Brain bloom

Ahead, several exceptionally powerful wild boars emerged from the bushes, blocking the road with their massive bodies.

Dandelion licked her lower lip, watching the beasts with extreme caution. They had come here hoping to gain something from them. Meanwhile, Mori was still deeply conflicted, unable to fully concentrate on fighting the beasts because of what had happened before. This was perhaps the most unsettling moment of his life—far more painful than when the meteorite destroyed the Earth.

"Could the thing I'm looking for be in the wild boar's den? Ugh, I guess I'll just have to try my luck... Mori, that wild boar with the scarred face, isn't it the strongest creature in this forest?"

"should."

Sen glanced over and saw a level 11 wild boar leader among the herd, a very large creature. The leader was furious because these two seemingly delicious little girls had brazenly trespassed into his territory.

These leader-level wild boars are extremely rare in the game, and their loot is very generous for beginners, often dropping gold coins and equipment. If Mori weren't so distracted right now, she would definitely go all out to hunt it down.

Dandelion glanced around and, seeing that Morishi had no intention of making a move, hesitated for a moment before mustering her own energy. This was her first battle, and naturally she wanted to win decisively in front of Morishi and showcase her strengths.

"Then I will give it my all."

This became an opportunity—suddenly, a herd of wild boars charged in, their hooves trampling the earth and ravaging the rain-soaked soil.

Mud splashed everywhere, and the forest trembled.

Birds that sensed danger in the woods also darted away through the leaves.

Dandelion was not afraid, and she made her first move—she was also a genuine magician.

Two pale arms stretched out gracefully, and beneath her long robe, her lithe body swayed for the first time. Dandelion took out a short oak staff in one hand, and a tattered magic book in the other.

"Bound by thorns".

She calmly used a mid-level nature spell on the boar herd.

The spiritual energy dispersed into the surrounding soil, then condensed into barbed thorns that suddenly extended, tripping all the wild boars. The sharp thorns hooked into the boars' skin, forcefully pulling them back from their charge.

"Phew, that went smoothly."

"A very beautiful move."

Sen Shi looked at the bound wild boar. Although he couldn't see its health bar or status bar, based on his experience, he knew it was a spell cast by a mage over level 90. Even control magic would inflict some damage, enough to eliminate such a low-level monster.

So, the battle was over here, and she planned to go over and collect the spoils.

"Wait! The battle isn't over yet."

Volume 1 #005: Determination and Unexpected Events

"……Uh?"

The wild boars were still full of energy, struggling frantically to escape, and didn't seem to be dying. It was then that Mori felt a pang of tension and began to wonder why he hadn't been able to kill them instantly.

She quickly discovered one of the reasons: "...Oak staff? Apprentice spellbook? Aren't these...beginner equipment?"

“I… I don’t have that much money to buy these things… A handy staff in Silvermoon City costs seven gold coins, plus thirty-six silver coins, and an additional ninety copper coins in transaction tax.”

"That's not right... Even if you're empty-handed, you should die instantly."

Dandelion's face flushed slightly, and the flower on her head wasn't as vibrant as before: "It's all because I had to summon heroes to help. I also participated in paying the price, using up most of my power, and now my mental strength is extremely weak..."

But she didn't explain further. Instead, she gritted her teeth, raised her staff, and, despite her exhaustion, poured a massive amount of spiritual energy into it. Those things transformed into azure specks of light, swirling around the staff.

"Plant proliferation!"

She showed her strength.

Mori nodded silently, because it was a follow-up burst from the previous Thorns control skill, a classic tactic. This practical technique was no different from what was used in the game, giving Mori more confidence in his knowledge.

When the thorns binding the wild boars were driven by their owner, their sharp thorns suddenly erupted, frantically piercing the boars' skin. Even the wild boars' incredibly tough bodies, covered in mud, were like paper before nature. The thorns penetrated deep into the muscles and fat, and new barbs grew from them, in an endless cycle.

Several of them died instantly as a result, and the leader struggled for more than ten seconds, but still fell to the ground in bitterness.

"...Phew, this is the end of the battle."

