Sealed in Steel [ Tank Litrpg ]

"Verily, I grant your petition!" The boy's voice suddenly turned deep and loud, as if the mountain itself spoke.

The ground rumbled as the Herbalists surrounding them chanted prayers. Reese and Gideon took a step back, wary of what was happening. Elian stayed kneeling as the boy touched his hand. The plants comprising the deity's body writhed and glowed bright green. Snakes of emerald slithered from the boy's hand to Elian's arm and around his body, dissolving into his skin in tattoos of swirls and curves mixed with sharp angles.

"It is done," the boy said in his normal voice, if 'normal' was the right term for it.

The tremors stopped, and the Sabyn Herbalists fell silent.

Elian examined the tattoos moving on his arms as fresh vigor roiled inside him. He suddenly felt younger; the stress and pain from everything he had experienced momentarily lifted. A surge of new life—that was how he'd describe the power imparted by the Sabyn Twin's gift.

He called for his Covenant display to learn of this new Boon.

Lesser Boon of Sabyn's Fecund Grounds

Pronounce a small area around you as blessed by the Sabyn Twins of Autumn. Sacrificing a percent of your Health each count of three, the Sabyn Twins saturate the blessed grounds with their power, multiplying the attributes of plants and plant creatures, as well as their abilities twofold, and healing them at an accelerated pace. Only one Fecund Ground may be established, which will last so long as the sacrifice is maintained.

A buff for plants, just as Elian expected. He didn't immediately react as he did mental calculations.

Wait a minute… This is beneficial to me too!

At a glance, some might dismiss Sabyn's Fecund Grounds as a trash Boon since it took from the Bestowed and gave to plants. There was no express benefit to the Bestowed. But it wasn't a loss if the buffed plants would give back so much more. A percent of Health every three seconds was a measly sacrifice if the effect of Viney's Rejuvenating Roots were doubled. And that wasn't all—a boosted Host Attribute Absorption would allow Viney to take and gain more attributes, which Fecund Ground would double.

A much stronger Viney would mean a thicker Barkskin; Fecund Ground would thicken it further. It was just multiplier upon multipliers with this amazing Boon. A stronger Viney was a tankier Elian. Lastly, because Fecund Ground would heal Viney, that meant more Barkskin to protect Elian.

"I'm eternally grateful for your Boon, Divine Twins," Elian said with genuine appreciation.

"Your gratitude is noted," said the twins at the same time. "Rise and use the Boon."

"How do I…?"

"Have you lost your ability to read after serving the abominable hand?" scoffed the boy. "Is it not right there on your Covenant?"

"Declare the grounds under our blessing," the girl added. "It is a simple activation."

Elian nodded and said, "I pronounce these grounds to be blessed by the Sabyn Twins of Autumn!" He bet that the Boon didn't require specific words, just the intent, similar to how the Magistrate's Boon worked.

Orbs of green light came out of his body to drizzle the soil around him. The area of effect had roughly a five-foot radius. This should widen as Elian would upgrade the Boon with Favor Points. As the ground began to glow, warmth and peace embraced Elian. His health ticked down. It was negligible, and he didn't feel any pain.

The cocoon wrapping his arm became hot, as if Viney inside was feverish. Were those moving tendrils that Elian felt? Could it be that Viney was awakening? Then, there was nothing again.

"These effects…" Gideon bent down to scoop the soul. "It's providing ideal conditions for a magical forest's core to sprout. I can feel it through my symbiotes. It's akin to the magic that sustains the thriving life on this mountain, multiplied several times."

"Results won't be immediate," said the boy. "And I can't have you standing in my garden for long; many others are waiting to petition me. Go along now." He turned around and returned to his twin's side.

The girl waved goodbye at them. "We will see each other again someday."

Sunset had caught Elian's party halfway down Sabyn Mountain. They could've continued their descent since they had lantern orbs, and much of the forest glowed—they only had a few hours of climbing down to go. But Elian decided that they'd stop at the Herbalist Lodges for the night. More accurately, they were in the middle of the garden of statues made of plants. To the side of the mountain, sticking to the cliff wall, were the Herbalist Lodges.

They pitched their tents next to the tents of other pilgrims. Most of the pilgrims climbed the mountain for treatment from the Herbalists.

