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Chapter 700 - Chapter 700. Predators in the Carnivorous Garden.

Aurelius and the others were not surprised by Liu Shu's retreat. Their lack of surprise was not because of their superiority, but because Liu Shu's behavior was exactly the same as other World Trees. 

The grand majority of World Trees were easily dealt with as long as you clearly stated your business and origin and didn't lie too much. If, once in their territory, you didn't bother the World Tree and their bottom lines, you were permitted to do as you pleased.

So, once Liu Shu retreated, the five of them and other merchant leaders used their communication devices and gathered into a large hologram room. 

All 28 ships belonged to different merchant chains, so there were exactly 28 seats for each of them. They didn't know that Liu Shu had already pierced their shields with her perception and was staring straight at them. 

Cassian opened up the communications between them. He, wearing an elegant suit, spoke up calmly. "What are your first impressions of this World Tree?" 

Darius spoke confidently. "I can sense that she is strong. However, her behavior is standard World Tree attitude. We have nothing to fear and can dock into their planet without problems." 

Selene looked out with curiosity. "This World Tree has strong control over space. That explains why our estimations fell so short. Otherwise, her growth could only be described as ridiculous." 

Cassian glanced at the woman, thoughtful. "Your species is very sensitive to space and every related attribute. Have you noticed anything special?" 

"Yes." Selene nodded. "The ability to manipulate space doesn't lose out to those humanoid beings born with innate abilities to control it. That means that the Heavenly Willow is like a massive human with top-notch spatial attributes. Her strength might not be exceptional, but I doubt anyone below Level 175 can deal with her." 

Aurelius spoke for the first time. "What about experts?" 

Virelya snorted. "Are you serious? A is basically powerless in front of a expert. Remember, a expert receives a on top of their , , and another large boost. Finally, Level 200 is the level that unlocks the . This makes Level 199 and 200 two worlds apart." 

Selene nodded. "I do agree with her. For someone at Level 200 to have troubles with a Level 199 or below is ridiculous. It's a completely new world in both strength and how you see the cosmos." 

Aurelius agreed with them, but he still spoke with caution. "I just felt a big threat from her roots. Hence, I thought of asking if any of you felt the same. My estimations are that she is as strong as a top-tier powerhouse at Level 199. So, you all better tread carefully." 

Darius was skeptical. "Are you sure? From our intel, this World Tree is probably not older than two centuries old. A World Tree of that age has usually not even managed to dominate the continent they were born in, much less become a True World Tree." 

Cassian spoke calmly. "That's why, since she has managed to expand this far, we must be careful. Her strength is something that can't be underestimated. Otherwise, we will suffer. Just think that all of our ships can't defeat her and work with that in mind. I don't care if we overshoot her strength, but it is better to be safe than sorry." 

Looking at the Daemon, Virelya nodded. "I do agree. We are here to gather information, not to conquer this place. With the level of our wares, we will easily be able to carve a place in the empire's economy. Once we do, it will be hard for the World Tree to make us leave even if she wants to." 

Liu Shu, listening to their conversation, smiled silently. 'I would actually love it if you could suppress my locals. Let them know that there are peaks beyond mountains, and ceilings beyond the sky.' 

Was she afraid of her locals being suppressed by these foreign powers forever? First, check :

