Chapter 2: System, can I raise a Pet Beast?

"Congratulations to the host for growing to the youth stage and reaching 10% spirit awareness development, meeting the system awakening conditions."

"Spirit awareness space area: 10 mu"

"Spirit awareness space development degree: Barren"

"Awakened ability: 【Spirit Plant Communicator】 Proficiency: Entry (0/100)"

"Awakened ability: 【Spirit Plant Cultivation Manual】 Completeness: Primary stage (0/100)"

"System task (Novice): Please complete a contract with a spirit plant within 3 days."

"Task failure penalty: Eradication"

The clear electronic sound was ringing in Ge Bai's mind.

Ge Bai lay back on the bed silently, turning to the side facing the wall. Her trembling fingers holding the corner of the quilt revealed her excited emotions.

A system! A golden finger!

16 years, it finally arrived.

Ge Bai calmed her mood and asked bluntly: "System, can I contract a Pet Beast?"

……

The electronic sound in her mind was silent for three seconds, and then the volume was clearly increased.

"Hello, host. I am the Shennong 2.7 System, not a turtle in a wishing pool."

Oh? It's an intelligent system.

Ge Bai became interested in chatting.

"Is there a reward for successfully completing the spirit plant contract task?"

"No."

"Then what does the task failure penalty of 'eradication' mean?"

This time, the system explained it quite generously.

"Eradication refers to the comprehensive destruction of the host in both body and spirit."

What does that mean? Other people's systems pave a glorious path to godhood, while Ge Bai's system holds the whip of "eradication" and lashes her from behind? Forget it, having a system is better than not having one. Contracting a spirit plant is a small matter.

Ge Bai took a deep breath, tried hard to comfort herself, and turned to continue studying the system.

【Spirit Plant Communicator】? Can I talk to spirit plants?

Ge Bai understood this awakened ability literally.

With a movement of her spirit awareness, she activated the Spirit Plant Communicator state. She only heard a loud snoring sound suddenly erupt in the originally quiet dormitory.

She looked around and quickly locked onto the source of the sound: it was the pot of hyacinths by the window.

The light blue petals were densely clustered together, thick leaves wrapped around the flower column, and the dark purple bulb was round and plump, extending white roots.

A hyacinth that looked so quiet could make such a loud snoring sound? You can't judge a flower by its appearance.

Ge Bai saw that there wasn't much water left in the hyacinth's transparent vase, just barely covering the roots at the bottom. She got out of bed, picked up the vase, and examined it.

The snoring stopped abruptly.

"Hmm?" The hyacinth seemed to have woken up and let out a confused "hmm."

Ge Bai smiled and mischievously shook the vase. The hyacinth's huge flower column swayed along with it.

"Ah, ah, what are you doing, what are you doing? Stop shaking, I'm dizzy!"

This hyacinth was completely awake, shouting in a babbling way.

Ge Bai didn't pay attention to it, efficiently changed its water, and put it back on the windowsill.

Seeing this, the hyacinth hummed and went back to sleep, but the snoring this time was 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 communicate with spirit plants rashly.

Wait. Spirit plants? She suddenly reacted. The name of the awakened ability is 【Spirit Plant Communicator】. Shouldn't spirit plants be specially cultivated? Does this ordinary hyacinth on the windowsill count as a spirit plant? Ge Bai raised this question to the system.

"Spirit plant is a general term for plants that possess spirit power. After the Great Evolution period, all flora and fauna possess spirit power; it's just that there is a difference in the amount of spirit power contained."

The system's statement is completely different from what is said in the Alliance's social general education. Even the term "Great Evolution" was something Ge Bai heard for the first time.

The Alliance currently calls the dozens of plants that can stably contract with humans "spirit plants." These spirit plants generally still need to be optimized and cultivated by research institutes; otherwise, the contract failure rate is extremely high.

And Alliance researchers generally believe that the reason for contract failure is that the spirit power content in the spirit plants is not enough.

"So that means I can contract with any plant, which is what you refer to as a spirit plant? Does success or failure of the contract have nothing to do with the spirit power content of the spirit plant?"

"Yes. Whether you can successfully contract with a spirit plant mainly depends on the compatibility between the two parties and subjective willingness, and has nothing to do with the spirit power content of the spirit plant." The system gave an affirmative answer.

Ge Bai's worldview was hit by a huge impact. If what the system said is true, then what have the Alliance Spirit Plant Research Institutes been researching all these years? They have definitely gone off track!

She prepared to go to the plant cultivation garden early tomorrow morning to try it out.

Let's look at the 【Spirit Plant Cultivation Manual】 again.

"No contract with any spirit plant has been detected for the host; the Spirit Plant Cultivation Manual cannot be opened temporarily."

When Ge Bai tried to browse the manual, the system popped up such a sentence.

Not allowed to see it without a contract? Then how do I know what kind of spirit plant to contract with! Although she hadn't fully mastered the system, Ge Bai clearly felt that this Shennong system's understanding of spirit plants was far higher than the Alliance's current research level.

The Alliance Spirit Plant Research Institute divides spirit plants into three major categories. The first category is fruit-type spirit plants, such as apple trees, peach trees, grape vines, etc., which can bear different fruits after cultivation and have obvious beneficial effects on Pet Beasts and humans.

The second category is auxiliary-type spirit plants, such as the Flame Stump that can continuously release flames, the Rain Mushroom that can summon clouds to bring rain, and the Devil Vine that can bind creatures within a certain range. This type of spirit plant is rare, difficult to cultivate, expensive, and usually controlled by the military.

The third category is the one that has emerged in recent years, called ornamental spirit plants. To put it bluntly, after the research institute cultivates them, they haven't found any special effects; they just look good, and they grow even better after being contracted. Many idols and celebrities like this type of spirit plant. After all, contracting a rose-family spirit plant can bring its own "flower cluster and falling petals" buff when appearing.

Ge Bai has always felt that the existence of such people and such spirit plants belongs to those who have nothing better to do.

While racking her brains to recall spirit plant knowledge, she pondered how to get more information out of the system.

"System, which spirit plants have relatively powerful attack power, the kind that can defeat Pet Beasts of the same level alone in a 1v1 battle?"

"Please explore on your own after contracting a spirit plant."

Stingy system.

"Then I'll rephrase it: is it possible for a spirit plant to defeat a Pet Beast of the same level?"

"Yes."

Done!

Ge Bai's eyes lit up. She knew it!

If there's a system, there must be bugs to exploit.

"Do all types of spirit plants possess combat power after cultivation?"

"No."

The system is stingy with words.

Ge Bai thought about it and could understand.

After all, not all Pet Beasts are suitable for cultivation into Battle Beasts; one has to accept individual differences.

That means choosing a spirit plant requires even more care.

Ge Bai still wants to participate in the provincial key high school special recruitment exam in a month, even if she is destined to only become a Spirit Plant Master.

She really isn't reconciled, and the suddenly appearing system gave her a glimmer of hope.

————

Late at night, Teacher Xiaolu was also not asleep.

She put down her fountain pen, rubbed her eyebrows, and browsed the letter she had just finished writing under the desk lamp. She carefully folded the letter and put it into an envelope.

The recipient address on the envelope was for Researcher Luo Wan of the China Branch of the Alliance Spirit Plant Research Institute.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 3 =====