Planting

Lu Heng woke up just as dawn broke.

He remembered clearly what he had decided before going to bed last night—to plant Water-Covering Vine. The upgrade of the outer defenses could not be delayed. The bear incident had only been over for less than a day, and who knew what the next wave would be.

He got up, put on his equipment, checked his Wristband and weapons, summoned the Bone Demon behind him, walked to the door of the Shelter leading to the Lakeside Base, grasped the doorknob, and turned it open.

Behind the door was no longer the wall of Shelter; the wind from the lake, carrying moisture and a faint fishy smell, rushed towards me.

He led the Bone Demon out in one step, their feet resting on a rocky platform gleaming from being trampled. The surrounding reeds stretched all the way to the water's edge, bending down in unison with every gust of wind.

Lu Heng looked around and took out the Water-Covering Vine Seed from his spatial storage.

The seed was only the size of a fingernail, with a dark brown shell and a fine textured surface. It felt slightly cool to the touch. He held the seed and examined it, then looked down at the lake in front of him.

To plant them, you need to go down into the silt at the bottom of the lake.

He crouched down, drew the short knife from his waist, and made a cut on his fingertip. Blood seeped out, and he held his palm above the Water-Covering Vine Seed. With a flick of his fingertip, the blood droplet landed steadily on the surface of the seed.

The moment the blood seeped into the patterns on the seed shell, Lu Heng felt an invisible thread connecting him to this thing. The mental connection was deepening little by little, as if something was gently tugging at the edge of his consciousness, not in a hurry, but very steadily.

It's done.

A faint light flashed on the tattoo on the inside of his forearm, and the slender body of King Cobra emerged from his skin, hanging down on the rock, waiting motionless.

"Go to the bottom of the lake, find a place with thick silt, and bury this thing there."

The moment the command was given, the King Snake snatched the seed he handed it, turned and slid into the lake, barely making a splash. Its slender body darted into the deep water and quickly disappeared from sight.

Lu Heng closed his eyes.

The view was a murky, dark green.

He controlled the King Snake as it slid down the slope of the lakebed. The water pressure squeezed through its scales, and the coolness traveled back through their shared sense of touch. With a thought, he flicked his tail, and his slender body slid into the deeper darkness.

The scent of mud wafted up. He made the King Snake stop in a thick layer of mud, and opened its mouth— the Water-Covering Vine Seed fell into the mud, the patterns on the outer shell glowed slightly, tender white sprouts emerged, and roots, like fine threads, burrowed into the mud and spread out in all directions.

At the same time, Lu Heng felt the connection between himself and the Water-Covering Vine tighten. The connection was now fully established. He sensed the state of the seed and frowned slightly.

Energy deficiency.

The germination process had nearly depleted the plant's reserves. Although its roots had penetrated the mud, the limited nutrients in the mud couldn't sustain its growth. Without further energy, this Water-Covering Vine would wither at the bottom of the lake.

Lu Heng opened his eyes and took out an ordinary Energy Core from his spatial storage.

He squatted on the shore and tried to ask through mental connection, "Can you inhale this?"

The feedback from the Water-Covering Vine came back quickly, carrying a hint of rejection.

don't want.

It requires Stellar Energy or water-based energy. The contents of a regular Energy Core are too mixed, and it won't recognize them.

Lu Heng put the Energy Core back, feeling troubled.

He had no water-attribute energy at all; it was rare even on the market, let alone something a Shelter him could obtain. As for Stellar Energy —he paused, thinking of the inexplicable Mental Energy within his body.

Each use felt like it was drawn from the depths of his consciousness, carrying with it an inexplicable power of will. He wasn't sure if this thing could be considered Stellar Energy.

But separated by a lake, while spiritual communication was possible, energy could not be transmitted. He tried twice, but the energy was immediately severed by the lake water as soon as it left his body, as if separated by an invisible wall.

We need to get closer.

Lu Heng stood up, walked to the railing, and looked down at the dark lake surface.

Without hesitation, he climbed over the fence and jumped down.

The moment he entered the water, icy water rushed in through his collar and cuffs, causing him to sink sharply. He struggled for a moment before regaining his balance, and then a fact he had long forgotten suddenly flashed through his mind—

He can't swim.

"..."

There was no turning back now. He held his breath and scrambled down into the water, using both hands and feet. His movements weren't exactly graceful, but he was heading in the right direction. The deeper he went, the colder the water became, and the dimmer the light grew.

Fortunately, the roots of the Water-Covering Vine had taken hold, and the spiritual connection became the best guide. He swam along that pull and soon touched the silt at the bottom of the lake.

