Lotus Year 88

'Is this woman crazy or what?'

"I" was looking at Suzuki through the mannequin made of roots and water I created in a hurry, thinking about how we got to this point.

When she started to scream and throw stones at the statue it initially made it more interesting, finally something entertaining was happening around here. But when she ended up hurting herself in the process and falling to the ground in such a pathetic and miserable way, I started feeling bad for enjoying her suffering.

I already refused to listen to the requests of many people, people who came to me looking for blessings like Selene's, those who thought I could cure them of their illnesses, and even some women who came to pray for me to protect their husbands and children who had left the "safety" of the village walls. All ignored by me without any remorse. I didn't promise them anything in the first place, so why the hell would I need to bother protecting them? I am only interested in Selene's group of essence magicians - they are a source of valuable mana, so I always make a point of helping and even amplifying any magical phenomenon that they try to conduct over my domain.

But this Suzuki woman... she really is much more desperate than anyone else who came here before. Throwing stones at the statue and damaging it would be considered enormous disrespect by everyone in the village, and if Selene found out about it she wouldn’t just let her off with a slap on the wrist.

'She offered me anything, but what can I take from her that really has value? Her mana? No, removing all the mana from her body will kill her. Besides, it’s annoying to refine that much mana into a version usable by me. I think if I kept her alive inside the cave for a few years while I slowly extracted her mana I could get something out of this arrangement, but it's a lot of work... There are too many variables and things that can go wrong.'

'So what about her body then? It's been a few years since I've eaten anything as nutritious as a complete and uncorrupted corpse. No, It's not worth it, I can already suck the nutrients I need from their deceased when they die normally, even if they are elderly bodies'

'What value does she have to me? I don't think I can actively use anything she has to offer me...'

"I see. Unfortunately, you have nothing of value to offer me."

I said in a slow and cold voice through the fog. The words seemed to deeply bother Suzuki who seemed fretful.

"I-I can give you my knowledge? As a princess I had access to a lot of privileged information not accessible to others!" Suzuki said in an attempt to negotiate.

As soon as her words fell, the whispers around the fog turned into cries and grunts, sounds of branches breaking and movement of beasts came out of the fog, while half-formed shadows pressed in on Suzuki. Looking ahead in shock, Suzuki saw the lady of the fountain was surrounded by a crackling blue aura while the waters of the lake began to flow, creating crashing waves signaling my displeasure.

"Is this the best you have to offer? You come here, disrespect my land, ask me for something absurd, and then expect me to be stupid enough to accept this pathetic payment?"

Terrified, Suzuki lowers her head miserably, before kneeling with her head on the ground looking at the fountain lady.

"I beg you! I would do anything! I'll give you whatever you want! Please just grant my wish!" Suzuki said pitifully.

"So I ask you again, what do you have to offer me?"

Suzuki continued with her head lowered for a moment, as if she was desperately thinking of a form of payment that would please the fountain lady, until she looked up sharply towards my mannequin.

"My soul! Would that be enough? I can offer you my soul in exchange for the promise that you will protect my boy for the rest of his life!" Suzuki said desperately but with a hint of resolve.

'A soul? What value does a soul have?'

"And why would I want that?"

Suzuki looks visibly dejected by the question, looking at the fountain lady with a pleading expression.

"I-I don't know exactly, I just know that-that normally souls are a very valuable bargaining chip. I've been told that demons try to steal the souls of their victims to absorb their powers and assimilate them in their own soul source." Selene said, trying to make her offer more appealing.

'Can souls really do that? I've never seen a soul, but I can't outright deny its existence. When I was in that white room I was a soul, I think? But this could just be a trick to get a deal with me… You know what? I don't think I'm the one with anything to lose in this negotiation. If Suzuki's soul really has value I will honor our agreement, otherwise I can just go back to ignoring her.'

"I believe we can work this out. I'm willing to offer my protection to the boy in exchange for your soul."

As soon as the words fell, Suzuki seemed satisfied and relieved. She got up from the ground and once more addressed my mannequin glowing blue in the nighttime fog.

