Lotus Year 21
Skills
[Filtering Roots] - 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
[Blooming] - Lv MAX
Create flowers that can bear fruit
[Undine's Embrace] - Lv 2
Use Mp to summon water-type elementals, the result of the summoning will depend on the sacrifice offered and the level of the host.
[Clay Guardians] - Lv MAX
Use Mp to create and maintain clay guardians capable of generating essential nutrients for the soil using MP.
[Lotus Blessing] - Lv 1
Bestow a blessing upon an allie that ncreased luck and fortune.
[Hard shell] - Lv MAX
Use your Sp to make the surface of your shell harder
[Waste Wipe] - Lv MAX
Use MP to purify dirt and harmful substances
[Lily Pad Shield] - Lv 2
Create Lily Pads that can serve as resistant shields, Lily Pads cannot generate energy.
[Solar Beam] - Lv 1
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.
[Poison Point] - Lv 2
Use your Sp to create poisonous spikes
[Lotus Scent] - Lv MAX
Use Sp and MP to emit a scent capable of attracting prey and calming them
[Thorn Trap] - Lv 2
Use Sp and MP to create root traps that activate on contact.
[Water Absorption] - Lv MAX
Absorb and store large amounts of water in your body.
[Vine Whip] - Lv MAX
Create thin vines to lash out at enemies and inflict minor damage.
[Aquatic Allies] - Lv 2
Use Mp to summon a variety of aquatic creatures that can serve as your allies.
[Mist Veil] - Lv 1
Conjures a veil of mist to obscure the vision of invaders
[Lotus Light] - Lv 3
Use Mp to create a small light source in lotus flowers
[Water Echo] - Lv 1
Use Mp to create small sounds at any nearby water sources.
[Floral Flourish] - Lv 3
Makes plants around you grow faster
[Pond's Reflection] - Lv 4
Use Mp to reflect any image, as long you have viewed it before.
[Kelp Keep] - Lv 7
Use Sp to create small amounts of highly nutritious algae
Leaving Green aside, I start to analyze my skills and think about some possibilities, this skills thing was very important, and I also realized that the more "complex" a skill was, the more difficult it was to evolve it, a similar thing happens with XP and levels, even though my 'killing' rate hasn't dropped, it's been years since I've been able to raise a single level.
'[Vine Whip] and [Filtering Roots] seem to be very good if they were fused into a single skill, that would give me the "mobility" of the vines, and the absorption and filtration power of the roots, but I don't know if I want to risk a skill As important as [Filtering Roots] is in something risky, I would prefer something more stable.'
'Is fusing [Blooming] with [Lotus Scent] a good idea? This would probably only give me flowers that can emit the smell of lotus without spending SP and MP, which is already a great thing, but what if I fused [Blooming] with [Vine Whip]? Wouldn't that basically allow me to create flowers that can attack someone?'
Determined not to spend my whole life thinking about a future that I have no way of knowing, I decide to start the day's mergers.
Notice
Do you want to fuse the skills [Clay Guardians] and [Hard shell]?
I decided to start with something controversial, a skill that summons allies, and a skill that reinforces my body, they are incompatible with each other, but they have effects that can complement each other.
If I can add the strength of my roots and stems to my clay slugs, then I can begin to use them more extensively as water elementals.
'Yes!'
Notice
The skills [Clay Guardians] and [Hard shell] had fused in the skill [Earthward Caller]
Skill
[Earthward Caller] - Lv 1
Use a catalyst and an Mp sacrifice to summon an Earthward that will follow your orders at the cost of SP.
The skill seemed incredible, but what is an Earthward? Are they like elementals? But why do they need a catalyst? What is a catalyst? Is it some item, or potion?
Analyzing the skill I received the information that this "Catalyst" was nothing more, nothing less than the heart of Earthward, I would need to provide something that could serve as its core for it to work.
After trying to use the skill without a catalyst, I could see little creatures in the form of slugs and snails being formed by the clay at the bottom of the pond, but it was the same thing as my old clay guardians, only now they had shells and husks made of lake stones.
