Chapter 016

Maple

Conquering Pillar

"Yes, Father."

Maple immediately jumped above the vehicle just like how his father told him.

He looks at the so-called 'truck' that his father is currently driving.

(...Father likes collecting things around, crystals, trinkets, materials, stones, and almost everything inside this so-called 'vault'.)

Maple remembers the events that they have done since yesterday.

(... Father likes those things so much that he is willing to put his life on the line… even though he is weak… physically…)

He observed his father since he was born and he was grateful to him.

(... Well for now I will take care of him… I am much stronger than him in many ways, but at the same time… he is my Father after all…)

Grandiflorians are quite a unique race. 

For them, family is the most important thing, a race that prioritizes family more than anything, unlike humans that have their unique desires.

Standing above the 'truck' Maple looks around the area.

Several human bodies are lying down, blood can be seen everywhere.

Then he saw those 'weapons' that human uses as explained by his father.

(The ones I pick up wouldn't even be enough to damage me, is it all right to pick those up useless things?)

Maple remembers the huge amount of weapons they got from the various vaults they came from.

(Father said that humans have abilities, which let them get stronger and do various things. Some of them are combat-oriented while others are for support. Aside from those abilities, they fight other creatures using those weapons…)

Maple wasn't thrilled about it.

Using this 'weapon' to fight doesn't seem effective for Maple.

(Unlike me, I use my own strength, the effects of my flowers, and mushrooms to fight enemies… Hmmm…)

Maple remembers the conversation he had with his Father before they got out from home.

(I remember telling Father that I could change the 'plants' I have… That might be similar to also changing a weapon, right.)

Maple thinks about the similarity of changing a weapon and changing his 'plants'.

(However, just like how I explained it to my father earlier, some of my 'capabilities' might disappear if I do that… Hmmm… I think changing weapons is much easier than changing my 'plants'.)

Maple look at his Gloom Dali, the flower that helped him numerous times yesterday.

(If I absorb a flower, this might affect all the 'flowers' characteristics… I might lose some useful effects in the process… for some reason, I knew that these 'flowers' were rare and crafted meticulously… I bet Mother took her time and effort in perfecting these flowers.) 

These weren't just random feelings that Maple felt. It's the result of sacrificing his 'Mother' when he was born.

All the knowledge and experience of his Mother, except for the personal knowledge such as names and relationships she had, was passed down to his subconscious.

This is part of the improved 'ability' clause aside from receiving an improved attribute based on the sacrifice parent..

Of course, Canis knew this too.

Wooosshhh!

Ting! Ting! Ting!

Ting! Ting! Ting!

Ting! Ting! Ting!

Just like an alarm something caught Maple's attention.

"FATHER!"

"YES!"

The vehicle slows down.

"There are 9 enemies up ahead!"

"Nine! We have to turn back if that's the case-"

(Should we? Their presence is a bit small compared to the Grandiflorians… they are similar to…)

Maple looks below the vehicle.

"Father, they might be humans."

"Oh!... If that's the case… you already know what to do right."

"Yes, Father."

"Ain't no way there are high-ranking thieves that will steal from banks… right?"

He heard his father whisper as he jumped from the vehicle to the side.

(Father said that there might be 'eyes' in some areas so, I need to keep my Grandiflorians body for now.)

Maple begins charging toward the 'bank'.

The truck stops at a distance while Maple continues to charge.

(Seven of them are inside the building and two of them are staying beside the truck.)

He noticed that the men waiting outside the truck were shouting and waving their hands towards the bank.

While running and using the 'Detect' ability he had, he knew the movement of humans.

(They are regrouping outside.)

Fooosshhh!

Foooossshh!

A lightning bolt was shot toward him and another dark ice ball which was much slower than the lightning bolt was shot parallel with it.

"Come! Charge!"

A group of men appeared in front of Maple, this group came from inside the bank.

A man leading a three-man team charges towards him with a weapon in their hands.

"Prepare the truck we will give you time! Let's wait at the hideout!"

(Hideout? Is it trying to escape? Didn't Father tell me about that earlier.)

***

'Maple, you see there are places called 'temporary bases' or hideouts, like the expensive hotel that the guy owns this crown stays, usually those place store a lot of loots, well a 'hideout' is also similar to our 'Home'.'

Canis proudly shows the Control Center filled with lots of treasure to Maple.

***

(Father, like to have those loots so…)

Using his eight legs and vines, he slingshot into the air and falls down on top of the truck.

Bam!

"Run! Run! Run!"

"Go! Now!"

The truck bends but it immediately exhalerates.

Wooossshh!

Maple throws a couple of lichen on top of the truck.

The truck moved away and Maple was forced to jump out of it.

Pooooffffff!

The dark heavy pollen started to scatter around him.

"Fire!"

Swooosh! Swooosh!

Fooosshhh! Fooosshhh!

