Chapter 21: F-Rank, Plant-Based
“Sorry, Auntie Li. I went on a long trip and forgot to tell you,” Jiang Ning said, scratching her head apologetically.
“As long as you’re okay,” Auntie Li waved her hand and changed the subject. “Did you go hunting mutated beasts with a group? How was the harvest?”
The other day, Jiang Ning had come to their house looking for them to go hunt mutated beasts.
“Not bad,” Jiang Ning said with a smile.
“I’m really sorry we couldn’t say yes that day. It’s just that Li Xiang said he felt some changes in his body and wanted to try his luck in the western suburban uninhabited zone. We went to your house to look for you, but you happened to be out.” To prevent Jiang Ning from misunderstanding, Auntie Li explained on her own accord.
“Li Xiang awakened?” Jiang Ning glanced in surprise at Li Xiang, who was following behind her.
“No, it was a false alarm,” Auntie Li sighed, her face instantly filled with worry. “Should I go buy him a spirit tool to try?”
Li Xiang’s obsession with awakening was very deep, and Auntie Li didn’t want to crush her son’s confidence.
Jiang Ning thought for a moment and decided to tell Auntie Li the truth about the spirit tools. She said tactfully, “Most of the spirit tools on the market actually have little effect on awakening an ability. A friend of mine used many of them and still couldn’t awaken.”
Auntie Li’s family was not a rich and noble one. A low-grade spirit tool would probably cost them a year’s living expenses. Jiang Ning couldn’t bear to see Uncle Li and Auntie Li spend so much money only to be disappointed.
“We’ll talk about this later.” She was just saying that. If she really had to fork out the money for a spirit tool right now, she wouldn’t be able to.
“Aren’t you here to sell mutated beasts? You go first,” Auntie Li said, making a gesture of invitation.
Over at the owner’s side, Ji Fan, having suffered a loss at another place last time, had been scolded by his parents at home. This time, he had no choice but to come back here dejectedly.
The owner had just settled the bill with Ji Fan’s parents, and the warehouse’s transport robot stepped forward to move the mutated beast corpses on the ground to the correspondingly labeled shelves.
Jiang Ning greeted the owner and went to the designated area to pour out the mutated beasts she had caught on Planet Aurora.
In an instant, a variety of mutated beasts were piled up, all of which were species not found on Planet M412.
The owner, Auntie Li’s family, and Ji Fan’s family were all shocked by these rare mutated beasts.
Auntie Li stared blankly at the pile of mutated beasts in front of her. “Jiang Ning, where did you get all these?”
“Planet Aurora,” Jiang Ning said unhurriedly.
Silver Viper, Gray Wolf…
These were all good stuff.
The owner paced back and forth around the pile of mutated beasts, getting more and more excited. He had already quickly calculated the market price of these mutated beasts in his head. Hearing Jiang Ning say that the beasts came from Planet Aurora, he was so happy his eyes couldn’t even close.
“Tch—”
A light sneer came from the crowd.
Ji Fan was desperately trying to make his presence known. “Planet Aurora, huh? I’ve been there too. Other than the scenery being a bit nice, there’s nothing much to do.”
“It’s okay to go once in a while, but it’s boring to live there long-term,” Ji Fan said.
Although Ji Fan was a bit of a show-off, Jiang Ning deeply agreed with what he said.
Planet Aurora was too expensive; anyone who went there would be skinned alive.
“Are you sure it’s not because you’re too poor that it’s boring?” Li Xiang slanted a look at him.
“At least I’ve been there, unlike some people who probably haven’t even left Planet M412,” Ji Fan said provocatively, his words clearly directed at someone.
“You!”
Li Xiang glared at him, and a war was about to break out between the two.
At this moment, the owner suddenly interjected.
“I’ll give you 3230 star coins for all of these. How about it?” the owner said.
He had quoted a price slightly higher than the market price, showing his utmost sincerity, deeply afraid that this big client, Jiang Ning, would run away.
“Three thousand! So much!” the others said with envy.
The owner’s gaze was fixed on Jiang Ning, waiting for her reply.
“Okay,” Jiang Ning nodded.
It was 230 star coins more than her estimated price.
Counting the 2700 star coins she had sold on Planet Aurora, she had earned nearly 6000 star coins on this trip.
Wasn’t this more worthwhile than painstakingly competing for a championship that didn’t belong to her?
The owner readily settled the star coins with Jiang Ning.
Thanks to Jiang Ning, when it was Auntie Li’s family’s turn to trade their mutated beasts, the owner kindly gave them a little extra.
Uncle Li and Auntie Li thanked the owner and Jiang Ning profusely.
The group left the trading market happily, except for Ji Fan.
When the maglev bus arrived at the slums, Jiang Ning rushed to the small garden next to her house without stopping.
The bolt on the garden gate showed no signs of being tampered with. Everything inside was as usual, except that the water level in the trough had dropped to its lowest point.
The first sunflower was blooming as vigorously as ever, and the growth of the second sunflower was also showing results.
Jiang Ning filled the water trough and turned back into the house.
She now had over eight thousand in her account and no longer had to worry about food and drink.
