After breakfast, the three of them stood at the apartment entrance.
Flora had changed into her cloak and carried a basket, which she intended to use for gathering magical crops.
Loviki was still wearing her training gear—a tight black top and dark gray trousers—with a rapier hanging at her waist. She looked sharp and capable, though her expression was somewhat reluctant.
“You look a bit nervous,” Chen Mian said, stifling a laugh.
He had a rough idea of what Loviki’s psychological barrier was.
“I am not.”
“Then relax a little,” Chen Mian said, glancing at her left hand, which was tightly gripping her scabbard.
Loviki followed his gaze downward, released her grip, and tucked her hands behind her back. “It’s just a habit.”
The treasure-hunting rabbit led the way, its nose twitching as it caught the scent of mana in the air.
“Let’s go,” Chen Mian said, taking the first step.
The three of them followed the small path beside the apartment, heading deep into the forest.
Flora walked to Chen Mian’s right with light steps, the bamboo basket on her arm swaying gently as she moved.
Loviki followed closely behind, her eyes constantly scanning their surroundings.
After about five minutes of walking, the forest gradually thickened.
The canopy overhead merged into a solid roof, allowing only slivers of sunlight to filter through the gaps, making the environment feel somewhat gloomy.
The cries of unknown birds echoed from the trees from time to time.
After walking for a long while, they had reached the deep interior of the forest. Weeds were everywhere, and unknown insects occasionally hopped out from the undergrowth.
Without the enhancement of mana, Flora was already starting to feel a bit tired.
Just then, the treasure-hunting rabbit stopped, its nose twitching before it ducked into a thicket on the right.
“Can it really find magical crops?” Flora asked, slightly out of breath.
“Mhm. It can distinguish faint mana fluctuations in the air.”
Loviki, walking behind them, pulled her gaze away from the rabbit and scanned the area.
“Are there really as many magical beasts here as the rumors say? Why have we barely encountered any along the way? Even the ones that did appear were very weak.”
“There are,” Chen Mian said. “But they won't come near.”
“...Why?”
Chen Mian thought for a moment. “Probably because I look fierce.”
Loviki stared at his profile for two seconds.
That face was very handsome and gentle; it didn't look 'fierce' in the slightest.
Loviki turned her head away and curled her lip.
After another quarter of an hour, the treasure-hunting rabbit suddenly stopped.
It crouched at the base of a massive ancient tree, sniffing at a crevice in the roots with its ears perked up.
“Did it find something?” Flora leaned in.
The treasure-hunting rabbit glanced back at her and then began to dig at the soil near the roots with its front paws.
Chen Mian knelt down and brushed aside the surface layer of fallen leaves and dirt.
A silver fruit the size of a fist was revealed. Its surface bore faint mana patterns that glowed dimly in the dark woods.
“What is this?” Loviki also leaned in. The three of them crowded around the tree root, their heads almost touching.
Flora picked up one of the fruits and examined it closely.
“Silver-light Fruit.” Her voice carried a hint of pleasant surprise. “I’ve read about this in books. It’s a very rare magical fruit that can be eaten directly to temporarily enhance mana perception. It can also be used to make desserts.”
“Is it worth much?” Loviki asked.
Flora glanced at her. “This fruit is very rare. It would fetch a high price at auction in many countries.”
Chen Mian picked up the five Silver-light Fruits and placed them in Flora’s basket. “Take them back to make desserts. If there are seeds, we can try planting them in the orchard.”
“Mhm!” Flora nodded happily.
“Let’s continue.”
The treasure-hunting rabbit began hopping forward once more.
Flora carried the basket, looking down at the five silver fruits inside with a smile. “Mr. Chen Mian.”
“Yes?”
“Where did you find this rabbit?”
“In the forest.”
“I want to find one too.”
Chen Mian glanced at her. “One is enough.”
Flora let out a soft laugh.
About ten minutes later, the treasure-hunting rabbit stopped in front of a patch of bushes.
This time it didn't dig. Instead, it crouched before a plant that stood half a person tall, looking up at a flower at the very top.
The flower was pale blue, resembling a blue rose, and was surrounded by a faint blue shimmer. It was beautiful.
“Blue Glow Flower.” Flora’s voice was even more surprised. “This is also a very rare magical plant. The petals can be used to make high-grade mana recovery potions, and...”
She paused.
“And what?” Loviki asked.
“And it’s beautiful.” Flora knelt down and gently touched a petal with her finger.
“Let's take it back and plant it.” Chen Mian watched for a moment.
“Can we?” Flora’s eyes sparkled slightly.
“There’s still plenty of space in the garden,” Chen Mian nodded.
“Okay!” Flora set her flower basket aside and began to gently clear away the debris and fallen leaves around the plant.
“Are you going to dig it out by hand?” Chen Mian asked, watching her movements.
“Yes. Digging by hand makes it less likely to damage the root system,” Flora said earnestly without looking up.
Chen Mian nodded and stepped back to give her enough space.
Flora rolled up her sleeves, revealing her fair forearms, and dug her fingers into the soil around the Blue Glow Flower. However, the soil seemed a bit hard; after working for a while, she had only managed to remove a thin layer.
Standing nearby and watching Flora’s mud-stained hands, Loviki turned to Chen Mian and whispered, “With your level of mana control, it wouldn't be hard to dig up this Blue Glow Flower without damaging the roots, right?”
“Mhm,” Chen Mian nodded.
“Then why are you letting Flora dig like that?” Loviki curled her lip.
“Don't you think Flora is enjoying herself?” Chen Mian smiled as he looked at Flora.
At that moment, Flora was completely focused on following the general direction of the roots, peeling away the surrounding soil layer by layer. After a while, most of the Blue Glow Flower's root system was exposed.
Flora carefully supported the base of the plant and gently lifted from underneath with her other hand.
The entire Blue Glow Flower, complete with its roots and a clump of soil, came away from the ground perfectly intact.
“I dug it out!” Flora held the flower, her eyes shining as she looked at the two of them.
Chen Mian knelt down to inspect the roots and nodded. “Not bad. The roots aren't damaged.”
With a smile on her face, Flora gently placed the Blue Glow Flower into the bamboo basket, nestling it beside the Silver-light Fruits. The blue shimmer from the flower cast a dreamy glow over her face.
She looked down at her hands and suddenly let out a soft giggle.
“What is it?” Loviki asked.
“Nothing.” Flora patted the mud on her hands, but since they didn't come clean, she simply gave up. “I just felt that doing things without mana isn't actually that difficult.”
“Mhm. And you did something that couldn't be done even with mana.” Chen Mian stepped forward with a smile. “Hold out your hands.”
Flora obediently spread her hands.
Chen Mian raised his right hand. Moisture in the air rapidly condensed, and a fist-sized water ball materialized above his palm, rotating slowly.
A thin stream of water flowed from the water ball. It was just the right pressure to wash away the mud from her hands, cleaning even the gaps between her fingers perfectly.
Looking at her clean hands, the corners of Flora’s mouth turned up slightly. “Thank you.”
“It’s what a landlord should do. Let’s go, the treasure hunt continues.” Chen Mian patted the rabbit and continued walking forward.
Chen Mian felt that what they were doing was very familiar.
Many years ago, there had been treasure-hunting adventures like this, though back then they were exploring dungeons. While those trips were lively, they were never as leisurely as this.
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