《[Hiatus] God of Plants》 Chapter 0: A Somewhat-Sterotypical Reincarnation Jean¡¯s eyelids snapped open as he looked around. A pounding headache was wrecking Jean¡¯s mind and a feeling of nausea waved over him. ¡°Heyo, how¡¯s it going?¡± Jean suddenly jumped in surprise and turned towards the voice behind him. He was certain he was about to win an award for crossbreeding a new type of plant but now he was inside of a white room with a strange girl dressed in a black and white dress. ¡°No need to worry, kiddo. You tripped and banged your head so hard against a staircase that you died.¡± Jean looked at the girl with a confused look as she sighed. ¡°Look, it¡¯s like those novels you humans like reading. I¡¯m like the god who tells you that you¡¯ve died and are now being sent to a different world, okay?¡± ¡°¡­so you¡¯re telling me your a god?¡± ¡°Not exactly, I¡¯m the administrator of your world but saying my powers are god-like is a fairly accurate statement.¡± Jean took a moment to look around the white room and noticed that there was neither a door or an exit. ¡°Ya¡¯ know, transporting people to different worlds has gotten a heck load easier since those light novels have started to circulate amongst humans.¡± A small panel appeared before the girl as she began to slide her fingers across the panel¡¯s glass-like surface. ¡°However, you humans have also started thinking that I¡¯m obligated to give you a blessing or some sort cheat ability to help you start off in the next world.¡± With a few movements of her fingers, a large translucent board appeared before Jean with various spheres of differing sizes and colors on it. ¡°The only remotely blessing-like thing I¡¯ll be giving you is the choice to choose the world you¡¯ll be transferred to. Choose wisely, kiddo.¡± Jean felt it slightly ironic that someone with the figure of a young girl was calling him kiddo. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m still hundreds of millennia older than you are. Don¡¯t just underestimate anyone ¡®cause they look young.¡± Jean looked at the girl in surprise. ¡°You can read minds?¡± The girl simply chuckled. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be much of a ¡®god¡¯ if I weren¡¯t able to. Just hurry up and pick a world already.¡± Jean turned back towards the floating board before him and began to analyze each planet on it. After spending much time making a decision, Jean lightly tapped on a grey sphere with splotches of blue, red, and green on it. ¡°Oooh! This is going to be in-ter-res-ting!¡± Jean looked at the excited god-girl with confusion as she lifted up her fingers into the air. ¡°Because you chose such an interesting world, I feel like giving you a little extra something.¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. *snap* A small panel appeared before Jean. [You¡¯ve been granted a System from Administrator Efta.] ¡°When you appear in your new world, don¡¯t forget to say ¡®status¡¯ in your mind at least once. Bye-bye now!¡± *snap* Jean¡¯s vision began to grow blurry while his body disintegrated into tiny particles and dispersed into the air. ¡°Don¡¯t go and bore me now¡­¡± The girl giggled as she watched Jean completely disappear into thin air. ¡°Efta, why¡¯d you grant that human with a [System]?¡± A formless dark figure appeared behind the giggling girl as it began to surround her. ¡°Am I not allowed to do as I please, Dio?¡± The shadow-like figure rumbled as if it were laughing. ¡°No, no, I¡¯m simply curious as to why you would give a puny human a System. After all, they¡¯re weaker than most races and the potential of a [System] will be wasted on humans.¡± A devious smile appeared on the girl¡¯s face. ¡°Do you know what world that ¡®puny¡¯ human chose?¡± ¡°Enlighten me.¡± ¡°A-13.¡± The dark figure stopped moving as if deep in thought. ¡°You didn¡¯t give him a [System] just because he¡¯s going to that death world, are you?¡± ¡°Of course not! You should know I only help out the interesting ones, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Then what makes this human more interesting than the others? Does he have super strength or-¡° ¡°Botany genius.¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± ¡°That human is a genius at growing plants.¡± The shadow being fell silent for a moment. ¡°A-13: Classified death world due to the extreme levels of hot or cold in areas outside oases. Most of the sentient beings living on the planet include cynocephali, felisophia, and humans while other creatures living on the planet resemble creatures found on fiery, ice, or jungle worlds depending on the location. There is close to zero edible flora or potable water in places outside of oases forcing inhabitants to stay close to their oasis or die of dehydration, starvation, or be preyed upon by the deadly creatures outside the oasis¡¯s influence.¡± The girl simply continued to smile at the abyssal being. ¡°How is a human good at growing plants supposed to make an impact on a death world like A-13?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not just good at growing plants, he¡¯s a genius at growing plants!¡± ¡°What difference does that make?¡± The girl stood turned around and took a few steps away from the dark being behind her. *snap* ¡°That human made this from the plants found on E-2.¡± A small, pale white flower began sprouting from the ground and the darker than black being bent down to look at it. ¡°What¡¯s so special about this flower?¡± ¡°Watch.¡± *FWOOOSH* The flower was suddenly engulfed in flames that poured out from the tip of the girl¡¯s index finger. ¡°Hey now, careful with those¡­ what in the world?¡± The pale white flower gently swayed back and forth after the flames dispersed. *SCHWIP* The ice that surrounded the pale white flower melted away at a rapid pace as it continued to sway back and forth. The girl proceeded then to shock, throw acid at, smash, and uproot the flower to no avail. The flower absorbed all that was thrown at it and wrapped its roots around the hand that grasped it as if trying to absorb the hand into itself. ¡°See? A special little plant, isn¡¯t it?¡± *snap* The flower in the girl¡¯s hands slowly fell apart into blackened particles that dispersed into the air. ¡°It even resists my destruction ability if I¡¯m not focused on it. What¡¯s even more amazing is the fact that human developed this after a year of testing!¡± The black figure remained silent. ¡°Just imagine what the human could do with-¡° ¡°Efta. I hope you¡¯re not trying to raise a new Deka.¡± The girl fell silent and the smile on her face morphed into a serious expression. ¡°Do you really think I would do something stupid like that? I just want to have some fun for a while.¡± The girl began to twiddle with her hair playfully. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you do with the lesser beings but if you dare raise up a new administrator without Psifio¡¯s permission, just know that I will be the first person to come and shut you down.¡± ¡°Oh, so you think you could beat me?¡± The dark figure paused for a moment. ¡°Don¡¯t act out of line, Efta.¡± The abyssal figure slashed out causing a long crack to open up before it. The girl waved goodbye as she watched the shadowy figure pass through the crack. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll do as I like. I¡¯m not a child that you can tell what to do, Dio.¡± *snap* A small panel popped up before the girl while a crystalline chair appeared behind her. ¡°Now¡­ where is that kiddo?¡± Jean¡¯s figure appeared on the panel surrounded by thick green brush all about. ¡°He¡¯s rather lucky to have landed in a jungle, let¡¯s see if he survives the night.¡± The girl let out a long child-like giggle that echoed about in the pure white room. Chapter 1: The Info Dump Jean stood in the midst of trees and brush that covered every inch of his vision, leaving behind no gaps or spaces in between the green that surrounded him. ¡®Status.¡¯ A small translucent panel appeared before Jean displaying various texts and numbers.
