Velin walked down the stone steps leading to the underground laboratory.
Light fell upon the enormous oak workbench in the center, its surface mottled and scarred from corrosion by various reagents.
To the left of the workbench, a massive glass tank was filled with seawater, a freshly cut branch of a Red Leaf Tree soaking within.
Its bark was dark red and as rough as rock. Despite the high-salinity environment that would cause any ordinary plant to wither, it still spread its leaves and branches, showing no signs of decay.
To the right was a segment of one of Velin's own creations—a Stone Skin Soft Vine.
Its skin was grayish-white and hard, like natural rock, yet one could feel the flexibility of the vine's core within.
Velin's goal this time was to create a marine-adapted engineering plant that combined the Red Leaf Tree's ocean adaptability, deep-rooting ability, and tall, tough nature with the Stone Skin Soft Vine's rapid growth.
