Chapter 47: Verdant Grace

A long time ago, when Morning Star was hunting down Envy, Tomato had a brief encounter with her.

At that time, Tomato was at the peak of its ‘fruit life’. Its color was uniform, and its stem was vibrant green, while its magic was as potent as a summer downpour. Even the vegetables that harbored old grudges were forced to bow before it.

Amidst the chaotic battle, it unleashed its full power, charging towards Morning Star. It demolished buildings in its path, plowed through the land, and snapped steel rebar, an unstoppable force.

Yet, the petite girl, with just a sidelong glance, effortlessly pinned it mid-air.

It tried every trick in its arsenal, releasing its surging magic, enough to obliterate a small building, again and again. Yet, it couldn’t break free, even after exhausting itself.

If Morning Star hadn’t been focused on hunting Envy, and had used more than a mere flick of power—barely enough to brush away dust—Tomato believed it would have been turned into tomato juice long ago. It suffered sleepless nights for months afterward, only recovering after a long period.

And now, the young girl before it, this very girl who had just moments ago seemed fragile and was easily knocked away, inexplicably made it recall Morning Star’s formidable magic.

Dormant nightmares surged into its mind. An uncontrollable tremor shot straight to its stem.

Tomato shrieked and tumbled backward like a startled cat. It scrambled back over ten meters, only coming to a halt at the very edge of the plaza.

“You—you damned vegetable, what kind of trickery are you playing?!”

Lily of the Valley ignored the monster’s roar. She didn’t even maintain her guard.

She turned her head to Lu Chen, her emerald eyes sweeping over the young man. Lu Chen was drenched in crimson tomato juice, a sight that was quite alarming.

“Are you hurt?”

The young man had no time to be surprised by Lily of the Valley’s transformation. His gaze was fixed on the surging magic of Tomato.

“No. But please don’t worry about me right now; that tomato is getting redder and redder!”

Lily of the Valley’s brows relaxed. A natural smile played on her lips.

“It’s good that you’re alright. That monster is no longer a problem.”

Lily of the Valley didn’t intentionally raise her voice, nor did she lower it. Her calm voice swiftly crossed the plaza, sweeping over Tomato’s skin.

The monster paused, startled. Its overwhelming fear was instantly replaced by burning rage.

“You arrogant vegetable…! You merely got lucky and blocked one attack. Do you really think you can turn the tables?!

“Without a weapon, you rotten, worm-eaten cabbage wouldn’t even be able to break through my defenses!”

“Lily of the Valley is white or pale pink. If you insist on categorizing it as a vegetable, it should be considered a cabbage.

“And as for a weapon, I clearly have one in my hand.”

The girl rotated the model javelin in her hand. She aimed its charred tip at the monster.

The javelin, made of flexible plastic, swayed slightly in the breeze that swept across the plaza.

Tomato sniffed the wafting scent of char. The fury in its heart swelled to its peak.

“Fine then! I’ll use it to turn you into skewered cabbage!”

The monster let out a shriek filled with hatred. It caused the entire grove to rustle.

It coiled, compressing itself to its absolute limit. Terrifying magic surged, climbing higher and higher. After a deafening roar, Tomato’s massive body shattered the ground, launching forward with an overwhelming momentum.

Fueled by both rage and hatred, the power of this attack surpassed all its previous ones. It was comparable to its past peak!

Lily of the Valley gazed at the approaching monster. She merely felt that today’s sunlight was exceptionally bright.

She wove magic along the javelin’s surface. White flowers and green leaves covered the scorched black marks. Then, with a twist of her shoulder, she hurled the weapon.

The javelin left her hand with effortless grace. It darted towards the monster, light as a dragonfly skimming water.

The victor was determined instantly.

The tip of the javelin easily pierced Tomato’s skin. It left a small gash. From this tiny opening, a pure white flower bud began to emerge.

‘Verdant Grace’ bestowed upon Lily of the Valley the ability to cultivate plants.

However, before today, she could only create plants with a single characteristic. If a vine could absorb magic, it couldn’t also manipulate weapons.

But now, absorbing magic, paralyzing bodies, injecting toxins, inducing unconsciousness… this budding white flower possessed all of these traits.

Tomato rushed across the plaza in an instant. As it neared the girl, the soft flower bud unfurled in the wind.

The monster’s colossal body immediately lost speed and veered off course. It crashed directly into the statue in the center of the plaza.

“Boom—”

The hard skin collided with the resilient metal. It produced a deafening crash. Tomato’s body disintegrated and split open. Crimson juice splattered everywhere, staining half the statue red.

It struggled and trembled, trying to lift its body. But it quickly collapsed back to where it was. Even the stem on its head drooped limply.

“You… vegetables…”

Tomato let out one last lament to the girl. It then melted away like ice and snow under the sun, transforming into a puddle of sweet and sour juice.

Lily of the Valley stared at the monster’s remnants, confirming its complete demise. She let out a long breath. The greenish tint in her short hair faded, returning to its neat black.

Lu Chen was about to step forward to offer his congratulations. But then, a small figure darted out from the edge of the plaza. It was the little volunteer girl.

She clutched her little yellow hat tightly to her chest. Like a little duckling, she pattered quickly across the plaza to the girl’s side. Her face was beaming with a smile.

“So amazing! So amazing! You’re truly incredible! You’re so much stronger than last time, I can’t even tell by how much!”

The child was clearly incoherent with excitement. It made Lily of the Valley shiver. She looked helplessly at Lu Chen, casting a pleading glance, hoping he would come to her rescue. But the young man merely gave a thumbs-up.

Lily of the Valley hesitated for a moment. She nodded to the girl.

“That’s not true, I still have a long way to go. Thank you for your support.”

“Why are you so modest… Oh, right, I haven’t given you this yet.”

The little girl flipped over the hat she held against her chest. She retrieved something hidden inside.

It was a small booklet adorned with a chibi-style avatar of Morning Star.

The little girl cleared her throat. She spoke in an official tone:

“Thank you for your support of the disaster-stricken children! Please accept this official ‘Hero Certificate’ authorized by Auntie Morning Star!”

The volunteer girl stood on her tiptoes. She handed the booklet to the girl. Lily of the Valley paused, then bent down. She carefully took the thin booklet.

Morning Star’s avatar glowed warmly in the sunlight. The little girl’s smile was as radiant as a flower.

The girl’s lips curved upward. A faint smile bloomed in her eyes.

“Thank you very much. I will continue to work hard.”

Lu Chen seized the opportunity to raise his camera. He pressed the shutter button.

He was about to open the screen to check the results of his shot. A faint, warm fragrance drifted on the wind.

He turned his head to look. To his surprise, his lover had appeared behind him at some point.

“Ta-da. Did I scare you?”

Ling Wei had already removed her extra sunglasses and mask. She revealed her usual delicate features. A playful smile graced her cheeks. Lu Chen smiled faintly and said:

“You did. When did you get here?”

“About half a minute ago, when Lily of the Valley first knocked the Tomato monster flying.”

“Oh? Then why only show yourself now?”

The girl leaned closer to the young man. She gently bumped his shoulder. Her eyes gazed at the camera in his hand.

“Well, the victory was already decided. I couldn’t very well steal my partner’s thunder, could I? So, how did the photos turn out? Was it smooth sailing?”

“Hmm… take a look.”

The young man pressed a few buttons. The recently taken photos appeared on the screen. The moment she saw the image, Ling Wei secretly sighed. She felt a profound loss for the horror film industry, having missed out on such a talent.

The image showed Lily of the Valley gently holding the booklet, her smile soft and radiant.