Name Jean Kwon
Age 31
Titles Earl of Plants (Rare)
Condition Health: 100/100 Stamina: 90/90 Mana: 0/0
Status Effects Beginner¡¯s Protection Buff
Attributes Strength: 8 Constitution: 9 Agility: 9 Dexterity: 10 Perception: 10 Willpower: 11 Intelligence: 11 Wisdom: 12
Skills Alchemy (Expert) 73.22% Botany (Master) 56.18% - Dendrology (Master) 23.09% - Herbalism (Master) 100.00% - Mycology (Master) 43.98% - Pomology (Master) 57.67% Plant Manipulation (Beginner) 0.00%
Traits Calm Mind (Uncommon) Green Thumb (Common)
Jean looked over the info on the panel with a blank stare as he attempted to figure out what each portion of the board meant. *ding*
From your will to learn what things mean, the skill [Identify] has been granted to you.
After dismissing the panel that suddenly popped up, Jean noticed his [Skills] tab had been updated.
Skills Alchemy (Expert) 73.22% Botany (Master) 56.18% Herbalism (Master) 100.00% Mycology (Master) 43.98% Pomology (Master) 57.67% Dendrology (Master) 23.09% Identify (Beginner) 0.00% Plant Manipulation (Beginner) 0.00%
Jean looked at the new skill with a curious expression. ¡®Identify¡­¡¯ A panel popped out of thin air with a few lines text on it.
Identify (Active) - Identifies the identities of things.
¡®That¡¯s rather useful.¡¯ As Jean had guessed, [Identify] was a skill that identified things; a very useful tool when starting off in a new and unexplored world.
Earl of Plants - Speed of sowing, harvesting, and nurturing of all plants is enormously increased. - Nurtured plants growth rate increases by a large amount. - When harvesting plants, large chance of getting an increased yield. - When cross-breeding plants, large chance of discovering a new type of plant. - Learning rate of plant-based skills is increased by an enormous amount. - Control of plants is possible.
Beginner¡¯s Protection Buff - Grants protection for a period of time (23h:59m:37s remaining). - Reduces effects of negative status effects by an enormous amount. - Lowers the requirements for learning new skills by an enormous amount.
Botany (Mastery) - Speed of sowing, harvesting, and nurturing of all plants is enormously increased. - When harvesting any plant, gain an increased yield - Increases abilities of all plant-based skills by an enormous amount.
Alchemy (Mastery) - Speed of concocting solutions increases by an enormous amount. - Effectiveness of concocted solutions increases by a large amount. - Chance of making an error while following a recipe decreases by a large amount. - When concocting a solution, gain an increased yield.
Plant Manipulation (Active) - Allows for the manipulation of plants depending on selected plant type and current skill level.
Calm Mind - Adaptability to new situations is increased by a large amount. - Negative mental statuses are reduced by a large amount. - Growth rate of intelligence and wisdom is increased by a small amount. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.- Learning rate of all skills is increased by a small amount.
Green Thumb - Speed of sowing, harvesting, and nurturing of all plants is greatly increased. - Nurtured plants growth rate increased by a large amount. - When around plants, regeneration of health, stamina, and mana are increased by a large amount. - When around plants, effectiveness of negative mental statuses are reduced by a small amount. - When around plants, all abilities increase by a small amount. - Learning rate of plant-based skills is increased by large amount.
Jean took a step back from the panels that appeared before him after using [Identify] on the various names in his [Status] panel as he absorbed the information little by little. ¡®Was I this overpowered back on Earth?¡¯ Just looking at the [Earl of Plants] title and the [Green Thumb] trait, it seemed like Jean was made to work with plants. Not only were his botany skills buffed by his title and trait, he was also buffed for simply standing next to a plant. Next, the [Beginner¡¯s Protection Buff] was an extremely useful buff to Jean. Although Jean didn¡¯t know the extent of which it protected him, but having a form of protection was still rather assuring. On top of that, gaining new skills like [Identify] would be rather simple as long as he had the buff. Compared to the others, [Calm Mind] didn¡¯t seem to have that large of an effect on Jean. However, a global skill learning rate was nothing to be scoffed at nor was the situation adaptability and the negative mental status reduction. [Botany] was a parent skill that housed various other child skills underneath it such as [Herbalism] and [Mycology]. Jean immediately used [Identify] on all of the child skills under [Botany].
Dendrology (Mastery) - Speed of sowing, harvesting, and nurturing trees increases by an enormous amount. - When harvesting trees, gain an increased yield.
Herbalism (Mastery) - Speed of sowing, harvesting, and nurturing herbs increases by an enormous amount. - When harvesting herbs, gain an increased yield.
Mycology (Mastery) - Speed of sowing, harvesting, and nurturing fungi increases by an enormous amount. - When harvesting mushrooms, gain an increased yield.
