Chapter187

Thank you to @garima_bhardwaj, @Jisha_Bhardwaj, @Saleh_Omar, and @Madeline_Green_1777 for the stone points. I appreciate your support.

...

"System 92, come out and explain. You said there was nothing mystical going on."

Elara's mind was quiet for several seconds before the system finally responded.

She was just wondering if it was being affected again like that time in the Plumera Temple when she suddenly heard System 92's shocked voice in her mind.

"Heavens! Master! Hand your consciousness over to me right now! I'll take you to see it! Something just grew deep inside your consciousness!"

Elara: "...What? What do I do?"

The system sounded unusually excited. "Just relax! I'll guide you!"

Elara relaxed her consciousness and followed the faint pulling sensation in her mind.

A few seconds later, in a state known as "internal view," Elara clearly "saw" something growing from the depths of her consciousness.

It was a tree made entirely of transparent branches.

The trunk was clear and crystal-like, with silver lines flowing inside like fibers, giving the whole tree a mysterious beauty that didn't belong in this world. It looked like a divine masterpiece that had surpassed perfection.

Elara stared in wonder at the glowing transparent tree that had suddenly sprouted deep inside her mind. "What... is this?"

The system also sounded stunned. "I... don't know either, but I've already requested information from the main god system. Also, Master, I swear this isn't mystical arts! The tree is mysterious, yes, but it doesn't carry even a trace of mystical energy. I'm absolutely certain!"

Elara didn't really care whether it was mystical or not.

She only wanted to know what it was and whether it would affect her in any way.

Thankfully, the request was quickly answered by the main god system. But the reply... left even the system sweating nervously.

"Uh, Master, the main system says this tree's information is classified. We can't access it. You'll have to explore it yourself step by step."

"But the main god system did confirm one thing. It said the tree won't harm you. Since it's growing in your head, it belongs to you and is considered part of your body. There's no danger at all."

Elara looked at the beautiful, clear branches deep in her mind. Maybe it was just her imagination, but she felt the tree was alive. The branches seemed to move on their own, and the glowing silver inside the trunk looked like blood...

"Master, there's something under the tree!"

Elara looked down and felt her awareness being pulled by the system toward the base of the tree.

There was a fully transparent leaf lying underneath. Its veins glowed with a silver light inside the leaf tissue. It was stunning.

Elara focused on it for a moment, and the leaf floated into her hand.

The glowing veins slowly shifted and transformed into a pattern in her palm.

"Master, this looks like... a map?"

The next day

After finishing her war reports, Elara made time as usual. Once she was done with lunch, she dismissed all her attendants and quietly had Uno take her to the hills behind the palace.

Lately, no matter how intense or chaotic the war updates were, and no matter how busy she got, she always made time each day to come here in secret. She dismissed everyone and had Uno bring her to the back mountain.

Thanks to Uno's strong stealth abilities, Elara's visits to the back hills had gone unnoticed.

Except by those few who had been secretly watching her.

Inside the layered, forested ravines behind the mountain.

Elara had Uno take her deep into the forest, to a well-hidden spot. She roughly calculated the distance.

Once she was sure they were far enough from the main city of Marigold that even a sudden war couldn't affect it, she patted Uno's shoulder, climbed down from his arms, and walked a few more steps into the ravine.

"You've been following me long enough. Come out."

Elara looked at the deathly silent forest ahead, speaking as if to the empty air.

A few minutes passed. Other than the occasional sound of insects and birds, the woods remained completely still.

But with the help of System 92 and her national fortune value cheat, even though Elara had no martial arts or inner power, the moment someone took the bait, she had sensed it.

"System 92, use the national fortune value to pinpoint his position."

"Alright, Master. One Destiny Point has been deducted for the location query."

System 92 sent a coordinate. Elara slightly turned her body and faced a certain direction deep in the forest.

"Uno, go."

Uno's figure dashed toward the direction Elara pointed to, but before he could get close, a low cry suddenly rang out.

