Chapter 2: System, Can I Raise A Pet Beast?
“Congratulations to the host for growing to the youth stage, with Spiritual Consciousness Development reaching 10%, meeting the System awakening conditions.”
“Spiritual Consciousness Space area: 10 mu”
“Spiritual Consciousness Space development level: Barren”
“Awakening ability: [Spirit Plant Communicator] Proficiency: Beginner (0/100)”
“Awakening ability: [Spirit Plant Cultivation Atlas] Completeness: Beginner stage (0/100)”
“System Task (Beginner): Please complete a Contract with one Spirit Plant within 3 days.”
“Task failure punishment: Annihilation”
A clear electronic voice echoed bababa in Ge Bai’s mind.
Ge Bai silently lay back on the bed, turning sideways to face the wall, her trembling fingers clutching the corner of the blanket revealing her excited emotions.
System! Golden finger!
16 years, it finally came.
Ge Bai calmed her mood and asked straightforwardly: “System, can I Contract a Pet Beast?”
……
The electronic voice in her mind was silent for three seconds, then clearly raised its volume.
“Hello host, I am the Shen Nong System 2.7, not a turtle wish pond.”
Yo? It’s an intelligent-type System.
Ge Bai became interested in chatting.
“Is there a Reward for successfully completing the Spirit Plant Contract task?”
“No.”
“Then what does the Annihilation punishment for task failure mean?”
This time the System was quite generous in explaining.
“Annihilation means complete destruction of the host on both physical and mental levels.”
What does that mean?
Other people’s Systems pave a glorious path to godhood, while her System wields a “Annihilation” whip cracking fiercely behind her?
Whatever, having a System is better than none, signing a Contract with a Spirit Plant, no big deal.
Ge Bai took a deep breath, vigorously comforting herself, then turned to continue studying the System.
[Spirit Plant Communicator]? Talking with Spirit Plants?
Ge Bai straightforwardly understood this awakening ability by its literal meaning.
Her Spiritual Sense stirred, activating the Spirit Plant Communicator state, and suddenly the originally quiet dorm rang with a loud Snoring Sound.
She looked around and quickly locked onto the source of the sound, the hyacinth by the Window.
Light blue petals clustered densely together, thick large Leaves wrapping the flower stem, the dark purple bulb round and plump, extending white roots.
This hyacinth that looks quiet and gentle can produce such a loud Snoring Sound?
You can’t judge a flower by its appearance.
Ge Bai saw that the water in the hyacinth’s transparent vase was running low, barely covering the lowest roots, so she got up, picked up the vase, and examined it.
The Snoring Sound abruptly stopped.
“Hm?” The hyacinth seemed to wake up, mumbling in a daze.
Ge Bai smiled and playfully shook the vase, causing the hyacinth’s large flower stem to sway.
“Ah, ah, what are you doing, stop shaking, I’m dizzy!”
This hyacinth was fully awake now, crying out yiyaya.
Ge Bai ignored it, skillfully changed the water for it, and put it back on the Window sill.
Seeing this, the hyacinth grumbled and fell asleep again, though this time the Snoring Sound was clearly much quieter.
Ge Bai didn’t say anything to the hyacinth and directly exited the Spirit Plant Communicator state.
Without fully understanding the ability, she wasn’t prepared to rashly communicate with Spirit Plants.
Wait. Spirit Plants?
She suddenly realized that the name of the awakening ability was [Spirit Plant Communicator].
Aren’t Spirit Plants supposed to be specially Cultivated? Does this ordinary hyacinth by the Window count as a Spirit Plant?
Ge Bai raised this question to the System.
“Spirit Plants is the general term for plants possessing Spiritual Power. After the Great Evolution Period, all Plants and Animals possess Spiritual Power, only differing in Spiritual Power Content levels.”
The System’s statement was completely different from what the Alliance society’s general education said, and even the term “Great Evolution” was something Ge Bai was hearing for the first time.