Pomology (Mastery) - Speed of sowing, harvesting, and nurturing fruiting plants increases by an enormous amount. - When harvesting fruits, vegetables, or nuts, gain an increased yield.
The final skill in Jean¡¯s possession, [Plant Manipulation], was rather straightforward in its effects: it controlled plants. Curious to check its effects, first looked over towards a nearby vine and identified it.
Strange Vine - A strange vine that is green in color.
Jean then focused on the vine and imagined it curling upwards, but instead of doing as he imagined, the vine only twitched slightly but still moved quite enough to prove that [Plant Manipulation] worked. *ding*
By using skills that can be used together with other skills, the skill [Synergy] has been granted to you.
Synergy (Passive) - Allows for the combination of the effects of active, passive, and mastery skills. - Effectiveness of combination depends on skill level of the combined skills and [Synergy].
Jean was rather surprised; not only was a new skill added to his [Skill] tab but three of the panels he had open suddenly updated.
Alchemy (Mastery): - Speed of concocting solutions increases by an enormous amount. - Effectiveness of concocted solutions increases by a large amount. - Chance of making an error while following a recipe decreases by a large amount. - When concocting a solution, gain an increased yield. - [Synergy]: Speed of concocting solutions increases depending on corresponding mastery skills. - [Synergy]: Effectiveness of concocted solutions increases depending on corresponding mastery skills. - [Synergy]: Chance of making an error while following a recipe decreases depending on corresponding mastery skills.
Identify (Active) - Identifies the identities of things. - [Synergy]: Gives additional information depending on corresponding mastery skills.
Plant Manipulation (Active) - Allows for the manipulation of plants depending on selected plant type and current skill level. - [Synergy]: Strengthens control over plants depending on corresponding mastery skills.
Jean was again taken aback at the overpowered effect of [Synergy]. Once more, he used [Identify] on the nearby vine.
Green Heart Vine - A vine that grows out from a central core and slowly expands across a large area over time. - Toxicity: No poison to humans. - Nutritional Value: Practically nonexistent. However, the vine is usually rooted into a large supply of water and channels large amounts of water throughout the plant in a pulsing motion, very much like that of a heart. - Medicinal Value: Very little. The water that comes from the plant is of high purity and can be used as an agent for making other alchemical concoctions or cooking food. - Practical Value: Some use. The vine itself is very flexible and can be used as a makeshift rope. The fibers that surround the plant can be harvested and refined into a thin string.
Jean was rather shocked at the huge change in the amount of information after he gained [Synergy]. Quickly, he used [Plant Manipulation] on the vine and imagined curling upwards once more. *RUMBLE* The vine immediately ripped itself off the ground, revealing a vastly larger base vine and that shot straight up into the sky while trees and brush was pulled out of the soil along with it. The massive vine ¡®tree¡¯ stood rigidly like a spear pointing straight up into the sky without any signs of falling over. This sight caused cold sweat to run down Jean¡¯s back as he realized how powerful [Plant Manipulation] was when [Synergy] took affect. Panicking, Jean attempted to put the massive vine back into its original place only to crush even more trees in the process. It was then Jean decided not to mess around carelessly with [Plant Manipulation] ever again. Chapter 2: Basic Conflict ¡°Priestess! Wake up!¡± There was a loud knocking sound coming from the door. ¡°Please, stop sleeping and come out!¡± The knocking repeated itself once more. ¡°The village is in danger, we need you-¡± ¡°Oh shut up! I¡¯m coming, I¡¯m coming¡­¡± The door opened, revealing a lady with fuzzy ears and a fluffy tail standing behind it. The lady¡¯s hair was in disarray and she continued to rub her eyes gently as if she had just woken up from sleep. ¡°What is it that you want from me, it better be important or else I¡¯ll rip all of the fur off your tails this instant.¡± The group of people gathered in front of the lady all gulped nervously while one male in the front stepped forwards gingerly. ¡°Priestess, there was an earthquake just moments ago, did you not feel it?¡± The priestess tilted her head sideways as she thought for a moment. ¡°I did feel a little rumbling, but what of it? It¡¯s not like another earthquake will-¡± *RUMBLE* The ground shook while the surrounding thatch houses collapsed into piles of twigs and straw. Several people fell over at the tremors, including the somewhat sleepy priestess. ¡°See, priestess, see? The tremors came again! Mount Feros must be awakening once more!¡± As the people who had fallen over got up, they mumbled to each other in fearful tones. ¡°We must deliver a sacrifice quickly! Please, allow us to prepare right away.¡± The priestess stood up as she rubbed her rear sorely. A frown appeared on the priestess¡¯ face as she looked over the group before her. ¡°Is there anyone who is willing to give themselves up for this cause?¡± Nobody responded. ¡°¡­it appears we will have to draw lots. Everyone come back in an hour for the lottery. You all already know what happens if you try to run away.¡± After a period of silence, everyone slowly dispersed from the group as some made their ways to the still intact thatch houses while others began rummaging through the collapsed piles of material. The priestess sighed heavily before she entered her own house and began preparing materials for the coming sacrifice. * * *
From examining a numerius amount of items, the skill [Library] has been granted to you.
Library (Active/Passive) - Allows the user to store and read data of things previously learned about or identified. - While using [Library], agility and strength are temporarily decreased by an insane amount.
Jean dismissed the two panels before him as he prepared to take a bite into the medium-sized red fruit in his hands. *crunch*The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Sensations like electricity ran through Jean¡¯s tongue as he munched on the red fruit with leisure. ¡®Library.¡¯ Jean suddenly felt as if his entire body was strapped down with weights and submerged into water while the fruit he held in his hands fell to the ground as he could no longer keep his fingers tightened around it. Panels full of information flooded his view all containing things he had previously used [Identify] on. ¡®Is there anyway I can organize all of this?¡¯ Suddenly, all the panels began to arrange themselves into neat little stacks and piled up to the side of Jean¡¯s vision. Looking at the organized pile of panels beside him, Jean had another thought. ¡®Show me info on Zerke Apples.¡¯ A panel flew out of the organized stack and hovered before Jean.
