Inside the carriage, within the shrine, seven sacred streams of splendid, starry golden light flickered dazzlingly, hovering over the stone slab engraved with the pattern of a Wish Bottle.
Char stood before the shrine, his expression somewhat conflicted.
With the remaining Praying Power from before and the Praying Power he had just earned from completing his task, there were now seven strands of Praying Power in the shrine.
At present, he could earn about five strands of Praying Power from one day's tasks.
Which meant, by tomorrow, he would be able to recruit another Magic Pet.
But now, with Lantern Firefly already in his possession, the urgency to continue recruiting Magic Pets had lessened.
With Lantern Firefly's protection, his personal safety was now basically secured; he was no longer a fragile being who could perish at the slightest stir of wind or grass.
If he were to recruit another Magic Pet, first of all, it might not be as strong as Lantern Firefly.
Secondly, even if the new Magic Pet was as strong as Lantern Firefly, or even stronger, it wouldn't be of much significance.
For example, if Lantern Firefly could help him fend off seventy percent of lethal threats, then adding another Magic Pet, even one stronger than Lantern Firefly, would not raise this probability to ninety percent.
At most, it would just add a few percentage points. And what's the difference between seventy-something percent and seventy percent?
Therefore, unless Char could recruit a Magic Pet far stronger than Lantern Firefly, it would not be very meaningful.
But the chances of recruiting a Magic Pet far stronger than Lantern Firefly in one try were too small, almost non-existent.
Given this, why not slow down and use the Praying Power to improve his own life first?
Laziness is human nature; once basic survival needs are met, people start to pursue other things, and Char was no exception.
Moreover, he was not plotting for luxury but seriously strategizing—he needed to figure out a way to get some vegetables!
Since his arrival, he had not eaten any leafy greens.
Gathering wild vegetables and fruits was unrealistic; although the system would inform him which animals were edible, it never showed which plants were safe.
So he dared not to pick and eat at random—what if they were poisonous?
Not eating fresh vegetables wouldn't be a problem in the short term, but over time, it could cause trouble.
Therefore, he had to start planting some vegetables.
Thinking this, the hesitation on Char's face dissipated, replaced by a look of determination.
A few phantom, ancient stone slabs appeared; Char scanned past the first few slabs and finally stopped at one engraved with various plants.
Looking at this stone slab, a strange light passed through Char's eyes.
This plant-engraved stone slab was not part of his plan. In "Mobile Castle·Fantasy Forest," Prayer could only yield four things: Magic Pets, equipment, blueprints, and materials.
Magic Pets need no further mention; they are the cornerstone of the game.
Equipment is mainly for the players and their Magic Pets to wear, enhancing attributes and adding Skills.
Of course, it's uncertain whether it would still be applicable here.
In the game, it's normal for Magic Pets to carry equipment, but in a real-world context, Demon Beasts carrying equipment would be rather odd.
Then there are blueprints, mainly used for remodeling and upgrading the Castle. Objects and facilities added to the Castle must first be won through Prayer before they can be constructed. In the later stages, it's even possible to build Flying Devices with blueprints.
Finally, there are materials, which are mainly used for the upgrading of Magic Pets and the Castle.
The stone slab before him, filled with carvings of plants, was an unexpected addition.
As one of the strands of Praying Power erupted in a burst of golden light.
The golden light, imbued with starry sparkles, instantly illuminated the entire shrine. When the glow faded, a small pile of seeds had appeared on the altar.
Above the seeds, a few lines of text emerged.
[Centaurea seeds]
[Introduction]: Centaurea, a common annual or biennial herbaceous plant, gets its name from its flowers that shoot out like arrows in all directions, forming a wheel-like radiance. It blooms in blue or purple and is quite beautiful. These are Centaurea seeds, which, if planted properly, will soon yield a vast sea of Centaurea blooms.
Char's face lit up with excitement: It really works this way!
When he saw the slab engraved with various plants, he guessed that this stone was for praying for plants—a stone for praying for animals, and one for praying for plants, which made sense.
Although he didn't get the vegetable or fruit seeds he wanted but rather ornamental and horticultural flower seeds, Char was still very thrilled.
This not only resolved the source of vegetable and fruit seeds but also meant he could obtain many magic plants in the future.
After all, he was just making a wish with Praying Power for now; it was normal to only get ordinary plants. What if he made a wish with a Prayer Fragment later?
Soon, Char began his second prayer.
The sacred Prayer Light once again filled the shrine, and after the light dispersed, some Lily of the Valley Seeds appeared on the altar.
This time, Char struggled to maintain his smile.
It was good that he could get a variety of plants, but he needed vegetables right now, so why keep getting him useless flower seeds?
He didn't have the heart to plant them!
For a moment, Char felt the impulse to use up all his remaining Praying Power in one go.
He didn't believe he wouldn't get what he wanted!
But in the end, he calmed down, took a deep breath, and tried once more.
The resplendent golden Prayer Light shone once again, and a small pile of seeds appeared on the slab.
[beet seeds]
Introduction: Beet, a common biennial or perennial herbaceous plant with a large, bulbous rootstock that somewhat resembles a short, purple-pink radish, is often used for sugar production. These are beet seeds.
Reading the system's introduction, Char cheered inwardly.
Although beets were primarily for sugar, they were at least edible and could completely be used as vegetables.
So, Char pressed on, praying once again.
Perhaps carrying on his recent stroke of good luck, this time he wished for some tomato seeds.
Compared to beets, tomatoes were truly proper vegetables.
With two vegetables secured for now, Char quit while he was ahead, refraining from praying for more seeds.
What if he got more flower seeds?
With a thought, several slabs reappeared; this time, he landed on the equipment slab. Before he could start praying, a sour smell assaulted his nostril.
In that moment, Char felt as if his entire body was emitting a sour stench, and he was sticky all over, causing unbearable discomfort.
There was no helping it; he had only this one set of clothes, and in this season, the Florence Forest was muggy, causing his clothes to go from wet to dry countless times throughout the day.
Even though he cleaned them in the stream several times a day, after a few days, the clothes had begun to smell.
He hadn't noticed before because his mind was preoccupied with how to survive. He wasn't paying attention to this.
Now that his basic survival needs were met, the odor on him suddenly became overpowering, and he couldn't wait to change into clean clothes.