Leaving Xiao Ye's simple Tree House, A Mi dared not delay and immediately began searching the edge of the woods for the herbs Xiao Ye had described.
At the same time, he diverted a portion of his attention, sinking it into the System that had just become clear in his mind.
Indeed, the Interface was completely refreshed.
Besides the area originally displaying his own status （ which he still hadn't had time to examine closely ）, many other options had appeared, one of which was conspicuously 【 Encyclopedia Index 】.
He tried silently reciting in his mind: "Search: Common plants nearby that can treat External Injury and stop bleeding."
The System Interface flickered slightly, quickly listing the names, images, detailed characteristics, and general growing environments of several plants. This information was even more detailed than what Xiao Ye had described, and it even marked the strength of their medicinal effects.
Two of them perfectly matched what Xiao Ye had mentioned, and there was an additional Fern that grew in damper, shadier places with better effects.
"It really works!" A Mi's spirits lifted, and he immediately began searching according to the System's guidance.
Relying on the precise information and images provided by the System, he quickly gathered enough of the two basic herbs Xiao Ye had mentioned.
But upon seeing the more effective, shady Fern marked by the System, he hesitated.
The fact that Xiao Ye hadn't mentioned it suggested that there were likely no such plants in the immediate vicinity.
But her injuries were not light, especially those broken Wings; basic herbs alone would probably lead to very slow recovery.
He looked toward the tall, noisy city walls not far away.
There should be an apothecary in the city, right?
If he could get some better finished medicine, or at least more targeted medicinal materials...
An idea popped up: maybe he could try asking for credit? He was a Contracted Spirit now; perhaps... he might have some credibility?
Contracted Spirits and Spirit Masters in this World shouldn't be common street trash, right...
...He subconsciously ignored the scene he had witnessed when he was driven out.
Clutching this unrealistic hope, A Mi, carrying the freshly picked herbs, walked back into the city.
He followed the signs hanging along the street and soon found an apothecary that looked reasonably legitimate.
The shop was filled with the rich scent of herbs, and the shopkeeper was a Dwarf who was dozing off.
A Mi nervously approached, trying to make his tone sound sincere.
"Excuse me, I need to buy some medicine for bone injuries and severe bruising, something with good effects. But... I don't have any money right now. Could I possibly get it on credit first? I can..."
Before he could finish speaking, the Dwarf shopkeeper suddenly snapped his eyes open. Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, the sleepiness on his face was instantly replaced by anger: "Credit? Another poor wretch trying to get something for nothing! Get out! If you don't have money, why buy medicine!"
The Dwarf's voice was extremely loud, attracting the attention of several passersby on the street.
A Mi tried to explain further: "I am a Contracted Spirit, I can..."
"A Contracted Spirit? Hmph! Who knows if you're some defective product summoned by some back-alley practitioner that's about to dissipate!
Get out! Don't interfere with my business!"
The Dwarf shopkeeper wouldn't listen at all; he even grabbed a broom leaning against the counter, preparing to strike.
Seeing this, A Mi knew communication was impossible and reluctantly retreated from the shop. As he reached the street corner, he could still hear the Dwarf grumbling discontentedly behind him, "Bad luck!"
"...Sigh."
Life is hard, A Mi sighed.
He planned to try another pharmacy; maybe the next one would have a kind person...
However, bad luck seemed to follow him relentlessly.
As soon as he stopped in a secluded spot to consider his next move, several familiar figures blocked his path—it was the Thugs he had taught a lesson to earlier.
The leader, the Mixed-blood Orc who called himself "Master Ma," now wore a ferocious sneer, and in his hand, he held a very peculiar weapon—
It was a thick Wolf-tooth Mace, its dark shaft covered in spikes. Strangely, above the head of the mace, there was a faint, flickering, wolf-shaped phantom silently roaring, emitting a dangerous Aura.
"Yo! Isn't this the meddling Contracted Spirit?"
Master Ma spoke sarcastically, weighing the Wolf-tooth Mace in his hand. "What, I saw you get kicked out of the apothecary? A complete pauper, trying to play the Hero saving the beauty?"
One of his underlings shouted, "Master Ma, why waste words on him! It's a perfect chance to test your precious 'tool'!
Get rid of this meddlesome guy, and then we can grab that unlucky Crow Person!"
Master Ma approached with a sinister grin: "Did you hear that? Stupid Contracted Spirit, both you and your Calamity Star Spirit Master are going to have a bad day today! Don't think you're so great just because you can punch and kick!"
Before the words even finished, Master Ma violently swung the Wolf-tooth Mace down!
The wolf-shaped phantom let out a low growl as it swung, its Speed and Strength far surpassing what it was capable of barehanded!
A Mi's heart tightened, and he dodged sideways.
He could feel that the wind pressure generated by the Wolf-tooth Mace carried a tearing kind of power.
He tried to block and counterattack as before, but when his fist neared the air around the Wolf-tooth Mace, he felt a stinging pain and resistance, as if the wolf-shaped phantom had formed an invisible shield.
"Haha! This is an Art Tool! Not something your little fists can handle!"
Seeing this, Master Ma became even more arrogant, swinging the Wolf-tooth Mace with fierce momentum, forcing A Mi to retreat repeatedly, narrowly avoiding danger.
His punches and kicks couldn't penetrate the strange power attached to the Wolf-tooth Mace; instead, he nearly got hit by the wind from the mace several times, and its spikes were terrifying to look at.
Was he going to be finished right after forming a Contract?
What about Xiao Ye? What was the point of his transmigration?!
A surge of unwillingness rose in A Mi's heart.