Zerke Apple - A medium-sized red fruit with an electrifying taste that grows on Zerke Trees. - Toxicity: Poisonous when green. The toxins in a single young Zerke Apple can paralyze most creatures while causing death by organ failure in smaller creatures. - Nutritional Value: Very high. When ripe, Zerke Apples are a very good source of natural sugars, nutrients, and vitamins. - Medicinal Value: Some use. When handled properly, the toxins in young Zerke Apples can be used to create sleeping tonics, painkillers, or performance enhancing drugs. - Practical Value: Some use. The seeds of a Zerke Apple are extremely flammable and can be used to make bombs, traps, or things of the like.
¡®This skill is really user-friendly!¡¯ Jean deactivated [Library] and regained control over the movement of his body. ¡®Status.¡¯
Name Jean Kwon
Age 31
Titles Earl of Plants (Rare)
Condition Health: 100/100 Stamina: 90/90 Mana: 0/0
Status Effects Beginner¡¯s Protection Buff
Attributes Strength: 8 Constitution: 9 Agility: 9 Dexterity: 10 Perception: 10 Willpower: 11 Intelligence: 11 Wisdom: 12
Skills Alchemy (Expert) 73.22% Botany (Master) 56.18% - Dendrology (Master) 23.09% - Herbalism (Master) 100.00% - Mycology (Master) 43.98% - Pomology (Master) 57.67% Library (Beginner) 3.59% Identify (Beginner) 39.00% Plant Manipulation (Beginner) 2.50% Synergy (Beginner) 24.00%
Traits Calm Mind (Uncommon) Green Thumb (Common)
After noting the changes in the percentages next to his skills, Jean¡¯s attention was drawn to something he hadn¡¯t noticed when he was looking over his titles, skills, and traits. ¡®Identify.¡¯
Mana - An energy that is produced by the core of some planets that can be used to control the forces of nature. - Through meditation, mana can be gathered and stored inside of the body.
Jean tilted his head at the panel before him. ¡®I can increase my mana by meditating?¡¯ After pondering the second point on the panel before him, Jean closed his eyes and sat cross legged with his palms face up on his lap. Slowly, Jean began to empty his mind of all thoughts and attempted to allow the feeling of nothingness overtake him. As the thoughts left his mind, Jean was able to ¡®see¡¯ blue dots of light of varying brightness. ¡®Is that¡­ mana?¡¯ Jean attempted to reach out for the dots only to have them scatter away from him. No matter how many times he tried to touch the dots, they simply moved away from him. Tired of failing to touch the dots, Jean decided just to observe the specks of blue light in silence. Strangely, when he stopped moving, the dots slowly moved towards him. Eventually, one of the specks of blue light touched Jean¡¯s body which caused him to glow in a blue light. As the light dissipated, Jean could feel something swirling inside of his body. *ding* Jean opened his eyes and saw a panel floating before him.
By increasing your base mana by one, the skill [Meditation] has been granted to you.
Meditation (Mastery) - Speed of absorbing mana increases by a small amount. - When meditating, regeneration of health and stamina increases by a small amount.
After dismissing the panels, Jean immediately closed his eyes and began emptying his mind of thoughts once more. ¡°No! I don¡¯t wanna be a sacrifice!¡± Jean opened his eyes and looked around. In a short distance, he could see figures shuffling about in the distance. Standing up and dusting off his pants, Jean walked towards the people in the distance while silencing his movements as much as possible. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your death will prolong the life of our people.¡± Jean drew closer to the group of people before him while observing them closely. ¡®Giant cats? No¡­ cat-people?¡¯ Jean squinted his eyes at the figures in the clearing before him as he noticed the cat-like tails and ears attached to their bodies. In the center was a small cat-person being tied up by and gagged by the others around him. ¡°We¡¯ve caught the runaway, let¡¯s head back to the tribe.¡± ¡°Wait a moment, does anyone else smell that?¡± The group of cat-people looked around while sniffing the air. ¡°I think it¡¯s coming from over there.¡± As the entire group looked towards his direction, cold sweat began running down Jean¡¯sback. Chapter 3: Pursuit of Danger ¡°I¡¯ll take a look, you guys go ahead.¡± Jean ceased all body movements as he stared at the approaching cat-person who held out a spear before him. *SCHWIP* Several branches and vines were sliced off in one clean stroke of the cat-person¡¯s spear causing Jean to hold his breath in fear. *ding*
From your attempts to hide, the skill [Stealth] has been granted to you.
Without even identifying the newly acquired skill, Jean immediately decided to activate it. ¡®Stealth!¡¯ Jean¡¯s body gradually melded with his environment until it completely disappeared from sight. The spear-wielding cat-person stopped in his tracks as he looked around while sniffing the air. ¡°Ah, the damned wind.¡± *SCHWIP* After making one last swing that passed inches away from Jean¡¯s neck, the cat-person gave up his search and decided to follow after his fellow kin off in the distance. Jean immediately released his breath and his body once again became visible. After he had fully recovered his breath and his hearth stopped beating out of his chest, Jean looked over the new skill he had aquired. ¡®Identify.¡¯
Stealth (Active) - While no movements are being made, applies camouflage and scent masking to the user. - While moving, applies beginner detection skill nullity to the user instead. - Consumes one point of mana for every minute [Stealth] is active.
