Chapter 41: Mocha Forest 12
Having done this, Moira Lynch prepared to leave quietly. She had seen enough to know this group wasn’t just unreliable—they were completely useless. ’I’d better just rely on myself.’
As dusk settled and the plants’ assault gradually weakened, Moira Lynch took advantage of everyone’s distraction and left without a backward glance.
She arrived at the hiding spot she had found earlier: a very well-hidden burrow. Its entrance was concealed beneath the roots of a tree, just large enough for her to pass through freely.
With the arrival of night, the others were also forced to find temporary shelter and wait for the new day.
The group naturally noticed Moira Lynch’s absence but didn’t pay it any mind. After all, her talent had no combat potential. If she had stayed, she would have just been cannon fodder.
The girl in the white dress, following behind Kong and the others, glanced back at the basket left near the plants before leaving. A look of grim determination flashed in her eyes.
’I absolutely cannot lose my eligibility for this game.’
Thinking of the culprit who had brought her to this state, the girl in the white dress could almost smell that pungent, horrid stench again.
’I have to find that person and tear her to shreds. Only then will I be satisfied!’
Meanwhile, Moira Lynch, hiding in her burrow, suddenly clamped a hand over her mouth and nose to stifle a sneeze.
She didn’t dare make a sound, not because of any immediate danger, but because of a rustling sound coming from the surrounding soil.
Just as one of them finally burrowed out of the dirt and was about to crawl up a tree, Moira Lynch snatched it.
It was a big insect, almost the size of a fist.
Fortunately, Moira Lynch had come prepared and was already wearing gloves.
Although the cicada nymphs of Caelus were highly nutritious, Moira Lynch had always made a point to keep her distance from insects.
So...
Moira Lynch took out her own basket and tossed the Immortal Cicada in her hand inside.
’With these Immortal Cicadas, I can handle the points from that thin man and fat man, and I should be able to keep all the ingredients I gather tomorrow as well.’
While using her spiritual power to catch the Immortal Cicadas emerging from the soil, Moira Lynch also maintained her communication with the plant in the distant clearing.
The plant didn’t seem to object to Moira Lynch’s desire for the fruit on its crown. Its only conditions were that she take all of its children away and spread Water Wood Stones all around it.
At first, Moira Lynch didn’t understand. ’Children? What children?’
Then she realized she was likely communicating with the largest of the plants, and that many other identical plants of various sizes were growing around it.
So many identical plants rooted together would compete with each other for nutrients.
Moira Lynch agreed readily, as this wasn’t a difficult task for her. However, she made a request of her own: she wanted to take the Energy Ore from beneath their roots.
The plant hesitated for a moment but ultimately agreed. Clearly, its children were a greater source of suffering for it than the Energy Ore.
Following its instructions, Moira Lynch remotely transferred all the plants, except for the largest one, into her space.
This process consumed a massive amount of spiritual power. Moira Lynch had to drink a high-grade Recovery Agent before she could continue.
She plucked the fruit from the plant’s crown, collected the Energy Ore from underground, and finally, spread the Water Wood Stones around the clearing.
After finishing all this, Moira Lynch felt her spiritual power was completely drained.
With a trembling hand, she took out another high-grade Recovery Agent. After drinking it, she was instantly back to full health.
’These high-grade Recovery Agents really are amazing,’ she thought. ’Too bad they’re so expensive.’
Moira Lynch shook her head with a hint of regret.
Inside her burrow, she continued to use her spiritual power to catch the Immortal Cicadas breaking through the soil while sending her consciousness into her space to check on the day’s haul.
She had guessed there might be a lot of Energy Ore hidden beneath the plant, but she never expected this much—a hundred or more.
There were also over a hundred fruits, which she stored away safely. As for the plants she’d moved into her space, Moira Lynch decided to raise them there for now.
’If I can tame them, they’ll make top-notch guardians. Even if that doesn’t work, they’ll still bear fruit when they grow up. It’ll be like raising fruit trees. Definitely not a loss.’
’Oh, right, I still don’t know what these plants are called.’ Moira Lynch took out her Learning Machine and scanned one.
The blue screen flickered, and information about the plant appeared: Purple Ling Tree. Likes sunlight, only fruits at a specific time. Flowering period is one day, fruit maturation is one day. If the fruit is not picked before then, it will fall on the third day and immediately take root.
Reading this, Moira Lynch thought to herself, ’No wonder it’s a seasonal exclusive.’
According to the Learning Machine, if she had been any slower, the ripe fruits would have fallen on their own and started to sprout.
’Good thing I was quick.’
Suddenly, as Moira Lynch was basking in the joy of her harvest, her heart skipped a beat. A massive creature had just entered her detection range, its footsteps heavy and plodding.
The behemoth headed straight for the Purple Ling Tree.
A moment later, a deafening roar erupted, so loud it nearly shattered her eardrums.
The Learning Machine said that the fruit of the Purple Ling Tree was the favorite food of the Lord of the Forest.
’That behemoth that just appeared must be the Lord of the Mocha Dominion.’
’Anyone would be angry if their favorite food, which they’d painstakingly waited a whole year for, suddenly disappeared.’
Although Moira Lynch was terrified, she didn’t choose to hide in her space. She could hide, but the steady stream of Immortal Cicadas wouldn’t wait for her.
And so, with roars ringing in her ears all night, Moira Lynch spent the entire time frightened yet diligently collecting Immortal Cicadas, forcing her score all the way to first place.
The Immortal Cicadas didn’t stop emerging from the soil until dawn the next day.
Moira Lynch removed the cloak of weeds she’d used to block the burrow’s entrance, eager to breathe in some fresh air, but the stench almost knocked her out cold.
Forcing herself to endure, she poked her head out and saw a familiar pile of something not far away. And it wasn’t the only one.
With a wave of her hand, Moira Lynch generously helped the dominion deal with these smelly things.
She’d discovered back when she’d thrown it at the girl in the white dress that this stuff was exceptionally useful. It wasn’t lethal, but it was incredibly humiliating.
Even if a three-year-old was holding a pile of crap, no adult would dare get close.
Besides, whatever was left over could be used as fertilizer.