"Establish a Fecund Ground, Penitent," Gideon said the moment they finished their tent. "My creations dearly enjoyed their rejuvenating aura. I, myself, am quite invigorated standing on it. And let us study its effects on your Viney."

"Before that," Elian said. "I'm going to level it up."

Stretching out his right hand, palms facing upward, Elian called upon his Favor Points. Several tiny orbs of light rose out of his hand. After leveling his Elder Giant's Curse to its maximum tier, he didn't have any Boon or Curse to use his Favor Points on as he continued to level up. Now, he'd use them on Sabyn's Fecund Ground.

"I call upon the deities for my offering," Elian said. Gideon and Reese intently observed him.

Serpentine coils of sparkling green formed the tattoos of the Sabyn Twins on his arm. They peeled themselves into strips of light and formed an infinite Tree of Life.

Elian's other Bestowals also emerged. There was a circular seal of rotating eyes circumscribed with runes—the symbol of the Abyssal Eye's Curse. Following it was the dark amber pattern of the Elder Giant, geometric and sharp. They left his skin and formed a square around the picture of an angry Giant bound by chains. Lastly, the dark scales of the Magistrate's Boon formed a fist.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Out of his four Bestowals, two were maxed—the respective Greater Curses of the Abyssal Eye and the Greater Giant. Given that they still showed up, it could mean that Greater Curses could be improved like the Melding of Greater Boons. Perhaps, in this lifetime, he'd find out how.

The Magistrate's Boon could only be leveled up through doing Tribulations. That left the Sabyn Twin's Boon as the choice for Favor Points—and so, Elian offered up a single orb to it. The Infinite Tree grew more branches.

"What's the strengthened effect?" Reese asked.

"Wider radius of the Fecund Ground," Elian said, reading the details on the Covenant. "And an increase from doubling to tripling the attributes and abilities of plants." He leveled it another time. "Now, it's multiplied by four. Let's see how big this is."

Elian established a Fecund Ground. It stretched for about thirty feet across. The pilgrims exited their tents, wondering why the ground was suddenly glowing green.

"I… am… revitalized!" Gideon did a little dance on the Fecund Ground, arms outstretched, his robes swishing about.

Elian also felt the refreshing sensation, but foremost on his mind was the possibilities with this new Boon. "Four times? This is insanely powerful," he muttered, staring at the sparkles around him. Just like how he became extremely tanky because of multipliers, so would Viney. Both of them together would be a monstrous tank… against physical damage. Only remaining problem was magic.

"I know that I'm still young," Reese said. "But this—" he gestured at the Fecund Ground "—makes me want to say that I'm feeling younger. This will awaken your plant symbiote, right?"

"After some time, it seems," Elian replied. "Every chance I'd get, I should do this. Too bad we can't have a Fecund Ground while on the carriage. Oh, well. Let's see what'll happen if this becomes a Greater Boon."

"I advise against that," said a muffled voice.

"Who said that?" Reese asked, turning his head left and right. It didn't appear to be one of the pilgrims who spoke.

"Below us," Elian said, looking down.

"Greetings, Friend of the Mountain," said a voice coming out of the ground. A mound appeared, and out came an ancient-looking Sabyn Herbalist. Elder Abbomyr smiled, the bark on his face creasing, his beard made of vines wriggling. "A peaceful night to you and your companions."

A patch of ground next to Elder Abbomyr shifted and sank, revealing a hole. And out of it rose Lensa, the young Sabyn Herbalist selling beetles that she didn't want to sell. "Uh, he-hello! A peaceful night to you," she said in Angloise with an odd accent.

Elian's party, surprised at the unexpected visit, returned the greeting. Reese had her eyes fixed on Lensa. Elian couldn't tell if Reese was simply curious or actually attracted to Lensa.

"We did not have the opportunity to talk earlier," Abbomyr said. He was among the Herbalists in attendance when Elian met the Sabyn Twins earlier. "I give words of importance now. Your friend is undergoing changes." He pointed at the cocoon. "Merging with the Lost Souls, it will undoubtedly come out as a different existence. The friend that you once knew will no longer be."

Elian blinked in surprise. "Viney will be gone?"