While reading the last point on the panel, Jean noticed that the swirling energy he had previously gathered had completely disappeared. ¡®I really am lucky, aren¡¯t I?¡¯ Jean realized that if he hadn¡¯t tried meditating earlier, then even though he had [Stealth], it would¡¯ve been utterly useless to him since it required mana to activate. Jean lightly rubbed his throat at the thought of a spear blade slicing through his neck and severing his head. ¡®I¡¯m actually really weak, aren¡¯t I?¡¯ Taking [Plant Manipulation] out of the picture, it was rather apparent that Jean had no means of protecting himself from harm. Since he hadn¡¯t encountered any other creature until this moment, Jean had supposed that the [Beginner¡¯s Protection Buff] was keeping all the dangerous creatures at bay. ¡®But how do I get stronger?¡¯ Jean pondered this question for a few moments. If this world Jean was brought to was at least similar to the ones written in the light novels back on Earth, he would¡¯ve interacted with someone who knew about the world they were in and skills by this point. However, the first sentient creatures Jean had encountered were hostile towards him and had now disappeared off into the distance. Suddenly, a crazy thought entered his mind. ¡®Maybe I should follow them?¡¯ If this were a world similar to those in light novels, then this would¡¯ve been the opportunity to make allies with others in this unfamiliar world. Having more knowledge in a strange new place was equivalent to having a higher chance of survival and having a higher chance of survival meant Jean could live his life without having to die again. After making his decision, Jean decided to follow after the trail of the cat-people who were now far off in the distance. ¡®I feel like I¡¯m forgetting about something though¡­¡¯This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. * * * ¡°Priestess! We¡¯ve brought back the sacrifice.¡± ¡°Mmmmf! Mmmf, mmmf mmmmmf!¡± Now adorned in jewels, gold, and a fine robe of red, purple, and blue, the sleepy lady from before was no more and she now had a more priestess-like appearance. As she looked at the tied up boy before her, the priestess made a motion for a man holding a golden scepter and a bowl of metallic fluid in his hands. ¡°We will now begin the purification of the sacrifice, bring forth the scepter and cleansing fluid.¡± Stepping forwards, the man besides the priestess handed over the scepter and metallic fluid before stepping back. The priestess then moved closer to the tied up boy as she dipped the tip of the scepter inside of the bowl while stirring it gently. ¡°Emundare, et mundaret!¡± ¡°Emundare, et mundaret!¡± When the priestess chanted words, the surrounding crowd would echo after her flawlessly causing the air around to be filled with vibrations. ¡°Lorica, et operimentum!¡± ¡°Lorica, et operimentum!¡± The priestess lifted the scepter from the bowl silver liquid and waved it over the sacrifice¡¯s head causing silvery drops to fall and coat his face. ¡°Mire factis et luceat!¡± ¡°Mire factis et luceat!¡± Holding the bowl out, the priestess slowly tipped the container holding the silver fluid over the boy causing the liquid to pour out and cover his entire body. ¡°Solidatur et aridam!¡± ¡°Solidatur et aridam!¡± ¡°Mmmmf! Mmmmmmmff-¡± The silver fluid rapidly solidified around the young cat-person¡¯s body, restricting his breathing and stopping all sounds from coming out of his mouth. Soon, the boy¡¯s entire body was covered in a solid silver shell and no more movements could be seen coming from the silvery figure. ¡°Nos complevit factum.¡± ¡°Nos complevit factum.¡± The priestess pressed the scepter forwards and lightly tapped the silver covered boy once. A bright light shone from the boy¡¯s body as the silver slowly cracked off piece by piece. ¡°Now, take the boy and set him up on the moving platform. We will head off for the altar before Mount Feros tomorrow.¡± Several men stepped out from the crowd and removed the cracked pieces of silver as they pulled the boy out of the silvery rubble. The boy¡¯s eyes were now grey and hollow as if his soul had been removed from his body. * * * *knock* *knock* ¡°Come in.¡± A pair of double doors opened, revealing a rather large room with fanciful artifacts lining the walls and a small tea table with black leather sofas which sat before a mahogany colored desk with a turned black leather chair behind it. Seated in the chair was a man with pointed dog-like ears and a rigid tail who held a fat cigar in his mouth. ¡°President. The local tribe of felisophia have begun preparing a sacrifice in response to the recent tremors.¡± The seated man turned around and looked over the man with floppy ears and a thin tail who dressed in a butler-like attire. ¡°Have the humans done anything?¡± The butler shook his head sideways. ¡°It appears as if they didn¡¯t realize an earthquake occurred at all.¡± The president let out a short yet resonating laugh. ¡°Sounds just like those humans! They stay holed up in their bunkers while paying no attention to the outside world whatsoever!¡± Suddenly, the president¡¯s face transformed into that extreme seriousness. ¡°Ken, how much water do we have left in this oasis?¡± The butler paused for a short moment before giving an answer. ¡°The earthquake took a huge toll on our water supplies, nearly half of our stored fresh water was spilled into the ground. If we don¡¯t take into consideration the growth rate of our cities, we have approximately a half year¡¯s worth of clean water left.¡± ¡°So including all of the pups that will be born in the few weeks, we won¡¯t even last six months?¡± The butler nodded sadly. ¡°¡­damn it. I didn¡¯t raise up this city from nothing just to watch it fail from water problems. Have our researchers come up with any solutions?¡± ¡°None so far, president. We¡¯re already recycling all the water we can and there haven¡¯t been any developments on finding new water sources. Other than the ones underneath oases, we can¡¯t seem to locate any new water veins.¡± The president let out a long sigh. ¡°If we can¡¯t find a way to get more water in two months, we¡¯re going to wage war on a nearby oasis. If this city is going to fall, I¡¯d much rather have it go down in war than in drought. Contact General Winston for me and tell him to come up here in an hour.¡± The butler bowed as he exited the room and left the depressed president in the silent office. * * *
Name Jean Kwon
Age 31
Titles Earl of Plants (Rare)
Condition Health: 100/100 Stamina: 90/90 Mana: 0/1
Status Effects Beginner¡¯s Protection Buff
Attributes Strength: 8 Constitution: 9 Agility: 9 Dexterity: 10 Perception: 10 Willpower: 11 Intelligence: 11 Wisdom: 12
Skills Alchemy (Expert) 73.22% Botany (Master) 56.18% - Dendrology (Master) 23.09% - Herbalism (Master) 100.00% - Mycology (Master) 43.98% - Pomology (Master) 57.67% Identify (Beginner) 39.00% Library (Beginner) 3.59% Meditation (Beginner) 0.00% Plant Manipulation (Beginner) 2.50% Stealth (Beginner) 1.00% Synergy (Beginner) 24.00%
Traits Calm Mind (Uncommon) Green Thumb (Common)
Beginner¡¯s Protection Buff - Grants protection for a period of time (22h:37m:02s remaining). - Reduces effects of negative status effects by an enormous amount. - Lowers the requirements for learning new skills by an enormous amount.
