Brain bloom

Salt is a very important resource, and if it could be possessed indefinitely, many things could be accomplished. Even with regret, Mori knew she should be content, after all, they didn't come here for the salt spirits.

"By the way, we could find a little surprise to make up for it."

Suddenly remembering something, Mori called out to the princess who was still licking her paws.

“If I remember correctly, there’s a hidden path in this southern forest where you can get a ‘gravekeeper’s legacy’.”

Although "The Gravekeeper's Legacy" has a rich backstory, it is essentially what is commonly known as a hidden treasure chest.

(This is the only update today...)

Volume 1 #010 The Gravedigger's Legacy

Seeing the renewed enthusiasm in Morishige's eyes, Dandelion didn't quite understand why. She kept repeating in her mind the "gravekeeper's legacy" that Morishige had mentioned, but she still couldn't figure out what it was.

Her idea was a bit strange.

Because this was the era in which she grew up, while Mori Toki, summoned by the magic of fate, was a person from another era—but he displayed far greater knowledge than her. This made Dandelion feel conflicted, as if she had failed to properly entertain the hero.

She tried to find excuses for this:

"Hmm... I've read through the World Chronicles of the Kingdom of Flowers and know many secrets. But... cough cough, I am, after all, a person determined to restore my kingdom and destined to become a great man, so I may not have paid too much attention to some minor matters... So, what is this legacy you're talking about?"

"It's an ancient organization called the 'Gravekeepers,' whose footprints are said to have covered every region of the world. But then some strange things happened, and coincidentally, only chests containing treasure remained. They even marked them for people to dig up, and they keep respawning! Isn't that strange?"

Although such strange things are common in games.

"Refresh? Uh, anyway, I also think it's a strange thing, but why haven't I heard of it?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure if it's still around. Maybe it's long gone..."

Mori rubbed her head, trying to make out the surrounding trees. Although there was no map, she could tell which way to go from the distribution of leaves and paths. She brushed away the small insects attracted by the leaves above her head, and then set off with the dandelion.

“If such an organization existed, I should know about it, but the world is vast… there are indeed many things I don’t know—” Dandelion suddenly narrowed her eyes, stopping her excuses for her lack of knowledge. “You mean treasure? We’re going to find treasure?”

In an instant, the dandelion stood upright, and its two delicate eyebrows lifted up, filled with surprise.

Mori returned a confident smile; she clearly remembered what was inside the hidden treasure chest in this southern forest. Perfect for this lousy nature mage with terrible equipment and only decent level; opening it would be a pleasant surprise to wash away the sadness of losing the Salt Sprite.

If she was lucky, she might not only get the few things she remembered, but also some extra treasures—but she shook her head, giving up any hope; her luck had never been good.

As they ventured deeper, the forest's appearance changed. The frost of early autumn had spread like a plague across the leaves, which were rustled by the cool sea breeze. This was a different path from the one they had come from; the still-blooming flowers were gone, and the only vibrant green here was the color on their heads.

Perhaps feeling that this journey was too sentimental for those who experience all four seasons, Dandelion wanted to find some interesting topics to discuss.

"Mori, may I ask a very personal question?"

"……ask."

The dandelion looked shy and asked softly, "Why didn't you bloom?"

Sen Shi paused for a few seconds before remembering that she was a Four Seasons Person, and perhaps the flowers and plants on her head were her privacy... However, she quickly understood what Dandelion wanted to ask.

The level is related to the maturity of the plant on top, so Sen Shi is a powerful hero in the eyes of the dandelion, but he has a string of still very immature vines, which is obviously inconsistent with the facts.

"And another thing, why aren't you wearing a flower crown? A great hero like you must have one. You're amazing, and you also have that wondrous relic bag..."

"Just know that I can help you."

Mori didn't explain why, because she would definitely be disappointed if she told the truth.

For those who wear all four seasons, the floral crown is a special piece of equipment that can demonstrate their personal strength and status. It is not something that can be simply picked from the roadside and casually braided before being worn on the head. It takes at least twelve years to create the most unique floral crown.

Because the flowers used to weave the crown were picked from the heads of the Four Seasons.

Just like spring, summer, autumn, and winter, the four seasons always flow in every corner of the world, year after year, with flowers blooming and withering. The plants above the seasons also have their time to bloom.

