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Chapter 496. Past Conflicts. Warlya's Anger. [AotSC]
🕑 Added 2025-08-04 19:00:09 +0000 UTCWarlya looked at her surroundings with a serious heart. She had always known that the young World Tree was powerful, but the events around her were something she had never seen before in her life. Just the presence gave her a sense of impotency and an urge to surrender to the being surrounding her domain. ‘My Level Up from Level 74 to Level 75 didn’t even cause a tenth of what Liu Shu’s transformation is achieving.’
As Warlya observed her surroundings, she couldn’t help but become apprehensive. ‘I expected Liu Shu to face me before she reached the <Fourth Energy Cycle>. Now, she has actually given me two choices…’
Warlya understood that she had two paths from now onwards.
The first path was attacking Liu Shu right now and trying to destabilize her <Fourth Energy Cycle> as much as possible. If she did that, she would become enemies with the entire continent and would most likely be defeated eventually. She wasn’t afraid of dying, but Warlya refused to die without a purpose. Among other World Trees, she was another exception that didn’t accept death easily.
The second path was allying with Liu Shu and falling under her domain. She had already met with another one of the World Trees under Liu Shu’s control, and she noticed that the World Tree was its own free individual. Liu Shu’s influence was only around them, while the rest of the World Tree’s aura represented itself.
The World Tree she met was the closest one to her other than Liu Shu: Fortuna.
While she was thinking deeply, the elegant and gentle voice of the World Tree of Destiny reached her again. “Lady Warlya, fighting doesn’t make sense.”
“Why not?” Warlya was stubborn. Several thousand years of wars had made her personality somewhat stubborn and upright. How many times was she told just to give up and stop fighting? That defeating the Ant Queen back then was impossible? Yet, she persevered until the end and eventually held back the ant colony’s expansion enough for the army to gather enough strength and defeat the threat.
“Lady Warlya,” Fortuna spoke gently and calmly. “Liu Shu is not a World Tree that wants to eliminate all creatures around her. While she is ruthless when she decides to act, she gives options as long as the opponent is someone who has not offended her.” Fortuna laughed faintly. “But you should already know that. Are you waiting for Liu Shu to become strong enough to forcefully restrain you?”
“You are talking nonsense.”
Warlya snorted and stopped answering Fortuna’s words. Fortuna sighed softly and spoke. “Soon, someone you might hate at first glance will enter your territory. Please, for your own sake, don’t attack straight away and try to listen with an open mind.”
Warlya was confused at that strange warning. It wasn’t until a week later that she finally understood Fortuna’s words.
At the edge of her territory, Warlya was looking at a tall and beautiful red-haired woman. Her curvy body was the envy of most, but her insectoid eyes, long antennae sprouting from her forehead, and the large ant abdomen above her full and round butt gave away her true identity.
The Ant Queen smiled and spoke, her tone slightly melancholic. “Warlya… Long time no see.”
Warlya’s entire being tensed up as her energy exploded and surged to the sky. A terrifying presence descended on the Ant Queen, trying to squeeze her with sheer pressure. Ignatia looked at the massive pillar of Ternary Essences in the distance and sighed softly. ‘Here she comes.’
“DIE! <ARMY DECIMATION>!”
The land around Ignatia exploded as thousands of roots covered with life and a metallic luster rose dozens of meters into the air. Ignatia was also flung to the sky by the explosion of land around her.
“Warlya, listen to me.”
“SHUT UP! MONSTER!” Warlya’s voice boomed around as her roots rushed toward Ignatia, each with enough strength to injure a Level 74 powerhouse heavily.
Ignatia looked on calmly and reinforced her defense. “<Ant Queen’s Royal Endurance>.”
Her defense increased several times over just before the root landed on her body.
BOOM!
The explosive force behind the strike sent Ignatia flying, but even before she could register, the roots coordinated and beat Ignatia around without allowing her to recover.
The endless strikes shaved around 10,000 Phoer Body Shards each. With Ignatia’s current strength, she would need to receive tens of thousands of blows like that before she was heavily injured.
“Warlya. Let me speak.”
“I SAID TO SHUT UP! <WARBORN WORLD TREE ANNIHILATION>!”
Ignatia’s face gained a touch of seriousness.
The roots at the edge suddenly pointed at Ignatia, their tips shining with small balls of pure light.
Ignatia quickly landed on the destroyed land below her, and the fire attribute bloomed like a flower around her.
“EXPLODE!”
Warlya’s terrifying shout was accompanied by hundreds of beams rushing at Ignatia from all directions.
“<Ember Wave>!”
The people who had come with Ignatia looked solemnly when a new Sun was born in the land where Ignatia was. The mushroom cloud rising into the sky was accompanied by a terrifying shockwave that almost deafened them.
BANG!!
Flor’s face gained a touch of worry as she looked at the mushroom cloud. “If I knew that Warlya still had this level of strength, I wouldn’t have agreed to her words!”
By her side, Verena spoke with a serious expression. “Warlya might’ve dropped to Level 74. However, her strength is truly terrifying. Only Level 90 people might have a chance to face her one-on-one.”
Melody smiled calmly, already expecting this. “All who underestimate a <Fourth Energy Cycle> World Tree will end up dead. They are almost untouchable existences. Otherwise, the Abyssal Void Nexus wouldn’t have just fought on the edges of their domains.”
While they spoke, they suddenly saw a gargantuan tornado blow away the mushroom cloud, revealing Ignatia flying in the middle while mostly unharmed.
Melody’s eyes shone with surprise. “How is that possible? No Third Energy Cycle should be able to withstand that attack without serious injuries.”
