What's wrong with me, a mage, loving to farm?

Chapter 172. The 172nd Woody Day Surveillance Network, Undead Demon Plants

Samir returned with the first harvest and gifts from Baron Camoyer.

Although Kroya didn't pay much attention to what was happening on their side, he knew that the apprentices had clearly done a very good job, helping Baron Camoyer win considerable benefits.

In this extraordinary world where great power resides in the individual, the number of mages and knights under one's command is essentially the sole measure of strength.

Unfortunately.

Although Viscount Bernard was a viscount, the extraordinary resources he possessed were far less than those of Kroya's apprentices, who were more capable and skilled in combat.

His training methods for those knights mainly involved feeding and providing them with good food and drink—which was the reality for most lords as well.

Those with extraordinary abilities are born superior to others, and even when they undergo training and exercise, they are not too serious or disciplined.

Many knights, after advancing to the first rank, would choose to seek refuge with a minor nobleman in order to gain power and status.

Under the corrosive influence of these two factors, it's questionable how much strength they can retain, not to mention that most extraordinary individuals would also be thinking about having offspring.

The energy expenditure... can really drain your body.

In this respect, Kroya, who possesses absolute power, is far superior to him. Kroya can make his mage apprentices and knight apprentices obedient if he so desires.

No matter how difficult the training program is, they must persevere.

Over time, their qualities and willpower have far surpassed those of the Viscount's extraordinary individuals.

Especially... there's also Samir, who's basically cheating.

During the duel, he even displayed incredible power, slaying a second-level knight, even though he was only a first-level knight at the time.

When Baron Kemoyer saw this, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets. He never expected that someone who looked so ordinary would be so powerful.

Having witnessed Kroya's strength, Baron Komoye no longer hesitated in the slightest to pledge allegiance to him.

If his subordinates are all that strong, how powerful must Kroa himself be?

He immediately arranged for Samir to bring back the initial spoils. This included the magical plants and beasts from his territory, as well as some items obtained from the ruins.

His eagerness stemmed from a desire to prove himself, because Samir was so outrageous that he was somewhat worried the guy might replace him.

Since the mage Kroya could support him, he could certainly support his own subordinates as well. In comparison, Samir was definitely much easier to control than him.

With that in mind, he made Samir bring back an unusually large amount of stuff.

The apprentices who were counting the items at the dock couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.

I've been taking stock of the items my companions brought back these past few days, but Samir brought back so much!

A group of about fifty level-one magical beasts, the Curtes Pigs; a group of forty level-one magical beasts, the Coldhoof Horses; Candy Rabbits; the Woody Curved Vine; the level-one magical plant Shallow Rice; and a necromancer magical plant that was imprisoned.

It took four or five large trucks to haul it all back. It's only because Samir and his friends are so capable that they could have brought it all back intact in the snow.

The list of things he brought back was quickly handed to Chloe.

After taking a quick look, Kroya instructed that those that needed to be raised should be raised, and those that needed to be planted should be planted. These things were all top-tier, so they weren't that important to him.

However, it also serves as a supplement to their food reserves—pigs and rice, the former being an important source of meat and the latter a very important staple food.

Although there is plenty of food on Hanjiao Island, having more would certainly make his life better, which is a good thing.

However, what he cared about most were the Woody Curved Vine and that Undead Demon Plant.

He immediately met with Samir.

"Is everything going smoothly over there?"

Kroya's lips curled into a slight smile: "Where are we at now?"

Samir knelt on one knee, bowed respectfully, and looked at his mysterious and powerful mage lord. For some reason, he suddenly felt very close to him.

Kroya is currently in the prime of his life. He has a tall and well-proportioned figure, fair skin, and a straight nose. While he may not be the most handsome, he is certainly more striking than most people.

Magic flowed through his light gray hair, turning the gray into a pure, holy white. His eyes were as clear and blue as shallow seawater, yet unfathomable.

An owl perched on his left shoulder, while on his right shoulder, sunflower fairies, olive fairies, and lotus fairies huddled together, along with a surging tide of thirsty bioluminescent algae behind him.

Surrounded by so many extraordinary beings, he didn't appear chaotic at all; instead, he radiated light like the sun, subtly and omnipresent.

Samir felt that Kroya was glowing in his eyes, shimmering from her skin to every strand of hair.

He was momentarily lost in thought.

His body instinctively absorbed the light emanating from Kroya to replenish what he had been expending during this time.

"...cough cough."

He only snapped out of his daze when Chloe coughed softly.

"Your subordinate deserves to die!"

Samir lowered his head even further, completely unaware of why he had suddenly become lost in thought, and why he was staring blankly at the lord's face.

Kroa knew why.

This creature is a new life created by his own rocky notes. Although it can survive without his magic, it will still become unconsciously addicted if it senses his magic.

It's like a musical note wanting to return to its symphony.

He really had no way to deal with this. It was a resonance between magical forces, and he didn't know how people who practiced this kind of meditation in the past did it.

"Go on," Kroya nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.

Samir quickly recounted what had happened outside in detail, clearly and logically, and even summarized it.

"...Lord Baron Komoyer should be able to resolve the Viscount's matter within a week."

"Alright, you go and rest first. I'll reward you all when your companions return."

"Your subordinate takes his leave."

He bowed again and left.

After pondering for a while, Chloe shook his head, feeling that Baron Kroye's methods were far too superficial.

Even though Samir wasn't injured or anything, the Baron insisted on bringing him back, ostensibly to transport spoils of war, but he could easily guess what the Baron was really thinking.

"never mind."

He didn't think much of it.

This piece of land is still too small. To be honest, he doesn't think much of it. There will always be a bigger stage in the future.

