The Cornflower Witch

Chapter 119: Eyeball Fruit

Life in Scorchstone City was good, but Sylutia lacked friends with whom she could have deep conversations. Much of the gardening knowledge, insights, and little hobbies she studied were things Komea and the others wouldn't understand if she talked about them. Lady Franne would definitely understand, but she was an elder and often not at home. Sylutia couldn't pester her to chat either, so she often tended the flower fields alone.

She was long accustomed to loneliness, but having friends with compatible personalities was an even greater stroke of luck.

The two walked among the trees and grass on the eighth floor. The hall on this floor had special spherical bright lights, like miniature suns, providing illumination for the planted flowers and plants.

"Tia, what kind of flowers do you like?" Florerella squatted before a sunset chrysanthemum, carefully touching it with her finger. The small sunset chrysanthemum swayed slightly, then released a faint, rippling floral fragrance.

"I probably like them all," Sylutia recalled. She hadn't yet encountered a flower she particularly disliked.

"But speaking of which, Florerella, do you know about 'Cornflowers'?"

"Cornflowers... let me think. I feel like I've heard of them somewhere." Florerella lightly pressed a finger to her chin, her light pink eyes slightly closed.

"I remember now. A senior from back home once brought back a pot when they returned from a trip to the First Continent. They said it was a relatively rare flower." After saying this, Florerella described the appearance of the Cornflower she had seen to Sylutia.

"It's a blue flower with a purplish tint. The petals radiate outwards from the center like slender funnels, and the edges of the petals are soft and spread out like feathers." Florerella's memory was excellent; she could describe in detail a flower she had seen many years ago.

Hearing Florerella's description, a wave of joy surged in Sylutia's heart. She had always wondered if this world even had Cornflowers. Thankfully, someone had finally told her that this flower existed.Even though she still didn't know where she could find one now, at least it definitely existed in some corner of the world, allowing her previously anxious heart to settle down.

"Does Florerella know where to find them now?" Sylutia suppressed the expectation and excitement in her heart.

"That senior back at my hometown might have planted some, but that's on the Second Continent, very far away." Florerella herself had spent several years just getting here. Fortunately, elves had long lifespans and didn't mind such a consumption of time.

"Alright." Sylutia suppressed the regret in her heart and then quickly made a decision.

Once she reached the Third Tier and had some self-preservation ability, she would undertake a cross-sea journey to the Second Continent to search, or go to the original habitat on the First Continent.

"Sylutia really likes 'Cornflowers'?" Seeing this rare display of emotional fluctuation from the young girl, Florerella couldn't help but ask curiously.

"Yes, not only do I like them, but this is also related to my origins, Florerella." The girl bent one wrist, her fingers brushing through the silver hair before her, her voice carrying a hint of nostalgic reverie.

"So it's something that important." Florerella decided to remember this matter well. Next time she wrote home, she would ask that senior to mail her some Cornflower seeds.

Afterwards, the two finished walking through the plant garden on the eighth floor and arrived at the ninth floor.

This place was noticeably much livelier, with many temporary stalls and small shops selling various things. Most of those doing business were also academy freshmen from the Camel Tower.

"Fine steel curved blades from the Clayrock Mountains, incredibly sharp, only 1 gold coin~!" A man wearing a long golden chain shook two golden-grid-patterned long knives in the air. The gleaming blades reflected cold light, attracting many passing students.

"Meditation incense, 5 silver coins per stick, 30 sticks for one gold coin."

"Healing salve, 30 silver coins per bottle."

"Eastern heat-insulating essential oil, one gold coin per bottle."

"Fine-brewed Blood Wine, an excellent item for practicing Breathing Technique, 2 gold coins per bottle."

Sylutia observed the items these students were selling. Their prices and quality were uneven; some seemed very cost-effective to her, while others seemed somewhat high.

For example, that bottle of Blood Wine was slightly inferior in quality compared to the one Scholar Heide had previously rewarded them with, yet the price was twice as high. It was probably because many students here needed it, supply was limited, and the price had been driven up.

"Eyeball Flower seeds. After cultivation, they can form Eyeball Fruits to assist you against enemies. Price: one gold coin for 10 seeds." At this moment, a voice from among the noisy stalls caught Sylutia's attention.

It was rare to encounter a plant that directly participated in combat, so she couldn't help but feel somewhat tempted.

Walking over with Florerella, she found it was a girl about her own age selling them. The girl had yellowish-brown skin and wore simple, thick cloth clothing with several pockets convenient for holding things.

On the stall was currently placed a potted plant, containing a fully formed Eyeball Fruit. The lower half of the plant was similar to most flowers and plants, but the petals above wrapped around a translucent fruit. Its appearance was similar to a peeled lychee, with faint black dots inside resembling an eyeball.

【Eyeball Fruit (Questionable)】(First Tier·Verdant Nectar): A plant said to be able to assist in combat.

At this moment, it wasn't just Sylutia; other interested students had also gathered around.

"Can it really fight enemies? What's its combat power like? It won't just be tickling, will it?" Someone didn't quite believe it.

"Such a small flower and fruit, how much power can it exert? Wouldn't you have to split your focus to control it during a fight?" Some students who understood plant cultivation shook their heads.

"Can you demonstrate its power?" Finally, someone couldn't help but speak up.

The girl first raised both hands, asking everyone to quiet down.

"It's normal for everyone to be skeptical, because this is a newly discovered plant from my hometown. It's said an adventurer first brought it back from deep within a swamp."

"The complete form of a cultivated Eyeball Fruit is Second Tier. The one I have here hasn't reached its complete stage yet, but I can show you its potential in advance." After saying this, she took out a thick wooden board, placed it several meters away, and asked the other students to step back.

Then, the girl activated the 'Verdant Nectar' Aspect within her body, interfering with the Eyeball Flower Fruit before her. The translucent fruit within the plant emitted light, like a small light bulb turning on. Then, an orange-yellow beam of light shot out, hitting the wooden board not far away, leaving a half-centimeter-deep charred dent.

"What you see now is the light beam it fires by itself. If you learn the 'Flower Blooming Method' from the gardener inheritance and assist in activating it yourself, you can instantly increase the power tenfold, enough to instantly pierce through the wooden board and penetrate an enemy of the same tier."

After hearing her explanation, many students nodded slightly.

"Indeed, if the Flower Blooming Method is used to activate it, and the effect is magnified ten times like that, it would be really practical."

"Since it's a light beam, not only is the firing speed extremely fast, but the power is also quite concentrated. It's several times stronger than other plants with flame or aura-type attacks."

"However, the only problem is how to learn the 'Flower Blooming Method' while still at the First Tier."

"I heard that among gardeners, the vast majority can only master this ability after advancing to the Second Tier. Less than one in ten can learn it at the First Tier, and it requires a huge amount of time."

"My teacher said he learned the Flower Blooming Method at the First Tier back in his day, but it took him a year. He even delayed his advancement progress because of it and regretted it later."

"At the First Tier, just focus on diligently cultivating plants, solidify the basic Apprentice profession, use meditation to boost your mental power a bit, pair it with suitable spiritual medicine, and step into the Second Tier as soon as possible. That's the way to go."

"If you can't use it at the First Tier, you'll have more choices by the Second Tier. Cultivating Eyeball Fruit is somewhat awkward." As the surrounding students discussed, most slowly walked away, no longer interested.