Rise of the Phoenix - Apocalypse Rebirth

Chapter 6 - The Second Xing Plant

May 15, 3031 - Country C, City H

Stepping out of the SUV, she looked like a typical hiker in shorts and t-shirt, enjoying a casual stroll with nature. She looked at the park's map as she pulled her bandana up to cover her face and headed to her destination.

Once she arrived at the site of the post, she hid behind some dense foliage and jumped into the space to change into the second set of older hiking clothes. She changed everything from heads to toe looking completely different than from how she entered the park.

It was Saturday morning just after 9AM so it wasn't that busy yet. But the path she chose was out of the way and not as popular as the rest which has views of the popular waterfall.

Arriving at the famous sign post, she took out her phone and started recording like she is a streamer. First showing the beautiful sweeping view from the top of the signpost and ended up with pointing up at the sign post itself before the camera shook crazily as she suddenly slid down the side of the steep hill.

Unlike Stephen Xing who did not expect to fall down the mountain, Aria was prepared, so she strategically and nimbly 'slipped' down the hill avoiding the foliage that Stephen Xing landed on by landing on a flat piece of dirt instead.

Aria: "Ouch!"

The phone was held by Aria throughout the fall and she made a point to angle it close to her face. The purpose was to allow the viewers to see that she was injured and not faking it. Like she was still recovering from a bad fall, after a few minutes she finally stirred and the phone shook before moving the view on the screen changed again, jerking up sharply to a certain direction accompanied by a gasp of surprise.

The camera captured a small beautiful bush full of flowers and rainbow crystals.

She quickly approached it and zoomed in closer to the plant: leaves, flowers, and gems were fully captured and explored. The lens moved abruptly, very excited like she found something amazing and is overwhelmed.

She then did everything that the original Stephen Xing did. Recording it in every angle, picking the leaves and crushing it using her accessorized left hand, picking the gem, showing it with the sun lit the background, light going through the gem.

Then using the walking stick to start digging the plant out with one hand, clearly showing the dirt was not disturbed beforehand. After recording another 5 minutes of her careful digging and showing the roots, which has a glowy crystalized blue vein like pulse, she also punctured a small root, showing the same translucent blue liquid that also glowed mysteriously seeping out.

She did everything she could to make everyone see that the plant was authentic and unusual and magical.

Then she stopped that long video. She then took a shorter video of the plant itself lasting 15 seconds and took a bunch of photos to post later on her twitter account.

Tossing the stone into her space, she quickly took out the black plastic bag and covered the whole bush with it, so that if anyone came by they wouldn't be attracted to the gems reflecting the lights. Rubbing her already exhausted body from the first night of binding, she started working.

Then she took out the shovel and proceeded to dig around the bush, giving enough padding space to not damage the roots. 5 minutes later, the plant was successfully uprooted. It wasn't a large bush so the roots weren't that deep. She then took out the planter and packed dirt inside before placing the plant into it.

Finally she stored the plant into her storage space.

Looking around to make sure she didn't miss anything, and doubting that she'll find anything else since Stephen Xing didn't the first time around.