Chapter 43：Thorny Blood Vine

Allen watched intently as the man and woman bled profusely, their skin taking on an unnatural pallor.

"Dagon Cult... a mysterious rainforest mage sect. When the time is right, I must investigate thoroughly," Allen thought, intrigued by the information he had obtained about this hidden sect deep within the rainforest.

According to the man and woman, the High Priest of the Dagon Cult was an extraordinary individual well-versed in mysticism. The cult excelled in cultivating various plants and concocting different potions, a talent that aligned perfectly with Allen's Plant Mage profession.

"If I could 'exchange knowledge' with the Dagon Cult, it would greatly enhance my abilities," Allen mused.

Suddenly, a faint rustling sound interrupted Allen's thoughts. The moonlight was completely blocked by the dense canopy, casting the forest in an eerie, ghostly darkness. Moths and insects flitted around the campfire Allen had lit in the center of the camp, while the calls of nocturnal creatures echoed through the forest.

Amidst the cacophony, Allen's keen senses detected a distinct sound coming from underground. His natural power, already infused in the surrounding plants, created a hazy field that covered the camp through the branches above and the extensive root systems below.

Along with the faint sounds, Allen sensed a snake-like presence moving underground.

"Thorn Blood Vine!" Allen immediately held his breath, feeling the presence of this extraordinary plant.

According to the man and woman, the Dagon Cult's hunting team had paid a high price to capture the Thorn Blood Vine, only to discover it had evolved into a first-level extraordinary plant.

As a first-level extraordinary entity, the Thorn Blood Vine didn't possess particularly strong offensive capabilities but had enhanced vitality. As long as a small segment of its active roots remained, it could regrow.

The Dagon Cult's hunting team had severed all of the Thorn Blood Vine's roots and excavated its core root mass. However, they failed to notice the subtle differences in the core root mass, which had undergone a qualitative transformation after being harvested repeatedly over a century.

Though the newly extraordinary Thorn Blood Vine couldn't resist the cult's capture, its core root mass, the essence of its being, had been taken. This oversight led to the massacre of the transport team by the vine's sudden awakening.

The man and woman, leaders of the transport team, realized something was amiss when they didn't receive the delivery on time. The delayed hunting team informed them of the vine's extraordinary status.

To avoid punishment from the High Priest, both the hunting and transport teams chose to handle the situation discreetly, giving Allen an opportunity.

"A first-level extraordinary plant..." Allen observed the restless Thorn Blood Vine, filled with excitement. This was his first encounter with a mystic entity other than himself. If he could make this plant his own, it would significantly boost his power.

As time passed, the full form of the Thorn Blood Vine finally appeared within Allen's natural perception. The severely injured vine had to move its core closer to the surface to pierce the flesh with its weak tendrils. Having been captured once, it had grown cautious, severing its parasitic fibers after feeding and hiding deep underground during the day.

However, as a plant, its mobility was limited. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been captured by the cult's hunting team.

Dragging its weary, painful body, the Thorn Blood Vine slowly made its way toward the camp, driven by an insatiable desire for blood and flesh to heal its wounds. Its low intelligence led it to believe there were more meals to be had at the familiar site.

Allen's natural perception tracked the vine's every move. Seeing it move its core root mass to the ground beneath the man's body, Allen was ecstatic.

"Great, I thought a first-level extraordinary plant would be more challenging, but it walked right into my trap!"

Perhaps the man's larger body and hotter flesh were more enticing. The Thorn Blood Vine's core root mass, about the size of a human head, chose to devour the man first.

"Fine, if you survive after I capture the Thorn Blood Vine, I might spare your life..." Allen thought, eyeing the woman's naked body. He would need a guide to the Dagon Cult in the future.

Allen wouldn't let sentiment cloud his judgment. If the woman survived, he would keep her in a dark dungeon, her senses numbed by his poison mist, until he was ready to approach the cult.

As he pondered, the Thorn Blood Vine had already pierced the man's back with its tendrils, its fibers spreading through his organs and beginning to feast.

Allen sneered, "Surrender!"

With a powerful leap, Allen sprang from the thick tree branch. Drawing sharp wooden spears from his back, he swiftly hurled them at the vine's hiding place.

Allen's skill with throwing knives and spears had been honed to perfection in his previous life. Now, as an extraordinary individual, his strength made the spears fly like lightning, piercing the soil and embedding deeply.

Without pausing, Allen continued to throw, until ten spears formed a tight, funnel-shaped trap around the Thorn Blood Vine's core root mass, completely entrapping it!