***

: While under its influence, all beings gain heightened creation abilities and improved coordination in works that advance society. There is a small chance of becoming and gaining a with the same name. While under the effects of the Blessing or the Title, you gain: </p><p>Learning, comprehension, and innovation in craft-related techniques increase by 500%. </p><p>Construction, crafting, and refinement speed increase by 50%. </p><p>Whenever you work alongside at least one ally, efficiency and precision increase by 35%. </p><p>Crafted items have a 0.5% chance to emerge with a minor blessing, increasing their quality by one sub-tier and granting a simple special effect. </p><p>Tools, structures, and devices you create or maintain gain 30% increased durability and 10% increased functionality (excluding <Temple> structures). </p><p>Organizational or technical methods you design spread 20% faster to others within your influence. </p><p><Ingenuity-Touched>: You gain a subconscious ability to see structural patterns and design flaws, allowing you to improve or stabilize creations without prior planning according to your education level and comprehension level of the craft. </p><p>*** </p><p>With these buffs, on top of the others she gave with her <Otherworldly Rune and Nature Empire> and <True Ruler World Tree>, she was quite sure that these people were like fresh meat placed before voracious sharks.  </p><p>'Try to suppress them. Try to use your technology. Then… get devoured by my people and myself. In my competitive society, there is no room for slackers. So, be careful.'  </p><p>Liu Shu honestly couldn't wait for these merchants to deploy their methods and stomp everyone.  </p><p>After their conversation, the following discussion proceeded about labor distribution. These 28 merchant ships were not random merchants gathered by chance. Each of them excelled in different areas.  </p><p>Aurelius excelled in all that related to contracts and diplomacy. His merchant group was an expert at managing businesses and providing services for anything remotely competitive. If one side had its services and the other didn't, Aurelius was quite confident in crushing the competition.  </p><p>Cassian was a ruthless acquisitionist. He excelled at creating banks, controlling debt, and infiltrating until he got resource monopolies. He could, in a short time, become an overlord in whatever economic area he decided to tackle while enslaving others in endless yet seemingly profitable debt.  </p><p>Selene, a species innately powerful in space and related fields, was an expert in trade routes, interconnected warehouses, and other related services. Once you tested their services, storing your wares with any other company would feel like going from a premium subscription to a free one.  </p><p>Darius, while looking more upright than the rest, was actually an expert in creating black markets under the noses of authorities. His working methods were always perfectly skirting the legal, while making sure that some hidden routes allowed for the exchange of otherwise banned or scarce products.  </p><p>Finally, Virelya was an expert at information wars. Once she settled down, her information network spread like an unstoppable vine, and before you knew it, every secret of your company would be in their database. Her company then sold and bought information, creating infinite profit just by listening.  </p><p>The others were a mix of their qualities, with not many of them being experts in prime resource gathering. The reason was that each planet was too peculiar in regard to its resources. Therefore, it was difficult to create a stable income from such traders.  </p><p>Most galaxy merchants used prime resources and similar as secondary profits.  </p><p>Liu Shu absorbed everything, her mind quickly organizing how to settle each of these big bosses. Moreover, she found something quite peculiar.  </p><p>'While they gathered from different professional ambits to have as little friction with each other as possible… I can feel tensions.'  </p><p>When they discussed together, Liu Shu had already mapped out where each of them would go and how they would start forcefully chomping a large part of the market. And yet… Some of them wanted to overreach.  </p><p>'Clearly, these fleets are not friends. They are also competitors. Moreover, I can sense some alliances within. It seems that the <Astral Fold> and <Radiant Accord> are close, while the <Crimson Dominion> and <Shattered Ring> share similarities. The <Umbral Imperium> feels neutral, but with their specialty, I would not be surprised if they are interconnected with all of them.'  </p><p>As she sorted them all out, their ships accelerated, traveling through space extremely quickly. Liu Shu was somewhat surprised. 'These ships… they are using spatial shields to approach light speed to the limit. Won't they be able to travel faster than light in an emptier void?'  </p><p>She was not sure, as these merchant ships were extremely advanced compared to anything she had seen before. 'Actually, not all of them are like that. The ones with these spatial fluctuations are those of the super civilizations. The rest are just barely keeping up.'  </p><p>With this, she confirmed that, even when their empires were far, their top-tier armies could most likely approach her Solar System faster than she initially expected.  </p><p>Even at near-light speed, they would take several minutes to arrive. Therefore, she was not in a hurry.  </p><p>"Flor, you'll have new visitors soon."  </p><p>"Visitors?" The fairy stopped tapping on a keyboard and asked, confused. "What visitors?"  </p><p>"Merchants." Liu Shu didn't clarify much. "There are around 28 merchant ships, each of them from a different civilization. Don't worry about their strength; their strongest person is Level 181, but their stats are poorer than Cael's. While there are many, and their threat is not negligible, they are not some sort of primal threat we can't deal with."  </p><p>Flor blinked, her ruby-like eyes blinking with curiosity. Then, she asked, confused. "Baby, why don't you give me more details?"  </p><p>Liu Shu used a root to caress her cheek gently. "Because they are perfect… fertilizer. Try not to get crushed too easily, alright, Mom? If you ever need help, I will intervene. However, unless the rules are being blatantly disrespected, I will fall back for a little bit and act like a 'normal' World Tree to deceive them." </p><p>Flor's intelligence had long grown to a high level, so even with the vagueness of her warning, she was quick to the uptake and pieced things together.  </p><p>She leaned back, her hand tenderly caressing Liu Shu's roots. 