It was then that Warlya spoke with a wrathful but surprised tone. “MONSTER! YOU ACTUALLY MANAGED TO REACH THE <FOURTH ENERGY CYCLE>!? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE!?”
Everyone was stunned and looked at Flor. Their eyes were basically asking, “When did your wife become a <Fourth Energy Cycle> powerhouse?”
Flor’s lips twitched. “Don’t ask me. I didn’t know as well.” Gritting her teeth, she muttered under her breath. “How dare you hide it from me? I’ll spank you until you cry when you return!”
Meanwhile, Ignatia stood in midair, her face showing calmness and eerie indifference. “Warlya. Let’s talk. You should understand what it means for me to reach this level. You currently lack the strength to face me.”
Then, Ignatia unfurled her aura.
BOOM!!!
The entire place was covered by Ignatia’s royal presence in an instant, her small body appearing as tall as a mountain for those who looked at her.
Melody’s eyes flashed with cautiousness and a trace of fear. ‘From the legends I’ve read, a Humanoid Ant Queen has enough power to fight a powerful World Tree at the same Level as them. Now, I can see that it was hardly an exaggeration and more like an understatement. Humanoid Ant Queen… What a terrifying existence. Thankfully, I am on her side.’
Even without Liu Shu, Melody knew that Ignatia and her children alone were enough to face the rest of the world and become a new global superpower. The Ant Colony had matured, and now, they were almost unstoppable. Back then, it was only by sacrificing a <Fourth Energy Cycle> World Tree that they put an end to the Queen’s terror. There were registered accounts of the Abyssal Nexus and the other powers cooperating to defeat the Ant Queen.
Meanwhile, Warlya stopped her attacks, but her wrathful glare was locked onto Ignatia, condensed as if she wanted to tear her apart limb by limb with just her gaze.
Ignatia sighed and slowly flew towards Warlya’s main body. “Warlya, I am not the Ant Queen you faced.”
“Ha!” The World Tree spoke with animosity and disdain. “You use the same skill as her, and you dare say that! Moreover, your tone is clearly not one of someone who has interacted with me for the first time!”
“I know.” Ignatia never lost her calm. “I have a skill called <Ant Queen’s Legacy>. This skill gives me traces of knowledge of previous Humanoid Ant Queens.”
Everyone listening couldn’t help but widen their eyes. Flor, though, remained calm. It was clear that she already knew about it.
Warlya was startled and thought of the strategies and attacks the Ant Queen she had fought with used. “No wonder back then you could trap armies! So your soul is kept alive through a skill! This time, I’ll make sure to destroy your soul then!”
“You can’t.” Ignatia’s voice echoed in the world with nobleness. “You are too weak. Moreover, as I said, I am not that Ant Queen. The only things this skill gives me are memories from a third-person perspective. This skill makes sure that each Humanoid Ant Queen can learn from their predecessor's mistakes. What sense would it make if you became the person who failed? Past Ant Queens are all losers who died without accomplishing anything.”
There was a tone of disdain in her last sentence. Clearly, she was not amused nor in favor of the past Ant Queen’s actions. This was normal, though. Ignatia had fully accepted Liu Shu as her dearest eldest daughter. Therefore, the actions of past Ant Queens who devoured and destroyed World Trees were nothing but barbaric and short-sighted in her eyes.
If Ignatia met those Humanoid Ant Queens, she wouldn’t wait for anyone before ripping their heads off herself.
“Regardless.” Ignatia’s tone softened, and she spoke with her. “Warlya, I am now Liu Shu’s mother. I won’t let anything happen to her, and I also don’t want her to make difficult choices that tear her inside with guilt. So, I’ve come to converse with you about you joining Liu Shu’s domain.”
“HA!” Warlya sneered as she glared at the Ant Queen. “I would rather become corrupted than join any group that has any relations with disgusting vermin like you! You might’ve brainwashed others, but you won’t—”
Seeing the World Tree stop speaking so suddenly, they were all confused.
After a few seconds, they heard Warlya’s trembling voice. “H-How is this possible? No, this is a lie! You can’t have these titles!”
“But I do.” Ignatia smiled. “I am Liu Shu’s Mom, so of course I do.”
“You!” Warlya wanted to say that she was cheating her. However, as a World Tree, she had a powerful ability to discern real system messages from fake ones.
After a few moments of tension, Warlya’s aura seemed to deflate as she muttered with disbelief. “How is this possible?”
Everyone could feel the heartbreaking tone behind her tone. It was as if the entirety of her worldview had suddenly collapsed like a sandcastle. Ignatia finally arrived in front of the World Tree’s body and sat on one of her branches. “I am different, Warlya. So, can you give me a chance?”
Warlya looked at the woman sitting on her branches with such a complicated mood that she didn’t know how to even answer. So, she just kept silent while her aura wobbled turbulently.
Ignatia noticed, so she didn’t move and leaned against her trunk. “Take your time. I’ll wait here. I just want the best for my baby, and you joining her is, in my opinion, the best-case scenario. To achieve that, I don’t mind if I have to receive your attacks for a while so that you can vent.”
Warlya’s mood became even more complicated because she could easily tell that Ignatia was not lying. This Ant Queen was willing to receive punishment for someone who wasn’t her just so that Liu Shu didn’t have to make a difficult choice.
“You… Let me think.”
Ignatia smiled faintly and relaxed. “Go ahead.”
From a distance, the other leaders observed for a while before leaving and letting those two resolve past conflicts.
Comments
Plateworm
Tftc
Kimball Black
Ignatia just can’t resist hiding major advances in power from her wife, can she? I think she might be a bit of a masochist. I can’t wait to see the conversation between her and Warlya. That’s gonna be very interesting.
