4 Chapter 4. Fluffy.
Li Chen gazed at the holographic display before him, dumbfounded. How had he managed to activate a system just by smearing his blood on a jade pendant? And a Divine Cooking System, at that? It didn't sound particularly formidable; was he destined to spend his life confined to a kitchen?
A whirlwind of thoughts raced through Li Chen's mind as he continued to stare at the holographic screen.
Li Chen had always dreamed of summoning a system spirit, so he wouldn't remain a mere punching bag for others who possessed systems. Now that he had finally unlocked one, he felt uneasy. Perhaps it was the strange manner in which he had unlocked it, or maybe the name itself unsettled him.
Li Chen inhaled deeply, steadying his nerves before refocusing on the holographic screen to contemplate his decision. Not that he had much of a choice; this might be as close as he would ever get to having a system, and he wasn't about to let this chance slip by.
Besides, a cooking system might not be as underwhelming as it seems. Perhaps it had its unique advantages, just like the other systems in the world.
Without further hesitation, Li Chen selected the 'Yes' option.
As soon as he made his choice, the message on the screen changed.
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Downloading the Divine Cooking System... 10%... 20%... 30%... 40%... 50%... 60%... 70%... 80%... 90%... 100%.
The Divine Cooking System has been successfully downloaded...
Initiating the summoning of the system spirit... 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...
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After the countdown finished, the holographic screen shattered into countless tiny shards of bright light that danced around him.
Gradually, the shards of light began to merge, forming a large orb of radiance that forced Li Chen to shield his eyes once again.
When the brightness subsided, Li Chen opened his eyes to find that the holographic screen had been replaced by an actual system spirit. Floating before him was the spirit in the form of a cat.
The cat was pure white with large, watery blue eyes – undeniably adorable to behold.
"A cat-type system spirit?" Li Chen murmured to himself, his heart sinking a little.
System spirits came in various forms and mythical shapes. There were legends of system spirits resembling humans, but that was all hearsay with no evidence to back it up.
System spirits served many purposes beyond assisting their hosts. In certain cases, a host could merge with their system spirit to unleash immense power. There were also rumors that system spirits could take on a physical form to aid their hosts in battle, which is why many sought-after system spirits with combat capabilities, like those of wolves or the exceedingly rare dragons.
Cat-type system spirits were considered one of the least desirable. Though they were rare, they were not typically useful, except for their cuteness. A few might possess the ability of speed, but that was about it – nothing of significance in a real fight.
Sigh!
"A cooking system and now a cat-type system spirit. Could my luck be any worse?" he grumbled, glaring at the system spirit with its large, innocent eyes gazing back at him.
At that moment, the system spirit had not fully come to life; its form was like that of a specter, almost transparent.
Li Chen shook his head and sighed as he gazed at the system spirit, preparing to move on to the next step of signing the contract: naming the system spirit. It is the act of naming that brings the spirit to life, allowing the contract to then be signed.
Without much hesitation, Li Chen began to contemplate a name. Naming was not his strong suit, and even after some time, the best he could come up with was 'Cat.'
"Cat," Li Chen voiced aloud without hesitation. After all, he reasoned, a fancy name wouldn't necessarily make it stronger.
As soon as he uttered the name, the cat system spirit seemed as if it were about to spring to life, but then it quivered slightly before reverting to its former state.
"Wait, what? It rejected the name?" Li Chen exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise.
A system spirit refusing a name given by its host was unheard of, and Li Chen couldn't help but feel shocked. There didn't seem to be a reason for the rejection; after all, there were spirits with far stranger names that accepted their given titles.
Li Chen pondered for a while but only ended up with more questions than answers.
Releasing a sigh, he returned to the task of finding a name, this time taking even longer in an attempt to think of something better.
After a period of contemplation, a smile spread across his face.
"How about Fluffy? That's much better, right?"
As he spoke the name, Fluffy began to stir to life, suddenly floating towards Li Chen at high speed.
Li Chen showed no fear; instead, he extended his hand toward Fluffy.
As it approached, Fluffy opened its mouth, revealing sharp, tiny, menacing teeth.
"Oh, I take my words back. That's no cute cat; that's one hell of a little monster," Li Chen couldn't help but mutter to himself upon seeing the tiny teeth of the cat.
If Fluffy weren't his system spirit, he would certainly not want it anywhere near him. However, he had to allow it to close for the next stage of signing the contract: the blood pact.
During this stage, the system spirit absorbs the host's blood, which helps develop a bond between them.
Without delay, Fluffy sank its menacing teeth into Li Chen's outstretched hand and began to draw in his blood.
"Damn it, don't tell me I've unlocked some vampire system," Li Chen cursed as he felt his blood draining away.