'These merchants are probably from civilizations as strong, if not stronger than the Nexus. Otherwise, Liu Shu would have no need to deceive them. Her current strength is already high enough to allow her to act with impunity in the local area.'  </p><p>If that was the case, Liu Shu's gentle and hidden reminder made sense. 'Their technology, resources, and probably methods themselves are miles ahead of ours. When we clash in the market, we'll be instantly suppressed. So…' Her eyes flashed, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. 'They are perfect fodder for us to grow explosively and reach a galactic level of competence.' </p><p>She flapped her wings, slowly levitating up from her chair and standing on the large desk. "Ignatia, Mariane, Harmonixia, Cinderielle, Verdantia, Tempestria. Come to my office."  </p><p>Liu Shu smiled, satisfied.  </p><p>Meanwhile, Aionthra, sitting on her crystal and wooden throne, looked at Flor with a faint smile. "Grandmother is not bad at all. She quickly understood most of your hints and is preparing to act on them. I am quite eager to see this clash."  </p><p>Liu Shu laughed and tenderly caressed her big empress girl with her roots. "Me too, love. Me too."  </p></div></main></div></div><div class="Chapter_pagination__7wErL"><button class="nu_btn Chapter_btn__03Cz2 Chapter_prev__Ykt4T style_button__iIzfy _fill" type="button"><span class="style_text__ww1GR Chapter_btnTxt__8WCvU db"><a href="/story/28432234900470305/94769245270887013">Previous Chapter</a></span></button><button class="nu_btn Chapter_btn__03Cz2 style_button__iIzfy _fill" type="button"><span class="style_text__ww1GR Chapter_btnTxt__8WCvU db"><a href="/story/28432234900470305/94815779630935219">Next Chapter</a></span></button></div><div class="Chapter_more__bgMPJ"><div class="Chapter_moreLayout__NzPs4"><span>More Chapters</span><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="12" height="12" viewBox="0 0 60 60" class="styles_icon__6YrpS dib vam Chapter_moreArrow__jk5EB mt2 _no_color "><path d="M21 14.7c0 1 3 4.8 6.7 8.5l6.7 6.8-6.7 6.8C21.4 43.1 19.4 47 22.3 47 24.1 47 39 31.8 39 30c0-1.8-15-17-16.8-17-.6 0-1.2.8-1.2 1.7z"></path></svg></div></div><div 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at first and struggles to survive and extend her roots through the cosmos. \nThe World she lives in is filled with fantastic sights and strange new cultures, and there is something everybody in this World has: A system. \nMoreover, even while she is a tree, she has people who will fawn over her...? \n\n\"Tiantian, does the Sun feel good on your leaves today?\"\n\"Liu Liu, I've found this delicious compost made of natural extract~.\"\n\"Tian'er, does the wind feel good on your branches?\"\n\nTianlian Liu Shu, a female tree, didn't really know what to do with these fawning women.\n\npatreon.com/Mortrexo\nUploading also on Scribblehub.\nUploading also on Wattpad.\nUploading also on Archive Of Our Own.\nUploading also on Royal Road.\nUploading on Fenrirealm\nDiscord-\u003e https://discord.gg/NJN2GcgRwb\nNovel Cover: patreon.com/posts/ascension-of-97475506","pvNum":2218084,"bookType":0,"checkLevel":15,"categoryType":5,"categoryId":70002,"categoryName":"Fantasy","coverId":1729782611658,"chapterCnt":927,"firstChapterId":"76322361942532882","lastChapterId":"100009881150476049","lastChapterName":"Chapter 926. Nexus's Stance and Dangerous Presence.","lastChapterTime":1792609200000},"chapterInfo":{"chapterId":"94792649352994983","chapterName":"Chapter 700. Predators in the Carnivorous Garden.","chapterIndex":700,"vipStatus":0,"isVip":0,"isAuth":1,"publishTimeFormat":"2026-03-11 04:01:39","chapterLevel":0,"userLevel":0,"canUnlock":0,"noArchive":0,"publishTime":1773172899000,"preChapterId":"94769245270887013","nextChapterId":"94815779630935219","contents":[{"contentId":"d13634531d28460dbc989792bf73c97e","content":"Aurelius and the others were not surprised by Liu Shu's retreat. Their lack of surprise was not because of their superiority, but because Liu Shu's behavior was exactly the same as other World Trees. \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"d13634531d28460dbc989792bf73c97e","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"d5876981b15217d6250cb60e4db5679c","content":"The grand majority of World Trees were easily dealt with as long as you clearly stated your business and origin and didn't lie too much. If, once in their territory, you didn't bother the World Tree and their bottom lines, you were permitted to do as you pleased.\r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"d5876981b15217d6250cb60e4db5679c","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"d7961f4ddd5e2cf8c0b330d6018cc975","content":"So, once Liu Shu retreated, the five of them and other merchant leaders used their communication devices and gathered into a large hologram room. \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"d7961f4ddd5e2cf8c0b330d6018cc975","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"865cc8ddbbf6b4284e7225252b070b7b","content":"All 28 ships belonged to different merchant chains, so there were exactly 28 seats for each of them. They didn't know that Liu Shu had already pierced their shields with her perception and was staring straight at them. \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"865cc8ddbbf6b4284e7225252b070b7b","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"40526bed31fc3748060d8c404d23264f","content":"Cassian opened up the communications between them. He, wearing an elegant suit, spoke up calmly. \"What are your first impressions of this World Tree?\" \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"40526bed31fc3748060d8c404d23264f","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"bfb1cea6dc51991dbf755cec2aa42683","content":"Darius spoke confidently. \"I can sense that she is strong. However, her behavior is standard World Tree attitude. We have nothing to fear and can dock into their planet without problems.\" \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"bfb1cea6dc51991dbf755cec2aa42683","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"43c40af53e450c4a0210f78337525a6f","content":"Selene looked out with curiosity. \"This World Tree has strong control over space. That explains why our estimations fell so short. Otherwise, her growth could only be described as ridiculous.\" \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"43c40af53e450c4a0210f78337525a6f","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"2117193b964b6281c13587ad86ea2476","content":"Cassian glanced at the woman, thoughtful. \"Your \u003cConstellation Human\u003e species is very sensitive to space and every related attribute. Have you noticed anything special?