Just then, a cool and familiar female voice rang out:
"Go, Flower Demon, separate them."
Following the voice, countless pink and white petals appeared out of thin air. As if possessing life, they rapidly formed two resilient flower walls between A Mi and Master Ma.
Master Ma's Wolf-tooth Mace struck the flower wall and seemed to sink into a swamp, its force being neutralized layer by layer.
Simultaneously, another gentle yet irresistible force pushed A Mi backward, creating distance between him and Master Ma's group.
A Mi stabilized himself and looked toward the source of the voice in surprise.
He saw the Elf Maiden Lina standing not far away, her expression still carrying a hint of arrogance and aloofness.
Floating beside her was a small humanoid creature made of Vines and flowers—that must be the "Flower Demon" she mentioned, appearing to be an auxiliary control-type Contracted Spirit.
Lina's gaze swept over A Mi, then glanced at the Thugs, frowning slightly: "Fighting in broad daylight within the city using Art Tools—do you want to be arrested by the Guards?"
Master Ma's group clearly recognized Lina, or at least recognized her Elf identity and her extraordinary demeanor, along with the clearly not-weak Contracted Spirit beside her.
They showed looks of apprehension and sullenly withdrew their hands.
Master Ma glared fiercely at A Mi, threw out a parting shot, "You're lucky this time!" and then fled with his subordinates.
Only then did Lina turn her full attention to A Mi, with a hint of curiosity and scrutiny: "You were... going to buy medicine?"
She had seen the scene of A Mi being driven out of the apothecary earlier.
A Mi nodded, not hiding anything: "My Spirit Master is injured and needs wound medicine."
Lina, instead, stepped forward a few paces, appearing somewhat astonished: "You were actually re-contracted? And at a time like this..."
She sized up A Mi, seeming to notice his predicament. "...It looks like your Master ran out of money to contract you."
A Mi: ￣□￣｜｜
It was hard for him to explain that he had practically paid to join, not letting his new Spirit Master spend anything.
Lina didn't ask further and walked straight into that apothecary.
Not long after, she walked out holding a small paper packet and handed it to A Mi: "Here, effective wound medicine and bruise-removing paste. Apply externally."
A Mi froze, not immediately taking it: "This..."
"Take it," Lina said flatly, as if she had just done something trivial.
"Consider it... a small compensation for me hastily dissolving our Contract earlier."
She didn't actually think there was anything wrong with dissolving a D-Rank Contracted Spirit; she just felt that helping someone in distress suited her pride as an Elf and basic goodwill.
"Thank you." A Mi took the medicine and expressed his sincere gratitude.
"In that case... I'll be on my way then..."
"Wait!"
Lina stopped him.
She suddenly became interested in his new Spirit Master: "I'm actually a bit curious what kind of Spirit Master would contract a... well, a Contracted Spirit that is about to dissipate. Do you mind if I go with you to see?"
A Mi hesitated, but considering she had just helped him and seemed to bear no ill will, he nodded.
"Not bad, you have good judgment~" Lina hummed happily, stepped back a few paces, and tilted her chin, signaling A Mi to lead the way.
…………
Walking down the road, A Mi couldn't help but ask the question lingering in his mind: "That Wolf-tooth Mace the Thug had... what was that? It felt very powerful."
Upon hearing this, Lina looked at A Mi with an expression of disbelief, as if looking at an illiterate person.
"You... don't even know what an 'Art Tool' is? How can your knowledge base be so barren?"
She sighed, as if unable to tolerate such ignorance.
"Open your System; the basic encyclopedia should have a record."
A Mi followed the instruction and silently recited the search term "Art Tool."
The System immediately provided the answer: 【Art Tool: A special item that can be summoned by consuming a "Medium" and a "Sacrifice" through a Contract Array. It has wide-ranging uses, including combat, support, and daily life.
Summoning generally requires lower Sacrifice requirements than a Contracted Spirit, with overall ratings ranging from E-Rank to A-Rank, and numerous types exist.
Note: Some Art Tools may contain special effects or growth potential. 】
Although Lina couldn't hear the System's voice, seeing A Mi's enlightened expression, she knew he had found the information.
"Judging by your look, you now understand Art Tools."
"The average rank for Art Tools is D-Rank, while Contracted Spirits are a bit stronger, averaging C-Rank... anything lower is very rare."
She explained with a hint of pride: "Like my Flower Demon, which is a top-tier support Contracted Spirit among C-Ranks. Everything I summon, besides you... well, the weakest is among the best of C-Rank."
She paused, seemingly realizing her words might hurt the "Spirit's" feelings, and added, "Of course, the overall rating is just a comprehensive assessment based on the six data points: Strength, Speed, Stamina, Mana, Luck, and Magic Tool."
"...It doesn't mean the upper limit of any single ability is locked; there are also individuals who are severely specialized in one area.
However, those with higher overall ratings usually have greater potential."
Her tone carried the inherent pride of a genius, but A Mi could sense that she wasn't inherently malicious, just accustomed to viewing things from a superior position.
At least she wasn't deliberately hostile toward him.
At this moment, A Mi finally gained a clearer understanding of the value—（ or perhaps the 'dirt' content ）—of his "D-Rank Trash" status, and the power structure of this World.
"Then, that Wolf-tooth Mace is considered..."
"Its rank isn't high; it's probably upper-middle quality D-Rank," Lina waved her hand dismissively.
"However... your overall Strength is barely scraping the edge of E and D-Rank to enter D-Rank. Naturally, without any growth, you wouldn't be a match for him!"
A Mi: o(╥﹏╥)o
He suddenly felt disinclined to speak.