Ascension of the Sylvan Cosmos-Chapter 381. Memorial, Dungeons, and Time.

On the inner side of the Golden Sap City, several hundred people gathered to mourn the death of the soldiers who fell during this raid. Everyone wore formal clothes, which looked like dresses made entirely from leaves. The design and color of the clothes varied greatly from person to person. However, they all had their modest and gracious styles in common.

The place where they would bury them was in the area, where both Life Trees of the city resided. In the middle of the large lake, one could easily spot a massive lilypad that could hold more than a thousand people without problems. The lilypad was created by Lakeborn Forest, who had spread through the rivers and underground water systems, arriving at this lake as well.

Unlike Fortuna or Prarya, Lakeborn didn't like expanding through land, so her expansion was slightly slower than the others in that regard. Still, when it came to water spreading, she was fast enough to leave the other two far behind.

The bridge leading to the lilypad was created through solid floating wood nets. They were stable, and when you walked on them, one wouldn't even be able to feel any uncomfortableness. The bridge's railings at the sides, created from white vines, were surrounded with gorgeous pink flowers without overwhelming it with their numbers.

Then, to add an extra touch, arches of violet and white flowers connected both sides of the bridge every ten meters or so. With the bridge being around 100 meters long, walking through the ten arches would, in the future, become a tradition named .

The people who gathered in the lilypad and around the lake were all people related to the deceased and high-ranking people who came to pay respects. Every guest was currently looking at the middle of the giant lilypad, where 100 beds covered with white petals gently cushioned the bodies of 100 victims.

Aurelise's voice spread in the surroundings with a peaceful and gentle touch. "Today, you all gather to return the fallen to the cycle of life. Today is not their end but a new beginning. In life, these brave souls gave their lives protecting what they believed was correct, and they never hesitated to throw their own lives on the line to protect those values."

The Life Tree's voice was soothing to the point that even those people trying to hold back their grief felt it bubbling up and pouring down their eyes.

Aurelise continued speaking with a soothing tone. "Once the brave souls are placed on the <100 Cycles White Lily Beds>, their bodies will be slowly consumed by them, and their souls will flow to the afterlife. The energy the lilies produce will then be shared with the entire world, returning them to the earth that allowed their birth. Families will also be able to get a potted that carries their deceased family member's aura."

Naturally, there was no cost for this service. The pace at which the white beds absorbed corpses was around one every fifteen minutes, or almost 100 a day. Moreover, the number of beds would expand in the future as Lakeborn Forest's ability increased in level. This would allow the families to mourn their people, and get a token that would remind them of those who had fallen.

Flor approached while holding Clavel in her arms. Clavel was already quite old, her rose-red hair having turned completely white already. Moreover, with her size being less than half that of Flor, being carried was easy for her.

Once Clavel saw Amapola's peaceful face on top of the lily bed, her tears flowed down like a river. With a choppy voice due to age, Clavel spoke with sorrow. "S-Sorry, Amapola. I couldn't bring myself to continue getting stronger like you... I couldn't accompany you in your last moments... It must've been scary, wasn't it?"

Flor placed Clavel on the ground, kneeling by the bed's side. The white lily bed wasn't propped by anything, so the small fairies had no problems looking at Amapola even while kneeling.

"Don't blame yourself, Clavel." Flor gently and soothingly patted Clavel's back. "You've contributed greatly to the Golden Sap City in your own way. Not everything is related to fighting. After all, without being able to sustain ourselves, we can't fight, right?"

Clavel looked up, her face a mess of tears and sadness. Flor smiled gently and wiped away Clavel's tears with a soft handkerchief. "Smile, Clavel. Smile at her as she returns to the earth and becomes one with nature once more. Smile so that Amapola can leave this life behind and embark on a new adventure."

Clavel nodded firmly and grabbed Amapola's hand, smiling through her tears. "Rest well, Amapola."

Flor looked down and spoke aloud but not imposingly. Her voice spread like a gentle breeze. "Rose Fairies, say goodbye to your former Queen."

All the Rose Fairies in attendance pointed skyward and shot a powrful burst of gales, their faces marred with tears. As the white lilies absorbed Amapola's body into them, making it disappear as if she were sinking in the flowers for eternal rest. Flor then looked behind her and extended her hand to the second Rose Fairy that she had carried here.

Alba extended her hand up, and when Flor caught her, she pulled her up and made her spin softly above Amapola through the wind in the air. "Now, Rose Fairies, salute your new Queen."

[Do you want to accept the title?]

Alba answered solemnly. "I do."

A ripple of wind that made the lilies sway as if dancing pulsed outward one after another. There was no violent outburst, just a gentle and peaceful transformation that didn't interrupt the surroundings. Instead, it gave everyone the illusion that the gales were purifying evil.

Alba quickly grew in size, her size increasing from around 20 centimeters to 60 centimeters in height. Her wings enlarged, blooming outward like a flower opening its petals. Even the color changed from a green color to a rose-red color.

[Tier Up!]

[Tier Up!]

[Congratulations, you've evolved into a . Your Tier is C+ Tier!]

Clavel and the other Rose Fairies bowed their heads toward Alba, and simultaneously, Amapola's body was swallowed by the lilies.

Flor extended her hands into the flower bed and took out a potted plant. The shape was a white-petaled flower in the vague shape of a winged fairy. Extremely unique and faintly resembling the deceased person.

