stjorthotic Chapter 166 Ellie's Changes
Chapter 166 Ellie's Changes
Chapter 166 Ellie's Changes
The group felt as if they had been granted a pardon. They turned and ran away as fast as they could, not even bothering to treat their wounds or stop the bleeding. All they wanted was to get away from this terrifying creature as quickly as possible.
Their stumbling figures quickly disappeared around the street corner, leaving only a trail of mottled bloodstains on the ground and a faint fishy smell in the air.
The noise subsided, and the streets returned to silence.
The only sounds were the faint rustling of the wind through the eaves and Ellie's slightly hurried breathing.
Luo Lin then turned around and looked at the girl guarding the door.
Ellie remained standing with her sword in hand, but the sharpness in her eyes had faded, replaced by a complex emotion that mixed excitement, reassurance, and a hint of barely perceptible tension.
She looked at Rowling, pursed her lips as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just lowered her head more earnestly, her voice a little dry: "Mr. Rowling, you—you're back."
Luo Lin nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the black iron longsword she gripped tightly in her hand, and the noticeably more solidified aura emanating from her. "You've reached the third level of the 'Rock-Solid Breathing Technique'? Not bad."
Ellie's eyes lit up when she heard this understated praise, and her tense shoulders relaxed slightly.
"Yes—yes."
"I've been practicing ever since you left."
She paused, glanced at the remaining bloodstains on the ground, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Will they... come back to cause trouble again?"
"No, it won't happen again," Luo Lin said firmly.
The precise manipulation of mental energy combined with stellar energy just now directly affected the opponent's auditory nerve and ear blood vessels, creating the illusion of intense pain and bleeding as if the ear had been torn off by an invisible force.
Although the actual damage may not be significant, the deep-seated pain and incomprehensible fear are enough to leave these cowardly bullies with lifelong psychological trauma.
They dared not approach this place again.
He walked to the door of the Black Rock Hut, and Ellie immediately stepped aside.
The door lock was intact, and she had even added a simple warning sign to it. Although it was crude, her thoughtfulness was evident.
Pushing open the door, the room was almost exactly the same as when he left, clean and tidy, with no dust on the tables and chairs, and several drought-resistant magical plants on the windowsill growing lushly, obviously well cared for regularly.
"Thank you for guarding this place." Roland took off his cloak and hung it on a rack to the side, revealing a simple gray robe underneath.
The series of experiences left him with a lingering weariness between his brows, but his eyes remained clear and deep.
Ellie followed her in, closed the door, and stood awkwardly in the doorway.
"It's what I should do."
"You handed me the keys before you left, which means you trusted me."
Rowling sat down on the wooden chair by the window and gestured for Ellie to sit down as well.
"Have a seat. Tell me, how's town been lately?"
"And when did you develop an interest in studying magical plants?"
When the magical plant was mentioned, Ellie's eyes brightened noticeably, and her previous tension dissipated considerably.
She sat down opposite me and began to speak.
Blackrock Town remained relatively peaceful under her care, though the flow of adventurers and wizard apprentices was quite high, resulting in a mixed bag of people.
Things like today, where people covet vacant houses, happen occasionally, but she always manages to thwart them with her strength and the reputation left behind by Rowling.
In the past few days, Ellie had seen Rowling studying plants she couldn't understand.
Ellie knew she might not be able to help with the wizarding aspect, so she simply tried a different approach.
She cultivated a small magical plant garden on the east side of the town, mainly to try to introduce and improve several drought-resistant magical plants that she collected from the edge of the Iron Wasteland and that have certain fire resistance or special medicinal value.
There has been some progress, but many problems have also been encountered, such as soil improvement, pest and disease control, and the unstable energy absorption characteristics of several magical plants.
She spoke very carefully, her tone conveying the seriousness of a researcher and the frustration of encountering difficulties, occasionally gesturing with her hands to show the shape of the magical plant.
Rowling listened quietly without interrupting.
This mundane yet concrete daily research routine, imbued with the scent of soil and life, gradually eased his tense nerves.
He could sense Ellie's growth, not only in terms of strength, but also in terms of mentality and research ability.
