strictlysupreme Chapter 314 [Empire] Fortunately, he doesn’t understand me.
Chapter 314 [Empire] Fortunately, he doesn’t understand me.
Although it was slightly larger than before, this slight change left me a little confused. Its growth pace didn't seem as rapid as I'd imagined, but rather a relatively slow one, slowly absorbing energy without rushing to achieve speed.
Its "ignorance" of the mung beans made me feel a little relieved, but it also gave me more questions.
That battle plant fruit, once my "bribe" to it, hadn't been completely consumed. The once radiant fruit had now grown dull and lifeless, as if it had absorbed some energy, but was far from finished. Its luster was gradually fading, as if the vitality within it was being slowly squeezed out, yet it seemed as if some energy remained.
The seedling is obviously full, or it has chosen to "pause", as if it wants to digest and absorb the energy it has obtained during this time, rather than blindly pursuing more.
How strange! This creature could actually be "polite"? No, how could it possibly be polite? It had always acted as if it took everything for granted, without restraint, never once showing any refusal or hesitation towards any energy. But today, it was as if it made its own rules—when to eat and when not to eat was determined entirely by its mood, not its needs.
My eyes fell on the battle plant's fruit. Its luster had long since faded, its surface becoming dull, rough, and even a bit gray. Despite this, it still seemed to have some value; at least the seedling hadn't completely drained all of its energy.
I couldn't help but wonder: How much longer can it last? Without this fruit, would it turn its attention to something else around it, like... my mung bean seeds, or even something even scarier?
The thought of this made me feel anxious. This creature's appetite seemed picky and capricious, but I knew that its essence was greedy. If I couldn't continue to provide it with "supplements," would it become even more difficult to control? After all, I couldn't even predict its next "menu," nor did I know how much energy it would need to satisfy it.
Do I have to find the next supplement too? The thought makes my scalp tingle. This bottomless pit of consumption is exhausting me. Who made it my "responsibility"?
Perhaps, it is really waiting for me to take the initiative to fill its appetite.
Thinking of this, I couldn't help but sneer—this guy really knows how to "cultivate people," like an insatiable mentor, using his existence to force me to constantly search, prepare, and even break the bottom line to meet his needs. He is the controller, and I am just a follower who barely follows behind him.
"You're welcome?" I scoffed and shook my head. "It's probably just toying with me."
Whether it is it or the rechargeable weapon "Water Gun" that I just obtained, all the clues and directions seem to be drawn to the same focus - combat plants.
The seedlings need the body of the fighting plant, or its fruit, to be full and grow; the "water gun" needs the essence and nuclear energy of the fighting plant to unleash its true power.
Battle plants became the core of all problems, and also the intersection that I could not avoid. They were the source of desire, and I... became a slave to desire?
I wasn't being "eaten" by the seedlings as nutrients, but every flow of energy, every satisfying supply, gave me a vague sense of being devoured in another way. Not physically, but spiritually. They needed me, their existence, bound by need, bound me tightly. I couldn't avoid or reject them, only being drawn ever closer to the abyss.
Fighting plants is their desire, and it is also mine.
I could feel my heartbeat quickening, a mixture of anticipation and fear. It was a strange attraction that made me want to get closer, yet instinctively resist.
When I gripped the "water gun" tightly, the flashing green light and gushing energy intoxicated me - and so did it. Every time I pulled the trigger, I wasn't just using it to release energy, but also testing the enthusiasm that seemed to have just been awakened deep in my heart.
Is it their desire or mine? I can no longer tell.
I felt like I had been swallowed up long ago, swept up in their needs, infected by my desires. To grow my seedlings and recharge my weapons, I had already begun to plan how to obtain more of the remains of the battle plants.
Perhaps this wasn't a feeling of being devoured, but rather a slow invasion. My thoughts, my actions, even my soul, were being slowly pulled by these invisible tentacles toward their world. Or, more accurately, toward my world, a black hole filled with desire, need, and anxiety.
How can I escape, or... have I never actually thought about escaping?
Devour, grow, devour, and grow again.
The young plant's branches and leaves swayed slightly, a silent response. It devoured greedily, mercilessly plundering everything that could replenish its own energy. Looking at it, I suddenly felt something strange. It wasn't a plant; it was a mirror.
Its existence, that greedy attitude, is like a miniature of me.
Isn't that the same for me?
Devour, grow, by any means necessary. To survive, to grow stronger, to gain a foothold in this strange world, I plundered everything I could control. I used the contractual abilities granted by my time travel to seize resources and control exotic beasts; I used deception and political schemes to gain trust; I used fruit after fruit to feed the seedlings, and also to nourish my own hidden ambitions.
Am I feeding the seedlings or feeding myself?
It seemed to be devouring me, yet it also seemed to be fulfilling an indescribable desire on my behalf. My growth depended on it, and its growth depended on me. We were intertwined, mutually fulfilling, yet also devouring each other. Is this relationship parasitic or symbiotic? I could no longer tell.
That endless need, that all-consuming attitude, made me see my own shadow while looking at the seedlings.
Is this really necessary for growth?
I closed my eyes, but my own experience emerged in my mind. Every step was devouring, every step was growing, every step was unscrupulous.
Is it the world that made me like this, or am I just like this?
I'm not sure, but I know I can't stop. Whether it's me or the seedling, we all have an unstoppable drive to grow. This drive isn't just for survival, but more importantly, for occupation, for conquest, for proving our continued existence.
Devour, grow, devour, grow.
This is the fate of the seedling, and it's also my fate. Every step I take takes me further and further from my original self. But so what? Devouring brings growth, and growth means hope.
Perhaps, I have never been different from it.
It is me, and I am it.
Yes, Nightingale has indeed seen through a lot.
His sharp, unbridled eyes seemed to reveal the most intimate corners of my heart. His words stung me, almost suffocating me—because he understood desire so well, even better than I did. He had long seen what I wanted. And he saw it more clearly than I did myself.
But he doesn't understand me.
He understood my ambition, but misunderstood my true nature. He assumed we were one kind, both treading cautiously in the pursuit of the abyss of desire; that my goal was to reach some undefined peak through the use of contract magic, combat plants, or even the devouring of all that stood in my way. He was wrong. I admit that my desires drive me, but they are not everything to me.
Fortunately, he doesn't understand me.