No matter how much Carter wanted to defend against the Golden Sap Empire's siege after becoming a semi-World-Tree-like existence, it was not possible. Even with all the defensive structures, the Golden Sap Empire was eliminating its top-tier powerhouses one after another, creating a snowball effect.
When the Nexus's Level 200+ left through teleportation devices one after another, the others also did so. Even those with high loyalty and willing to lay down their lives began to escape because the situation was utterly bleak.
With the Golden Sap Empire maintaining their Level 200+ alive and the Nexus losing everyone, the situation became like when Rhazor invaded Liu Shu, but a hundred times worse.
There was no resistance, and the fortresses could not fill up the massive void created by the retreating Second Ascension individuals.
Liu Shu's roots had already arrived at the Azure Star Capital World, and she began her conquest. Massive roots descended from the sky-like godly pillars, penetrating deeply into the world's surface and spreading out.
Carter's position became clear to Liu Shu, and she moved her consciousness over. Her roots tore through the exterior of the spherical structure and entangled in front of him. Soon, Liu Shu formed a wooden Avatar and opened her blue-glowing eyes.
Carter's state was quite tragic. Having taken over most of the burden, his eyes had long been bleeding, and his vital signs had begun to fail. If one were to look at his System Page, they would have noticed that the Maximum Phoer Stars were constantly dropping, clearly showing that he was not using his strength, but his vitality as a source.
"Carter, you can stop."
Liu Shu looked up and spoke to the Commander who had faced her. He had made some mistakes, but most of them were due to ignorance. For the information he had, Carter never once underestimated or tried to go easy on her. Tactics, army formations, troop manipulation, terrain usage… Carter didn't lack in any of them, and he showed perfectly why he was placed as the Grand Commander of this expedition.
Carter's glazed eyes moved down to look at Liu Shu's humanoid avatar. "You are… the Heavenly Willow."
Liu Shu's blue glowing eyes looked straight at him. "Yes. That's me."
Then, she waved her hand lightly, and most of the tubes connecting him snapped, causing Carter to lose connection with the control hardware. He fell down from his elevated position, his knees bending momentarily to cushion the very small fall.
That action showed how exhausted he truly was. Carter couldn't help but glance at the short wooden Avatar in front of him. Even if it was made out of wood, it was incredibly life-like. It felt as if a human in the flesh had painted their skin in a bark tone with glowing blue lines and then begun moving.
If it weren't for the inside of the mouth and the brown-colored sclera showing that she was truly made of wood, Carter would've doubted his eyes. "Is there something you want to say to me, Heavenly Willow?"
Liu Shu hummed. "Will you escape?"
"Escape?" Carter spoke slowly, as if savoring the word. After a moment of silence, Carter looked up and sighed. "I won't. Too many had died due to my incompetence."
That answer was surprising to Liu Shu, making her speak her thoughts. "Wouldn't it be better to keep living and be useful to the Nexus?"
Carter blinked and glanced at Liu Shu. Then, he chuckled. "You really are… different."
Liu Shu crossed her arms gently, waiting for his answer. Carter glanced at her with curiosity and then shook his head. "All my experiences up to the point you disconnected me have already been sent to the Nexus. My usefulness is that of one Level 290 combatant. Nothing more, nothing less."
Those words made Liu Shu blink in confusion. "Even that feels like a lot."
"Does it? Well, for you, who is quite young, it might look like that. At least, in this galaxy sector, true battlefields are fought between Third Ascension powerhouses. You won't find Fourth Ascension powerhouses anywhere, so they are the top-class individuals who dictate this part of the galaxy."
Liu Shu couldn't help but look on as Carter cleaned the blood on his face with a handkerchief he took from somewhere in his uniform. "Why tell me?"
"Because it is common sense. Telling you or not doesn't matter." He sighed. "You, who communicates with us 'Mortals,' are truly different."
A look of doubt flashed in Liu Shu's eyes. This was the second time he said something similar. Carter commented. "World Trees are a plague."
Liu Shu answered with the same calmness. "I disagree. World Trees are drivers of Nature's Cycle. Its embodiment."
Carter smiled and sat down, feeling strength slowly leave his body. "If that were the case, a World Tree would never interact with said cycle."
Liu Shu sat in front of him, legs crossed, and placed her hands on her thighs. "Even gods intervene in the lives of their believers. Why wouldn't the embodiment of Nature's most basic Cycle do the same?"
Carter answered with a calm tone. "Exactly because it's the most basic cycle, it should remain untouched. It causes unnecessary death and anguish to individuals who have done nothing wrong."