Chapter 4: The Approaching Plot ¡®Condition.¡¯
Condition Health: 100/100 Stamina: 90/90 Mana: 10/10
After meditating for a few minutes, Jean had not only restored his mana to its previous max limit but had also increased its limit by nine points. Jean had deemed it a necessary safety procedure if he was going to track the seemingly hostile group off in the distance. ¡®Alright, let¡¯s go.¡¯ Starting off by heading in the direction that he saw the cat-people last, Jean began his journey through the jungle¡­ or so he thought he would. *dum* *dum-dum* *dum-dum* *dum-dum* *dum* Jean moved towards the sound of rhythmic drums as a processional line of cat-people came parading through. *BARAANG* *BARAANG* Cat-people holding instruments that resembled ram¡¯s horns blared out notes along with drummers who consistently beat out rhythm on their wood and beast hide drums. After watching and listening for a while, Jean¡¯s body subconsciously aligned its movements with the music. *ding*
From your appreciation of music, the skill [Music Appreciation] has been granted to you.
Music Appreciation (Passive) - When listening to music, increases the positive effects of the music by a small amount. - When listening to music, decreases the negative effects of the music by a small amount. - [Synergy]: It is now possible to use [Identify] on music.
¡®Interesting...¡¯ Jean looked over the new skill, [Music Appreciation], with keen interest. By reading the description, whether he had [Music Appreciation] or not, Jean discovered that simply listening to music could give buffs or debuffs. ¡®Identify.¡¯
Unknown Rhythmic Music - Increases strength by an unknown amount. - Increases constitution by an unknown amount. - Increases willpower by an unknown amount. - Decreases perception by an unknown amount. - Decreases intelligence by an unknown amount. - Decreases wisdom by an unknown amount. - Effects of negative mental statuses are decreased by an unknown amount. - After prolonged listening, status effect [Berserk] is applied.
Jean was slightly taken aback at the long list of effects that came from listening to the music being played by the parade of cat-people. Nearly half of its effects were negative while its only plus was that it increased combat potential. ¡°Usque ad montem!¡± ¡°Usque ad montem!¡± Behind the trumpeters and drum players marched lines of cat-people dressed in red and gold robes who chanted lines in a language that caught Jean¡¯s ear. ¡®Is that¡­ latin?¡¯ Listening closely to the priest-like cat-people who chanted the words ¡®Usque ad montem!¡¯ repetitively, Jean realized that they were simply saying ¡®To the mountain!¡¯ over and over again. As he looked in the direction the parade was moving, Jean noticed a large shadow that stood behind a clearing in the trees a bit off in the distance. ¡®Ever since when was that there?¡¯ The procession marched on towards the mountain while the trumpeters trumpeted, the drummers drummed, and the chanters chanted in unison. At the very back of the group was a small platform with two cat-people on both sides holding up a young cat-person with white fur who was dressed in pure white and had a bed of white flowers all about him. ¡®Identify.¡¯
Parello BlossomIf you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. - A pretty white flower that is cultivated for its bleach-like properties. - Toxicity: Possibly deadly. When ingested, the flower may cause burning in the mouth, throat, and stomach, nausea, chest pain, delirium, lowered blood pressure, coma, and even death. - Nutritional Value: None whatsoever. - Medicinal Value: Very little. When the Parello Blossom extracts are diluted in water with a three to ninety-seven ratio, the resulting solution can be used as a surface disinfectant and to treat drinking water. - Practical Value: Some use. The more concentrated form of the Parello Blossom extract can be used to completely bleach all color from fabrics, leathers, furs, hair, etc.
¡®Bleach flowers?¡¯ Jean stared intently at the little blossoms with great interest. From a botanical viewpoint, to produce a chemical that removes all color and can be potentially poisonous to pollinators wouldn¡¯t be that great of an idea for the survival of any plant. For such a flower to have survived through Darwin¡¯s theory, it must¡¯ve either been modified to produce bleach and to be pollinated with tools or a natural pollinator that is immune to the toxic effects of ingesting bleach exists, the latter idea being much less feasible. Moving past his ramblings on the incompatibility of bleach and flowers, Jean noticed that the procession had moved quite far off into the distance and he quickly got up and scrambled towards the cat-people who marched to the mountain before them. * * * ¡°A toast, to the twenty-fifth anniversary of Cynopolis!¡± *tink* After the people raised their glasses into the air for a toast, chatter immediately broke out in the banquet hall. ¡°Ah, President Ardal, it is a pleasure to finally meet you.¡± The president lowered his champagne glass as he looked at a man with cocked ears and a fluffy tail with an arm extended out. ¡°You must be the new director of natural resources, Markus Pallin.¡± ¡°Please, Markus is too long, just call me Mark.¡± With a firm handshake, the two men formally introduced themselves to one another. ¡°I would suppose you have a reason for approaching me other than introducing yourself, am I right?¡± The director let out a short chuckle. ¡°Of course not! We¡¯re both men of busy lives, what would I gain by taking your time away from enjoying this lovely banquet?¡± Suddenly, the directors face turned dark. ¡°The source of the tremors earlier this afternoon couldn¡¯t be traced to a natural source.¡± The president paused for a moment. ¡°What?¡± ¡°After observing the data, the epicenter of the earthquake was located about a few kilometers away from the felisophia tribals.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that the earthquake from earlier originated from the middle of the eastern jungle? Not because of a volcanic eruption or the shifting of tectonic plates?¡± The director shook his head. ¡°There were quite a few eyewitnesses who claimed that they saw a massive, green, pillar-like structure suddenly shoot up into the sky and then after a few moments slammed back down into the earth at the same time the earthquake struck.