A series of system quests

Returning to her cozy little nest filled with the scent of Castorice, Luo Li temporarily put Murong Xue and the ancient scroll of unknown origin out of her mind.

Compared to those troublesome people and things, he enjoys the peace and quiet of holding his beloved Castorice in his arms.

Castorice seemed to have just woken up from her afternoon nap. She was wearing a soft nightgown with a cartoon rabbit print, her long, silver-purple hair was loosely draped over her shoulders, and her purple eyes had a hazy, watery look as she woke up. Like a lazy cat, she was curled up on the sofa looking at a picture book about the world's flowers that she had found at a secondhand bookstore.

Seeing Luo Li return, she put down the picture book, walked over barefoot, naturally took his coat and hung it up, asking softly, "You're back? She... didn't give you any trouble, did she?"

"No, we just exchanged a few meaningless words." Luo Li put his arm around her waist, lowered his head to steal a kiss on her lips, and inhaled her cool, sweet fragrance with satisfaction. "My Castorice is the best, so fragrant and soft."

Castorice's cheeks flushed slightly, and she gently pushed him away. "Stop fooling around... I'll go get you some water."

Watching her slender figure turn and head towards the kitchen, Luo Li felt a sense of peace in her heart.

However, this peace did not last long.

Just as he was comfortably sprawled on the sofa, enjoying the warm water Castorice handed him, and pondering whether to order takeout or take her out for a nice meal that evening, that long-lost, emotionless electronic voice exploded in his mind once more—

[Ding! Detected that the relationship between the host and the bound target ' Castorice ' has been stabilized, and life is back on track, meeting the hidden conditions. The long-term ' Branching Out and Bearing Leaves ' series of quests is now officially activated!]

Luo Li almost spat out her water.

To... to Branching Out and Bearing Leaves?!

Why is this lousy system suddenly concerned about this?!

[Main objective of the quest series: Ensure that the bound target ' Castorice ' successfully conceives and gives birth to a healthy offspring.]

[Ultimate Mission Reward: Based on the quantity and quality of your offspring, unlock corresponding levels of ' Spacetime Origin ' gifts, including but not limited to: permanent upgrade to Path Rank, ultimate enhancement of Spacetime Skills, the ultimate evolution of the exclusive weapon ' Bloodblade Enma,' and... the qualification to glimpse the mysteries of the ' River of Spacetime ' source.]

Luo Li's heart skipped a beat!

A permanent upgrade to Path Rank?! Ultimate enhancement to Spacetime Skills?! The ultimate evolution of Enma?! Even... glimpsing the mysteries of the source of the River of Spacetime?!

Any one of these rewards was far more attractive than any material wealth, power, or status he had ever seen.

That is the power that touches upon the fundamental rules of the world! It is the ladder to the supreme being.

This system... this time, the scale is astonishing!

[To assist the host in achieving the main storyline objective, a series of prerequisite tasks are now being released:]

[Task 1: "Love's Seedbed"]

[Task Requirements: Within the next week, complete at least seven high-quality intimate interactions with Castorice (both parties must achieve a level of physical and mental well-being of 80% or higher).]

[Mission Reward: Passive Skill "Life Essence Activity Maximization" - Significantly increases the vitality and success rate of the host's life factors. Portable Space expanded to 3 cubic meters.]

[Task 2: "Mind-Body Harmony"]

[Task Requirements: Guide Castorice through at least three dual-person energy cycle training sessions (requires a positive resonance between the [Spacetime] Path and the River of Souls Power).]

[Mission Reward: Special item "Knot of Love" (Slightly increases energy compatibility and emotional resonance between both parties when worn). Permanently increases mental energy recovery speed by 20%.]

[Task 3: "Staying in a Familiar Home to Attract Phoenixes"]

[Task Requirements: Create an absolutely safe, comfortable, and loving home environment for Castorice (Castorice's subjective sense of security and happiness scores must both exceed 90 points).]

[Mission Reward: One-time S-rank defensive barrier "Spacetime Barrier" (can withstand three full-force attacks below SSS-rank). Basic time flow adjustment permission for the Home area.]

[Task 4: "..." (Subsequent tasks will be unlocked gradually based on the completion of previous tasks)]

[WARNING: This series of quests is interconnected. Failure in any part may significantly increase the difficulty of the main objective, or even trigger unpredictable penalties. Please proceed with caution and give it your all.]

A barrage of task prompts and breathtakingly generous rewards left Luo Li feeling dizzy and disoriented.

He leaned back on the sofa, processing the massive amount of information.