Liu Shu didn't deny that. Instead, she answered as such. "A person's life is inherently filled with unpredictable variables. Life and death can be lost or given due to a whim. A drunk woman irresponsibly falling asleep on top of their newborn, an angry man attacking her ex-lover due to rage, Or, a night under the influence that leads to an unwanted pregnancy, a seed that falls from your pocket and grows into a giant tree. Life is unpredictable, tragic, beautiful, and ever-changing. A World Tree is part of such convoluted fate."
Carter pondered, his heart slowly losing its strength. Liu Shu gently added. "Even if I give up most arguments and we were to agree that World Trees are wrong… What's wrong with Life Trees? Life Trees are one of the gentlest existences, yet the Nexus treats them even worse than they do World Trees. They take advantage of their innate gentleness. They manipulate, force them, and corrupt them when they are useless."
A hum of thought escaped Carter. Now that he was in the dusk hours of his life, Carter didn't become stubborn and listened to the words of this peculiar World Tree. "Many World Trees live in your domain."
Carter spoke, looking at Liu Shu. He didn't respond to what Liu Shu had just said, but his face suggested he didn't disregard it completely. Liu Shu smiled at his words. "Yes. They are my precious Big Sisters and Little Sisters. They are beings I take care of and grow together with."
This was what made Carter the most confused about Liu Shu. When those World Trees appeared on the battlefield, Carter had been utterly baffled and confused. The problem was that, even if he conceded several steps, these World Trees were alive in Liu Shu's original world. That was unheard of in a literal sense. Something that has never been recorded in any historical evidence.
What was generally known was that, for a True World Tree to manifest, all other World Trees and Life Trees in that world needed to perish.
"Sisters…" Carter mulled over the significance of that world. A sister was family and a friend, someone you could confide most things to, someone that, unless there was something very wrong, you would never really become too far apart.
For Liu Shu to label them as such showed that she wasn't seeing them as subordinates but as close family. If World Trees were alive, there was no reason not to assume the same for Life Trees.
"Really…" Carter's breathing slowed down gradually as he looked at Liu Shu. "...You are… peculiar…" He chuckled. "If you… were not… a World Tree… we might've been able to… become friends."
Liu Shu blinked and chuckled softly. "Even when our views are so different?"
Carter answered with a faint smile. "Precisely because our views are different. Ha… Debating those with different views and both sides keeping one's calm is the best way to make close friends."
Liu Shu chuckled. "I don't know about that."
Carter laughed soundlessly, his body losing strength. "You undelicate World Tree… at times like this… you just have… to… agree…"
Liu Shu looked at him, and as his Phoer reached zero, Liu Shu whispered softly. "You've fought hard, Carter. Rest and come to my embrace. I will wash away your sins as your soul drifts within my roots."
Carter died while sitting cross-legged in front of Liu Shu. On his lips, it was easy to distinguish a small yet calm smile.
Liu Shu approached after standing up, placing her hand onto his head and closing her eyes. Carter's soul was slowly absorbed into her, becoming part of her reincarnation cycle. Then, she purposely lost track of him, allowing his soul to drift with the millions of others.
'Whoever he reincarnates as. Whoever he is born from. I just wish for him to live a good life."
A man who, from Liu Shu's perspective, had done atrocities deserving eternal punishment.
A man who, from the Nexus perspective, followed their doctrine and became a war hero.
"Even if I don't agree with his views, after death, everything is reset."
[
[Skill Level Up!]
Liu Shu always gave second chances, and death itself reset the count. So, a new life was about to welcome Carter. Whether good or bad, it was up to his luck.
Looking around the complex room, Liu Shu untangled her avatar and slowly enveloped it. It was a place with profound technology. One of the few things Carter couldn't realistically deal with because they were necessary for their last stand.
Outside, the Golden Sap Army descended from the sky, taking over the entire world with ease. The first thing Liu Shu did was close her eyes and activate her healing skill. 'This world has suffered greatly from the war's aftermath. Let's heal the land, stop the fires, and calm down the seas. Let's settle the wind, and let's restart the cycle.'
Her roots pulsed with life energy, enveloping the dying world. The locals who had been in hiding and about to die felt a rush of vitality, revitalizing them.
"From now on, we are not the Golden Sap Empire Army, but the Golden Sap Empire Salvation Group."
Conquering the world was nothing but the first step of a long journey. For the rest of the worlds in the Azure Star Solar System, Zaros divided enough military strength and conquered everything in a matter of a few months.
Feeling the relief from the Nexus's defeat, Liu Shu released a long breath and shifted her gaze to the distant stars. "Time to finish the Covenant's side as well."