"You have been bound by the Soul Sync Farming Space System. A soul-bound dual cultivation interface designed to evolve in harmony. Your farming space has been activated. Progress is determined by cooperation, growth, and survival. Your first mission will start now… Initiating mission task."
"What do you mean? Why is someone else living here? Where are we?..." Laurel bombarded, but the moment her gaze met Ling Xuan's, she shut her mouth.
"You are in your farming space, and the other host is your soul counterpart."
Soul counterpart? Laurel had seen many talented humans with a system that gave them the upper hand during the apocalypse.
Although she was happy that she had finally gotten a system, she had never heard of a system like this.
"Hosts, you will earn points for every plant you grow. The points can be used to upgrade the land fertility, create water channels, buy fertilizers and pesticides, buy farming tractors, upgrade the storage room for your crops, and so on… And the more you pass your missions the higher the chances of cultivating more advanced crops and livestock.
To help you with your mission you will get a system manual on how to farm a land, a hoe, a shovel, a 30L water drum, an empty seed pouch, and a harvest sickle.
You get fifteen points as the newest soul sync farmers… in centuries. Hosts, missions are serializing, give me a moment."
Ling Xuan clicked her tongue in annoyance. "So this is what all of this is about? I thought it would be a fighting mission. I'll pass."
Laurel was baffled. "Fine, I can just do it myself, but don't think I'll let you benefit from it."
"Really? I don't think there will be anything wrong if one of us happens to die." Ling Xuan raised her sword at Laurel.
Laurel's heart skittered in her chest. She just got reborn a few minutes ago and she was about to die again?
"You think you can kill me… "The cold blade pressed against her throat, blood trickling down her skin. "... You won't be able to survive without me… I can farm, you don't need to do anything… don't kill me… please."
"Now we are talking."
[Warning: Hosts synchronisation falling below 50%. Conflict detected.]
[Soul Sync stability at risk… Resolution required.]
Laurel smiled nervously. "You see I told you… You need me. Why don't you be a darling and remove the blade from my neck?" Her voice turned into a plea.
[As dual hosts of the Soul Sync Farming Space System, cooperation is mandatory for sustained operation. Excessive conflict may result in a temporary lockout or penalty.]
"You are threatening us now… I don't do well with threats." Ling Xuan scoffed.
[To clarify my statement. This is not a threat, it is a structural requirement.]
[Synchronization has dropped to 38%. Farming functions temporarily suspended.]
"What does that mean?" Laurel asked, her voice high-pitched with panic, the blade on her neck didn't make her talk freely as she wanted.
[The land will not respond. Tools will remain inactive. No crops can grow until the sync level rises above 50%.]
"You shut the whole place down?" Ling Xuan's tone sharpened.
[The system is designed to reflect the state of its users. Unbalanced energy leads to unbalanced growth.]
Ling Xuan's expression darkened. "So if I kill her, do I get another partner?"
[If one host dies, the system deactivates permanently. You both die in the space. There are no replacements.]
The blade slowly dropped from Laurel's neck.
"So we're stuck with each other." Ling Xuan clicked her tongue again. "Great."
Laurel backed away cautiously, her hands trembling. "Can't we just try working together… just enough to make the space work?" she asked sheepishly, her hand covering the little wound on her neck.
[The system rewards cooperation. The more balanced your efforts, the higher the output. The greater the bond, the faster the evolution.]
Ling Xuan muttered under her breath and finally turned around. "Tch. Whatever. Let's just get this over with."
[Synchronization slowly rising… 42%. Farming tools are reactivating partially. Water access restored.]
Laurel swallowed, still watching Ling Xuan like she was a ticking bomb. "That's… something."
[A reminder: This space can become a haven or a battlefield. That depends on you, until your synchronization rises above 50% you won't hear from me.]
With that, the system disappeared.
Laurel stared at the empty space, then looked at Ling Xuan. "So… truce?"
Ling Xuan didn't answer. She only glared coldly at her like she wanted to skin her alive.
Before the conversation could continue, a loud knock came from the outside world.
When Laurel opened her eyes, she noticed she was lying on the ground. Her hands move to her neck in panic. She grimaced from the pain but was surprised when there was no blood on her hand.
Her fingers clutched tightly around the necklace, and her chest rose up and down in panic. 'What the hell just happened?' she would have said it was a dream if she wasn't feeling the pain on her neck.
Knock. Knock.
Laurel turned to the door. She stood, straightening her hair and her dress. She opened the door, plastering a faint smile on her face.
Her smile fell from her lips when her eyes fell on her husband. Alexander Wayne. His hair was sleeked back, and his dark brown eyes stared coldly at her.
His jaws clenched as his gaze swept over her. "You are still not ready?" His voice dripped with irritation, as he glanced at his wrist watch. "Do you know what the time is?"
Laurel forcefully swallowed the lump in her throat. "I'll get ready now." She proceeded to lock the door.
But Alexander held the door open. "Don't mess this up for me. Since you have fought your way up this high, you should keep up with your performance." He cast a disdainful glance at her before he shut the door in her face.
How could she forget how she had gotten married to him? A marriage from a one-night stand.