Chapter 28: Germination Rate

Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Germination Rate

After the great evolution of life on Blue Star, animals generally evolved to a far greater extent than humans. Many creatures that were once harmless became extremely dangerous.

Consequently, during the chaotic period immediately following the evolution, many people were attacked or accidentally injured by their own pets. This led to the relationship between humans and pets becoming incredibly tense, even hostile, resulting in many pets being killed or abandoned.

By the time humans discovered that Evolutionary Animals could be powerful combatants and allies, taking in pets again had become fraught with difficulty.

For one, after the great evolution of life on Blue Star, humans—who had once stood far above the rest of the animal kingdom—lost the ability to control animals, especially High Level evolved animals. For another, humans could no longer provide enough food or safe space to raise them. Thus, ten years into this post-apocalyptic era, very few people were capable of keeping pets.

Kept pets generally fell into two categories. The first were ordinary pets that had undergone a normal evolution and relied on humans for survival. The second were pets that had undergone a High Level Evolution.

The relationship between an ordinary pet and its human owner wasn’t much different from human-pet relationships before the Natural Disasters. The relationship with a High-Level evolved pet, however, depended on the owner’s power. Either the owner was strong enough to completely overpower the Evolutionary Animal and force it into submission, or the human and animal reached some kind of agreement or formed an emotional bond, establishing a partnership.

Xiaqing and Sheep Leader had a partnership, so she was curious about the relationship between Zhang San and his Evolution Cat.

Unlike dogs, cats were an animal that humans had kept for over three thousand years yet had never fully domesticated.

It wasn’t just Xiaqing; the other Lords were curious too, all pricking up their ears to listen.

Zhang San’s voice was still lazy and unhurried, as if he were stroking his cat as he spoke. "Whatever level it is has nothing to do with a rotten meat peddler like you. Give me my Antidote back tomorrow. I’m done exchanging any supplies with Territory Number Two."

No matter how Tang Huai tried to explain that the mutton was fine when it left his hands, Zhang San didn’t say another word. He had probably turned off his device.

Xiaqing was in no mood to pet her sheep anymore. She took out the Protective Suit she’d gotten from Territory Number Two and inspected it meticulously in the firelight. Only after confirming there were no issues did she finally feel at ease.

「Three days later.」

When Hu Zi came to deliver sweet potato seedlings to Xiaqing, he took the initiative to ask, "Sister Qing, have you cleared out all the rats in your territory yet?"

Xiaqing nodded. "I’ve swept through twice, so it should be clean. I haven’t found any rats digging up seeds in the last couple of days."

"That’s good." Seeing that Xiaqing was focused only on the sweet potato seedlings, without giving him so much as a second glance or another word, Hu Zi could only leave, looking somewhat dejected.

Holding the sweet potato vines, Xiaqing returned to her territory without looking back.

’After a few of these encounters, she had of course noticed that Hu Zi was interested in her. She had no such feelings for him whatsoever, so she handled the situation cleanly and decisively.’

The sweet potato planting instructions Tan Junjie had sent Xiaqing mentioned that it was best to use well-drained, fertile, sandy soil. Xiaqing didn’t know how to accurately judge soil fertility, so she chose a patch of high-lying sandy soil near the reservoir.

Since the fibrous roots of the sweet potato vines came without any soil, Xiaqing first soaked their roots in mountain spring water for half an hour before planting them in the field. After giving them a thorough watering with more spring water, she sat by the edge of the field, gazing fondly at the two short rows of sweet potato vines.

Sheep Leader, returning from grazing on the back slope, trotted over, raised its nose to sniff, and opened its mouth to take a bite. Xiaqing grabbed its horn and issued a stern warning, "No! You absolutely cannot eat these."

Sheep Leader’s eyes narrowed. It shook its head violently to throw off Xiaqing’s hand, then retreated a few steps and began pawing the ground, taking an attack stance.