"I want you to give him your blessing, and cure him of his illness! Would that be possible?" Suzuki said.

"I cannot heal him, and a blessing is not part of this deal."

"Why not!?"

"Well, my specialty isn't healing - my powers focus on other areas - and I'm not willing to give him one of my blessings."

As soon as I said that Suzuki looked uncomfortable, clenching her hands as she looked at me with determination.

"A blessing from you would mark him as "one of yours". If he acquires the same blessing Selene carries, she would offer to protect him, perhaps she would even accept him as a disciple and place him under her wing." Suzuki said with great conviction.

'It's not a bad idea, but I don't like that feeling.'

Suzuki looks miserable, but what if this was all just a really good act to get what she wanted? Her sad little story could just be a way of trying to captivate me, her pathetic and pitiful actions could just be a well-planned way to get my attention, even her offer could be false since I don't really have any information if it's possible to trade souls. It could all be a trick, and I could be walking right into the trap like a total idiot.

"I need a guarantee, some insurance that I will get paid. After that we can talk about how I will protect the boy."

Suzuki looked uncomfortable, but didn't retort. Instead, she clasped her hands together in a prayerlike manner, closed her eyes, and started reciting strange and unintelligible murmurs.

Notice

The individual [Suzuki Masayoshi] is offering you a {Royal Promise}.

-={Royal Promise}=-

The individual [Suzuki Masayoshi] offers her own soul in exchange for the user's eternal protection to the individual [Kiiro Masayoshi].

If the contract is broken, the breaker of the agreement will be punished with divine retribution.

Notice

Do you accept the contract?

Yes/No

'Wow. I wanted guarantees, but this is certainly something much more substantial than a verbal promise. An agreement brokered by the system must be infinitely more secure than some words spoken in the heat of the moment.'

'I'll need to protect the boy, but it's no big deal. How long do they live, 100 years? I won't need to spend eternity with him, and in the worst case scenario I can lock him in the cave and keep him chained to the walls. After all, that would still fulfill my part of the agreement.'

"We have a deal then."

As soon as I said those words, Suzuki became overjoyed. To complete the deal I clicked "yes", causing the system's illusory screen to dissolve into a bunch of light that quickly turned into a small ball, and then split in 2, one piece running into Selene while the other sank into the lake, running straight to my main body and entering me the same way it entered Suzuki.

To try to see any change, I attempted to analyze myself, but there is nothing different in my body I can find and I can't feel any difference in my soul, though I never could feel it in the first place, so no change on that front. After checking myself over, I waited for a while, hoping to receive my "payment" but to my dismay nothing happened.

'Damn. Was I really tricked?'

Looking at Suzuki, I feel cheated and stupid. The deal was definitely made, but why didn't I get my payment?

"The deal is done, where's my payment?"

As soon as she heard my words, Suzuki seemed mortified, as if I had said something horrible.

"Y-You can't take my soul now! It will only go into your hands when I die.” Suzuki said, now suspicious of my motives.

'I knew it couldn't be that simple.'

"So, I need to work for free until you die? What stops me from killing you here and now? I could take my pay then fulfill my end of the bargain easily."

"P-Please! I-I have to be by Kiiro's side for as long as possible!" Suzuki said desperately.

Thinking about the situation, I'm a little angry with Suzuki, but even more angry with myself. I knew the situation wasn't ideal and I still took a risk without having all the information, now I'm stuck in a contract with no expectations of when I will receive my payment. That said, the contract is very manipulable. Nothing seems to stop me from killing Suzuki to get her soul early, or from simply shunting the boy into a cave and keeping him alive within my root system until he dies of natural causes. But thinking about it now, "eternal protection" is too broad. Does it mean I can't let anything bad happen to the boy, even if it means getting myself hurt in the process? Because if so, I'm really tempted to put him in a jar and raise him like a pet - always safe and alive, away from life's problems.

'Whatever, there's no point in blaming myself now.'

"Hmfff. Fine, I will collect your soul upon your death, and protect the boy as promised, but I will use my methods - which to be clear, means I will let everyone else die if it means keeping the boy alive."

