8 Out

Oh shi-- that is the first humanoid I've seen in this world. Hmm? Pointy ears? An elf then? As the elf approached me, I could kind of see the smile on his face. Once in front of me, the elf touched me around, rubbing around some places, even sniffed me. But every time he did one of those, I could see his smile growing wider.

'oh gosh please stop…' That's when Farmer came. He immediately jumped to bite the elf, while Farmer no. 2 also came and went to peck the elf in the head. However, it seems that elf has expected this. Just as Farmer and Farmer no. 2 was about to land a bite, they crashed into what seems to be a barrier surrounding the elf. And then I saw, with a swipe of his hands, chains appeared and binder both Farmer and Farmer no. 2, which lead to the latter falling to the ground.

While I was still surprised by all that, the elf suddenly took out a mini-shovel, it was just the right size for the elf with just one move, to precisely dug me, along with my core, out of the ground. By the time I came to realize what was happening, there I was on top of a shovel with my core exposed 'Oh snap!' it looks like there won't be any escaping now. But that didn't stop me from trying to absorb the shovel.

[Ding! <Metal> discovered. Adding to Synthesis list…]

'Hehehehe, it ain't much, but it's something' However, after a swipe of his hand, everything suddenly went dark around me. '????' that immediately raised my panic and confused me. 'Wait what's going on?? what happened??' I continue to look around me desperately in hopes to find anything at all, but no… there is nothing, absolutely nothing. But then again, my range of perception is only 5 meters, so there is the possibility that I am missing something. Wait, that means I should just expand my domain! Nothing else to do anyway, so I guess I should just do what a plant do best, grow.

'This almost feels nostalgic' just growing my roots and nothing else, brings me back to the time I was still a seed. Though with no concept of time, I wonder how long that was. 'Right, I wonder what happens if I try to absorb my surroundings here? Before, I would get air. I wonder if it would be the same here in this empty space?' with that in mind, I tried to absorb what's in my surroundings as I grow my roots.

[Ding! <Space> discovered. Adding to Synthesis list…]

The result was surprised me a little. 'What? <Space>? Wait wait wait, now that I think about it…' Space? Emptiness everywhere so far? Swiping motion with his hands? 'Could it be… the legendary item for storage that only appears in webnovels that has the ability to store items of large quantity while freezing its quality, an item that is second only to the item box ability a game isekai main character or system cheat main character might have, that is the only logical conclusion I could come up with… right now, I should be in…'

A Spatial Strorage Item!

Damn! To think I would be in a magical world where these exist! Does that mean this is a world of cultivation? Or a world of advanced magic where they have found the ability to craft these sort of items? Interesting, interesting, interesting! Whichever one it is, I, whatever-my-name-was-back-on-earth, as a fan of both webnovel world-setting, would one way or another fully enjoy this! As a plant!

'But for now, I want to try and get out of here. If it's possible for me to absorb the space of this item, then maybe I would be able to get myself out if I absorb it all!' After all, what's the worst that could happen yeah? What's the worst… that could happen… 'Getting shredded by the void of space as the item break sounds like a possible thing to happen…'

So be it! Hopefully it's not the most possible thing to happen…

As such, I shall proceed with my plan. Grow my roots to enlarge my domain, and absorb the space.

After some time, but I guess quite the long time, it seems my I can rest my worry at ease. Eventually, as I was absorbing the space around me, my absorption suddenly stopped, and things appeared in my perception again. What I saw was a carriage, a horse? And the elf that took me. Inside the carriage, Farmer and Farmer no.2 are being held in a cage. 'Phew, they're still alive… wait, why am I relieved that they're alive? Did I grow attached to them even after they farmed me?' As confusing as that matter is, I decided to brush that aside for now, because the expression of the elf is quite priceless. 'Hehehe, that surprised expression was worth the effort.'

But immediately after that, the elf just smiled and went into the carriage. For some reason, that smile gave me a bad feeling. The carriage isn't that big, so I could see the elf going inside the carriage looking for… a cube? When the elf came back, it pointed the cube at me and once again, everything around me vanished.

'Oh it's just another spatial storage item, but this time a cube.' Oh well! With my previous experience, at least I know I won't get shredded by breaking the item from the inside. 'Hehehe, back to absorbing I guess!'

[Ding! <Void> discovered. Adding to Synthesis list…]

[Ding! <Space> has been fused into <Void>, making <Space> obsolete. Deleting from list…]

[Ding! Requirements completed. Using <Void>, the user has discovered <Void Energy>. Adding to Energy list…]

[Ding! Note to user: the nature of <Void Energy> has given the user a passive skill, but due to the user's low level, it is currently unusable. Suggesting the user to reach level 5 to be notified.]

'O__O!!' the series of notification gave me mixed feelings. On one hand, to get a new energy makes me really happy. On the other hand, to get void instead of space while absorbing would mean that, there is a chance for this item that I am in to not be a spatial storage item. My guess is that it is something similar in theory, by using void instead of space. 'This makes the world sound like a world of advanced magic. Oh yeah, it's an elf that took me, so this should be true…'

Whatever may the case be, it won't change my plans of trying to absorb everything until the item breaks.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"The dragon should be around here…" in the forest of our beloved plant, an elf was walking around. With his long hair and pointy ears, the elf walked around with a map in hand. On the map, a red cross or X could be seen. "That's a dragon for you, even after several months since it has been slain, there are still people willing to buy" the elf said with a smile that showed helplessness to the situation.

