Chapter 6: Blood Donation

Huh…?

This is…

Suddenly, a hot energy surged inside my body.

The tip of the stem glowed red, and the change spread throughout my body in an instant.

New leaves sprouted between the two ruby-like leaves.

The leaves spread out in a circle like flower petals blooming, and they were a brighter crimson than before.

Then they became even darker and began to burn red like lava.

The transformation did not stop, and the leaves that had gathered in a circle opened one by one and rose upward.

A new flower bud appeared between them.

As the six petals slowly opened, an eerie beauty, as if stained with blood, was revealed.

“Wow… This is possible…”

My reflection in the ice crystals was shocking, to say the least.

It resembled a red lily, but without leaves—only flowers at the end of the stem.

The deep purple stamens, covered in a red fog, stretched out long and moved stealthily like the tongue of a poisonous snake.

The stems extending from the ground to the flowers were pitch black.

These pitch-black stems, as if they were cutting through the night sky, seemed to captivate anyone who gazed upon them.

The flowers that bloomed on top were truly amazing.

They shone as if the red moonlight had been transformed into a single flower, and each transparent petal sparkled like a jewel.

They were so pure and beautiful that it was hard to believe they contained poison that could bring death.

Just like a flowerpot.

The faint blue light of the ice cave that seeped through the petals was as mysterious as moonlight.

However, the deadly poison hidden within that beauty was making me an even more dangerous being.

There was also a significant change in the roots.

The previously black, thread-like roots had darkened like the stems, becoming thicker and multiplying into dozens.

The roots that dug into the ice floor like spider webs were much longer than before, and their tips remained sharp like red needles.

As the dozens of roots I tried to move all at once anchored themselves into the ground, the solid ice layer split apart like a glass window.

I really… have I gotten so strong?

Now, I was no longer an adorable sprout, but a flower with deadly beauty and terrifying attack power.

Although I could not become human, I quite liked this beautiful and dangerous appearance.

Thank you, Michel.

I prayed quietly.

At first, my prayer was simply asking for water, but now I felt truly grateful.

If it weren’t for Michel’s support, would I have been able to be reborn as such a strong and beautiful being?

I had evolved into a Blood Flower.

As expected, the status window began to convey the situation belatedly.

My stats had changed significantly.

[Poison LV1] and [Poison LV2] skills had evolved.

[Black Root Protrusion LV1] had evolved into [Root Protrusion LV3].

I could now protrude black roots to attack powerfully.

[Pollen Release] allowed me to release pollen.

[Poison T] granted me poison.

My skills had evolved.

The [Black Root Pollen Release LV1] skill had transformed into the [Pollen-Seduction LV1] skill.

[Pollen-Seduction] meant the released pollen was imbued with seductive properties.

I had acquired the [Demonic] trait, granting me demonic charm.

★ (Anonymous)

Blood Flower Attack Power: 244

Magic [Perception LV7]

HP: 244/244 + (46/200)

MP: 144/144

Magic Resist: 144

Agility: 0

[Demonic] trait acquired.

LV200 years old

[Ability] Power: 144

Defense Power: 144

Crimson Reserve LV2

Ice Block LV1

Protrusion LV1

Pollen Release LV1

Photosynthesis LV1

Pollen-Seduction LV1

[Skill] Poison LV1

Black Muscle

[Trait]

[Inferno Stigma] [Michel’s Cheer] [Magic]

Wow… Wow. Wow…

My mouth wouldn’t close, but I didn’t have a mouth to begin with.

First, the change in my abilities was enormous.

All of my stats, which ended in 44, exceeded three digits, and my health and attack power were a whopping 244.

This was definitely a number that would be difficult for a level 20.

It would be different for each monster species, but if I recall my memories from Shadow Symphony, a level 20 hobgoblin had an average of 100 abilities.

This strong?

The health and attack power are almost like a level 50 troll!

It was too early to be surprised, but I couldn’t help it.

The poison and black muscle protrusion that I gained through the skill evolution were incredible.

I didn’t know the power of the poison yet, but I knew the power of the black muscle protrusion well enough when I moved the root for testing.

And the pollen release that I gained by becoming a flower and the tempting properties contained within it.

It was the perfect skill to lure monsters to me who couldn’t move.

Perfect!

I’ll evolve next time!

I wanted to lure the monsters right away, but there was one thing I hadn’t looked into yet.

[Magic] – The charm of the devil!

Hmm… Is this also a kind of temptation?

I thought deeply, remembering the great trouble I got in because of the poor explanation of the hibernation, but nothing else came to mind.

Even to me, who had seen countless pictures of plants in the plant gallery, I was a little, no, extremely attractive.

Yes!

Even I look at you, I’m really pretty!

I was surprised by the villainess-like line that came out without me knowing, but I thought it was okay because it was an expression of the pretty flowers.

Now that I think I’ve seen everything, let’s try rapid growth!

After evolving, I was confident that I could easily defeat 10 monsters like ice hyenas that came rushing at me.

I shook my head, that is, the flower part, with force, and the pollen scattered in all directions.

Oh…

The red pollen scattered in contrast with the blue ice wall created a very mysterious sight.

As I exclaimed in admiration and hoped in my heart that the demons would be tempted, the floating pollen slowly turned pink.

Then, I felt something inside me slip away.