Suzuke choked for a moment with my flat statement, but seemed willing to continue with the agreement, perhaps because she couldn't go back on it now even if she wanted to.

"I see. I think I can live with that. Should I bring him to you?" Suzuki asked, seemingly nervous now that the prospect of bringing her child came up.

"Now that the deal is sealed, I will need you to bring the boy here. Do it in the morning, when people are saying their morning prayers or checking the fishing nets."

Suzuki seemed uncomfortable with my suggestion, but after she thought a little she seemed to agree with me. She thanked me with a bow and slowly walked back. She noticed the fog around her blocked out sights and sounds coming in or out, which seemed to relieve her a little knowing nobody else would know about the agreement.

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---={Suzuki's Point of View}=---

The night was long, big promises were made, and now I'm on a path that there's no turning back on. I had other options, of course - there is always another option - but what were they? Sell myself to Hiraki or one of the nobles in exchange for protection? Kneel to Selene and beg her for help? Or try to take them down with my own faction? I'm not that brave, not that capable.

Negotiating with the guardian spirit was the best option. They live for centuries and are almost immortal. Having the sworn protection of one of them is a free pass to do whatever you want, whenever you want. No one will contradict the protection of a guardian spirit - not here in her domains. My boy will be safe, and if I play my cards right I can extract more promises from the guardian spirit and make him protect Kiiro's entire lineage.

She pretended well, but her naivety is clear as day. Her power also seems limited to the lake and its surroundings, and her presence seemed... diminished somehow - like it wasn't really there - which can only mean one thing: A young guardian spirit.

I have never heard of how a guardian spirit is born, there is nothing in the Tieflings' knowledge of this rare phenomenon. Some say that guardian spirits are born from "desires", or the prayers and laments of a large number of people, but nothing with absolute certainty. But I've heard about new guardian spirits or "reclusive" ones, spirits that inhabit an item, region, or person in an anonymous or minimally invasive way, until they are discovered or disturbed by some external factor. These spirits are normally the most naive, and easy to control and deceive, but they are also the most dangerous. Their lack of humanity or any type of guilt makes them capable of committing atrocities or dishonorable acts without any hesitation.

Offering my soul was a good deal, no, it was the only deal possible. She wasn't willing to compromise with some worthless goods, she seemed more interested in raw power than any material thing she could forcefully wrest from someone.

'I need to prepare Kiiro. If everything goes according to the plan, tomorrow he will be blessed in front of a large crowd, which will make our social value skyrocket. And from that I can create the base for my own faction and steal Hiraki's place.'

The plan is very simple: put Kiiro at the top, make him king - or at least a duke -, and strike an agreement with the guardian spirit that will protect Kiiro's lineage.

'I thought that after everything that happened in Cindervil I would never need to worry about things like political conflicts again, but if it's a fight they want, it's a fight they will have. I didn't live 20 years inside the jade castle being treated like trash, survive the red plague, and go through the pains of childbirth, only to perish ridiculously like a failed storybook princess.'

I will succeed, no matter the sacrifices.

.....

.....

"Mom, why do we have to wake up so early?"

"We need to go to an important place. Mommy will tell you everything later, okay? Now I need you to pay attention to me. Something special is going to happen today, someone very important is going to pay you a visit, you can't show fear, or retreat, understand?"

"But why?"

"Mommy can't explain right now, I need to get you ready and run to the meeting point, but I need you to promise me that you'll behave, okay? I promise I'm only doing what's best for you, my dear."

Kiiro seemed confused for a while, staring into space as he always did while trying to "covertly" play with his fingers to dispel his nervousness. I understand that it's all very fast and scary, but I know what's best for my son.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"What about Dad? He's not going with us?"

James… things aren't going well between us, but I can't let our problems affect Kiiro. I can fix things between us later, for now, I need to protect my child.

"No, let's not wake up daddy, that will make him more worried. Go wash while I get your clothes."

"Okay."

As soon as Kiiro left to wash, I ran to a box where we left our clothes, grabbed the best clothes I could find for Kiiro and then started getting ready.

