[Emergency Quest generated: Allow the Titan Flytrap to absorb your vitality until its condition stabilizes]
"Not again," thought Mr. F, his mind weary. He still had over half his vitality left from the last Rank 6 potion, but the situation demanded action. Despite his reluctance, Mr. F knew that following the system's guidance was the best chance of success. The potential reward also intrigued him, pushing him to comply.
Sighing, he stopped channeling his magic into the plant and instead linked his vitality to it. He made a small cut on his wrist, letting his blood slowly drip into the open maw of the Titan Flytrap. The plant reacted immediately, latching onto his arm like a leech, sucking with an alarming intensity.
A sharp pain shot through his arm, but that wasn't the worst of it. No, it was the slow, torturous drain on his vitality that gnawed at him, making him feel weaker with each passing moment. Yet, even as his strength ebbed, he could feel the Titan Flytrap regain its vigor. The withered parts of the plant began to rejuvenate, growing greener and more alive.
Mr. F could sense that the plant had absorbed enough, yet it wouldn't let go. He tugged at his arm, but the flytrap clung to him stubbornly, continuing to drain his essence. His strength diminished rapidly, and panic surged within him. "Is this how it ends?" he wondered, his vision starting to blur. "Will I die here, devoured by my own creation?"
Just when the darkness began to take him, the plant finally loosened its grip. Exactly one hour had passed since the ritual began. As if it had gained sentience, the Titan Flytrap released him and retreated. Mr. F collapsed onto his back, utterly drained and barely able to move. He stared up at the sky, gasping for breath, feeling weaker than ever before.
The Titan Flytrap loomed over him, and for a moment, Mr. F wasn't sure what it would do next. But instead of attacking, the plant extended one of its thick, vine-like arms and poured nectar into his mouth. The liquid was sweet, with a tangy, fruity flavor that reminded him of something between sugar water and exotic fruit.
The nectar worked instantly, replenishing a portion of his lost vitality. Slowly, his strength returned, and he was able to sit up. The plant, now fully rejuvenated, swayed around him in a slow, almost playful dance. For the first time, Mr. F noticed how much the Titan Flytrap had changed.
Its usual greenish-yellow color had transformed into a deep crimson, with bright red spots dotted along its surface. He was about to question the transformation when the system chimed again.
[Emergency Quest: Allow the Titan Flytrap to absorb your vitality until its condition stabilizes (Completed)]
[Quest Reward: Vitality Channeling Technique]
"Of course," thought Mr. F sarcastically, though grateful for the reward. But the system wasn't finished.
[Exceptional Achievement Unlocked: Develop a New Plant Species]
[Reward: Information on the Newly Created Plant Species]
New knowledge flooded into Mr. F's mind. Unlike before, there was no pain or mental overload. The plant before him was now a Blood Titan Flytrap—a mutated version of the original Titan Flytrap. It retained the abilities of its predecessor but had also gained powerful new traits.
First and foremost, the Blood Titan Flytrap could now drain the vitality of other living beings to empower itself. This was similar to how the original plant digested animals for nutrients, but the new version was far more efficient. However, it had to absorb vitality from living creatures, trapping them inside its body.
The most significant difference, though, was that the flytrap's belly acted as a prison where no magic could be regenerated. Once a mage was inside and their mana depleted, they would be utterly defenseless, allowing the Blood Titan Flytrap to drain them of their vitality at will.
But the plant wasn't just a threat to others—it had another unique ability. It could produce a vitality-boosting nectar, which, while not as potent as a full-fledged potion, could restore a person's vitality over the course of time, depending on the rank of the mage it had drained. Mr. F's mind raced with the possibilities this nectar could bring. There were no existing alchemy recipes for it yet, but perhaps one could be developed by studying similar plants.
Mr. F smiled, satisfied with this unexpected mutation. He longed to create more plants like this, but he knew it had been a stroke of luck. Even if he repeated the steps exactly, there was no guarantee of success.
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The Blood Titan Flytrap continued to circle around him, its movements slow and almost hypnotic. Mr. F watched, growing slightly dizzy from its constant motion.
"Stop," he commanded, his voice firm.
The plant halted immediately, its head drooping as if it had been scolded.
"Acting cute won't help you," he muttered. "You're the leader of the Titan Flytraps now. Follow me."
With that, Mr. F turned and began walking back toward the vineyard. Behind him, an army of over 100 Titan Flytraps swayed to life, following in his footsteps.
