Chapter 180: Spirit Seeds and Tranquility

But thinking about it changes nothing.

Whether they come or not is not something a mere Sixth-Ranker like him can decide or alter.

The key is the phrase "irregular timing" in the description; by Rod's judgment, that "irregular timing" probably spans quite a long period.

Take Vivian, for instance; the Spirit Seed she previously gifted Rod was the only one in her forty years of life.

Who knows how long this might take to wait for?

Just as he was thinking, he felt a sudden urge.

His soap-covered palm left Vivian's bottom, and a seed brimming with spiritual energy immediately sprang forth.

Without much thought, Rod immediately swallowed the seed.

Hmm... warm, with the scent of soap, and also Vivian's smell.

Perhaps it was because he had been pinching her bottom the whole time.

Immediately after, Rod's expression grew strange.

Lifting his other hand, which had been washing the Tree Spirit's armpits, another Spirit Seed sprang forth.

"Is this the newbie bonus period?"

He tossed it into his mouth again.

Tree Spirits are not a sapient race that doesn't sweat; they simply do not carry the foul odors or marking scents like humans or other beast-men.

It carried a slight salty taste, along with a faint aroma of tree bark.

I heard that Tree Spirit sweat is originally a condiment favored by noble lords, quite popular and rare.

Let alone cute and pretty Vivian, with her clean skin almost free of wrinkles and textures, naturally emitting a fresh fragrance.

Harvesting from her body was like enjoying sweet peach juice beneath a peach tree.

Besides, Rod and Vivian had been together for so long; where on her body had he not tasted?

The stimulation of the Spirit Seed is no joke.

Quickly.

Rod felt the spiritual energy within his body surge.

It constantly stimulated his muscles and bones, pushing his physical form further toward a stronger stage.

His comprehension of spiritual energy and magic also deepened a step.

Previously, his mastery of gravity spells was very slow, and he had to rely on the help of the elf Kalist.

But if it were now, he feared he could master it completely on his own in less than ten days.

"A bit terrifying; a Spirit Seed that can be repeatedly consumed to infinitely strengthen the body and comprehension."

After finishing bathing Vivian.

Given Rod's strengthened comprehension of spiritual energy, he found a method better suited to himself for circulating spiritual energy and stimulating his body.

In a short time, he could clearly feel his physical form had strengthened by about ten percent.

He couldn't help but sigh.

He spent 13,000 Jin Along on cosmic biological materials for ascetic training, intending to enhance his physical origin, yet not even a day had passed before he found a new method.

Moreover, it was more labor-saving and faster.

Vivian was already drowsy.

After changing her into clean clothes, she hadn't even dried her hair before collapsing into Rod's arms to sleep.

Although sleeping with wet hair is a trivial matter for a mid-stage Seventh-Ranker Tree Spirit.

But Rod's Earthly concepts were deeply rooted; he still placed her in a chair, letting her head rest against his abdomen.

"I seem to have confiscated quite a few spell notebooks..."

He had defeated many mages, and they all had the habit of handwritten records.

Therefore, Rod could find the usage methods and tricks for these spells within them.

Sure enough, among the relics of the Star Spirit people he had slain previously, he found a spell notebook recording the 【Warm Wind Spell】.

And within five minutes, he learned this simple spell.

Hoo-hoo-hoo, he blew Vivian's hair dry.

The giant squirrel Cui Qian had been standing nearby, silent.

Seeing the Forest Warden Rod care for her so meticulously, she couldn't help but sigh as if her daughter had married into a good family.

"You are a good husband, Mr. Rod."

"Who would say otherwise?"

Rod smiled apologetically at her: "I was too anxious before; I offended you greatly."

"It's fine; it was all for Vivian."

"I am still very grateful that you brought Vivian back in time. Do you have anything you like? I can't quite grasp your preferences."

A giant gray squirrel, and a servant of the World Tree.

Rod wanted to return a gift but didn't know what to give, so he simply asked directly.

He couldn't possibly give pinecones, could he?

Cui Qian waved her small paws: "No harm, no harm. However, since I rarely get to visit the real world, I wish to play here for a few more days; I ask Mr. Rod to allow me to stay temporarily in this forest."

"Of course, make yourself at home; if you need anything, just come find me."

Cui Qian showed joy and thanked him repeatedly.

She was clearly a playful nature; upon learning that Vivian would be cared for by Rod, she couldn't wait for night to fall and ran out to play.

Rod, still worried about Vivian's condition, took her to a temporary hospital in the forest for a checkup.

Fortunately, after the examination, there were no problems.

Mentally, she suffered a bit of a shock; a few days of rest and she'll recover.

However, Vivian's state caught Lady Kali's attention, and she saw right away what the two of them had been up to just before.

It would have been hard not to notice!

So, Rod was kicked out of the field hospital by Lady Kali and Miss Xiao Ke on the grounds of obstructing medical treatment.

The following week was relatively peaceful.

The land naga Eve, after picking out a few representative pieces of rebel equipment, began her return journey to Mirror Desert, once again setting foot on the road to save her mother.

Before leaving, she still couldn't let go, and struck a few seductive poses, hoping Rod would come back to Mirror Desert with her.

She also promised to give him a grand wedding.

Rod felt something was off about it — the way she said it, it sounded like I'd be marrying into your land naga.

Besides, he wasn't going to give up his territory in the forest either, so he refused her outright.

Speaking of which, Eve hadn't actually planned to go back so soon.

After all, zombie Selena had Suffered Heavy injuries, both her hands severed, and the experiments to develop a cure for the effects of 【Charm Fluid】 had come to a halt.

Eve said you at least have to let me use my hands a bit; we naga aren't some species so overwhelmed by desire we can't help ourselves. What if we're apart for a long time and I hold it in for a year or so, and just drop dead on you?

Rod could only turn to the elf Lady Kali for help once again.

For whatever reason, she neither needed a sample nor much time.

That very afternoon, she produced a magical potion specifically targeting Rod's bodily fluids.

Eve was cured on the spot, and dragged Rod back to the little wooden cabin.

The two of them got in the mood, and another great battle ensued, wasting a whole bottle of the antidote on the spot.

Fortunately, Lady Kali still had some in stock.

Rod also couldn't avoid a round of contempt.

Apart from that, the situations of Vivian, Tally, and zombie Selena were all fairly good.

Tally had recovered, and recently was applying to make up the missed sessions from these past few days, pending Rod's approval.

Vivian left the hospital the next day, continuing her care of the 【Jade Tree】 remnants; after her advancement, it seemed to be producing quite decent results.

As for Selena's prosthetic limbs, after the dwarf craftsman came by to take measurements, production was now in full swing, with completion expected in another week.

However, not everything was good news.

The beastfolk Amy still hadn't woken up.

【Berserk】 was already a spiritual art with a heavy burden to begin with — three times in a row, and on top of that, close-quarters combat with a seventh-tier demon. The burden and damage hardly need saying.

(End of chapter)