Chapter 114: The Awakening of the Goddess’ Special Ability (2)
Maeve widened her eyes in shock because she hadn’t expected to awaken her special ability out of nowhere.
The people nearby quickly noticed what had happened. One by one, they gathered around the berry vines, their eyes fixed on the plants that had grown before their very eyes.
"Goddess, that’s incredible!" one of them exclaimed.
The others couldn’t hide their amazement either.
"We have people who can help plants grow healthier," one of the women said, "but none of us can make them grow this fast!"
"Is this another blessing from the Sky Mother?"
"It has to be!"
Excited voices echoed through the settlement, but Maeve barely heard them. She was still standing in front of the vines, staring at them with a confused expression.
Hadn’t Pinky just said that she could communicate with plants?
What exactly did that mean? Could she actually hear the plants’ voices or what?
[Try it, Host!] Pinky said excitedly. [Touch one of the plants, and then you’ll be able to hear them!]
Maeve hesitated for a moment before slowly reaching out. Her fingertips brushed against one of the young berry vines, and suddenly, she heard strange voices echoing inside her head.
[It hurts!]
[It hurts!]
[It hurts so much!]
Maeve jolted in surprise and immediately pulled her hand away from the vine.
"W-What?" Her heart began pounding wildly in her chest.
She had heard the plant’s voice, but why did it sound like someone crying out in pain? Worse, it sounded like someone whose bones were being forcibly broken.
"What’s wrong?"
Axan, who had just arrived to check on Maeve, quickly asked the moment he saw the shocked expression on her face.
"What happened?" Axan asked again, a deep frown forming on his face. "Did you just awaken your ability? Is something wrong with your new power?"
Maeve couldn’t take her eyes off the berry vines. Her heart was still racing, and the cries she had heard continued to echo in her mind.
"I..." she whispered, her voice trembling. "I just heard them."
Axan blinked in confusion. "Heard who?"
Maeve slowly lifted her head. Her face had turned pale, and her eyes were still filled with disbelief. "The plants."
She swallowed hard before continuing. "They sound... like they’re in pain." Her voice grew quieter. "Axan... did I hurt them?"
Axan’s expression immediately became serious. He looked at Maeve, then at the berry vines, before turning back to her again.
For a long moment, he didn’t know what to say. Finally, he reached out and gently rested a hand on her shoulder.
Before Maeve could say anything else, several red System windows suddenly appeared one after another.
[Warning!]
[Plant Bond Synchronization Failed.]
[The Host has awakened a Plant-Type Ability, but no complete bond has been formed with the surrounding plant life.]
[Current Bond Progress: 12%]
[The Host has forcibly accelerated the plants’ growth.]
[To the plants, this is the same as forcing someone’s bones to grow by pulling them apart.]
Maeve’s eyes widened. "So... it really was me..."
Her hands began to tremble.
No wonder the plants had been crying. No wonder they kept saying it hurt.
She hadn’t helped them at all, but she had only made them suffer.
Before she could recover from the shock, one final warning appeared.
[Continued use may also cause severe mental damage, internal bleeding, loss of consciousness for the Host. And also permanent damage to the Host’s Plant Affinity.]
The color drained from Maeve’s face because this wasn’t simply a new blessing.
It was an ability she had awakened before she was truly ready to use it.
Maeve’s breathing grew uneven and a sharp pain suddenly shot through her head, making her stagger backward.
"Ugh..."
She pressed a hand against her forehead, feeling as though countless needles were stabbing into her mind at once.
"Maeve?" Axan immediately stepped forward and caught her by the shoulders before she could lose her balance. "What’s wrong?"
Before Maeve could answer, she felt something warm trickle down from her nose.
Drip.
A drop of bright red blood fell onto the ground. She instinctively touched her upper lip and when she looked at her fingers, they were stained with blood.
"Nosebleed?" She asked herself.
[Warning! Warning!]
[The incomplete bond has begun affecting the Host’s body.]
[Host may be experiencing the same pain as the plants.]
Before Maeve could finish reading the message, a sharp pain spread through her right arm. "Ah!"
She grabbed it tightly, her fingers trembling, but the pain didn’t stop there.
It spread to her shoulders, her back, and even her legs. It felt as though every bone in her body was being stretched apart by an invisible force.
Maeve’s face instantly turned pale. "It... hurts..."
Maeve gasped sharply as another wave of pain tore through her body. It felt as though every nerve had become painfully sensitive.
Even the gentle hand supporting her shoulder felt unbearably heavy.
"No!" Without thinking, she shoved Axan away. "Don’t touch me!"
Axan stumbled back, his eyes widening in shock. He finally could no longer stay calm.
He turned toward the center of the settlement and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Healers!"
His voice echoed across the settlement. "We need healers! Something is wrong with my wife!"
The peaceful atmosphere disappeared in an instant. People dropped whatever they were carrying and rushed toward Maeve.
"What happened?"
"Wasn’t she fine just a moment ago?"
"Move aside! Give her some space!"
Panic quickly spread throughout the settlement.
One of the tribe members immediately turned and ran toward the settlement entrance. "I’ll get Leader Ikarus!"
At that moment, Ikarus was outside the settlement, making his usual inspection of the hidden pits they had built around the village. Since the traps needed regular maintenance, he made it a habit to check them every few days to make sure they were still working properly.
Another tribe member quickly spoke up. "I’ll go find Leader Cerus!"
Without wasting another second, he grabbed his spear and sprinted into the forest because Cerus had gone hunting earlier that morning and had not yet returned.
Not long afterward, several healers rushed over to Maeve. "Move aside! Let them examine the Goddess!"