Jiang Ning lay on the bed and felt uncomfortable everywhere. The mattress was too hard and not comfortable to sleep on, nothing like the one she had stayed in for two days on Planet Aurora.
She searched for mattresses on a large website on the StarNet, found one of the same model, and placed an order, which cost her three thousand star coins.
Spending is happiness!
The day after she placed the order, the mattress was delivered directly to her door.
With the help of the delivery personnel, she placed the mattress.
Comfortable!
Jiang Ning lay down on the mattress.
For the next ten days or so, Jiang Ning went to the nearest physical bookstore every day.
The day before the ability test, the first sunflower finally produced a new sun.
This time, the time it took to produce a sun was several days later than last time.
The next day, at the Ability Test Center.
When Jiang Ning and Li Xiang arrived, two lines were already formed in front of the testing instrument, with an estimated hundred or so people.
Besides some who had just turned 12, there were also some who were slightly older.
The two of them lined up at the back of the two lines respectively.
At eight in the morning, as the person at the front of the line entered the testing instrument, the long line began to move forward slowly.
“C-rank, Spatial.”
The announcement from the broadcast echoed throughout the entire ability test hall.
“The first one is a good start, not bad. It’s a pity it’s only a C-rank. If a spatial ability user’s rank were a bit higher, it would be even more perfect.”
Around the cordon of the testing lines, the parents of the children waiting were whispering among themselves.
“D-rank, Psychic.”
The first tester from the other line also came out.
“I had a master do a reading. The fortune for today’s ability test is very good. As expected, hahaha.”
“I didn’t even let my child get tested last month, just to wait for today.”
After several consecutive tests, the lowest awakened was a D-rank ability. Everyone felt confident again and firmly believed in the words of the parent who had consulted a master.
But for the next ten, the broadcast announced ‘F-rank psychic energy, no ability’, bringing everyone back to reality.
The line moved quickly. Jiang Ning looked up and saw that the next contestant to go in was actually Ke Lai.
Five minutes later, she came out.
“D-rank, Word Spirit.”
Ke Lai walked out through the return passage and passed by Jiang Ning. Jiang Ning said, “Congratulations, Ke Lai.”
Word Spirit abilities were usually language-based. This ability was very suitable for Ke Lai.
“Thanks,” Ke Lai nodded happily. No matter what, she was very happy to be able to awaken an ability. Her psychic energy could be slowly raised later on.
She finally hadn’t tarnished her parents’ reputation.
“You’ll definitely awaken too,” Ke Lai said.
One couldn’t stay in the passage for long, and with the people behind them urging, the two parted ways after a few words.
Seeing the number of people in front of them gradually decreasing.
The awakening rate among those participating in the ability test was one-half. This level was average, neither high nor low.
Jiang Ning and Li Xiang entered the testing instrument at almost the same time.
“Put this on.”
In front of the testing instrument, two staff members had serious expressions, pointing to a headset strapped to a chair.
A wire connected the back of the headset to the instrument in front of the staff.
Jiang Ning obediently sat down and put on the headset.
A weak electric current instantly filled her body. She subconsciously tensed her muscles to resist.
“Relax, this current won’t harm you,” the staff member said.
Hearing this, Jiang Ning’s tense nerves relaxed slightly.
She closed her eyes and felt something scurrying around in her body, as if searching for something.
Was it looking for her psychic energy?
Jiang Ning slightly released a trace of sunlight in her consciousness.
As expected, the thing came over, following the scent.
Jiang Ning had no choice but to continue releasing it until a whole sun was used up. Only then did the thing hesitate for a moment and retreat.
Jiang Ning opened her eyes and looked at the staff in front of her in a daze.
“Alright, next,” the staff member said.
After she left her seat, the broadcast sounded.
“F-rank, Plant-Based.”
For a moment, all the parents outside the cordon looked at her with a hint of pity.
“F-rank, plant-based. What’s the difference between having this ability and not having one?”
“Tsk tsk tsk, this child is so pitiful. This is more heartbreaking than not awakening an ability.”
“Those who haven’t awakened at least have hope. Her F-rank plant-based ability is truly a dead end.”
“Sigh—”
At the same time, another broadcast sounded.
“No psychic energy, no ability.”
Li Xiang walked out of the testing instrument in a daze.
Seeing his state, Jiang Ning was about to comfort him when she heard him say, “I thought I was miserable enough, but I didn’t expect that even though you awakened, you’re worse off than me.”
Jiang Ning: “…”
Damn it!
The two walked out of the testing center. Ke Lai and her parents were waiting for her outside.
“It’s okay, Jiang Ning. Plant-based is also very good!” Ke Lai said. “Who says plant-based is definitely useless!”
Jiang Ning was so amazing and knew so much about plants. So what if it was plant-based?
“Thanks, I think it’s very good too!” Jiang Ning said with a smile.
She had learned about her ability half a year ago and hadn’t thought much of it then. On the contrary, plant-based was what she had been pursuing.
Coming to the ability test center was just to get more accurate information about her ability.
Now she probably knew how much psychic energy one sun was worth.
Her psychic energy was mainly produced by the sun. F-rank was temporary; it was only a matter of time before her rank went up.