'That's great, now I need to find a catalyst. At least now I have something to do in my free time'
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
For my next fusion, I choose something very generic and common, but it will still save me a lot of MP and SP if I'm not mistaken.
Notice
Do you want to fuse the skills [Blooming] and [Lotus Scent]?
'Yes!'
Notice
The skills [Blooming] and [Lotus Scent] had fused in the skill [Serenity Blossom]
Skill
[Serenity Blossom] - Lv 1
Use MP and SP to create flowers capable of emitting a hormone that calms and tranquilizes anyone who feels it.
'Pretty obvious I think. Not bad, but pretty obvious.'
Notice
Do you want to fuse the skills [Waste Wipe] and [Water Absorption]?
'Yes!'
Notice
The skills [Waste Wipe] and [Water Absorption] had fused in the skill [Purified Wellspring]
Skill
[Purified Wellspring] - Lv 1
Use MP and Sp to add magical properties to large amounts of water near you.
This skill is... unexpected. It looks pretty cool, but why would I want to turn the lake water into magical water? Is there any advantage or is it just a cosmetic effect?
By analyzing the skill, I was able to know that these magical properties were basically the ability to provide a small amount of MP to whoever consumes the water. I may seem stupid, but I'm not crazy enough to spend my precious MP on a skill that will only benefit other individuals.
If that guy in the blue cloak was ever interested in lake water that doesn't have magical properties, what would he do if he found out that I can produce magical water?
A little upset with the skill, and I went to my last couple, which was the riskiest of the day.
Notice
Do you want to fuse the skills [Filtering Roots] and [Vine Whip]?
'Yes!'
Notice
The skills [Filtering Roots] and [Vine Whip] had fused in the skill [Roots Whiplash]
Skill
[Roots Whiplash] - Lv 1
Use Sp to create vines and roots capable of purifying the environment around you and absorbing nutrients from the soil. Use MP to move your roots as you wish.
'That looks very promising!'
When analyzing the skill, I see that it looks the same for both but now at 1, and when trying to move one of the vines that grew in the lake, I discover that it is much easier to move the roots and vines according to my desire, being able to make them come out of the lake, and until they are suspended in the air. The problem was that the Mp cost for all of this was very high, and I was already feeling worn out after a brief move.
'Best, skill, of all.'
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Lotus Year 22
Another year had passed, and Green was now almost a teenager I guess? His body started to grow some muscles, and he had hair growing all over the place, so it looks to me like Green has reached puberty.
Green built a small fortress for him to call home, it was a settlement with walls of mud, earth and stones, followed by a trench filled with wooden stakes and a small passage that had a log being used as a bridge.
To be honest, it was shit. These aren't real defenses, the ditches are so short that an adult could easily jump over them, the walls barely reach an adult's waist, and the entire place is a big sign of "Hey! I'm here!" but when you stopped and looked at who built it, you would understand why there are so many "Legal" and at the same time useless protections.
Green is a child, he can even hunt and survive on his own, but he is still a child, his funny constructions and eccentric survival tactics were nothing more than a reflection of his immaturity. Green is trying to do his best, but he has no one to rely on, so all his work looks good until it breaks and proves useless.
Green is a good boy, and I wish only the best for him, honestly Green seems to have a better chance of survival than me, since even though he is very childish in some aspects, he is extremely competent in other areas.
He knows how to cook, cultivate, hunt, set traps, hide, run and be silent. All characteristics that a survivalist would want to have in a time of difficulty.
And Green still has the bonus of having me and earth's magical powers.
I can provide water and protection from small to medium creatures, as well as help with elementals and Axolotls, and Green can use these earth manipulation skills to do a lot of cool things.
For the last year, Green has been watching and learning, he would watch the water elementals throwing super powerful water balls and be in awe, he would look at my Axolotls who one moment were sweet and friendly, and the next they were extremely hungry little toothy creatures that in group could crunch a large fish, and mainly looked for clay crustaceans.