Once they reach level 70 and enter a truly high-level profession, they will experience the first bloom of their flower. Although they will grow and bloom, their flower will never wither, not even when the Four Seasons One dies.

Therefore, highly skilled practitioners of the Four Seasons would pluck a flower from their own head each year, collect them for twelve years, and then weave them into a beautiful, never-withering crown to wear, thus demonstrating their strength.

There was such a crown on the dandelion's head. And this young princess of a fallen kingdom believed that her hero should also have one. But even without a crown, Mori Toki could help; she was confident of that.

So she slowly climbed the hill with dandelions, stopping at a vantage point overlooking the boundless sea. Standing on this protruding corner, she could take in the entire ocean. Looking up from below, one would see a cliff eroded by the sea breeze, but covered with vegetation.

This is where the treasure chest is located.

Just like in the gaming era, there is a cross here, but it is much older.

In the game, the stone texture of the cross can be clearly seen—but in reality, the cross that Mori saw was covered by wildly growing ferns and vines, leaving only a rough outline.

The power of time is always awe-inspiring, especially something over a century old, but when it comes to actually dealing with it, it only takes a few minutes. Mori rummaged through his backpack, took out the knife he had used to cut the pig's leg, and began peeling away the plants to reveal the cross.

Seeing this, the dandelion asked:

"Did you bring me here to eat wild vegetables? I'm hungry and sleepy. I didn't sleep all night yesterday trying to get you to come here, so you have to take responsibility... at least cook me a meal."

Mori was deeply moved, and then refused his princess's request.

Because she felt more like a tactical cook for the enemy than the kind of girl who could make delicious meals. But she did gain something; at least she learned that those who live through the seasons not only have to water the plants, but also have to eat like humans, which is quite troublesome.

While chatting with Dandelion, she enhanced the blade with wind magic and added a touch of fire magic weapon enchantment, allowing the originally inferior hunting knife to easily cut through plants. A complete yet mottled cross was then revealed, eliciting amazement from Dandelion.

"There's something like this here?"

“My beloved princess, this is the ‘gravekeeper’s legacy.’ Please remember the shape of the stone and the cross, for good things are buried beneath it.”

Dandelion nodded and did as instructed. Sen Shi quietly nodded in approval, because Dandelion didn't immediately shout that she wanted to dig up the treasure chest. This showed that she was a farsighted and rational princess, at least understanding that there would be many more opportunities to dig up treasure chests in the future.

Having memorized it, Dandelion, despite her exhaustion, cast a spell of nature, summoning a mindless little tree spirit and commanding it to dig through the ground with its vines. It was the location Sen had obtained from the cross, thankfully not yet worn away by time.

The location was perfect; after digging only a few dozen centimeters into the soil, the tree spirit encountered something hard.

Mori smiled and stepped forward, preparing to open the treasure chest. Since the Southern Forest was a relatively safe area, the treasure chest was designed to be free of danger and traps. Thinking about the contents she was about to obtain, Mori prepared to pry it open—but suddenly, a series of screams echoed in her ears.

It was emitted by the little tree spirit, which seemed to have been cut in two by something and returned to a state of spiritual energy, scattering in all directions.

Dandelion's voice then rang out: "Oh no, there's a trap!"

……

(I'll update another chapter tonight...)

To correct a common misconception among readers, I made it quite clear in the prologue that the protagonist lost his belongings using his alt account, not his main account. The alt account is responsible for commerce and production skills... so why does everyone think it was the main account that lost them?

Volume 1 #011: Unboxing was not enjoyable at all

Hearing Dandelion's somewhat panicked cries, Mori reacted immediately, taking a step back to escape from his original position; otherwise, the trap might have fallen on his head.

Although the girl's body wasn't quite used to it yet, her high agility made her move quite nimbly in the forest. When her vision broadened and was no longer limited to the treasure chest in the soil, she was surprised to find a deep mark on the ground. The blow that had just cut the little tree spirit was so powerful that it seemed to have shaved off a corner of the cliff as well.

"What kind of attack is it?" Mori asked. "A wind blade? Or a real blade?"

"Wind Blade, because it was so fast I didn't see it clearly... Are you alright?"

