Chapter 15: Scorpion Woman Hera and Spiritual Growth

The Scorpion Woman is a tall and slender humanoid.

She has short black-purple hair that reaches her ears, smooth and neat.

The hair completely covers the upper half of her face, revealing only the lower part: a high, petite nose and sexy, soft lips.

Although her hair is rather short, two small braids fall onto her collarbones.

Adding a touch of girlish playfulness to her mature, big-sister appearance.

The black-purple exoskeleton forms only on her chest and hips; the rest of her skin is snow-white and delicate human skin.

Rod sensed on her a spiritual accumulation far surpassing Isabella's.

Seventh Rank?

No, likely more than that.

Fortunately, she bore no malice.

The gap between them was too vast; Rod had no desire to draw his sword and decisively surrendered at once to ensure his safety.

"Respected Scorpion Woman Young Lady, hello. I am very sorry for mistakenly entering your territory."

He had always known of the Scorpion Woman in the Eucalyptus District.

But for a long time, the two had never met; often when patrolling the Eucalyptus District, he hadn't paid much attention.

Now knowing she might be a master of Eighth Rank or above.

That respect had to be brought to the table.

The Scorpion Woman waved her hand, which bore black nails.

"My agreement with the Aethelorn Kingdom is to guard the Windwall Forest for seventy years; I count as a colleague with you, so there is no need for this."

Hearing this, Rod immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

He hurriedly introduced himself.

"Rod. Hmm, I have noted it. Unlike the previous forest wardens, Rod is a fellow who constantly mixes with succubi."

"Uh."

The Scorpion Woman laughed heartily.

"Just joking. My name is Hera. Originally, I did not intend to meet you, after all, forest wardens are all fellows who don't stay long, but what you did last night was quite good."

"As a reward, I will remove the mental mark for you."

"Mental mark?" Rod's expression changed.

"Didn't notice? Then your spiritual perception needs improvement." Hera chuckled softly, "Let me see, the mental mark hasn't lasted long, only nearly a day."

That was last night.

Was it Father Owen?

Or Isabella?

Father Owen is more likely; he is a mage by nature, while Isabella is merely a pure muscle person.

Rod told Hera about his experience at Two-Finger Mountain and the schemes of the Yige Sect.

"These bugs of the Yige Clan really haven't changed their stubborn ways."

Hera stepped forward.

The exoskeleton on her chest covered only the front, like a half-strap hanging there.

This did not serve a fixing function; therefore, with every step she took, that pair of Bai Tu jumped, quite alluring.

She lightly flicked Rod's forehead.

Rod immediately felt something detach from his body.

He immediately thanked Hera and said a few flattering words.

"Don't be so happy. This mental mark constantly emits specific spiritual fluctuations; as long as one's strength isn't lacking, the Yige Sect has certainly already discovered it."

Rod's face turned ugly.

During the day, he had strolled around Shi Ying Town; judging by the Yige Sect's level of infiltration, it was hard not to know.

Hera seemed to see through his predicament.

She raised three fingers.

"Three times. You have done your job as a forest warden well; I am willing to give you three chances to act."

"My lord, if you need anything, just order."

Rod immediately decided to cling to Hera's thigh and hurriedly expressed this.

Hera chuckled.

"You, a little thing under Fifth Rank, what can you help me with? Just survive first."

Perhaps it was because Hera had gone too long without talking to anyone.

Rod followed her lead, paid a few compliments, and told some jokes he had heard on Earth in his past life.

Coaxing this powerful Scorpion Woman Young Lady into laughing until she bent forward and backward.

Later, in conversation, Hera inadvertently mentioned that she needed some treasures that could enhance affinity with the Fire and Poison attributes.

Rod silently memorized this and decided to help her collect them.

And the 【Flame Spirit Oil】 previously seized from the Halfling was directly given to her.

After ending the conversation.

Returning to the forest ranger's wooden cabin.

At this time, Tally was already cooking at home.

"By the way, Master, earlier, that hunter named Little Tom put a few letters in the mailbox; I have already checked them for you."

She appeared again in the state of a naked apron, stirring the food in the pot while speaking.

Rod looked at the table.

Several letters that had already been opened.

"Snooping through other people's letters is immoral, Tally."

"When have you ever heard of an immoral succubus?"

Rod casually read through a few of them and found they were all love letters to him from the young girls and young married women of Shi Ying Town.

The contents from a few of the young married women were very explicit, their main point being that they wanted to devour his "it."

Subway elder looking at phone. jpg

He tossed all the letters aside and stopped bothering with them.

"…How much longer until we eat?"

"Still needs to stew for about another twenty minutes~"

Seeing there was still time.

Rod simply began cultivating the newly purchased 【Night Hunter's Breathing Art】.

Unlike the various races who could automatically absorb spiritual essence.

Humans needed breathing arts and meditation arts to accumulate spiritual essence within their bodies.

It was like a floodgate for pouring in water.

The quality of the breathing art and meditation art limited the upper limit of spiritual essence the human body could absorb per second.

An individual's aptitude was the amount of water that could be poured through this limited floodgate.

As he cultivated 【Night Hunter's Breathing Art】.

Rod's floodgate gradually grew larger.

The spiritual essence gifted by 【Tree's Blessing】 had previously been blocked at the gate, rubbing against it but unable to get in.

Now that the floodgate had been expanded, it surged right in.

It was a wondrous sensation.

As the spiritual essence of 【Night Hunter's Breathing Art】 entered his body, Rod immediately sensed the wind all around him.

This gentle breeze blew through every corner of the wooden cabin.

Like a bat using ultrasonic waves to perceive its surroundings, it fed back into his mind.

Take Tally in the kitchen, for example.

At that moment, she glanced in Rod's direction.

She sneakily pulled her hand back from between her legs, about to drip a few drops of viscous, stringy liquid into the pot.

"Tally."

Tally shrunk her neck in.

She sheepishly wiped the liquid off her hand.

Damn it, she clearly had never been discovered before…

Rod completed a full cycle of 【Night Hunter's Breathing Art】.

【【Tree's Blessing】 triggered a special effect.】

【Obtained one point of 'Growth Spiritual Essence'】

【Details: The forest contains the meaning of 'growth.' Injecting 'Growth Spiritual Essence' into an object or creature can cause it to complete its growth.】

"!"

In short, it's enhancement!?

That's absurd?!

The effects of 【Tree's Blessing】 are way too exaggerated.

Rod had initially assumed this was a skill every tree spirit had.

But with two exaggerated bonus effects appearing in a row, he knew that even among tree spirits, this was an extremely rare skill.

They ate dinner.

After a post-meal exercise session with Tally.

Rod began studying the swordsmanship manuals for 【Aetheron's Flash】 and 【Giant-Sized Slash】.

【Aetheron's Flash】 was a sword art focused on rapid sword swings.

【Giant-Sized Slash】, on the other hand, was a fierce, explosive-power strike.

These two sword arts could both very well compensate for his shortcomings.

He generally liked to sort out the theory first before moving on to actual practice.

He hadn't been reading long.

He suddenly sensed someone approaching outside.

Frowning, he took 【Sacrificial Body Sword】 out of his spell pouch.

Not long after, a knocking sound came from the wooden door.

(End of chapter)