Start as a Spiritual Planter: I Have a Game Panel

As the fight raged on, Korrin's focus sharpened. The intensity in his eyes mirrored the blazing aura surrounding him. He tightened his grip on his fire-infused spiritual power blade, his mind rapidly analyzing Graal's movements.

Despite Korrin's skills and power, Graal's overwhelming strength and versatility kept him on the defensive.

However, with each exchange, Korrin's experience grew, and he began to anticipate Graal's moves more effectively.

Graal lunged forward, his heavy sword cleaving through the air with incredible speed.

Korrin sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the blade, and countered with a precise slash of his fire sword, followed by a swirling vortex of fire around him.

Flames trailed behind the weapon, licking at Graal's body.

"You're persistent, I'll give you that," Graal sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "But persistence won't save you."

Korrin didn't reply. Instead, he adjusted his stance, his body moving more fluidly as he began to note the slight delay in his heavy swings and the predictable arcs of his sword strikes.

Gradually, Korrin adjusted his positioning, sidestepping the attacks with greater ease and countering with faster, more calculated blows.

When Graal unleashed a powerful Crushing Blow, Korrin met it head-on with his fire sword. The clash created a huge explosion, forcing both fighters to recoil.

Korrin's arm throbbed from the impact, but his Wood Spirit Body quickly healed the strained muscles.

His wounds healed almost instantly, and his spiritual power surged anew, thanks to the additional 80% recovery speed.

Korrin's fire sword clashed against Graal's energy-infused blade as he switched between spell casting and melee attacks, creating shockwaves that rippled around.

Meanwhile, Ram shifted his attention to the broader battlefield, observing how the other Half-Drow Fire Mages fared against the gang members using the amplification devices.

"Hahaa, better than expected…" he muttered, the mages fought valiantly, their combined attacks, fire arrows, and explosive spells targeted the weak points in the armor, gradually wearing down their defenses.

So far there were no causalities on his side, but he was not worried much, just because he can collect the souls of the fallen half-Drows and revive them using the Sylvan Spirit Rebirth.

It's just that he needs to spend more Life energy and Spiritual power. Just then, Nyra appeared at his side, her shadowy figure slipping seamlessly from the chaos.

Her expression was calm yet focused, a sign of her confidence in the situation. "Master, we're done handling most of the low-level gang members. Some managed to escape into the forest, but we should be able to hunt them down soon," she reported, her voice steady.

Ram nodded; his expression unchanging. "Good. Have the others regroup and focus on supporting the main battle. They should have already called for support; we don't have much time to waste."

"Yes, Master," Nyra replied, vanishing into the shadows once more to relay the orders.

As Ram turned his gaze back to Korrin and Graal, he couldn't help but look at the large warehouse behind them.

Curious, Ram went over to check what was inside, and just as he approached, Nyra reappeared, slipping silently to his side with a sweet smile. She followed him without a word, sensing his rising tension.

Ram didn't stop her but continued towards the warehouse, his steps measured but firm.

With Graal and the other gang members preoccupied, no one blocked their way.

As Ram pushed open the warehouse doors, he was greeted by the dim glow of artificial light spilling over the interior. The scene that awaited him made his blood boil.

The warehouse appeared large, mostly vacant, and dilapidated. In the center of the warehouse was a small laboratory, its sleek, metallic equipment starkly contrasting with the grim surroundings.

Inside a large, reinforced glass container, small grass-like plants grew under artificial light, their environment carefully regulated by intricate machinery.

Yet, it wasn't the peculiar plants that angered him.

Scattered across the cold, dimly lit corners were hundreds of small children, their fragile bodies wrapped in tattered clothing barely enough to fend off the chill.

Heavy chains bound their wrists and ankles, the metallic clinking echoing eerily in the silent room. Each child bore signs of malnutrition, their hollow cheeks and wide, fearful eyes speaking of the suffering they endured.

Some were huddled together for warmth, while others sat motionless, their gazes vacant, as though their spirits had already been crushed.

The faint whimper of a younger child broke the oppressive silence, piercing Ram's heart like a dagger.

Nyra's sweet smile vanished, replaced by a hardened, icy glare. "This…" she began, her voice trembling with fury.

"This is unforgivable." Even if she was of a different race, she couldn't help becoming angry looking at those pitiful children.

Ram's fists clenched, the air around him growing heavy with his seething rage. His spiritual power surged instinctively, causing a faint glow to emanate from his body.