¡± The president stared at the director in disbelief. ¡°I was quite skeptical of this news myself but the number of people on the east side of the city who claimed to see this event occur are not few.¡± There was a short period of silence as the president stood perfectly still, seeming to be in a state of deep thought. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s say that the event of this pillar suddenly appearing and slamming into the ground actually happened and this is the reason for the tremors from earlier. Now, the question we should be asking is not, ¡®How did this happen?¡¯ but rather, ¡®What caused this to happen?¡¯¡± ¡°If I may ask, what¡¯s the difference between the two questions?¡± ¡°Do you know of the time we had a conflict with the humans?¡± The director looked towards the ceiling for a moment. ¡°Yes, the board of that time wished to force the humans to cooperate with their plans but then the humans brought out a energy source called ¡®mana¡¯ that could manipulate¡­¡± The director¡¯s face suddenly changed to that of shock. ¡°You don¡¯t mean this was doing of humans? We haven¡¯t seen from them for the last year or so¡­¡± ¡°Precisely! It is because we haven¡¯t seen them for over a year that they are the most suspicious.¡± ¡°But president, is that energy they harness really potent enough to raise a pillar that was described to be over a hundred meters tall?¡± ¡°It¡¯s understandable since you weren¡¯t there to witness it, however, it stays true that their energy, mana, was not only capable of being easily transformed into tangible objects but could also be used to control already existing things. If a war had broken out back then, I¡¯m afraid to say that we wouldn¡¯t be standing here today.¡± An awkward silence broke out between the two men. ¡°The bottom line is, we need to figure out what exactly happened in the eastern jungle. Can I trust you to send men to investigate, Mark?¡± ¡°Rest assured, president. I will not leave a single square meter of jungle unsearched until the source of these incidents are found.¡± After a simple nod of agreement, the president and director both went their individual ways as they enjoyed the rest of the banquet. * * *
Name Jean Kwon
Age 31
Titles Earl of Plants (Rare)
Condition Health: 100/100 Stamina: 90/90 Mana: 10/10
Status Effects Beginner¡¯s Protection Buff
Attributes Strength: 8 Constitution: 9 Agility: 9 Dexterity: 10 Perception: 10 Willpower: 11 Intelligence: 11 Wisdom: 12
Skills Alchemy (Expert) 73.22% Botany (Master) 56.18% - Dendrology (Master) 23.09% - Herbalism (Master) 100.00% - Mycology (Master) 43.98% - Pomology (Master) 57.67% Identify (Beginner) 39.00% Library (Beginner) 3.59% Meditation (Beginner) 9.23% Music Appreciation (Beginner) 23.42% Plant Manipulation (Beginner) 2.50% Stealth (Beginner) 1.00% Synergy (Beginner) 24.00%
Traits Calm Mind (Uncommon) Green Thumb (Common)
Beginner¡¯s Protection Buff - Grants protection for a period of time (22h:03m:24s remaining). - Reduces effects of negative status effects by an enormous amount. - Lowers the requirements for learning new skills by an enormous amount.
Chapter 5: The Minor Powerspike After walking for about thirty minutes, the procession of cat-people finally stopped at the base of the mountain. The group then split into two halves, those who played music stayed at the bottom of the mountain while the chanters, the platform, and those who carried the platform moved forwards as they made a trek towards the top of the mountain. ¡°Nos transcendere!¡± ¡°Nos transcendere!¡± Suddenly, as the second group ascended the mountain, the rhythmic playing of trumpets and drums stopped and was replaced by a slow, steady beat of drums. *dum* *dum* *dum* The beats of the drum reverberated all about, causing those who stood nearby to feel as if the earth were shaking each time a beat was hit. Additionally, no one made a single sound aside from the drums beating causing the environment to give a solemn feeling to it. Soon, the group that climbed the mountain reached a small plateau on which stood a large stone table. After placing the moving platform upon the table, the carriers of the platform stood off to the sides with their heads bowed and their arms behind their backs. ¡°Damus vobis, sacrificium.¡± While speaking these words, the priestess stepped forth from the midst of the crowd of chanters as she raised her hands into the air before the stone table. ¡°In commutationem, dona nobis pacem. Nolite nocere nobis.¡± ¡°Montem, nolite nocere nobis! Dona nobis pacem!¡± Dark clouds began to gather in the sky as small sparks of lightning shot out of the collecting mass of darkness. ¡°Ostende nobis fulgoribus, quae portentis. Accipe sacrificium.¡± ¡°Colligunt nubibus. Ostende nobis fulgoribus, quae portentis!¡± The forming mass of dark clouds grew more and more as the sparks of lightning that shot out of it grew more powerful with each passing second. ¡°Fulgur, percutiens!¡± ¡°Fulgur, percutiens!¡± *BOOOM* A blinding bolt of light shot down from the culminating clouds above and beamed its way down towards the earth onto the stone table on which the young cat-person dressed in white sat. The moment the lightning touched him, the boy¡¯s body was engulfed in the dazzling light as all the flowers surrounding the boy resonated with the flowing electricity displaying an almost holy kind of scene to all those whose eyes hadn¡¯t been dulled to the initial exposure of light. Soon, the light died out and the boy dressed in white was no more. * * * *ding* *ding* *ding* *ding* *ding*
From witnessing the casting of magic from afar, the skill [Mana Perception] has been granted to you.
From witnessing the manipulation of air through magic from afar, the skill [Lesser Air Magic] has been granted to you.
From witnessing the manipulation of water through magic from afar, the skill [Lesser Water Magic] has been granted to you.
From witnessing the manipulation of lightning through magic from afar, the skill [Lesser Lightning Magic] has been granted to you.
From observing a higher form of magic, the skills [Lesser Air Magic], [Lesser Water Magic], and [Lesser Lightning Magic] can be fused together to make a potentially stronger skill. Would you like to fuse them?