Looking up from the box, I came across a broken piece of mirror, something rare to find around here. In the past I had a huge dressing table with several mirrors decorated with gold, expensive clothes, and employees who did everything for me without me having to move a muscle.

But now, what do I have? A broken mirror that reflects an unpleasant image: disheveled and dirty hair, deep and protruding dark circles under the eyes, and a thin body with blemished skin.

An image that does not resemble my previous self at all. I had jewelry, beautiful and well-cared for skin, smooth and clean hair that fell to the ground like a veil, and a slender and healthy body, all taken from me by the plague and the stress.

'I can't let Kiiro live like this'

I can withstand the heavens and the earth falling on me, I will endure the misery and suffering in silence if necessary, but Kiiro… he cannot live like this. He needs something better - the best possible - all the opportunities and prestige that he can accumulate.

If my title cannot guarantee him this future, then may my soul and body allow him to reach the stars.

"Mommy?"

Looking down there was Kiiro, wrapped in a cloth with wet hair as he tugged at the hem of my skirt. A beautiful little boy, no blemishes on his skin, a thin - but not malnourished - body, blond hair like wheat, and an innocent and sweet smile. If it weren't for his eyes, he would be perfect, completely whole and perfect. But it's not his fault, royal blood carries the weight of our sins, and our demons always come back to cruelly and mercilessly punish us. The demonic contracts made by our ancestors still stain our blood, a mark that cannot be wiped away - no matter how many generations go by - that haunts us forever and ever.

"Come here darling."

As soon as Kiiro got close, I knelt down to give him a tight hug. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm crazy, but if I don't protect Kiiro, no one will. His father can't give him the care he needs, and If I died, Kiiro would be alone in the world.

"Mommy loves you very, very much. I'm sorry for what is going to happen, but that was my choice, I'm sorry if it's not what you wanted."

"Mommy?"

"Sorry honey, come on, let's get ready."

....

....

As I approached my destination accompanied by Kiiro, I could see a crowd forming around the statue of the fountain lady. Getting closer, I soon discovered what was happening: my actions yesterday angered a lot of people.

'I'm glad no one knows I was the one who did all that with the statue…'

In front of me was Selene, looking indignantly at the statue as she inspected it closely. She screamed and mumbled as she found missing pieces that littered the floor, cracks and broken splinters. Hiraki also appeared, but he didn't seem that interested - he only came here for appearance’s sake. The most worrying thing was Selene and her group of fanatical apprentices. I didn't care to pay attention to the nonsense Selene or Hirake said, I was more nervous about the appearance of the guardian spirit - if she didn't appear all of this would be meaningless.

'She wouldn't keep me waiting, right?'

Just when I started thinking I had been stood up by the 'fountain lady', a vibration of energy came from the lake abruptly. I turned in the direction of the vibration, and saw out of the corner of my eye Selene and Hiraki looking there as well, Selene with hope in her eyes, Hiraki with suspicion. In a short time the vibration transformed into a wave of energy, which soon manifested itself on the surface of the lake as bubbles. Without understanding much, I looked at the place where the air bubbles formed on the water, until a lily pad with a vibrant blue lotus flower suddenly bursted from the lake out of nowhere.

The lily pad began to slide across the surface of the lake, until it reached the edge where it magically began to lift up to reveal a familiar mannequin of water currents with roots taking the place of bones. I didn't have time to look in detail last night, but the creature is an enigma to me. Its presence is almost non-existent, emanating only pure energy in the air, as if the thing were made of pure magic, not a complete individual. Her body had a thin and slender appearance with no defined gender, but clearly takes a more feminine form. Her hair made purely of water falls like a waterfall constantly until it reaches the surface of the lake. Her dress is made of waves and foam that flows endlessly connected with the lake below. Inside her body there are dark brown roots curled and intertwined with each other to form the basic shape of a mannequin and on top of a head devoid of any facial features, there is a large hat reminiscent of those witches wear, made of lily pads and a large radiant blue lotus flower pulsing with an ethereal and comforting light.

