We agreed to set sail, so you'd become the ruler of the deep sea?

Chapter 238 is... gone forever.

Noticing the sound behind him, Mu Mu's expression changed slightly, and he whispered.

"Hey, you'd better hide!"

"If they find you, you're doomed!"

Honestly, if it were just a few lone tree-men, Shane wouldn't be afraid of them at all.

With his current strength, he could easily eliminate them in a very short time.

But Shane was worried that killing the tree-man would once again attract the attention of the entire forest, thus triggering the "giant tree frenzy" that had just occurred.

At least for now, Xia En does not have the strength to fight an entire city by himself.

So, Xia En decisively found a place with dense vegetation and hid nearby.

Mumu then took root not far from him, protecting Xia En behind her.

Just then, several tree-men emerged from the woods.

The leader of the tree-men clearly recognized Mumu and asked, "Mumu, who were you talking to just now?"

"Haha...Are you chatting with your 'imaginary friends' again?"

This tree-man was much taller than Mumu, over five meters tall, with lush, verdant branches and leaves.

By the standards of the Tree People, it can be described as "strong".

Its vibrant appearance clearly showed that it had already converted to the [Giant Tree God].

"Nilger, what I say or do is none of your business."

Upon seeing these tree-people, Mumu was not intimidated; instead, she retorted without hesitation.

Based on its experience, in such situations, the more timid and afraid a person is, the easier it is for them to be bullied.

If you act tough, even if you're all bark and no bite, you might be able to intimidate these bullies.

However, the tree-man named "Nigel" was not so easily intimidated, and it smiled faintly.

"Mumu, you're not right to say that."

"We're all old friends, isn't it normal to care about your friends?"

Nigel's remark about the matter only made things worse; the moment he mentioned the word "friend," Mumu's eyes flashed with angry green light.

"Hey, my friend!"

"Who was it that told me before that they would never accept the Seed of Life? And then turned around and became a follower of the Giant Tree God?"

"You've completely forgotten everything from the past, haven't you?"

Hearing this question, Nigel's tree-like face also looked rather unpleasant.

It was indeed sentimental, and it had betrayed their friendship back then, so it was speechless for a moment.

However, the other tree-people next to Nigel were not so good-natured.

One of the tree-men sneered, "Nigel, what's the point of talking to these doomed conservatives?"

"Anyway, they will become extinct on their own in a few years."

"By then, it will be too late for them to regret not having embraced the [Giant Tree God]!"

Another tree-man chimed in, "That's right, that's right."

“Brother Nigel meant well and wanted to make this guy part of a greater existence, but it not only didn’t appreciate it, it also blamed Brother Nigel.”

Hidden among the bushes, Xia En secretly observed Mu Mu's interaction with these tree-people and inexplicably thought of bullying incidents on Earth.

If you ignore the fact that Mumu and the other tree people are of a race, they are actually just a group of young boys and girls.

At this moment, deep down, Nigel didn't actually think he had done anything wrong.

On one side are the ever-decreasing conservatives, and on the other side are the newly emerging and growing reformists.

Isn't it obvious which side to choose?

It had witnessed firsthand the gradual decay and eventual death of its elders who refused to accept the Seed of Life.

That's why I changed my mind and accepted the Seed of Life bestowed by the Giant Tree God.

To be fair, Nigel didn't want Mumu to go down this doomed path and kept trying to pull it onto the "right path".

In its view, it was truly saving its former friend.

So Nigel advised again, "Mumu, listen to my advice."

"The old guard is finished. The power of that ancient god is constantly weakening, and that is the reason why you are becoming increasingly corrupt."

Would this have happened a few hundred years ago?

Upon hearing this, Mu Mu's expression froze.

It knew that the conservatives were declining and being replaced by the growing power of the Giant Tree God, but it didn't know the reason behind it.

And this may be the reason why many Tree People have recently changed their ways.
Xia En, hidden in the bushes, was also moved.