\" \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"2117193b964b6281c13587ad86ea2476","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"d842a26a0edfa79cfedc373397635a08","content":"\"Yes.\" Selene nodded. \"The ability to manipulate space doesn't lose out to those humanoid beings born with innate abilities to control it. That means that the Heavenly Willow is like a massive human with top-notch spatial attributes. Her strength might not be exceptional, but I doubt anyone below Level 175 can deal with her.\" \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"d842a26a0edfa79cfedc373397635a08","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"23e347befbbd47c7f80cbb0249744fa8","content":"Aurelius spoke for the first time. \"What about \u003cSecond Ascension\u003e experts?\" \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"23e347befbbd47c7f80cbb0249744fa8","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"befdb8e10600af3c57f79e2fe86aa101","content":"Virelya snorted. \"Are you serious? A \u003cFirst Ascension\u003e is basically powerless in front of a \u003cSecond Ascension\u003e expert. Remember, a \u003cSecond Ascension\u003e expert receives a \u003cSub First Ascension\u003e on top of their \u003cSecond Ascension\u003e, \u003cSub Fifth Energy Cycle\u003e, and another large \u003cSub Third Energy Cycle\u003e boost. Finally, Level 200 is the level that unlocks the \u003cSeventh Energy Cycle\u003e. This makes Level 199 and 200 two worlds apart.\" \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"befdb8e10600af3c57f79e2fe86aa101","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"11bb5e9916b70dc06e2f46732d7b8747","content":"Selene nodded. \"I do agree with her. For someone at Level 200 to have troubles with a Level 199 or below is ridiculous. It's a completely new world in both strength and how you see the cosmos.\" \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"11bb5e9916b70dc06e2f46732d7b8747","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"0ee2cf0d37eef168acee369d72bbee8a","content":"Aurelius agreed with them, but he still spoke with caution. \"I just felt a big threat from her roots. Hence, I thought of asking if any of you felt the same. My estimations are that she is as strong as a top-tier powerhouse at Level 199. So, you all better tread carefully.\" \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"0ee2cf0d37eef168acee369d72bbee8a","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"df913447b480a0b9eccac5f02718db25","content":"Darius was skeptical. \"Are you sure? From our intel, this World Tree is probably not older than two centuries old. A World Tree of that age has usually not even managed to dominate the continent they were born in, much less become a True World Tree.\" \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"df913447b480a0b9eccac5f02718db25","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"d6234ff52d6d4d370237b7f233ec75a4","content":"Cassian spoke calmly. \"That's why, since she has managed to expand this far, we must be careful. Her strength is something that can't be underestimated. Otherwise, we will suffer. Just think that all of our ships can't defeat her and work with that in mind. I don't care if we overshoot her strength, but it is better to be safe than sorry.\" \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"d6234ff52d6d4d370237b7f233ec75a4","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"670b7bc4a0d52a80ffc1ea03f68a8698","content":"Looking at the Daemon, Virelya nodded. \"I do agree. We are here to gather information, not to conquer this place. With the level of our wares, we will easily be able to carve a place in the empire's economy. Once we do, it will be hard for the World Tree to make us leave even if she wants to.\" \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"670b7bc4a0d52a80ffc1ea03f68a8698","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"cc6a296279f83137d5ce4d0ee8425dc6","content":"Liu Shu, listening to their conversation, smiled silently. 'I would actually love it if you could suppress my locals. Let them know that there are peaks beyond mountains, and ceilings beyond the sky.' \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"cc6a296279f83137d5ce4d0ee8425dc6","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"638f535cb7d109790890fd5c341baa0c","content":"Was she afraid of her locals being suppressed by these foreign powers forever? First, check \u003cIngenuty Blessing\u003e:\r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"638f535cb7d109790890fd5c341baa0c","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"2fd980aca35616ef32c7445528486ddf","content":"***\r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"2fd980aca35616ef32c7445528486ddf","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"e6ab6aa859a4dd80e9e36306b907e834","content":"\u003cIngenuity Blessing (A Rank)\u003e: While under its influence, all beings gain heightened creation abilities and improved coordination in works that advance society. There is a small chance of becoming \u003cIngenuity-Touched\u003e and gaining a \u003cTitle\u003e with the same name. While under the effects of the Blessing or the Title, you gain:\r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"e6ab6aa859a4dd80e9e36306b907e834","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"7ef504198d14f526e6c31577084a7a59","content":"Learning, comprehension, and innovation in craft-related techniques increase by 500%.\r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"7ef504198d14f526e6c31577084a7a59","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"e93d6ab40f01ef49c2206f1824aec402","content":"Construction, crafting, and refinement speed increase by 50%.\r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"e93d6ab40f01ef49c2206f1824aec402","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"c9dc8c9d738698db8f9fca6d269dfdb3","content":"Whenever you work alongside at least one ally, efficiency and precision increase by 35%.\r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"c9dc8c9d738698db8f9fca6d269dfdb3","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"7099534f3bbb2a8dc87b86a37ac5d050","content":"Crafted items have a 0.5% chance to emerge with a minor blessing, increasing their quality by one sub-tier and granting a simple special effect.\r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"7099534f3bbb2a8dc87b86a37ac5d050","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"eff77480031c90b8f61fd12953f95a7d","content":"Tools, structures, and devices you create or maintain gain 30% increased durability and 10% increased functionality (excluding \u003cTemple\u003e structures).