Chapter 806: The Irreversible Choice (Patreon)

“Almost...”

Luke leaned over a bizarre plant so ugly it looked like it had been bred specifically to repel anything with functioning eyes. Even so, after a week of care, it had finally matured.

[Your profession [Sentinel Botanist of Mother Freya] has reached Level 120!] (+21 Wisdom, +16 Intelligence, +13 Willpower, +10 Perception, +8 Vitality, +25 Free Points)

[You have unlocked a new Profession Skill]

“And it worked.”

The specimen was a shrub he'd created through a fusion with a [Tree of Mother Freya]. The seed produced by the skill couldn't be used on its own to make potions. Its power only remained active while the resulting plant was rooted in the earth. Uproot it, and the plant died along with the effect. That kept anyone from stealing it. It also kept Luke from cheating by taking a fully grown tree and moving it somewhere else. Once planted, it stayed there.

After digging deeper into [Botanical Transmutation of Mother Freya], he'd modified the shrub so extensively that almost nothing of the original remained. What was left had absorbed the seed's power and used it to reinforce its own structure.

“That trip to Orsten just keeps paying off.”

[Furythorn Ephedra (Ultra-Rare)]: A modified plant created by fusing desert-born Ephedra species. It belongs to one of the most resilient plant families in existence. To survive in arid environments, these plants gave up their leaves, transforming their stems into green needles capable of retaining moisture.

Mother Freya's Tip: These are plants that learned to breathe drought. Their desert resilience became so extreme that they developed a toxin capable of accelerating the heart rate of predators that try to consume them. With proper care, this toxin can be extracted and refined into a strengthening potion.

“Too bad an entire week of work only got me one specimen.”

Still, the result had been worth it. Ephedrine mimicked some of adrenaline's effects. Luke had exploited the same kind of response when creating the Sea Guardian drug. Unlike that drug, though, this substance was much safer and could be taken orally. In some sports back in his old world, ephedrine was banned. Using it counted as doping.

He looked at the plant and thought about two thousand monsters. “This is going to be a fun experiment.”

For Luke himself, it would be almost useless. For his monster army, though, it could give them a nasty little edge. He was already producing healing potions for everyone, and his plan was to equip every ratfolk and goblin with a basic kit before eventually adding something that could trigger a temporary adrenaline boost. He even made the reinforced glass containers himself.

There was no point in spending time and resources evolving them into [Warriors] just to watch them die in the first serious battle. Besides, he was pretty sure no one in this world knew plants better than he did.

“Still taking care of your plants?” Illyra asked as she emerged straight through one of the castle walls.

“Yeah.”

“You are quite dedicated.”

“I like plants.” Luke looked up at her. “Actually, Illyra, we need to make a rule about that.”

“About what?”

“You walking through the castle walls. I have private moments with my girlfriend. It'd be weird if you suddenly appeared out of nowhere.”

“Do not worry. The copulation of flesh beings does not concern me.”

“But being watched concerns me.”

“I’m on Team Spirit, Luke. I vote we watch,” Artemis said.

“If that is the Botanist's wish, I will respect it,” Illyra continued. “But I have no hands with which to knock on doors and announce my presence. Passing through them is my only option.”

“I promise I'll figure out how to get you a body soon. I'm planning to start exploring the Underworld again.”

“Relax. You have already helped me greatly. I only came to ask whether you have made any progress with Mother Freya's book.”

“So far? Nowhere. The book is a plant. I think I need to make friends with it before it gives up whatever Mother Freya hid in there.”

The skill options appeared before him.

[Corrupted Acid Blood Arrow (Epic)]: Evolution of [Acid Blood Arrow]. The Sentinel Botanist's mastery over nature and [Dark Blood] allows him to infuse [Corrupted Blood of Mother Freya] into the arrow, making the resulting acid far more potent. When the arrow strikes a target or ruptures, it releases an enlarged cloud of acid fueled by the Sentinel Botanist's own blood. The more blood he sacrifices, the greater the cloud's range, density, and corrosive power. The skill also gains a minor bonus to impact damage based on Dexterity.

[Botanical Transmutation Memory (Epic)]: The Sentinel Botanist develops an internal memory linked to [Botanical Transmutation of Mother Freya], allowing him to preserve the patterns of materials, fusions, and specimens created through transmutation. When a modified plant is successfully created, its pattern can be recorded and later replicated within a seed generated by [Tree of Mother Freya]. This allows a unique creation to be cultivated again without repeating the entire original process. The skill does not allow the Sentinel Botanist to create plants freely or bypass their natural limitations, but it allows successful experiments to bloom again.

That one made Luke pause. It could save him weeks of trial and error.

[Forest Creation (Legendary)]: By combining the power of [Tree of Mother Freya] with the aggressive growth of [Corrupted Plant Growth], the Sentinel Botanist can cause a forest to erupt around him almost instantly. Roots tear through the earth, trunks rise, and leaves and vines spread, transforming any terrain into a living extension of his power. This allows the Sentinel Botanist to carry his own territory wherever he goes, creating cover, favorable terrain, and a natural foundation for his botanical abilities even in places where no forest existed before.

Okay. That's stupidly good.

[Expert Potion Crafting (Rare)]: With a more refined understanding of ingredient reactions, alchemical balance, and mana flow, the Sentinel Botanist can handle herbs, liquids, and catalysts with exceptional precision. His mana can be channeled throughout the process, preserving material quality, increasing the purity of the final product, and stabilizing more complex reactions. Known formulas produce more consistent results, minor mistakes can be corrected before they ruin an entire batch, and improved extraction techniques reduce waste, allowing more potions to be produced from fewer raw materials without sacrificing potency.

