Limits

She pointed at the first plant, and said "This plant is called Elryth Flower. It's quite rare even for us, so I was only able to give you three of them. The primary property of this flower, is body regeneration. Even if eaten raw, it will help you heal major wounds faster. Besides that, it has a numbing effect. It doesn't numb the body, but the pain. Very strong properties, and hard to grow, which is why it's rare".

I nodded my head, and waited for another explanation. She pointed at the next plant, and said "This is called Livi Sprout. You will receive 6 of such plants, and the properties of this plant will surprise you. When you ingest this plant, you will be able to jump higher. I'm sure this doesn't sound like much, but believe me when I say, it's something else". I asked confused "In what way?". She continued "Because the plant makes your legs very elastic, spring like if you prefer. This will allow your body to absorb the impact better. It compromises your walking a bit, but the effect doesn't last that long. In any case, you are able to jump higher, and fall from greater heights".

I exclaimed "Oh! So that's how it was. That is very useful indeed. Instead of climbing down a cliff or looking for a path, I could just jump down". She nodded, and said "Precisely. Although you have to remember that, you can't simply jump down from any height. You can still hurt yourself, if the drop is too big". I nodded, and said "I will remember".

She then pointed at the third plant, and said "That is one of the rarest plants we can give away. I was allowed to give you only one, and that's already stretching it. This plant is something else, and is mostly reserved for the warriors of our race. It increases the strength of your body. The plant is called Tarnish Bloom, and the effects it brings are extraordinary. There is a special method of processing this plant, but I'm not allowed to share it. We offer it to you as our sincere thanks for the information provided. You can study and learn more about it".

I nodded, and asked "How strong is it, when you process it? Is there a way to quantify it?". She nodded, and said "There is. It can almost double your strength, if you haven't reached the Inner Limits yet. When you reach Inner Limits, the plant can boost your strength by about ⅖ of your current strength. Of course, when it is processed properly. When ingested, the effects will be strong, but not so much. Especially for those who already broke through their Inner Limits".

She then moved on to the seeds. There were four different kinds of seeds on the counter. "This seed is called Orichald Seed. When it grows up to a fully developed plant, it becomes Orichald Flower. The seed can still be used. If ingested, it promotes sexual activities of male or female. Although the fully grown flower possesses the same properties, the seeds is meant for one person really, and we don't have to grow it either. I gave you a few of those, such a young man can surely use them".

I was lost for words, then I realised something. She was eyeing me, like a delicious piece of meat. 'This is bad, she is probably interested in me. Yater said not to intertwine with them' I thought. I laughed dryly, and changed the topic while pointing at the next seed. "And what is the name of this seed? It's so small and looks different". She smiled, and explained "That seed helps cleanse one's mind. It's not very strong, but it can relieve some of the mental fatigue that you built up. It's called Mites Seed, and grows into a Mites Mushroom. I gave you 20 of them, as they are not rare at all. Still can be useful".

She continued "The third seed is called Ines Seed. It grows into Ines Flower, and we usually use it to enhance our medicines. It has good properties as a fully grown plant, but the seed can be used too. If Ingested, it will help you digest things better. If eaten regularly, it can boost your immunity a bit. Although it's not much, it's always a welcomed improvement right? I gave you 43 of them, as they are common and daily use seeds".

She then pointed at the last seed, and said "This one is also rare. Actually very rare, but we are allowed to give you the seed. We don't lack the seeds, we lack fully grown plants. The seed is called Ethereal Seed…", but before she could finish, I asked "Ethereal Flower? Are you joking?". She looked at me surprised, and asked "You know about it?". I replied "I do, but isn't that plant a legend? It wasn't supposed to exist". She laughed a bit, and said "But it does, we have those flowers here". I was confused. No, I was lost.

'That flower… How the hell do they have it, and more than one? They have immortal people here?' I asked myself. She could see my expression of disbelief, and said "You don't believe me?". I woke up from my thoughts, and said "Does that mean, some of you guys are immortal?". She tilted her head to the side, and asked "Immortal?". I explained "You know, not being able to die from aging and stuff like this". She replied "No? Ethereal Flower doesn't grant immortality. Where did you hear that from?".

I didn't answer her question, and asked my own "Then what does Ethereal Flower do?". She replied "It can prolong your life, but not make you immortal. We only get around 7 to 10 flowers a year. They are reserved for the Emperor's family, and those who contributed a lot during that year". 'This seems reasonable. After all, the entry from that book might've been just a legend. Even more so, it might've been based on what Elysians grow' I thought.

With that in mind, I asked "How much time, does one Ethereal Flower give?". She thought for a while, and said "That depends on the individual. I'd say not less than a year, and probably not more than five years. I know what you will say. Someone could take it every year, and become immortal, but that won't work". I asked "Why?". She replied "Because after a few uses, the flower would lose its effectiveness. I'd say, an average Elysian could increase his or her total lifespan by about 7 to 10 years. The talented and strong Elysians, would be able to gain around 30 to 40 years. It is a lot, but that is not immortality. Besides, they would have to get one every year. Only Emperor has that privilege".

I then looked at the seed, and asked "What about the seed then?". She replied "The seed alone will not improve your lifespan. Even if it was processed, you still wouldn't gain much. A few days maybe. We don't ingest them, and only reserve them for planting. We are offering you one, because we have many". I asked "Why is it so difficult to grow them? Can I have a look at the farm?". She thought about it for a while, and replied "We could go together if you want. I will show you".

Yater stepped in, and said "We are quite busy at the moment, perhaps next time?". She didn't seem to like Yater's interruption. She replied, "As you wish", then packed all the plants and seeds back to the bag before handing them to me. In a quiet voice, she said "Come by alone, I can teach you a lot". Yater grabbed my shoulder and dragged me out of the shop. He didn't say anything, probably because he couldn't. We walked around the city next, and check out other places that sold some stuff, and contained some sort of Elysian history.