0044 The Elm Tree

Words : 1137 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

After spending an afternoon of work, Adrian plantation had gained a healthy elm tree. Obviously, Remus had transplanted it from somewhere unknown. At the same time, Adrian growth potion was finally complete. After adding the branch from the mutated elm tree, the potion had entered an unstable state, resembling storm clouds. By the time he had bottled it, Adrian could see, through the glass walls, several thin streaks of lightning dancing within the dark purple potion, emitting faint crackling sounds. "Are you sure that's a potion?" Remus curiously examined the growth potion in Adrian hand, pointing at it. "It looks like it's about to explode." "You'd better pray it doesn't." Adrian shrugged, then calmly poured the potion into a bucket filled with water. Instantly, a metallic, bloody scent spread through the air. The liquid's surface in the bucket rippled unnaturally, producing rumbling thunder-like sounds. Meanwhile, the newly transplanted elm tree seemed to sense something—several of its branches bent slightly, pointing toward the bucket. It was clearly craving the potion inside. "So... what exactly is this bucket of potion for?" Lupin asked, arms crossed, squinting at the bucket in confusion. Sёarch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Simply put," Adrian said, eyes fixed on the elm tree, "this potion can transform ordinary plants into magical ones." Lupin raised an eyebrow. "Really?" "You'll see soon enough." Adrian explained while evenly pouring the potion around the roots of the elm tree. However, the expected dramatic reaction didn't materialize. Instead, everything suddenly went quiet. The elm tree stood motionless, as if under a petrification spell. "Uh..." Lupin stared at the elm tree, his brow furrowed. "Maybe it failed?" Adrian ignored him and silently thought, [Type: Elm Tree] [Level: 1] [Status: Growing (1%)] 1%, 2%, 3% ..... Only when he noticed the growth percentage steadily rising did Adrian breathe a slight sigh of relief—his potion was working after all. Finally, after waiting silently for dozens of minutes, something happened. The change, however, wasn't with the tree. It was the weather. Just as the growth percentage approached one hundred, the sky suddenly changed. Dark clouds, as if pulled by some invisible force, rapidly gathered above this area, covering the entire plantation. Lupin looked up at the sky, his brow slightly furrowed: "This isn't natural." Adrian had also noticed this anomaly. The dark clouds hung directly above the elm tree, showing no signs of dispersing. Suddenly, a blinding blue-white lightning bolt struck down from the cloud layer, hitting the trunk of the elm tree with precision. "BOOM!" The moment the lightning struck, intense light illuminated the entire area, and the smell of charred wood spread through the air. Adrian and Lupin hastily backed away in shock. When they regained their senses, the elm tree had undergone an astonishing transformation. The once lush green leaves had completely turned to ash. The exposed trunk appeared burnt, its bark covered with blackened cracks. Half of the branches drooped down, with occasional blue-white electrical arcs dancing among them. In simple terms, it had been struck by lightning. Adrian stared at the scene somewhat dumbfounded—his previous elm tree had died the same way. He stared at the charred elm tree in front of him, and remained silent for a few seconds, then sighed deeply. "Damn it..." Adrian pinched the bridge of his nose, looking utterly helpless. He hadn't expected this elm tree would be struck dead by lightning before its transformation was even complete. But Adrian quickly realized he was wrong. Although the elm tree appeared completely burnt, it was still alive. [Type: Lightning-Struck Wood] [Level: 2] [Characteristics: Storm Summoning, Lightning Attraction] [Status: Growing (0%)] The elm tree had successfully Mutated. Moreover, beyond Storm Summoning, the tree in front of him had also gained an additional characteristic: Lightning Attraction. This was beyond Adrian expectations. After striking once, the dark clouds didn't disperse. Instead, they accumulated further, rolling and roaring in the sky, with occasional lightning flashing within. At this moment, another bolt struck, hitting the elm tree that had transformed into lightning-struck wood. Unlike the first strike, this time the tree wasn't damaged. Instead, it seemed to be infused with new vitality. The cracks in the bark began to emit a faint blue glow, seemingly repairing the damage bit by bit. Adrian could sense that the tree's life force had grown even stronger. This must be the ability of its "Lightning Attraction" characteristic. The storm continued. Lupin's robes flapped loudly in the wind. Ignoring his hat that had been blown away, he shouted to Adrian: "What's happening? Adrian! Is this normal?" "Relax, Remus, it will be over soon!" Adrian shouted back, but his words were drowned by the thunder. Before he finished speaking, the dark clouds in the sky suddenly twisted a few times. Then, a silver-white figure flew out from between the clouds, accompanied by a thunderclap. It was the Thunderbird! Adrian instinctively looked toward his suitcase containing the Thunderbird placed nearby. Sure enough, the suitcase had been opened somehow, allowing the young Thunderbird to escape. Though still in its juvenile form, the small Thunderbird had clearly adapted to storms and lightning. It frolicked among the clouds, with occasional lightning appearing around it. The howling wind intertwined with thunder, making the entire sky seem illuminated. "This is trouble," Adrian muttered, instinctively furrowing his brow. He hadn't yet had a chance to bond with the young Thunderbird! Now that it had escaped, he wasn't sure if it would return. Adrian quickly ran to the lightning-struck wood, patted its trunk, and commanded, "Stop." Plants influenced by Adrian magic could somewhat understand his commands. Sure enough, after he gave the order, the dark clouds slowly dispersed, and the violent thunder gradually subsided. When everything returned to calm, the young Thunderbird's excitement also faded. It hovered in midair, hesitating for a moment, then obediently flew back to Adrian side, gently nuzzling his arm. "Looks like Ruskin really trained you well," Adrian smiled, beginning to stroke its feathers. At this point, Lupin, who had been watching from the side, finally came to his senses. "Is that... a Thunderbird?" he asked, his mouth making a O as he looked at Adrian. "Yes," Adrian nodded, flashing a smile. "Look how well-behaved it is." Receiving Adrian confirmation, Lupin smiled wryly. There must be something wrong with this plantation. First a dragon, now a Thunderbird. Who knew what Adrian would bring back next? Perhaps a swarm of Acromantulas? And this Thunderbird would most likely be his responsibility to feed. After all, he had been the one taking care of the fire dragon named "Torch" as Adrian seemed to completely neglect those duties. ________________ You can get more chapters on: /IamLuis

0044 The Elm Tree

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