YES NO
*thump* The five panels which suddenly blocked Jean¡¯s vision as he attempted to walk closer to the stopped group of cat-people caused him to trip on a root and fall over on his face. ¡®Ouch¡­¡¯ After picking himself up out of the low brush, Jean used [Identify] on all of the newly acquired skills while he dusted off the minor scratches he had gained from falling over.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
Mana Perception (Passive): - Allows for the perception of mana even when not in a meditative state. - [Synergy]: It is now possible to use [Identify] on spells.
Lesser Air Magic (Active) - Allows for the creation, manipulation, and removal of air through incantations or inscriptions. - Consumes one point of mana for every cubic decimeter of air created, manipulated, or removed.
Lesser Water Magic (Active) - Allows for the creation, manipulation, and removal of water through incantations or inscriptions. - Consumes one point of mana for every cubic decimeter of water created, manipulated, or removed.
Lesser Lightning Magic (Active) - Allows for the creation, manipulation, and removal of lightning through incantations or inscriptions. - Consumes one point of mana for every hundred watts of electricity created, manipulated, or removed.
¡®Where did all of these skills come from?¡¯ Within the few seconds before all of the panels popped out at him, Jean couldn¡¯t quite remember observing any form of magic. ¡®Unless¡­ that weird thunderstorm?¡¯ As he had slowly approached the group of silent musicians earlier, he had noticed that they had all stopped playing once a dark cloud appeared in the sky and watched as the cloud grew larger and larger until a blinding lightning bolt came down from the sky and struck the mountain before them. As the chanters the carriers of the platform marched down the mountain, the musicians began to get back into their positions and waited. Soon, both groups stopped moving as a lady adorned in jewels, gold, and a fine robe of red, purple, and blue stepped out in front of the group of musicians. ¡°My fellow tribesmen, the sacrifice was accepted by Mount Feros! We may now go and celebrate a year of peace that was granted to us by the mighty mountain!¡± The air was immediately filled with the roar of cheers and shouts as all the cat-people raised their hands into the air and rejoiced in loud, cheerful voices. *dum* *dum-dum* *dum-dum* *dum-dum* *dum* *BARAANG* *BARAANG* The musicians raised their instruments and began playing once again with full vigor as they began their march back in the direction they came. However, despite all the joyful music and cheering, Jean noticed something extremely strange about the entire procession. ¡®Did they just kill their fellow clansmen with magic through the assumption that the mountain was accepting their sacrifice?¡¯ As far as he was informed, Jean was fairly certain that mountains weren¡¯t conscious beings that could think for themselves. Assuming that this fact was true in the current world he was in, Jean had just observed the cat-people smite one of their own kind with magic while they thought the mountain was the one who brought down the lightning from the sky to ¡®accept¡¯ their sacrifice. ¡®What a pitiful end for whoever ended up being a sacrifice.¡¯ To die at the hands of your friends and family for no reason whatsoever would be one of the most frustrating things that could ever happen to anyone. Jean began to wonder if he should still continue to make allies with the cat-people with strange customs and practices. ¡®Why doubt myself now? Following them so far has gotten me four new skills.¡¯ Looking over at the four new skills added to his [Skills] tab, Jean remembered the panel that had said something rather interesting on it.
From observing a higher form of magic, the skills [Lesser Air Magic], [Lesser Water Magic], and [Lesser Lightning Magic] can be fused together to make a potentially stronger skill. Would you like to fuse them?
YES NO
Jean had no hesitations to press the [Yes] button. If the new skill resembled anything like the supernatural phenomenon he had seen before, it was most definitely worth learning. *ding*
Skills [Lesser Air Magic], [Lesser Water Magic], and [Lesser Lightning Magic] fused together to create [Lesser Storm Magic].
*ding*
From fusing your first skill, the skill [Combine] has been granted to you.
Lesser Storm Magic (Active): - Allows for the creation, manipulation, and removal of clouds, large gales, and storms through incantations or inscriptions. - Increases abilities of air, water, and lightning magic by a small amount.
Combine (Active) - Allows for the combination of certain skills or objects. - [Synergy]: When the affinities of the items being combined align, increases the effects and abilities of the final item.
Although Jean didn¡¯t know what [Lesser Storm Magic] was capable of yet, its effects were already a step up from its more basic forms. Additionally, Jean received the skill [Combine] as a bonus which made him all the more happier. Now, with an arsenal full of new skills, Jean decided that he would track after the cat-people who had long proceeded on with their march. Of course, he would do all of this after he increased his base mana to a hundred. * * *
Name Jean Kwon
Age 31
Titles Earl of Plants (Rare)
Condition Health: 100/100 Stamina: 90/90 Mana: 100/100
Status Effects Beginner¡¯s Protection Buff
Attributes Strength: 8 Constitution: 9 Agility: 9 Dexterity: 10 Perception: 10 Willpower: 11 Intelligence: 11 Wisdom: 12
Skills Alchemy (Expert) 73.22% Botany (Master) 56.18% - Dendrology (Master) 23.09% - Herbalism (Master) 100.00% - Mycology (Master) 43.98% - Pomology (Master) 57.67% Combine (Beginner) 0.00% Identify (Beginner) 48.00% Lesser Storm Magic (Beginner) 0.00% - Lesser Air Magic (Beginner) 0.00% - Lesser Lightning Magic (Beginner) 0.00% - Lesser Water Magic (Beginner) 0.00% Library (Beginner) 3.59% Mana Perception (Beginner) 2.53% Meditation (Beginner) 48.92% Music Appreciation (Beginner) 23.42% Plant Manipulation (Beginner) 2.50% Stealth (Beginner) 1.00% Synergy (Beginner) 26.00%
Traits Calm Mind (Uncommon) Green Thumb (Common)
Beginner¡¯s Protection Buff - Grants protection for a period of time (21h:49m:42s remaining). - Reduces effects of negative status effects by an enormous amount. - Lowers the requirements for learning new skills by an enormous amount.