NOVEL NEXT Chapter 177: Flower
Julia didn't seem to recognize the voice. However, she knew that there was only their group scavenging in this forest…
Because of that, she already had an idea that it came from one of her classmates.
Then, another scream from the same source followed. It wasn't far…
Van's eyes glanced in its direction. "That came from the west slope."
Julia nodded... "We should check it—quickly!"
Just like that, they sprinted through the trees, moving between the thick roots and ducking under low-hanging vines until they reached a clearing with some upturned earth and shattered trees.
And there they saw them—Gian and his slave, Jax.
The scene was tense.
Gian, dressed in silver-trimmed robes now covered in dirt and blood, was stuck behind a fallen tree. His face was pale…
He seemed to be in pain but also incredibly angry…
Van and Julia weren't sure what had happened but it seemed that Gian was frustrated…
Jax, on the other hand, was kneeling in front of him, and blood was also dripping from a torn sleeve. He held his blade in one hand… He was visibly shaking, but still shielding his master.
In front of them was the cause of their problem…
It was a Split-Tusk Boar, a One-Horned Tier beast known for its unpredictable charge patterns and unpredictable temperament.
Its side was already wounded—likely by one of Gian's spells or Jax's sword—but it still snorted violently….
"Why are you just standing there, you useless thing?!" Gian shouted…
"I-I'm trying!" Jax coughed, trying to catch his breath.
At this time, Van felt the presence of the two Observers assessing the situation. They would probably act like Gian was already on the verge of death, so after a few moments, he decided to step in.
He was hoping that it would increase their grades at the very least.
"My lady, should we help them?" Van asked as he wanted Julia to decide this matter.
Julia wanted to ask Van why he would even need to ask the question, but Van gave her a signal…
'My lady…'
They were being observed right now.
"Ahem… Alright… Let's help them. They're still our companions."
With that said Julia's staff activated as she cast another Zero-Circle Spell.
"We'll take care of this!" Julia shouted to inform both Gian and Jax…
Without waiting for their response, she releases her Spell.
"Light!"
It was a simple spell that she learned in the Academy.
What it did was to create a bright light, but it occurred just in front of the One-Horned Magic Beast!
This sudden light attack forced it to recoil and stomp in place…
Even after the light was gone, it couldn't open its eyes for some time.
Van launched himself forward. His Aura flared as he moved past Jax swiftly and slid under the beast's chest.
With that move, Van attacked with a single, devastating punch.
This was infused with his Level 1 Aura and Mind Sword! Then, it landed beneath the ribcage.
BOOM!
The Split-Tusk Boar reared back… but Van didn't let it fall on top of him. He twisted, grabbed its thick fur with one hand, and redirected its momentum to the side using its own weight against it.
Crash!
The boar then slammed into a tree with such force that the trunk cracked.
Of course, as a One-Horned Magic Beast, even if it was already injured beforehand, there was no way it would die so easily…
Van and Julia then worked together to kill it with its tough hide…
A few seconds later, it finally lay still, dead.
After that, Van and Julia turned to Gian, who had a panicked breathing.
Julia stepped up and turned to their side… "Gian. Are you injured?"
Gian, who was always proud, forced himself to stand. Jax had already pulled him out of the tree trunk.
"I… I'm fine. The boar wasn't supposed to be here. I heard that the Magic Beasts here were only those Badgers and Bramblebacks… Tsk…" Gian said as he indeed consumed a potion already.
Van then gave Jax a quick glance. The boy's eyes were full of shame… It seemed that he felt guilty for failing to protect his master…
Still, he hadn't run, even when his master was in danger.
Van felt that he did great.
"I owe you…" Gian muttered after calming down.
"It's normal. I'm sure you'll also help me if I'm in danger..." Julia said.
Van, on the other hand, was already crouching to check the boar's vital signs.