\r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"eff77480031c90b8f61fd12953f95a7d","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"66f3758455e312749c9b6b60cb419787","content":"Organizational or technical methods you design spread 20% faster to others within your influence.\r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"66f3758455e312749c9b6b60cb419787","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"d3da5eab8cf533b5baf5d5dc476737b4","content":"\u003cIngenuity-Touched\u003e: You gain a subconscious ability to see structural patterns and design flaws, allowing you to improve or stabilize creations without prior planning according to your education level and comprehension level of the craft.\r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"d3da5eab8cf533b5baf5d5dc476737b4","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"111b33b9e1727e19687698443555aaec","content":"***\r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"111b33b9e1727e19687698443555aaec","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"b8fc836cb8f436d56ad1b5a505042fcb","content":"With these buffs, on top of the others she gave with her \u003cOtherworldly Rune and Nature Empire\u003e and \u003cTrue Ruler World Tree\u003e, she was quite sure that these people were like fresh meat placed before voracious sharks. \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"b8fc836cb8f436d56ad1b5a505042fcb","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"81b681d17c0bab2be69a727b43f30370","content":"'Try to suppress them. Try to use your technology. Then… get devoured by my people and myself. In my competitive society, there is no room for slackers. So, be careful.' \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"81b681d17c0bab2be69a727b43f30370","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"627dfc4cfe08bc53dd8fbe73e21c17c1","content":"Liu Shu honestly couldn't wait for these merchants to deploy their methods and stomp everyone. \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"627dfc4cfe08bc53dd8fbe73e21c17c1","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"50b6f2c27c1c9f26acb871874be5ce38","content":"After their conversation, the following discussion proceeded about labor distribution. These 28 merchant ships were not random merchants gathered by chance. Each of them excelled in different areas. \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"50b6f2c27c1c9f26acb871874be5ce38","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"c47c40ec333d54692495b6f3a8b4ef8c","content":"Aurelius excelled in all that related to contracts and diplomacy. His merchant group was an expert at managing businesses and providing services for anything remotely competitive. If one side had its services and the other didn't, Aurelius was quite confident in crushing the competition. \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"c47c40ec333d54692495b6f3a8b4ef8c","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"b22fdfd7a93c27068923791d1beca0c7","content":"Cassian was a ruthless acquisitionist. He excelled at creating banks, controlling debt, and infiltrating until he got resource monopolies. He could, in a short time, become an overlord in whatever economic area he decided to tackle while enslaving others in endless yet seemingly profitable debt. \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"b22fdfd7a93c27068923791d1beca0c7","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"36e1bac727335e0c08534f20eafd31a6","content":"Selene, a species innately powerful in space and related fields, was an expert in trade routes, interconnected warehouses, and other related services. Once you tested their services, storing your wares with any other company would feel like going from a premium subscription to a free one. \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"36e1bac727335e0c08534f20eafd31a6","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"61de6562b3376e301436a582b77ee734","content":"Darius, while looking more upright than the rest, was actually an expert in creating black markets under the noses of authorities. His working methods were always perfectly skirting the legal, while making sure that some hidden routes allowed for the exchange of otherwise banned or scarce products. \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"61de6562b3376e301436a582b77ee734","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"3a552878a1ff8fc077d9ac6cad79e7f0","content":"Finally, Virelya was an expert at information wars. Once she settled down, her information network spread like an unstoppable vine, and before you knew it, every secret of your company would be in their database. Her company then sold and bought information, creating infinite profit just by listening. \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"3a552878a1ff8fc077d9ac6cad79e7f0","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"eaf4c26fc0a9c6ee1fcd7081a9d69901","content":"The others were a mix of their qualities, with not many of them being experts in prime resource gathering. The reason was that each planet was too peculiar in regard to its resources. Therefore, it was difficult to create a stable income from such traders. \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"eaf4c26fc0a9c6ee1fcd7081a9d69901","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"6b002e2a3965d9d195c9f6762231023f","content":"Most galaxy merchants used prime resources and similar as secondary profits. \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"6b002e2a3965d9d195c9f6762231023f","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"f15aa82368206af825c62a729a6a7f77","content":"Liu Shu absorbed everything, her mind quickly organizing how to settle each of these big bosses. Moreover, she found something quite peculiar. \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"f15aa82368206af825c62a729a6a7f77","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"68f59e972475f37be9d355e9c0f5a146","content":"'While they gathered from different professional ambits to have as little friction with each other as possible… I can feel tensions.' \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"68f59e972475f37be9d355e9c0f5a146","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"1cef67f3cf0eb9a9e603449bfd00d2b2","content":"When they discussed together, Liu Shu had already mapped out where each of them would go and how they would start forcefully chomping a large part of the market. And yet… Some of them wanted to overreach. \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"1cef67f3cf0eb9a9e603449bfd00d2b2","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"85fce8a5a1c5996bcf39e124087b7c83","content":"'Clearly, these fleets are not friends. They are also competitors. Moreover, I can sense some alliances within. It seems that the \u003cAstral Fold\u003e and \u003cRadiant Accord\u003e are close, while the \u003cCrimson Dominion\u003e and \u003cShattered Ring\u003e share similarities. The \u003cUmbral Imperium\u003e feels neutral, but with their specialty, I would not be surprised if they are interconnected with all of them.' \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"85fce8a5a1c5996bcf39e124087b7c83","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"751a40f4d9fe75432497b6c74645d368","content":"As she sorted them all out, their ships accelerated, traveling through space extremely quickly. Liu Shu was somewhat surprised. 