Ding!
[Quest "Getting Into Shape" Completed. You have gained 0.5 Strength, 0.5 Agility and 0.5 Stamina as a reward]
"Done!" said Michael with a shout as he stopped beside a lonely waiting shed in the middle of the country road surrounded by fields of crops of different varieties, the same road he and Hao had been taking their jog during the past couple of days.
Michael looked around his surroundings with a smile as he took a deep breath of fresh air, "Ever since the huge change that happened a few years ago, the air had been so fresh. The pollution was slowly controlled and fuelled cars are slowly being replaced by electric cars. All thanks to the superhumans who had strongly advocated to stop or reduce climate change"
"Hao~!" said Hao as she jumped on Michael's shoulder and dangled over..
Michael laughed and turned his head towards his shoulder and said, "I know, most humans can be a pain in the ass, but there's also those who deeply care about the world. During the first year of the New Era, chaos almost ensued around the world between the first group of superhumans and the important political figures in the society"
"People who never had the means to change the world gained supernatural abilities that made them able to stand above the normal humans, and the old regime didn't want to cede their authority and power to them. Fortunately for us, there are still people in the old regime who could think straight and knows the problem that the world is facing"
"So long story short, the superhumans triumph in the end and co founded the Terran Association along with the world governments and the people who supported them"
Then Michael suddenly spread his arms wide open and spun around saying to Hao, "When I was a kid, this was the same scenery I would see, an expanse of land full of life. As I grew older throughout the years, this vast expanse of farm lands and slowly became barren as they were replaced by weeds because of the many policies that made the farmers live a hard life, but the start of the New Era changed it all"
"Now, the people around the world doesn't need to worry about the nonsensical and useless policies and laws that continued to oppress and enslave them"
Michael couldn't help but wear a smile full of meaning as he gazed through the vast expanse of the farm gland and then he suddenly started monologuing by himself.
"Oppressing us because you have money and power? Then I will fight back using these hardened fists of mine!"
"Money is a synonym of power? No, my fists and will are! So you better think twice if yours is tougher than mine!"
"Not convinced!?Then have a taste of this! Prominence Typhoon!"
His voice slowly grew louder with excitement as he even punched out his fist towards the sky at the end!
"Waaah~! It still makes my blood boil with excitement remembering what Fire Lord Spencer said before he destroyed the White House a few years ago!"
Then suddenly, Hao gave a grunt of disapproval and slapped Michael's cheeks as she just jumped down, "Haooo!!"
With a laugh, Michael replied, "Yeah, he was talking about his fists, but then he used magic in the end, which was funny but intimidating at the same time as it produced its desired effect in the end"
Then he became serious as he picked up Hao from the ground and lifted her up at eye level and said, "That event was the reason why people dreamed of becoming superhumans as they are synonyms of fame, money and influence, because not only was Fire Lord Spencer not implicated for destroying the White House. Instead, he was praised and respected by the masses, but of course, there's was also a lot of people who hated him for it"
"And just a few days ago, I was about to give up on my dream and quietly be a farmer and tend our land, but then you suddenly showed up from out of nowhere and changed everything, and I'm grateful for it"
Michael stared straight at Hao's mesmerizing cute pair of eyes and said, "On that note, how come I'm the only one who can understand you? I asked Summer earlier if she could freely communicate with Iso, but she told me that she can't and could only feel what Iso feels"
With a tilt of her head in a cute way, Hao replied, "Hao~?"
"You don't know either?" mumbled Michael, then he suddenly thought of something and lightly called out, "System, do you have any idea about this?"
[...]
"Hello, are you there?" said Michael with a scratch at the back of his head and thought a little to himself that he might look a little crazy right now trying to talk to something he can't even see.
With a laugh contained with a little anger, Michael said, "Yaa! You were so active last night answering my questions, but now, you're giving me the cold shoulder?"
Then with no indication at all, Hao's ears suddenly perked up and turned her head towards a direction.
"Hao!!"
"W-what the hell!?"
She quickly wriggled free from my grasp and landed on the ground before bolting away from Michael under his widened and shocked gaze as his pair of eyes followed the little silhouette dashing away from him.
"W-wait up! Hao! Where are you going!? Yaaa!!! You're running too fast, dammit! This little brat!"
"Yaaaa!!!"
*****
Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!
"Pups?"
Hao stopped and led Michael to a dense shrubbery near the irrigation creek and was met by two pups that's probably just a week or two old and crying for their mother.
"Were they abandoned? Where's their mother?" Looking around them, Michael mumbled to himself as he squatted down beside the two helpless pups along with Hao who were also curiously looking at them.
"Hao! Hao!" said Hao as she turned to Michael.
Michael looked at her with a surprised expression and said, "They're really abandoned? How do you even know that?"
"Haoo!"
"Wait, no...no f-freaking wway!"
[Monster Name]: Mutated Aspin ♀
[Level]: Level 0
[Grade]: Normal
[Attribute]: Wind
[Condition]: Hungry and Sad (Helpless)
[Weakness]: Electric
Evolution Path: Wolfdog
[Monster Name]: Mutated Aspin ♂
[Level]: Level 0
[Grade]: Normal
[Attribute]: Wind
[Condition]: Hungry and Sad (Helpless)
[Weakness]: Electric
[Evolution Path]: Wolfdog
"No,no,no..! This doesn't make sense at all!"
Michael couldn't help but yell in shock as he wasn't expecting this kind of development at all!
"They're f*cking dogs! Why are they labeled as monsters!?" shouted Michael in disbelief as this is the first time he's seeing something like this as this is the first time that the [System] appeared when he encountered a native animal!
Which for him, doesn't make sense at all as it's not like this is the first time he's seeing a dog up close and personal!
Then he turned his attention to Hao and compared her information to the other two.
[Name]: Hao ♀
[Level]: Level 2
[Grade]: ???
[Attribute]: ???
[Condition]: Confused
[Weakness]: ???
Evolution Path: ???
Seeing Michael's reaction, Hao couldn't help but angrily call out to him. "Haoo! Haoo!"
"I know, but this is weird. These pups shouldn't be here at all. Anyway, how do you know that they are really abandoned?" asked Michael as he wasn't sure if the two have owners or if their mother is still around and he didn't want to do anything that he isn't sure of.
Hao angrily hopped on the spot a couple of times and said, "Hao! Hao!"
Michael had this thoughtful look on his face and said, "You mean they had been here for quite a while, and there's no other scent around them except for a faint human smell when you got here?"
"Hao!"
Looking at her, Michael couldn't help but smile helplessly and said, "Well, I guess I don't have much of a choice but to bring them with us, do I?"
"Hawow~!" replied Hao with a bright expression when she heard Michael was willing to bring the two little pups with them.
Michael slowly picked them both up into his arms, and the moment he did that, something shocking happened before his very eyes!
Ding!
[Main Quest has been updated]
[Requirements for the [Hidden Quest] have been met!]
[You have acquired the blueprint "Monster Ranch"]
[Quest "Build a Monster Ranch" has been added to the Main Quest]
Looking and reading through the series of notifications before his eyes, Michael could only utter the words, "Oh boy, just what the hell is it this time?"