossal trunk.
The landscape here was completely unexpected. There was an entire, massive lake resting at the summit.
Just as many lakes had ford within the shade from the daily dew rain, the moisture from the highest branches also flowed downward, collecting in the vast, basin-like depression at the very top of the trunk, creating this imnse, placid body of water.
But right now, Leyvi did not care about any of that.
He created the brightest ball of light he could manage, a miniature sun that hovered above him, illuminating the entire sprawling area in stark, white light.
He did not look happy. He looked deeply unsettled.
"What's going on?" he said, his voice tight with frustration. "There's no portal here at all! How are we supposed to go ho? Did soone lie?"
His mind was in disarray. This was the worst-case scenario.
He could not even begin to imagine not being able to go ho.
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