Chapter 316: Playing Hard to Get

The Star Spirit Hailey immediately agreed.

About half an hour later, she arrived by flight.

Only the male Star Spirit Jeremy was no longer at her side; she had come alone, and was a little travel-worn.

Presumably she had rushed over the moment she received Rod's message.

This left Rod feeling rather flattered and overwhelmed.

He didn't recall having any particularly special relationship with this Star Spirit.

He had thrown her several flirtatious glances and played the cool card a few times before, but it was all like stones sinking into the sea — not the slightest response.

It had led him to think she was the cold, aloof type, just like Lady Kali.

Could she actually be cold on the outside but warm on the inside?

"A woman?"

The Star Spirit Hailey spotted, amid the vortex-shaped frost strewn with corpses, a mage in white robes.

She was a bit short, but judging from her chest and hips, her figure had quite nice proportions.

Secretly displeased inside.

You asked to meet me and still brought a girl along? Then what were all those flirtatious glances you threw me before?

No, that wasn't right either.

The first time they met, he already had two girls following by his side.

After a little thought, she set aside her displeasure and instead considered how to raise his good opinion of her.

"Miss Hailey, it's been two days and you've gotten even prettier."

Rod opened with a smile.

Then he introduced her and Lady Aona to each other.

However, Lady Aona had specifically instructed him not to reveal her identity as a member of the Magic Control Union's Containment Division.

"The Mycelium Clan is a newly migrated tribe of mushroom-folk. We haven't pinned down their location, but on the way here I had someone contact a friend from the Umbrella Cap Clan. He said he's willing to help ask around — let's head over and meet up with him first."

After exchanging greetings.

Hailey stated it briefly and to the point.

Having a lead was the best thing; far better than groping blindly across the vast Kor Plains.

Besides, mushroom-folk lived underground, so letting Rod search inch by inch would mean no telling when he'd ever find them.

Without further ado.

The three of them each took to flight, with Hailey leading the way.

The journey took nearly an hour.

They landed at the edge of a thornwood thicket.

The thornwood thicket, with winter having arrived, had not a trace of green; the trees there looked like brown vines bursting into flower from the ground, sprawling every which way.

They were covered in sharp thorns, and no one would want to pass through there.

At the edge of the thornwood thicket.

A tall mushroom-folk with a round, bulging belly waved to them.

"This is Noah of the Umbrella Cap Clan. If anyone on the Kor Plains has the best intel on the mushroom-folk, it's none other than him."

Hailey took the lead with flattery and introduction.

Rod and Lady Aona also offered their compliments.

This mushroom-folk Noah was easy to coax as well.

He burst out laughing, slapped his own belly, and vowed solemnly that he'd definitely lead them to the Mycelium Clan's location.

Still need to look?

Rod thought it over and nodded.

After all, it was a newly migrated clan — a tribe's location was the kind of private matter that naturally couldn't be revealed lightly.

Noah, who looked simple and honest, didn't notice the worry in Rod's and Lady Aona's eyes.

The Star Spirit Hailey, acting as the middleman, took on the role of offering reassurance.

"Please rest assured, Mr. Rod, Miss Lady Aona — mushroom-folk can communicate telepathically through spores, so they leave 'messages' along every path they travel. Noah will absolutely be able to help us."

Lady Aona nodded.

As rabbit-folk adept in Jing Shen Xi Fa, they had a certain lopsidedness to their skills.

Astrology, prophecy, and perception were their weakest areas; if she had to find someone on her own, she probably could only go back to the Magic Control Union for help.

And the methods she'd use would likely all be the clumsy inch-by-inch search, not as swift as the local Noah's.

After finishing the chat.

Everyone immediately began the search.

The first place mushroom-folk Noah headed for was the Spore-Glow Colony on the east side of the Kor Plains, the colony closest to the damp marshlands.

Moreover, the people there had clearly had dealings with the Mycelium Clan mushroom-folk.

Everyone sped up their pace.

But the journey was long, and they flew a full two hours before arriving.

The intelligence-gathering went very smoothly.

After gifting twelve bottles of soil-fertility magic potions, Noah got word of the Mycelium Clan's underground location.

Without pausing, everyone immediately set off again.

"Truly worthy of Mr. Noah — to find out in one go!"

Lady Aona praised.

The location understood that she had finally relaxed a bit.

The mushroom man Noah scratched his head.

A bit embarrassed: "The Spore-Light Colony folks aren't easy to talk to; without Mr. Rod's Sheng De Mo Fa potions, it's hard to say if negotiations would have gone so smoothly."

Mushroom men have no particular preferences.

But they do have certain requirements for the fertility of the land where they live.

This type of Xing De Mo Fa potion is generally not stocked; since Ona and Haley are of high rank, they naturally wouldn't have such things unrelated to themselves.

Rod was different; after all, he was a Forest Warden.

He also ran a farm, so he knew a great deal about soil fertility and possessed many related items; twelve bottles were nothing.

"It was mainly thanks to Mr. Noah's connections that things went so smoothly."

Rod said with a smile, voluntarily giving the credit away.

Hearing this, Noah chuckled loudly.

His round, single-colored yellow eyes looked just like a cartoon character's, and his gaze toward Rod grew even kinder.

Ona secretly winked at him, revealing a sweet smile.

The Star Spirit Haley saw this and secretly guessed the other's identity in her heart.

Just as she had judged, Rod, possessing such strength, could never be an unknown person.

There was no need even to spend time investigating.

Simply by looking through past newspapers on the Twilight Hills, she easily locked onto a name: 'Rod, Forest Warden of the Windwall Forest'.

However, the name Rod was still a common one.

So before this, she had only vaguely guessed and dared not be certain.

Until this very moment, seeing Rod pull out a large pile of plant materials and potions, she became sure.

"Defeated two Purgatory Seventh-Rank minions with one person's strength? And at the time, he was only at the early stage of Sixth Rank?"

Haley's blue eyes looked at Rod, shimmering with light.

Although the newspapers produced by the bards recently had become increasingly exaggerated, they were enough to prove his potential.

This person is only one step away from the Seventh Rank; if I can get him in my grasp, I should secure a place within the Star Association.

It's just

Are there too many women around this guy?

Haley couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

How does one get a potential stock that never lacks women?

Take the initiative?

No, the newspapers say this guy keeps a succubus; no one can match a succubus's initiative.

Then treat him coldly and become a woman he can't get?

That won't work either.

The Windwall Forest is home to tree spirits known for emotional deficiency and elves with bad tempers; these are all racial cute points, which I can't match.

Haley began to search through the novels she had read in her mind.

As an unmarried old maid, while other Star Spirit families held their family days, she could only curl up alone at home reading novels and storybooks.

"This person clearly likes other races; should I play up the racial characteristics?"

Aren't we Star Spirits semi-transparent?

Isn't my body my greatest characteristic?!

If I just subtly reveal my figure in front of him without him noticing, won't I easily get him firmly in my grasp?!

Hmm!

Done!

Haley, a workaholic old auntie nearing forty who had never been in love, began her strategy to get him in her grasp.

The first step was to secretly take off the long skirt inside her wide mage robe, leaving only a pair of tiny shorts.

(End of this chapter)