Locating the nearest building, I had Crystal search through the floors to kill any zombies or beasts she encountered. Taking my time to rest after I found an empty room, I sat on the couch to recuperate. I figured I could get some answers from the System while I waited.
"System, can I put Crystal or other human beings in my space pendant?"
[As you are the master of Crystal, she can enter the independent space of the pendant. For humans or other animals, they must have 100% loyalty towards you to enter the independent space of the Space Pendant. The Host must will whatever he chooses to put in it, but if the individual refuses, then the pendant won't accept them.]
"OK, can I also enter the independent space of the charm?"
[No; for the Host to have access to the independent space, you will have to collect at least one more part to the Space Pendant. But the Host can manifest his consciousness inside the separate space.]
'I have been putting things inside for a while now, but I haven't looked inside yet. I think it's about time I see what's going on inside the pendant,' I thought.
Looking inside the space pendant, I saw an expansive grassland that extended for about one mile. The grass was emerald, green, and the air was fresh. However, I wasn't sure how I could taste the air if it was just my consciousness that had entered. I saw all the food and drinks I had collected so far in a pile not too far away from me. Looking at how ample the space was, I planned to put trees and other plants inside to improve the environment.
I could see Crystal having a ball in here with all the running room she would have. I would also need to get a water source in here to ensure plenty to drink. The plants I plant would also need water to nurture them. I needed to level up my tamer skill so that Crystal could have more playmates when she was inside too.
While I was inside, I decided to organize all the items I had put in. I placed all the water and other beverages on one side. I then organized all the canned goods in a separate pile by type. All my consumables, such as tissue and paper towels, were kept together. The meds were kept close by because you never know what might happen these days. The rest of my food and sweets were neatly organized as well.
"I seriously need someone in here to take care of all this for me," I muttered to myself.
I took my consciousness out of the space pendant after I finished tidying up. I was looking at the time when I noticed I had spent almost three hours inside doing all that. During that time, I had fully recovered my mana and stamina from the battle.
Just as I was about to relax further, Crystal returned, her eyes alert and her stance indicating she had found something. She let out a low growl, signaling potential danger. I stood up, grabbing my weapon and readying myself for whatever she had discovered.
"Good job, Crystal. Lead the way," I said, following her out of the room.
We moved through the building cautiously, Crystal leading the way with her heightened senses. She guided me to a stairwell that led to the basement. The air grew colder and damper as we descended, and the darkness became more oppressive.
Chrystal led me to inside one of the rooms on an upper floor of the building where I can see the bodies in the room look as if they were sucked dry of all their nutrients. Our vigilance automatically heightened to the max seeing this scene in front of us. I knew that whatever did this was still in the room because of all the alarms going off in my body warning me of the danger to come. It was not on the level of the Slasher zombie but more like the Earth Cat. Nether the less I had to be mindful not to make any mistakes because of how powerful I feel.
Looking closer into the room I see that there are long vines all over the back walls of the room, kind of like what was seen outside over some of the buildings. That's when I noticed that it's the same vines wrapped around the ankles of the former tenants of this apartment. Looking at the windowsill we see a bonsai tree or what it should have been before, with long root line vines coming from it. It was swaying as if it was alive. The rhythmic swaying was very enticing to the eyes, and it felt a little hypnotic as it was drawing me in to get closer.
"Bark Bark!"
I quickly snapped out of it with Chrystal's barking waking me up. My awareness turned to the Max as I understand that I almost made a vital mistake letting me self-get drawing in like that. As the plant notices that I woke up it began to raise the vines off the floor into the air as if getting ready for combat. Chrystal and I also get into combat mode ready for anything but before we start, I decided to check out its stats.
"Inspect"
Name: Bonsai Tree
Breed: Plant
Lvl: 9
Hp: 280
Mp: 250
I was surprised to see its stats were not as strong as the Slasher we fought, but it was close in level. Unsure of why Crystal brought me to this plant monster, I was about to kill it when I heard a small voice in my head. It sounded like a child, about five to six years old.
"Please don't kill me; I will do whatever you want as long as you don't kill me," said the Bonsai Tree.
I looked back at the bonsai tree, astounded that I could hear its voice in my head. Immediately, I became more cautious. If it could so effortlessly get into my head, what else could it do? Trying to determine if I should kill the bonsai tree or not, I heard it start to cry in my mind. Feeling like the bad guy, I decided to hold off on killing it and ask some questions first.
"How are you able to talk to me in my head? Why is it that you can move even though you're a plant? If you submit to me, what can I get out of it?" I asked.
"Because plants do not generally have mouths to speak, we develop a telepathic technique to communicate with each other. I can move because we also heard the voice of God, and I have been evolving since then. I'm a rare Japanese cherry blossom bonsai tree, and I can cause other plants around me to grow. Also, using my blossoms, you can create a type of nectar that can enhance your recovery of your mana," said the bonsai tree in its small childlike voice.
I paused, taking in the information. The idea of a telepathic plant that could enhance my mana recovery was intriguing. The fact that it could influence other plants to grow was also promising. But I needed to be sure of its intentions and capabilities before making any decisions.