Arrows flew towards him together with lightning bolts and dark ice balls.

Bam! Boom!

Swooosh! Swooosh!

They didn't care about wasting their energy they just shot their arrows into the dark space.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The men who were carrying melee weapons began using guns and shooting inside the pollen area.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Swooosh! Swooosh!

Fooosshhh! Fooosshhh!

Bam! Boom!

They attack nonstop.

…

…

Silence covers the area when the man who looks like a leader signals to stop.

…

…

Woooo!

Maple came out from the heavy pollen area.

"Arrgh!"

Three men attack him immediately.

Tang! Tang! Tang!

One wielding a Great Sword, the other one wielding an Ax, and the last one wielding a spear.

"Fire!"

Arrows flew from two archers.

Then two mage class Champions use lightning bolts and dark ice balls.

…

…

And the horror welcomes them.

The lightning bolt and dark ice ball made a scratch, a tiny scratch unremarkable scratch on Maple, and only those two made slight damage.

The weapons and arrow didn't even nick his trunk.

Unfortunately for them, those scratches immediately recover.

"Ahhhhh!!!"

"Nooooo!"

"Ruuuuuuuuunnnn!"

Woooosssshhh!

Woooossshh!

Wooooosssh!

Using his green and red vines and roots, he grabs all the humans here.

(Hmmm… their mobility isn't quite as good as the Grandiflorians, but… I don't like chasing around.)

Immediately.

He tore the legs of the two mages and two archers, and while using his free root, he destroyed and pummeled the legs of the warriors.

"ARRRGGGHHH!!!"

"ARRRGGGHHH!!!"

Multiple cries echo in the empty city.

(This is boring, the Grandiflorians are much fun to fight with… the other human yesterday is much fun to fight with.)

Slowly, the grip on the humans begins to tighten.

Their eyes popped out and blood came out from every orifice.

Poop and urine combine… all fall onto the ground.

(They are so… squish…)

Tud! Tud! Tud!

He drops all the Champions on the ground.

(Quite… disappointing… but I don't care about the fight I just want to do what Father asks me.)

Then using his red vines he sucks the blood of the humans all at the same time.

After all of that, he waves his lushes red branches over and over again.

And he saw the truck coming towards him.

*****

April 2023

Canis

Seven banks and two hideouts.

That was the total number of places they visited today.

Two groups of thieves, same as Canis, were found in two of the banks.

Maple easily took care of them.

Canis remembers the fight as he watches in the distance.

"Maple just slaughtered those Yellow Rank with ease."

Slaughtered is the right term.

Maple rips them apart without any effort.

And after he killed them, Canis checked their identification.

Only one of those thieves is a Yellow Rank and most of them are Orange to Red Rank.

"Well, I really don't expect a Red and Orange Rank to deal damage with a Green Rank… but the problem is…"

Canis looks at the street and the dead people outside.

"Most of the population are around the Low Rank, some people reach the Green Rank but for people who are aiming to be High-Rank… they need the support of the Association or Guild to 'Break' that 'Level Quest'."

Canis shook his head.

"Whoever did this is insane… this can be considered an act of terrorism."

Canis thought of this Jefe that he heard yesterday.

Though the 'Synchronization' effect of the two crowns is good, it is not worth making the enemies of the world.

Even if the artifacts seem more special compared to others.

That's not enough reason for him to commit a crime, that will attract the whole world as your enemy.

So, he dismisses the idea that those people are the 'terrorists', he just thinks that they take advantage of a situation similar to his.

That's why this made Canis think that the 'terrorist' group is still alive.

And he was looking for them while scavenging the whole area.

Vrooom!

Canis then arrived at the parking lot.

Four trucks including this one are neatly parked on it.

He opens the door and jumps down.

Tud!

Bam!

He look a the source of the noise.

Maple came down from the truck, he was now in his 'original' form, the little kid.

Canis moves away from the truck, looks at all of it, and opens his arms.

For some reason, he was so proud of his actions.

He looks at Maple.

"Maple this is all you, I cannot do this without you… Using 'Lios'' to follow their hideout is truly a masterpiece… Those hideouts contain several more crystals, they really work hard for us."

"Thank you, Father, I am glad that I have helped you."

Canis felt proud, he felt really proud of Maple.

Canis then moves towards the wall of the building.

"Access."

A normal-sized white door appears and Canis opens it.

Inside it is the Control Center and the loot that he previously had.

"Maple let's move everything inside."

Maple then opens the door of the first truck and scoops up everything inside and using his vines he gently transfers them inside.

(Maple vines are really convenient. That amount of loot will take several people to transfer but…)

One vine grouped together scoped a loot and moved towards the Control Center, while two more vines did the same.

(It was so easy for Maple to transfer that amount of loot, the vines even act as Cable carts.)

The two continue to sort the loot afterward.