nagpurpolice Chapter 11: [Hair Growth] The effect is so, so, so obvious?
Chapter 11: [Hair Growth] The effect is so, so, so obvious?
The girl at the door was petite, carrying a rubber basin thicker than her waist, craning her neck to look out. She had been looking for who knows how long, but the moment their eyes met, her almond-shaped eyes lit up like the lamplight.
"Jiang Qiu, are you leaving?"
She hurried towards us with light, quick steps, her voice barely audible, as if afraid of disturbing the moths flying outside the window: "Could...could you wait a moment?"
Jiang Qiu raised an eyebrow, her thoughts pausing for a moment before she finally found the name: "Yang Zhilan? What's wrong?"
Yang Zhilan pursed her lips, carefully picked up the potted plant. The pale red seedling inside had only recently sprouted and was still very tender. She said nervously:
"This...this is the [Fire Radiance Flower] I planted. Its growth cycle is too long, and it may not bear fruit by the time of the assessment, thus missing the opportunity to become a full-fledged employee this year. So I would like to ask you to help me [grow hair] and shorten the growth cycle. I...I can also help you [reach the top]."
"【Fire Radiance Flower】?" Jiang Qiu's gaze focused on the tender red seedling, slightly puzzled. "Before you chose it, didn't you know that its growth cycle is 5 months? If you don't buy spirit fertilizer, and there's no wood-type spirit energy 【growth】, won't you be able to make it to the assessment?"
He didn't have much contact with Yang Zhilan, but they had studied in the same class at the same high school. He knew that Yang Zhilan was an orphan like him, lived in a shantytown, and had no chance to go to university, so he signed up for the special program.
In other words, Yang Zhilan's family is poor and she can only barely make ends meet with her monthly internship salary of 1000 yuan. Logically speaking, she should have chosen to plant the [Wood Edge Flower], as it can basically absorb spiritual energy and become a full-fledged employee.
Unlike the Fireflower, it doesn't have any extra burden.
However, Yang Zhilan whispered, "I...I know, but the spirit seeds of the [Fire Radiance Flower] are more expensive, and the fruits it produces are also more expensive. If I can cultivate the first generation, I can exchange them for money to buy more spirit seeds."
"Can you help me?"
Suddenly, I noticed that her fingers were unconsciously gripping the bottom of the basin. Perhaps she had already looked for other people but had no luck, so she came to me.
Jiang Qiu sighed softly, "The spiritual energy I breathe in also needs to be used to nurture my spiritual plants. Every bit of spiritual energy is essential, and there is no spare."
"Okay... alright." Yang Zhilan lowered her head.
But Jiang Qiu changed the subject: "However, I also need some fire-attribute spiritual energy to break through the quality of the fruit. If you agree to let me absorb the spiritual energy of the [Fire Radiance Flower], I can help you [grow hair]."
Suddenly, Yang Zhilan looked up, her eyes sparkling: "Really? Are you planning to cultivate a mid-grade Wood-elemental Flower and Fruit? I can help you [reach the top]!"
"No need. Independent cultivation is the only way to become a spirit plant master. I'll help you with the [Growth], and you just need to lend me the [Fire Radiance Flower] to absorb fire-attribute spiritual energy, how about that?"
She nodded solemnly, her round, pink face taut: "Okay! As long as you're willing to help me make the [Fire Radiance Flower] ripen and bear fruit before the assessment, you can absorb all the fire-attribute spiritual energy it produces!"
"Okay, put the potted plant down first. I'll try it once and see how it goes."
"Oh, is it okay to put it on this table?"
"Just let it go."
Ta-da! The potted plant was placed on the empty table, and a brief introduction panel appeared, containing the basic development status of the spiritual plant. Jiang Qiu had seen such panels many times before, as he could see them when caring for various level 1 spiritual plants in the nursery.
But this time, he subconsciously took another look—
The Level 1 spirit plant "Fire Radiance Flower" grows naturally in ordinary Level 1 nutrient soil. On average, it emits 1 wisp of Level 1 fire elemental energy every two days. It does not provide any production bonus, but due to the influence of the cultivator's extremely pure fire elemental energy "top-level", it will definitely produce at least one medium-grade fruit.
[Estimated ripening time: 135 days]
Any common level 1 spirit plant, if it is of low grade, will produce low grade spirit fruit; if it is of medium grade, it will only increase the probability of producing medium grade spirit fruit.
