471 Glowing Garden

The deadwood servants created by the hallow could be harvested for valuable materials, even while alive, and the pores from the hollow itself could be collected. Doing so required [Appraisal] to recognize the ingredients, understand their properties and harvest them. The entire process required at least one hour of strenuous activity, something a Deadwood Hollow rarely tolerated peacefully.

The pouch of [Rotting Spores] was mostly an ingredient for poisons and antidotes. At the same time, the sap from the Deadwood Servant was a valuable ingredient in relation to concoctions that affected sleepiness and charms.

Ren collected those materials while he could, but he did [Teleported] forward so he could escape Deadwood Hollow's tight grip while his [Touch of the Golden Sun] and [Gravity Zone] were still in effect.

Eventually, Ren made it out alive from Deadwood Hollow in one piece, just in time that his abilities deactivated, and he found himself in the middle part of Mycelial Grove.

The Glowing Garden was a beautiful and dangerous part of the Mycelial Grove that unravels the minds of its prey with an array of alarming defenses. Where Deadwood Hollow was defined by its low profile, the glowing garden was difficult to miss if anyone knew what to look for.

Bioluminescent plants and fungi were a staple of this underground ecosystems, so to the untrained eyes, a glowing garden might not stand out as particularly dangerous.

The web-like pattern of the clusters of fungi, the faint humming in the air as Ren entered the grove, and the smell of death all tell an experienced that there was more than meets the eyes.

Glowing Gardens were most commonly developed below water sources or in damp limestone caverns. The calcareous dripping that forms the stalagmites and stalactites that were so iconic of underground realms also provides the damp conditions that Mycelial groves enjoy.

These caverns were also natural watering holes and passageways for all manner of underground creatures that might find themselves drawn unexpectedly to the light.

Buried just below the surface of the earth was the network of pale Mycelial roots that connected all the individual mushroom caps in the grooves. Their thin fleshy fibers were numerous and reached a great distance.

A glowing garden was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful sights Ren had laid eyes on. Bioluminescence was one of nature's most wondrous phenomena, but it was rarely a sign of benign intent.

Ren had often witnessed this display in highly poisonous plants or sea creatures. There were deep-sea predators that used the flashing lights of their bioluminescent in a similar way to the glowing garden. Its effect was blinding and nearly incapacitating anyone.

The hallucinatory spores of Glowing Gardens were psychedelic in the extreme. Those exposed could barely perceive reality and could be tricked by the fungus into assaulting their friends or inanimate objects. There were also instances where the glowing garden could drive anyone mad or trick them away from the paths and down some deep dark hole, never to return.

Exposure to the Glowing Garden risked a physical assault on all fronts. Anyone wouldn't see where the attacks were coming from, and they'll struggle to keep their senses, let alone find the creature. The only chance they had at survival was to locate and target the main body.

The Glowing Garden activated the [Grove of Hallucinations] in the first round, using its [Buried Body] feature to inflict as much mayhem as possible.

The whole area became vivid hallucinations that lasted for one minute. Even the garden could produce a hallucinatory sound beyond what the senses could perceive.

Since it was psychic damage and not a status effect, Ren was engulfed in the hallucination. However, his LCK and MDF were high to combat that hallucination effect.

Ren could get out of the dream world whenever he wanted –– but he didn't. Because right in front of him was Evie, smiling, extending her hand at him.

Watching her so vividly, like she was real, Ren couldn't help but be lured deeper into the trance. He took her hand and hugged her tight. He didn't care If this was a dream . . . he just wanted to see and feel her, even for just a minute.

He missed her so much. One day without her felt like an eternity.

Piii!

Pii's cry woke Ren from the hallucination, and he was transported back to reality.

Ren blinked before he looked at his hands in a daze. He could still feel Evie's warmth and smell the sweet scent of her hair.

Pii went to Ren's shoulders and let out another cry.

When Ren was sure that he was back in the present, he let out a sigh and forced a smile while tickling Pii's chin.

"Thanks, Pii . . ." he uttered.

Without Pii's intervention, he would have already fallen into the abyss below without knowing it.

Though part of him didn't care as long as he could have another minute with Evie.

Ren slapped both of his cheeks to force his mind. He didn't need an illusion –– he wanted the real person with him.

Ren then threw a dud into a group of mushrooms on top of the little hill. When that area froze, he quickly leaped and struck a small red shroom appearing like a brain matter with his [Alchemist Bane] before he could be surrounded by vines and carnivorous plants from all sides.

Though his STR was low, the real body of the Glowing Garden had only +1 ATP's. Its real strength lied in deception, and if anyone managed to get past that, past the many status pores, the roots getting in their way, and find its real body –– then it was their win.

Glowing Gardens could be harvested for valuable materials, even while alive. In doing so, Ren needed to use [Appraisal] to recognize the ingredients, understand their properties, and harvest them.

The [Bioluminescent Sap] was a valuable ingredient used by Alchemists and crafters to create a glow in the dark effect on an item. Ren could also throw this item to inflict Acid damage on his enemies.

Another harvest was the [Glowing Garden Thrall Spores]. Ren got five pouches as a reward, and this powder was the main ingredient of charm items. He could also throw this to his enemies, and the affected creature would suffer [Charm] but only for a short duration, unlike when he made it into a [Dud].

And the last material he harvested was the [Glowing Garden Hallucination Spores] which was, of course, used to create hallucinating potions. Using this in its raw form would make the affected target suffer from hallucinations for only a short time, though.

After which, Ren didn't stay long and proceeded to the last part of the Mycelial Grove –– the Drider Graveyard.