The Alliance now calls the dozens of plant species that can stably Contract with humans as Spirit Plants, and these Spirit Plants generally still need optimization and Cultivation by the Research Institute, otherwise the Contract failure rate is Extremely High.
Alliance Researchers generally believe that the reason for Contract failure is insufficient Spiritual Power Content in Spirit Plants.
“So that means, I can Contract with any plant, that is, any Spirit Plant as you refer to it? Contract success or failure has nothing to do with the Spirit Plant’s Spiritual Power Content?”
“Yes. Whether the Contract with a Spirit Plant succeeds mainly depends on compatibility and subjective willingness between both parties, unrelated to the Spirit Plant’s Spiritual Power Content level.” The System gave an affirmative reply.
Ge Bai’s worldview suffered a huge shock. If what the System said was true, then what had the Alliance Spirit Plant Research Institute been researching all these years? Totally off track!
She planned to go to the plant cultivation garden first thing tomorrow to try.
Now let’s look at the [Spirit Plant Cultivation Atlas].
“No Contract detected between host and any Spirit Plant, Spirit Plant Cultivation Atlas temporarily unavailable.”
When Ge Bai tried to browse the Atlas, the System popped up this message.
Won’t let me see without a Contract? Then how do I know what kind of Spirit Plant to Contract with!
Although she hadn’t fully familiarized herself with the System yet, Ge Bai could clearly sense that this Shen Nong System’s understanding of Spirit Plants far exceeded the Alliance’s current research level.
The Alliance Spirit Plant Research Institute classifies Spirit Plants into three major categories. The first is fruit-type Spirit Plants, like apple trees, Peach trees, grape vines, etc., which after Cultivation can produce Fruits with different effects that provide obvious buffs to Pet Beasts and humans.
The Second category is Auxiliary-type Spirit Plants, like the blazing tree stump that can continuously release flames, rain mushroom that can Summon cloud groups for precipitation, Devil Vine that can bind creatures within a certain range. This type of Spirit Plant is rare, hard to Cultivate, expensive, and usually controlled by the military.
The Third category is the recently emerging ornamental-type Spirit Plants, which are basically those Cultivated by the Research Institute with no special effects discovered, just good-looking, and even better-looking after Contract. Many idols and celebrities like this type of Spirit Plant, after all, Contracting a rose family Spirit Plant gives a flower cluster and falling petals buff on appearance.
Ge Bai always thought that the existence of such people and such Spirit Plants was purely from having too much free time.
While racking her brains to recall Spirit Plant knowledge, she pondered how to extract more information from the System.
“System, which Spirit Plants have relatively strong Attack Power, the kind that can single-handedly defeat same-level Pet Beasts in 1v1 Battle.”
“Please explore on your own after the host Contracts a Spirit Plant.”
Stingy System.
“Then let me rephrase, can Spirit Plants possibly defeat same-level Pet Beasts?”
“Yes.”
Got it!
Ge Bai’s eyes lit up, she knew it!
Every System has bugs that can be exploited.
“Will all types of Spirit Plants gain combat ability after Cultivation?”
“No.”
The System was terse with words.
Ge Bai thought about it and understood.
After all, not all Pet Beasts are suitable for Cultivating into combat-capable War Beasts; individual differences must be accepted.
That means choosing a Spirit Plant requires even more care.
Ge Bai still wanted to take the provincial key special recruitment exam in a month, even if she was destined to only become a Spirit Planter.
She really wasn’t willing to accept it, and the suddenly appearing System gave her a glimmer of hope.
————
Late at night, Teacher Xiaolu was also sleepless.
She put down her pen, rubbed her brow, with the desk lamp lit, browsed the just-finished letter once more, carefully folded it, and put it into the envelope.
The envelope was addressed to Researcher Luo Wan at the Huaguo Branch of the Alliance Spirit Plant Research Institute.