The "ancient deities" that Nigel refers to undoubtedly mean the Elf Goddess.

In other words, is the power of the Fairy Goddess weakening?
What role did the Giant Tree God play in all of this?

While Shane was deep in thought, Nigel continued.

"Not only that, but it is said that the executioners will carry out a major purge of the [City of Giant Trees] in a while."

"If we don't turn to the embrace of the Giant Tree God now, it will be too late!"

Upon hearing this, Mu Mu finally showed an expression of disbelief and murmured.

"The executioners...the Great Purge..."

"No, that's impossible!"

“Uncle Fana is an elder among the executioners. If there were such an operation, he would definitely inform us immediately.”

Although the conservative faction, which insists on loyalty to the Elf Goddess, is currently in decline, they are still an old force that has been passed down from ancient times.

Even a wrecked ship has three pounds of nails!

Therefore, there are still some highly respected elders who are unwilling to betray their beliefs.

Their strength has mostly weakened with the erosion of seawater, but their past status and position remain.

Some of them are even elders in the tree community.

He still enjoys considerable prestige among some Tree People.

Old Hunter, and Uncle Fana mentioned by Mumu, belong to this remnant of the old era.

Upon hearing this name, Nigel couldn't help but look at Mumu with pity.

"Don't you understand?"

"The Elder Fana you trust has also become one of us."

A buzzing sound went through Mu Mu's mind, and her mind went completely blank for a moment.

If Mumu's friend Nigel's betrayal was still within the range that she could accept, then...

Elder Fana's defection was something he simply couldn't believe.

In the little tree-man's heart, Fana's status was almost equal to that of old Hunter, both being elders who had watched him grow up.

The other party also said that they would be irreconcilably opposed to the followers of the "Giant Tree God".

Those beautiful past events and precious memories are still vivid in my mind.

Why now...

"Brother, you..."

Nearby, several tree-man followers couldn't help but look at Nigel with surprised eyes.

This kind of intelligence is considered quite confidential even among them.

The elders had given orders to keep the secret strictly.

In theory, it's not possible to tell these conservatives.

Nigel waved his hand: "I have my own plans."

Mumu shook her head, banishing the absurd possibility from her mind, and questioned, "Impossible...you must be lying to me!"

"This is fake, isn't it?"

Its tone even carried a hint of pleading.

Looking at Mumu, Nigel felt a pang of sympathy, but he still spoke.

"I wouldn't lie to you about something like this." "Actually, this time..."

Just then, a voice sounded behind Nigel.

"enough."

"I'll explain the rest to it."

Immediately afterwards, a somewhat slender tree-man stepped out from the crowd.

Its branches are much thinner than those of ordinary trees, and its leaves are a pale red with delicate and exquisite shapes, giving people a pleasing feeling.

If placed among the tree people, she might be considered a rare beauty.

Even its voice sounds very clear and pleasant.

“Gelass…”

Upon seeing this beautiful tree-man, Mumu's voice trembled slightly.

Seeing the other party's current appearance, it understood everything.

the reason is simple.

This woman, Gelice, is Elder Fana's granddaughter.

—Treemen are of course genderless, but they also have their own different self-awareness and preferences, and they have certain things in common with steam armor.

Ellis is a rare tree person who identifies as female.

Strictly speaking.

Ge Lisi should be considered Mu Mu's childhood sweetheart.

After all, they are close in age, both are conservatives, and both have close elders.

As they spend more time together, they naturally become childhood sweethearts.

In recent months, however, Mumu has seen Gloria much less often. Sometimes, she even sees Gloria moving hurriedly in the sea, as if she is avoiding her.

Mumu initially thought she had done something wrong to upset Gelis.

But now, it understands everything.

The vibrant, reborn appearance of Ellis is a state that only emerges after accepting the "seed of life".

Even Gloria used the Seed of Life, so Uncle Fana's attitude was quite clear.

"So...you've all already..."

