When Li Chunhua arrived at the threshold of the fence, the scent had yet to disperse. Li Chunhua opted to use her qi to block her sense of smell, and she was glad that she did because she could finally breathe properly and her health was no longer reduced.
It was the first time she realized that someone's farts could be so deadly, or maybe it was her cooking that was fatal.
But honestly, she didn't really toss anything poisonous in that pot, so how could it end up being poisonous? And she even poured her heart into it. The system is hitting her sore spots.
Sighing with sadness, Li Chunhua opened the fence and went straight toward the back of the thatched cottage.
Upon reaching the arch, Li Chunhua saw its appearance. There was a white stone platform, and there were two structures built on it. A huge bowl was attached to the top of a 1 chi (1.07 meter) stone pillar, and the other one was the arch.
The arch was made of copper, at least based on its surface. The length of the arch was about 10 chi (3.58 meters), and the width was about 4 chi (1.43 meters).
Its side frames were carved with unknown characters that she didn't recognize and were glowing with gold light, and the top of the arch was shaped into a dome.
There was a colorless gem embedded in the center of her fist, radiating incandescent light, and somehow she could feel some kind of energy, not much different from Qi essence but slightly impure, seeping out of it.
Most importantly, the space inside the arch was black as an abyss, and there were purple streaks of lighting and black clouds moving inside as there was a tumultuous storm going on. Li Chunhua retreated away reflexively.
The author didn't mention these in the novel, so she was taken aback. If she didn't know she could summon natives here, she would have thought it was a rift where a demonic beast might emerge.
Li Chunhua patted her chest, raised her hands, and pressed her palms together in the air. "For the food! Please give me a cook! Please ancestor! Chunhua is begging you."
Then she climbed the three-step flight, rushed towards the stone bowl, and began pouring the contents of her inventory with an eager and hopeful face.
[You've offered an assortment of beginner equipment…+1…+1…+1…+589 pieces…]
"Please be a cook! Even if you're one-star grade, I, Li Chunhua, will guard you with my life!"
[You've offered an assortment of food items…+1kg…+1kg…+1kg…+236kg…]
"Please be a cook! Even if you're blind, I, Li Chunhua, will help you regain your sense of sight!"
[You've offered a unit of beginner wood…+1…+1…+1…+1…+1579 units…]
"Please be a cook! Even if you're lacking limbs, I, Li Chunhua, will be your arms and legs!"
[You've offered copper coins…+5…+5…+5…+5…+1207]
"Please be a cook! Even if you don't know how to read, I, Li Chunhua, will be your teacher."
[You've offered…]
"Ancestor, please pity Baozi!"
With so much offering, the bowl should have piled like a hill on top of the stone bowl or even fallen off, but this was no ordinary bowl.
The moment the game items touched the bottommost part, they turned into speckles of colorful light, drifting and drilling inside the colorless gem, further brightening the luminous light.
The more intense the light emitted by the gem, the greater the chances of summoning a native with a better profession and grade.
The notification kept popping in front of her face every time she stuffed the bowl with her loots until there was a system sound.
[You've reached the limit.]
By this time, as if the sun had descended on the land, the stone platform and Li Chunhua's figure were covered in a glaring halo.
Li Chunhua tried putting a copper coin in the bowl, but the bowl spat it back at her face, and it landed on her forehead, leaving a circle mark. Li Chunhua picked up the copper coin and tossed it back into her inventory, which had already been reduced by four due to the offerings.
The bowl even made a burping sound as if it were alive.
If the bowl can't accept anymore, then Li Chunhua can't do anything but wait. If she had any incense in hand, she would lit a thousand of them, all at once.
Shing-
A melodious sound came from behind her. Li Chunhua turned around, and the space inside the arch was no longer dark and filled with black clouds but rather blinding light like those that would be created when someone managed to successfully have an epiphany.
White mist was even leaking out, turning the stone platform into a sea of clouds, and there were colorful flower petals dancing in the air, twirling and wafting sweet fragrances under her nose.
Li Chunhua covered her eyes because it was so bright. What is this? This wasn't depicted in the novel.
Ting-
[Summoning is successful!]