"As healthy as you."

Mori quickly realized that he had encountered a trap that was very common in games.

Touching the treasure chest activated the magic sealed within it. However, this type of trap usually only appears in areas level 20 and above, and the Southern Forest's area level clearly wasn't high enough. But Sen Shi was already used to it and thought perhaps the treasure chest had upgraded itself.

Besides, this is a good thing; perhaps the quality of this box is higher than Senshi expected.

Even so, it didn't look like a treasure chest at all; it was just a dilapidated box. The wood grain was broken and there were obvious signs of insect damage. Aside from being large enough to hold the corpse of a fat male, it wasn't anything special. If it were just left out there, probably no one would bother to open it…

"Do you need me to smash it open?" Dandelion asked, already pulling out her oak staff.

"No, no, no, that will smash what's inside. Watch me—dispel the spell."

Mori used a necessary special spell to remove the defensive spell attached to it—because her skill in magic was higher than that of this small trap, she was able to perfectly construct the trap spell's process in her mind, so it went very smoothly.

Fortunately, this was the last lock on the box.

She reached out and opened the box. This time, it was safe and sound. Dandelion, who had been worried, breathed a sigh of relief and slowly approached.

When it opened, there was no dazzling burst of light, only a chilling "squeaking" sound. The two of them looked inside together and found that the space inside was different from the exterior; it had not been eroded by time, nor was it dusty or infested with insects.

There are three items on display.

The first item looked very much like a magic scroll, made of some kind of wood veneer, with the composition of a spell written on it using deep blue ink dyed with spiritual power. It was something they could both recognize at a glance: a magic scroll, a one-time-use item that anyone could easily use magic with.

Mori was hopeful, expecting it to contain some special magic, but a quick glance left her disappointed.

"Lower-level healing spells? How boring."

Shaking her head, Sen Shi casually put the scroll into her bag. If she didn't have too much space in her bag, she wouldn't have kept such a cheap item. After all, she already knew this kind of low-level healing spell and could use it as many times as she wanted.

Sen Shi did not notice the dandelion's wavering expression, but instead shifted his gaze to the next item.

This was a carefully decorated object, made of wood with a dark, textured surface, and possessing a beautiful curve; it looked like a staff from any angle. Mori had come specifically for the staff, intending to replace the junk in the princess's hands—but he couldn't quite grasp the mystery of this dark, indistinct thing.

Because this color clearly does not belong to any common element.

"Have you ever seen this element before?" Mori asked.

"No, I guess it's not a staff."

So Mori took it in confusion and investigated its properties.

[This is a piece of sandalwood stained black with blood, yet it possesses a strong sacred aura. It has been dried and hardened, and can be used to make many things.]

It wasn't a staff, but some kind of material—at least nothing like it existed in the game era, leaving Senshi unsure of its quality. In any case, it wasn't a high-level treasure chest, so the item level inside should be about the same.

After putting away the piece of wood with a belly full of confusion, Mori looked at the last item.

It's a long red rope, not flashy, but exuding a refined style; it would also make a nice accessory if worn. This is somewhat of a gain, as it's a talisman—[An's Knot]. If you're lucky enough to find a talisman with unique skills, that would be a huge windfall.

With the mindset of winning a prize, Mori took a look—

Unfortunately, this item only increases the wearer's Willpower by 15 points, which is better than nothing.

The only thing Sen Shi cared about was that it had a negative effect: it would reduce the wearer's luck by 4 points... After careful consideration, she decided to give the red rope to Dandelion, since at least this princess looked very lucky.

"Here you go, these decorations are perfect for you."

"Yes, yes, I accept." Dandelion smiled and took the string, putting it on her wrist. "Wow, it must be blessed by magic. I feel like I can endure fatigue and poverty more now."

"After all, it adds to one's will."

After saying that, Sen Shi checked again and again to make sure there was nothing left to take. He then closed the box with a bit of regret and muttered to himself, "What a pity. This trip was basically fruitless. I can't help with the restoration of the country."

"Is that so? But didn't we have a great harvest?" Dandelion looked at her with a puzzled expression, then said regretfully, "Ah... is that what you mean? You want to keep that magic scroll for yourself? That's true, it is very precious after all."

"A magic scroll?"