'These ships… they are using spatial shields to approach light speed to the limit. Won't they be able to travel faster than light in an emptier void?' \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"751a40f4d9fe75432497b6c74645d368","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"5f583c935155461037c53d96a4d4b76d","content":"She was not sure, as these merchant ships were extremely advanced compared to anything she had seen before. 'Actually, not all of them are like that. The ones with these spatial fluctuations are those of the super civilizations. The rest are just barely keeping up.' \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"5f583c935155461037c53d96a4d4b76d","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"d4f47d5c72d408d135264124d58f34d8","content":"With this, she confirmed that, even when their empires were far, their top-tier armies could most likely approach her Solar System faster than she initially expected. \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"d4f47d5c72d408d135264124d58f34d8","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"fbaad5fcc635c84ba9dbde81dfa2176a","content":"Even at near-light speed, they would take several minutes to arrive. Therefore, she was not in a hurry. \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"fbaad5fcc635c84ba9dbde81dfa2176a","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"9955effcbc54f313cbc5c6939f6d01d4","content":"\"Flor, you'll have new visitors soon.\" \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"9955effcbc54f313cbc5c6939f6d01d4","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"fbede5d67bcda32b7594976cbaee6537","content":"\"Visitors?\" The fairy stopped tapping on a keyboard and asked, confused. \"What visitors?\" \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"fbede5d67bcda32b7594976cbaee6537","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"469e3dbc317ce54e0dc2e0adb93dd6b4","content":"\"Merchants.\" Liu Shu didn't clarify much. \"There are around 28 merchant ships, each of them from a different civilization. Don't worry about their strength; their strongest person is Level 181, but their stats are poorer than Cael's. While there are many, and their threat is not negligible, they are not some sort of primal threat we can't deal with.\" \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"469e3dbc317ce54e0dc2e0adb93dd6b4","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"c377a1d65587eeec1a91fccd9c4a67c6","content":"Flor blinked, her ruby-like eyes blinking with curiosity. Then, she asked, confused. \"Baby, why don't you give me more details?\" \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"c377a1d65587eeec1a91fccd9c4a67c6","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"86d90deb41ad7ccf95044b7badf267cb","content":"Liu Shu used a root to caress her cheek gently. \"Because they are perfect… fertilizer. Try not to get crushed too easily, alright, Mom? If you ever need help, I will intervene. However, unless the rules are being blatantly disrespected, I will fall back for a little bit and act like a 'normal' World Tree to deceive them.\"\r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"86d90deb41ad7ccf95044b7badf267cb","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"f398484c5575458e0ae51a2c7701c345","content":"Flor's intelligence had long grown to a high level, so even with the vagueness of her warning, she was quick to the uptake and pieced things together. \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"f398484c5575458e0ae51a2c7701c345","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"f21f0b50726e36ebea3681f28e8a258a","content":"She leaned back, her hand tenderly caressing Liu Shu's roots. 'These merchants are probably from civilizations as strong, if not stronger than the Nexus. Otherwise, Liu Shu would have no need to deceive them. Her current strength is already high enough to allow her to act with impunity in the local area.' \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"f21f0b50726e36ebea3681f28e8a258a","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"e0655d0c47e8d0759700ec054f159f31","content":"If that was the case, Liu Shu's gentle and hidden reminder made sense. 'Their technology, resources, and probably methods themselves are miles ahead of ours. When we clash in the market, we'll be instantly suppressed. So…' Her eyes flashed, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. 'They are perfect fodder for us to grow explosively and reach a galactic level of competence.'\r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"e0655d0c47e8d0759700ec054f159f31","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"f96c4561441611c31cb9e3f5f66d8bef","content":"She flapped her wings, slowly levitating up from her chair and standing on the large desk. \"Ignatia, Mariane, Harmonixia, Cinderielle, Verdantia, Tempestria. Come to my office.\" \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"f96c4561441611c31cb9e3f5f66d8bef","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"1019b28c67a1335e1a592ca7b1fdaabd","content":"Liu Shu smiled, satisfied. \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"1019b28c67a1335e1a592ca7b1fdaabd","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"d1ec8b78798cd2e52d4a542c79f5b577","content":"Meanwhile, Aionthra, sitting on her crystal and wooden throne, looked at Flor with a faint smile. \"Grandmother is not bad at all. She quickly understood most of your hints and is preparing to act on them. I am quite eager to see this clash.\" \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"d1ec8b78798cd2e52d4a542c79f5b577","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null},{"contentId":"bd60ca331682f8b8848d9a92eef2faa6","content":"Liu Shu laughed and tenderly caressed her big empress girl with her roots. \"Me too, love. Me too.