He liked the potion skill. Then he saw the last option.

[Hand of the Sentinel Botanist (Legendary)]: Permanently transforms one of the Sentinel Botanist’s hands into a living plant, replacing flesh with a limb capable of growing, regenerating, adapting, and channeling botanical power. The new hand retains its precision, strength, and sensitivity while taking on the nature and properties of plant life, making it extraordinarily compatible with skills tied to Mother Freya. By absorbing [Corrupted Blood of Mother Freya] and [Bones of Mother Freya], the mutation deepens, creating a hand reinforced by corrupted blood, sacred bone, and living mana. It becomes far stronger, tougher, and more receptive to [Botanical Transmutation of Mother Freya] than the original flesh could ever be. Even if destroyed, the hand can regrow, rebuilding itself like a plant that refuses to die. It can also receive grafts, reinforcements, and modifications, transforming from a simple replacement limb into a living focus for plant-based skills. This marks the first major step along the path of the Sentinel’s Hand, unlocking branches that can only awaken once botany begins to bloom within the Sentinel Botanist’s own body.

(Warning: This skill grants a permanent and irreversible bodily mutation. Choose carefully.)

Luke's eyes lingered on the skill.

Permanent. Irreversible. And probably insane. Yeah. That one needs some thought.

***

That night, Luke sat alone with Angie in one of the castle's rooms, studying a map spread across the table. Somewhere on it, Rokhan had disappeared. He'd pieced it together from the maps he'd received during his time in Rosemark. It wasn't accurate, but it was enough to place the five kingdoms and give him a rough idea of what that half of the continent looked like.

“It is far from accurate, my lord. Most of the kingdoms have been mapped in detail, but some regions are still poorly charted.”

“Especially the Wild Forests.”

“Exactly. And any detailed maps they do have would never be given to a foreign ruler.”

Artemis had told him the same thing months ago. Geography was power. None of the maps he'd been given were going to show everything that mattered, and some sections were probably wrong on purpose.

“There are five kingdoms, but for us, there are really only four.”

“Marlow is too small and too far away. And we're almost right in the middle. We practically border everyone except Marlow.”

Duskridge occupied one end of the coastline while Marlow sat at the opposite end. Luke studied the distance between them before shifting his attention back toward Rosemark. He'd also marked the Free Cities, settlements that officially belonged to no kingdom.

“Rosemark has eighteen million citizens. I've got my mighty two thousand.”

“The important thing is that we have a Kingdom Core. That is what separates you from Orsten. They could call themselves a kingdom if they wished, but without a Kingdom Core, they would be a kingdom in name only.”

Angie looked down at the map again.

“At the end of the day, military power is what matters, my lord. A thousand people armed with rocks could not defeat one person in a tank.”

“You have a point. I’ve been thinking about that too. But the teleportation array isn’t the only thing on my mind. I need to figure out where the Orc Lord went.”

“Speaking of that, my lord, I feel we should not have left the orcs in Orsten alive.”

“I couldn't kidnap every single one of them right after showing up there as a king.”

“We could kill them one at a time. One per night, or every few nights. That would reduce the chance of them panicking and revealing that the orc heirs exist.”

“No. They're Kobi and Rheera's supporters. A lot of them were around those two while they were growing up.”

“So?”

“If I do that, I'll be Gurgal to them.”

“And why does that matter? They are our hostages, or in this case, your wards.” Angie paused. “Hmm... are you getting attached to the children?”

“They’re under my protection. I don’t want their safety to depend on everyone keeping quiet. If word gets out, I want people to know better than to come after them. Killing everyone who knows would be the easy way out. If that’s what it takes to keep them safe, I’m not strong enough yet.”

Angie was quiet for a few seconds. “I understand. My reasoning was flawed. You are right, my lord.”

“It's fine.”

Luke turned back to the map. “Rokhan was near Duskridge, then moved into Jungral...”

He traced Rokhan’s route with his finger, then the paths he could have taken from there.

Angie pointed to Orsten. “Their water shortage could work in our favor. They spend a fortune importing water from the other half of the continent.”

“Yeah. Solvar’s right next door, and Orsten still won’t do business with them. They really hate the Kingdom Alliance.”

“Humans are interesting. It would be more efficient to set their pride aside. They’d have better access to water and spend less.”

“Being efficient doesn’t always mean making the right choice. Like your idea to kill the orcs.”

“I understand.”

“Either way, Orsten gives us a way to trade with the other half of the continent.”

Luke went back to Rokhan’s route and marked one of the forests.

“According to the reports, he destroyed entire cities in Jungral by himself. One orc. He smashed through walls or jumped over them. Wiped out armies. Left nothing behind. He’s definitely an ascended orc.”

Luke leaned back in his chair. “I killed a level 147 War General. The Orc Lord has to be stronger. Then I need to get a hell of a lot stronger.”

***

The next morning, Luke got good news for once. A letter from Duke Robert had arrived in Nyvma, confirming that Jungral had accepted every term of the agreement. That gave him access to materials normally reserved for nobles, many of which he could buy in bulk.

I lose ten percent of the value when I convert my Sunken Realms gold into their currency, but it's still worth it. This is basically money laundering.

Luke opened his interface again and pulled up the five Sentinel Botanist skill options. His eyes went straight to the same one as before.

He’d put it off long enough.

<< Chapter 805 | Index | Chapter 807 >>

Sorry for the delay, guys. You know what that means by now: bonus chapter time. I’m starting to think you’re all gonna hope I’m late every time lol.

It’ll be up in three minutes. Just hit Next.