"Okay, Bonsai Tree, I need to know more. How did you hear the voice of God? What exactly do you mean by evolving?" I asked, trying to get a clearer picture.
"The voice of God came when the world changed. It was a powerful presence that spoke to all living things, giving us new abilities and knowledge. For me, it meant gaining awareness and the ability to move and communicate. My evolution is ongoing; I continue to grow stronger and develop new abilities as time goes on," it explained.
I nodded, considering its words. If this bonsai tree was telling the truth, it could be a valuable ally. But trust was something that had to be earned, especially in this new, dangerous world.
"Alright, I'll give you a chance," I said cautiously. "But you have to prove your loyalty and usefulness. I can't afford to take any risks."
The bonsai tree seemed to perk up at my words, its small branches rustling with excitement. "Thank you! I promise I will do my best to help you," it said, its voice filled with relief and gratitude.
I decided to take the bonsai tree with me, but first, I needed to find a safe way to transport it. I considered using my space pendant but wanted to confirm if it would work.
"System, can I put this bonsai tree in my space pendant?" I asked.
[As the bonsai tree has expressed its loyalty and willingness to submit to you, it can only be placed in the independent space of the Space Pendant if it is 100% loyal to you. There is also you tamer ability that can guarantee 100% loyalty if they are tamed.]
"You sure can do a lot, now tell me, where did you come from, and what were you doing in this building?"
"Master, I was brought here by my previous owner, but after the change, she became a monster. As soon as I became sentient and tried to move, she immediately tried to attack me. We fought in the apartment room as I tried to strangle her with my vines, and she tried to eat me. In the end, I won and got a little stronger after I killed her. I was then able to suck the nutrients from her body to further my growth. To get even stronger so I could protect myself, I sent my vines around and killed all the monsters I could find on this floor. That's when your dog found me. I tried to hypnotize her, but her will to fight back was too strong. Knowing that I was no match for her speed, I begged her to spare my life, and she then told me about her master and that it was up to him if I would live or not."
"Wait, wait, wait, you spoke to Crystal, and she spoke back?" I said, looking at Crystal, not knowing what to think.
"Yes, Master, she cannot speak to you herself yet because neither of you is a telepath. But she can understand and comprehend everything."
"Wow, Crystal, I never knew you were getting so smart. I was wondering what all the Int stat was doing for you," I said to Crystal, excited for the time when we could communicate properly.
"OK, Bonsai, don't resist; if I think that you are trying to resist, I will kill you," I said to the bonsai tree.
"Yes, Master, I'm ready, and I promise that I'll follow all your commands."
'Tame'
[Tamed: Bonsai Tree]
Name: Sakura
Tamer: Dwayne
Race: Plant
Breed: Sakura Bonsai Tree
Bloodline: N/A
Lvl: 9 Exp: 0/1000
Rank: White (1-10)
Ability: Plant
Str: 15
Spd: 12
Vit: 28
Int: 25
Luck: 15
Charm: 15
Hp: 280 (Vit x 10)
Mp: 250 (Int x 10)
Attack: 135 (Str + Spd × 5)
Defense: 215 [(Vit + Str) × 5]
Active Skills:
Strangle (LVL1) - Wrapped vines around enemy to restrain them, 10 mana per use, loose 3HP per sec.
Whip (LVL1) - Using the vines to attack enemy, 15 mana per use.
Drain (LVL1) - Absorb nutrients from enemy, 25 mana per use, refills health 5HP per sec.
Passive Skills:
Telepath (LVL1) - Able to speak mentally with others.
Growth (LVL1) - Able to speed up the growth of other plants around a 50x50ft radius.
The bonsai tree's aura shifted, and I felt a connection form between us, solidifying its loyalty. The telepathic link strengthened, making its thoughts and intentions clearer to me. I felt a surge of satisfaction at having gained such a unique ally.
"Thank you, Master. I won't let you down," the bonsai tree said, its voice now calmer and more confident.
"Calling you Bonsai Tree is too long and annoying. I'll call you Sakura from now on, seeing as you bloom cherry blossoms."
"Master, thank you for the great name."
"Sakura, you are in charge of taking care of my independent space for me. It would help if you kept the things I put in here organized and neat. Also, since you can speed up the growth of plants when I later put more plants in, you are to take care of them. I will let you out to kill and level up, so you can keep up with Crystal and me. Later, I will also look to put in a water source here. Start digging a hole 500 by 500 feet in length, width, and depths."
"Crystal, she is our new partner, so take care of her and don't mess up the place. Treat it as my apartment and if you must go, go to the far end of the space before you do and then destroy it with your lightning. I better not run into any of your s**t anywhere in here because you know what will happen."
"Woof woof," barks Crystal.
"Master, she says she knows what to do already, and there is nothing to worry about," says Sakura.
"Do you guys want to come with me or stick around in here for now?"
"Woof woof"
"Master, she says she wants to accompany you and would also like to come with master," answered Sakura.
"OK, let's move. We still have some ground to cover before we reach where Joe is."