He began to crawl his way into the cramped, dark space that seemed to close in on him from all sides. The narrow passageway was easily claustrophobic. Although he was still just a child, he struggled to maneuver through the narrow gaps with his tiny body. Anyone watching might wonder if an adult could fit through such a tight space. The answer was yes, but only if they were as small as Rie, who could simply walk through the confined area with ease.
"Well, I can't even clear it out a little since the structure is so delicate. Messing with it means immediate death," he muttered to himself. The thought of having to crawl the entire way without any respite made him feel gloomy. There was no way to make this uncomfortable crawling any better.
Despite the discomfort, he continued to crawl forward, each movement taking him deeper into the passage. Minutes passed, and as he advanced, he felt a gradual warmth seeping into the cold, narrow pathway. The warmth was a welcome change from the chill that had enveloped him since he entered the cramped space.
"Yep! We are getting closer!" he said with a smirk, feeling a surge of excitement.
Rie, lying on his back and observing his progress, couldn't understand his madman-like mumbling. She neither cared to know what he was talking about nor had any desire to find out. Instead, she continued with her own tasks, ignoring his seemingly nonsensical chatter.
As he crawled further, bright rays of light, reminiscent of the sun, began to pierce through the darkness. The sudden brightness hit his eyes, causing his eyelids to twitch involuntarily. The warmth continued to increase, signaling that he was nearing the core.
"Finally, I'm here! Seed of Growth, you are mine!" he exclaimed with a chortle, his voice taking on a nasty edge.
He had reached a space large enough for him to stand up and move freely. Rising to his feet, he brushed the dust off his expensive clothes. Before him, a bright yellow light glowed intensely from within the trunk of a dead tree.
If someone had sunglasses, they could have seen the golden fruit nestled inside the trunk. The golden fruit shone so brightly it resembled a miniature sun. Lloyd's eyes would have been severely damaged by the intense light if he hadn't worn special contact lenses that reduced the rays' intensity by half.
"It was a worthy investment," he said to himself, patting his own back for his foresight and careful preparation.
The Golden Fruit, known as the Seed of Growth, was nestled securely in the trunk, surrounded by branches that cradled it like a child in its mother's protective embrace.
Stepping carefully on the tree's branches, he moved closer to the Seed of Growth, intent on claiming it for himself.
*Click* *rustle*
"How could I have forgotten about this... An attacking tree," he muttered, realization dawning on him.
A branch suddenly lunged at him, but with a swift, precise motion, he sliced it down effortlessly.
*Snap* *swoosh* *swoosh*
But this initial attack was only the beginning. Just as a mother would fiercely protect her child, the tree began to attack with relentless force. Its branches and roots struck out at him in a barrage of attacks.
Using the elegant swordsmanship he had learned from Alaya, Lloyd found these attacks to be nothing more than child's play. With each swing of his blade, he cut down the branches and roots that tried to immobilize him, carving his way steadily to the core of the tree where the Seed of Growth was located.
For a moment, even Rie was impressed by how much he had improved in such a short time span. She watched in silence as he demonstrated his skill and determination.
"Grrrsghh!" the tree let out a creepy, guttural screech as he finally ripped the Seed of Growth from its trunk.
"Rest in peace and thanks for the gift," he said, addressing the tree with a hint of mockery.
With its last, blood-curdling screech, the tree that had nurtured the Seed of Growth withered instantly and turned into dust, its life force completely drained.
"Seed of Growth, a literal cheat option! Every bit of this oddly shaped strawberry-like fruit is invaluable. Eating the seed increases talent cap, and the flesh boosts power levels by several folds. A godly cheat item!" he exclaimed with delight.
He gazed at the palm-sized, pale-colored fruit resembling an oversized strawberry. This miraculous fruit could easily cause bloodshed due to its immense value. Whether it was a fragile old man or a top-ranked warrior, everyone would be eager to obtain this fruit because of its alluring properties. It could increase their talent cap by two full ranks and grant them immense strength by consuming the flesh.
Holding the Seed of Growth in his hand, he felt a sense of accomplishment as it would increase his strength by several folds. This fruit, with its extraordinary abilities, was a treasure beyond compare.
To explain the power of this fruit, if someone with no talent and potential consumed it, they would not only unlock talent but their potential would be elevated to at least A rank. This was the minimum effect of the fruit when consumed.
"It's laughable," he scoffed. "Even after obtaining many cheat items like this and possessing a system, he was still killed by the demon lord and regressed."
He took a bite out of the tasteless flesh of the fruit and immediately felt a wave of strength hit him like a wall. With just one bite, his strength increased by fifty percent. He quickly began to eat the entire fruit, and a bright yellow aura emitted from him as his strength doubled, reaching almost peak four-star aurar level.
"Refreshing! I feel like I can crush a whole mountain right now!" he exclaimed.
He swung his arms and body around energetically, feeling the strength rushing through his veins. In less than a minute, he had successfully become an almost peak four-star aurar. Jumping two levels in such a short time was an expected reaction from consuming the fruit.
Next, he consumed the remaining black seed of the fruit. Surprisingly, there was no immediate reaction. Unlike the flesh, which overwhelmed him with waves of raw strength, eating the seed had no such effects.
"Just like in the novel, there's no reaction from eating the seed," he muttered, making a face as he was hit by the bitter aftertaste.
Unlike physical strength, which could be felt and measured, talent and potential were innate qualities embedded within the soul. They were immutable from birth and couldn't be experienced as tangible changes.
"Well, I can't accurately say how much my potential has grown without a measuring crystal or a system like Daven's, but I can say I am at least SSS class now, since I was S+ class before," he said, assessing himself.
He was immensely relieved that Daven hadn't gotten his hands on this fruit. If Daven had obtained it, Lloyd would have been in serious trouble. There was no other way for him to grow his potential aside from this fruit. If Daven had somehow secured it before him, Lloyd would have been unable to make any progress at all, while Daven would have become much stronger.
*Ding*
[Congratulations, User! You have leveled up!]
"What-"
*****
A/N:
Talent: It is something that determines the innate skill level in something perticular.
Example: This kid's talent comparable to that of a knight.
Potential: A measurement for peak strength a person can reach in their lifetime if they train properly.
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