A slender boy in red suddenly fell from the spot Elara had been watching.

Elara's gaze became colder.

As expected, it was "Haochen."

"Sis... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to follow you. It's just... you've been so busy lately and haven't come to see me. I couldn't help it... I just wanted to come with you and see you more..."

The "Haochen" who fell out from behind the tree looked a bit embarrassed and shy.

Elara's eyes swept over him little by little.

Ever since she found out over half a month ago that he wasn't the real Haochen, she hadn't looked at him again.

Coincidentally, both sides had been busy with the war during this time, and "Haochen" seemed to know she was occupied, so he hadn't tried to cling to her.

Now, this was the first time they'd seen each other again in more than half a month.

And in just this short period, "Haochen," whose height had only barely reached Elara's before, had grown significantly in the past twenty-some days.

He was now over 1.7 meters tall, nearly 1.8 meters. It was like all the growth he missed out on due to his difficult past had caught up in this short time with Elara.

His body no longer looked like that of an eleven-year-old child, but more like that of a nearly grown man.

His once delicate and youthful features had blossomed like a flower, becoming much more mature in just this short time.

Around his brows and forehead, the sharper lines of an adult man had begun to appear faintly, making him seem more mature, with traces of adult strength.

His fine and beautiful eyes had not changed in shape but became even more dazzling. Every detail of his face seemed carefully designed, perfectly carved.

The older he got, the more attractive he became—handsome, beautiful, striking.

Wearing that loose red outfit now, he looked almost like a spirit born from a mountain spring, even more captivating than Imani.

But looking at the not-so-distant boy, with a face so beautiful it was hard to describe, and those cautious and pleading eyes—

Elara felt nothing but coldness and disgust rising in her heart.

Even though Haochen's past was indeed strange and his body different from others, to have such a grown, alluring appearance at just eleven years old—

It was too unnatural, like a carefully designed trap.

No wonder he wasn't the real Haochen.

"Sis..."

He had gotten used to Elara's gentleness and patience these past months. He looked at her carefully, trying to use his most practiced pitiful expression to gain her sympathy.

But when he met Elara's cold and distant gaze from afar, he froze.

"Sis... it's my fault... I shouldn't have followed you... can you..." not look at me like that...

Never having seen such a cold expression on her face before, Haochen felt as if her icy gaze had pierced through him.

The cautious smile on his face turned pale and uncertain. Panic appeared in his eyes.

One hand braced against a nearby tree as he tried to move toward Elara. His other hand went to his belly, instinctively trying to shield it.

Elara's gaze followed his hand downward, and only then did she notice that over the past few months, not only had his height and body changed, but even his stomach seemed to have grown.

As he placed his hand on his lower belly, Elara saw a clear round bulge there, as if he had a small ball tucked inside.

Gained weight?

But the rest of his body was still slender and lean, as if all the extra flesh had gone only to his belly.

Elara looked at his stomach, then back at his increasingly panicked and helpless face.

Whether he'd gained weight or not didn't matter anymore. All her effort in raising him these past months had already been completely wiped out when she learned the truth over half a month ago.

She no longer cared. She watched as the boy tried to stumble toward her, one hand on his stomach and the other gripping the tree.

"That's enough, Haochen. Tell me your real name."

Her voice was cold and indifferent, but it made the boy freeze in place again.

His face turned even paler, though he still tried to smile when he looked at Elara.

"Sis... what are you talking about? My name is Haochen. You're the one who rescued me and carried me for three months. Who else could I be but your Haochen?"

But Elara's gaze only grew colder.

Haochen suddenly stopped walking. He raised his hand to cover his face and pleaded softly, "Sis, please... don't look at me like that..."

"Then let me ask another question. Tell me what the Devourer Gu is."

The boy froze again.

A few seconds later, his hand slowly slid down from his face. His dazzling features drooped. He couldn't be seen clearly, but his whole being seemed to lose all strength.

"Sis... how did you find out..."