Brand New Life Online: Rise Of The Goddess Of Harvest - Chapter 1791: A Powerful Skill

Chapter 1791: A Powerful Skill
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“Alright, so what do we need? Materials, yes, lots of valuable materials. We can gather new plants and modify them later. Also weapons, armor, magic accessories, magic books, cultivation methods…” Elayne mused.
“Okay, let’s start by purchasing some of the materials you require,” Blank said. “What do you need them for? Do you also plan to buy potions, tonics, antidotes, and more?”
Elayne glanced at Mark, and he nodded. “Yes, we’d like a few of those. We could try learning Alchemy and make them ourselves later.”
“Alchemy, huh? That’s a difficult school of magic,” Blank said. “Not many have ever mastered it.”
“I also need a forge and proper tools for it…” Elayne added. “Hmm…”
“A forge?” Blank asked. “Don’t tell me you…”
Elayne nodded. “Yes, I have a talent for Blacksmithing. I can create weapons and armor. That’s why I need materials and items from here, so I can study and understand how they work.”
Blank nodded in amusement, clearly surprised that Elayne’s talents seemed endless. “Truly, you’re the most talented Undead I’ve ever seen, Elayne. You never cease to amaze me.”
“Oh, thank you. I just learned a lot when I was alive,” Elayne said with a gentle smile. “You’ve been so kind to us. I wouldn’t mind crafting something for you later, Lord Blank. As a token of our appreciation and gratitude, and also to apologize for Sailor’s behavior.”
“Ah… I am touched,” Blank said, his expressionless face softening slightly. “I would appreciate that very much, and I would treasure such a gift for the rest of my life. If it’s good enough, I might even make it my Soul Treasure.”
Elayne giggled. “You don’t have to go that far, Lord Blank. But thank you. It’s good to know you’ll value what I make. I can’t say I’m the best craftswoman, but I always do my best.”
Blank gently took her hands, gazing into her eyes. “I am sure that anything these delicate hands create will be infused with the love and care you show your people, Elayne.”
“…Hm?” Elayne blinked in surprise. It was becoming far too clear what Blank’s feelings for her were. “Lord Blank, please let go…”
“Ah, my apologies,” Blank sighed, looking away.
“…” Mark’s hands blazed, shifting into sharp bird-like talons ready to strike the White Ghost. “Just say the word and I’ll do it.”
“C-Calm down. It’s okay. He didn’t do anything bad…” Elayne sighed. “Let’s go purchase our things, shall we?”
“Damn bastard flirting with the boss. Who does he think he is?” Sailor muttered as the group walked through the streets of White Tooth Village toward the noisy marketplace once more.
Elayne ignored him, focusing instead on the flow of energies within her. With her new Class and Skill, she could now see a strange black and gold flame inside most people around her.
Undead like Sailor had a pitch-black flame. When she pointed her hand at him, that flame flickered, and fiery energy flowed into her palm. Death Essence itself.
“Ugh?”
Sailor groaned, feeling strange. Elayne quickly returned the energy, and he felt fine again.
“Oh…”
She tried the same on Blank, who was close by. His golden flame flickered, Life Essence reaching her palm. Blank felt something odd and gazed at her with curiosity.
“Elayne? What did you do just now?”
“I tested my new Skill… sorry.”
Elayne returned the energy, leaving Blank shocked by the power of such a Skill. Elayne, however, was puzzled.
The Skill description said she could only target flora. Yet why could she draw Life and Death Essence from a Noble Race and an Undead too?
Were they considered “flora”?
“No way, that’s ridiculous… perhaps another power is influencing how this Skill developed,” she thought. “Gardenia, did you see that?”
“Yes… it’s amazing. What’s your limit?” Gardenia asked. “Or can you just draw it all?”
“Of course not. The stronger the target, the harder it is to draw energy…” Elayne replied. “I think Skills have stated limitations, but those limits depend on the person’s ability to use the Skill.”
“…What?” Gardenia, who lacked a System Status, was confused by such concepts.
“It means the Skill is a template that grows stronger over time and can be adapted beyond the established ’rules,’” Elayne explained. “I did that before, even as a Player with my Avatar, using Skills in unconventional ways to make them much stronger.”
“Oooh, I see,” Gardenia nodded. “So even with a set limit, it’s possible to find loopholes through understanding, energy manipulation, and practice?”
“Yes… I can more or less force my body to target Undead and Noble Races anyway, but it strains my body and soul,” Elayne said. “But if I use it normally…”
She targeted the small inner flames within the plants growing along the road. They rapidly dried up and crumbled to dust as she absorbed them one after another. Her Death Essence and Life Essence slowly accumulated within her.
“It’s easier, with no strain or exhaustion,” Elayne noted, surprised. “But I better stop. I don’t want to draw unwanted attention…”
“Hoooh…” Gardenia nodded, analyzing Elayne’s new power. “This might be exactly what you needed to grow faster. From now on, we’ll master this Skill. You’ll use it constantly, every second, minute, and hour of the day.”
“Wouldn’t that be difficult? There aren’t endless targets,” Elayne said.
“That’s why you drain the energy and then return it,” Gardenia suggested. “This way your power will grow through continuous use.”
“Oh, that’s not bad,” Elayne agreed. “I’ll try that later…”
While walking through the marketplace with Blank, Mark, and Sailor, Elayne spotted several interesting items and vendors. She wanted to buy some, but Blank stopped her each time.
“Please don’t buy whatever catches your eye. It’s smarter to compare prices first,” he advised. “You’re lucky I’m here. I’ll guide you to the best places for the highest quality at the lowest prices.”
He led them to various shops. The first sold all kinds of raw materials: metals, crystals, ores, and parts from roaming beasts. Elayne purchased Nether Steel, Ghostly Silver, Shadow Gold, White Bone Stone, and more. She learned these were mined from the surrounding mountains and the giant White Tooth Mountain, which held many caverns known as the Cavity Caverns.
Unique monsters roamed inside, along with their own ecosystem. Cavity Beasts fed on White Tooth Stone, while Nether Germs grew like aggressive flora that would snatch at anyone who got too close. It was wild for Elayne and Mark to realize the giant tooth truly resembled a massive tooth internally.
“C-Cavity Beasts, Nether Germs…?” Mark muttered. “Whew, I think I’ve heard it all now.”
“It’s mostly because that tooth belonged to the Nether Titan, the former King of the Netherworld,” Blank explained. “A god-like entity of immeasurable power… His single tooth became a gigantic mountain with its own unique ecosystem. Though the death of the Ancient Gods is always sorrowful, without their sacrifice, none here would be alive. The Labyrinth Region wouldn’t exist, nor would most Noble Races born from his corpse.”
“That’s amazing…” Elayne smiled softly, her voice tinged with deep emotion. “It’s… truly… The Nether Titan, Hecatoncheires… my beloved son.”
“Huh?” Mark turned to Elayne with a strange expression. “What?”
“…?” Sailor had heard her too.
“Hm? Anyway, we should head to the next shop,” Blank said, confused by their stares. He hadn’t caught her quiet murmur amid the marketplace noise.
“Ah? What? Did I say something?” Elayne asked, genuinely puzzled, as if she hadn’t fully registered her own words. “Sorry, did I say something odd?”
“Ah… no, don’t worry,” Mark shook his head.
Sailor just shrugged and stayed silent.
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