Chapter 53 Garden

After leaving Kai alone in the bathroom, I picked up my pace and began jogging towards the northern side of the campus.

Despite the soreness in my muscles and the low level of my Mana reserves, I knew that the day was only just starting.

I had less than a week before we had the class A outing, I needed to become as strong as possible before going there. Thankfully, the game of Leclentia had many cheat-like hidden items randomly spread across the world, including one located within the territory of the Mage Academy.

Tap... Tap...

As I walked through the massive garden and down the gravel path, I scanned the area for any bush that had white flowers sprouting from it.

Since it was the middle of Autumn, finding one wasn't too difficult. The flowers provided a splash of color against the otherwise drab surroundings.

Approaching the white plant, I looked around to make sure there were no other students nearby.

Splash...

Satisfied that I was alone, I took out a health potion and splashed its contents onto the plant. I watched as the liquid stained the leaves, turning them a dark red.

Pluck...

Suddenly, grey roots emerged from the ground beneath my feet, writhing like snakes and entangling my legs. The sensation was both eerie and unsettling as the roots grew spikes that dug into my skin, causing my blood to flow.

"..."

Despite the discomfort, I didn't resist the plant. I knew that this was the only way to obtain the hidden item, and so I gritted my teeth and waited for the process to be over.

The roots greedily absorbed my blood, pulsating with an eerie motion as if they were enjoying the taste. I couldn't help but feel disturbed by the sight of the plant seemingly alive and thriving on my blood.

As the roots continued to drain me, the color of the bush changed before my eyes. The once-white leaves and flowers were now dyed a deep crimson, and even the grey roots had turned black.

"How much blood does this need..."

I grumbled under my breath, trying not to fall. Although it didn't hurt, the plant injected me with some kind of poison that made my whole body go numb. The amount of blood it was taking was making me lightheaded, and I struggled to keep my balance.

Finally, one of the black roots wriggled away from my body, followed by the others as they quickly buried themselves under the ground as if nothing had ever happened.

"..."

I looked at the bush with its crimson flowers and leaves and quickly took out my Katana. With a swift motion, I cut the plant from its root.

However, the bush seemed to come alive at the last moment, extending its thick roots to block my blade.

Thud...

Despite the plant's attempt to thwart me, it was too late. The blade of my Katana severed the connection between the plant and its roots, causing the black roots to fall to the ground motionless.

I kneeled on the ground, feeling the world around me spinning.

Pluck...

However, despite the dizziness, I focused on my goal and began plucking the leaves of the Vampiric Plant one by one, carefully placing them into my inventory.

The plant was notorious for drinking the blood of unsuspecting victims, but the one in the Academy Garden had been seriously wounded and couldn't move its roots. By healing it with my health potion, I had gained its trust, and it hadn't drained all of my blood.

"Stupid Plant..." I muttered under my breath.

The leaves of the Vampiric Plant were highly sought after by alchemists. They could be used to create a consumable that enhanced one's Capillaries, improving Mana Control.

Obtaining the leaves wasn't difficult, but finding a trustworthy alchemist to create the consumable was another matter entirely.

After plucking most of the leaves from the Vampiric Plant, I approached the trunk, which appeared to be turning into strange ashes before my eyes.

I rolled up my sleeves and plunged my fingers into the soil, carefully removing layer after layer of dirt until I uncovered something glowing red. Thick roots of the plant surrounded it.

It was a Vampiric Crystal, a rare gemstone that could be extracted from the root of a Vampiric Plant. The crystal contained a high concentration of Mana and was worth a fortune in the marketplace.

"I've struck gold!"

I quickly dug deeper, exposing more of the crystal and carefully prying it loose from the roots.

Throughout the 20-year lifespan of a Vampiric plant, there is a chance that a Vampiric Crystal will grow.

The value of the crystal is dependent on its size and quality, and the one I found was small and of low quality, evident from its slightly flickering glow and the size of a golf ball.

"I wonder if Nothing would be interested in buying it..." I thought aloud.

Vampiric Crystals were highly valued in the market due to their potential to grant a skill, albeit a low chance and with a minimum rank of C.

If I were to sell the crystal I would surely be able to obtain what I needed to safely destroy the bridge in the Wild Lands.

I carefully extracted the Vampiric Crystal from the ground and placed it into a small pouch in my spatial inventory.

As I stood up, I noticed a pair of students walking towards the garden. Quickly, I made my way towards the exit, not wanting to be caught with the stolen leaves and crystal.

Once I was far enough, I took a deep breath and released it slowly. It was a risky move, but it paid off.

"..."

As I watched the two students enter the garden, my interest was piqued. It was Tess and a senior I didn't recognize.

Observing them from afar, I couldn't quite make out the expression on Tess's face, but the guy had a noticeable blush.

"Please go out with me!"

I couldn't help but do a facepalm.

'Of course, it had to be a confession...'

It was typical of Tess to attract attention from guys and I even felt a bit bad for the senior. He was too weak to handle a woman like her.