"They're experimenting on them," he muttered, his voice low but filled with barely restrained fury. "Using their suffering for… whatever twisted project this is."

Nyra's hand moved to the hilt of her weapon. "Master, shall we—?"

"Not yet," Ram interrupted, his tone cold and decisive. "First, we free them. Then, we burn this place to the ground."

Nyra nodded, her gaze hardened by anger. As she moved through the room, her shadow blade gleamed faintly, slicing through the heavy chains with precision and ease.
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The metallic clinking echoed softly as one by one, the bindings fell to the ground.

A few children noticed their approach and stirred. Some tried to stand, but their movements were sluggish, their eyes devoid of life or hope.

They seemed more like living shadows than children, their spirits crushed and bodies weakened.

Ram knelt beside one of the children, speaking softly to them. His words carried warmth, but no response came.

A quick scan with his Spiritual Eye revealed the cause—these children had been heavily drugged, their senses dulled almost to the point of oblivion.

"These poor kids…" Ram muttered, his fists clenching at his sides. He turned to Nyra. "Break the remaining chains. They need to be free of this place, even if they can't understand it right now."

Nyra gave a sharp nod, continuing her work without hesitation. Meanwhile, Ram's attention shifted to the laboratory at the center of the warehouse.

His expression darkened as he approached the reinforced glass container, the strange plants inside pulsating faintly with a mysterious energy.

In the far corner of the laboratory, a man in a white coat cowered, clutching a small knife in trembling hands. His face was pale and drenched with sweat, his eyes darting around in search of an escape.

As Ram stepped closer, the man suddenly leaped to his feet, his fear spurring a desperate attack. With a shaky cry, he lunged at Ram, thrusting the knife forward.

Ram's reflexes were sharp. He sidestepped the attack effortlessly and caught the man's wrist mid-strike. With a swift, controlled motion, he disarmed him, forcing the man to the ground and twisting his arms behind his back.

"W-wait! Please don't kill me!" the man cried out, his voice cracking with panic.

Ram's eyes narrowed, his tone icy. "Give me a good reason not to."

"I-I was forced to do this!" the man stammered, his words spilling out in a rush. "They have my daughter! She's been kidnapped! They said they'd kill her if I didn't comply!"

Ram paused, his grip still firm but his expression flickering with contemplation. Nyra, who had finished freeing the last of the children, approached him, with her shadow blade, still in hand.

"Master, should we believe him?" she asked, her tone skeptical but tempered with restraint.

Ram's gaze bore into the man's eyes, searching for any hint of deceit. After a moment, he spoke, his voice calm but commanding. "You'd better hope your story is true. If it isn't, no one will be able to save you."

The man nodded frantically, tears streaming down his face. "It's true! I swear! They're... They're using these children for testing the drugs, and… and the plants for their experiments."

"But my daughter—she's innocent in all of this!"

Ram released his grip, keeping a wary eye on him as he stood. "Nyra, secure him. We'll deal with him after we get the children to safety."

Nyra moved swiftly, binding the man with wooden vines. "What now, Master?"

Ram glanced at the trembling children, and then at the strange plants inside the reinforced glass container. The plants seemed unnaturally healthy, even under the artificial lights.

Narrowing his eyes, he activated his Spiritual Eye, to check for their details.

[ Name: Phantom Veil Grass]

[ Race: Spiritual Grass]

[ Level: Tier 2]

[ Quality: Rare]

[ Description: Phantom Veil Grass has an ethereal, translucent appearance, with its leaves shimmering faintly like liquid moonlight. The blades emit a soft, silvery mist that swirls around them at night, giving it a ghostly, otherworldly presence. Its roots burrow deep into the ground, resembling crystalline tendrils.]

[ Growth Requirements: Requires 6 months to sprout under ideal conditions. Takes approximately 12 years to reach full maturity. Mature Phantom Veil Grass grows up to 30 centimeters tall and develops a faint glowing aura, signaling its readiness for harvest.]

[ Effect: Consuming regularly can increase the spiritual power concentration by 30%, effective to those below Tier 3, with an additional 10% chance of awakening latent spiritual talents.]

[ Side Effects: Causes extreme pain during consumption, with a 25% chance of triggering a soul fracture, rendering the user unable to cultivate for months. Long-term use may result in memory loss and reduced lifespan.]