They arrived a few minutes later.
Mike stopped the mont he saw it.
"...This is—" he muttered, his breath catching.
The scenery in front of him was breathtaking.
The dark, twisted forest they had been walking through abruptly ended, replaced by an open valley filled with soft light. Tall trees with pale, glowing trunks rose toward the sky, their leaves shimring like glass touched by sunlight. Countless flowers blood across the ground—white, gold, and faint green—each releasing gentle waves of Life and Light mana.
It felt warm. Calm.
As if the dungeon itself had taken a breath.
"This place..." Mike said quietly. "It doesn’t feel like a dungeon at all."
lina smiled. "Because it isn’t like the rest."
She gestured around them. "Light- and Life-elent plants don’t have much predatory nature. So monsters rarely fight here."
Mike noticed it then—small spirit-like creatures drifting lazily through the air, harmless plant beasts resting instead of hunting, vines that moved slowly without aggression.
"We can move around freely here," lina continued. "This area is considered a safe zone inside the dungeon."
Linda nodded. "Not just safe—this place also provides passive healing."
As if to prove her point, Mike felt it.
A faint warmth spread through his body. His fatigue eased, his mana stabilized, and even the lingering ntal pressure from the illusions faded almost completely.
"It also boosts recovery speed and clarity," Linda added. "That’s why illusion-type enemies avoid this place."
"Even the safe zone is entirely different here" Mike said as most safezones are like a stone platform of so size depending on the dungeon rank, but here its an whole flower valley with passive healing too.
"Yes," lina said. "High-rank dungeons often do."
Mike looked around again, eyes scanning the field of glowing flowers and ancient trees bathed in soft light.
"...And sowhere here," he said, "is a Four-Leaf Clover."
Linda nodded. "They usually grow near the center—where Life and Light mana overlap the most."
lina squeezed Mike’s hand gently. "Take your ti. Don’t rush. It’s not easy to find. Over the last ten years, only three have been discovered," she said.
Mike looked around thoughtfully. I can’t even release the undead, he realized. They’d just die in this high concentration of Life mana.
Undead creatures have only two true weaknesses: the Holy elent and the Life elent. Both are absolute banes to them. Releasing his undead here would be the sa as telling them to go commit suicide.
Mike nodded. "Okay then. Let’s go find it."
lina smiled. "I’ll find one for you too."
Linda watched the two of them with a faint smile. "How about you make it interesting?" she said. "Let’s have a bet."
"A bet?" Mike and lina asked at the sa ti.
"The first one to find the Four-Leaf Clover gets to give orders to the other for twenty-four hours," Linda said calmly.
lina’s eyes lit up. "That’s a great idea."
Mike hesitated for half a second, then nodded. "Alright. Deal."
"Then I’ll be the judge," Linda said.
"Boo, that’s no fun," lina said playfully. "You should join the bet too. The winner commands the other two."
Linda raised an eyebrow and looked at lina for a mont. "You do rember I’m your maid, right?"
Then she added evenly, "And by Devone Empire custom, the maid of a saintess also becos the woman of the man she marries."
Mike froze. "Wait—what?"
"It’s an old rule," Linda explained without changing her expression. "One of the empire’s founders made it. She adored her husband and wanted her husband to be surrounded by the best won possible."
Mike stared at her. "And... you’re okay with that?"
"I am," Linda replied calmly. "Being chosen alongside saintesses is considered an honor."
"That’s really not sothing you had to say so casually—and I won’t be forcing you into anything," Mike muttered.
Linda nodded. "As you wish."
lina, on the other hand, suddenly stepped behind Linda. Her hands moved quickly, and the front of Linda’s robe was pulled open, briefly revealing her generous bust to Mike.
They’re even bigger than lina’s... Mike thought, then imdiately turned his head away.
"What’s the problem, Mike?" lina asked with a sly smile. "Don’t tell you’re regretting it now?"
"No," Mike replied, keeping his gaze averted. "I just shouldn’t see her like that."
"My, my. Aren’t you a gentleman?" lina teased.
Linda shook her head at her naughty saintess’s antics and calmly freed herself, pulling her robe back into place and stepping out of lina’s grasp.
"You’re lucky, my lady," Linda said sincerely. "You’ve found a good man."
She could tell Mike wasn’t lying.
lina laughed softly. "Then it’s settled. Linda judges, and Mike and I compete."
She leaned closer to Mike with a teasing smile. "Hehe, I wonder what you’ll make do if you win. But if I win—fufu—you and I are going to ascend to heaven."
Mike’s face heated up. Why does she have to say things like that out loud...
Clearing his throat, he pointed ahead. "Let’s split up, but stay within sight. If anyone finds it, signal imdiately."
Linda nodded. "I’ll keep watch."
They split up soon after.
The area was wide, with many spots where Life and Light mana gathered naturally. Soft glowing grass covered the ground, and clusters of plants shimred with gentle light. Tall trees stood like pillars, their leaves glowing faintly as if sunlight lived inside them.
Mike moved carefully from one mana-rich patch to another, kneeling down to check each cluster of clover-like plants. Most of them had three leaves. So had strange shapes, others glowed brighter—but none were what he was looking for.
lina searched nearby, moving lightly between flower beds and glowing roots. From ti to ti, she glanced at Mike, making sure he was still within sight.
Linda remained at a higher spot, calmly observing the surroundings. Any creature that wandered too close quickly turned away, unwilling to enter the safe zone.
Minutes passed.
Then more.
Mike wiped his brow. "This place is huge..."
"Don’t rush," lina said calmly. "Four-Leaf Clovers are born where balance is perfect. Not just strong mana—stable mana."
Mike nodded and moved toward another area where light gathered softly around a small pond. He crouched, gently parting the glowing grass.
Reviews
All reviews (0)