Chapter 335: Wood Thorn

Selina was far more practical.

She listed a long sheet filled with the names and quantities of spell components.

Most of them were materials needed for magic rings; the rest, Rod couldn't identify—likely personal experimental ingredients Selina was curious about.

Rod was a man of principle.

He wouldn't exploit his staff; as long as Zombie Girl could guarantee the basic output of magic rings, he personally approved of her having personal hobbies or entertainment.

He rubbed the pale green rectangular wooden box in his hand.

It was a severed branch of the Jade Tree.

Its condition was extremely healthy—no special ritual needed, just plant it in fertile soil and water it daily, and it would take root.

He had originally planned to graft it into the Cat Spirit's Paradise, since that place was essentially his territory anyway.

But then.

The Jade Tree was doing remarkably well—just two days without seeing it, and it had grown taller again.

There was no need to move it to the Cat Spirit's Paradise just yet.

He planned to give the branch to the dog-girl Sharon.

The plague-ridden nation of Faye, where she was headed, had a terrible reputation.

Though Sharon hadn't said it outright, Rod could guess what memories Amel had of the place.

The dog-girl undoubtedly sought something there, and she'd likely stay a long time.

So he might as well plant the Jade Tree branch there—if problems arose, he could still go lend a hand.

He acted immediately.

Rod immediately contacted Sharon via the Far-Speech Chain and explained the situation.

Unfortunately, Sharon was also a stubborn type.

She refused to say goodbye to anyone right before departure; she only told him to leave the box in Henry Farm's mailbox, and she'd pick it up at night when she left.

Rod never liked forcing girls.

So he let her have her way.

Sharon's departure was silent and unannounced; her best friend Dimia, no doubt expecting it, simply chatted briefly with Rod the next day, then threw herself back into her work in Shi Ying Town—as if to mask her sorrow over the farewell.

Especially the guarding duties in the Claw Valley Highlands.

For the next five days, every morning when Rod and Tally bit each other, they sensed distant explosions.

Today was no different.

Rod patted Tally's head, signaling that what was about to be fired wasn't just the witch's Inferno spell.

Under his guidance, the succubus had adopted a pure, cute bob haircut with bangs, while retaining her seductive demon form.

A striking contrast.

Thanks to the witch's constitution granting strong spell potency, the beast-tainted patients had come to realize this place was not to be trifled with; the number and frequency of recent attacks had dropped sharply.

In the mission to rescue the mushroom-person Scarlett.

One mystery remained unsolved.

In the fungal tribe's homeland, everyone could see that beast-tainted patients had launched deliberate attacks—likely to seize the Golden Crown of Fleshweave for their own ends.

But even after the second golden crown appeared, they still hadn't figured out who was behind it.

But then.

As beast-taint deepens, intelligence fades entirely; even if ignored, the culprit would eventually become a mindless, chaotic beast anyway.

"Mmm!"

The succubus made a gurgling sound.

Huh—

Rod felt refreshed, the lingering laziness of waking gone.

After cleaning up, he shoved Tally away, still trying to cling to him.

Pulled up his pants.

He strolled calmly to the dining table to enjoy breakfast.

—Smoked wood-grilled salmon slices, honey oat cookies, Elven Dawn Dew Porridge.

Slightly more lavish than before.

The arachnid elf Yuna had bought them specially from town and delivered them early.

"Smoked salmon, Dawn Dew Porridge—they look like elf food. Disgusting. When did Shi Ying Town get an elven cuisine?"

Tally giggled as she hugged Rod from behind while he sat, giving him a headbutt.

Succubi were naturally hostile toward elves.

Hating the owner, they hated the food too.

"A new restaurant on New Rank Street, run by an elven chef."

Rod tore off a small piece of smoked salmon, about to put it in his mouth, when Tally behind him snatched it—mouth and all—along with his finger.

Then her soft lips sucked hard, leaving a faintly glowing residue on his fingertip.

"Didn't you say it was disgusting?"

"With the Master's taste on it, it's not disgusting~~"

He ignored her.

Tore off another piece and put it in his mouth.

Mm.

Tender meat, rich smoky aroma.

No wonder this restaurant was popular.

More and more people were settling in Shi Ying Town—various races, various professions; New Rank Street saw new shops opening nearly every day.

The border town had taken on a new vitality.

Rod thought it was good.

But the pressure on the Town Hall's Peacekeeping Squad had grown considerably.

The other day, passing through town, he saw his old acquaintance, Peacekeeper David, handling a brawl.

It started because two foreign prostitutes couldn't agree on price and number of clients at a brothel.

The incident had gotten quite big.

The fairy Rosalia had long wanted to clean up the brothels in town.

Brothels weren't just brothels—the trafficking and oppression they bred were far worse.

With Shi Ying Town now crowded and chaotic, she seized the opportunity to crack down on many notorious brothels, while also boosting the Peacekeeping Squad's authority.

These past nights, whenever the crisp clinking of armored uniforms echoed through the secluded, damp alleys.

It sent chickens flying and dogs barking.

After breakfast.

Rod, as usual, patrolled the forest.

Finding nothing unusual, he resumed training and practice.

The content of these past few days?

It was simple enough.

Mainly to complement his newly acquired 【Guardian Domain】's skill 【Guardian Overlap】, he was learning basic defensive spells.

Basic spell shields were a given.

【Spirit Armor】, 【Energy Resistance】, 【Crystal Aura】, 【Eckri's Protective Membrane】, 【Green Jade Energy Shield】, 【Exorcism Barrier】, 【Stone Skin】, and so on.

The goal was just a cursory grasp—enough to form the spell, no time wasted on deep study.

Today's lesson, 【Green Jade Energy Shield】, was a versatile defensive spell, offering moderate resistance against curses, sound waves, and mental spells—beyond direct physical damage.

Though not much.

No difficulty; the only cost was a green jade, which was a bit expensive, but negligible.

He learned it in about twenty minutes.

"Speaking of curses… try this."

Rod pulled from his spell satchel his last battle's loot—the spiral-shaped wooden thorn.

【Cursed Thorn】.

【Trait: Cannot Be Removed, Curse, Soul Shackles】

Few traits—only two.

But "Cannot Be Removed" was absurd: once embedded, it could not be extracted until the victim died.

The other trait was easier to understand.

The curse on the thorn continuously released chilling energy, eroding vitality and stripping away the victim's senses.

(End of Chapter)