Chapter 35: Chapter 30: Luring the Tiger Away from the Mountain

First, Flora Bloom recalled the two large bugs to her side and communicated with them via a mental link.

"Those two humans over there are my friends. I need you two to lure away those two peacocks and the pangolin. Can you do that?"

Vert suddenly replied with excitement, "Of course, Master. But... can I have their Crystal Cores afterward?"

Flora Bloom paused. ’What does it mean, "can I have their Crystal Cores"? It’s talking as if it can actually defeat them.’

Wait a minute. Flora Bloom finally realized.

"Vert, are you saying you can beat them?"

"I can’t beat that tiger. But the peacocks and the pangolin you mentioned are no match for me."

At Vert’s words, a golden glint lit up Flora Bloom’s eyes. She gazed at Vert’s jade-green body and began to stroke it gently, as if trying to curry favor.

"Hehe, Vert, you and the Golden Cicada go lure them away. The farther, the better. But don’t kill them. Just leave them barely alive."

Vert hesitated, its deep reluctance to give up on those three Crystal Cores clear in their mental link. But it happily agreed after Flora Bloom promised to let it return to her space later and drink its fill of spiritual water.

’It seems even the Crystal Cores of evolved creatures can’t compete with the allure of my Space Spirit Water. Maybe I can use the spiritual water in my space to accomplish something big?’

The Golden Cicada, however, was trembling and didn’t dare make a sound. It remained silent even after Flora Bloom made the same promise to let it return to her space.

"Master, the peacocks and the pangolin are this fat bug’s natural enemies. It doesn’t dare to go."

"CHIRP! CHIRP!"

The Golden Cicada chirped twice as if in protest at Vert, then became listless again.

Flora Bloom pinched the Golden Cicada’s abdomen. "How are you going to make it with me if you’re this much of a coward?"

"Master, they’ll eat me."

Vert flapped its wings and moved closer to the Golden Cicada. "Believe it or not, I could eat you right now."

The Golden Cicada’s fat body suddenly lost its balance and fell to the ground. It struggled for a moment before flying up again.

"Master..."

"Vert, can you lure those three away by yourself?"

"Master, I’m too powerful. If I go over there recklessly, I might startle the tiger. This fat bug doesn’t look like much, but we can use it to draw out the peacocks and the pangolin."

The Golden Cicada wanted to cry.

Flora Bloom took out some Space Spirit Water from her dimension and offered it to the Golden Cicada, an advance reward to calm its nerves. As the cicada drank, she said, "My dear Golden Cicada, if you help me out this time, I’ll find a way to get you some rare treasures, Crystal Cores, and things like that. You’ll be able to level up and evolve much faster. What do you say? You could even surpass Vert."

When the Golden Cicada heard it could surpass Vert, it had a thought. ’Does this mean I won’t have to worry about being bullied by this giant mantis anymore?’

Its fat abdomen pulsed a few times, and then it suddenly flew up high.

"Don’t worry, Master! I will definitely help you lure the three beasts away."

With that, a giant Golden Cicada took flight from in front of Flora Bloom, charging toward the two peacocks and the pangolin.

Vert, meanwhile, had turned invisible and flown off in another direction, lying in wait to provide backup.

The peacocks and pangolin, who had been dutifully standing guard, suddenly tensed the moment they saw the Golden Cicada fly over.

’What a huge Golden Cicada.’

’Its size and the metallic sheen of its abdomen clearly indicated it was filled with incredibly rich Spiritual Energy and power. If we could eat it, we could advance, maybe even level up!’

The first to move was the pangolin.

It glanced back at the sleeping white tiger nearby, then lunged violently, trying to swat the Golden Cicada out of the air.

But the Golden Cicada saw it coming. With a buzz of its wings, it deftly dodged the pangolin’s attack and flew right over the heads of the two peacocks.

The peacocks had been hesitating, but seeing the Golden Cicada deliver itself right to them, they craned their necks to peck it out of the sky.

But the crafty cicada dodged their attacks every time. It even had the audacity to land for a moment on their head plumes, messing up their feathers with its wings in a clear provocation.

This went on for several rounds. The scene descended into chaos when one of the peacocks, trying to peck the cicada, accidentally injured the pangolin that was also trying to catch it.

The single Golden Cicada had thrown the three beasts into disarray, and they were now blinded by rage.

The Golden Cicada, though cowardly, was exceptionally clever and had a great sense of timing. It suddenly flew higher, and then, beating its wings at a deliberate pace, flew off toward the spot where Vert lay in ambush.

The two peacocks and the pangolin, already beside themselves with fury, chased after the Golden Cicada. Leaping and pouncing, they finally followed it out of the white tiger’s territory.