\" \r\n","appId":0,"userId":0,"paragraphId":"bd60ca331682f8b8848d9a92eef2faa6","likeAmount":0,"contentAmount":0,"userName":null,"UUT":null,"isLiked":null}]},"relatedChapter":null,"machineTrans":null,"membershipStatus":null,"relatedBook":[{"bookId":"12820870105509205","bookName":"Supreme Magus","authorName":"Legion20","authorId":"11389119606673401","description":"Derek McCoy was a man who spent his entire life facing adversity and injustice. After being forced to settle with surviving rather than living, he had finally found his place in the world, until everything was taken from him one last time. After losing his life to avenge his murdered brother, he reincarnates until he finds a world worth living in, a world filled with magic and monsters. Follow him along his journey, from grieving brother to alien soldier. From infant to Supreme Magus.\n\n-------------------------------------------\nTags: Transmigration, Male MC, Western Fantasy\nSchedule: 12 chapters/week (unless I'm ill or stuff happens)\nChapter Lenght: 1200 - 1400 words\nWarning: The MC is not a hero nor an anti-hero. He is a broken, cynic and misanthropic person looking only for his own gain. If you are looking for a forgiving, nice, MC that goes around saving people in distress, this is not your cup of tea. Same if you want an unchanging MC with no character development.\n-------------------------------------------\nDiscord Server: https://discord.gg/db6PEBqMJJ (Link updated 06/29/26)\n----------------------------------------\nCover of Tiamat form Lith Verhen by josh groban aka manohar aka Animustw. My new Pfp was made by Josh (same as above). Visit the official discord for his official portraits of the characters.","pvNum":115632641,"bookType":0,"checkLevel":15,"categoryType":5,"categoryId":70002,"categoryName":"Fantasy","coverId":1689273629859,"chapterCnt":4573,"firstChapterId":"34415834751367671","lastChapterId":"100006538189528196","lastChapterName":"Not a Rescue Operation (Part 2)","lastChapterTime":1792608300000},{"bookId":"35613843408253505","bookName":"The Legendary Knight: Rise of the Primordial Dragon","authorName":"Agnivrat03","authorId":"32330498008300401","description":"Join discord: \nhttps://discord.gg/sxcx85Mta\n\nTwenty years ago, the Legendary Knight single-handedly ended the devastating War of Dragons, becoming humanity's greatest hero.\n\nIn the remote countryside village of Grimwood, a boy named Vlad grew up chasing that legend with unwavering determination, driven by a promise he had once made to the moon.\n\nHowever, at sixteen, during the Awakening Ritual, he was branded a failure—awakening only a pathetic D-Rank talent that promised nothing but mediocrity.\n\nYet while others mocked his impossible dream, Vlad refused to give up. Together with his childhood companion Chloe and the friends he would meet within the walls of Arcane Academy, he continued moving forward.\n\nWhat no one knew was that he had awakened something far greater than mere talent.\n\n[Legacy System Initialized... Welcome, Host.]\n\nAs Vlad takes his first steps toward an impossible dream, ancient mysteries begin to unravel and primordial beings that have slumbered for countless ages slowly begin to awaken, their attention inexplicably drawn to Vlad, a D-Ranked boy.\n\n---\n\nIt's a slow-paced fantasy academy story filled with action, comedy, and a lot of heartwarming romantic moments that will leave you grinning under your blanket at night.\n\nNo overexaggerated moments of everyone calling the MC pathetic or trash because of his talent. It's a one-time thing and then it's done. Once the protagonist proves his strength, he won't be mindlessly mocked.\n\nNo over-the-top cliche drama of spoiled noble kids picking fights with the commoner MC in the academy. There are only mild moments to keep the story grounded in reality.","pvNum":436104,"bookType":0,"checkLevel":15,"categoryType":5,"categoryId":70002,"categoryName":"Fantasy","coverId":1786708663210,"chapterCnt":302,"firstChapterId":"95619482097081933","lastChapterId":"100008584741438613","lastChapterName":"Hunters and Survivors","lastChapterTime":1792610757000},{"bookId":"35292648308187005","bookName":"The Assassin’s Seven Principles of Manipulation","authorName":"RealmWeaver","authorId":"23871431206927901","description":"Zephyrion had spent the past seven years as an elite assassin for the Order. However, he had never expected that everything he had been led to believe was a lie.\n\nFleeing the Order, he returns to his former life as the second son of one of the most powerful Houses in the Ferran Empire, only to find it divided among rival heirs, ambitious relatives, and powerful factions already maneuvering to seize control.\n\nBut Zephyrion is no longer the same naive boy as in the past. His years of brutal training have forged him into an Ascendant who defies the very foundation of the world’s power—no longer bound to a single element.\n\nArmed with a calculating mind, lethal skill, and the principles his mother once taught him, he will manipulate, outmaneuver, and dismantle every force that stands before him.\n\nA/N:  \n\nThis novel is action-packed and centered around manipulation, so expect intense battles, calculated moves, and ruthless decisions.  \n\nThe MC is cold, lethal, and highly manipulative. \n\nThe first arc focuses on his return home and the establishment of stakes. After that, the pacing accelerates significantly as he grows stronger at a rapid pace.  \n\nThe story follows the MC’s rise as he develops the Seven Principles of Manipulation, and each arc explores the core of a principle and how it is shaped.  \n\nAn academy arc will appear later on, and it will be worth the wait.  \n\nThis is a long-form story (1000+ chapters). It’s recommended to read through the free chapters before deciding whether to continue.  \n\nCheers.\n\n…\n\nDiscord: https://discord.gg/8JthpjYZez","pvNum":1180160,"bookType":0,"checkLevel":15,"categoryType":5,"categoryId":70002,"categoryName":"Fantasy","coverId":1777032113210,"chapterCnt":401,"firstChapterId":"94748888602307855","lastChapterId":"100010700281271983","lastChapterName":"Chapter 394 — Air Beast","lastChapterTime":1792611163000},{"bookId":"32890959400258805","bookName":"system panel","authorName":"minasafwat","authorId":"26347657205077601","description":"","pvNum":3184,"bookType":0,"checkLevel":10,"categoryType":5,"categoryId":70002,"categoryName":"Fantasy","coverId":1792611625679,"chapterCnt":1,"firstChapterId":"88298027172813697","lastChapterId":"88298027172813697","lastChapterName":"Uchiha ?","lastChapterTime":1780515660000},{"bookId":"34476761608274605","bookName":"\"A Smile Over the Abyss\"","authorName":"Rohit_Chokhal","authorId":"31819551808155001","description":"Title: The Void Behind the Smile\n\nA thousand years after a war that shattered the continents and rewrote the laws of reality, Earth survives in fragments. Fifty-five landmasses remain, each ruled by a Lord whose true nature defies human comprehension, each home to supernatural abilities that emerged from the ashes of the old world. It is a world of staggering inequality and ancient scars, where mythological beings once walked alongside humanity during its darkest century and where the ruins of civilization are still being scavenged by those living on the margins. The war is over. The damage is not.