The Hero Turned Into A Potato And The World Fell To Ruin

"Honored guests, I apologize on behalf of my predecessor for his negligence," the gray-robed priest said with a smile, bowing toward Nox. "Please allow me to lower these walls for you, but in return, I ask that you refrain from further damaging this place."

Hearing this, the small earthwalker wiped his tears and raised his sword. He had learned the dark truth hidden underground and now wished to burn the monstrous tree to the ground. He could not allow this gray-robed priest to take the black-robed priest's place.

However, Nox intervened, snatching the sword from his hand and kicking him to the ground.

"Your proposal sounds good. I accept," Nox replied with a smile and gestured for him to proceed. "Please, go ahead."

The gray-robed priest glanced at the defeated, despondent earthwalker on the ground, then picked up the half-broken staff and softly chanted an incantation.

Immediately, invisible waves of energy rippled out. The layers of structures began to move and, in no time, retracted underground. Within seconds, the entire area returned to its original state as if nothing had happened, save for the black-robed priest's corpse lying on the ground.

"Well, thank you." Nox flashed a smile and nodded at the gray priest.

The latter smiled back as well…

Crunch.

The headless corpse slumped to the ground as a pristine beast appeared behind it, casually spitting out a mixture of flesh, bone fragments, and brain matter. Nox walked over, picked up the staff from the ground, and handed it to the beast beside him.

The creature let out a joyful cry and, with a few crunches, devoured the staff.

The series of events left the young earthwalker in a state of shock. He had just thought Nox was about to aid the enemy and abandon him, only to witness him swiftly turn the tables and kill the gray-robed priest.

Nos glanced at the bewildered young earthwalker, smiling at him before turning his attention to the towering tree above.

"Well then, it's time to deal with this troublesome piece of magical garbage…" he said, looking toward the altar beneath it.

And then, he froze.

A bunch of potatoes were gathered beneath the shrine, at the spot where earthwalker conscripts were "baited."

They were huddled around what could be vaguely described as a human-shaped gelatinous mass, rubbing and nuzzling against it, seemingly enjoying themselves.

Nox knew exactly what that gelatinous substance was. It was the "maiden" from before that was capable of transforming people into puppets, the core essence of the tree.

But what were these potatoes doing?

To Nox's astonishment, the core's volume appeared to be shrinking, while those potatoes were continuously growing. Their tiny, thin limbs were becoming thicker and longer as if they were absorbing the tree's essence for their own development.

Aren't these just potatoes?!

Damn, while this tree is a rather useless creation despite its high magical rating, it was still a top-tier artifact. It can still be considered a high-effort, low-reward piece of junk.

Yet, what exactly are these potatoes… How are they able to absorb the core's essence so easily?

Could they be magic constructs too?

They don't seem like it, right?

Nox pondered for a bit, finally deciding to wait and see what these potatoes were up to first.

————

————

Liu Ji had a subtle inkling.

Just a moment ago, Osar had approached him with a deeply apologetic expression as if he had accidentally burned down Liu Ji's house. Liu Ji was initially alarmed, thinking something terrible had happened. When he asked Yaine, he learned that Osar had lost the little potatoes during the battle.

Seeing Osar's guilty look, Liu Ji finally understood. It wasn't that Osar thought he had burned down Liu Ji's house; Osar thought he had lost Liu Ji's children.

Liu Ji didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Truth be told, he had no idea where those little potato beings had come from, let alone considered them his children.

Besides, he had a connection with these little potatoes and could tell they were fine; they were probably hiding somewhere underground.

And hearing from Osar that the little potatoes had been actively seeking him out, Liu Ji felt even more at ease. Perhaps if they waited, these little potatoes would show up soon enough.

Just then, a dark beast delivered Mervant, Calidora, and Guoguo back to their group. Since several of them needed healing and rest, the group decided to wait in place.

As they waited, Liu Ji sensed that the little potatoes were up to something. He could feel a certain energy flowing through the blood connection into his body. Liu Ji was also able to tell that most of the energy was staying with the potatoes, with only a small portion reaching him.

Actually, Liu Ji had felt this back when the little potatoes ate leftovers, just that the connection was so faint, so he dismissed it as his imagination. Now, however, the sensation was clear and strong. He could tell the little potatoes were consuming something very nourishing.

They were having a feast without him, and he wondered if the little potatoes remembered their so-called "grandpa."

As these thoughts were going through his mind, a sudden tremor shook the area. The surrounding structures retracted, and the area returned to its original state. Without the high walls, the beautiful giant tree became visible again. But this time, it looked somewhat wilted.

Liu Ji stared at the tree, and a peculiar emotion came over him. It was as if he were gnawing on the tree himself…

While Liu Ji contemplated this odd sensation, Guoguo and Girunini regained consciousness, prompting a wave of cheers from the group. The joy of knowing their comrades were safe after such peril was unparalleled.

Though Liu Ji wasn't particularly close to the catgirl Guoguo, Girunini was an essential member of the "Confused Trio" alongside him and Osar. Her recovery brought him great relief.

After cheering for a bit, the group shared their recent experiences. Liu Ji couldn't understand most of it, so Yaine translated for him. When they discussed how Liu Ji had single-handedly defeated the black-armored commander, both Girunini and Guoguo, who had only just regained consciousness, widened their eyes in surprise.

Girunini even walked over to scrutinize Liu Ji closely, patting his shoulder and speaking excitedly. Liu Ji couldn't understand what she was saying, but he felt a little embarrassed just from her tone.

In truth, Liu Ji didn't believe he deserved the credit. It was just luck at getting such a unique ability and coincidentally coming across Myza.

Still, he decided not to overthink it. Amid the cheerful atmosphere, Liu Ji accepted the praise for his battle, just as everyone else did for their feats.

For Liu Ji, this was the first time he truly participated in such a lively gathering, a feeling he hadn't experienced since his past life during university outings with friends.

"Yaine…" Liu Ji nudged her during a lull in the conversation.

"Hmm? What is it?" Yaine looked at him.

"Um… Could you teach me the common language when you have time?" Liu Ji asked softly.

"Of course." Yaine nodded. "But I won't reduce your spellwork assignments, so you'll have to put in extra effort."

"Heh, I'm not the only one with extra classes." Liu Ji grinned. "As long as you're willing, Teacher Yaine, I won't refuse."

Hearing this, Yaine paused for a moment, then smiled. "Alright, then. Just don't regret it later…"

At the side, the eyes of the female knight gleamed with curiosity as she watched the interaction between Liu Ji and Yaine.

"Hmm…" She smirked slightly. "There seems to be something interesting going on between these two…"