Xiaqing raised an eyebrow. "You want a fight? Fine!"

While it was busy posturing, Xiaqing quickly sprayed the area a few meters around the sweet potato vines with a repellent—the Evolved Camphor Tree Juice, scented to ward off insects, birds, and sheep.

"ROAR!" Sheep Leader was enraged. It stomped its hooves and charged at Xiaqing.

Xiaqing turned, luring Sheep Leader away from the farmland. Then she set down the sprayer and met its charge.

BAM!

A Strength Evolution Person and a Strength Evolution Sheep collided with all their might. The shockwave made the leaves on the trees tremble. Then, as expected, Xiaqing, whose Strength was no match for the sheep’s, was sent flying.

However, she executed a clean turn in mid-air and landed steadily on her feet. Then Xiaqing charged forward again, sidestepping the deadly horns and reaching out to grab its spiral horn. "Go!"

BAM!

Sheep Leader still hadn’t learned its lesson. After slamming hard into the ground, it rolled to its feet and collided with the charging Xiaqing once more. Xiaqing was sent flying again. She landed, she threw, and Sheep Leader went flying.

The area within a fifty-meter radius of their battle was a scene of utter devastation.

"Again!" For what felt like the dozenth time, Xiaqing grabbed Sheep Leader’s spiral horn and put her full force into it. But this time, it didn’t go as planned.

Just as she grabbed its horn, Sheep Leader stomped its hind hooves, redirecting its momentum, and kicked out with its front hooves straight at Xiaqing’s torso. Xiaqing immediately let go and dodged with all her might, but she was still clipped by its hooves and knocked to the ground.

Sheep Leader, already poised for another attack, lowered its hooves, raised its head, and squinted down at Xiaqing on the ground.

Xiaqing, who wasn’t actually in much pain, sat up on the ground. She took off her Protective Mask and put on a pained expression. "I’m done. You’re the boss, I give up."

Satisfied, Sheep Leader turned and headed up the mountain.

Why? They were tired from the fight and needed water. Xiaqing followed behind it, her goal the same.

After they had both drunk their fill, the woman and the sheep sat by a rock to rest. Sheep Leader squinted, looking to be in a good mood, and the smile never left Xiaqing’s face. ’Fighting Sheep Leader with all her strength every few days wasn’t just exhilarating; it was making her stronger. And Sheep Leader, too.’

’Faced with the Evolutionary Biology of the Whole Blue Star after the Natural Disasters, the stronger you became, the greater your chances of survival. Only then could you do what you wanted to do.’

Xiaqing stood up, stretched, and looked down over her territory.

Words couldn’t describe the exhilaration she felt as she looked at the more than three hundred acres of farmland. Just a few days ago, it had been completely swallowed by multi-colored Injurious Grass.

’Wait!’

Xiaqing stared at the seeded fields. Green. An unmistakable, orderly green. ’The mung beans have sprouted!’ She let out a cry of surprise and raced down the slope.

Startled by her sudden outburst, Sheep Leader leaped to its feet. Seeing where she was headed, it lay back down and resumed chewing its cud.

Of the three types of seeds planted on the same day—wheat, mung beans, and cotton—the mung beans sprouted first. Upon closer inspection, Xiaqing discovered that the germination rate for the mung beans soaked in spring water was significantly higher than for those soaked in filtered water.

’The tender, yellow, delicate little bean sprouts breaking through the soil were an absolute joy to behold. Xiaqing wished she could just squat there in the field and watch them forever.’

After the mung beans sprouted, the wheat and cotton also began to break through the soil. Once no more new sprouts were emerging, Xiaqing did a careful count and came to a conclusion: the germination rate of seeds soaked in spring water was indeed higher than those soaked in filtered water.

The germination rate for seeds soaked in filtered water was around 40%, which was consistent with the numbers from the broadcast. The rate for seeds soaked in spring water, however, was as high as 60%!