Flor picked up Clavel between her arms again and returned. In that bed, another corpse was laid down gently, and the family of them crossed them. They bowed respectfully toward Flor and Alba before going to mourn for their dead ones.

After placing Clavel down on the farm and staying with her one day, Flor returned to her personal residence. Once she opened the door, she saw the Ant Queen sitting on her bed, the sunset gently coating her body with a layer of golden powder. Ignatia smiled and spread her arms. "Come, my dear."

Flor's wings flapped, and she dove into her arms. Once there, feeling protected from the rest of the world, Flor released the pent-up emotions of the day.

Ignatia stayed with the Flower Fairy until the little fairy fell asleep in her arms. Seeing the petite body she was holding, she wanted nothing more than to shield her from all the evil in the world. After kissing her lips, Ignatia smiled gently. "Rest well, my love."

Meanwhile, Liu Shu was lost in the world of her mind. During the evolution, she had been focused on creating the . It wasn't until she finally managed to create another Perfect Cycle that she was satisfied with it and sighed in relief. 'Done! Hehehe. I hope nothing much happened during my Level Up... Hm. Can I ask Wisdom?'

She pondered about it, but she decided against it. She remembered that if something dangerous was going to happen, Wisdom would wake her up. That was the deal, after all. Instead, she focused on a new message that she had received while Leveling Up.

[ functions have been unlocked! Do you want to check the ?]

'Oh? Oh!' Liu Shu's eyes shone with interest and happiness. 'Finally, I've unlocked the system! Hm, this was only achieved when the was about to be open, right? Anyway, open!'

***

Dungeons Owned: 1 (Click to expand and see the detailed information of each dungeon.)

Dungeons Opened: 0

Random Event and Plot Twist Generator (Click to see the details.)

Environment and Setting Management (Click to enter Editor mode. The Dungeon must be closed.)

Trap Management (Click to enter Editor mode. The Dungeon must be closed.)

Monster Management (Click to enter Editor mode. The Dungeon must be closed.)

Dungeon Resource Creation and Reward System (Click to see the details.)

***

Liu Shu was surprised. 'Oh! So many main categories! Let's go and see the I own. What does the detailed page look like?'

***

Dungeon Name: Unnamed.

Current Status: Under Construction.

Dungeon Level: -

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.

Difficulty Rating: Unranked.

Number Of Floors: -

Dungeon Reputation: Town-Level.

Dungeon Alignment (Choose 2 "sins"): Not chosen.

Dungeon Theme: Not chosen.

Dungeon Type: Not chosen.

Boss Character Sheet: Not chosen.

Unique Traits: None.

Adventurer Log (Click to Expand).

***

'Woah! So many things to tinker with...' Liu Shu felt somewhat overwhelmed by all the options. However, she quickly calmed down. Looking at it closely, she muttered to herself. 'Since my body is still evolving, I might as well use this time to modify the . Let's see~, how do I modify it?'

Outside, Wert couldn't help but notice that the vortex leading to the dungeon was pulsing with energy. He approached and rubbed his bearded chin. "I wonder what is happening here? Are you about to open?"

It was impossible to enter at the moment. Even if someone jumped forward, they would just stand on the vortex as if it had a transparent glass surface. He couldn't help but sigh slightly. "It has been two years since that war against the Nexus... I wonder when our big girl will wake up. She has reached around 1800 meters in height already, which is incredible. Growth has also become relatively stale after the war. After all, Delicious Berries as they are can't affect our Level 50s and above."

Everyone eagerly awaited the day Liu Shu would wake up, and she upgraded her skills again. After all, being accustomed to being pampered by her made them realize how much they missed it after it was gone! Wert chuckled and returned home to his wife. Seeing the woman who had graciously aged, sitting on a reclining chair on the balcony, he approached from behind and hugged her. "I am back, old woman."

"Tsk. Who are you calling old? I am as energetic as a little sapling! You, on the other hand, already have several strands of grey hair growing on your hair! You are approaching 75 years old, so you shouldn't be that energetic."

Wert looked at the reproachful face of his wife and laughed, lowering his face to kiss her forehead. The woman pushed his face away with a scolding expression. "Shave that bristly beard that you have first!" Still, the woman lifted her head slowly and planted a kiss on Wert's lips before shooing him away. "Go, go. You should start planning who your successor will be as well."

Wert chuckled and nodded. "I already have an idea. Anyway, I'll be right back."

Seeing the slightly thinner back of her husband, the woman sighed softly, her eyes filled with worry. 'He is not young anymore. I really hope he knows his boundaries. Even at the , a human's lifespan rarely goes beyond 80 before age starts to catch up to them...' The woman looked outside at the cloudy sky and muttered. "What will that big baby do when I am gone? He will probably live quite longer than me..." A sigh escaped the woman's lips.

***********

Author Note: Remember to check P.a.t.r.e.o.n~. There is an enormous gallery with hand-drawn art all over the place! Hahaha. A few R-18 images as well OwO. Each Saturday, I upload an illustration, while asking what you want to see from time to time! Hehehe. <3

P.S. I am uploading this in the Chapter instead of the Author Notes because there are a few pages that are taking my novel and uploading it. So, well, I want them to copy this message as well, hahahah. Remember Dears, P.a.t.r.e.o.n./Mortrexo to support the story!