Chapter 55: Upgraded Rewards

Chapter 55: Upgraded Rewards

By the time Wen Ran returned to the cubs' den, Lang Zhi was already back. The three little ones sat obediently on the animal hide, waiting for Wen Ran to join them for dinner.

Wen Ran noticed that the potato stew he had sent back earlier remained untouched.

"Why aren't you eating?" Wen Ran asked. "Does it not suit your taste?"

The three cubs shook their heads in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized, like three wind-up plush cats.

"Then why aren't you eating?"

"We were waiting for you and Zhi to come back so we could eat together. We couldn’t eat without you," Mao Yin said, rubbing its head against Wen Ran’s palm affectionately. Mao Yuan nodded in agreement, while all one could see was Mao Xuan’s dark fur bobbing up and down as he nodded.

Wen Ran smiled. "Alright, let’s eat together then."

After the meal, Wen Ran recounted the day's events in the cub den to Lang Zhi.

Lang Zhi asked if he wanted to keep the cubs.

Wen Ran nodded, and Lang Zhi replied, "If you want to keep them, then keep them. I’ll hunt more diligently from now on to ensure all of you have enough to eat."

Wen Ran looked at him in disbelief. He knew he had his space and the mall system; as long as he wasn't lazy and no major natural disasters occurred, he could manage to keep these cubs alive.

But for Lang Zhi to make such a promise, with an uncertain future ahead—Wen Ran couldn't help but be moved. It felt as though Lang Zhi’s image in his heart had instantly grown larger and more impressive.

If there was anyone in the beast world who could be considered Wen Ran’s kindred spirit, Lang Zhi would undoubtedly be the first.

He understood Wen Ran’s thoughts and supported all his ideas.

With such a confidant, what more could he ask for?

Wen Ran lay at the entrance of the den, his hands cushioning his head, gazing at the bright moon outside. The moon grew fuller, and the crimson shadows around it became more vivid, as if it were being chased and devoured by a fearsome yet enchanting spirit. Yet, Wen Ran’s heart had never felt more at peace.

The night deepened, and drowsiness set in.

In his half-asleep state, he felt a sudden coolness on his face. Wen Ran reached up to touch it—it was wet. He paused for a moment before realizing: it was raining?

Wen Ran sat up and looked out at the sandy ground outside the den. It was indeed raining!

The rain came suddenly and fiercely. Faint shouts from beastmen echoed in the distance. Wen Ran asked Lang Zhi what the Sand Cat beastmen were shouting about.

Lang Zhi said, "Mao Shi mentioned that after it rains, a ritual to worship the Beast God will be held in the tribe’s square. Let’s go take a look."

Lang Zhi placed a sun hat on Wen Ran’s head to keep the rain from soaking his face, then wrapped him tightly in a large antelope hide to prevent him from getting sick if drenched.

The beastmen’s reaction was intense. They knelt in the tribe’s square, praying with their faces turned upward to the sky, allowing the rain to fall on them. Their eyes shone with reverence and supplication. After the shaman Wu Hu Xiu finished the ritual dance in the rain, he announced loudly, "The Beast God has shown mercy, granting us this unrooted water before the dry season to bless our tribe and help us survive the drought!"

As the ritual ended, the beastmen returned to their dens in small groups. The cubs, excited, ran around their parents, playfully roaring and deliberately stepping into puddles, splashing water everywhere. The water droplets landed on their fur, and the cubs shook themselves vigorously, spraying the adult beastmen all over again.

The adult beastmen scolded the cubs good-naturedly. Meanwhile, snippets of conversation could be heard among the crowd: "This is the first time in my life we’ve had such abundant food and water prepared for the dry season."

"Absolutely. In previous years, we relied on the last rainfall to get through the dry season, and the water always ran out within days. This year, if we ration carefully, we should make it through the entire dry season without trouble."

"Wen Ran Sage is truly remarkable! If he hadn’t come to our tribe this year, we would have struggled even more than in previous years."

"Indeed. The dry season arrived so early this year. Even if we had migrated to the zebra tribe, we might not have made it before the drought fully set in."

"I wonder where Chief Mao Ke and the others are now. I hope they reached the zebra tribe safely. If they haven’t arrived yet, the water they brought must have run out by now. They’ll have to rely on this rain."

"Yes, may the Beast God show mercy and bless them to reach the zebra tribe soon!"

"The rain is getting heavier. Let’s hurry back to our dens to collect rainwater and store it in the water storage pit. Otherwise, it’ll all seep into the sand and go to waste!"

"Right, right. We need to hurry back and collect rainwater..."

......

After being drenched by the rain all night and working all day, Wen Ran expected to fall asleep as soon as he lay down, but he found himself unable to sleep.

Lang Zhi braved the rain to fetch a wooden bowl of agave liquor from the neighboring den. Wen Ran grilled some meat skewers, and the two of them drank leisurely through the rainy night. The rain outside poured heavily, and some of it splashed into the den entrance. Fortunately, all the Sand Cat Tribe’s dens were built on higher ground, so there was no worry about flooding.

Wen Ran placed several buckets by the entrance and used every available bowl and pot to collect rainwater. If water ran short, this "unrooted water" could still be drunk. Once the buckets were full, Lang Zhi carried them to the water storage pit for storage.

Mao Yuan said, "May the Beast God show mercy. I hope the rain falls even heavier."