[System Notification:
- Congratulations on summoning your first native. Would you like to view its stats? ]
By the end of the system notification, the binding light was gone, and so were the white mist and petals, as if it were all an illusion.
A voice soft as clouds, mild as a breeze, and sweet as honey drifted to her ears.
"Landowner, it's my greatest honor to be a part of your territory's residents. I, Siri Druindar, will pledge allegiance to you by the grace vested upon me by the Kings and Queens of the Elven Kingdom, will strive hard to fight for your glory..."
Li Chunhua dropped her arms and inspected the first native she summoned.
Long golden hairs cascading on his back, each strand like gold silk threads dappled with sunlight.
Two pointed, delicate ears, one of which was pierced, and a golden earring shaped into a rhombus embellished with rubies—a pair of red irises, etched with wisdom—gazed at her.
Nose with perfect slope, red-petal lips stretched into an amiable smile.
The native has fair skin that resembles a moist boiled egg with no wrinkles or blemishes.
As he stood there with his right palm placed on his chest, he exuded an air of nobility, charisma, and grace that was hard to ignore.
All in all, the native she summoned possessed a face that countries would wage war for, but Li Chunhua was not interested in his looks but rather his specialty.
"It's a five star!"
[Name: Siri Druindar
Grade: *****
Level: 0
Profession: Six-Element Affinity Spell Caster
Clan: High-Pantheon Elves
Evolution Potential: SSS
Specialty: Management, Archery, Close Combat, Range Combat, Apothecary, Scouting, Hunting...
Status Ailments: None
HP: 1000/1000 (Cap)
Mana: 1000/1000 (Cap)
Strength: 100 (Cap)
Defense: 100 (cap)
Agility: 100 (Cap)
Intelligence: 100 (Cap)
Luck: -100 (Cap)
Overall Combat Stars: 100 (Cap)]
[Special Condition: Mandatory Salary of 10,000 Silver Coins]
Li Chunhua was in the midst of reading the elf's specialties when another notification screen appeared in front of her.
[Special Condition: Mandatory Salary of 10,000 Silver Coins]
She blinked her eyes, confused.
[Special Condition: Mandatory Salary of 10,000 Silver Coins]
She rubbed her eyes afterwards.
[Special Condition: Mandatory Salary of 10,000 Silver Coins]
She pinched her left arm, but the words on the screen didn't change. Initially, she thought it was her eyes playing a joke, but it was not.
(⊙_◎)
It was really 10,000 silver coins!
Siri thought she was doing those things because she was awestruck by his stats and beauty. He raked his golden hair and showed her a charming smile, waiting for her praise.
Master, I know that I'm beautiful, you don't need to look at me like that.
10,000 silver coins?
A silver coin is worth 1000 copper coins, which means she needs to pay 10,000,000 copper coins monthly.
10,000,000 copper coins monthly?
Wouldn't she be bankrupt by then?
Wait, if the elf could cook, then she would accept him. She could grit her teeth to accumulate that much!
"Can you cook?" Li Chunhua asked.
Siri flicked his head to the side before replying, "Yes".
Li Chunhua was overjoyed.
Thank you, Ancestor! Thank you for blessing Baozi!
Excitedly, she asked, "What kind of dishes do you cook?"
The elf smiled before enumerating the dishes. "Thallion sauteed grass, evergreen berry stalk grass, pan-fried dedri-star grass..."
The smile on Baozi's face became crooked as time went by. "Just a second, are you implying that you only know how to cook grass?"
Siri nodded proudly.
ಥ_ಥ
There were ten thousand sheeps eating grasses and bleating 'meh meh' in Li Chunhua's mind.
After a few seconds, Li Chunhua shouted at the portal, on the verge of crying, finding current her actions awful, "It's not about you. It's about me. I'm sorry!"
"…" Siri wanted to curse at her. If it's about you, why did you kick me into the portal?
(A/N: Don't worry, Siri will come back.
I was like this (ʘᗩʘ') when i checked the notification. Like Little Baozi, I rubbed my eyes, blinked and pinched my arms because someone just gave my story 41 Golden tickets. I'm crying from happiness.(〒﹏〒) Thank you so much Taffy4U and those who have been supporting the book, thank you too.)