MP: 140/144

Oh.

Mana, which had never been consumed before, was decreasing.

Pollen-Seduction seemed different from the skills I had used.

The root was a normal attack, while the rest felt like passive skills.

Skills that do not consume a cost are good, but the fact that mana was being consumed made me expect a greater effect.

Alright!

Come at me! Come and gain experience!

MP: 20/144

I wasted my mana, which I had no use for except for seduction.

The pastel-colored pollens rose in a spiral on the invisible wind.

They met the ice crystals falling from the cave ceiling and seemed to change into twinkling stars before gently descending again and dancing in the air.

Along with the whispers of ice coming from deep within the cave, the pollens spread out over a wider area.

It was a magical sight, like winter and spring meeting.

The pollens swimming between the ice pillars moved slowly, as if time had stopped, but constantly painted the entire cave with a fantastical atmosphere.

In the deepest part of the cave, a single small pollen that had set out on a long journey reached the tip of the nose of the Ruler of the Labyrinth, who was firmly guarding his position in the deepest layer of the Great Labyrinth.

The level of the [Pollen Release LV2] skill has increased.

The level of the [Pollen-Temptation LV2] skill has increased.

The level of the [Pollen-Temptation LV3] skill has increased.

Huh…?

Just as I was panicking at the sudden increase in skill levels, one or two monsters started to get caught by the detection radar.

However, the number of monsters caught by the radar began to increase rapidly, becoming too many to count.

Uh…

The level of the [Detection LV8] skill has increased.

☆☆ Elemental Salamander LV31

☆☆ Glacier Flopper LV28

☆☆ Elemental Salamander LV27

Wolfling LV34

☆ Ice Goblin LV16

☆☆ Ice Goblin LV17

Hyena LV29

☆☆☆ Ice Troll LV39

☆☆☆ Fly Reindeer LV33

“No! Wait! Save me! Mike!! Save me!”

☆☆☆ Frost

☆☆ Snow Ice Goblin LV15

☆☆ Crystal Snake LV40

The desperate cry in my heart rang out.

As if my prayer had worked, the monsters rushed at each other as if I wasn’t even a part of them.

Whoa!

Mikel!

I believed in you!

There was no way the God of Light could control monsters, but the timing was perfect.

The scene unfolding before my eyes was a veritable feast of experience points.

Ice Horn Rabbits were trampled to death by the feet of trolls, and Snow Hyenas fell while biting each other’s necks.

Salamanders and Floppers repeatedly froze each other, and Frost Wolflings went berserk in the midst of the fight.

I quickly spread my roots to absorb the blood and struck the dying monster with the final blow.

I’m crazy!

I’m crazy!

The cold ice cavity was turning crimson with the corpses and blood of the monsters.

★ (Anonymous) Blood Flower LV260 years old

The level of the [Crimson Reserve LV3] skill has increased.

The level of the [Black Muscle Protrusion LV2] skill has increased.

★ (Anonymous) Blood Flower LV310 years old

★ (Anonymous) Blood Flower LV370 years old

Wow!

Leveling up won’t stop!

Even plants have dopamine.

Waves of pleasure washed over my mind.

As I looked at the status window while absorbing blood, my level was rising in real time.

The Crystal Snake’s rich blood was surprisingly sweet, and the Elemental Salamander’s blood tasted like cool cider.

This is the real party!

As expected!

As expected!

Master Mikel!

Watching the monsters’ fierce battle, my faith and joy rose within me without me knowing it.

This was the first time I’d experienced such an interesting fight.

I just stayed still, and the experience points poured in!

Besides, I didn’t have to kill them myself.

All I had to do was watch them bite each other to death and then deliver one final blow.

Master Mikel loves bloody slaughter!

It might be a statement that would make a priest grab the back of his neck, but I only believe what I’ve seen and experienced myself!

★ (Anonymous) Blood Flower LV420 years old

The level of the skill [Black Muscle Protrusion LV3] has increased.

The level of the skill [Poison LV2] has increased.

★ (Anonymous) Blood Flower LV450 years old

The level of the skill [Crimson Reserve LV4] has increased.

★ (Anonymous) Blood Flower LV470 years old

Ugh!

Kill more!

Fight more!

It’s HXPER Burning Max!

It was as if a 1000% experience event had occurred in the game, and I was growing at an unbelievable speed.

The bloody feast that erupted along with the screams of the dying monsters couldn’t be more beautiful.

If it continued like this, it seemed like the next evolution would come soon…

“Boom!!!”

In the midst of the frenzied slaughter festival, the entire ground shook violently.

The epicenter was not detected by my detection radar.

Huh?

The cold air settled heavily.

As if the festival had stopped in an instant, the inside of the cave was enveloped in a silence worse than death.

An indescribable pressure weighed down on my entire body.

A heavy presence made it impossible to move a single flower petal, and it was gradually approaching.

It felt as if time had stopped, or rather, as if eternity had weighed on me.

I instinctively wanted to run away, but for me, a plant, it was just a vain wish.

My detection ability was useless in front of an entity whose identity I still couldn’t identify, and the abilities I had been proud of just a moment ago seemed like mere numbers.

That was when…

☆☆★★★★★★

[Prostia] Ice Dragon LV

My consciousness froze at the information of the being finally captured by the detection radar.