After a cup of agave liquor, Wen Ran was already slightly tipsy. He had thought he had a low tolerance for alcohol, but when he turned around, he saw the three little ones already drunk, sprawled crookedly on the animal hide, their little snores rising and falling in rhythm. Wen Ran shook his head with a smile and carried them into the tent to sleep.

Mao Yin’s face was flushed, and he mumbled incoherently in his sleep. Wen Ran leaned closer to hear: "No one is allowed to compete with me for Wen Ran! Cat King, not even you! Don’t think you can compete for favor just because you’re the leader of the cub den. I’ll fight you!"

As he spoke, Mao Yin’s four little paws kicked wildly in the air, moving so fast they became a blur.

Wen Ran couldn’t help but laugh. He held Mao Yin’s little paws and gently patted his head to soothe him. Once the soft snores returned, he rolled up a piece of animal hide to serve as a pillow for Mao Yin.

Mao Yuan slept the most properly, like a little adult, lying straight and neat on the tent, his small body rising and falling gently with each breath. Mao Xuan, on the other hand, curled himself into a black coal ball, his green eyes half-open even in sleep, maintaining vigilance.

Lang Zhi washed the wooden bowls and plates with rainwater before lying down in the tent with Wen Ran.

As soon as Lang Zhi lay down, Wen Ran felt the temperature inside the tent rise slightly. He noticed a look of infatuation and deep affection in Lang Zhi’s eyes. Wen Ran loosened his collar—he must be drunk, seeing affection everywhere.

The rain poured down heavily, the night deepened, and the temperature began to drop. This was one of the desert’s defining features: significant temperature fluctuations between day and night. The days were scorching hot, and the nights were freezing cold. Thankfully, this temperature variation existed; otherwise, the furry creatures of the desert would have long since succumbed to the heat during the dry season.

As the night wore on, the noise from the Sand Cat Tribe’s beastmen gradually quieted, leaving only the sound of heavy rain pattering outside. Inside the den, the faint flickering firelight cast shadows of two large and three small figures. Lang Zhi had transformed into his Big Black Wolf form, snuggling closely with Mao Yuan and the other two cubs. He placed Wen Ran in the warmest spot under his belly, shielding him from the cold air seeping through the iron door at the den entrance.

Wen Ran gazed at the sheet of rain outside, on the verge of falling asleep, when he heard a "ding" sound. His eyes instantly snapped open.

It was the system’s chime!

Ever since he harvested the watermelons, potatoes, and white radishes that afternoon, he had been hoping the system would issue rewards. Last time, just growing peppers had earned him a reward. He had almost given up hope as the night wore on, but now, so late—was the system like an old, rusty clock, prone to lagging?

Puzzled, Wen Ran listened carefully to the system’s announcement:

—"Ding"

"Congratulations to student Wen Ran (ID: 78999) for successfully growing third-level green plants such as watermelons, potatoes, and white radishes. A random reward package has been awarded, along with 500 gold coins and 100 vitality points. The Magical Spring skill has been upgraded to Novice Level 3, with daily water production increasing from 1 ton to 3 tons. The space skill level remains unchanged."

—"Ding"

"Congratulations to student Wen Ran (ID: 78999). The agave liquor in the Beast World Grocery Store has sold out. The mall’s total assets have exceeded 3 million gold coins for the first time, achieving the 3 million gold coin task. The mall system skill has been upgraded to Novice Level 3. The system has automatically unlocked one additional dimension. Currently available dimensions: Ancient Earth, Interstellar, and Cultivation World."

Wen Ran was a bit confused. Both the Magical Spring and mall system skills were slowly improving, but the space skill remained unchanged. What was the issue? What exactly was required to level up the space skill?

Could it only be upgraded by purchasing space with gold coins?

Unable to figure it out, Wen Ran decided not to dwell on it. He opened the task options and saw a list of outstanding tasks. Three consecutive third-level planting tasks were marked with a small green checkmark, indicating completion.

He checked his total assets: after recent expenses and the newly rewarded 500 gold coins, he now had over 3 million gold coins.

The 100 vitality points were especially practical—he could now extend his lifespan by another hundred days.

However, if he wanted to buy more space, he was still far from achieving that goal.

Wen Ran checked and found that it would cost 10 million gold coins to upgrade the space to around 80 square meters, which worked out to 125,000 per square meter. Wen Ran whistled—if this were still on Earth, that price would likely match the cost of luxury homes in first-tier cities.

His current space was only about 30 square meters, and he had just over three million gold coins in his account, far short of the 10 million needed.

Yet, the larger the space, the greater his sense of security. He could store all his belongings in the space and take them wherever he went.

Moreover, he was curious to see how far the space could develop. Since it contained the Magical Spring, he wondered, could he grow crops inside it? Just like in a greenhouse, even during harsh winters or dry seasons, no matter how unsuitable the climate was for farming, they could still grow food inside the space. That way, they would never go hungry!

However, none of this could be rushed. It had to be done step by step. First, they needed to make it through the dry season, and then he could steadily earn gold coins.

Wen Ran closed the assets page and opened the gift package. He found that this time the rewards were much more generous than last time—instead of just 10 potatoes, it was a battle axe, a very sharp weapon.

Wen Ran was surprised. He had expected the system to reward him with more food, given the harsh desert environment where shortages were common, and hunting wasn't always successful. Ample meat, vegetables, fruit, staple foods, and water were essential for beastmen's survival.

But, it had given him an axe.