Since my Ai Tutu isn't an elemental creature, for her development, I won't need to hunt down a whole clan of plant mages. One mage with the right development level will do.
Before, I'd bring out Pikachu and Bully for combat training against various opponents. I tried to cover all elements, but for example, the Space Element is super rare before High Level, so against its users, they only have combat experience with me as a sparring partner.
Luckily, the Plant Element isn't rare. Among the criminals my cuties fought, there was a guy named Bo Chok. He's a Plant Element mage at the third step of Intermediate Tier, with seeds of very flexible and tough tropical vines that he fused with his element.
By the way, those seeds are pretty rare—I can't even imagine how he got them. Maybe just luck?
He stuck in my mind because he handled his plants like a High Level mage, and it wasn't innate talent—I checked. Though probably his weird hobbies helped, which also made him a criminal.
Mr. Bo Chok really loved a specific branch of Japanese animation—hentai. Especially tentacle hentai. And he liked it so much that he tried recreating animation tricks with his plants.
As you can guess, after initial successes, he got super motivated, but ran out of practice targets. His girlfriend, who wasn't into hentai, dumped him.
At first, Bo Chok tried finding partners on specialized forums, but got fakes or traps. Disillusioned with online dating, Bo Chok hit the streets.
There, near the grocery store where he usually shopped, he spotted a girl vaguely resembling a heroine from his favorite hentai. After a month without a girl, holed up watching hentai and hunting partners online, he mixed up reality with fiction and attacked her.
It was late, he wore a hoodie and didn't undress himself, using only plants for the rape. He thought using anything else ruined the vibe. So later, no one could ID him.
Anyway, after his first successful rape, Bo Chok stopped hunting partners on dating sites and targeted cosplayers of his favorite characters. Ambushing them without consent, he'd rape them with his vines and flee.
Fortunately, even in a huge city like Shanghai, there weren't many cosplayers, especially of tentacle hentai heroines. That's how they caught him, setting an ambush at one girl's house.
During arrest, he resisted and got killed by a member of the Magic Tribunal involved. Yellow press scans I read online said he was that member's brother, one of the victims.
Anyway, stealing a rapist's cultivation? My conscience is fine with that, so let's proceed.
Since I already knew all the details, including Bo Chok's location, I just shifted to a parallel world two hours before his arrest, disoriented him with Spirit Magic, then bashed his head with a metal pipe and calmly took his Plant Element cultivation.
I separated the tropical vine seeds he'd fused with his plants and put them in a special vessel.
For Ai Tutu, I'll find something better—these can go to Mu Nujiao as thanks. I think she helped calm my girl after the sugar mommy arena incident.
Even if not, no big deal. Now I can farm these specific seeds in any quantity. Thinking about plant seeds sparked a thought about element seeds.
So, note for later: check if fusing identical Spiritual Seeds artificially boosts chances of creating a Soul Seed.
Holding Bo Chok's cultivation in hand, I canceled the world-walking spell and returned to the Three-Step Tower. Whole thing took under five minutes.
As if sensing my arrival, Ai Tutu opened her eyes and joyfully said:
"Mu Bai, I broke through to Intermediate Tier!" The girl's eyes sparkled with genuine joy.
Though she'd tried talking me out of giving her that chance, it's clear she's thrilled with the boost. Low talent and falling behind Mu Nujiao must've weighed on her hard.
"And now, you'll rise even higher. Don't resist." Smiling softly at her, I began fusing the acquired cultivation with her spiritual world.
This time, the process stretched to two minutes, as I aimed for jeweler's precision. If anything went wrong, I couldn't rewind time—not at my current cultivation level.
Ai Tutu closed her eyes, watching dark-green magical energy merge with her Plant Element Star Cloud, expanding it and rapidly raising her cultivation steps. First to the second, then third, then its peak, where it stabilized.
When done, I wiped a couple sweat drops from my forehead. The work wasn't hard—I was just nervous for her—but it went perfectly.
