The Herb King

"Dear, what's happening on the battlefield?" Mrs. Lassiter glanced at her husband with a hint of worry. Earlier, she saw that his clothes was a tattered mess and the reason for that must be something related to the ongoings of the battlefield.

Mr. Lassiter's expression turned solemn for a brief moment, and he gently placed Leric to his side. He patted his small head with a weak smile before he turned to glance at his wife.

"Everything that is happening on the battlefield is strictly confidential, so I cannot divulge it. However, I can tell you that the enemy has the advantage at the moment. Many of my brothers have died in battle, but I can't do anything about it. The enemy has the support of a mysterious Level 3 Esper and even General Gavin is helpless against him." Mr. Lassiter said in a grave tone. His eyes also turned red when he mentioned about his fallen brothers. It can be seen how he was so affected by their deaths.

Mrs. Lassiter's expression fell upon hearing her husband's words. From what he said, she could already guess that the battlefield was currently a mess. Thinking about it, she could not help but shakily hold her husband's hands. "Dear…"

Looking at her sad expression, Mr. Lassiter forced out a smile as he gently caressed his wife's hand. "Don't worry about me. Your husband is a company commander and a Level 2 Esper. If the situation becomes dire, I can still retreat safely." He said

Leric whom the couple thought was unaware of their conversation was listening attentively. His big bright eyes flashed intensely and it was unknown what he was thinking.

"Mom, Dad, I'm done eating. I want to go back to my room to read more books." Leric said as he glanced at his parents.

Hearing their child's words, the couple smiled at him and nodded their heads gently.

"Go on, sweetie. Just return the books to the shelves after reading them, okay?" Mrs. Lassiter said as she affectionately rubbed her child's head.

"Yes, mom." Leric nodded his head before he sprinted towards his room.

Looking at him enter his room, the couple's smiling expression vanished.

***

Inside his room, Leric locked the door and swiftly took a book that was lying on his bed. The book's title was 'Herbs and Plants Compendium'.

Leric furrowed his eyebrows as he flipped through the pages of the book. "Where is it?" He muttered.

Suddenly, his movements stopped when he stared at a certain page of the book. "This is it!" He said with a smile.

"The Blue Cloud Hyacinth is a rare herb that can be found on top of mountains rich in world essence. Because of the high concentration of energy in these essence-rich mountains, the Blue Cloud Hyacinth is filled with pure world essence, making it useful in making medicines."

"Green Moonlight Lily is a flower that…."

"Scarlet Origin Orchid…"

"With these herbs and flowers, I can make a pill for my father, but I'm still uncertain whether it can help him increase the essence in his body to promote his breakthrough to Level 3 Esper. Hmm… I must visit mom's clinic and check these herbs in person. I might discover something more if I take a look at it." Leric muttered to himself. He was a famous herbalist in his past life and although there was a vast difference between the plants in this world and his old world, he was confident that he can identify the usage of any plants after a little bit of research. Aside from his identity as an herbalist, he also dabbled in pill making and medicine. With his knowledge, it was not a problem for him to create pills and medicine as long as he has the ingredients.

"I hope mom's clinic has all the herbs I need. Without enough ingredients, I cannot create that pill for dad. Nothing must happen to him!" Leric clenched his small fists as he uttered those words. After living with the Lassiter couple for more than three years, he had already fully accepted them as his family. Although his parents might grow suspicious if they learn about this, he did not want to see his father die before him.

"For now, I must make a few preparations. After all, pill making in this world doesn't work similarly to my old world. Only Level 2 Espers are able to create pills.

With that in mind, Leric who was uninterested in becoming an Esper suddenly had the urge to train. He willed his thoughts and summoned his status.

Leric Lassiter

Talents:

Level 1 [Esper]

Level 1 [Botanist]

Level 1 [Doctor]

Skills:

Level 1 [Observation]

"Since you can show my abilities, I will call you 'Status Screen'. According to this Status Screen, I am now a Level 1 Esper. From the book I've read about Espers, a Level 1 Esper has a sturdier physical body and their internal organs are also more resilient than the average humans. When one is a Level 2 Esper, they can control the world essence in their bodies which they use as a weapon or to further enhance their physique." Leric was diligent in his studies and he knew the basics about Espers.

According to the book he read, when one becomes a Level 2 Esper, they can control the energy in their bodies to create a 'Pill Fire'. This Pill Fire is the number one requirement to become a Pill Maker. However, creating a Pill Fire requires a refined control in handling world essence, so only a few talented individuals managed to become Pill Makers.

And now, Leric was actually thinking about reaching Level 2 Esper in a single day! And he even casually spoke about creating pills. If someone was here and heard his words, they would have treated him as a foolish kid. After all, becoming a Level 2 Esper was difficult and one would need to absorb large amounts of world essence and integrate it into their bodies. However, doing this was easier said than done. Without years of effort and resources, one could only dream about becoming a Level 2 Esper.