\n\nRupson was a college student from Nepal who read too many web novels and knew exactly how transmigration stories were supposed to go. Then he died in a traffic accident and woke up in the body of Shiva — the legitimate son of one of the fifty-five Lords — in a sprawling capital city called Ashorkoat. He inherited the body's reflexes, its reputation as a generational talent, and its nickname, \"Prince of Cold,\" but not its memories. He has the muscle memory of someone extraordinary and the emotional map of a stranger, and the people around him are far too sharp to be fooled for long. The transmigration itself was not clean. Something happened in the space between his death and his arrival — something that left marks on his body, a hollowness in his chest, and a coldness that makes animals flinch when he walks past. He doesn't know what it was. He isn't sure he wants to.\n\nThis is not a power fantasy. Shiva knows the tropes, and he knows he isn't the chosen one. The abilities in this world are limited only by imagination, which means the ceiling is effectively nonexistent and the floor is a quiet, unremarkable death. There is no destiny guiding him, no narrative protecting him, and no guarantee that the people around him will survive the consequences of his mistakes. He cannot read people — he pattern-matches against frameworks from his old life, and he is visibly, consequentially wrong about individuals more often than he'd like to admit. Every advantage he carries comes with a cost he doesn't yet understand, and the body he inhabits is riddled with anomalies that predate both his arrival and the Awakening itself: eyes that no ancestor ever had, a birth omen that the scholars still argue over, and a physicality that shouldn't be possible for someone who hasn't even begun to Awaken.\n\nAs Shiva navigates the treacherous politics of a Lord's household, the factional warfare of a fractured world, and the slow, grinding process of becoming someone he isn't sure he wants to be, he will build something from almost nothing — a network, a structure, a web of relationships that spans the pillars of power, information, and wealth. But power in this world is not the same as satisfaction, and the architecture he constructs will be tested by forces that operate on scales he cannot yet perceive and by moral compromises that no amount of genre-savviness can prepare him for. The world does not care about his backstory. The people he meets are not NPCs waiting to be recruited. And the chaos that underlies everything — the unconscious, indifferent substrate of reality itself — is not a tool to be wielded but a truth to be survived.\n\nThe Architecture of Chaos is a seinen post-apocalyptic science-fantasy about what happens when an ordinary person is dropped into an extraordinary situation and discovers that the extraordinary is far more terrifying, far more morally ambiguous, and far less interested in his survival than any story ever promised. It is a story about the gap between knowing the tropes and living through the reality, about the small acts that reshape the world more than any grand battle, and about a single question that will follow Shiva from his first morning in a stranger's body all the way to the end:\n\nWas my journey worth it? Should I have done what I did?","pvNum":7720,"bookType":0,"checkLevel":15,"categoryType":5,"categoryId":70002,"categoryName":"Fantasy","coverId":1792611191902,"chapterCnt":5,"firstChapterId":"99915816400642630","lastChapterId":"100010488619924824","lastChapterName":"Chapter 5: The Shape of Water","lastChapterTime":1792610345000},{"bookId":"32632763708680105","bookName":"Silent Blade of the Fallen Crest","authorName":"Tangahu","authorId":"19031482705423101","description":"A modern-day assassin is betrayed and dies, only to awaken in a medieval fantasy world as the weak heir of House Albrecht, a once-powerful noble family now reduced to ruins. Stripped of magical ability but armed with superior skills in assassination, infiltration, and psychological warfare, he must navigate a world dominated by magic and politics. As he seeks to restore his family’s name, he becomes infamous in the shadows, earning the title of \"The Silent Raven.\" With no magic of his own, he turns his knowledge of Aether (the world's magic system) and the limitations of magic itself into a weapon, forging a path toward power through manipulation and assassination.\n\nAs he rises, he faces enemies not only from rival noble houses but also a mysterious rival assassin guild and even a competing transmigrator. Throughout his journey, the protagonist struggles with his own emotional detachment and slowly learns the value of human connections.","pvNum":24306,"bookType":0,"checkLevel":15,"categoryType":5,"categoryId":70002,"categoryName":"Fantasy","coverId":1746813611588,"chapterCnt":26,"firstChapterId":"87619072166001807","lastChapterId":"99547961846982395","lastChapterName":"Chapter 26 - Courtship of Shadows","lastChapterTime":1792614720000},{"bookId":"34860121208304705","bookName":"BEYOND THE END","authorName":"Ore_Three100","authorId":"34854870108243801","description":"At thirteen, Elifero believed he understood his world. He had a home, a family, and a village rich with legends of gods and mythical creatures.\n\nThen, one fateful night, everything changed.\n\nA discovery in the forbidden forest reveals something that should have remained undisturbed. Before Elifero can fully grasp what he has encountered, his peaceful life is violently shattered by fire, blood, and a presence beyond anything he could have imagined.\n\nHe survives—but awakens far from home with crucial pieces of his past missing. Voices. Faces. Flames. Fragments of memories he cannot understand.\n\nDetermined to return, Elifero ventures beyond the village he once knew, stepping into a world where the legends he dismissed as mere tales begin to reveal themselves as something far more real.\n\nBut the farther he travels, the more questions emerge.\n\nWhat truly happened to his village?\n\nWhy are pieces of his past missing?\n\nAnd what else lies beyond the world he thought he knew?\n\nAs Elifero uncovers hidden truths about his past and the fate of his village, he begins to realize that this journey is no longer simply about finding his way home.\n\nIt is about discovering what home truly means—and who he is beyond it. 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