"The Lady of the Fountain!" Selene shouted, before quickly kneeling on the ground respectfully, a gesture quickly imitated by her disciples.

Hiraki seemed surprised and confused. He clearly hadn't expected the presence of the very entity that "protects" the village to show up, though he tried his best to remain composed. As I looked nervously at the creature, it felt as if it was looking at me even with the lack of facial features. Then she raised her delicate hand and pointed through the crowd directly at Kiiro. Soon all eyes were on Kiiro, and Selene began marching towards us.

"Where were you last night, kid? You better have a good answer!" Selene demanded.

"Do you think my son damaged the statue?"

"I think the Lady of the Fountain seems to have some unfinished business with him." Selene said to me disdainfully.

"And that gives you the right to come here and accuse my son? You know, the lady may have other matters more important than a ridiculous statue."

"You-!"

Before Selene could continue pressing us, the mannequin unexpectedly left the lake, "walking" across the land, her dress while leaving behind a trail made of water wherever she went. Within moments the creature was in front of me with her arms crossed, looking calmly and silently down at Kiiro. Before Selene could speak, the creature bent down to Kiiro's height until their faces were separated by inches. The creature held Kiiro's head with both hands, and the boy became visibly uncomfortable with the situation. A delicate laugh seemed to echo from nowhere, followed by words similarly spoken by a melodious voice.

"Child, we've known each other for a long time, but this is the first time we've been formally introduced to each other." Said the creature.

She then touched her forehead to Kiiro's and a magical glow was briefly visible before Kiiro jumped away in fear holding his forehead with both hands.

"Kiiro!"

"We'll have plenty of time later to get to know each other, child. For now this is goodbye, but I'll be back soon." Said the lady as she turned around and slowly returned to the lake where she disappeared without a trace.

"Wait!"

Before I could demand answers from the creature, she was already gone, leaving me behind with a frightened Kiiro. Looking at my son, I could see him rubbing his eyes with his hands, looking extremely uncomfortable.

"What's wrong sweetie!? What is it?"

Removing Kiiro's hands from his face to inspect him, I was shocked as I saw his formerly milky-white eyes turned deep blue with a 4-sided pointed white shape in place of his iris.

"Kiiro? Are you alright?"

Before I could assess the situation better, more started to happen. Kiiro's eyes started glowing prismatic colors before he stared into space as if hypnotized. Without any obvious action, the ends of his hair started to turn the same shade of blue his eyes were, and a strange, pure black tattoo of a circle with a symbol of a ring of black roots full of thorns curled in on themselves while surrounding what appeared to be a 5-leaf lotus flower inscribed in his shoulder began to rapidly grow and spread through his chest. He then seemed to come out of his trance, his eyes stopped shining and he fell back suddenly, leaving me worried and without answers.

"Kiiro!? Someone help me take him to the infirmary! Quickly!"

----------------------------------------

Star Store Star Points: 2023.3

Random skill: 1800 Star points - Or more

Random Title: 12000 Star points - Or more

Conversion: 10 MP - 0.1 Star Point / 160 Star Point - 10 XP

Why do I have so few star points? Well, that's mostly Kiiro's fault. I wanted to give him something that screamed "I'm important", something that would earn him an important position in the village. If Selene and her mediocre minor blessing made her look good in the eyes of the people, a visibly stronger blessing than that would definitely improve his standing. I was between a bigger blessing and a unique blessing, but I ended up opting for just a bigger blessing - the unique blessings seemed too intimate to throw around.

The blessing given to Kiiro caught everyone's interest. They had already seen someone blessed by the lake before, but never someone with a blessing superior to the point of changing their broader physical appearance beyond the tattoo. Kiiro gained a great affinity with water, prompting Selene to take him as a direct apprentice, and his talent turned out to be simply absurd. Even blind, Kiiro can "see" with some special skill or ability he has, because even though he has difficulty walking without hitting something, he is still very good at sensing and manipulating mana.