She was no longer the little girl who could only hone her knightly skills and breathing techniques; she was also constantly improving herself in other ways to help and give back to him.
After Ellie finished speaking, Rowling spoke up, his voice calm: "To improve the soil, you can try adding ground ash crystal powder, starting with a ratio of one percent."
"Pests and diseases — the leaf-eating beetle you described is afraid of low temperatures. Try covering the root area of the plant with a mild cold treatment at night."
"The unstable energy absorption may be due to a mismatch between the plant's own energy circulation and the local ley line frequency. Try using a dredging agent to adjust the basic energy frequency of the irrigation water and adjust it gradually."
His suggestions were very specific, based on a deep understanding of the nature of energy and the physiology of magical plants, and they hit the nail on the head.
Ellie listened intently, then quickly took out her notebook and began taking notes, her face beaming with a sense of sudden enlightenment.
"I understand! Thank you, Mr. Rowling! I'll try it when I get back!"
"No rush," Luo Lin waved his hand.
"I just got back and need to rest for a few days."
"If you have some free time these next few days, you can come over and we can talk about your research. Maybe I can help you take a look at those magical plant samples."
Ellie looked up in surprise and nodded quickly, "I'm free! I'm free anytime!"
For the next few days, Rowling truly began a peaceful period of rest and recuperation in Blackrock Town.
He did not immediately devote himself to intensive research on the Civilization Stele, nor did he concern himself with the important matters of the Holy Tower and the Empire.
Every day I just read books, organize my gains and insights from this trip to Jiao Yan, regulate my breathing and meditate, restore my depleted spirit and organize my slightly improved star power.
Ellie comes almost every day. Sometimes she comes with notes and samples to ask questions, and sometimes she just comes to clean the house, take care of the magical plants on the windowsill, and chat about what she has seen and heard in town.
She was very tactful and never bothered him too much. She would always take her leave when Rowling showed any signs of needing to be alone.
This regular, mundane yet fulfilling daily routine gradually soothed the weariness deep within Rolin's soul, stemming from continuous life-or-death crises and intense research.
He even enjoyed taking walks on the small hillsides on the edge of town in the evening, watching the unique scenery of the wilderness and the town intertwined under the dark red sky.
That afternoon, Ellie came again, carrying a ceramic pot. Inside the pot was a succulent plant that looked rather peculiar, with dark red, spiral-shaped leaves and a small cluster of tiny, glowing blue flowers at the top.
"Mr. Rowling, look at this!" Ellie carefully placed the ceramic pot on the table, her voice filled with excitement.
"I found this in a crevice in the rocks to the east. It had been half-dead for a while, but I used the method you suggested to adjust the energy frequency of the irrigation water, and it suddenly perked up these past few days and even bloomed!"
"Furthermore, I discovered that its flowers absorb the very faint afterglow of starlight from the air at night!"
Ellie is just a knight and has no way to cast spells, but she finds another way to buy or exchange for chips that store spells.
In order to carry out the steps that Rolin mentioned, this magical plant is the product of that process.
Rolin put down a copy of an ancient energy rune in his hand and looked at the plant.
The ring warms up slightly, and the echo unit automatically begins scanning and analysis.
The plant's energy fluctuations are very weak, but very special. It does indeed carry a trace of extremely rare yet exceptionally pure star power affinity, forming a strange coexistence with its own hellfire resistance.
"Interesting." Luo Lin reached out and gently touched the small blue flower with his fingertips.
The flower trembled slightly, as if it possessed a spirit, transmitting a clearer, more pleasant energy fluctuation.
"It may have undergone some rare benign mutation in the process of adapting to the environment, using the absorption of star power as a means of aiding survival."
"You can try watering with a milder Star Power solution, observe the changes, and record each energy input and plant response."
"Um!"
Ellie nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the plant as if it were a treasure.
Looking at her focused and vibrant profile, Rowling suddenly spoke up, asking, "Ellie, have you ever thought about officially becoming a wizard?"
"Not just an apprentice, but someone who embarks on this path in pursuit of knowledge and power."