Mu Mu gave a bitter laugh, feeling as if she were heartbroken and devastated.

Being betrayed by a friend once is already hard enough, but now it has also been betrayed by an elder and a childhood sweetheart.

Only it can truly understand the experience.

"sorry."

Gloria sighed softly, "But I... can't go back."

Xia En, who was watching from the sidelines, had a strange expression on his face.

Holy crap, there's a cow?
He thought it was just a simple bullying incident, but he never expected it to involve so much love, hate and grudges.

Putting aside Mumu's tragic experience in this matter, Xia En found it quite entertaining; it was truly a good show.

At this point, ELLASSAY continued.

"In fact, after I accepted the Seed of Life, I not only shed my original decaying body, but was also honored to be chosen as a saint of my Lord."

"Able to bestow the Seed of Life upon the inhabitants of the City of Giant Trees on His behalf..."

Upon hearing this, Mu Mu suddenly realized something was wrong and became alert.

"Wait, Gloria, what are you trying to do?"

Nigel stepped forward, joining the other tree-people in subtly blocking Mumu's retreat, and said at the same time.

"Do you think you can just leave like nothing happened after knowing so many secrets?"

Mumu suddenly panicked.

It belatedly realized its dangerous situation and threatened out loud.

"If I die, Grandpa Hunter will never let you off the hook!"

Nigel shook his head: "You're wrong again."

Why would we kill you?

"I have always regarded you as a brother, a dear friend and relative."

Gloria took a step toward the retreating, withered tree-man and said softly.

"Don't be afraid. Although it will hurt a little at first, you'll get used to it quickly."

"After that, you will become one of us, a greater part."

The other tree-people whispered together.

"...to become part of a greater existence."

Their faces all wore a fanatical and twisted expression.

That expression made them look extremely unfamiliar, as if some mysterious and evil will had descended upon them and replaced their original souls.

Mu Mu couldn't help but feel apprehensive and panicked.

It couldn't understand why Nigel and Gloria, who had been together for years, had become so estranged.

Mumu instinctively sensed that the being called the "Seed of Life" was definitely not a good thing!

But now, it is forced by its former friend to accept the Seed of Life.

How ironic and absurd this is!
As Gloria approached, a bright green "seed" gradually appeared on its branches.

It's called a seed, but it's the size of a basketball and it's still bobbing up and down.

It feels more like a living heart, constantly being activated by ELLASSAY.

An extremely vigorous life force emanated from the Seed of Life, causing the tree people to reveal expressions of intoxication and enjoyment.

It appears to be completely harmless.

It even gave Mumu a strong attraction.

It was as if a voice from the unseen was urging it to accept the seed.

But the more this happened, the more wary Mumu became of the Seed of Life.

"If this seed enters my body, I will definitely become a completely different version of myself, just like Gloria and the others!"

In this situation, it seems that the only one who can save me is that strange human of unknown origin.

But Mumu stubbornly refused to call for help.

In his mind, humans have always been weak, so how could they be a match for ELLASSAY and its kind in their prime?

"Please, please don't come out..."

at the same time.

Meanwhile, Shane was silently observing the strange seed.

"This is the Seed of Life?"

He and Mu Mu shared a similar feeling: although the seed was radiating a strong vitality, it also carried an unpleasant aura.

Suddenly, in a daze, some chaotic double images entered Xia En's field of vision.

The Seed of Life in his eyes was no longer the seed it once was, but quickly transformed into an exceptionally ugly tumor!

Numerous tiny tentacles emerged from the tumor, groping around as if trying to take root in Mumu's body like roots.

The flesh and blood were writhing, contracting, and murmuring in its sleep...

One eyeball after another opened from the surface of the tumor, and within each eyeball were countless compound eyes.

At the same time that Shane saw these eyeballs.

People also noticed Shane.

next moment.

Suddenly, all the eyes on the tumor burst open, and hundreds of tentacles emitted a piercing and painful screech...

(End of this chapter)