"Well it shouldn't be that far any-" as the elf was speaking, he suddenly staggered and dropped the map in his hands. Almost immediately after, he suddenly dashed towards a certain direction. 'Celestial aura! There's something emitting a celestial aura nearby! Something with celestial energy must be nearby then!' he thought to himself.

As he continued rushing towards the source, he started to realize that he is heading towards the same direction as the dragon he is looking for. 'What's going on?'

Once he arrived at the spot, the elf felt the presence of the celestial aura. 'It really is celestial aura! But wait… I can feel that there is draconic nature in the aura as well. Good thing I came here myself, if I had sent a human here, the human might not know what to do.'

The elf walked to approach the source, where he was then stupefied when he saw the source was a plant. But it didn't take long before a smile appeared on his face. He walked towards the plant, and began inspecting it.

As he was inspecting it with numerous ways, his smile grew wider. 'What a wondrous plant! Its energy has both the property of celestial and draconic! It's because of this, that its aura is both draconic and celestial by nature!' as he looked at the plant again, his happiness showed even more in his smile. 'And its appearance is also beautiful! These glowing dragon runes on its stem, the celestial background on the leaf, the nobles would definitely pay me a good amount!'

While inspecting the plant, suddenly, a barrier appeared, protecting him from attacks. "Oh? An attack?" When he looked around him, he spotted a snake and a bird. After inspecting the snake and the bird that attacked him, the face of the elf almost immediately became brighter. While swiping his hands, he said "Binding Chain, Activate". Immediately after, chains suddenly appeared binding both the snake and the bird.

"A High Elf? What is a High Elf doing here?" the snake said.

"Ha ha ha, an Awakened Beast indeed, you have learned the Bestial Tongue. To answer your question, business." The elf replied.

The snake, hearing the elf speak in its language was surprised. "You know my language?" it asked back.

"My life as a High Elf has been quite long you see, I had the time and the friend to learn, so I did. It is especially useful in situations when I meet your kind" right after he answered, the elf took out a mini-shovel, and in one move, he dug out the plant.

"What are you doing!?" the snake and bird said at the same time.

"Oh? The bird is an Awakened as well? Anyway, Like I said, this is business." and then with another swipe of his hands, he stored the plant in spatial ring. Immediately after the plant was stored, the aura vanished.

The elf turned to look towards the two beast. "Tell me, would you two always follow the plant?" the elf asked.

With no hesitation at all, the two beast answered at the same time "Yes."

"Then would you mind if I sell the both of you together with the plant?"

"What?"

"Well you see, both of you are actually considered rare species you know. Not as rare as the plant, but rare nonetheless. If I sold you together with the plant, I could raise the price many times over" the elf explained with the smile that has not left his face. "Especially after seeing that both of you have mutated after… Hmm, my guess being, after you two ate the energy infused leaves of the plant, right?"

Both of them were stunned for a moment after hearing the explanation. The snake spoke up first "Can you ensure our safety after being sold?"

Hearing the question, it was the elf's turn to be stunned, making the smile leave his face for a moment. The smile returned after a while, but with helplessness and reluctance together with it. "After being asked that, as a High Elf, I can no longer just auction you away anymore then."

The elf let out a long sigh while murmuring 'hopefully he would be interested…' before answering the snake "Very well. As long as both of you promise not to harm the owner of the plant, I can promise you that the plant would fall in the hands of good. Do you accept?"

The snake glanced at the bird first, seemingly asking for its opinion. The bird in response, nodded. With that, the snake accepted. "We accept."

Hearing the snake acceptance, the smile returned to the elf's face.

.

.

.

Two days later, the elf was on his carriage. The snake and the bird were kept in an acceptable and comfortable cage for the two of them. As the elf was steering the carriage, he would glance at his space ring every now and then. Cracks could be seen growing on the ring, and has almost completely covered the whole ring. "To think that the plant as well has intelligence. I'll wait until back at the capital before talking to it." his signature smile appeared again every time the thought about selling the plant comes to mind.

He quickly dispelled the thought and glanced back at the ring. "Looking at the condition of the ring, it should be breaking any moment now."

Just moments after he said that, the ring suddenly broke, the plant appearing soon after. The elf skillfully stopped the carriage by reflex while still being surprised that the plant was actually able to break out of the ring. "What surprise, it actually is capable of breaking out. Let's see…"

The elf went into the carriage, looking for something. "Hmm… should be around here… Ah! Here it is." the elf brought out of a black cube, with complex runes could be seen glowing on the surface. "Let's see if you can breaking out of this, little plant." pointing towards the plant, the elf activated the cube "Void Sealing Cube, Activate" following that, the plant vanished once again.

The cube was then kept somewhere safe in the carriage, before the elf continued along his way. "Now then, should I sell this to the Archduke, or to the Royal Family?" the thought of making money made him so happy that he began humming while driving the carriage "I could even sell it to the Elf Royalty, but I don't think they would pay much. In terms of paying, the Royal Family could definitely pay me more." As he was considering which Royal Family member he shall sell the plant to, he suddenly remembered the promise he made to the snake.

He smiled helplessly. "Aiih, everything in this journey is good, but only the money is what I get. Haiih." He said while sighing a few times. "I can't break my promise as a High Elf. Let's see… the Archduke has a dying boy right? He should be able to give me a decent offer. He he he, I haven't seen him in ages. If I don't get a decent offer from him, then my name isn't Mervand the High Elf Merchant anymore!"