After getting past the swamp, ramie traveled for about a day. In the past 24 hours, he had stepped into an area that was filled with bloodsucking leeches.
These fat leeches length ranged from 10 to 90 cm, which was quite abnormal, and very unsettling. Where ever Ramie went, it was filled with these worms. Even when using the trees to move, leeches would fall on him from above upon sensing his aura.
So far, he had lost his total blood volume several times over. Of course, that was distributed over tens of attacks. There was no instant where he lost more than half of his blood in one go.
Luckily, his vitality was powerful enough to replenish the lost amount at a fast pace. However, as a side effect, Ramie had lost some of his body mass, due to the continuous blood generation. More ever, he was feeling very hungry.
The other side effect was that he has become very tired.
It was no use. No matter how many leeches he kills, there would be countless other more. Hence, at some point, he stopped trying to kill every leech that jumps him, only killing the bigger ones.
He did so because the if he was to continue using the vines at such rate, he'd probably lose all of his magic energy while still in the leech infested area.
Obviously, the consequences of such possibility would be too severe. Hence, he only traveled on foot.
After reaching a certain distance, and due to the blood lost, his tiredness had a reached an alarming point, as his dizziness reached an all time new high.
Gazing at the trees dense canopy, which was filled to the prime with auras, he dismissed the idea of resting on a tree branch. Apparently, the concentration in the tree canopies of these leeches was much higher than the ground.
Ramie chose an area that had fewer leeches, and lied down on a large tree root that was protruding off the ground.
The moment he lied down, he sensed a multitude of auras crawling toward him. Apparently, with his body heat, he was like a shining beacon in the middle of the night for these leeches.
Ramie however didn't react to them. Instead, he put his two hands under his head, like a pillow. He was in a dire need for some rest. The forest was already dangerous enough, and he wanted to maintain his strength in case he stumbles into a strong beast.
Anyway, as these blood feeding leeches stuck their suckers at his skin, he could feel his blood draining out… but, he still didn't do anything.
Few seconds afterward, Ramie, who had closed his eyes, started hearing squealing sounds of misery, from all around him.
Then, he started hearing the crackling sound of wood, as though trees were pending their branches.
'Little *&^%$, how do you feel to be drained alive…? Not fun, huh!'
A slight satisfied smile broke on Ramie's face, as the twitching leeches around him were all sucked dry by the tree sprouts that started growing from their bodies.
In no time, a small garden of trees came into existence around ramie, completely surrounding him, and isolating him from the continually crawling leeches that were attracted over to his body heat.
This thing has happened several tens of times already, practically every time a leech suck his blood, it would soon die and turn into a tree-ling.
This was the reason why he was sure that he could lay down and rest, even though he was in area completely infested with these blood sucking worms.
After some test out a day ago, ramie discovered that these minion trees would be formed whenever something ingests his blood. They of course grow by absorbing dry the body of the ingesting creature to sustain their own growth.
These minion trees then would attack whatever he considers as enemy, or whatever attacks them. Ramie discovered that he can control these minion tree's vines. Also, he discovered that his blood has the limit to produce ten of these trees, and not one more. Afterward, for every new one that is formed, an old one would die.
As time went on, the area around ramie turned to an open slaughter zone for the leeches, as the surrounding minion trees kept on absorbing dry any approaching leech and turn them into nutrient to sustain their own growth.
The trees grew larger and larger, taller and taller, as the massacre went on.
In the midst of it, Ramie was lying down relaxed, as the squealing sounds of the killed leeches sounded nonstop.
However, not very long afterward, a frown finally found its way to ramie's relaxed face.
Through his senses, he could perceive very strong auras inching closer and closer to him. Apparently, the non-stopping slaughter had attracted the attention of some special types of leeches.
Spit!
Spit!
Spit!
The newly arriving, very large sized leeches with violet and blue colored dorsal areas started spiting highly corrosive acidic liquid at the minion trees.
Sizzle!
Sizzle!
Sizzle!
With a poisonous rise of white colored smoke, one of the minion trees started melting to the ground.
With three spits, one tree went down.
This development annoyed Ramie, as he had yet to even sleep.
'It seems that there is no other way but that…'
Letting out a sigh, Ramie controlled the trees one after another, to kill the acid spiting leeches. Afterward, and before more of them arrives, he touched the ground with his two hands, and commanded.
Rooting!
The moment ramie casted, his body morphed into a wiggling vines, before stabbing into the ground below him. Next, the vines seeped into the ground, through a small hole, before re-gathering to form a plant.
During the process, ramie made sure to bring the wrapped leaf that contained the magical cores with him. Apparently, when he casts the rooting spell while having enough magic energy, he would be able to control the transformation process to a certain degree.
For instant, he could make some adjustment on the plant form. Like instead of the standard flower, he could make a bush at the surface, or nothing at all.
If he wanted to sleep for long, then the flower would be best the choice, as it has a defensive property. Apparently, the flower has the ability to passively activate ghost glare. As for the bush, it had no ability at all; it was just for camouflage purposes.
Anyway, if ramie wanted to slumber for more than a day, he'd have to put something at the surface, for respiration. Otherwise, he'd suffocate.
After assuming the plant form, his aura, his body heat… all were gone.
Losing their target, the leeches returned to their hideouts, slumbering, as they awaited the arrival of the next meal.
The environment was very cruel, and unforgiving. Ramie was aware that if it wasn't for his bloodline's exceedingly powerful survivability, and unique abilities, he'd have been dead by now, even if he had strong offensive or defensive spells, or even life energy.
After assuming the plant form, the leeches lost track of him.
'I should rest now, to recover my magic energy. As for vitality, to recover my exhausted body mass, this is even easier…'
Thinking so, Ramie commanded the minion trees to send their vines to him, one tree after another. Next, the minion tree's vines fused with his plant body, and started pumping their own vitality to him. If he wanted to, he could absorb all of the minion trees dry. However, he didn't do so, as he only needed a bit of vitality. More ever, keeping the trees around him would allow him to momentarily keep the leeches away as he revert back to his human form.
This was another use for the minion trees – he could absorb their vitality!
…
Somewhere inside the forest…
'Just how bad my luck can be… I've lost trail of that damn woman, and now, it seems that I have lost my way, stepping into the uncharted area…'
A man that was covered with a gray clock grunted, as he made his way through the uneven ground of the forest.
His hood was pushed back, revealing a face that belonged to a man at his late forties. His hair was a mix of white and black, indicating an early signs of aging. His average featured face was like a map, filled with markings of time and hardships, allowing him to exude a thick air of an expert who had seen more than his fair share of misery and suffering. Also, there was a deep glow of un-concealed fierceness in his eyes, depicting a violent temper.
Even though the man was complaining, but he maintained a sharp gaze, as his cautious eyes shifted around nonstop, scanning the surroundings for any signs of lurking danger.
Abruptly, the man's eyes lit up with a glow of hope, as his eyes captured the figure of a human, emerging from behind a large tree: 'finally, I've met another human here! IF he dared to come to this area, then he must know the way back. Now I can ask him for the directions.'
Even though he felt happy, however, his cautious nature soon prevailed, pushing all the happiness aside, complying him to raise his guard, and prepare to cast his spells at any given moment if something was wrong.
'It seems that he's a bloodline magician, more ever… his bloodline progression seems to be much higher than 15%. His morphing spell should be of a low grade. He must be a member of one of those miserable decaying bloodline families… this means that he's much weaker than me. In this case, he shouldn't be able to pose much of a threat.'
Concluding so, the look of wariness disappeared from the man's eyes, then, it was replaced with one of disdain.
…