"Test the effect. Can you cast Initial Level magic?" I was curious how much her control had degraded. Before the procedure, I'd let her break through to Intermediate Tier on her own, and raises within one tier shouldn't tank it too bad.
Nodding, Ai Tutu cast Initial Level first-step Plant Element magic—Bindings—creating several vines.
"Try controlling them. Let's check the control drop." I continued the tests.
Nodding again, she started shaping the vines into geometric figures. In my view, it was mediocre—experienced Initial Level mages do way better. But I don't know her pre-breakthrough level, so better hear her out.
"Spell control dropped about 15-20%." She frowned, concluding. Probably thought it'd only worsen.
"Don't worry, I already have a fix. I just needed baseline data and post-breakthrough data. Wait a bit, I'll bring the solution." After Ai Tutu's agreeing nod, I dove back into the parallel world.
This time, I want to get her a talent called Star Fusion.
This talent massively boosts spell control and star affinity, letting you subdue them faster. Its owner can release magic however and in whatever form they want. Such control is only for very experienced Semi-Sealed or even Sealed Level mages.
Sadly for its owner, she has very low magical talent. Not total bottom, but close. Talent level for reaching third step Initial by forty.
Better than most Awakeners, even hope for Intermediate Tier in this life—but why bother? So she thought and quit cultivating.
Her name's Ni Yuy, and I shifted to after her interview with journalists scouting natural talents for China's top talent list. As you get, it's the talent and potential rated, not the owner.
Knocking her out with Spirit Magic, I just took her talent, leaving a backpack of gold bars and a note saying I'm a talent thief but noble, so compensation's in the pack. Gold'll serve her better than another talent.
I prepped such backpacks just in case after buying Bully. Who knows when they'd come in handy. Looks like one did.
Back in the Three-Step Tower, I tossed TuTu a quick "Don't resist" and fused the talent with her.
Post-procedure, we retested. Results beat my expectations. I figured bad control plus improving talent would balance to average.
But Ai Tutu's control hit genius level, like someone who'd devoted tons of time to their element. Now, her plant control matches Bo Chok's. And I doubt it'll degrade. Time will tell if I'm right.
Suddenly, Ai Tutu pounced, arms around my neck, kissing me passionately—I returned it just as fiercely. Only after a couple minutes did we pull apart.
"Thank you so much. You have no idea how grateful I am. Honestly, I always envied sister Mu and other geniuses. It felt unfair how magical talent varies so much. I got used to it, but deep down, I dreamed of being like them. And now I am. Thanks to you." Smiling cutely, eyes shining with adoration, she leaned in for another kiss.
"Wait, let me bum you out first." I halted her. I wanted to kiss her too, but explanations first.
"As you probably figured, I gave you someone else's cultivation first, then a talent... Don't worry, no crime traces." Noting her concerned look, I clarified. After my assurances, Ai Tutu relaxed noticeably. My safety clearly mattered more than the crime itself—nice.
"And I took the cultivation from a rapist—no need to feel guilty." At that, she fully calmed.
"Anyway, if the cultivation raise can kinda be chalked to the third level of the Three-Step Tower and good cultivation tools, the control boost can't." I looked her straight in the eyes, serious tone so she'd grasp it.
"I'm not strong enough yet to fend off all enemies who'd want me dead or owned if they knew my abilities. So I need to take the talent back, but don't worry—I'll return it in a year, to look like natural control growth." Expecting some hurt over reclaiming the gift, she just smiled and hugged my neck.
"Don't worry, I'm not a spoiled princess, even if I seem like one at first." Winking one eye playfully, she stuck out her pink tongue.
"If I need to wait, I will. You can even wait till you hit High Level peak before boosting me. Your safety's what matters." She whispered the last part, shy about such openness.
Seeing her blushing cheeks, I smiled—she puffed her red ones.
Now we can get back to kissing. The talent goes to some random civilian in a parallel world. He won't notice, easier for me to reclaim later.