Chapter 20：The Viridescent Lizard

In the seemingly endless meditation and ethereal state, Allen lost track of time until the elixir's effects finally dissipated.

Slowly opening his eyes, he was immediately greeted by the cramped darkness of his surroundings.

Then, a wave of exhaustion, as if from overexertion, gripped him tightly, causing him to collapse to the ground.

Yet, Allen's mind was exceptionally clear and filled with excitement.

This was the aftermath described in the Dark Ritual parchment, a burst of vitality upon becoming a Plant Mage, which could be alleviated with simple food.

And this meant Allen had truly stepped into the realm of mysticism, becoming an extraordinary being!

"I have been reborn!" was Allen's first thought.

Slowly, he took out some jerky and two boiled eggs from his pocket and ate them silently.

Before long, Allen's strength returned, and he felt a hundred times more powerful than before!

It was a completely transformed, sublimated power!

Allen felt his body brimming with unprecedented strength.

Carefully controlling his body and adapting to the newfound mystic power, Allen slowly stood up and pushed aside the large wooden plug blocking the tree hollow.

Instinctively, he placed a hand on the side wall of the tree hollow, his skin making contact with the wood.

A wave of joyous, vibrant energy surged into Allen's mind through his hand.

"This is the Natural Perception of a Plant Mage!"

Allen distinctly sensed the rejuvenated vitality of the ancient banyan tree and its faintly excited emotions.

This was the power of a Plant Mage, Natural Perception!

A power that allowed him to listen to plants. As his ability improved, Allen, as a Level 1 Plant Mage, could detect the surrounding vegetation, manipulate plants to some extent, and sense his environment.

Moreover, Allen could cultivate a vow plant, akin to a guardian beast for a beast tamer.

Of course, the control over ordinary plants was inversely proportional to the plant's vitality.

The stronger the plant's vitality, the harder it was to control.

For example, Allen could easily make a blade of grass dance but would struggle to move a hundred-meter-tall giant tree.

Only by improving his abilities could Allen increase the number and quality of plants he controlled.

Furthermore, the power of a Plant Mage went far beyond this.

Each mystic profession sequence had endless possibilities, which was why mystic extraordinary beings ruled this world.

For instance, besides controlling plants, Allen possessed potent toxicity and poison immunity. He could also use his extraordinary power to accelerate plant growth and cultivation.

In essence, the potential of mystic professions was limitless, depending on how one developed their abilities and advanced to higher levels!

Allen's hand rested gently on the inner wall of the banyan tree hollow, feeling the tree's joy.

He sensed a natural connection between himself and the banyan tree, a potential for direct soul-level communication.

Allen was captivated by this feeling, his hand seemingly glued to the tree wall, unwilling to part.

But eventually, Allen forcibly severed this intimate connection.

Immediately, a wave of fatigue spread from his arm, making him dizzy.

"It seems that even listening to plants has its side effects," Allen mused, noting that this was consistent with the Dark Ritual parchment's description.

Mysticism wasn't omnipotent, and energy didn't come from nothing.

One had to either harness the surrounding energy or consume their own.

Feeling the abundant power within him, Allen swung his fist at the wooden plug blocking the entrance.

"Boom!"

With a loud crash, a wisp of smoke drifted from the tree hollow entrance.

Allen was greeted by the light.

Looking up, it was still night, with only a few stars in the sky.

Using the remaining stars, Allen roughly estimated the time.

Then, he jumped out of the tree hollow and saw the hourglass he had placed on a tree trunk.

"One hour? That seemingly endless meditation and ethereal state only lasted an hour?"

Allen was astonished. The mystic realm indeed made him feel like a month had passed.

Allen was extremely satisfied with his state.

Standing steadily on the tree trunk, he stretched his muscles lightly.

His entire body made a series of crisp cracking sounds as he moved.

These were the sounds of his enhanced body and joints rubbing against each other.

At the same time, his muscles and blood felt more powerful than ever.

For a moment, Allen felt like the ruler of this rainforest.

"This is truly wonderful!"

This was why mystic extraordinary beings could rule the world.

Allen prepared to leave; Peter was still waiting in the tree hollow.

But as he turned, he noticed something remarkable.

Allen knew that upon becoming a Plant Mage, his body would emit a green, highly toxic mist during the awakening process.

This was a protective mechanism, similar to a biological instinct, that no ordinary animal could cross.

However, on the banyan tree where he had hidden, just a tree hollow wall away, Allen saw a palm-sized lizard!

"This little guy isn't afraid of my deadly poison?"

Allen frowned. If this lizard were an extraordinary creature or a beast, it could have broken into the tree hollow and killed him during his awakening.

Allen cautiously approached, gradually taking in the full appearance of the little creature.

It was a palm-sized, vibrant green lizard with noble-looking scales that shimmered with iridescent green.

Just from this, Allen knew this little guy wasn't an ordinary animal, let alone its resistance to poison.

The lizard's tail was long, making up half its body.

Allen saw the lizard sleeping, its small chest rising and falling, moving its body up and down on the tree trunk.

Allen gently nudged the little lizard with the handle of his hunting knife.

He couldn't explain it, but he felt a strange affinity for this little creature, as if it didn't reject him either.

Sure enough, the lizard opened its eyes at Allen's touch.

It had big, round eyes set in a small head, and a cute pink tongue flicked out to lick its shiny eyes.

This was a rare and precious pet!

Allen's resolute heart softened.

In an instant, he decided he must raise this adorable little guy.

The lizard didn't disappoint Allen after waking up.

It shook its little head, looked around, and then fixed its eyes on Allen, staring intently.

It seemed to be greeting him, much like a newborn baby.

Then, the lizard slowly climbed along the hunting knife's handle towards Allen's hand.