[Name: Spirit of Flora]
[Race: Plant]
[Tier: 3 (0/50)]
[Strength: 25]
[Constitution: 25]
[Agility: 28]
[Spirit: 40]
[Skill: Nature's Dominion (Harnesses the power of nature to launch ranged attacks against enemies within range)]
[Description: A unit deeply attuned to nature among lower-tier beings, capable of wielding various nature-based offensive spells.]
"A spellcasting unit!"
Alex was utterly astonished.
He had never imagined that the new unit he unlocked would be such a formidable entity.
A ranged spellcaster—this was the kind of unit countless people dreamed of possessing.
Take the Spirit of Flora before him, for example. Though its stats were significantly lower than other Tier 3 units, its skill was incredibly powerful, almost tailor-made to counter many melee units.
What's more, Alex possessed the Mutation ability, which allowed him to transfer this skill to other units.
This unit was practically a perfect candidate for mutation!
With this skill as a foundation, as long as he had enough Mana, he could potentially create an entire plant-based magical army.
The mere thought of such a scene was terrifying.
Glancing at his remaining 70-plus Mana, Alex didn't hesitate. He spent 10 Mana to perform a Mutation on the Spirit of Flora.
As the light faded, the green glow surrounding the Spirit of Flora gradually dissipated, revealing a Flower Sprite holding a staff and wearing a crown.
[Name: Flower Sprite (Royal)]
[Race: Plant]
[Tier: 3 (0/50)]
[Strength: 30]
[Constitution: 35]
[Agility: 28]
[Spirit: 50]
[Skills: Nature's Dominion, Aura of Affinity (Surrounds allies with natural energy, increasing all attributes of plant-based units by 10%. A rare skill.)]
[Description: An advanced form of the Flower Demon, this unit has awakened a royal bloodline for unknown reasons, granting it the ability to command other plant-based units.]
"Huh?"
After reading the Flower Sprite's stats, Alex was momentarily stunned.
Royal bloodline?
What was that?
Could the Mutation ability really produce something like this?
As he pondered this, the newly mutated Flower Sprite slowly rose into the air, dancing gracefully above the plants in the territory. Wherever it went, the plants below seemed to perk up with renewed vigor.
Alex checked their stats and was shocked to find that they had indeed increased by 10%!
This single boost had elevated his units' attributes beyond those of other units at the same tier.
Alex was both surprised and delighted. He hadn't expected the Mutation ability to have such a hidden effect, allowing him to evolve such a powerful unit.
He quickly recruited a second Spirit of Flora and performed another Mutation.
Unfortunately, this time, the result was not another Flower Sprite with a royal bloodline, but rather the standard advanced form of a Flower Demon, with its second skill replaced by the Flower Demon's innate healing ability.
Alex tried once more, but the outcome was the same.
It seemed that awakening a royal bloodline was no easy feat.
Still, Alex wasn't disappointed. Obtaining even one unit with a royal bloodline was an unexpected boon—he couldn't ask for more.
Besides, his current lineup of units was already formidable.
Two Tier 3 Poison Thornvines, one Tier 3 Treant Berserker, two Tier 3 Flower Sprites with spellcasting abilities, and one rare Flower Sprite with a royal bloodline.
Six Tier 3 units in total.
If word of this got out, it would undoubtedly cause a massive stir.
As for the remaining Tier 1 and Tier 2 units, their levels were too low, so Alex used the Recall ability of his territory to send them back, converting them into Mana.
With the returned Mana, he recruited two more Spirits of Flora to serve as dedicated defenders of his territory.
After handling all these tasks, Alex called over the Flower Sprite with the royal bloodline and said, "From now on, I'll call you River. It'll be easier to remember."
The Flower Sprite seemed to understand his words, fluttering joyfully above his head.
Meanwhile, in the regional chat channel, the recent treasure chest incident had sparked a frenzy. Everyone was eagerly discussing what had happened.
"I can't believe it was a treasure chest that fell from the sky! I totally misjudged the situation."
"Damn it! I should've gone to check it out. Maybe I could've grabbed something good."
"Go? Are you crazy? You have no idea how chaotic it was. I heard quite a few people died!"
"I was there too. I almost got ambushed by some jerk, but I managed to run away in time."
"I heard that even angelic units showed up later, and they were both Tier 3."
"What?! Angelic units? So did they take everything from the chest?"
"Not exactly. There were three items in the chest, and apparently, two of them were snatched by someone with plant-based units. No one even got a good look at who it was."
"Wait, plant-based? How could a plant-based unit outmatch angelic units?!"
"Believe it or not, I suspect that plant-based user is already Tier 4. Otherwise, there's no way they could be that strong."
Unbeknownst to Alex, he had become a celebrity in the region.
Nearly everyone was talking about the mysterious plant-based lord who had appeared on the plains, speculating about his identity and strength.
Some even believed he wasn't human at all, but a monster that had reached Tier 4 or higher.
Otherwise, how could a plant-based unit possibly compete with the overwhelmingly powerful angelic units? And Tier 3 angelic units at that!
After all, very few had reached Tier 3 yet.
How could a plant-based user achieve Tier 3 in such a short time?
This was a question that left many scratching their heads.
While the region buzzed with speculation, on a hillside about ten kilometers from the plains, a young man stood in a grand, sacred hall with two angels by his side. He scrolled through the regional chat, his expression dark.
"A plant-based user, huh? One day, I'll dig you out, roots and all."
With a cold snort, the young man turned and left the hall. In his hand, he held a perfectly round, translucent orb—one of the three items from the treasure chest, a precious gem that could be exchanged for resources.
Back in Alex's territory, after handling various chores, he didn't venture out to explore or hunt. Instead, he focused on building a wooden cabin within his territory as a place to rest.
By the time the cabin was finished, night had fully fallen. It stood beneath the Tree of Life, a cozy shelter for the days to come.
Alex then brought out some dried meat, started a fire, and began roasting it, savoring the rare tranquility of the evening.
It had been two days since he arrived in this world, and he was gradually adapting to it.
With his units by his side, he didn't feel lonely.
The plants seemed to sense his mood, gently gathering around him, forming a protective circle.
River and the two Flower Sprites fluttered above his head, laughing and playing, adding a lively energy to the territory.
In contrast, the Treant Berserker remained steadfast, patrolling the edges of the territory with unwavering vigilance, alert to any signs of danger.
"Alright, everyone, get some rest. We have a lot to do tomorrow."
After eating his fill, Alex went to the edge of the territory and set up leaf-made containers to collect the morning dew. Then, he retired to the cabin for the night.