When they arrived at the vineyard, Mr. F issued their orders. "This is your new home. You will defend it with your lives. Do not let anyone pass without my permission."
He turned to the Blood Titan Flytrap. "You're their leader. Coordinate them as you see fit, but do not stray too far from the mountain. And do not attack anyone unless they attempt to invade."
The Blood Titan Flytrap responded with a nod, and immediately began directing the others to spread out around the mountain and its cliffs, while others took positions within the forest. Satisfied, Mr. F turned to leave, but noticed the Blood Titan Flytrap hesitating as it neared the summit.
He walked up to see what the problem was. The plant had stopped about 50 meters from the top, trembling slightly. When Mr. F looked closer, he understood why—it was afraid of the Rank 7 sapling at the peak.
Chuckling softly, he grabbed one of the plant's arms and guided it up the rest of the way. When they reached the sapling, the small plant quivered as if greeting its new sibling.
"This is like your big brother," Mr. F explained. "He's still weak, but your job is to protect him at all costs. Understood?"
The Blood Titan Flytrap began to circle the sapling in a strange, playful dance. The sapling, in turn, wobbled gently in response.
Mr. F didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "I told you to protect it, not play with it," he thought, shaking his head.
With that, he descended the mountain, fatigue creeping up on him. It was already late into the night, and the events of the past few days were catching up to him. He hadn't slept in days, and his vitality had been dangerously drained by the Blood Titan Flytrap.
"I've probably got two or three days' worth of vitality left before it starts affecting my health," he mused. He resolved to drink Gustav's potion the next day, finally reclaiming a large portion of his former strength.
As he lay down in his bed, Mr. F could barely contain his excitement. Tomorrow would be the day he regained what he had lost. With that comforting thought, he drifted into a deep, well-deserved sleep.
…
Meanwhile, in another location, a man entered a conference room where several individuals were already seated. As he stepped inside, he bowed slightly, waiting for an invitation to speak. A heated discussion was already underway.
"I'm telling you, we need to shift our focus more towards the economic side of our operations. We're 15% down in alchemy products and food supplies compared to last year, despite the price increase over previous years!" one man said, his voice edged with frustration.
Another man nodded in agreement. "If more attention had been paid to profit margins, this wouldn't have happened."
A woman, seated near the head of the table, retorted, "But those prices only rose because we eliminated a competitor. Without that, prices might have dropped even further."
"What's the point of squeezing out competitors if we can't profit from it?" another chimed in, his irritation rising.
A different man countered, "That was just bad timing. We couldn't secure enough raw materials because the competition acted faster. But once we deal with them, we'll have a near-monopoly on alchemical goods, and then we can set the prices as high as we like."
The room buzzed with quiet murmurs of agreement until someone added, "But won't the Crown intervene if we start inflating prices like that? How are the negotiations with the third prince going? Has he agreed to back our plan in exchange for resources and manpower during the succession struggle?"
At that, a brief silence fell over the room. Finally, one man cleared his throat. "Perhaps we should save that discussion for after... someone leaves."
It was only then that the others noticed the messenger who had been waiting patiently at the back of the room, still silent, awaiting his chance to speak.
"Well, speak up. What have you learned?" asked the man seated at the end of the table, his voice commanding.
The messenger stepped forward, his posture stiff. "The Silverblade family has apparently made a connection with a wandering mage. This mage has visited Gustav several times in the past few days and convinced him to set up a large mana-gathering array outside the city. However, since I kept my distance, I was unable to discern what is inside the array. But I do know it was placed over the old Mc Linsey vineyard."
The room erupted into a murmur as the others began discussing this new information. Faces grew tense as they realized the implications.
"You're dismissed," the leader at the end of the table said, his voice curt.
The messenger bowed and quickly left the room, shutting the door behind him. The discussion that followed grew more intense.
"Are they planning to cultivate new fields outside the city to gain even more market share in alchemical elixirs?" one man asked, worry evident in his tone.
"This could set back our plans significantly," another added grimly.
The conversation quickly spiraled into chaos, with everyone talking over one another, until the man at the head of the table raised his hand. "Silence," he commanded. Instantly, the room quieted, and all eyes turned toward him.
"I'll investigate this personally," he said in a low, dangerous voice. "If it truly is a new alchemy field, I will make sure it is destroyed—just like the others."
The rest of the room nodded in agreement. This wasn't the first time they had dealt with a situation like this. Inside the city, their power was limited, but outside the city walls, there was no one to stop them.