Dandelion wanted to boast about her strength to Mori, but the latter stared at the corpse thoughtfully.

She asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

"Hmm, I smell blood, the stench of wild animals... It's nothing, let's go, let's collect the corpse." Mori shook his head, banishing these realities from his mind.

“That’s right, other races are different from us. We are always filled with the fragrance of plants.” Dandelion, who didn’t understand Mori’s thoughts, said proudly with her arms crossed.

"Shouldn't there be a bounty on this kind of wild boar?"

"You know?"

"If Frozen Bear Town were still around, I think the lord there would still be offering bounties, since these guys are constantly harassing villages and trade routes," Sen Shi said, recalling a mission he remembered vividly, having spent quite a bit of time hunting them down back then.

“That’s right, there is a bounty. The price for this wild boar leader is one hundred silver coins.” Dandelion sat on the ground, panting for a while. She looked very tired, but she still managed to squeeze out the strength to continue, “As long as you bring the head, we can take the rest of the body.”

Sen Shi noticed the expectation in Dandelion's eyes and understood:

"Then I'll trouble you, Princess, to keep it fresh. I'll store it in my magic bag and use the cooling environmental element magic."

"Ugh, Mori Toki is a magician too... I'm so tired, I want to rest for a bit."

Mori-shiki froze for a second, then nodded with a wry smile, because it was true; she had forgotten her current identity… But Mori-shiki didn't act immediately. Instead, she habitually looked around. Usually, there would be treasure chests, hidden paths, and so on… Ah, there really were.

Although it wasn't a glittering box, but rather a stinking wild boar's den, there was a metallic sheen shimmering inside.

“Look, the nest.” Mori pointed.

Dandelion's eyes lit up, and her previous fatigue seemed to vanish. She immediately jogged over, covered her nose, and squeezed inside.

As Mori caught up, he found the place truly unpleasant. Several unsightly skeletons and corpses were neatly laid out. Many of the bones were cracked, clearly indicating that they had been killed by wild boars. These creatures were probably there for the bounty, as their belongings were displayed nearby, including several sharp weapons.

"Is this the body the princess is looking for? Does she know anyone who knows them?"

"No... I'm looking for a small grapevine, the most beautiful grape variety in the world. In my hands, it will become the capital for restoring my kingdom." The noble princess endured the stench and searched every corner of her lair. "I have a small winery, and I need this grapevine."

"For brewing?"

"Otherwise what? My wine is still selling very well. I'll treat you to a glass when we get back."

Mori didn't respond, but instead let out a long breath, and a cute sound came out of her throat, sounding exceptionally happy.

Because the guilt that had been building up in my heart for so long finally had an opportunity to be made up for.

The worry on her face completely disappeared, because she was an expert in brewing and had even earned the title of master brewer—although she had previously worked hard to obtain all of these skills with a lot of materials, now all of them had been transformed into knowledge stored deep in her mind.

In fact, when Mori learned that he was responsible for the destruction of the Flower Kingdom, he had already made plans to help Dandelion.

Mori might not be able to quickly become powerful enough to help the princess sweep away everything. But she could endure for the time being and use her strengths to help her accumulate resources. Now that she has a place to help, she can finally make up for some of her mistakes.

But after that, Mori Toki also had a goal. A smile appeared on her face, because sooner or later she would go to the Holy Coffin Kingdom to reclaim that "inheritance".

If the person who receives the money uses it for charity, or quietly squanders it for personal enjoyment without affecting anyone else, then there's no problem. Mori, on the other hand, would just think, "The money is gone, so be it."

However, if one is to use the name of a damn religion to do barbaric things, to start wars in a world that should be peaceful, and to cause countless families to be torn apart and lives lost, then there is only one thing that Sen should do.

Let them be warned—wealth can lead to death.

"Princess, I have something to tell you. I've made up my mind. Your winery is still lacking—uh? dandelions?"

When Mori snapped out of his reverie and was about to tell Dandelion his decision, he found her lying on the ground, clutching her throat in great pain.

