…
"Who are you? Why did you steal my precious flower?"
A small little girl with clothes seemingly made of large petals and a crown on her cute little head filled with a variety of colorful flowers. She is about one-meter tall and looks like a small chubby little girl.
Her imposing aura made Curt feel a bit amused as she had her hands on her hips while glaring at him.
Her small voice shouting in the middle of the forest is like the sound of a singing oriole, melodic and pleasant to hear. It made Curt think that the small little lady was not angry at him but was telling him a beautiful story.
Seeing the reaction of the handsome young human, the girl suddenly got angrier. But she could not vent her anger. In fact, she saw what happened inside the cave. Even the guardian of the cave was rendered incapacitated. How much her who is just a small flower guardian.
"You… you…" the little girl suddenly showed him an expression that was saying she was being bullied, and she was about to cry.
Seeing this, Curt suddenly felt that he was really bullying a child. So he heaves a deep sigh.
"Alright, stop… I just wanted to use this flower to save a very important person. In return, I will give you this…" Curt suddenly takes out a small talisman.
The little girl suddenly craned her neck to see what it was.
Upon seeing the paper in the young man's hand, she suddenly showed curiosity.
"This is a warding spell… it could protect a small area around you as long as you hold this down. This spell will last for a day or unless you are hit by a more powerful force."
When the little girl heard this, her eyes went wide with glee. She was born in the forest and she has always protected the plants. However, those big bullies would always enter her sanctuary and eat her plant brothers planted and sisters. She decided to leave that place.
Then she found this area, and there she started to grow her own garden, her family. Inside this place, she could manipulate those bullies to guard her plants instead, as she controls the protection in this place. However, she would still sometimes be bullied by those large animals when she least expected it and could not fight back.
Hence, upon hearing that the paper could be used to defend herself from those bullies, the little girl is happy.
"Hmmm… give me 3 of those, then you can leave…" she suddenly bargained with a glint of craftiness in her small eyes.
Curt could not help but be taken aback. He heard that there are creatures and plants that have gained sentience after a long time being exposed in an LEP-rich environment. Now that he was seeing one, he almost could not believe his eyes.
However, he knew how important those talismans were for him at that time. Though he could do more, time was pressed, and he didn't have time to do that right now.
"Well, Umm… how about this? I will give you one warding talisman and two wind attack talismans." Curt showed the talisman in his hand.
The little girl suddenly showed excitement in her eyes. Although she is a bit crafty, her emotions can be clearly seen on her small face.
She excitedly hops towards Curt and suddenly grabs the talisman. However, before she could get hold of the talisman, Curt suddenly pulled it back and grabbed the little girl's hand. Then in one go, he restrained her like a small child.
"You… you… you bully… Waaahhh…" the little girl cried with fear clearly written on her face.
"Sigh… you are still very naïve. How can you go near someone you don't know? Stop crying…" Curt suddenly said seriously.
With his serious expression, the little girl suddenly turned scared and stifled her crying into sobs.
"I'm going to do anything for you… I just want you to learn that you cannot just trust anyone and walk closer to any person… Okay?"
The little girl did not seem to understand what Curt was saying, and then she found herself being put on the ground and the young man kneeling on one knee.
"Stop crying, this big brother will not hurt you. But there are many people who will… So you should not trust just anyone, okay?"
The little girl still sobs and just bobbed her head.
"Alright, here… this is my payment for you… use them in case you encounter any problems in this forest… I like your garden, maybe I will help you grow more flowers later..."
As Curt handed the three talismans to the little girl, he stood up and was about to leave, when he felt a sight tug at the corner of his pants.
"Anything else?"
"Umm… Sob… you said you… you would come back, right? Will you help me plant more flowers?"
"Umm… I like growing herbal flowers. They are beautiful and very useful…"
"Okay… then… then I will wait for you… big… big brother." She shyly said.
Curt patted her small head and smiled.
"Alright, you have to hide now. There are a lot of bullies in this place. Don't show yourself, okay?"
With a nod, the little girl suddenly runs towards the flowery part of the array and disappears.
Curt just showed a gentle smile on his face. He immediately knew what the little girl was when he touched her head. She was a young flower nymph.