The tender shoots of the Water-Covering Vine were right beside him, white and swaying gently in the undercurrent.

Lu Heng placed his palm on it and began to channel his Mental Energy.

The next second, a tremendous force ripped back from his palm.

The Water-Covering Vine absorbed the energy with extreme ferocity, like a person starved for three days seeing meat. His Mental Energy was being frantically pulled outwards along the connection, completely beyond his control. Lu Heng's mind went blank, and he cursed inwardly.

Holy crap, leave me some!

He tried desperately to stop, but the suction was too strong. Energy was flowing out in a rush, and he could clearly feel his mental reserves rapidly depleting: 70%, 50%, 40%...

With only 30% remaining, Lu Heng bit his tongue, using the excruciating pain to forcibly cut off the energy supply.

The moment the connection was lost, he felt completely drained and floated backward, his head buzzing and his temples throbbing with pain.

Then, feedback came from the Water-Covering Vine.

It wasn't language, but a warm force that flowed back through the not-yet-completely-severed spiritual connection, into his limbs and bones. The force was gentle, yet carried an undeniable air of authority, finally converging in his throat and chest, as if something had locked them there.

The Wristband vibrated.

He raised his hand and tapped on his Personal Panel; a new entry had appeared in the Physical Talent section:

[Water-Covering Vine Binding] Allows for underwater breathing for up to 30 minutes in calm waters; the faster the current, the shorter the breathing time.

Lu Heng stared at the line of text for two seconds, stunned.

Planting a vine, and it even turned into a Talent.

He'd really hit the jackpot. He stretched his neck and confirmed that although he only had 30% of his Mental Energy left, the dizziness from being drained had mostly subsided— the Water-Covering Vine had absorbed enough and was no longer craving more; the power it had given him was still warm and comforting within him.

He pushed off and swam upstream.

This time, he didn't need to hold his breath; the water flowed over his face, and his breathing was as smooth as if he were on land. His new Talent was even more reliable than his own swimming speed, and he surfaced without much effort.

When he climbed ashore, he was soaked to the bone, his clothes covered in mud from the lake bottom, dripping with yellow water. His head was buzzing, his temples were throbbing, and even the rocks beneath his feet were wobbling. His Mental Energy had been drained to only 30%, and he felt as if he were walking on cotton, light and powerless.

Lu Heng didn't force himself to sit down against the rock, closed his eyes, and took two deep breaths.

He calmed his mind and began practicing the Stellar Meditation Method.

As consciousness sank, the surrounding noise gradually faded away, like diving into deep water. The energy pool in the mind, which had been drained to its bottom, began to seep out bit by bit under the guidance of meditation. It was very slow, like frozen soil thawing, and each flow of Mental Energy brought a dull ache.

He just sat there, motionless.

The lake breeze blew past him, and the sun slowly climbed up from the treetops in the east. When Lu Heng slowly opened his eyes, the sun was already hanging in mid-air.

The dizziness subsided considerably, his temples stopped throbbing, and although his mental energy wasn't fully restored, it was no longer completely depleted, and its flow was smooth. He moved his neck to make sure it was alright before using his Talent.

His body temperature rose slightly, and moisture evaporated from his clothes, forming a white mist that swirled around him. In less than half a minute, his clothes were completely dry.

He stood up, emptied the water from his wet shoes, and put them back on.

The wind blew from across the lake, carrying a strange smell—not the smell of the forest, but the smell of bricks, rust, and smoke from a more distant place.

Lu Heng raised his head and looked into the distance.

On the opposite shore of the lake, the outline of the town stood vaguely in the morning light, and further away were the chimneys of the industrial area, their gray-black shadows poking at the horizon.

He watched for a long time.

Song Yunzhong.

When that name popped up, even Lu Heng himself was a little surprised. He thought he wouldn't think of this person for a while after their last separation, but unexpectedly, his first thought was him.

If it weren't for Song Yunzhong's help that time, he would have lost his life. He remembered that favor and later found an opportunity to repay it, so they were even. Now that he had some free time, he went to check on the brother and sister.

And that spider-shaped Zombie.

That was something he had personally handed over to Song Yunzhong, something he had bound to, originally intended to save his life. He hadn't looked back at the thing he'd given away, but now that he was on his way, he might as well check how well Song Yunzhong was taking care of it and whether it would be effective in case of trouble.

He touched his chin.

Quietly approach them, observe their movements from the sidelines, without contact or making a sound. If things go well, act as if nothing happened; if not...

Lu Heng didn't think any further, but his hand was already on the hilt of the knife.

He pondered for a moment, then turned and summoned the Bone Demon to his side.

"Let's go."

The human and the demon walked along the lakeshore towards the town.