Branching Out and Bearing Leaves... making Castorice pregnant...

This goal coincided with his deep-seated desire to have a complete family with Castorice.

However, the system's intervention, and the blatant reward mechanism that linked "producing offspring" with "power enhancement," caused a subtle sense of unease to rise in his heart.

It was as if the purest emotions and culmination between him and Castorice had been tainted by a utilitarian veneer.

However... the reward was just too tempting.

These are the powers he has always dreamed of! They are the absolute guarantee to protect the peace before him in the face of a crisis that may sweep everything away in the future.

Moreover, even without the system mission, he himself was extremely eager to have a child with Castorice.

But... aren't these task requirements a bit too specific? "High-quality intimate interaction" and "Mental and physical pleasure level above 80%"? How is this broken system supposed to monitor that?! And "energy circulation cultivation resonance"?

Luo Li blushed, feeling that this system was becoming increasingly frivolous.

"What's wrong?" Castorice put down her water glass, noticed Luo Li's unusual expression, and walked over with concern, reaching out to touch his forehead. "Are you feeling unwell?"

Her cool fingertips touched my skin, carrying a faint fragrance.

Looking into her pure eyes, so close to his, filled with concern, Luo Li felt a surge of warmth instantly replace the subtle feelings he had felt because of the system task.

He took her hand, pulled her into his arms, and made her sit on his lap. He rested his chin on the top of her head, his voice a little muffled. "I'm not feeling unwell... I'm just thinking about things."

"What are you thinking about?" Castorice leaned against him, relaxing, and fiddled with the buttons on his shirt.

Luo Li hesitated for a moment, then decided to reveal a little bit, since some "missions" required her cooperation.

He organized his thoughts and said in a tone that was both hopeful and tentative, "Castorice, tell me... if we have children in the future... who will they resemble more?"

Castorice's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, and the fingers that were gripping his buttons stopped.

She looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in her purple eyes, which was then covered by a faint shyness and... a complex emotion that was hard to describe.

"Child...?" she repeated softly, as if the word was both unfamiliar and distant to her.

In Amphoreus, she never imagined she would be associated with "the birth of life".

"Um."

Seeing the confusion in her eyes, Luo Li's heart softened. She tightened her arms around her and spoke even more gently, "Our child—maybe as beautiful as you, with purple eyes and silver hair... or maybe like me, a little roguish, but will definitely be very capable, because we're both capable..."

He described a future that did not exist, his voice carrying a longing he himself was unaware of.

Castorice listened to his words, a small, soft figure involuntarily appeared in her mind, with the outline of Luo Li, and perhaps even a trace of the River of Souls... Her heart beat faster for no reason, and her cheeks flushed.

"Why... why did you suddenly think of this...?"

She lowered her head, her voice weak.

"It just suddenly occurred to me."

Luo Li nuzzled the top of her head, her tone slightly mischievous. "Anyway, we'll definitely have one in the future, so let's think about it in advance... Besides, if my mom knew, she'd be overjoyed, and might even come over every day to bring us nourishing soup..."

Thinking of Zhou Wan's possible reaction, Castorice couldn't help but smile slightly, but that smile still carried a hint of trepidation from a visitor from another world.

Looking at her shy and timid appearance, Luo Li knew that he couldn't rush things.

The system task needs to be completed, but what's more important is Castorice's feelings.

He stopped talking about it and said instead, "Okay, I don't want to think about it anymore. Let nature take its course."

What do you want to eat tonight? I'll take you out to eat, to celebrate us coming home, and... to celebrate the successful meeting with the parents today?"

He temporarily suppressed the idea of "Branching Out and Bearing Leaves" and decided to start with the system's "prerequisite tasks" and proceed step by step.

Especially that "Love's Seedbed" and "body-mind harmony"... cough cough.

Castorice hearing "successfully meeting the parents," Xia Die's blush deepened, and she nodded gently. "Okay."

Seeing her obedient and dependent appearance, Luo Li's heart was filled with love and determination.

System tasks are important, but making his Castorice happy and at ease is the top priority.

As for Branching Out and Bearing Leaves... that will be the natural result of their love, not a cold, hard task.

However, those generous rewards... He licked his slightly dry lips.

It seems he'll have to work hard for the next while.

We need to make Castorice happy, and also achieve that "energy resonance"...

Looking at Xia Die in his arms, who was completely unaware of the situation and still immersed in the shyness and relief after meeting the Castorice, Luo Li smiled with a complex expression that was a mixture of doting, expectation and a sense of "a long way to go".

This task is probably not going to be easy to complete.