To increase the production of medium-grade fruits, additional resources are required, such as high-grade containers, spiritual energy that facilitates upgrading, or secret spiritual fertilizer.
Even Jiang Qiu himself, without the optimization panel, would have had almost no chance of cultivating a mid-grade fruit in the first generation. Even Qian Cheng, Zhang San, Li Si, and others with better conditions might not have been able to do it.
But Yang Zhilan was penniless, yet she seemed to be able to cultivate a mid-grade fruit in the first generation, or even a more difficult one, the [Fire Radiance Flower], simply by virtue of her talent?
Noticing this, a barely perceptible hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and he murmured, "You've already performed a [Top-Up] on this [Fire Radiance Flower]?"
"Huh? Yes, yes," Yang Zhilan's eyes widened, "The day before yesterday, when I refined the fire elemental energy, I vaguely felt that I could perform the [Ascension], so I tried using it once. But after using it, there wasn't even a chance for the surface to change. How could you tell?"
"The [Upper Peak] characteristic of fire-attribute spiritual energy is specifically designed to promote the upgrading of expected fruits. When used on low-grade spiritual seeds, there is a greater probability that they will show signs of bearing mid-grade spiritual fruits. Although the surface changes are not significant, they are enough to make it clear. Let's put that aside for now and prepare for [Growth]—"
Before she finished speaking, with a whoosh, Jiang Qiu exhaled a wisp of cyan spiritual energy from her fingertips.
[Consumes 10 strands of level 1 wood elemental energy]
【"Hair Growth" Level 1 Wood-type Spirit Plant "Fireflower"】
[Target is fire-attribute spirit plants, bonus enhanced]
[Choose an optimization direction:]
[1. Expected ripening time 15 days ahead of schedule]
2. Medium-grade fruit yield increases by 1 (not included in total yield)
[3. The total yield of Fire Glory Flower Fruit increased by 8.]
Wood generates fire, and all three options show a significant increase.
Do as Yang Zhilan requests.
Jiang Qiu's eyes lit up, and she immediately chose one.
With a whoosh, the azure spiritual energy vanished like a raging fire in the wind. The Fiery Flower seedlings grew segment by segment like fire bamboo shoots peeling their shells, their leaves charred and detached, pushing off the fiery red tender leaves that sprouted from within, thus undergoing metabolism.
This scene was reflected in Yang Zhilan's bright eyes. She opened her mouth wide enough to fit an ostrich egg: "The hair growth effect is... is... so obvious? How much wood-elemental spiritual energy must be consumed in one go!"
Because usable spiritual energy is refined from absorbed spiritual energy, everyone will experience varying degrees of loss during the refining process.
For an inexperienced intern, even if they absorb 10 strands of spiritual energy, only 1 or 2 strands may be usable when they try to use it. The rest will evaporate into the world during the refining process and be returned to nature.
Even Yang Zhilan herself is not yet proficient. She has absorbed a total of 6 strands of fire-attribute spiritual energy, but has only been able to refine 1 strand that can be used for [top-level].
In her eyes, the hair growth effect that Jiang Qiu displayed required the extraction of at least 10 strands of wood-elemental spiritual energy. Conversely, it's possible that she used at least 100 strands of accumulated spiritual energy for herself!
But how could that be?
At this moment, Yang Zhilan was completely lost.
Unaware of this, Jiang Qiu remained focused, his hand absorbing the red spiritual energy metabolized by the [Fire Radiance Flower], completely absorbed in it.
[Absorbed 1 wisp of level 1 fire elemental energy]
When you accumulate 10 strands of level 1 fire elemental energy, you can "upgrade" a low-grade fruit that is about to ripen, transforming it into a mid-grade fruit. At the same time, the fruit will have additional optimization bonuses of its own choosing.
When you accumulate 50 strands of level 1 fire elemental energy, you can "upgrade" a mid-grade fruit that is about to ripen, transforming it into a high-grade fruit. At the same time, the fruit will have additional optimization bonuses of its own choosing.
【...】
[Absorbed 1 wisp of level 1 fire elemental energy]
[Absorbed 1 wisp of level 1 fire elemental energy]
[Absorbed 1 wisp of level 1 fire elemental energy]