Chapter 64: Miasma Swamp IX

Ben approached the fallen creatures and began examining their remains.

He used Ruination Dimensions to carefully separate their bodies, making sure not to damage anything that might be valuable.

The first creature had nothing unusual inside its body.

The second one was the same.

However, when he examined the third creature, he discovered a dark green fragment lodged near its heart.

’Found one.’

He extracted it and checked his mission interface.

[ Miasma Core Fragment Obtained ]

[ Mission Progress: 3/10 ]

Ben stored the fragment before continuing his search.

Unfortunately, none of the remaining creatures contained another one.

He collected their beast cores and several intact scales before turning his attention toward the enormous tree.

"That’s quite a strange tree," Ben remarked.

Morbius glanced at it.

"Don’t approach it carelessly. I can sense a considerable amount of energy inside its roots."

Ben nodded.

He had already noticed that the tree was continuously absorbing the surrounding miasma. However, he wanted to understand what happened to all that energy after it entered the tree.

He extended his perception toward its roots.

At first, he could only sense the dense energy fluctuations surrounding them. However, after concentrating, he noticed something deeper beneath the ground.

Several energy channels extended from the roots, spreading throughout the basin.

They seemed to be gathering the surrounding miasma and transporting it toward the tree’s trunk.

’It’s like a natural energy-gathering formation.’

Ben became more interested.

However, something else caught his attention.

The energy channels weren’t simply transporting miasma. Some of the energy seemed to be changing as it passed through the roots.

The poisonous and corrosive properties gradually weakened, while another type of energy became more concentrated.

Ben frowned slightly.

"Morbius, can you sense what’s happening inside the tree?"

Morbius closed his eyes for a moment.

"I can sense the miasma entering its roots, but the energy inside the trunk is considerably more complicated."

He paused.

"Whatever this thing is, it seems to be refining the energy it absorbs."

"Refining it?"

"Yes. It’s separating certain properties from the miasma and converting the remaining energy into something else."

Ben looked at the tree again.

’Could it be producing some kind of special resource?’

He opened his student device and attempted another search.

This time, he included several keywords related to miasma absorption, energy refinement, and poisonous vegetation.

A few seconds later, several entries appeared.

However, none of them matched the tree.

Ben closed the database.

"It doesn’t seem to be recorded."

"That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s rare," Morbius replied. "The academy hasn’t explored every part of this swamp. There could be plenty of things they haven’t discovered."

Ben agreed.

He looked toward the enormous roots spreading across the basin.

"Can we get closer?"

Morbius glanced at the tree.

"We can, but I wouldn’t recommend touching it before understanding what it does."

Ben nodded.

He decided to examine the surrounding area first.

Using Ruination Dimensions, he carefully lifted several layers of soil near one of the exposed roots.

A faint green glow appeared beneath the surface.

Ben narrowed his eyes.

There were several small crystals embedded in the soil around the root.

Unlike the dark green crystals he had collected earlier, these were considerably clearer. Their surfaces had a faint green sheen, and the energy fluctuations inside them were much more stable.

He carefully extracted one.

The moment it left the ground, the crystal released a faint wave of energy.

Ben examined it.

[Unknown Resource]

[Properties: Miasma, Life Energy]

[Energy Stability: High]

[Identification: Incomplete]

Ben raised an eyebrow.

’Life Energy?’

That was something he hadn’t expected to find in this environment.

He examined the crystal more closely.

Although it contained miasma, the energy inside was considerably different from the unstable crystals he had collected earlier.

It seemed that the tree was converting part of the absorbed energy into something more stable.

Morbius looked at the crystal.

"Interesting. This energy has been purified to some extent."

"Can it be used?"

"Possibly. But I wouldn’t recommend absorbing it directly. You don’t know what other properties it might contain."

Ben stored the crystal.

He then continued examining the area around the roots.

A few minutes later, he managed to collect four more crystals of similar appearance.

However, the deeper he examined the ground, the stronger the energy fluctuations became.

Eventually, he noticed something unusual.

One of the enormous roots had a hollow section beneath it.

A faint green light was coming from inside.

Ben moved closer and carefully examined the opening.

There was something inside.

He extended his perception.

A moment later, his expression changed.

’That’s not a crystal.’

He turned toward Morbius.

"There’s something inside this root."

Morbius approached and examined the opening.

His expression became slightly more serious.

"Be careful. I can sense a concentrated energy fluctuation inside."

Ben nodded.

He didn’t intend to reach inside blindly.

Instead, he used Ruination Dimensions to slowly widen the opening, carefully separating the surrounding soil and damaged root material.

As the opening became larger, the green light grew brighter.

A moment later, a small object appeared inside.

It resembled a dark green seed, roughly the size of a human fist. Several thin black lines extended across its surface, while a faint green glow pulsed from its center.

Ben examined it.

[Unknown Resource]

[Properties: Miasma, Life Energy, Death Energy]

[Energy Concentration: Extremely High]

[Identification: Incomplete]

Ben stared at the information.

’It contains all three types of energy.’

Unlike the smaller crystals, this seed also contained a considerable amount of Death Energy.

Morbius examined it carefully.

"Now that’s interesting."

"Do you recognize it?"

"Not exactly. But it seems to be a condensed product of the energy absorbed by this tree."

Ben looked toward the enormous trunk.

’Could this be the reason it’s absorbing so much miasma?’

He carefully used Ruination Dimensions to lift the seed out of the hollow root.

The moment it left its resting place, the surrounding tree trembled.

The green patterns across its bark began glowing, and the flow of miasma toward its roots suddenly intensified.

Ben immediately stopped.

Morbius’s expression changed.

"Put it back!"

Ben didn’t hesitate.

He carefully returned the seed to its original position.

The tree gradually stopped trembling, and the energy fluctuations around it returned to normal.

Ben looked at Morbius.

"What happened?"

Morbius glanced toward the seed.

"It seems to be connected to the tree. Removing it disrupted the energy flowing through its roots."

Ben examined the seed again.

’So it’s not an ordinary resource.’

He had no intention of damaging an unidentified resource formation just to obtain a single item.

For now, he decided to leave it where it was.

There was still plenty of time to investigate the tree, and he might find useful information in the academy’s database after returning.

Ben stepped away from the root.

"Let’s examine the rest of the basin first."

Morbius nodded.

"That’s a better idea. And try not to disturb anything else."

Ben ignored his last comment and opened his student device.

He marked the tree’s location on his map before moving toward another section of the basin.

He had already discovered several unusual resources, and the enormous tree seemed to be the source of them.

However, he still hadn’t completed his mission.

He needed seven more Miasma Core Fragments, and there were probably more creatures hiding around the basin.

Ben extended his perception once again.

This time, he noticed several energy fluctuations beneath the dark pools.

His expression became slightly more serious.

’There are creatures hiding underwater as well?’

He looked toward the nearest pool.

A few bubbles rose to the surface.

Then, something moved beneath the black water.