"Will be changed," Abbomyr clarified. "Both in body and spirit. The spirit… I trust that your friendship will triumph over those changes and you'll make a connection again."

"I didn't expect that… I should've. Inside Viney is the magical will of an entire forest." Only now did it hit Elian the gravity of Viney's sacrifice. This was made by a plant without a brain but with a soul! "I hoped Viney won't be affected. But, yes. I'll be prepared to connect with Viney again," Elian said. "It had saved my life twice."

"As for your friend's body, I have mentioned that it will have a different existence."

"It will evolve," Gideon chimed in.

"Evolve, yes. That is apt. Because its form will undergo rapid changes, it will be vulnerable if burdened more. Do not force it. Gradual changes are the key."

"What do you mean?" Elian asked. "Does it have something to do with this Fecund Ground?"

Abbomyr nodded. "The Greater Boon of the Transcendental Fecund Grounds of Sabyn can grant new abilities… even forms… to plants," he explained. "Numerous changes in such a short period might strain your friend. I advise you to wait until your friend has awakened and settled into its new form before furthering the Divine Twin's Boon from Lesser to Greater."

"Thank you for your instruction," Elian said, bowing low.

"There is one more thing." Abbomyr glided to the side and gestured at Lensa.

"Uh, and here you go," Lensa awkwardly handed them a woven basket filled with bottles. "Various potions that may help you—my contribution to your quest."

"Quest?" Elian raised a brow. "Do you mean fighting the Giants?"

Lensa hastily nodded while glancing at Abbomyr. "The Divine Twins and most of the Herbalists will not, um, help be-because—"

"Because we are no longer humans," Abbomyr said. "However, since Lensa isn't too far along in her transformation, she has some sympathies with humanity. I do not deny her that. It is an understandable feeling, though no longer shared by most on the mountain."

"And so, thi-this is my help," she said.

Elian received the basket and bowed again. "We are grateful for any assistance."

"If there's anything else," Abbomyr said. "Perhaps you have questions we may answer? Though we are not well-versed in matters of men outside the mountain."

Elian raised a finger. "I have a question. If I pile soil on top of the carriage's roof… can I declare that as Fecund Grounds?"

It turned out that the answer was yes, if the layer of soil was thick enough to be considered the 'ground'. As expected, Gideon was against the idea. At first. But Elian managed to convince him that they'd both benefit from the Fecund Ground atop the carriage. They could strengthen their symbiotes while traveling over the great plains to Ohmenstrat. No need for stops.

After some bit of carpentry—Elian had some experience from his past life—he was able to make a sort of sandbox on the front half of the carriage's roof. He also reinforced the inside of the carriage, standing two posts down the middle. If it was cramped inside before, it was even more so now. But Gideon didn't mind, enamored with the prospect of a portable Fecund Ground.

They filled the box with half a foot of soil. And… it worked! It glowed after Elian used the Sabyn Twin's Boon.

"How delightful!" Gideon giggled like a child while his robe danced, his plant symbiotes inside excitedly moving about underneath. "I can conduct experiments here while we travel."

"How long would it take for us to reach Ohmenstrat?" Reese asked.

"Around two weeks on this undrawn carriage," Elian said. "Have you been there before?"

"Once. When I was ten or eleven. My friend's father, a merchant, had business there. My friend invited me along." Reese was probably talking about the real Hinter. "Joining them, I hoped to meet the half-elf, half-human rulers of that region. Unfortunately, I didn't meet any of them. My friend's father dealt only with humans."

"The Melkorn, partly descended from the Melkwae elves and the Ohmenstrat human tribes, are few in number and keep to their castles." Elian had read that from books in the Magistrate's temple library. "Though people say that the Melkorns rule Ohmenstrat, it's more like they give protection to the various races that live there while taking tribute. They don't do actual ruling, leaving the groups of people to do their own thing. We can try visiting a Melkorn castle after I get the Boon I'm aiming for."

"The Impel Order of the… what was the name of the deity again? Do you know what test it'll give?"

"The Peace-mongering Crucible. And yes, I've been told how to gain its Boon. We're going to need to do some exploring of an ancient city hidden underground. Sounds exciting, doesn't it? Much better that you went with me than the mercenaries."