[NeoRealm] Chapter 79 - Volcanic Rose Creeper (Patreon)

Jason packs away the plants and berries. While this happens Nole goes into the back again to get another item. When he returns, it is with a book and a small pair of silver snips. He re-shrinks the planter and lays the items out. Nole points to the book and explains, “This is a book on harvesting plants in general. The first half is an in-depth guide on the basic methods and how to judge what to use each method on. Read that part and the System will add a suggestion on the method to us on any low rank plant you Identify. For instance, after reading the book it would suggest the ‘leaf on’ method for the berries. Also, it will note that they only require it if you don’t have an appropriate container. Now because of how many types of plants there are if there is any doubt the Id may not suggest a method. It could also point out methods to not use even if it doesn’t have a suggestion. You don’t have to depend on some Id skill and instead just observe plants yourself. In fact, I advise you try this even if you have such a skill because doing so will improve the experience gain on the skill. The second half of the book is special. This edition of the book has the oddities of any special low rank plants found in this kingdom. However if you later get together a couple thousand gold and plan to travel, then I advise you get the ‘complete’ edition of the book. While the complete edition has the same first half, the basics don’t change after all, the second half is simply magical. Literally in fact. Within the second half, despite not being any bigger, is every low rank plant on the planet. This includes even normal plants. Now it doesn’t always have all the information on a plant. Some are just too rare for that. However the Alchemist, Farmers, and Adventurers Guild all collaborated on a godly divination ritual. Because of that every complete edition will have at least the name of any such plants that grow naturally here. Along with that if you someday do find one of those rare plants and discover new info or if you get a living specimen or seed your in luck. Those guilds will greatly rewarded you and all complete editions will automatically update with the new info. Sadly in this realm there is no similar book for higher rank plants. They do exist however the very laws of the realm itself do not allow someone to show them to others. The System itself will step in if someone tries to pass on too much information not found here. these troubles are not limited to plants. It limits most info from higher realms. Anyway this non-magical edition doesn’t cost much and if you buy the planter I will throw it in for free.”

With that said Nole puts the book on top of the planter. Nole then moves the silver snips to the center of the counter. “They cost 10 silver but only because the Farmers Guild has frozen the price. The supply is small and those capable of crafting them are few even if we ignore the rare material. Now the core is made of common iron. You can buy a normal pair from any blacksmith for a couple copper. They plate these in a very special metal. They call this metal ‘Sealed Silver’ after its property. Anything cut with Sealed Silver has energy flow blocked at the cut. This means if you snipped off a berry with these it would take days before the Energy pours out the cut. The only reason Sealed Silver is not worth astronomical sums is because resisting the seal bursts it instantly. Even an unconscious, normal animal will remove the seal in moments. This makes the material perfect for harvesting energy rich plants or butchering monsters. While this small pair of snips won’t be cutting branches off the tougher plants, it will at least give you a starting point. You don’t need them to harvest anything but the most delicate plants. They will however improve the quality of what you collect after you reach level 10.”

Nole puts the Sealed Silver snips off to the side again. He reaches under the counter and pulls out a number of small seed packets. Nole places them out one by one and explains each one. “This first packet has gloom weed. You already grow ‘glow weed’ so this plant will be familiar enough to you. Grows the same and yet is the opposite. Instead of glowing with Energy the plant absorbs light around it. Interesting and yet completely boring because it contains an energy void. The gloom comes from the surrounding energy in the air trying to enter the plant. It pairs well with ‘glow weed’ because it pushes the absorbed energy out into the surrounding soil. This will help speed up the growth and sustain the plant as that seems matter to you. This is generally a good plant to grow around other plants of this level. Higher rank plants won’t mix well with it because it pushes all the energies out. For instance, one of the best-known examples is the Volcanic Rose Creeper. Not only does it require the environment it grows in to only have Mana but fire aligned Mana. Even a trace of Energy or Qi will cause it to die. It could be the purest Yang Qi and it wouldn’t matter. The only reason the plant is so well known is because the flower isn’t the part you harvest. See the flower grows on the top of magic volcanos and only matures when the roots reach a lava or magma pool. The rose will then develop tuberous growths along the root system to pull the Fire Mana from the pool up to the plant. It takes a while to grow but the bigger the difference in height from flower to pool the more of those tubers form. This means the Farmers Guild has staked out the tallest magical volcano and filled the top with these flowers. One of the most beautiful sights this side of the world. Even if you don’t want to continue growing plants, you should go and see it.”