[ Vital Signs: Ceased – Target Neutralized. No additional threats are nearby. ]
"Its core's intact…" Van said. "We should have some time to dismantle it. What do we do?" Van asked Julia.
"Hmm… I don't really need the core. And it's not like we can cook the meat without proper training. We'll get poisoned if we do it improperly. Just leave it here." Julia said.
"If it's alright… I can stay behind and try to dismantle it and extract the core—" Jax started, but Gian shouted.
"No. We're moving."
Julia wryly smiled and just nodded. She didn't want to stay here for long.
Gian clenched his fists as he also started moving. He had already collected the beetle he was looking for and wanted to leave… After all, he didn't want Julia to suddenly ask for that beetle as a payment for helping him.
As Gian and Jax started moving away, Julia leaned toward Van and whispered…
"What do you think? Did they collect more mission items than us?"
Van didn't respond at first. He had indeed checked the satchel that Jax was carrying using his Ocularis Lens…
He only noticed one beetle, three mushrooms, and five ferns…
That was just 300 Points so far.
On the other hand, they already have more than 2,000 Points so far!
"There's nothing to worry about it. We're very far ahead." Van replied with a smile.
Julia giggled at this as she was already excited to see everyone's reaction once it was revealed that she had collected the most items.
As expected, bringing Van instead of the other two was the best decision.
"We should finish up and head back before sunset…" Julia finally said.
Van agreed.
***
The sky had already begun to dim by the time Van and Julia circled back to the Pinewatch Relay Station.
As they entered the perimeter, two familiar figures stepped out to meet them.
They were Harrison and Clyde, the Apprentice Mages in charge of this outpost.
From what Van heard before, technically, the Mages here weren't students anymore, having passed their First Certification Trials. They just stayed on to oversee missions like this for practical credit and, most likely, easier access to rare loot.
"Lady Julia," Harrison greeted... "And Van. Welcome back."
Clyde also welcomed the two and immediately offered some drinks…
"We just prepped some stew. Rabbit and root. Come eat while it's still hot."
"Sounds great…" Julia replied with a courteous smile, though she noticed that something was off.
They followed the two into the central tent, where a large cauldron simmered...
Other Apprentice Mages were also around and greeted the two.
Van immediately noticed it: the atmosphere was off. Even the usual chatter was silent...
They were actually tense.
Once they were seated, Clyde handed out bowls of stew and fresh water from the purifier stone. Harrison, meanwhile, was just looking at the small blue crystal in his hands.
Julia sipped her stew but didn't eat. Her eyes locked on Harrison.
"Alright... What's going on?" She asked after confirming from Van that there was no poison or hidden ambush whatsoever.
Harrison was stunned at first before he sighed… "I suppose we can't stall the announcement anymore."
He looked to Clyde, who gave a short nod.
Then Harrison continued… "We've received a directive from the Rukh Tower. A new priority has been issued to our station, including the others."
Julia leaned forward. "What kind of priority?"
This time, Harrison tapped the small blue crystal.
Suddenly, a small projection appeared above it.
It was a translucent image of a deep violet flower, with petals shaped like fangs…
"It's called the Spiritual Kiss Flower… It's a rare magical flower that only emerges during the twilight of the fifth day of each lunar cycle—and only in a specific area of the forest's inner basin."
"Spiritual Kiss Flower?" Van repeated as his Ocularis Lens immediately gathered information about it through the data they had collected.
"Ahh… You've read that Compendium of Herbs and Flowers, right? What is it?" Julia asked Van.
"It's used to create a high-grade potion refinement and mana recovery elixirs… It's difficult to grow it in controlled locations, so they can only be found in some natural areas… From the records I've read, just one petal from it could help an Alchemist create five hundred bottles of potion… It's probably that reason why this Whistle Forest is highly protected by the Tower." Van muttered.
This explanation, indeed, made sense…
'No wonder…' Julia thought.
Perhaps, if not for that flower, the Rukh Tower would've abandoned this forest already due to its location.