Growth System

"Come on, faster, faster! Hurry, hurry! As long as I get there, as long as I can reach that place."

Wuling raced toward the classroom at the fastest speed of his life.

Damn it, why did the classroom have to be on the fourth floor? Wouldn't the first floor have worked?

But just as he rounded a corner on the stairs, a long-haired figure suddenly came down toward him.

"Whoa!"

Seeing that he was about to crash into someone again, Wuling relied on his extraordinary reflexes and twisted his shota waist to dodge.

Once he was past, Wuling had no time to look back. He could only apologize as he ran.

"Sorry! I'm in a hurry. Class is about to start, so you'd better get going too."

Before he had even finished speaking, he had already disappeared from sight.

But the long-haired figure wasn't angry about what had just happened. Instead, they gazed thoughtfully in the direction Wuling had gone.

His reflexes and balance just now were far better than an ordinary person's. His speed in particular was probably on par with a professional athlete's.

And judging by how he moved just now, his skills seemed pretty good too.

He looks like a good candidate.

When Wuling reached the classroom, there was still a little over a minute before class. Luckily, the teacher hadn't arrived yet.

I have to admit, being strengthened really does make a difference. I ran up four floors without even getting out of breath.

Wuling returned to his seat, and the bell rang just as he sat down.

The teacher for today's class seemed to have been held up, though. A full five or six minutes after class started, the teacher hurried into the classroom carrying a lesson plan, briefly apologized, then opened the course materials and formally began the morning's lesson.

The morning's lessons were as dull and tedious as ever. Wuling could understand everything, but that was precisely why they were a little boring.

With nothing to do, Wuling turned his gaze to the back of his hand.

When he'd woken up that morning, he hadn't known what was going on. He'd called Abu over and over but gotten no response. If he hadn't still been able to summon the system panel, he would have almost thought Abu had run away.

Just then, a golden light suddenly flashed on the back of Wuling's hand, and the round little Abu flew out.

[Abu? You're not dead?]

Wuling stared in shock at Abu, who had just flown out. Since they were communicating directly in his mind, there was no need to worry about anyone overhearing.

Abu: ?

[Wait, are you disappointed that I'm not dead? And anyway, what kind of decent person hopes their own system will die?]

[I don't understand, seumnida.]

[So where did you go? I've been calling you since this morning, and you never answered. I almost thought you'd run away.]

[You can rest assured about that.]

Abu patted a spot on his round body that could have been either his chest or his belly, his face full of assurance.

[The two of us are one now. Even if humanity perishes and the world is destroyed someday, nothing could separate us.]

...Why did he feel a little touched for some reason?

[Much as I'd like to say what you just said sounded like a confession, could you first tell me where you actually went?]

[About that~]

An indescribable smile appeared on Abu's face.

[Why don't you open the system panel and take a look?]

Hearing that, Wuling instantly felt a flicker of curiosity.

He asked no further questions. With a thought, a pale blue, translucent system panel instantly spread open before his eyes, floating in front of him.

At a glance, it looked no different from before, but a closer look revealed a small growth section in the upper right corner of the system panel.

[Abu, what's this?]

Wuling asked curiously.

[It's something new I got after an update: the Growth System.]

[There's only one creature to nurture in it. You can give her gifts or spend more time playing with her, and either will increase her affection and growth. Just treat her like a pet.]

[As her growth gets higher, she'll unlock all kinds of abilities, and they're all very useful. As her affection gets higher, she'll evolve and unlock new forms once her growth meets the requirements.]

[You've read cultivation novels, right? It's similar to beast taming in those. I've said so much already, so why don't you open it and see for yourself?]

Hearing Abu say that, Wuling curiously reached out and tapped it open.

The page that opened displayed a pale blue butterfly.

Unlike an ordinary butterfly, its wings didn't have fixed patterns. They were like flowing, watery light and drifting mist, with layers of faint blue light slowly moving across their surface in a continuous cycle.

Wuling looked at it for a moment, then suddenly noticed something amiss.

[Abu, why is the affection level maxed out?]

[Huh? Maxed out?]

Abu even suspected something was wrong with his hearing. Only after he leaned closer in disbelief and took a look did he confirm it.

[Well, Abu?]

[Well...]

Abu glanced rather strangely at the system screen in front of him and Wuling beside him, momentarily at a loss for words.

[Well, just assume he likes you a lot. Yeah, that's right, that's it.]

[Really? But why would that be? I don't think I've ever met her, have I?]

Wuling pointed at the butterfly on the screen.

[Well, um...]

Abu thought at the fastest speed of his life. Soon, he used what he considered his amazing super-intelligence to come up with what he considered an amazing super-answer.

[The creature you nurture is attracted to certain things. Maybe there's something about you that she finds very attractive, and on top of that, you're quite handsome yourself, so that's why her affection for you is so high... probably.]

Abu gave Wuling a perfectly serious explanation—or rather, a load of nonsense.

Wuling: ...

If you hadn't said that last word, I might have believed you. Now, no matter how I listen to it, it sounds like you're just fobbing me off.

Seeing Wuling's skeptical gaze, Abu hurriedly changed the subject.

[Right, you can let this butterfly out. Why don't you let her out and take a look?]

Hearing Abu say that, Wuling couldn't be bothered to expose it. He simply stared silently at the pale blue butterfly resting quietly on the system panel.

[Are you sure it's okay to let her out? Other people won't see her?]

He asked cautiously in his mind.

They were in class right now, surrounded by classmates and the teacher. A butterfly flying out of thin air would be far too absurd. An ordinary butterfly would have been one thing, but no matter how he looked at this one, it couldn't be considered normal. If anyone noticed it, there would be no explaining it away.

[Don't worry, don't worry!]

Abu immediately patted his little belly and gave his guarantee, his tone brimming with confidence.

[Nurturing Spirits have exclusive invisibility privileges. No one except you and me can see her. She won't be exposed; it's absolutely safe.]

[You can also choose to let other people see her, but even if they do, all they'll see is an ordinary blue butterfly.]

Only then did Wuling's concerns ease a little.

[Then how do I let her out?]

[It's simple. Just silently say "release" in your mind. The same goes for recalling her.]

Wuling stared at the screen, his thoughts stirring slightly, and softly gave the command: "Release."

The next second.

The blue light of the system panel trembled gently.

A wisp of clear, pale blue light flowed out of the screen and slowly spread through the air.

Then, the unusually shaped blue butterfly slowly unfurled itself from the light and shadow, gently fluttered its wings, and landed on his fingertip.