I'd like to thank our new Patreon Diamond member, "melonpan," for sponsoring this novel for translation. I've read up to chapter 50, and it's a truly engaging read. It boasts a 4.4 rating on NovelUpdates. So you know it's going to be good.
Thank you again, Melonpan, for the sponsorship
--------
After the battle with the Corn King, Wang Dan finally fulfilled his wish and broke several corn cobs.
However, these corn cobs had matured past their tender and delicious season, growing a bit old. Whether boiled or roasted, chewing them required a lot of effort.
Nevertheless, everyone enjoyed their meal, fully aware that these were snatched from under artillery fire, dripping with Tang Xuhai's sweat and toil. No one dared to show a displeased expression.
Fu Shiwu pulled Tang Xuhai aside, spraying mist on the bruises across his arms and body, using a cool towel to ice him down.
Shirt off, Tang Xuhai was sweating profusely, clearly in pain yet not saying a word.
Fu Shiwu understood his temperament well, handling him with extreme care to avoid worsening his condition.
He gently held the towel in place, not letting it slip.
Before him lay Tang Xuhai's composed upper body.
Tang Xuhai wasn't fair-skinned, boasting a healthy wheatish tone all over. Being diligent in workouts, his upper body muscles were well-defined. Beneath a thin sheen of sweat, his well-built chest and abs glistened as if coated in oil, emitting a dazzling radiance.
Fu Shiwu remained silent. Tang Xuhai looked at him and chuckled, "Envious?"
Embarrassed, Fu Shiwu adjusted his glasses. Tang Xuhai, in a mischievous manner, flexed his arm to show off his muscles, saying, "No worries! When I have time, I'll make sure you build those muscles too, departing from the 'skinny chicken' standard."
"Skinny chicken?!" Fu Shiwu felt an arrow striking his pride, retorting, "It's not that bad, is it?"
Raising his arm to inspect his slightly toned muscles, all he felt was a cold breeze, goosebumps, and a few hairs standing at attention.
Tang Xuhai burst into laughter, shaking so much that Fu Shiwu struggled to keep the towel in place.
Irritated, Fu Shiwu grabbed the towel and smacked it across Tang Xuhai's face.
"Ahahaha…" Tears welled up in Tang Xuhai's eyes from laughing too hard. He wiped his eyes, took a breath, and pretending to be serious, said, "I should quickly find you something to wear. Haha, those goosebumps looked just like chicken skin!"
Fu Shiwu shot him a stern look, walking toward the modified car to find some clothes for himself.
Since Fu Shiwu wasn't aware of Tang Xuhai's phobia, he hadn't specifically chosen shirts or sportswear for him. The long-sleeved clothing he found was mostly T-shirts. He managed to find a zip-up jacket, suitable for early winter. It was a bit thick, but Fu Shiwu wore it without complaints.
Tang Xuhai observed Fu Shiwu silently retrieving a thick piece of clothing. Internally, he made a note to find him something thinner and fitting.
While Tang Xuhai received aid from Fu Shiwu, Liu Peiqi eagerly began the process of stimulating the Corn King's seeds.
Miao Jia, along with Wang Dan and a few others, gathered around him. Truthfully, in the storage center earlier, they'd only received ready-made meals, never witnessing a wood-type ability user stimulating plants.
Liu Peiqi placed a corn kernel in his palm, activating his ability. Soon, a small sprout emerged from the kernel.
He manipulated the sprout as if practicing a martial art, then tossed it onto the ground. The scene resembled a documentary on a tech channel, with the sprout rapidly rooting, growing leaves and stems. In no time, it had grown considerably.
"It's growing!" Ma Dong exclaimed.
Others watched in astonishment.
Hearing the commotion, Tang Xuhai and Fu Shiwu approached, observing the corn growing taller, reaching over 4 meters. Soon, it sprouted tassels and pollen, producing small corn cobs along its stem.
Fu Shiwu joined the group.
Horn Ting frowned, pondering, "This growth rate is too slow. At this rate, by the time it matures, the aliens would have attacked several times."
Liu Peiqi, sweating from the pressure, felt embarrassed at the slow progress.
Fu Shiwu unintentionally used his perception and noticed energy waves emanating from Liu Peiqi's direction. He suggested, "Increase the output of your ability."
