Master of Lust

As Rick saw the neatly lined up collection of plants and herbs he had acquired since this afternoon, roaming around the Whispering Wetlands he could not help but feel content. He felt happy because his collection was varied, and most of the plants were unfamiliar to him. Luckily, he had a rabbit with him who explained each one and what they could be used for.

"Let's see what we've got here," Rick muttered to himself, picking up a flower. He carefully examined its delicate petals, which emitted a soft, ethereal glow.

"Ah, Lumisprout Blossoms," The Rabbit identified, "These are known for their soothing glow. Perfect for creating a calming atmosphere. We have seven of them."

Next, Rick turned his attention to a shimmering plant. It had almost a transparent stem, with the liquid inside seemingly alive with magical energy. He had nine of these things.

The Rabbit nodded and said, "These are Faewaters. People use them in different magical mixtures and special spells. They're quite valuable."

"Magic?" Rick murmured to himself as he heard the Rabbit, "So it is actually a thing?" Rick then noticed a bag filled with shiny silver petals. Rick counted and he had twenty-nine of these petals in the pouch.

"These are Moonshimmer Petals," explained the Rabbit. "The flowers they come from only bloom for one night and then disappear. People use these petals in special ceremonies and rituals because they believe they help them connect to mystical powers."

Rick was amazed by the Rabbit's ability to find such special plants. The Rabbit named more of the plants they had collected, some for magic and others for medicine.

The Rabbit said, "We also have Jade Serpent Grass, Dragon Orchid, and Frostfire Blossom. Six of each of them."

Rick kept organizing the plants, and the Rabbit continued to name them one by one. "Here's Mandrake Root, Belladonna Nightshade, Wolfsbane, and Elderwood Bark."

"Then we have Thunderstrike Bamboo, Firebloom Rose, Ashwagandha, Phoenix Plum Blossom, Brahmi, Tiger's Roar Fern, and Giloy," the Rabbit said as they went through the last of the plants.

Rick didn't know anything about these herbs, and he genuinely did not care. But he was still delighted. He didn't have any plans to use these herbs, but he earned 3000 Ero points for each unique one.

"17,"  As he counted, Rick realized he had 17 different types of herbs. That meant he had earned 51,000 Ero points in just one day. The best part was, he didn't have to take any risks to get them.

The rabbit looked up at Rick, as if wanting him to be proud of its impressive haul. Rick smiled at the furry creature.

"You've done a great job," he said, petting the rabbit's head. The rabbit seemed to enjoy the attention.

The rabbit nudged Rick's hand, clearly looking for more praise and affection. Rick couldn't resist smiling at the cute animal.

"Now," Rick said, turning his attention back to the plants. "Since you did so well, what would you like to eat tonight?" Rick asked, genuinely curious about the rabbit's food preferences. That was also one of the reasons that they had to take this long trip.

The rabbit's ears perked up when it heard about food. Without hesitation, it hopped over to the collection of herbs and plants and started nibbling on them with excitement, savoring the natural flavors.

Rick watched with a smile as the rabbit happily ate its well-deserved meal.  He didn't mind indulging the Rabbit eating all of them. In fact, he was happy to treat his furry companion because it had been so helpful.

While the rabbit enjoyed its food, Rick saw an opportunity to save some of the herbs for later. He took two of each kind of herb, and a little bit of the Elderwood Bark while making sure not to disturb the rabbit. And the Rabbit didn't mind giving them to Rick as well.

Rick then stored them in the inventory of the system for future use. It was always good to have a unique and variety of magical and medicinal ingredients on hand that was hard to find. Who knows, when they might come in handy.

With the rabbit happily eating and the soft, magical light from the Lumisprout blossoms filling the tent, Rick leaned back and felt a sense of accomplishment. The Whispering Wetlands had given them many valuable treasures.

"This thing is actually quite calming," Rick thought as he watched the Rabbit eat the Lumisprout blossoms.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

While the Rabbit happily munched on grass, Rick couldn't resist the urge to finally check out the wooden shield he got from the system earlier in the day. Back then, he was too mad to even give it a glance. But now, after a successful herb-hunting adventure that had earned him about 50,000 Ero Points, he was feeling pretty good. So, he reached into his system's inventory and pulled out the shield card.

His initial irritation had prevented him from exploring its potential. Now, in a much better mood after their fruitful herb-hunting expedition, he was eager to discover its capabilities.

