Chapter 62: 61. Elf Inheritance (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

61. Elf Inheritance (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

Li Ang recalled the goal he had set for himself previously—his team should be composed of members with high execution, calmness, and stability.

Then he met Dorothy, which felt quite like being pestered by a stray kitten while out for a walk.

The stray kitten was obedient and sensible; although he often worried about her sudden impulses, how to get along was basically settled.

And this canary before him—

Li Ang sighed: "Since I gave my word, it stands."

Dorothy clenched her fist in a small celebratory gesture.

"However."

The lady sat up straight: "You speak."

"How can I be sure you aren't just acting on a whim? Are you prepared for adventure?"

"I am serious, even if I made the decision in a very short time. As for preparation, well, I haven't had the time for that yet."

"I must emphasize that being prepared certainly includes the part about taking care of yourself."

"Eh? Don't be like that."

Li Ang sighed: "When you said you were useless just now, I actually had more to say, but it suddenly turned into listening to your inner journey."

"You speak." Dorothy sat up with her back straight.

"So-called usefulness or uselessness is merely one's own perception. If we're really talking about uselessness, it's this mindset of yours. It's just lighting a magic lamp; can you not even learn that? The same goes for other aspects of self-care in daily life."

"I will learn."

Dorothy’s fingers gripped her leg under her skirt tightly, sinking into the softness.

"Of course, I don't want you to take care of everything. I'm an adult, after all; small things are no problem. What I’m emphasizing is that feeling—the feeling of having someone point out what I should do based on my situation."

"That is no problem; I was the one who planned that in my previous team."

The lady smiled and said softly: "As expected of something you would do."

"However, I haven't agreed just yet."

"Why is there more?" Dorothy pouted coquettishly.

"Do you have the determination to cultivate hard? The Mistrem Academy, one of the three major academies in Thousand Towers City—although you only attended the primary academy, your professional rank—"

"I am very useful, really."

Dorothy stood up suddenly.

She spread her fair palms toward Li Ang, gathered herself for a few seconds, and then began to stammer.

"My power is not just the Priest profession; there is something else. That was also the reason I dared to go out adventuring alone back then.

"It’s just that because of past events, I didn't want to use its power.

"I’ve made up my mind this time; I want to learn to control it. Mother said its power would be extremely strong.

"I will show you, but you must not think of me as a monster." Dorothy frowned as she spoke.

"I have seen all sorts of mysterious things in the sky; I will view it with a normal heart," Li Ang said.

Having received his assurance, the lady nodded, closed her eyes, and began to accumulate power.

Her breathing gradually grew heavy, and her spread palms seemed to spasm. She bit her teeth, fighting against this spasm to keep from clenching her hands into fists.

As she exerted force, Li Ang saw several "veins" bulge at the edges of her sleeves, converging toward her palms. The skin there suddenly ruptured, blood flowed, and several tender green, vine-like things emerged from within.

The vines twisted together and stretched forward. At the very tip of the growth, a white flower bud sprouted rapidly, and in an instant, it bloomed into a pure white, five-petaled flower.

Looking closely, the stamens of this flower were all sharp blades with barbs, instantly imbuing the beautiful flower with a sense of terror.

"Demon-Born Flower," Dorothy said softly.

Li Ang frowned, and the system displayed information about this "flower."

[Demon-Born Flower (Growth Stage)]

[Plant-type monster, extremely bloodthirsty. Ancient elves passed down methods of using its seeds to cultivate legendary warriors. A Demon-Born Flower only produces one seed every hundred years. When the seed hits the ground, the original Demon-Born Flower escapes into the magic dimension. The seed's growth requires parasitizing a host with innate talent; upon maturity, it bursts out of the body, taking the host's life. If the host relies on willpower to extract its power in reverse, they can delay its maturation speed and strengthen themselves.]

[Species: Plant Type]

[Combat Intelligence: Rank 4]

[Servant: Demon-Born Flower Lasher, Rank 2]

[Energy Source: Magic-Absorbing Root, Rank 4]

[Body Strength: Active Vine Stem, Rank 4. Slaughter Stamen, Rank 4. Blade Corolla, Rank 4]

[Special Attack: Bloom Seeding, Devour Slaughter]

[Skills: Magic Nourishment, Plant Domination, Undying Nature, Power Absorption]

[Combat Power Increase: 45%]

What a unique monster.

So this is the Demon-Born Flower.

Li Ang had seen similar things before, but only as carvings on elven ruins. His mission at the time was to escort scholars on an inspection; some scholars believed this plant on the stone carvings was just a decorative pattern, while others said it might be a specific object worshipped by the elves.

Looking at it now, the latter group of scholars was right.

Seeing it burst out of the body, Li Ang confirmed his earlier guess when looking at Dorothy’s personal panel; it seems this thing really would take her life prematurely.

Perhaps wanting to escape her current life to go adventuring was related to this life-limit chasing her. She hadn't told Li Ang about this, and Li Ang felt she might not even know that she could extend her lifespan by defeating the Demon-Born Flower.

Being parasitized by a Demon-Born Flower certainly wasn't natural; what on earth did her family do?

Li Ang glanced at the system information again; the term "legendary warrior" was quite eye-catching.

If the "legendary" on the panel referred to Rank 10, then although Dorothy looked like a canary now, her potential was also ridiculously high.

However, this potential still required her to extract it through her own willpower.

Seeing Li Ang think for a while, Dorothy felt a bit uneasy: "Is it not okay?"

She pursed her lips and said: "Because of the Demon-Born Flower, I am fine no matter what kind of injury I sustain. A healer who doesn't need protection—that’s passable, right?"

Li Ang glanced at the cuts she had revealed earlier when she took off her gloves to eat the cloud dumpling. Dorothy noticed his gaze and explained: "If I sleep, all wounds will heal."

"I am really very useful. At worst, you can tie me to your body as a meat shield."

"That won't be necessary."

Li Ang said: "I know your situation."

He pointed to the darkness ahead: "Adventure awaits ahead; let me see your determination."

"Then let's go." Dorothy picked up the magic lamp with great interest: "After meeting you again and decisively starting to take action, I even feel like I'm a bit amazing."

"..."

Li Ang picked up the lantern and walked in front.

There was nothing special outside the next few secret passage exits; there were long-abandoned cellars, the walls of water wells, and even bedrooms emitting strange cries. Li Ang certainly wouldn't open those doors, but Dorothy had a tendency of not wanting to move her feet.

After moving forward for quite some time, the two arrived beneath the Earl's mansion.

Behind the first secret door of the Earl's mansion, there was something unusual.

In the vast space, coffins with sculptures were arranged in a circle, and on an altar in the center of the ring, several smooth, white spheres were placed quietly.