The little boy also became the direct focus of the nobles, who bombarded Suzuki with marriage proposals between their families. Before, Kiiro had royal blood in his veins, but his father's "humble" origin and the decadence of the princess made his value as a suitor plummet. Now, as the sole bearer of a superior blessing, Kiiro seems much more attractive to these families. Selene's obsession with him only adds value to the boy - if a noble manages to win him to their side, they will indirectly be placing the apprentice of the leader of the Templars on their side. Suzuki seems happy with her return to power politics, her husband, on the other hand, is clearly bothered by all this, but Suzuki doesn't seem willing to lose this new opportunity to gain power and influence.

Some wanted to know if Kiiro did something special to get my attention, and if this could be repeated but nobody got any answers. Many nobles used Kiiro as propaganda for their political game, saying things like "the princess's son is the only one worthy of the Lady of the Lake’s divine protection”, emphasizing the importance of royalty. Some claim that if Suzuki's husband leaves the game they could win the princess' hand, and as a bonus take on the role of Kiiro's stepfather, gaining public approval as well as positioning themself to become royalty.

Some pretend they didn't notice, but Kiiro now exudes an aura of clear power even at such a young age. His energy seems perfectly in tune with the natural environment, and unlike some people who have damaged bodies marred by things like hard work, malnutrition and disease, Kiiro retains a perfect physique that exudes power, making him seem like a literal "chosen one."

This all has given me a headache from so many people coming to pray at the fountain in search of a blessing. They were all immediately ignored, of course, blessings are not something to be given to just anyone. Ever since I gave Green my first blessing years ago, I've felt that they must be special, they must have some meaning or reason, like Selene who gained her blessing after I felt a little sorry for her situation, and Kiiro's superior blessing that was given in order to fulfill my part of the agreement with Suzuki. If I went around giving blessings to every idiot who claimed to be worthy or in need of one, they wouldn't be special or even meaningful, they would just be worthless things that anyone can get just by saying a stupid prayer to a stone statue.

Annoyed with people looking for blessings just because they thought they deserved my protection, I started looking at my skills and thinking about the possibility of merging them.

Skills

[Roots Whiplash] - Lv MAX

Create roots capable of purifying water and absorbing nutrients.

[Celestial Absorption] - Lv MAX

Absorb the magical power of celestial bodies through the process of photosynthesis, generating MP and SP.

[Earthward Caller] - Lv MAX

Use a catalyst and an Mp sacrifice to summon an Earthward that will follow your orders at the cost of SP.

[Lotus Blessing] - Lv 4

Bestow a blessing upon an allie that ncreased luck and fortune.

[Azure Torrent] - Lv 1

Use MP to enchant large amounts of water, creating a zone of water magic capable of creating water elementals of diferent levels.

[Lily Pad Shield] - Lv MAX

Create Lily Pads that can serve as resistant shields, Lily Pads cannot generate energy.

[Solar Beam] - Lv 7

Use a flower to generate a concentrated beam of energy capable of causing massive damage, the solar beam must be charged and its strength is limited by the intensity of sunlight.

[Serenity Blossom] - Lv MAX

Use MP and SP to create flowers capable of emitting a hormone that calms and tranquilizes anyone who feels it.

[Toxic Bramble] - Lv 1

Create a small thorn trap that, if activated, will trap its victim with vines of poisonous thorns.

[Aquatic Allies] - Lv MAX

Use Mp to summon a variety of aquatic creatures that can serve as your allies.

[Whispering Mist] - Lv 7

Conjures a misty veil that not only obscures vision of the target, but also imitates sounds that have already been heard by you.

[Astral Radiance] - Lv 8

Emit lights capable of absorbing ambient mana or release energy into the environment

[Reef Garden] - Lv 5

Use SP to create a wide variety of sea plants that can generate MP.

[Mirror of Water] - Lv 1

Use Mp to create water copies of your enemies, water copies can use magic and are capable of copying 1 random skill from their target.

[Stormcaller] - Lv 4

Use large amounts of Mp to generate rain of intensity equivalent to the value offered.

[Enchanting] - Lv 8

Use large amounts of MP to add a random effect to an item.

