Brand New Life Online: Rise Of The Goddess Of Harvest Chapter 2011: Lady

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Elayne let out a deep sigh of relief, a warm smile spreading across her face as new system notifications appeared before her eyes. Her familiars had grown significantly stronger, and these fresh abilities would undoubtedly prove useful in the battles ahead.

"Phew, that was tough," Irene sighed heavily. "Ugh, I still can't get used to being fused with that guy, but I guess it's necessary if we want to gain real power."

"That guy?" Ignis asked, sounding slightly offended. "I am the one who should be complaining here…"

"Hey, you two, don't fight," Gardenia said as she popped out of Elayne's soul and glanced around curiously. "I feel so much stronger now. This whole leveling stuff is really neat! Why wasn't I enjoying this earlier?"

"I guess you only recently became a proper familiar capable of leveling up," Elayne explained with a gentle smile. "It probably happened after you used a large amount of Spirit Power and grew solid enough, Gardenia."

"Maybe…" Gardenia nodded thoughtfully. "Hm, but these new abilities… is it just me, or do they sound kind of similar to skills you possessed before?"

"I feel the same way," Ignis added. "We might be able to regain some of your old Hephaestus Successor Skills through my abilities. That could be quite convenient."

"I'm gaining a bunch of new powers too, though I have no idea what they're supposed to do yet. I'm happy about it regardless!" Irene said cheerfully.

"Looks like your party has grown stronger overall," Blank pointed out, clearly impressed by her rapid progress.

"Yeah," Elayne nodded in agreement. "What about you, Blank?"

"For the first time in quite a while, I leveled up a lot," Blank replied. "These monsters are true challenges, strong enough to make even me gain levels. Interesting."

"I see," Elayne said, turning her attention to the corpse of the fallen Hollow. "Well, it looks like Bianca and Wendigo have done an excellent job expanding the terrain. I might as well do this now."

Elayne raised her hand toward the corpse of the female Hollow and spoke clearly.

"Rise."

FLASH!

The corpse began to stir. Dozens of spores and thick mycelial roots burst from the ground, wrapping tightly around the body and fusing with its bones, skin, and muscle tissue. The remaining spiritual power and dark energy within the Hollow — its fading "soul" — suddenly solidified and grew stronger. The corpse rearranged itself into a living colony of spores and fungi.

When the process ended, a large, three-meter-tall female Hollow rose to her feet. She was covered in white and dark blue mushroom caps that served as natural armor, mixed with dark red tree bark and her original red bone plating. Her appearance was a striking blend of her original form and her final evolved state. A massive claw replaced her left arm, while her smaller right arm held a crude knife crafted from bone and dark bark.

Elayne gazed at her new creation with mesmerized golden eyes.

"Gaaaoohh!" The creature let out a roar, though this one was noticeably smaller and almost cute in tone.

Blank stared in shock. "Huh?! Y-You turned her into a Sporeborn?!"

Ding!

[You have risen a powerful Sporeborn. Do you wish to give it a name?]

[By naming a Risen Sporeborn, they will be assigned classes, roles, skills, and greater power. However, you can only have 10 named Sporeborns. To gain more, your skill must evolve further or another must die and be replaced.]

"Yep," Elayne said with a bright smile. "This one is quite strong. I will name her."

She quickly decided on a simple yet fitting name.

[You have named the Sporeborn as "Lady"!]

[Your Named Sporeborn: Crimson Fungal Hollow Bone Matriarch – Lady – Tier 4: Level 1/400 has been bonded with your soul as one of your Ten Named Sporeborns: 2/10.]

[Your Named Sporeborn has gained the following abilities: Crimson Bone Armor, Roar of Intimidation, Reinforced Fungal Colony Body, Hollow Bite.]

[Your Named Sporeborn can level up on its own as your bonded undead and will continuously grow stronger, gaining new stats and abilities.]

[Your bonded Named Sporeborn has shared part of their power with you. Your stats have increased greatly.]

[You can now inherit one of their skills.]

[Please choose one of the following skills to inherit:]

[Crimson Bone Armor]

[Roar of Intimidation]

[Reinforced Fungal Colony Body]

[Hollow Bite]

"To think I can copy skills like this…" Elayne murmured, feeling even more motivated to carefully choose her ten named Sporeborns. "Okay, I choose… Hm…"

She thought deeply about which skill would benefit her the most in the current situation. Crimson Bone Armor would provide excellent defense and could also be shaped into projectiles, claws, and offensive tools. Roar of Intimidation could weaken enemies and release powerful shockwaves. Reinforced Fungal Colony Body would boost her overall physique. Hollow Bite offered a devastating piercing attack.

"We have to hurry. I can't waste too much time here," she thought with a quiet internal sigh. "Hollow Bite seems like the strongest choice for offense, but I don't really want to go around biting things. It's just not my style… So I'll go with this instead."

Ding!

[You have inherited the skill from your bonded Named Sporeborn: Crimson Bone Armor – Tier 4: Level 1/40!]

[Crimson Bone Armor – Tier 4: Level 1/40]

A power born from a mutated and evolved Hollow.

By spending Nether and Mana, the user can cover their entire body or selected areas with super-hardened crimson bone. This armor is capable of blocking up to 80% of physical damage and 50% of magical damage. The bone armor can naturally grow and restore itself over time. It can also be shaped into various forms for both defense and offense, dealing up to 500% damage while ignoring 30% of an enemy's physical defenses. It is especially effective at breaking through enemy armor.

Creating large quantities requires substantial amounts of Nether and Mana.

[You have unlocked the stat: Bone Toughness. This stat increases the toughness, density, durability, strength, and energy conductivity of all osseous structures in the physical body.]

[Bone Toughness]: [+50,000]

Elayne tested the skill immediately. Sharp, clawed armored gloves formed over her right hand. They were flexible yet incredibly tough, sharp, and strong.

"It's good…" she whispered, nodding in satisfaction.

She noticed Lady staring at her with empty yet obedient eyes. Elayne smiled softly and reached out to pet the Sporeborn's head, offering her a Nether Stone as a snack.

"Alright, I'm ready. Let's move quickly. We have to find everyone else and—" Elayne paused as new information reached her. "Oh! My Sporeborns have already found them! Follow me!"

She led the group forward, heading confidently toward Mark and the rest of their companions.

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