met free Chapter 57 Pointy Head, Then Let Me Ask You
Chapter 57 Pointy Head, Then Let Me Ask You
"Glug."
Another whole bottle of energy potion filled with pale green liquid was poured down Luo Lan's throat.
A high concentration of potent alchemical potion rushed down the esophagus, attempting to soothe the body's internal circulation, which was uncomfortable due to the intense extraction of holy light power in a short period of time.
As the empty medicine bottle was casually stored in his storage space, Luo Lan flicked his hand, and pale holy light cascaded down like a waterfall onto the shattered green plants and piles of bones in front of him.
The [Dead Remains Assembly] system was activated again. Amidst the cracking of bones, another "plant zombie" mixed with plant remains and unknown animal bones staggered to its feet and filled the gap in the defense line that had just been blasted open.
[At this rate, we can get through the second level, but the energy consumption is getting too high.]
The second level of the rift had only progressed about a quarter of the way, but Luo Lan had already downed three bottles of energy potions.
Taking alchemical potions continuously in a short period of time has unavoidable drawbacks—the accumulation of potion residue in the blood will cause tolerance to rise rapidly, and the subsequent effects of the potion will drop precipitously.
Taking too many drugs in a short period of time can even cause minor, irreversible side effects to the body.
The Adventurer's Handbook records an anecdote that warns adventurers against excessive drug use:
Legend has it that a troll with a pointed head became addicted to drug-fueled adventures, causing the drug to dominate his brain, his muscles to replace his thinking, and his speech to become slurred and incoherent.
"Then let me ask you, then let me ask you..."
This is the fundamental reason why Luo Lan, despite having extra money at the town's item shop, only bought twenty bottles of energy potions to stock up.
Although the [Steel Bones] ability increases Luo Lan's tolerance to alchemical potions, consuming ten or so potions a day is still Luo Lan's limit.
Luo Lan's energy potion consumption rate is not fatal, but it is definitely not easy either. At this pace, after clearing the entire flower sea, her reserves will be almost depleted.
However, the second level is not the last level of the Rift Ruins, and Luo Lan must prepare for the rest of the journey.
Raising his sword, Luo Lan parried a thin vine that tentatively reached out from the right, then casually severed it at the root. His gaze swept beyond the zombie line into the depths of the flower field, and he asked Victor:
"Ah Gou, does this sea of flowers have a main feature?"
Just as the skeleton dog finished tearing apart a clump of predatory grass that had entangled it, it used its hind legs to push off the debris, propelling its entire skeleton into the air. It ran a few steps along a fallen, thick vine and climbed to the top of a cluster of intertwined plants.
"Received, under investigation."
The blue flames in the skeleton dog's eyes dispersed, and Victor's specialty, [Data Vision], came into play, his gaze sweeping over the areas deeper in the sea of flowers where the colors were more intense and the corollas larger.
A moment later, Victor's steady synthesized voice reached Luo Lan's mind:
"Confirmed: There is a synchronous correlation between the bioelectric response frequency of the distributed nodes and the micro-tremors of the grass stems on the ground."
With these words, a simple three-dimensional holographic map constructed from dark blue lines unfolded deep within Luo Lan's mind, thanks to Victor's other expertise: psionic communication.
As the points of light jumped, they not only marked their current coordinates, but also clearly indicated several key nodes scattered throughout this vast underground cavity, where the concentration of chaotic energy was high.
"Zombies, advance this way."
With precise navigation, Luo Lan pointed with his left bone claw, directing the zombie horde engaged in a carnage ahead to slightly change its charging direction and head towards the nearest enriched node.
After advancing about fifty meters, the density of vegetation ahead suddenly increased, the color of the flowers changed from scattered variegated colors to large areas of deep red, and the size of the corolla also expanded. Several plants had an open diameter that was almost as long as Luo Lan's arm span.
A soft rustling sound came from the center of the cluster of red flowers, like the sticky friction of moist tissue rapidly dividing and reforming.
In the center of a giant red carnivorous flower cluster shaped like a flower throne, the giant corolla suddenly splits open.
Plant granulation tissue proliferates wildly, rolling outwards layer upon layer. Within a few breaths, plant fiber bundles recombine into a skeletal support structure, and the outer cells divide to form a soft epidermal layer.
