After hearing their warning, Liu Shu was thankful that she reached out to her. Her current height was already terrifying, dwarfing almost all the mountains around the world. Only a few exceptionally high ones matched or surpassed her, and the number could be counted with the fingers of a human's two hands.
Looking around the city, Liu Shu also knew that her height and everything else were intricately linked. If she grew to 160,000 meters, the walls and everything else would need to expand exponentially. Instead of a large city, she would create a continent-sized city. This was something she was not really looking forward to.
"What do World Trees that grow as large as I usually do?"
This was the only question that escaped the statue's lips after thinking for a few moments. She was utterly lost, with no way of knowing how to proceed.
Lysara, Veyra, and Elyne smiled, glad that Liu Shu asked them. Veyra spoke up, her finger tracing the rim of the teacup as she pondered the best course of action. "Now that you've defeated the Nexus's army, you have quite a few years. Taking into account that you only took around a decade or two to complete your
"It won't take longer…" Liu Shu muttered before showing a frown. "That means that it might take a similar time frame."
Elyne looked at the statue and smiled. "Liu Shu, you are growing over ten times your height. Such a change is not as simple as ten times the size. Your volume will expand thousands of times, as will your overall weight and the wood's required density and strength to support your gargantuan body. Reaching those heights usually happens with
Lysara agreed. "You are really large compared to World Trees of the same Level and Tier. Even when compared to some higher-tiered World Trees, you are rather tall."
Liu Shu's face showed an unsure look. "Is that… good? Or is it bad?"
Veyra chuckled. "It's both. Your larger body means that you will have a harder time defending from attacks. At the same time, your natural defenses will be such that the world might get damaged before you."
Not knowing how to react to that information, Liu Shu refocused on her next steps. "So… What should I do now?"
Veyra answered. "First, you need to decide how large you want Golden Sap City to become. You are basically reaching a size that is hard to manage. After all, your
Liu Shu nodded. She had a table to calculate, and the numbers indicated that Golden Sap City would be able to house around 286,000,000 people as long as they were in groups of families of 4.5 individuals on average.
Lysara continued where Veyra left off. "Currently, your wall stretches a little less than 40 kilometers from your body. The shape is circular, so the wall's perimeter is around 245 kilometers. The area inside is 4,776 square kilometers, 1,194 of which are restricted inside the
Liu Shu's statue blinked and nodded. "Those are good approximations, yeah."
Elyne's lips twitched. "Liu Shu, Golden Sap City is large enough. It is so large that it can probably house a tenth of the total global population inside."
Veyra corrected lightly. "While that's true now, we are currently in a surge of population. Given Ceperet's size and the presence of underwater beings, I calculate that this planet can comfortably house around 20 billion individuals from intelligent species."
Liu Shu hummed and looked around. "If I expand much further, I will end up colliding with Prarya's city."
Prarya was a few kilometers north of her city. Not to mention, the
Lysara spoke. "I think that you should expand the wall until it reaches 50 kilometers and not any further. With that distance, you will have a city that extends 100 kilometers from side to side. That's enough for any city to house as many powerhouses as you want."
The other two agreed, leaving the World Tree thoughtful. "Fifty… Alright, I still feel that is a bit small, but I will tell the
Elyne frowned. "Tied? I don't understand."
Liu Shu explained casually. "Oh, it's simple. I've mathematically tied all the construction and city structuring relative to the
The heads of everyone present began hurting. They hadn't expected to hear such absurdity so early in the morning!
"Alright, that aside." Elyne sighed, following the initial conversation's subject. "Now, we know how to deal with the city. However, if the city stops growing while you continue to grow, everything below ground will collapse. The ants have built extremely adaptable tunnels. But if the change is too sudden, those will collapse. Not to mention, the weight above ground will go over their planning. Therefore, you must inform Ignatia so that she warns her children."
Liu Shu nodded in understanding, already speaking with Ignatia with part of her vast consciousness. Lysara spoke. "While you do that, I'll explain what the World Trees that become 'too large' usually do. There are many options, but the most liked paths are the ones I am about to explain."
Liu Shu looked at the Sylvan attentively.
