Chapter 616 – Stump Stumps

“Come sit!” Sylph pulled Mo Lan over to the tree stump table.

Beside the large tree stump table were two small stumps placed side by side.

Sylph pushed Mo Lan down onto one of the small stumps.

The moment Mo Lan sat down, she felt a soft, sponge-like texture that firmly supported her bottom, then her waist, back, neck, and finally the back of her head.

If Sylph hadn’t been pressing down on her shoulders—and if she didn’t know Sylph would never harm her—Mo Lan probably would have leaped to the side with a shriek the instant her bottom touched down.

What kind of normal little tree stump felt like this!

It was practically alive, sending shivers down her spine.

In fact, even with Sylph holding her down, she had tried to get up several times, only to be stopped each time.

“Don’t stand up. This is a Clingy Stump Stump,” Sylph said.

The name immediately jogged Mo Lan’s memory—after all, she was the one who had named them.

Several years ago, Sylph had told her that a tree species had appeared in the Box of Ten Thousand Seeds that was extremely difficult to cultivate. Someone had to sit on them every single day for no less than half an hour each time, or they would quietly die.

At the time, Mo Lan had said, “They’re so clingy—might as well call them Clingy Stumps.”

Now that she remembered, Mo Lan settled in with ease, because she also recalled that last year, Sylph had tearfully lamented in their group chat about how her extra-large Clingy Stump Stump—which she had carefully tended for several years—had hardened and died on the spot because the magical clock’s alarm had malfunctioned, causing her to get up three seconds short of the half-hour mark. The stump had been so upset it immediately hardened to death.

After grieving, Sylph had planted two new ones and sat on them every day alongside Bi’er, using them as stools.

“So these are the new Clingy Stump Stumps you planted?”

Sylph nodded.

“This table isn’t the one that hardened and died because the magical clock chimed three seconds early, is it!”

Mo Lan pointed at the tree stump table with fruit arranged on top.

Sylph nodded again. “That’s the one. It had finally grown big enough to sleep on like a bed, and then it just died like that. Now it’s rock-hard—no different from a real tree stump.”

Even now, a hint of regret lingered in Sylph’s voice.

“You’ve worked so hard!” Mo Lan patted Sylph’s hand.

It was hard to imagine what she had to go through day in and day out just to keep all these bizarre plants growing properly.

“Hard?” Sylph plopped down onto the other Stump Stump and leaned back, the stump adjusting its shape to cradle her body.

The vines encircling the tree stump table—which Mo Lan had initially assumed were decorative—hooked a cluster of fruit and extended it toward Sylph.

Sylph plucked one off, popped it into her mouth, and wore an expression of pure bliss. “Not at all!”

Mo Lan could see it now—Sylph was thoroughly enjoying every bit of this.

And really, if she weren’t, there was no way she’d be carrying this many planting pots around with her.

Many of the successfully cultivated mutant plants no longer required Sylph to keep them with her for further research.

But she hadn’t parted with a single one.

Mo Lan noticed that the Lantern Tomatoes she had once seen in the Academy greenhouse had already grown into tomato trees as tall as a person along the roadside.

Sitting on her Stump Stump—which was basically a soft sofa—Mo Lan accepted offerings from the mutant vine while swiveling her head to take in the surrounding plants.

The Stump Stump was remarkably considerate too. It would pull its own roots out of the ground and carry her wherever she wished, practically indistinguishable from a nimble wheelchair.

But if she went too far, the mutant vine could no longer deliver food to her.

Only then did Mo Lan truly appreciate the loss of the large Stump Stump table. If it were still alive, it could have pulled up its roots and followed right along with them.

The knowledge base Mo Lan took such pride in was completely useless in Sylph’s garden.

Of the plants she saw, at least nine out of ten were ones she didn’t recognize.

They all looked vaguely familiar yet entirely foreign.

“Sylph, what’s this grass on the ground? Why is it warm?”

“I call it Warm-in-Winter Cool-in-Summer Grass. When the ambient temperature is low, the blades generate a gentle warmth, and when it’s high, they give off a slight coolness. Whether it’s winter or summer, sleeping on grass like this, you’d never feel too hot or too cold.”

“So that’s what it is! I’ve seen someone upload a crafting recipe for a Warm-in-Winter Cool-in-Summer Grass blanket on the Card Shop. The main ingredient seemed to be this.”

“That’s right, it is! But this grass is better left growing in the ground. Once you cut it and weave it into a blanket, it quickly loses its temperature-regulating properties.”

“Sylph, what are those leaves over there? Why are they so huge?”

“That’s a Fruit-Freshening Tree. Its leaves can keep any fruit placed on them in a fresh state. The tree stump table is lined with those leaves—when you pick more fruit than you can eat right away, you just set it on them. It’s even better than putting it in a refrigerator! I’ve planted several Fruit-Freshening Trees, but this one was the first and has grown the largest.”

“A single leaf from that tree could be used as a blanket.”

“Ha ha! Exactly—Bi’er actually did use one as a blanket once. She wanted to see if the leaf could keep her fresh too.”

“Pfft~ Doesn’t look like it worked. Bi’er seems to have grown a bit.”

“She has! She’s a full-grown Sprite now.”

“Are the climbing vines and greenery on the house also mutant magical plants?”

“Mm-hm! To be precise, they are my house’s roof. From inside, you can even see their roots dangling down!”

“Doesn’t it leak when it rains, or get damp?”

“Not at all! Among them, some are waterproof, some are heat-insulating, some repel insects, and some have roots that glow, serving as magical lamps to light up the interior!”

“I can hardly picture it.”

“Just have the Stump Stump carry you inside for a look and you’ll see.”

“I’ve made so many construction-type cards, but it never once occurred to me that a house could be built like this! It seems you’ve cultivated quite a few miraculous magical plants over these years.”

“These just make daily life more convenient and add a little fun. You haven’t seen the most impressive one yet!”

“There’s something even more impressive?”

“Did you forget? I came back to the Wilds early specifically to cultivate the mutant seed of the Tree of Life.”

“You planted it? How’s it growing? What does it do?”

“The Red-Eyed Bird wings are done roasting. Let’s go have dinner first! After we eat, I’ll take you to see it. It hasn’t fully grown yet, but it will absolutely blow your mind!”

“Alright! Sylph, when did you learn to keep people in suspense!”

“Ha ha ha! The aroma of roasted Red-Eyed Bird wings is just too overwhelming—I can’t take it anymore!”

…

The Stump Stumps pulled up their roots and dashed off with the two of them, stopping only when they reached the roasting rack.

The fire pit beneath the rack was a flower growing right out of the ground, its pistil producing an endless stream of flames.

Needless to say, this was yet another mutant plant.

Having only strolled around the front of Sylph’s house, Mo Lan’s eyes were already wide open. She could only wonder how many more surprises lay hidden across this vast garden.