A tall, slender figure with a beautiful female form rose from the flower's heart.
[How come there's a demi-human woman here?]
Deep within the rift, defying the laws of nature, Luo Lan, who was advancing the battle line, seemed to completely ignore all the absurd and fatal details around him. He abruptly stopped in his tracks, stunned by the alluring woman who had suddenly "grown" out of the flower's heart.
[Charm Lv.2: Attracts all beings who witness it, acting directly on the mental level. The skill's effectiveness depends on the target's mental resistance.]
The "woman" before Luo Lan had a graceful, curvaceous figure.
With no clothes to cover her body, only the intertwined vines and leaves concealed her vital parts, revealing her jade-green shoulders and fair skin, making her allure even more alluring.
Her features were so exquisite they seemed unreal: smooth, flowing hair, a high, straight nose, thin, moist, petal-shaped lips, and long, eerie, beautiful eyes... Her entire face was delicate and charming, with a seductive allure that could steal one's soul.
A cloyingly sweet, sticky smell wafted from her, hitting her nasal cavity and directly affecting her cerebral cortex, causing her blood to rush to her head.
"What a nice view……"
Luo Lan lowered the tip of her sword, as if she had relaxed her previous defensive stance.
With a dazed look in her eyes, Luo Lan walked straight toward the "woman" sitting or reclining on the giant floral crown.
Even the undead zombies controlled by Luo Lan stopped behind him. Without their commands, they froze in place, with only their joints twitching occasionally.
The "woman" looked down at the tin can that had been delivered to her door, a cold and disdainful mockery in her alluring eyes.
She had seen far too many similar foreign adventurers in the second level of the Rift Ruins.
No matter how sharp their swords were or how thick their armor was, without exception, the moment they saw their own [mimicry] body, they all reacted with the same eagerness to rush in and die.
[It seems this strange human, who managed to force his way into the second floor during the demonic tide, is nothing special after all?]
The "woman" leaned forward from the flower crown, and dozens of tentacle-like thorny vines silently stretched out from the flower bushes behind her, slowly encircling Luo Lan along the ground.
Looking at the plump prey before her, about to be drained of its lifeblood, the "woman" opened her arms, her slender fingers slightly bent, her soft, supple body made of plant fibers forming a gentle, embracing posture:
"Come on~ let's do something really comfortable next..."
The sweet, seductive voice still lingered in the air, while countless barbed, blood-sucking tendrils, hidden in the shadows of the giant flower, clung to Luo Lan like venomous snakes that had caught the scent of blood.
In the next instant, he could tear Luo Lan to shreds and drain him dry!
"Pfft—"
A blinding flash of steel light suddenly slashed down. The sharp broadsword rose from below, whistling through the air.
Luo Lan's long-planned, heavy upward thrust, without any hesitation, cleaved straight through the red flower bushes, cutting through the alluring body in two with the precision of slicing tofu.
The sweet, succulent green plant sap sprayed all over the ground like an exploding fountain.
"Huh?! Human, you?"
An extremely piercing scream came from the "woman's" severed throat, distorted, sharp and broken.
The two halves of the plant, still alive, twitched wildly, trying to recombine.
Luo Lan didn't give it a chance to struggle. He drew his sword and slashed horizontally and vertically three times.
The "woman's" torso was cut into five or six uneven branches, each of which twitched and twisted on the ground, the plant fibers in the cross-section trying to reconnect.
Luo Lan stepped on the thickest part of it with the sole of her boot, the steel sole grinding it into the mud and completely breaking the connection between the plant fibers.
Above the retina, [True Vision lv.1] has already revealed:
【Name: Mimicry Flower Fairy】
[Rank: Bronze+]
Specialties: Plant mimicry, aphrodisiac pollen
[Skills: Charm Lv.2, Entanglement Lv.4, Acid Lv.3]
Everyone knows you're fake, how could Luo Lan possibly be bewitched?
Moreover, even without the [True Sight] panel, Luo Lan could withstand the Flower Fairy's low-level [Charm lv.2] with his own [Willpower: 13].
The reason for seemingly approaching the flower fairy without any defense was simply to shorten the attack distance and avoid the trouble of directly confronting the numerous vines and tentacles, playing a tactic of feigning weakness.