I decided to call them that because they all took the form of some kind of crustacean or slug, clay and stone crabs, stone snails, mud lobsters and things like that, all forming randomly whenever I tried to summon an Earthward. And now the lake was full of these creatures, who dug at the edge of the lake and created earthen tunnels in the lake, and whenever anyone looked at them, these little creatures disappeared in a cloud of mud and buried themselves in the ground.
Green was fascinated by the abilities of mud crustaceans, their ability to break rocks with "hands" made of mud, their ability to stamp their feet on the ground and create small earthen tunnels, and their power to instantly burrow into the ground.
Green tried to imitate them all day long when he had free time, he hunted, ate, cleaned and imitated. He saw the mud snails blending into the dirt perfectly and tried to do the same.
When a land crab stamped its feet on the ground and created a hole instantly, he tried to reproduce the phenomenon, and it went on like this for a long time, with Green becoming more and more a capable young man every day. Sometimes I saw him talking to himself, and building stone statues that looked like him, I think because Green feels alone, but the important thing is that he is okay.
Star Store Star Points: 3231.2
Random skill: 320 Star points - Or more
Random Title: 2000 Star points - Or more
Conversion: 10 MP - 0.1 Star Point / 1 Star Point - 10 XP
I must admit, in the last few years I've gotten a lot of star points, but they still seem so few... The prices get more and more expensive every time I buy a new skill or title, which means my mana generation isn't up to par. growing, but my consumption is, so it's only a matter of time before I no longer have enough points to buy everything I want.
These points would now be used to buy a title, or for some skills, or I could try to take risks and sacrifice all these points in a single skill or title.
'is this worth it?'
I had already purchased a new batch of skills to "keep stock" so I could afford a cool title or a super powerful skill.
'I will choose the skill.'
Star Store Do you want to use All Star points for a skill?
'Yes!'
Notice
You have gained the skill [Gem Growth]
Skill
[Gem Growth] - Lv 1
Use materials, high amounts of MP and time to create magical jewelry.
'Wow! This feels like something new and amazing!'
Analyzing the skill, I discover that I can create small shells made from a bone-like material, and within these shells it is possible to produce magical jewelry if I have the necessary materials and time.
Without wasting much time, I started to create a small shell at the bottom of the lake, and with the help of a little MP I managed to create the shell quickly! So all I had to do was throw some dirt from the lake in and watch it slowly close.
Soon I could feel my mana being drained into the shell through my root system, it wasn't a large amount, but it wasn't insignificant either, it was a substantial amount for something that may or may not work.
'Excellent! Now what is a jewel for?'
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Lotus Year 24
Green is leaving, he packed a bunch of items into a backpack made of leather and now he was leaving.
Green was a great friend and good company, I didn't want to see him go, but life is full of surprises and twists, and unlike me, Green is not rooted to the ground and confined to a lake.
Now I was watching him gather the last things before he started to leave, his body was much more healthy and strong than it had ever been in the past, Green could also use earth powers with great mastery and he had an axolotl companion who wouldn't leave his side no matter what.
That's why he's leaving.
Green knows there is nothing here for him, he can survive with me, but for what? Would he spend every day of his life talking to a lake that would never respond? Would he stay until he died of old age or was killed by someone? No, Green is going after a new life.
When he came to say goodbye I was really upset, he knelt down around the lake and started talking to me in a strange language, I could see his eyes tearing up and hands shaking, was Green scared, or emotional about saying goodbye? I can't say.
All I could do was reproduce the images of a little Green playing in the lake while hunting frogs, which made Green smile, and then he got up to leave accompanied by his purple axolotl that was the size of a small dog.
'...Good luck in life Green.'
As a parting gift, I activated something I had never used before, [Lotus Blessing] as soon as the skill was activated I could see Green looking at me in disbelief as a small lotus flower mark appeared on the back of his hand, he looked happily at the symbol that looked more like a birthmark and said goodbye happily as he walked away from the lake.
'Goodbye, little one.'
And again, I was alone.