Volume 1 #006: The Mysterious Wheat Flour

If anyone lies on the ground with their hands over their throat and their face is brighter than usual, they're definitely in trouble.

Mori was quite surprised by the appearance of the dandelion. Although she was in a state of panic, she did not lose her composure. She took several steps forward, searching for healing spells among her available skills.

Fortunately, she learned one.

Because she had already vaguely guessed the reason for Dandelion's suffering.

After all, a princess of a fallen kingdom is always a potential threat, so the chances of her being poisoned are quite high. Perhaps someone from another country saw that she was about to travel far away and took the opportunity to administer a slow-acting poison, intending to kill her in a foreign land—and from then on, the bloodline of the Kingdom of Flowers ceased to exist.

When Mori got closer, he found that the air was filled with something that looked like dust or fog, and even Mori felt his throat and nose itch.

This thing came so suddenly, it felt like trying to bake bread at home for the first time and accidentally spilling the whole bag of flour in the process—flour? Morishi took a deep sniff and smelled a subtle aroma of flour mixed with mold and moisture.

Before she could react, a line of text appeared in her field of vision.

[Level 14 - Mysterious Wheat Flour]

"Damn it, a wandering regional leader... This guy's even in this godforsaken place?"

The dandelion's suffering wasn't due to any assassination attempt, but rather to this monster that had silently arrived. Unbeknownst to it, it had already spread to every corner around it.

Mori cursed under her breath, then used all the strength in her small body to lift the dandelion with her thin arms, and turned to run away.

That cloud of dust-like matter isn't a simple natural phenomenon, but rather a unique and magical monster in the game. Encountering them requires luck, but they are extremely dangerous.

Wheat flour is one such example.

Just as the name suggests, it truly is a monster born from wheat flour. It only appears in affluent regions, because it's a monster born from the resentment of wheat flour wasted by humans when making pastries. A creature that craved to be eaten, yet became a monster in the process.

Mori cast a wind-attribute enhancement spell on his feet to make him run faster.

She patted the dandelion's back vigorously to ease its pain. A faint yet pleasant fragrance emanated from her. She felt not only the scent but also the suppleness of her body—but now was not the time to savor that feeling, for she was not yet fully recovered.

The murky, fog-like wheat flour relentlessly pursued it.

As far as Mori knows, this wheat flour possesses two abilities. One is called "chokehold," which means it wants to become food and be consumed, so it will force its way into a human's mouth, hoping to reach the stomach and be happily digested. However, this often results in suffocation and death, and it is this that causes dandelion pain.

"Dandelion, swallow it. That's wheat flour trying to suffocate you. Don't be afraid, calmly swallow the wheat flour that's gotten into your mouth..."

"Ooh, cough cough..."

She coughed violently a few times, but after a small gulp, she gasped for air as if she had been given a new lease on life. Sen Shi finally felt a little relieved, but the wheat flour was getting closer and closer.

The dust almost completely reduced visibility, enveloping the area like a thick fog.

The two had no time to talk. Because she was carrying the princess while running, her already weak body quickly slowed down, and she was immediately overtaken by the wheat flour. Mori didn't hesitate and immediately decided to fight back, otherwise she would eventually overeat if she just kept swallowing.

First, Mori built an ice wall, using this very useful magic to block the wheat flour's attack.

Behind the crystal-like walls, she closed her eyes and imagined ripples of water in her mind, fantasizing that they could turn into a torrential rain to wash the place clean—the most effective way to deal with wheat flour.

"Oh dear... I forgot, I haven't learned this number yet."

Sen Shi quickly realized that he had not learned the advanced water magic "Rainfall". After all, players who only cared about efficiency had long regarded it as a useless magic that was not worth wasting time learning.

She could only use her most skilled ice arrow technique a few times, but the effect was worrying; it only scattered a little wheat flour.

"Princess, please use a rain spell, or another large-scale water magic spell, to deal with it."

"No... I was going to summon the Fire Grass to burn it, and it almost killed me?" Dandelion was extremely angry, and the spiritual energy surrounding the oak staff turned into a faint scarlet red.