Confession and Farewell

"Was it always this strong?" asks Krilo, feeling something different from the last time she insisted on healing him.

She opens her Nature's Slate. The transparent stone-like slate displays her stats and experience bar. The white bar fills the supposed to be hollow bar. There is something written under the bar. A familiar plant-like icon that displays '0/1'. "My class is almost at level three [Flesh Reliever]. I just need to find the unifier ingredient. Where could it be?"

Unifier ingredient is the ingredient crucial for an individual class's ascension. It almost always has a strange characteristic. Not just physical characteristics, but its growing habits may even leave someone scratching their head.

Unbeknownst to her, Krilo had found the final ingredient deep in the woods near the ruins. The Nomadic Snakesprout, A brownish dotted flower, its shape looks like the white lily on earth. The 'Nomadic' name comes from the inherent characteristic of the flower that is somehow hard to plant by humans.

No amount of fertilizer and glass house that can make the best quality Snakesprout. It somehow can grow in places where there are less tall creatures, such as tall trees, all mammals, and even humans.

The 'Snake' in the Snakesprout is the condition where many snakes are present when the flower blooms. The plant can be found in the grassland in the east, still in Gewjory territory. Or any place without many tall creatures.

The demand for the new [Rejuvenator] to level up to [Flesh Reliever] makes the price skyrockets out of proportion. It is either pay a large sum of Gewsine*, or join the adventurer's guilds and pick the flower yourself. If you are lucky enough to do an expedition there.

"Listen Enna! I almost forgot, I wanted to give you something … just wait here ok!" Krilo ran towards the orphanage compound. A gift that can ease Enna's worries. He still feels the care that she gave for him.

"Can I come with you?" she asked.

Krilo instinctively grabbed her small hands. She tightened her hand in response. "Please wait here, I promise it won't be a disappointment."

"Okay … just come here after you're done okay. Don't make me wait too long," She watches me running towards the compound.

Krilo ponders the action that he just did. That was a dangerous move. It is not about her response. Anyone could see the short moment of holding hands. Between a commoner and a royal.

He was tired of running. Also tired of acting indifferent towards her. It's against the norm for a lowly commoner to flirt with the royals. Krilo might be banished from the realm when doing this, regardless if she gets along with the flirtation or not.

But it is now or never. Gewjory's royal caravan will arrive in a week to escort her to the capital. He won't see her for good after that.

He took out his key to his personal glass house. One of Krilo's hobbies is searching for rare exotic plants throughout the lands. He often goes out with his father to procure the supplies for the orphanage.

Krilo has gotten 30% of Gewjory endemic species for himself. But at 0% for Voltingen endemic species. The reason is because he never got out of the border. A total of 30 different vegetation, 12 herbs, and 6 unifier plants. 48 endemic plants in total.

Krilo opened the glass house. Looking for the particular plant in the corner. A brown dotted lily-like sprout. The only one in his glass house. He stopped before plucking the stem from its sprout.

What will happen when he confesses his feelings to her? She would just reject him and get it over with. But what if she … no that can't be it. She was destined to be with that tyrant. 'I will just give her the flower, confess and get it over with.' Krilo ponders in his heart.

He plucks his only collection and hastily runs outside. Enna is still standing in front of the compound, looking at the river that flows near it. Krilo always wonders how she is feeling with her going to be as a soon to be mistress.

She finally took a glance of him running towards her. Krilo runs with his right hand hidden in his back, holding the plucked flower.

He finally reveals the unifier behind him. Just as he thought, Enna's eyes gleamed in excitement.

"Where do you get that? she asks.

"From the ruins deep in the woods," said Krilo, pointing towards the backyard forest where the big boys love to play hide and seek. "But before that, I want to tell you something really important."

Enna is looking forward to hearing it.

"I-I always like you Enna. The way you smile and cheerful with everyone you meet, even to a commoner like me. You being here makes me happy. Here take this flower, because you deserved it more than I did."

She smiles and grabs Krilo's cheek instead of the flower. "I always like you too Krilo. You tend the children alone and never turn away from them. Even when some of them turn out to be a little rascal," laughed Enna.

"But you should already know that I won't be here for much longer. Night and day, I always wonder how to get away from this royal's fate since the death of my aunt. My House will be doomed if I don't accept the king's proposal."

Krilo does not know how to respond. "I understand your circumstances. Hope we meet again … someday."

Enna gives the sprout back to Krilo. "You should give this sprout to someone you love someday. Hopefully that fortunate girl is in the same Nature's class as me."

"No, no this is yours." Krilo gives it back to her. "It will wilt the moment I pluck it not from the root. It's yours, take it!"

"Oh Krilo." She looks deeply at the gentleman in front of him. Krilo bravely brings his body closer towards her. Their wet lips meet each other. Hand caressed each other's body. Krilo wanted to enjoy this last moment with her.

They cuddle for almost 2 minutes.

"Here, use it with your slate."

[Detecting Ascension Material]

[Ascension Material Detected. Nomadic Snakesprout (1/1)]

[Ascend?]

Her finger pauses for a second.

[Yes]

The flower disintegrates into thousands of visible light. It seemingly disappeared into the stone slate.

[Congratulations. You are now a Flesh Reliever]

[Ability unlocked: Deep Wounds Healing. Restoring the broken muscle tissue and relieving the recipient's pain threshold]

Her basic stats also increase.

Eerie siren suddenly blaring not far from here. It catches them off guard. Enna looks at the potential source. "It is coming from the center of Reasca."

"The capital?"

"Yes, Something bad just happened." She covers her mouth in grim expression.

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*The official currency of the Gewjory Kingdom and its vassals.