The world is as vast as one's heart. If Baron Camille doesn't realize this, he will eventually fall behind.

He reached out and took the Woody Curved Vine and the Undead Demon Plant.

These Woody Curved Vines certainly don't have the intelligence of the Woody Curved Vines King, nor do they have the ability to speak freely; they are simply curled-up emerald green vines.

The number is quite considerable, with over a hundred plants, but it seems that only the roots and a small connected part are present; otherwise, over a hundred plants would have flooded the laboratory.

"Did the Baron capture all the Woody Vine Kings from the entire ruins?" Chloe asked Woody Vine King.

"That's right. They don't have the power bestowed by Lady Ilister, so they can't develop spirituality like I do."

The Woody Wing King stretched out its tendrils and carefully touched these small tendrils, as if it were stroking its younger siblings.

As a magical beast with advanced intelligence, it actually misses its younger brothers and sisters.

"Would you be willing to share your spirituality with them?"

"I have an idea..."

Kroya produced the mycelium from the fungus people. "I have carefully studied their network connections, which allow them to share their consciousness and spirit with other fungus people."

"In other words... if you can accept coexisting with it, and after my imprinting, you should also be able to transfer your spirituality to these ordinary 'wooden vines'."

"I want to plant these Woody Winding Vines in various places in the North, so that you can become my eyes and help me see everything around me."

This idea was something he had long ago; only the Woody Vine King could withstand such a complex network.

Of course, if this were to be done, then the Woody Wing King would have to break his complete spiritual power into pieces, turning them into seeds of spiritual power and burying them within the remaining Woody Wings.

The pain of severing one's mental energy is a hundred times more painful than tearing one's body apart.

He had assumed the Woody Vine King would need a few minutes to consider, but it didn't hesitate at all: "Of course I'm willing!"

"Master, my only wish is to see more of this world. This is my first wish for you, and it will last forever."

"Please begin."

"it is good."

Kloa first added the severed limbs to it, and then put the mycelium directly into its wound.

The Woody Vine King is actually a magical beast, and its flesh and mycelium do not have such obvious rejection reactions. In addition, with the help of Kroya, the mycelium quickly entered the depths of the Woody Vine King's body.

Then, Kroya imprinted a second spell on it.

This is a level five magic called Schizophrenia—literally, it allows one to temporarily split their mental energy and transfer it to another object.

If this spiritual energy is not retrieved in time, it will be lost permanently.

What Kroya wants to do now is wait until it has channeled its spiritual energy into these mycelia, then tear the mycelia apart and bury them into other Woody Curved Vine.

If his conjecture is correct, the Woody Wing King can extend his consciousness into other Woody Wings in this way.

In this way, the monitoring network of the Woody Vine King, which originally required wires, is now directly connected to the wireless network, and can be contacted through the network of mental energy.

[Engraving completed, Mu Yaoqu Teng King (schizophrenia)]

This demonic plant can tear apart one's own spiritual energy; if it doesn't absorb it within twenty-four natural hours after the tear, the connection will be permanently lost.

"It's up to you."

After imprinting the magic, Kroya took out the gopher wood harp and began to play.

Soft and gentle music flowed slowly from his slender fingertips as he sang the chapters of the Orange Ode.

An orange halo surrounded the Woody Vine King, stabilizing its mental energy and preventing it from collapsing.

This allows it to split its soul more smoothly.

Even with the help of Kroya's music, the Woody Vine King was in immense pain.

It is tearing its own mental energy apart, essentially ripping itself into countless pieces.

Then it was forcibly implanted into those mycelia.

To do this, one must experience the pain of tearing oneself apart, as well as endure the discomfort of the soul entering the mycelium.

After a moment of silence, Kroya chose to share some of this pain.

This decision reflects both his feelings for the Woody Vine King and his desire to experience that feeling.

Perhaps it will come in handy in the future.

"Well……"

He groaned, forcing himself to adapt to the pain that was tearing him to pieces.

The entire process did not last long.

It takes about five minutes.

Clearly, King Muyao also knew that if this continued for too long, his mental strength would become more numb and more prone to collapse.

Finally, when it was finished, the spiritual energy that had been burning brightly like a torch had become almost dead, with at most one percent of its original strength remaining.

It truly and forcefully split the complete spiritual power into a full 130 parts, exactly the same number as those wooden vines.

"sharp."

Even Kroya had to admit he had to give a shout of praise.

This is equivalent to cutting yourself into 130 pieces.

Moreover, each part of consciousness still exists, capable of experiencing the pain of being torn apart, and so on...

The pain was only a fraction of what was being experienced, yet it was still unbearable for Kroya.

"Then I'll leave it to you... I want to rest."

After saying this weakly and feebly at the end, the Woody Wing King's vines drooped limply.

The entire territory's surveillance network for the Moon has temporarily come to a standstill as it goes into slumber.

"Get some rest."

Kroya plucked the strings one last time, infused it with spiritual energy, dripped a drop of the Fountain of Life onto it, and then began his work.

He grafted strands of mycelium into the Woody Curved Vine, then imprinted the monitoring magic eye on it, and finally nurtured it with his spiritual power and magic.

As he worked, he observed the map of the northern territory that his apprentices had explored, considering where to plant the plants.

Actually, reaching this step already means we've accomplished something.

All that's left is to wait for them to grow up, then transplant them to various corners of the outside world to fulfill their purpose.

"This is the next thing we need to deal with."

After finishing his work, he put the wooden vines aside, took a sip of milk tea, and then looked at the undead plant.

Its appearance is quite frightening and terrifying.

(End of this chapter)