After Apocalypse, I Got Rich With Superpower

Chapter 40: Chapter 38: Devouring

Chapter 40: Chapter 38: Devouring

After the meal, Xue Dong said to everyone, “This trip is mainly for Pan’er to level up. Hunting is secondary. Pan’er’s hunting gains aren’t counted in. I’ll count as half a share, and the rest will be divided among the brothers. We need a Wood Element Crystal Core, other crystal cores go to the base or everyone else, and I only want half of the other materials and wealth; Pan’er isn’t included, the rest goes to the brothers.”

“What do you mean half? We’re all brothers here, just count it as one share. Who would haggle with you about that?”

Gao Wenbin gave him a look. They had been brothers for so many years, why bother calculating so meticulously, and just a half at that? It was embarrassing enough.

“Then it’s one share. After we leave the base, let Pan’er treat all of you a little, for free. She probably can’t handle severe diseases, but minor injuries are no problem.”

The Star Tree has healing abilities, but they didn’t know that Li Pan’s healing power was already quite formidable. Previously for minor injuries, they had to go back to the base to find a Wood Power User for treatment, which of course cost Contribution points and money.

“There’s such a good deal? Alright then.”

The free treatment was because everyone accompanied her into the forest for advancement, which was actually very dangerous and could be fatal. They mainly took on the duty to protect her, as Li Pan’s combat ability was terrible. She couldn’t have managed alone, and not even with Xue Dong alone.

“We can do it now. My superpower is rarely used here, I’ll start treating everyone immediately.”

Li Pan trusted Gao Wenbin and others quite a bit as they had been through life and death with Xue Dong for many years. She was also very familiar with everyone and knew they were reliable.

“I’ll go first then.”

Gao Wenbin happily lined up first.

With a swipe of a wood vine around his arm, the treatment began. They had no severe diseases or injuries, just some hidden ailments that couldn’t even be considered minor illnesses. Treating them was quite easy.

The entire group was treated in half an hour and all set to go.

“Amazing indeed, I feel so much lighter. Awesome. If the girl advances to a high level, she might even cure complicated diseases.”

“That’s possible. Don’t spread the word, I’m afraid Pan’er might be in danger.”

“We can’t let that happen. We understand the stakes; if she’s harmed, we all suffer. Absolutely not.”

“Right, that’s the spirit. It’s like destroying our own ancestral grave—an idiot wouldn’t do such a thing.”

They all had combat superpowers, always ready to fight, potentially facing life-threatening dangers. Harming Li Pan meant cutting off their own chance at survival, and they could still calculate this simple fact.

“Alright, let’s go.”

After that, the rank of the animals they hunted began to rise, and the battles became increasingly fierce, no longer as simple and easy as they were at the start.

Only the valuable game was kept; the rest was simply absorbed by the Star Tree.

Li Pan found a second-order mutated Ghost Vine, whose vines weren’t very thick but had already developed spiritual intelligence. When it saw the Star Tree’s vines, it got scared, turned around to flee but was still pulled back by the Star Tree.

“Ghost Vine, huh.”

Li Pan smiled and touched it with a wood vine, trying to communicate using her Wood Power—the ability she gained after advancing to a middle-level superpower. It was a significant improvement, making communication clearer and more precise.

“Either follow me and let me make the decisions, or I’ll eat you. Choose for yourself.”

Li Pan was interested in the innate abilities of the Ghost Vine.

The Ghost Vine twisted and turned on the ground, seemingly struggling and hesitating.

“If you follow me, you’ll grow better than you are now, and no one will target or destroy you. Think about it.”

Her voice was tempting, like a devil luring a child with candy.

In fact, the Ghost Vine was indeed young, having evolved not long ago, with low spiritual intelligence but just enough to have developed some.

In the end, the Ghost Vine agreed, docilely climbing up to Li Pan’s arm and hiding in her sleeve.

Li Pan transferred some superpower to it, giving it a taste of sweetness. The Ghost Vine happily waved its vines, delighted like a child.

“Let’s go.”

“Is he useful, or could he stab you in the back?”

Liu Qian didn’t understand Wood Power and was just concerned for her safety.

“No, the Star Tree is much more formidable than he is, existing at the top of the food chain. There aren’t many species that can overcome the Star Tree, unless it’s a several-hundred-year or thousand-year-old Demon Plant; otherwise, they all fear the Star Tree.”

“I see.”

“It has some use to me, I plan to take it back to guard the farm,”

“If you think it’s fine, then it’s fine.”

Everyone continued forward.

They encountered a Tier 3 Man-Eating Flower, which specialized in devouring.

The group tangled together, and Li Pan chose a good angle, commanding the wood vines to wrap around the Man-Eating Flower from behind.

The Man-Eating Flower, realizing it was entangled, screamed.

“Star Tree, time to eat,”

Li Pan shouted loudly.

Eight wood vines shot out from behind her, boldly and aggressively surrounding the Man-Eating Flower completely, and a fierce battle of devouring and being devoured began.

“Increase the force, devour it,”

Li Pan yelled, speeding up the transfer of Wood Power to enhance the Star Tree, while holding Wood Element Crystal Cores in both hands and beginning to absorb them.

Half an hour later, the wood vines finally loosened from the Man-Eating Flower, it had turned withered and yellow, collapsing softly on the ground, turning into powder with a slight touch as if it had been dried up for a long time.

The Star Tree happily retracted its tentacles and swayed them in front of Li Pan.

Li Pan smiled happily, “Look, Star Tree has grown, its tentacles have thickened.”

“Pretty impressive.”

The group wiped their sweat; this Star Tree was indeed formidable, requiring some effort to defeat such a mighty Man-Eating Flower, they had to stay alert to win, yet the tree devoured it so easily.

The tentacles wrapped around the Wood Element Crystal Cores on the ground and handed them to Li Pan.

“Brother,”

“Keep them, all Wood Element ones are for you, the rest can be distributed among us,”

“Alright.”

The battle ended and they continued forward.

In the afternoon, they discovered a Second-Order Mutated Plant, which was devoured by the Star Tree.

Leaving behind a Second-order Wood Element Crystal Core.

As they moved on, the Star Tree seemed content in the forest, as if in its natural element, helping the group by encircling and binding during their hunting and battling, exerting some effort.

“Little sis, you also made an effort, here’s your share,”

“Brother, I won’t take shares, I’m already grateful that you accompanied me. Xue Dong and I alone couldn’t have managed, as long as the Star Tree can grow, I am content,”

Li Pan smiled shyly; it didn’t seem right to claim the harvest of those who came to protect her.

“No way, if you contribute, you should have a share. If it wasn’t for your Companion Spirit Plant grabbing me, I would have been injured,”

“Brother, give me some meat, I’ll add a meal for the Wolf Pack back home, I don’t need anything else,”

“Pan’er is right, we’ll not take anything; let’s save some meat for the Wolf Pack to get through the winter,”

“Tell me which part you like, I’ll cut it for you,”

Gao Wenbin and a few others, seeing how grounded Xue Dong and his group were, felt increasingly warmed, having reliable brothers indeed.

Li Pan felt that they shouldn’t come for nothing, the hunting yield was their income for this trip, which could be sold back at the base in exchange for Contribution points and money.

This journey increased Li Pan’s knowledge and she collected many medicinal herbs, and although she did not find herbs of particularly high rank, it was better than nothing.

“Xue Dong, look at those red berries, is that ginseng?”

“It does look like it, let’s go check it out, be careful of snakes,”

They found a ginseng, identified by its leaves at the top.