As Lohan held the Tear of Flowers before him, sensing a purity that caused his own Sacred Light to vibrate in resonance, the Elysium interface began to flood him with notifications.
The [Predator] title had finished processing the biomass of Varkas, Brant, and Stig, delivering the spoils from the digestion of their corpses.
[Alert: Predator Title Active, Evolution Extraction completed with 100% success!]
Three evolution windows glowed brightly in Lohan’s vision:
[Acquired Evolution: Claw Projection Lv 1]
[Allows the user to consume energy to project claws onto their body, with the claws’ durability being proportional to the skill’s level.]
Unlike Varkas, who needed physical hands to manifest his Lizardman claws, Lohan’s malleable body allowed for much greater customization.
He instantly realized that, thanks to his Structural Stability, he could project these organic blades from any point on his membrane, transforming himself into a spiked sphere or manifesting surprise claws through his clones.
[Evolution Acquired: Synergy Link Lv 1]
[Forms a synergy link between two targets, sharing one’s ability with the other with a slightly reduced effect.]
This ability allowed Lohan to "lend" his own evolutions to linked allies for a limited time or borrow allies’ abilities to use on himself!
[Acquired Evolution: Racial Command Lv 1]
[Allows the user to command creatures of the same race, regardless of significant differences in strength or intellect.]
This was an ability with an uncertain future effect for Lohan; while he didn’t know what it would be like to command Slimes from this world, or whether it would bring him any benefit or harm in the long run, lending it to subordinates would be shocking.
Imagine if Lohan lent this to Pip once he reached an extremely high level; couldn’t he become the ruler of the fairies?
Lohan vibrated his gelatin in excitement, his mind buzzing with the possibilities of these three new Evolutions he had received.
If he had already transformed Pip and Elle into aerial tanks using only [Living Armor], now he could, in a moment of need, copy Lisa’s [Spectral Step] so that anyone in the group could move at high speed in combat!
However, the euphoria of his new achievements was suddenly stifled by the [Memory Resonance].
As he digested the remains of the Players, fragments of their final conversations in the human city invaded Lohan’s consciousness.
Through Varkas’ bloodshot eyes, he saw a shadowy meeting in a tavern with a hooded informant, whose voice sounded like metal scraping against stone, who had handed over the map of Mythlorien with the approximate location of the Village of Petals circled on it.
"The Elder of that village is weak, but the item they guard, the Essence of the Green Controller, is worth hundreds of thousands of gold coins on the black market..." the informant had hissed. "This is new information, and unforeseen events may occur, but other scouting groups are already on their way there. If you want a chance to get this, you’ll have to find a way to get there as quickly as possible."
From there, the group of three Players practically didn’t stop for anything, spending all their savings on the fastest transportation to the location, and when they arrived at the forest, they marched desperately toward it, only to be stopped at the last moment by Lohan’s group.
Lohan realized that this was likely not the only attack that would occur, and withdrawing the small hand he had formed to hold the Tear of Flowers, tucking the delicate item away within himself, he spoke.
"Basil... listen carefully." Lohan’s mental voice echoed through the clearing, shedding its cute tone and taking on the gravity of an Elite Vice-President. "Varkas and his group, those who orchestrated the attack, didn’t find this village by chance."
The fairies, who were still looking at Lohan with a mixture of dread and reverence, froze. Basil tilted his head, the staff trembling slightly in his membranous hand.
"I saw in their memories that there is an informant in the big cities selling your location." Lohan continued, while Lisa was also taken aback by the information. "They call the Tear of Flowers the ’Essence of the Green Controller.’ To greedy hunters, you are just a treasure chest waiting to be opened. Other groups, possibly stronger than this one, are already mobilizing to come here."
Shock rippled through the village like a cold wave.
Peoni brought her hands to her mouth, and the noble fairies’ wings wilted instantly under the weight of fear.
Basil closed his eyes, letting out a sigh heavy with the weariness of centuries.
They realized that, although Astralis Requiem had won the battle and saved Petal Village, even having gotten rid of the item that had sparked greed in those people, they likely wouldn’t rest until the village was destroyed.
The silence that followed was heavy.
Lohan vibrated his gelatin and shaped a small bluish hand, pointing toward the fossilized tree that served as the guild’s headquarters.
"To be honest, I only see two options for you now," Lohan declared, allowing his Level 12 aura with a Double Mythic Base to expand slightly to emphasize the seriousness of the proposal, but without sounding aggressive.
"The first is to officially join Astralis Requiem. You would move to a protected location, closer to our base. Pip and Elle would act as our intermediaries between you and the Guild. There will be no slavery; you won’t be forced to fight and become more powerful. You’ll be able to continue tending to the flowers, but in times of need, the village’s strength would be required to protect our shared home."
Lisa immediately understood what Lohan was thinking and nodded gracefully, her two white tails swaying slowly. "You would live under our banner and under our protection. No hunter could lay a wing on you under our watch."
"The second option..." Lohan continued, his mental voice growing softer. "Is for you to retreat to another place. If you believe you can find safety far from the greedy eyes of hunters in another region, Astralis will not stand in your way either."