Nymphs are supposed to be just legends in this world, but Curt knew that they were real. In his memories, he has encountered a lot of them and once you meet one, they could be a good friend for those who like alchemy and botany. A nymph has the ability to make plants grow quickly and healthily. However, they are not easily seen or discovered.
In fact, Curt was really lucky to meet one in this place. Well, that would be natural as there is a natural array in this place. It was a perfect home for a nymph.
But judging from the appearance of the small girl, her age is only around 200 years. If the nymphs in his memory are the same as in this world, then in the next 100 years, this place will have a fully grown nymph. She would turn into a beautiful and powerful being able to control the plants and trees in this place.
Hence, if he became friends with that little girl, then he would surely benefit from her powers and could freely grow his herbs in that place.
Curt showed a gentle smile and did not linger long in the area. He has already memorized this place, hence he will return here some other day and begin his plan.
As he walked out of the array he could see many anxious heads trying to peek inside.
Upon seeing him, they all showed a surprised look on their faces. This is especially true when a path suddenly opens up and Curt walks out of the area.
"Let's go… I'm done…" Curt said with a smile.
The group was still a bit stunned and did not react. They just subconsciously followed his figure as they walked away from that mysterious place.
…
Meanwhile, in the other part of the forest, a large group of espers are currently approaching near the lair of the said snake they are hunting.
"Captain, according to my map, we are near the place. It's about 1 kilometer in that direction. But we have to be cautious because that one kilometer is the territory of the snake." An esper beside a tall man wearing combat armor said.
The tall man is the leader of the #1 esper mercenary guild in Kor city, the Basilisk Head. His designated name is Vipercrown, one of the most powerful espers in the city.
But Vipercrown did not become famous and is considered one of the strongest because of his power, which is wind and water. He is not only powerful but very proficient at battle strategy. And this is the reason why he is the one leading the combination of guilds from Kor city.
"Alright… everyone, listen up! You have to keep your guard up! We are entering the territory of that poisonous snake. Gear up, prepare for battle!" Vipercrown said as he unsheathes his blade and takes out his modified handgun.
Beside him stood Tempest, who was already channeling spells on her staff. She has already accustomed herself to this staff, which seems to have considered her as its owner. No other esper seems to be able to release the full potential of the staff except for her.
This is because Curt has designed this staff for her and according to her power.
Among the group, the figures of Jenny Mae Lee and Alan Kane stood side by side. They, too, prepared their own weapons.
Alan Kane took out a thin wand which made him look like a wizard. Meanwhile, Jenny Mae Lee wore gloves with metal knuckles.
This is her favorite weapon ever since she started becoming a mercenary.
As the group prepare their gear, at a distance behind them a large group of armed men are also preparing themselves. Leading this group are three espers; Bronite, Bender, and Myst. They are the most powerful members of the MPMA in Kor City and within the province.
"Everyone, once the battle begins, we also attack them…" said Myst in the intercoms of the group.
With a nod, everyone agreed to her command. Then the group silently crept into the forest, approaching their ambush positions.
"Hey, Myst, I heard that the poisonous snake is not actually a snake. Is that true?" suddenly Bender asked while moving beside Myst.
The beautiful and curvy figure of Myst did not stop moving, but just showed a faint smile on Bender. Then she turns her attention back to the front.
"Where did you hear that?"
"Hehe… I have my sources…" Bender said with a smug look on his face.
"Humph! Synthesis, right?"
Upon hearing that name, Bender showed a sheepish look on his handsome face.
"Yeah… so is it true?"
"Well, it's half true… It is a snake. However, it has already reached the stage of its evolution… She said that she feels it would turn into something horrible…"
"Damn… then why are you here? We should leave already."
While on the side, Bronite suddenly sneered.
"Coward…"
…
As the two groups of humans approach, inside a dusky cave, something is wriggling within its dark cave. A hissing sound followed by a deep yet faint groaning voice from a beast could be heard. Then four pairs of eyes could be seen changing colors and expressions as if the owner of those glowing eyes is in deep pain.
Suddenly, a large amount of LEP energy began to coalesce in the air and enter the cave. As this happened, a long figure inside it began glowing, illuminating the whole cave, sending a danger signal all over its surroundings. This is a signal that a new powerful creature is about to be born in this place.