Chapter 44：Oath Plant

Allen's spear-throwing technique, forming a prison of wooden spears, was a feat only achievable by someone with exceptional skill and power.

Just moments ago, the Thorn Blood Vine had been feasting joyfully, but in the next instant, it was trapped by the descending spears!

The instinct to survive triggered memories of the recent terrifying hunt, where it had been severed and uprooted. The pain and fear from that experience drove the vine to frantically attack the spear prison.

Given enough time, the Thorn Blood Vine's relentless strength might have created a gap to escape. But Allen had no intention of giving it any extra time.

With a powerful leap, Allen manipulated the poison mist to envelop the core root mass of the Thorn Blood Vine, its toxicity far surpassing the vine's paralyzing toxin.

Adding the spear prison as insurance, combining mystic attacks and physical confinement, the Thorn Blood Vine was subdued within moments.

As the saying goes, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." Allen wouldn't let his guard down until he had captured and bound the Thorn Blood Vine as his oath plant. Despite being a rare first-level extraordinary plant, it wasn't fragile.

The dense Plant Mage Mist poured from Allen's body, enveloping the core root mass in a green, misty sphere.

Kicking aside the mangled corpse of the man, Allen plunged his hands into the ground. The moist, humus-rich soil offered no resistance.

With a powerful pull, Allen extracted the core root mass of the Thorn Blood Vine from the ground.

Grasping the head-sized root mass tightly, Allen felt an urge to shout in triumph. The rich life energy confirmed it was indeed a first-level extraordinary plant.

With the root mass in hand, Allen squeezed it hard, knocking the Thorn Blood Vine unconscious. He wrapped it in the Plant Mage Mist and stowed it in his backpack.

"This place is no longer safe!" Allen thought. The Dagon Cult could send people to investigate at any moment, so he decided not to linger.

Having captured the Thorn Blood Vine, he had plenty of time to make it his oath plant.

Decisively, Allen gathered some dry brushwood, doused it with the oil he carried, and set it ablaze.

He then infused the unconscious, weakly breathing woman with natural energy to stabilize her condition, dressed her, and placed her on a nearby tree trunk.

After preparing the camp with piles of brushwood, Allen ignited them one by one, retreating to the edge of the camp to wait for the flames to engulf the blood-soaked site. Only then did he leave, carrying the woman.

The woman was light, and with Allen's strength, carrying her was effortless. He moved swiftly through the dense forest, guided by his natural perception, which allowed him to navigate the terrain with ease, even with his eyes closed.

Focused solely on his journey, Allen quickly covered several kilometers. Soon, he found the wooden raft and the great deer he had hidden.

The deer, tied to a shrub, had waited for its master for nearly an entire night. When Allen returned, it was near dawn. The deer, unable to move or graze, had nearly stripped the shrub bare. Blood-sucking insects swarmed the helpless animal, feasting on it.

As Allen untied the deer, he noticed a flash of anger in its eyes. These domesticated animals, with their highly human-like emotions, were clearly upset.

"Alright, alright, you're even throwing a tantrum now? You stupid deer, if you don't move, I'll whip you!" Allen chided, though he used his natural energy to drive away the insects and soothe the deer's irritation.

As for the woman, Allen had already tossed her onto the raft, where large mosquitoes feasted on her pale skin.

"Women? Compared to a mount, what are women?" Allen thought ruthlessly. For a hunter or knight, a well-coordinated mount was of utmost importance. In a way, the woman was also a "mount" for Allen.

After feeding the reluctant deer some fresh wild fruits and securing it to the raft, Allen set off upstream without delay.

After traveling a considerable distance from the camp, Allen finally relaxed his guard. He retrieved the core root mass of the Thorn Blood Vine from his backpack, examining it closely.

The core root mass, still in a deep sleep, radiated strong, rich life energy. The main branches and roots, severed by sharp blades, had already begun to heal. Nourished by several human bodies, the core root mass had significantly recovered. Allen could sense that without control, the Thorn Blood Vine could awaken at any moment.

"What differences are there in making a first-level extraordinary plant an oath plant?" Allen pondered, his brow furrowed.

As a Plant Mage, Allen had three main abilities:

1. Natural energy that could be used in conjunction with the Plant Mage Mist for external attacks. While not powerful on its own, it was highly effective when combined with the poison mist.

2. Natural perception, which allowed him to attach his senses to plants and use them as radar. This ability could only detect outlines and would dissipate if Allen moved too far from the plants.

3. The ability to concoct potent potions and poisons, with the help of the Plant Mage Mist, maximizing their efficacy.

However, all three abilities leaned towards assassination. Allen lacked strong offensive and defensive capabilities for direct confrontations.

Having an oath plant would significantly enhance a Plant Mage's defensive abilities, compensating for their shortcomings.

Oath plants were a middle ground between the beasts tamed by Beast Tamers and the physical prowess of Beast Warriors. They combined the strengths of both but couldn't excel in either.

Oath plants, while useful, lacked the mobility and offensive power of tamed beasts and didn't provide the same life force and physical enhancements as the abilities inherited by Beast Warriors.

Allen understood that he couldn't have everything. His initial plan was to find a large banyan tree as his oath plant. Banyan trees had a unique ability to form a forest from a single tree, with long lifespans, rapid growth, and extensive side branches and roots.