With the wooden shield card in his hand, Rick felt a rush of information flooding his mind. The system was giving him the lowdown on what this shield could do:

**Wooden Shield**

1. 3-Strike Block: This shield could block up to three attacks from opponents with a power level similar to Mortal (between 80% and 90%). This made it a valuable defensive tool against weaker adversaries, providing Rick with additional protection in battle.

2. Shield Barrier: Now, here's where it gets interesting. The shield could create an invisible protective shield around Rick that lasted for 48 hours. During this time, it could withstand attacks from opponents with power levels lower than Mortal (below 80%). This meant it could create a safe bubble for Rick to be in while he went on his adventures. Pretty handy!

Rick pondered the shield's capabilities for a moment, impressed by its defensive attributes. But that was actually not all, it had some attacking muscle as well.

3. Counterstrike Reflection: This was a special ability that let the wooden shield absorb and store the energy from an opponent's attack. Once it had enough energy stored up, the shield could release it as a powerful counterattack, surprising the attacker. In simpler terms, it could turn an enemy's attack back against them.

"I am sorry," suddenly Rick found himself apologizing to the wooden shield. He realized he had been too quick to judge it based on its appearance. it turned out this ordinary-looking shield had a lot more tricks up its wooden sleeve than he thought, and he felt sorry for doubting it and the system.

With this newfound appreciation for the shield's capabilities, Rick was actually looking forward to some trouble. He wanted to see the shield in action and put its tricks to the test. It was like having a surprise ace up his sleeve.

But just as Rick was admiring the shield, the Rabbit suddenly stopped eating and perked up. It looked around the tent anxiously and then focused intently on one corner.

Rick whispered, "What's the matter with you?" He watched as the rabbit stood on its hind legs, frozen in place and staring seriously at that particular corner.

But before he could expect an answer from the rabbit, Rick saw the rabbit turn and make a run out of the tent.

Rick scratched his head in confusion and mild irritation as the rabbit ditched its dinner and bolted out of the tent. As Rick watched the Rabbit make a run, he wasted no time, quickly zapping all the scattered herbs and plants back into his inventory in the system. Then, he dashed after the furry speedster into the forest, wondering what the heck had gotten into it.

This chase through the thick Whispering Wetlands was no picnic. Rick had to weave through tangled vines, leap over tiny streams, and duck under branches like a ninja in a jungle. It was like the rabbit had gone bananas, and Rick was determined to figure out why.

After what felt like running a marathon, the rabbit finally came to a stop, and Rick caught up with it. He was huffing and puffing, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath like he'd just sprinted a mile.

Rick plopped down next to the rabbit, who had come to a halt, still catching his breath. "What's the deal, Missy?" he scolded, kneeling beside the Rabbit

"You can't ditch your grub like that. You better have a solid excuse, or you're in trouble, bunny."

The rabbit, with her twitchy ears and shifty eyes, finally locked onto Rick's gaze. Her big, puppy-dog eyes bore into his soul, the rabbit was just too darn cute.

Rick stared back and suddenly got the feeling that this was more than bunny business as usual, and there was a sense of urgency in them that couldn't be ignored. There was something important going on here. Despite his initial frustration, he decided to cut the rabbit some slack and give her the benefit of the doubt.

"Spill the beans, what's the deal?" Rick asked, his voice so loud it could wake up the entire spooky forest.

The rabbit shushed him like it was the forest police or something. "Shut it, boss! You're gonna blow our cover," the rabbit warned in a hush.

Rick, still somewhat bewildered by the rabbit's behavior, stared incredulously at his furry companion. "Now you're not even letting me talk?" he muttered, his body trembling, "That's it, no more treats for you, you little... Yaaa..."

But before Rick could complete his warning, Rick felt an unexpected jolt as the rabbit leaped onto him and tackled him into a bunch of bushes behind them. It was a sudden, unforeseen action, and it caught Rick by complete surprise.

"Aw, dang it," Rick grumbled under his breath. He was seriously ticked off now, and his chest hurt like he'd just taken a cannonball. he wanted to stand up and was about to grab the rabbit by his neck and beat the shit out of it, blinding flash of light pierced through the forest, landing precisely where he had been standing moments ago.

With the light came a voice that broke the forest's eerie silence.

"Who's there?" one voice demanded, sounding all alert and on edge.

"Come out. I know you are hiding there, somewhere."

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[A/N: Do vote, leave a comment and support me whatever way  you can.]