"Perfect!" Lein exclaimed with excitement. As he expected, the upgrade to level 100 brought significant changes.
Suddenly, a cracking sound echoed throughout the room. Lein, who was observing the status panel, looked up. The resource branch orb before him began to crack, with large fissures appearing across its surface. From within the cracks, a small sprout emerged, lifting the orb into the air.
The sprout grew rapidly, transforming into a towering root resembling a massive tree trunk. The root extended upward, reaching the bright light at the ceiling of the tree's interior. The resource branch orb remained at its tip, seemingly on purpose.
"Wait, is the resource orb being carried away?" Lein murmured, narrowing his eyes as he tried to comprehend what was happening. The orb floated at the tip of the large root, moving slowly as if pointing the way.
A golden sword appeared out of thin air, shimmering under the green light of the tree root. Without hesitation, Lein leaped onto the sword, gripping its hilt firmly. The sword hovered, following the root's path toward the crystal orb at its tip.
Far above the tree's center, a large hole opened, providing an exit for the tree root carrying the resource orb.
Lein floated in the air, observing the root as it continued to extend upward through the opening. Outside, people began gathering, staring at the unusual phenomenon. Some shouted, trying to make sense of what was happening.
"Guardian? What is the Guardian doing?" one of them shouted, their voice tinged with worry.
"Quick, move away from that hole! The tree root will keep growing!" another warned their group.
The area around the hole happened to have dense foliage forming a natural canopy, offering a clear view to those near the tree trunk. They watched in awe and slight fear.
Lein, still hovering in the air, could see the ongoing transformation.
The root, initially the size of a wrist, had now grown to the size of a truck wheel, and it continued to expand at an astonishing rate. "Is this root going to form a sub-main branch?" he mused lightly, his voice nearly drowned by the commotion below.
He directed his gaze to the main trunk of the Tree of Life Source, towering majestically with a diameter of 500 meters. Until now, the tree had only one large trunk, but if this new sub-branch formed, the Tree of Life Source would become even larger and sturdier.
Lein waited patiently, but the root's growth seemed to take longer than he had anticipated.
"How much longer will this take?" he muttered, though his tone remained calm. After a while without significant changes, Lein finally decided not to just wait. "Alright, I'll upgrade another branch," he said as he descended.
He still had four other orbs to upgrade, and curiosity led him back to the tree's base, where the protection orb was located. With a simple motion, he summoned the status panel.
- Defense Energy: 110k
-Energy Regeneration: 1000/second
- Energy Reflection: 1k + 1%
A transparent panel appeared before him, displaying information about the Protection Orb.
"I'm really curious about this branch's abilities," he said while reading the details listed. Remembering his previous experiences, he hoped there would be exciting new features unlocked at certain levels.
Without hesitation, Lein began upgrading the Protection Branch. The upgrades progressed smoothly until level 10.
However, upon reaching level 11, the number of crystals required skyrocketed to 100 realm crystals. Even so, he didn't hesitate to continue.
[Congratulations, upgrade successful! (Protection Branch) has been upgraded.]
- Defense Energy +10k
- New Feature Unlocked: Sky Satellite
(Sky Satellite) An automatic satellite orbits the Guardian's realm, aiding in realm protection from enemy attacks and conducting surveillance and reconnaissance.
- Power: Basic Destroyer
- Crystal Consumption: 10 high-tier crystals/day
- Modes: (Surveillance) (Combat)
Lein's eyes widened as he read the feature's description. "No way, a satellite?" he exclaimed, his expression a mix of surprise and amazement. This new feature was far beyond his expectations, reminding him of the image of the moon on Earth.
The feature enabled an automatic satellite to orbit around his realm, equipped with two main modes: surveillance and combat. The satellite's capabilities included basic destructive attacks and a wide range of up to 100,000 kilometers, although its durability was relatively low.
Lein suppressed his curiosity to test the feature.
"Not now," he muttered, closing the panel. He decided to stay focused on his original goal—maximizing the levels of the other four orbs. Once everything was complete, he would leave the Guardian's chamber to witness the final results.
Meanwhile, on Lein Island, the area around the Sky Tower buzzed with activity.
Next to the massive tower, several hunter teams gathered, preparing to venture inside.
One of the teams consisted of three members: two men and one woman. They stood with their heads tilted back, staring at the towering structure, now appearing larger and more majestic than ever before.
"Hey, look!" one of the men exclaimed, pointing toward the top of the tower. "Wasn't this tower just ten floors tall before? Why does it seem endless now?"
His companion, a taller man, nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you're right. When it first appeared, it was only ten floors. But now..." His words trailed off, captivated by the immense transformation.
The woman in the team, her hair neatly tied back and her expression serious, broke the silence.
"Hey, have you prepared the potions?" she asked in a firm tone.
However, the two men exchanged glances and smiled slightly. "Why bother?" one of them replied casually. "Deaths in this tower aren't real. So, there's nothing to worry about!"
"Exactly," his friend chimed in with a nod. "Besides, there's no entry fee, right? Relax."
Seeing her teammates' indifferent attitudes, the woman let out a long sigh.
Though concerned, she chose not to argue further. "Alright," she said finally, casting a half-annoyed glance at the two of them. "So, what are we waiting for? Let's go in."