Chapter 277

Chapter 277: Planting Trees is So Much Fun!

"Ha… hss… ha… hss…"

Beneath the thick "Primal Mud," Trilobite emitted long, soothing breaths.

"Thump… thump… thump…"

His heartbeat was also very slow, barely fluttering every few seconds.

However, such a lowered metabolism was merely a basic form of hibernation, not as good as the African lungfish.

Originally, this kind of "endurance" would not have escaped the detection of the extremely sensitive Outer Gods from the Void; however, Trilobite was sleeping inside a giant "sac" that covered his whole body.

The sticky liquid inside gave protection like amniotic fluid and kept in moisture.

The sound of his heartbeat and vibrations could be absorbed and softened by the slime, and the movements sent outside were quieter than the noises made by etheric worms digging in the Primal Mud.

Of course, this "semi-hibernation" used up a lot of energy, but it had its good points.

For instance, Trilobite’s "brain" could still work, at least keeping the system running.

When awake and a bit aware, Trilobite could use his plenty of Chaos Energy to level up his "symbiotic creatures" and "spawn."

Ever since he changed the normal "Cork Wood" into a "Venus flytrap," he had gotten very excited about this.

He especially liked messing with flowers and plants.

This included various "fungi," "algae," and "microorganisms."

But his first upgrade target was still that grafted "Cork Wood" covered with "Venus flytrap."

"Hmm…"

"It seemed there was just this lonely ‘Carnivorous Cork Wood’ in this world; it felt a bit sad."

"How about a rainforest plant replacement revolution!"

"Hey!"

"Let’s do… root reproduction!"

"And another… leaf reproduction!"

"Hmm, turning one bunch of flowers into a whole garden would surely make Miss Themis very happy."

"Most importantly…"

"Each of these only cost 3000 Chaos Energy, what a deal!"

Many people didn’t know that plants were the real game-changers.

If algae were counted as plants, then the biggest version change in Earth’s history and the later big changes were all done by plants.

The first change almost killed all life on Earth, beating the Siberian Dark Rock Event.

The second change hit the popular four-legged creatures hard, making some skilled ones stop needing water.

After that, grass appearing started many species swaps, shaping today’s life groups on Earth.

In Earth’s life story, many "version rulers" existed, and all were animals.

But only plants could change the game!

Until then, the rampant growth of certain algae could be said to be partially changing the version.

"Very good!"

Trilobite looked at the "Carnivorous Cork Wood" he had modified. It appeared almost the same outside but was completely different inside. He felt very happy, thinking he had done a great deed.

"Hmm…"

"However…"

He kept observing the plant in the system, feeling something was not quite right.

—-

"This was… a bit troublesome…"

Sulya felt a headache, massaging her temples and sighing.

The defense of Themis ended with the victory of the Giant God forces.

Albert Drake’s "avatar body" also made big progress under the Giant God’s grace.

She was guarding in the Sea of Ether outside the Themis world, patrolling and using her sharp magical sense to give early warnings.

Although that huge attack had ended, the chaos corrosion had stopped for now.

But…

"Ugh… Woe…"

"My Crystal Walls…."

"My Bubble World…"

From deep in the Soul Network, a girl’s cry came.

The First Living Saint had heard that sound before—it was the pain of the Will of the World.

Themis’s Crystal Walls were almost all gone; no matter how hard Themis worked to rebuild, it couldn’t catch up now.

Sulya had gone through the destruction of a Bubble World herself.

She saw the fall of Sotiko with her own eyes.

If the Giant God hadn’t blocked the overflowing etheric liquid alone, no living thing would have stayed in that world.

But who could have thought the same thing would happen in the Giant God’s starting place, Themis?

"Hiss…"

"Ha…"

Sulya could feel the air being sucked away fast by the void.

Wild Void Energy rushed in quickly.

"Whoosh—!"

Etheric liquid churned outside the world’s walls.

If not for the leftover Crystal Walls, and the Bubble World Themis sitting on higher ground with a thick Primal Mud base below, this world would have been destroyed already.

But this also meant Themis was completely defenseless against the etheric liquid.

The liquid relentlessly attacked the Primal Mud forming the Bubble World’s foundation, scattering it and pushing it aside.

"Just one more month…"

"No, the etheric liquid seems wilder than before!?"

"At this rate, the entire foundation will collapse in just two weeks!"

"The only safe place left is…"

Sulya turned toward the "Holy Tree" brought by the Giant God.

This tree had slain hundreds of Outer Gods from the Void in past battles. It also helped Fourth Living Saint Angna and Second Living Saint Albert Drake defeat the invading "dragon-type evil god."

Calling it the VIP of Themis’s defense was no exaggeration.

Now, it still shielded Themis’s inhabitants.

Around Sulya, engineer ships and battleships hauled supplies and people from coastal areas and the few intact inland cities.

Most carried factory equipment and technicians.

As for the old nobles…

They’d completely "vanished" after the terrible God’s War two weeks prior.

No one knew how or when they disappeared—they were simply gone.

Though it wasn’t hard to guess: most old noble towns got swallowed by chaos when it corroded the Crystal Walls and invaded inland.

Chaos didn’t care if you were an old noble or hated the Giant God. It crushed ants underfoot without a thought.

Sulya wasn’t heartless—she sent search parties afterward—but only a handful of survivors were found.

After all these upheavals, Themis’s old nobles had been swept into history’s dustbin.

Yet Sulya felt no joy.

Vast lands and homes were lost. Survivors could only crowd onto "Holy Tree Island"—blessed by the Holy Tree—or retreat to the Giant God’s undersea realm, the "Giant God’s Nest" City of Dimensions.

If more came, they’d need relocation to Valaharl or other Bubble Worlds.

Both refuges would become desperately cramped, while all coastal cities would be abandoned.

Themis had shrunk by ninety percent in mere days!

"Sigh…"

"Great is the Giant God!"

Still, Sulya praised him sincerely.

"You foresaw this day—that’s why you planted the Holy Tree and made our final refuge?"

"So merciful…"

"If other Bubble Worlds faced such disaster, escaping alive on an Ark would be miracle enough."

"Let alone keeping a tenth of their lands…"

"But…"

Though she knew the Giant God had done everything possible for Themis, watching her homeland drown made her want to weep.

Perhaps Themis’s own sorrow had touched her.

"Damn it…"

"Isn’t there any other way…"

Before Sulya finished—

"Boom—!"

Holy Tree Island and the surrounding seas began violently trembling!

Even the island’s "Holy Tree" itself shook fiercely!

"The Holy Tree’s in trouble!?"

"Could…could this be another chaos scheme…"

"If so…"

All would be lost.

Then—

"Lady Sulya!"

"This is underwater patrol ‘Natural Selection’! We observe anomalies with the Holy Tree!"

"Its…its roots are spreading rapidly!"

"No! More than spreading!"

"Lady Sulya, you must see—"

No reminder was needed—Sulya had already risen.

"Boom—!"

A colossal pillar of a tree was slowly ascending from the ocean depths, resonating with the original Holy Tree!