[Blossom Rest] - Lv 2

Enter a state of hibernation after suffering large amounts of damage. While in this state, the host is immune to all status effects and gradually heals from injuries.

[Poison Resistance] - Lv MAX

Gain resistance against poisons.

[Purifying Tuber] - Lv MAX

Use Sp to create tubercles that can safely store poisons and harmful substances.

[Mana Control] - Lv 7

Helps you control mana in a more stable and refined way.

'I believe the best option is to fuse [Roots Whiplash] with [Purifying Tuber]. Adding the ability to absorb and store poisons throughout my root systems will be very useful.'

Notice

The skills [Roots Whiplash] and [Purifying Tuber] had fused in the final skill [Sanctified Roots]

'What? Final skill?! I had a limit for how many times I could fuse skills together all this time without even knowing?'

Skill

[Sanctified Roots] - Lv 1

Harness the power of nature to create a network of roots that purify and assimilate the environment with your energy. These roots absorb nutrients and toxins, converting harmful substances into beneficial resources stored in specialized tubercles.

'Holy capybara! What kind of skill is this?! The ability to 'assimilate' the terrain around me? What does that mean? Wouldn't it basically be a way for me to merge with the earth? Is that really safe?'

The skill seems powerful, and the ability to convert toxins into usable resources? This is just perfect! I spent years having to discard zombies because they were too poisonous to eat, but now I should be able to convert them into something useful for me!

Looking over my next options, I'm discouraged by the lack of good possible fusions, until I come across [Poison Resistance] and [Serenity Blossom]. If I combined the 2 skills, wouldn't I be able to create a panacea - flowers that produce valuable medicine? The skill could also surprise me and give me poisonous flowers that would knock down my enemies before they even understand what hits them. After all, the best-smelling flowers are usually the most poisonous ones.

Notice

The skills [Serenity Blossom] and [Poison Resistance] had fused in the skill [Serenity Guard]

Skill

[Serenity Guard]- Lv 1

Produce flowers that emit a tranquilizing hormone and neutralize poisons, providing a dual benefit of calmness and detoxification.

'Well, it's a good skill I suppose, though not all I dreamed it might be. It's useful if I need to save the animal life in my lake, and it would also be a good way to make someone trust me.'

Finished fusing skills for now, I divert my attention to a large hole in the cave where my mud crustaceans were furiously digging in their attempt to expand the cave. Near the wall I create a small magic circle using my roots, and the stones around it begin to take on a softer dirt-like appearance. Without thinking too much, I stick my roots into this soft surface and dig my way deep into the ground. After reaching about 10 cm, the mud began to offer resistance again, continuing to get harder until I finally could no longer dig through the rocks any further. Reaching the end of the newly formed burrow, I began to summon a small bubble of water within the mud, which rapidly expands then explodes in a small explosion of mud. Then, I invoke another magic circle that makes the stones soft again and dig deeper, repeating the process again and again.

By the end of the day I had a hole almost 2 meters deep, which could now be expanded upon for weeks by my mud crustaceans. I do this to guide the crustaceans towards a path directly to deepest parts of the earth, to a place where I feel safe and protected, where no matter what happens, I will be sure to survive the disasters of the world.

The project is slow, but magic and my mud crustaceans help me along, and time isn’t the pressing factor it is for mortals. Nowadays, I have hundreds of Eathwards who work on this process, so in a few weeks the project should be ready for the next round.

As I dig deeper, I feel less corruption caused by the demon lord present in the earth and more of the world’s natural energy. This is a nice confirmation that I’m not crazy for wanting to live down in this bunker. It may seem lonely and sad, but It is the safest place to keep my main body. Once the cave project is completed, I will flood the deepest part of the cave to hide my body, and turn everything else into a verdant forest underground. This way, the heavens may fall and the world collapse, but my elementals, animals, and I will be safe. I might need to add a house for Kiiro, but it would be nice to live that way - without demon lords, petty power struggles, people complaining in my ears, and disturbances outside the natural balance of the world.

Everything would be peaceful, peaceful and perfect.