Chapter 882 (2/2)

While the City in the Clouds was where most of those with any ability or coin ended up, this harbor town, affectionately called Scant by the locals, was where flotsam washed ashore. Every boneheaded youth looking to make coin and seek adventure on the seas ended up here. There was simply something about the salty air and the sound of water lapping against the shore that drove people crazy.

It filled their heads with dreams even as all that the sea gave them was sand and salt.

But perhaps the people had reason to be crazy. Of all the known Zones, this one had the highest known concentration of Dungeons. Some of them were hidden in islands, while others were associated with particular sea currents.

What that meant was that every week or so someone would stumble back wounded and announce they had cleared some high-Level Dungeon and found gems. Or pearls. Or powerful items. Which set another ten youths to dreaming and sailing wildly out in search of adventure.

Besides the fools that packed this town, there was something else that put Scant on the map: fish.

While Donnyton and Franksburg had made great strides in developing and domesticating monsters for meat, most of their diet was still grains and vegetables. In comparison to the difficult to control monsters which always had the chance of reverting to their feral forms, the vast schools of tuna within the sea were easier to catch and more tender to eat.

Perhaps just due to its initial scarcity, fish had shot up in popularity over the past few years. Lake Apollo in Zone 1 had once produced fish, but the strange infestation of Raid Boss/modified humans had killed out most of the local species. When Randidly had informed Tatiana in one of their calls that he would be heading to the Southeast, she enthusiastically demanded that he grab some fatty tuna for Erickson Steel.

With a bemused expression, Randidly walked up to the line of shacks that formed the outward perimeter of Scant. Because there were no true walls. He wondered how they dealt with roaming monsters. Or whether the people at the edge of this poorly constructed place-

Then Randidly paused. The ground rumbled. Within a few seconds, large cracks formed in the dirt beneath his feet. Very soon, familiar small feelers exploded outward and Randidly didn’t need to wonder how the town of Scant was staying safe, for the moment at least.

Randidly laughed. ”It's certainly been a while, hasn't it?”

With a gleeful trill, Thorn exploded upward and enthusiastically wrapped itself around Randidly.

There were a few points there the nominal ”thorns” dug into Randidly's exposed Skill, but he couldn't help but notice how deftly Thorn shifted its body so Randidly didn't end up looking like a piece of butchered meat. He filled the note about Thorn’s physical control away as he simply laughed and watched as meters and meters of vines as thick as his thigh exploded out of the ground and waved wildly in the air.

Randidly noted with amusement that several people noticed the strange plant display and hurried in the opposite direction. Windows were closed and doors were audibly locked.

”Easy there buddy. It's good to see you, too.” Randidly said warmly. There were probably fifty individual thorny vines waving almost 30 meters into the air at the moment, but Randidly could sense that this was just a fraction of Thorn's current size. ”You've certainly been eating well, haven't you?”

Thorn hummed in confirmation, greedily rubbing itself against Randidly. Sulfur chirped and pleasure, enjoying the physical touch.

That caused Thorn to pause. Several smaller tentacles came out of the hole in the ground and carefully felt along Sulfur to determine what this interloper in the enthusiastic reunion was. As recognition dawned in the cognizant plant, the frisking became more vigorous.

Very quickly, Sulfur wiggled in glee as Thorn's sharp thorns scratched away at it. After all, when Sulfur's surface layer was cracked or scraped away, Sulfur had the chance to produce a stronger shell. So it was quite willing to be the subject of Thon's peculiar style of attention.

Quickly Acri trilled and flexed upward. Its head bobbed back and forth, waving its head like a cobra. Within a few seconds, a dozen of Thorn's vines popped and mimicked that movement, much to Acri’s displeasure.

With a laugh, Randidly stripped off Acri and Sulfur and tossed them to the side. ”You three have some fun. It's been a while since you met, right?”

As Randidly moved out of the way, the three Soulseed beings engaged in a wild wrestling match. Acri and Sulfur were soon trembling from the exertion of challenging their older sibling, while Thorn methodically tired them out and prodded them.

Such was the power of Randidly's first Soulseed. Then Randidly showed his teeth. It would certainly be different if Randidly brought Thorn to the Donnyton challenge, wouldn't it...?

That might just be overkill. Donnyton wouldn’t know what hit them.