Normally, completing the blood pact requires only a small amount of the host's blood; in fact, a single drop is usually sufficient. However, Fluffy had absorbed more than a bucket's worth of his blood and showed no signs of stopping.
Li Chen began to feel woozy from the blood loss but dared not pull his hand away. Doing so could ruin the blood pact and possibly his chance of ever obtaining a system.
He could only curse his luck for acquiring a system with an apparent taste for blood. First, it was the jade dragon amulet that soaked up his blood, and now Fluffy seemed intent on draining him dry.
Fortunately, after a little while, Fluffy finally detached itself. By this time, its previously spectral body had taken on a more lifelike appearance, shimmering with light.
Now that the blood pact was complete, it was time to formally sign the contract.
Without any hesitation, Li Chen dived into his sea of consciousness. Having been trained from a young age in preparation for summoning, none of this process was foreign to him.
Entering one's sea of consciousness is simpler than summoning a system spirit, so there's no need for stardust assistance.
Summoning a system spirit requires one to connect their consciousness with the spirit core domain, which is significantly more challenging than merely connecting to one's sea of consciousness.
Once Li Chen delved into his sea of consciousness, he saw a golden scroll hovering there. Without hesitating, he connected to the scroll.
This scroll was the contract itself. As Li Chen connected to it, the terms of the contract became clear.
Li Chen didn't rush to sign. He meticulously read through the terms of the contract.
Some system spirits, having developed their consciousness, include enslaving terms in the contract. If a host signs without reading, they become slaves to the system spirit.
While such cases were extremely rare, it was still wise to be cautious.
After reviewing all the terms, Li Chen found no enslaving clauses. The conditions were standard: do not mistreat the system spirit and similar provisions.
Seeing this, Li Chen left a soul imprint on the contract, finalizing the agreement with the system spirit.
The moment the contract was finalized, Li Chen immediately felt its effects. His connection to the system and his bond with Fluffy deepened.
Now, with the contract finalized, the host could communicate with both the system and the system spirit.
"Fluffy greets master. It's my honor to ser..."
"Dismiss," Li Chen muttered before Fluffy could finish its greeting, causing its figure to disintegrate and disappear.
The more Li Chen looked at the cat system spirit in front of him, the more he wanted to punch it into the Abyss. So, with his newfound control over the system, he dismissed it to keep his anger from rising further.
"Now, time to check my stats," Li Chen murmured to himself.
With just a thought, another holographic screen displayed in front of him, showing his stats.
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==BASIC STATS==
NAME: Li Chen
AGE: 23
RACE: Human
TIER: ???
STRENGTH:???
LEVEL: 0
TITLE: None
============
STAT POINTS
Qi Points: 100/100 (Level 1)
Health Point (HP): 100/100
Strength (STR): 0
Dexterity (DEX): 0
Agility (AGI): 0
Intelligence (INT): 0
Wisdom (WIS): 0
Resilience (RES): 0
Luck (LUK): 0
Unallocated stat points: 0
============
SKILLS
Active Ability: None
Passive Ability: None
============
AFFINITY
Fire Control (Intermediate Level)
============
FLAMES
Dragon breath(Low tier)
============
SYSTEM
Cooking: ???
Soul Crystal: 0
Unlocked Recipes: None
Treasure Space Unlocked: None
Items Purchased from Shop: None
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Li Chen stared at the screen for a while before letting out a heavy sigh. It seemed that the system was indeed all about cooking, as evident from his stats screen.
As he was absorbed in his thoughts, the screen changed, displaying a new message.
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_You have unlocked a new quest: [Season your wok]_
_Details: Season your wok using the following items: Dragon's Breath Essence, Phoenix Feather Oil, Celestial Salt Crystals, Moonlight Vinegar, and Spiritual Herb Blend._
_Seasoning Ritual:_
1. **Purification Ceremony**: Cleanse the wok with sacred water to rid it of impurities and negative energies.
2. **Dragon's Fire Blessing**: Heat the wok with a controlled flame, allowing the Dragon's Breath Essence to infuse the metal with its power.
3. **Phoenix Feather Anointing**: Carefully coat the wok with Phoenix Feather Oil using a special feather brush, invoking the phoenix's protective spirit.
4. **Celestial Salt Rub**: Sprinkle Celestial Salt Crystals on the wok's surface and rub them in a circular motion to create a protective barrier.
5. **Moonlight Infusion**: Drizzle Moonlight Vinegar over the wok and leave it under the moonlight to absorb its rejuvenating essence.
6. **Herbal Invocation**: Sprinkle the Spiritual Herb Blend over the wok and let it sit for a night to harmonize the wok's energies.
_Reward: Unlock a new recipe._
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Li Chen stared at the screen, letting out a self-deprecating sigh.
"Now I have to season a wok, just like any normal chef," he said in a mocking tone.
But just as he was drowning in self-mockery, a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.
