Hana looked at Laras, her eyes previously filled with rage, now beginning to soften. Her tightly pressed lips curved into a faint smile, one of gratitude. The icy mist filling the room slowly vanished, replaced by a warmth that embraced everyone.
"Thank you, Laras," Hana said, her voice steadier. She retracted her aura, prompting the leaders in the area to exhale in relief.
With a warm gaze, Hana surveyed all the Alliance leaders. "I apologize for my earlier outburst," she said sincerely. "That anger… it wasn't directed at you. On the contrary, I am grateful for your loyalty to Earth."
Meanwhile, in the distance, a phenomenon drew everyone's attention. The colossal tree, with its towering trunk reaching the heavens, appeared to be drawing closer. Haikal Emanuel, who had been silent all this time, suddenly stepped forward.
"The tree is approaching. Let's investigate," he said as he shot into the air.
The Alliance leaders weren't far behind. They quickly activated their flying devices—sleek, advanced tools emitting a bluish glow. In an instant, the sky above the Alliance building was filled with figures darting toward the giant tree.
Lein had already arrived. Using his portal, he stood atop one of the tree's leaves. The leaf was so vast it resembled a sprawling plain, stretching up to 10 kilometers.
However, this wasn't the largest leaf—farther away, other leaves appeared even grander, like floating islands in the air. The tree's trunk soared with an astonishing diameter of about 500 kilometers. If this tree fell, Lein thought, the smaller islands below would surely be obliterated.
He narrowed his eyes at the massive tree, trying to comprehend its existence.
"What exactly is this tree?" he muttered, touching the surface of the leaf beneath his feet. It felt smooth yet sturdy, like steel. No system notifications appeared, even though this tree had clearly emerged during the Cosmos Unification.
Lein gestured to open the tree's status panel. Information flowed before him, displayed clearly in a holographic panel.
[Tree of Life Source]
- Life Energy: 1,000 years
- Energy Quality: Low-level energy
- Realm Level: Low Realm
- Resources: Low-level resources
- Realm Protection: Low-level protection
*Realm Level: The higher a realm's level, the greater the strength limit of rulers within it.
*Resources: The higher a realm's resource level, the higher the quality of resources that appear within it.
*As the Guardian, you have full access to the Tree of Life.
"Is this like an 'Orb Island,' a realm?" Lein wondered.
He thought the tree might function similarly to Orb Island, a floating island core tasked with displaying a realm's information. However, this tree felt grander, more complex.
"Whatever it is, this tree needs to be upgraded. But how?" Lein said, puzzled. He had no idea what items were needed to improve it. He touched the surface of the leaf, trying to glean more information, but found no clues about how to enhance the tree.
Lein was about to explore further when his consciousness, previously restrained, suddenly broke free of its bonds. His awareness rapidly expanded, reaching into the void of the universe.
It didn't take long for him to survey the entire area surrounding the Divine Sky Realm.
"Ah… there they are," Lein said lightly.
Without hesitation, he opened a portal before him, heading straight into the void beyond the Divine Sky Realm's protective barrier.
The core members and the alliance leaders were heading toward the giant tree to investigate further. Meanwhile, on Lein's Island, the low-level rulers, who had previously been busy with their own activities, simultaneously froze as notifications appeared before them.
A golden holographic panel lit up in front of each individual, displaying the system's evaluation of their performance during their time in Aetheris.
Their faces displayed a variety of emotions—some were surprised, others smiled in satisfaction, and a few sighed in disappointment.
However, one thing that unified them was the shadow of the colossal tree that suddenly appeared in the sky. The tree was so massive that its roots and leaves seemed to grip the horizon. Conversations began to ripple among them, creating an atmosphere filled with amazement and curiosity.
Elsewhere, a similar commotion was unfolding. On crowded highways, people engaged in animated discussions. Office buildings, usually quiet, buzzed with the whispers of workers checking their notifications.
The Hunter Guild, a hub of adventurers' activities, became one of the busiest locations. Discussions about the Cosmos Unification and the shadow of the giant tree dominated the conversation.
On a street corner, a small fried snack stall stood modestly. The savory aroma of freshly fried tempeh and bananas wafted through the air, attracting the attention of passersby and drivers who paused momentarily.
Several men with the rugged appearance of hunters gathered in front of the stall, chatting while enjoying their snacks.
"Hey, what was your evaluation result?" asked a short-haired man with a friendly face, biting into a piece of fried tofu. He looked at his chubby friend beside him.
"I got a C rank," the chubby man replied with a chuckle. He wiped his oily mouth before continuing, "But I got a rare-tier skill! Check this out." Proudly, he sent the details of his skill to his friends' holograms. A glowing panel appeared in the air, showing the specifics of the newly acquired ability.
"Whoa, that's cool! I only got a level 25 item," said a middle-aged man in the group with a small sigh. However, his eyes betrayed a hint of pride. "But it's worth a decent price if sold. Maybe I can upgrade my weapon."
The conversation carried on, shifting to other topics that warmed the atmosphere further. A younger man, his face adorned with a thin beard, turned to his friends. "Hey, have you heard about that giant tree? They say if we're not careful, it could destroy our island."
"Ah, no way," the chubby man interrupted while shaking his head, half his mouth still full of snacks. "The system just blessed us. There's no way we'd face a disaster right after."
"But I've heard from other guilds that the tree… it's not just any tree. Its Guardian will decide all our fates."
Their conversation paused momentarily. Their gazes instinctively shifted toward the shadow of the massive tree on the horizon. Some of them shivered, not from the cold, but from a profound sense of insignificance in the face of something so immense and unfathomable.