The sunlight poured down without restraint.
Just having emerged from the dim cave, I slightly squinted my ice-blue eyes, stung by the sudden brightness.
After a brief moment of adaptation, my vision suddenly cleared.
I was standing on a protruding cliff platform, with the cave entrance secretly carved into the rock wall.
A narrow path, worn faint by time and footsteps, clung to the steep cliff like a ribbon, winding its way downward.
Leaning over the edge (though there was no railing) to look down, about ten to fifteen meters below was a valley gently embraced by mountains, so quiet it seemed like a corner forgotten by the world.
A river like a jade ribbon meandered through the center of the valley, its clear water shimmering in the sunlight, naturally dividing the fertile land into two halves.
The banks were lush with greenery, and I could vaguely see untended yet vibrant vegetation, with what seemed to be a dense forest in the distance.
The distant mountains were like dark ink, and wisps of cloud and mist drifted about.
It was truly a scene of a hidden paradise far from the mortal world.
The air was filled with the fragrance of grass, trees, and moist earth, a hundred times fresher than any experimental field I had ever known.
The beauty of the scenery momentarily made me forget the bewilderment brought on by my drastic change in identity.
Finding a relatively flat open space covered in soft moss, I sat down carefully, minding my jade-white Dragon Tail and letting it curl naturally and comfortably at my side, its creamy-yellow fur lightly brushing the ground.
After my mind settled a little, a thought derived from my past reading experience uncontrollably surfaced.
I closed my eyes, trying to focus my spirit, and called out softly in my mind, with a hint of trial and a hint of anticipation:
“System?
System?
Is there a System?”
Just as the thought fell, a gentle yet steady synthetic voice, which did not reach me through my ears but sounded directly in the depths of my consciousness, responded clearly:
[ Command confirmed.
The Great Yan Agricultural System is at your service.
]
[ Hello, Host.
]
“!” My heart gave a jolt.
My ice-blue eyes snapped open, a flash of astonishment intertwined with understanding gleaming deep in my pupils.
As expected…
things were not that simple.
I steadied my mind and tried to communicate with this suddenly appearing “System” in my mind, focusing my will: “Great Yan Agricultural System?
What are you…
for?
And why am I here, having turned into…
Shu?”
The steady mechanical voice sounded again, unhurried:
[ This System aims to assist the Host in inheriting and refining the essence of the Great Yan Agricultural Civilization in the current world, optimizing crops, improving the land, harmonizing the Leyline Water Essence, and promoting a bountiful harvest of the five grains and the well-being of all living beings.
The Host’s current state and environment are the result of the coupling of multiple factors.
It is detected that the Host’s soul wavelength possesses a high degree of resonance with the inheritance of “Shu,” and there is a strong relational anchor in the original world (agricultural knowledge, impression of Shu).
Under spacetime fluctuations, an Adaptive Transfer was completed.
]
The System’s explanation was mixed with some profound terminology, but the core meaning was roughly clear: my agricultural background and my understanding of “Shu” were one of the “keys” to coming here.
“Adaptive Transfer…” I chewed on the word, my Dragon Tail unconsciously swaying slightly, sweeping away a few fallen leaves.
“Does that mean I can’t go back?”
[ Reverse Coordinate Lock requires specific conditions to be met, and unknown risks exist.
It is currently recommended that the Host focus on adapting to the new identity and environment, and complete the System’s Initial Tutorial Quest to stabilize the state of existence and unlock more functions and information.
]
Just as I thought.
The faint glimmer of hope in my heart extinguished, but strangely, I felt no despair.
Perhaps it was the influence of the “Shu” temperament I had passively merged with, or perhaps it was the serene power flowing through this body, so deeply connected to the earth.
Or maybe it was simply that the valley before me was too tranquil and beautiful.
I found myself accepting the situation with astonishing speed.
“Initial Tutorial Quest?
What is it?” I asked, my gaze falling once more upon the lush, primeval valley below.
My fingertips unconsciously brushed the damp soil beside me, and an indescribable sense of affinity pulsed from the point of contact.
[ Initial Tutorial Quest Issued: ]
[ Quest One: Familiarize yourself with your new body.
Initially master basic abilities (e.g., Leyline Perception, Water Essence Guidance, Basic Growth Acceleration).
]
[ Quest Two: Survey the valley you are in.
Draw a simple map, marking major terrain, water sources, vegetation distribution, and potentially arable areas.
]
[ Quest Three: Using the existing environment, successfully cultivate or accelerate the growth of any local basic grain (Initial identification complete, recommended target: Riverside Jade-Needle Rice).
]
[ Quest Rewards: Based on completion level, unlock the Basic Farming Tool Kit (summoned by thought), partial access to the System Knowledge Base, and the Environment Scan function.
]
The System’s voice was as steady as ever, but the quest details made my heart race slightly.
Survey, map, cultivate…
these words instantly activated my instincts as an agricultural university student, while abilities like “Leyline Perception” and “Water Essence Guidance” reminded me of my extraordinary new identity.
I slowly stood up, brushing the grass clippings from my robes, and my jade-white dragon tail traced an elegant arc behind me to rebalance my posture.
The sunlight shone on my cream-white long hair and pale gold dragon horns, causing the ice-crystal decorations to refract a delicate blue light.
Looking down at the valley below, waiting to be explored and cultivated, the initial confusion and astonishment in my ice-blue eyes had faded, replaced by a calm, eager light.
“Understood,” I told the System in my mind, my voice carrying a gentleness and firmness that even I hadn’t noticed, a trait belonging to “Shu.” “Then…
let’s start by getting familiar with ‘myself’ and this land.”