Chapter 349: Nature's Spirit

"Who asked you to Guan ？ Guanhaonishenbiandenvrenba ！ Chaoleyizhengwan ， Chaosile ！"

Xiao Ke pouted with jealousy.

Then she asked worriedly, "Didn't you wear Vivian out? She's never good at expressing herself—even when she's wronged, she won't say a word."

Rod took a bite of a crisp, sweet fruit.

He smiled and said:

"Wear her out? She's the one who nearly wore me out."

"Hmph! You dirty dog, how dare you say that—you already took advantage of me!"

The girl suddenly fell silent, glancing at the spider elf beside him, her face instantly flushing red.

She fanned her face with her hand, hoping the faint breeze would cool her burning cheeks.

"Vivian is far more forward than you—ever since she got that 【Lust Mark】, her appetite's become as insatiable as Tilly's. After those wheel battles between them, do you really think I don't get tired?"

With that said,

Rod glanced at the half-deer woman's figure.

It seemed fuller than before; even her chest had changed slightly.

It wasn't that she'd gained weight—just that she'd become more curvaceous compared to her former thin, frail self.

Before, they were barely rounded, easily cupped in one palm.

Now? They'd grown—probably just barely manageable now.

With the cold weather lately, Xiao Ke clearly prefers outdoor encounters, so we haven't been intimate much—I wonder how much she's softened up.

Winter fat gain?

Or just from all the dinners we've shared recently?

Who knows.

Rod smiled and said, "You've gotten fat."

"What?!"

To his surprise, Xiao Ke's face turned pale with shock.

"I meant you look better—especially there. Fat? I love it."

"Ew, get off! Dirty dog!"

Annoyed, Xiao Ke ignored him and picked wild fruits faster.

Suddenly,

With a thunderous boom, the ground trembled slightly, and the fruit tree beside her tilted and toppled.

As a beastkin, Xiao Ke naturally possessed animal instincts and instantly leapt away.

But Rod was faster.

He swiftly grabbed the half-deer woman into his arms and retreated rapidly.

Oh—

Feeling the softness in his arms, Rod couldn't help but gasp.

"Did you pad yourself?"

"What? What are you talking about?"

Xiao Ke, still shaken, stared at him with wide, frightened doe-like eyes—a stark contrast to the soft fullness now pressed against him.

Major improvement!

You couldn't even tell through her clothes! It's already this advanced!

It's probably nearly as big as Vivian's!

Wait—is this one of the beastkin's traits?

But Sharon, the dogkin, is also a beastkin—and her chest hasn't changed noticeably.

Maybe because her animal features aren't as pronounced as Xiao Ke's?

"It's a treant!"

Yuna cried out in alertness.

Rod turned to see the fruit tree, which had just begun to fall, now leaning in another direction.

The soil bulged and loosened.

Roots, like limbs, burst upward from below the ground.

Rod had sensed it earlier—the moment the tree moved, a strange spiritual presence had emerged.

A nature spirit.

The Emerald Tree's 【Emerald Domain】 was active.

Nature spirits come in many forms.

Treants are common, but many awaken as animals.

"Ohhh—"

In moments,

The fruit tree fully broke free from the soil, turned around, and revealed a face of gnarled wood grain, aged and rugged from its bark.

The treant's face turned to Rod, wearing a look of affection and adoration.

"Lord Rod, your humble servant greets you."

Rod was surprised: "You can speak?"

"Thanks to your grace, Lord Rod, when I became a nature spirit, I awakened consciousness and gained the ability to speak human language."

"And you remember my name."

It was natural for him to feel affection.

The 【Tree Blessing】 skill isn't just a gimmick—joking aside, if I called myself the succubus of trees, no one could argue.

The treant's face softened with nostalgia.

"My lord, the spirit within trees can restore past memories, so I recall every moment with you: our first meeting, your first touch, your first application of healing sap, and most importantly, your first infusion of divine spirit that accelerated my growth."

Divine spirit?

Probably the 【Growth Spirit】.

Could trees infused with Growth Spirit be more likely to awaken as nature spirits?

"I also remember you and the succubus lady making love atop my crown—every drop of your essence soaked into my heart and left me trembling for hours... and the sight of you thrusting against that tree spirit, using me as leverage—it all remains vivid, filling me with..."

「.

Come to think of it, since this place is near the Emerald Branch, he'd passed by often these past months, and sometimes, when passion flared, he'd just take care of things right there.

He just never realized how often he'd done it right beside this tree.

Huh?

Could it be that awakening as a nature spirit was triggered by repeatedly witnessing his... training sessions?

Hard to say.

The half-deer woman in his arms watched him coldly.

"Why do you take Vivian outside? What if someone sees? Vivian's a girl!"

"Aren't you the one who likes it outside too? There's always a risk of being seen."

"It's different! I only do it at night!"

"Never mind that—has your chest changed at all?"

"What? Since I started developing, my chest gets fuller every winter—I have to adjust my clothes every season! What are you even trying to say?! Jerk!"

Xiao Ke angrily shoved him away.

Rod laughed heartily and didn't press the matter.

At that moment, the tiny fairy Tami flew in hurriedly from afar.

Her face was terrified, clutching a small twig like a weapon.

Only when she saw Rod did she relax.

"Lord Rod! You scared me half to death—I thought the forest was under attack!"

Then she spotted the fruit tree treant with roots as legs.

She gasped in amazement: "A nature spirit!"

"Hello, beautiful fairy."

"Hi! I'm Tami. What's your name?"

The treant paused, glancing at Rod.

He bowed respectfully, his hanging branches nearly brushing Yuna's face.

"Please, Lord Rod, grant me a name."

Rod grinned, spat on his finger, and pressed it against the treant's trunk.

He spent 5 points of 【Growth Spirit】 to upgrade it.

"Since you're a wild plum tree, I'll name you Xiao Li Zi."

【Growth Spirit successfully applied】

【Nature Spirit (Wild Plum Tree) Xiao Li Zi gained skill: Dawn Dew Fruit】

【Details: Growth Spirit activated an unlearned spiritual ability in Xiao Li Zi—this skill allows him to condense accumulated spirit into tangible fruits. Those who consume them greatly enhance their spirit or magic reserves; the older the treant, the more potent the Dawn Dew Fruit.】

The treant Xiao Li Zi glowed with spiritual light.

He wore an expression of blissful relief.

Moments later, the light faded.

Xiao Lizǐ silently savored it, then lowered three droplet-shaped fruits, heavy with glistening dew, from the treetop.

He respectfully offered them to Luo De.

(End of Chapter)