Chapter 331: The Flower Demon and Parasitism
Helena's explanation left Li Meng utterly astonished.
He hadn't expected such a peculiar place to exist on the 41st floor.
The labyrinth was truly an unfathomable existence.
Shortly after, the group left the hill and headed toward the oasis.
"These aren't ordinary plants, are they?"
Riding a dodo through the oasis, Li Meng thought to himself.
Although it was lush and green, the vegetation resembled cacti or similar plants.
They bore flowers, and the flowers produced various kinds of fruits.
[Flower Demon (Labyrinth Creature) (Non-edible)]
[Devour Spirit: LV6 (Gains spiritual power and magic from carnivores via meat offerings)]
The system's information made Li Meng frown slightly.
It turned out the vegetation in the oasis was all Flower Demons.
Moreover, they could absorb spiritual energy and magic.
"This smells so delicious, so enticing!"
As soon as they entered the oasis, the team dispersed.
Everyone was excitedly gathering the fruits from the flowers as reserve provisions.
The fragrance from the vegetation was mouthwatering.
Some even rushed to the lakeside.
The lake water, like the vegetation, exuded a rich, wine-like aroma.
Peering into the lake, one could see more vegetation growing underwater.
These plants made the lake a natural brewing pool.
"Helena, these plants are all Flower Demons!"
By the lake, seeing Helena about to pick some fruit, Li Meng gave her a reminder.
Flower Demons?
Helena froze with her hand mid-air.
Flower Demons were legendary creatures.
They were said to have gone extinct after being corrupted and animated by the abyss during a demonic invasion.
"Silver Mask, are you certain?"
"Consuming the fruit of the Flower Demon should cause noticeable changes in the body. You'll feel fatigued, and your magic power will inexplicably drain. These symptoms will only disappear after leaving the labyrinth."
Hearing Silver Mask's words, Helena's face turned pale.
She recalled something.
The last time she visited this oasis, she did feel a bit unwell after leaving.
She had assumed it was just exhaustion and thought she needed a good rest.
The sensation only faded after leaving the labyrinth.
"The Flower Demon fruit is essentially the flesh of the Flower Demon. After consuming it, the seeds of the Flower Demon will parasitize the eater's body. If you don't leave the labyrinth in time, you'll turn into a new Flower Demon the next time you visit."
Helena's expression fluctuated.
She turned to look at the scattered team behind her in the forest.
Some were devouring the Flower Demon fruits with gusto.
Others were kneeling by the lakeside, gulping down the wine-like water.
"Everyone, gather over here!"
Helena shouted loudly.
Her call drew the attention of the scattered team members.
One by one, they began walking toward her from all directions.
"Miss Helena, what's the matter?"
Before long, the group had regrouped.
Helena scanned the crowd.
"The vegetation in the oasis is all Flower Demons. Eating the fruit will cause parasitism. Wait, we're missing two people. Where are they?"
While speaking, Helena counted the group.
She discovered that two people were missing.
Vegetation in the oasis being Flower Demons?
The group exchanged confused looks, their faces filled with shock.
"Miss Helena, that can't be possible, right?"
Someone who had been chewing on a fruit froze mid-bite.
"Don't panic. It's okay. As long as we leave the labyrinth, the parasites in your body will disappear."
"Let's find Baha and Harry. They came here with me last time."
Baha and Harry were members of the Water Dragon Knights.
They had accompanied Helena on her previous visit to this oasis.
And the two of them had never left the labyrinth.
Those by the lake wandered off, puzzled.
It was hard for everyone to believe the vegetation were Flower Demons.
After all, the legendary Flower Demons didn't look like this.
Flower Demons were supposed to be alive, whereas the oasis vegetation appeared lifeless.
"Found... found them!"
Not long after, a panicked shout came from the distance.
The scattered group rushed toward the voice.
When they found the source of the shout, everyone gasped.
Amidst the lush vegetation stood two grotesque and terrifying plants.
Their trunks bore the distorted features of human faces.
A hand even protruded from one of the trunks, struggling faintly.
The two trees stood side by side, creating a horrifying scene.
Those who had eaten the fruit turned pale.
At that moment, the group finally believed the vegetation in the oasis were Flower Demons.
"Miss Helena, how... how did you know?"
Matthew remembered that the Water Dragon Knights had visited this place many times.
If Helena had known earlier, there was no way she wouldn't have told them.
"Silver Mask just told me."
At these words, the group understood.
Silver Mask truly was well-informed.
He even knew about the peculiar and supposedly extinct Flower Demons.
"Miss Helena, are we going to be okay?"
This question made everyone look nervously at her.
Faced with their gazes, Helena turned to Silver Mask beside her.
The group also shifted their attention to Silver Mask.
"The Flower Demon seeds take time to grow. In the short term, they'll only cause fatigue and mild comfort without major harm. These may be Flower Demons, but not the ones you know of. These are labyrinth creatures. As long as you leave the labyrinth, the parasites will vanish from your bodies."
The Flower Demon seeds and the Curse of the Fallen Slime were entirely different entities.
Curses were not bound by the labyrinth.
Even if you left the labyrinth, the curse would persist.
However, the parasitic Flower Demon seeds were labyrinth creatures.
Leaving the labyrinth would remove the parasites.
Labyrinth creatures couldn't leave the labyrinth.
More precisely, they couldn't leave the Saint Biron Continent.
The entire Saint Biron Continent was part of the labyrinth.
However, the labyrinth city "Aukladeo" was shrouded in non-labyrinth magic.
Thus, it wasn't considered part of the labyrinth.
Entering "Aukladeo" was effectively leaving the labyrinth.
Hearing this, the group breathed a collective sigh of relief.
While parasitism was uncomfortable, it wasn't seriously harmful.
They certainly didn't want to end up like Baha and Harry.
"Miss Helena, what about our supplies?"
The group's provisions were nearly depleted.
They had accounted for the oasis as a source of food when planning their supplies.
If they had known the vegetation was Flower Demons, they would've brought more provisions.
Helena was troubled.
The remaining supplies wouldn't suffice for the return trip.
Unlike Silver Mask, who could go months without food or drink, they wouldn't last more than ten days without water.
As Water Dragon humanoids, they required significant amounts of water.
"Eat and drink as needed. Once you leave the labyrinth, it won't cause major harm. You've already eaten some; eating a bit more won't make a difference."
Li Meng offered a suggestion.
Since the provisions weren't enough for the return trip, they had no choice.
Silver Mask's advice left the group exchanging hesitant looks.
The once-delicious fruits now seemed like terrifying objects in their eyes.
Yet, under the circumstances, they had no choice but to rely on the Flower Demon fruits as food.