Olande glanced at him in surprise, but Fu Shiwu ignored it. Liu Peiqi hesitated, "Can I?"
"Try!" Tang Xuhai nodded.
"Okay." Liu Peiqi clenched his teeth and intensified his ability.
Fu Shiwu immediately regretted suggesting it. Liu Peiqi had already pushed himself to the limit earlier, and now he was straining further.
He tried to caution Liu Peiqi but received a pat on the shoulder from Tang Xuhai, signaling him to stay quiet.
As Liu Peiqi doubled his output, the corn cobs grew wildly. Within moments, they matured.
"Haha!" Liu Peiqi suddenly laughed, a mix of surprise and joy. Wide-eyed, he exclaimed to everyone, "I can feel it! Something different!"
"What's different?" Wang Dan asked.
"Before, I could only grow vegetables, but those seeds were never infected by source molecules. The resulting vegetables were just ordinary. But this corn is different. I can feel its connection with me; I can control it!" Liu Peiqi's eyes shone as he spoke rapidly.
Wen Zhaoming, who had been observing, interjected, "Can this corn attack?"
"It can!" Liu Peiqi affirmed confidently.
"Try attacking." Tang Xuhai instructed.
"Okay!" Liu Peiqi, determined, focused on the corn. People standing in front of him instinctively moved aside.
"Ah!!!" Liu Peiqi roared, and the corn cobs burst open, kernels shooting out and hitting the modified car, producing crackling sounds.
"Wow!" Miao Jia clapped enthusiastically.
The corn kernels flew high and far, landing on the other side of the road beyond the cars.
"..." Wang Dan looked at the exhausted Liu Peiqi, panting heavily.
"..." Tang Xuhai raised an eyebrow.
Despite his admirable effort, the outcome seemed comical. Despite the immense effort, all that resulted was corn kernels and cobs, lacking the impact of popping corn.
Fu Shiwu pinpointed the reality, "Your corn cannon might barely scratch an alien."
Others thought the same but refrained from adding salt to the wound, seeing how hard Liu Peiqi had tried.
After catching his breath, Liu Peiqi nodded, "Right, seems this corn doesn't have much striking power."
"Indeed," Fu Shiwu earnestly agreed, blending into the crowd, "It's just corn. It's the first plant species we've encountered with abilities. Looking from a broader perspective, it's feasible for wood-type ability users to control and attack using plant seeds. Now, the challenge is to gather seeds with more potent, more formidable offensive capabilities."
Initially disheartened, Liu Peiqi's spirits lifted upon hearing Fu Shiwu
's words. He clenched his fists, nodding vigorously, "You're right!"
"Also…" Fu Shiwu paused, glancing sharply at Liu Peiqi, "The initial speed of seed stimulation was too slow. Initially, your ability was sufficient, but you need to increase the speed of stimulating the seeds."
"Got it!" Liu Peiqi's eyes sparkled, nodding repeatedly.
His fervent attitude felt a bit off to Fu Shiwu, but he pushed through, "Your most noticeable flaw now is the small energy output each time. You need to learn how to output the maximum energy in the shortest time."
Fu Shiwu glanced at Wen Zhaoming before seriously addressing Liu Peiqi, "The most potent stage of plant seed germination is the strongest. It can even lift a stone a hundred times its weight. If your output is sufficient, even the seed germination stage might serve as an attack."
Liu Peiqi was visibly startled by this insight, then nodded solemnly, falling silent, lost in thought.
Thank you for reading this far! You can access more chapters from HERE by joining my Patreon community. You'll gain exclusive early access to the COMPLETE NOVEL.
As a member of my Patreon community, here is what you'll get:
For $5
- Early access to 100s of chapters before they go public.
- You also get access to all the novels I'm translating, you can find them here HERE.
- Your name will be featured on the "Wall of Gratitude".
- The power to vote on which novel I translate next.
- You Get Ad-free Chapters.
For $10
- You get to suggest a Novel for me to translate.
- You get access to Digital art.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in gold).
For $20
- You get to recommend a Novel and I will immediately start translating it.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in blue).
Plus, you can Cancel your membership at any time.
Don't let this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers!
