CHAPTER 47: THE BLOOM OF POWER

Chapter 47: The Bloom of Power

Behind them, the now 6 meters Cedar Treant stood still, its head slightly tilted, watching the whole scene in silent curiosity — its glowing eyes blinking as if trying to understand this strange human ritual.

When Lily noticed it, her face went crimson for an entirely new reason. "T-Treant! Stop looking!" she squeaked, hastily unsummoning it in a flash of green light.

Leo laughed harder, his voice echoing through the narrow alley. He finally stopped just before they reached the main road — at least preserving the last shred of her dignity.

"There, happy now?" he teased, finally setting her down.

Lily rubbed her sore backside with a deep pout, muttering under her breath.

"You’re impossible..."

Why did it feel so good? She thought as she recalled the way he completely neutralised her.

Leo noticed, of course. His grin turned sly.

"Oh? That look..." he leaned in close, brushing her ear with his lips, voice dripping with mischief.

"Maybe I should continue this tonight — when you’re truly at my mercy."

Lily’s shoulders tensed instantly, a visible shiver running down her spine.

"Y-you wouldn’t..." she stammered.

Leo chuckled, straightening up and walking ahead, giggling.

Her eyes widened, her face a shade of deep red as she chased after him, flustered beyond measure.

---

The Academy selection was set to take place in two days.By that time, Lily and Leo decided to focus on training their abilities.

Lily’s main goal was to learn control — taming her newfound strength after her recent surge in power.

Leo, meanwhile, turned his attention to exploring the limits of his Spiritual Space.

He still couldn’t create new things within the island or expand its boundaries. Just as he considered consuming the last petal of the Elysian Bloom to push himself further, something unexpected happened.

Leo stood before the Bloom, watching Niri carefully channel her mana into the flower, nourishing it like a guardian spirit.

The final petal shimmered, dissolved, and vanished into thin air — leaving behind only the stigma and stem. It looked like a rose stripped bare, its beauty now hidden in potential rather than bloom.

Ding!

[Elysian Bloom] - is evolving...

Complete!

[Elasian Aetherbloom] – Low Red Quality (Growth-Type Treasure)

A rare, living treasure that constantly releases vitality and Prana particles, enriching the surrounding mana field.It bears new Elasian Blooms every thirty days and transforms nearby land into lush, mana-rich soil.Thrives only in regions dense with spiritual energy and requires a Dryad’s constant mana support until it matures to Gold Quality.

"This is awesome!" Leo exclaimed, eyes wide.

He grinned, realisation dawning. "So that’s why Elasian Blooms are born alongside a Dryad."

He gently patted Niri’s head; she squeaked happily, her leafy hair rustling in delight.

"Doesn’t this mean I now have a way to raise my Soul Rank continuously? And if needed, I could even sell the petals! This is great!"

Then a thought crossed his mind.

"But... what are Prana particles?"

He asked the system — but got no reply.

"Hmph. Guess I’ll have to figure that one out myself," he muttered, stretching.

With that, Leo left for the hunting grounds to test his new skills.

A few minutes later, he spotted a group of goblins wandering near the edge of the forest. Perfect test subjects.

He activated [Mist Shroud].

At once, dense white mist spread out, covering nearly a hundred square meters. He could feel it stretching farther if he wanted — but at a steep cost.

"Five hundred mana units base cost?" he muttered, eyes narrowing. "And that’s after my fifty-percent reduction from the Blood Bond... damn. Anyone with low mana would faint using this."

Then a new message blinked in his vision.

[Stats increased by 30%]

Leo’s jaw dropped. "This! This is overpowered!"

He crept forward, activating [Stealth]. Even when he was a meter away, the goblins didn’t notice him. With a silent step and a clean strike, one fell.

Curious, he tried again — this time without stealth. The goblin only sensed him when he was within three meters.

"Still broken," he chuckled, and soon went on a small hunting spree, cutting down beasts one after another.

Ding!

[Stealth] – 100% (Intermediate) → [Stealth] – 2% (High)

Now able to erase complete presence in darkness, and nearly so in bright light. Undetectable by smell or low-level search spells.

Skill Cost: 50 → 100 mana.

Ding!

[Critical Strike] – 100% (Low) → [Critical Strike] – 10% (Intermediate)

Focuses mana onto a chosen body part, amplifying power and precision.Strikes empowered by this skill now deal 500% - 600% increased damage.

Skill Cost: 100 → 200 mana.

Leo whistled. "Ouch... that mana cost hurts, but the upgrade’s worth it."

He then tested Niri’s [Spike Pores] — 400 mana per use.There was a delay before activation, but once the spores spread, any beast that inhaled them died gruesomely, impaled from within by wooden spikes bursting through their bodies.

"So far, even high 1-star beasts can’t survive it," he noted.

Next, he tried [Vine Estranglement] — 300 mana — but couldn’t see the full effect since no one had managed to injure him. Even when he nicked himself with a knife, the wound sealed instantly thanks to his regeneration trait.

"Tsk. Even being too strong can be a problem sometimes," he said, half joking.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Leo decided to call it a day. Tomorrow was the Academy Selection — and he wanted to be well-rested.

There was still no news about the Baron. Those who knew of his disappearance were growing restless — and with the Academy Selection scheduled for tomorrow, anxiety filled the mansion.

The presence of a Baron was mandatory. Without him, the city risked offending the high-ranking guests who were traveling from afar.

This event was supposed to be their chance — an opportunity to earn recognition for the city and attract more support from the Emperor himself. But if the city’s own lord failed to appear, it would cast a shadow over everything.

Vintage paced back and forth through the Baron’s mansion, his expression tight with unease.

"Lord Zerek, where the hell have you gone?" he muttered, frustration bleeding into his tone.

Suddenly, a shadow flickered beside him.

Dorand emerged from it.

"Did you find out where he went?" Vintage asked at once.

"I tracked his last location," Dorand replied, his voice low. "But beyond that... nothing. He was last seen heading toward the area where the new trade route is being established. After that, it’s as if he simply vanished."

"Tsk." Vintage clicked his tongue, his frown deepening.