"First, you can consciously limit your growth. This is not a path many World Trees choose. After all, 'limiting growth' is not a phrase that goes along with a World Tree usually."
The fact that this method existed startled Liu Shu. "What kind of World Tree would choose that?"
"Those who have burned their potential." Veyra took over and explained a ruthless truth. "Not everyone is born the same. The options and talents are almost chosen at birth. The son of a Level 10 farmer will basically never even hope to match up to the talents of the king's son. That is not to say that it is impossible. Opportunities are unending throughout our cosmos. Nevertheless, some beings have an advantage over others, and that's the harsh truth many refuse to swallow."
Liu Shu nodded, not denying her words. She, as a World Tree, was a witness to life's ruthlessness along with its most beautiful sides. Every day, she would see some people overpowering others through sheer background, but seeing someone stand up against those and push through was rare, to say the least.
"So, some World Trees, even after having reached the status of a True World Tree, end up getting stuck at a certain Level. Therefore, instead of growing in size and making themselves a more obvious target, they limit their growth."
Lysara and the other two nodded. Veyra smiled. "You are far from such a being. At least, for now."
Liu Shu harrumphed. "I'll show you that you'll never see that day."
Veyra chuckled. "I hope so. I don't want those four girls feeling sad."
Liu Shu looked at Veyra and smiled. "You've become very fond of them, have you not?"
She didn't deny it. A soft smile appeared on her face as she commented, her tone light and easy. "They remind me of my child. They are so similar in so many aspects that I can't help but love them."
Lysara looked at Veyra curiously, but she didn't poke her nose in her matters. Instead, she continued the explanation. "For the second method, you need large amounts of essence and spatial control. I believe that you are someone who doesn't lack any of those, so it is not impossible for you."
Elyne frowned. "Are you sure about telling her about this one?"
Lysara looked at Elyne and smiled. "If you want her to grow unimpeded, this is actually the most viable option."
Liu Shu looked back and forth and pouted. "Why speak in riddles? Spit it out! Now, I am curious!"
Lysara laughed. "Alright, alright. I will tell you, so stop coiling your root so tightly around my arm." After gently patting that root, Lysara explained. "This second method is used by World Trees who want to vie for supremacy and power. It is the path needed to become a World Tree that covers endless star fields."
A glint of expectation appeared in Liu Shu's eyes.
"This method sounds counterproductive, so think about it deeply. After all, the details are hidden, like with the information on how to expand your roots beyond the world."
"Alright, tell me."
"You need to disconnect from your main planet."
"Huh?"
Our dear World Tree was stupefied. She had expected many things, but this was entirely out of her predictions. Lysara didn't leave her doubting for long. "For a World Tree to grow as large as possible. They need a place that can house them. What is the vastest place in the universe, Liu Shu?"
Liu Shu pondered, her mind working at terrifying speed. "The vastest place…? A star is the largest individual structure, right?"
"You are not wrong. But that's for small creatures. The larger you are, the more compact things look, right? For example, for you, sand is like a fluid; you try to catch it, but it just slips between your fingers. However, how would that same sand look to a human the size of a grain of sand? Each little sand piece will be a giant boulder, a sea of disconnected giant boulders."
"So…" Liu Shu lingered. "Looking at it with that perspective, the vastest expanse a World Tree can be connected to is… the universe itself?"
Lysara, Veyra, and Elyne choked on the tea, entering a coughing fit. After calming down, Lysara's lips twitched. "You thought too grandly. I was referring to the void between worlds. Space itself. You, like your roots, should anchor yourself in the void of space, the dimensional layer."
Liu Shu hummed. "That makes… sense… somewhat?"
She was actually unsure. The concepts sounded very vague. Lysara could understand Liu Shu's confusion. After all, she also didn't understand it in a personal manner. If anything, she was regurgitating what she learned in the past, word by word.
Veyra commented. "Take your time. Your Sylvan children are also newly born. So, you should spend time with them. Practice your skills and see if you want any of them upgraded. After you complete all of that, think about how you can move yourself and anchor on something that won't break down under your body's pressure. This step is usually complicated, so even if you take years, don't feel stressed."
"I understand… Thank you."
The three women smiled.