This is… the System!!!"
A monstrous wave surged in Shangguan Mo's heart.
Knowing he was about to die, he could remain calm and unfazed, having already died once, but the unexpected activation of the System made the expression on his face extremely interesting.
Time was short, and he had no time to think much, so he could only choose to immediately grasp this life-saving straw.
"Quick! Quick! Hurry up!"
Watching the prompt that remained stuck on [System is activating, please wait…], Shangguan Mo cried out anxiously in his heart.
At this moment, his face was pale green, and his forehead slightly dark, clearly signs of severe oxygen deprivation. If nothing unexpected happened, he would suffocate to death from lack of oxygen in a dozen seconds.
Even with his body's aquatic nature, he couldn't hold his breath underwater for several minutes!
Perhaps hearing his cries, the System quickly responded, and a synthesis interface then appeared on the panel.
The first thing that caught his eye was a pop-up information box, which was an instruction manual filled with dense text explaining how to use the System.
With time pressing, Shangguan Mo scanned through it at the fastest speed of his life, like a fleeting glance.
He quickly summarized the System's most basic function.
This System had the ability to synthesize inanimate objects and living creatures. The synthesized creature would become the System owner's Summoning Beast, possessing incredible abilities and one hundred percent loyalty to the System owner.
"No time to study it carefully!"
Shangguan Mo's gaze quickly moved down, seeing the synthesis formula at the bottom of the panel.
[Material] + [Creature] = [Summoning Beast]
He only needed to obtain the items required for synthesis, and he could directly obtain a Summoning Beast with special abilities!
But in this current environment, going out meant death, and not going out also meant death!
It was just a matter of dying sooner or later.
He had no experience with synthesis, and was completely at a loss, not knowing where to start or where to find the materials needed for synthesis?
"Never mind, I'll just grab whatever I can!"
At this point, another short while had passed. Shangguan Mo's vision was already black, and veins bulged on his bronze-colored face, his ferocious appearance like a man-eating water ghost!
He frantically grabbed around him with both hands, and quickly seized two things. The last thought flashed through his suffocating mind.
[Confirm Synthesis]
…
What he didn't know was that each synthesis consumed a considerable amount of Chakra. If the host themselves had no Chakra, synthesizing a Summoning Beast would directly consume the host's life force!
Therefore, after choosing to synthesize, Shangguan Mo directly fainted. Underwater, if he didn't breathe air within the next few seconds, he would still end up drowning.
As he fell into unconsciousness, the System received instructions and began to operate rapidly, with pieces of information popping up one after another.
[Stone] + [Earthworm] = ???
[compatibility] 70%
[Material: Stone, Quality (White)]
[Creature: Earthworm, Level (E)]
[Synthesis Success Rate] 90%
[Please note! You are about to consume one hundred points of Chakra]
[The System has detected no Chakra in your body. The subsequent synthesis will automatically consume an equivalent amount of health. Please be aware!]
[Synthesizing, please wait…]
[Synthesis successful! You have obtained E-level Summoning Beast — Earth Dragon Beast!]
…
About twenty li outside Qinghe Village, by a riverbank.
Gurgle gurgle gurgle…
The Evil God Cult follower suddenly saw countless ping-pong ball-sized bubbles rising from the water, and the anticipation on his face froze.
"Nani???
…This, wouldn't he choke by sucking like this?"
Then, he saw a violent disturbance coming from underwater, as if a fish of considerable size was thrashing at the bottom.
The water surface within a few meters quickly turned murky and yellowish.
"Interesting! I want to see how much longer this guy can last!"
The follower plunged his scythe into the ground, crossed his arms, and waited with interest.
Three minutes later!
The follower's expression had already become extremely grim. Looking at the water area where no more movement occurred, a terrible thought couldn't help but emerge in his mind.
"That guy, he couldn't have escaped, could he…?"
The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this was very possible.
No one could stay underwater for a full five minutes without surfacing, unless he was a Ninja!
And how could that kid, who clearly looked like he couldn't even get enough to eat, be a Ninja?
Plop!
He suddenly plunged into the water. His eyes, narrowed into slits, darted around, and he saw a dark, bottomless hole the size of a bucket, about a meter underwater by the riverbank!
"Na-Nani?"
…
When Shangguan Mo woke up again, he found himself in complete darkness. The air was cold and damp, even carrying a strong earthy smell.
Frowning, he realized that things were not simple.
"It's so dark? Did I die again, and this time I'm placed in a womb?"
Suddenly!
Shangguan Mo felt the "ground" beneath his chest move slightly, which sent a shiver down his spine.
"What the hell? What is this… fetal movement?"
While startled, he also suddenly realized.
"This isn't right either, I can still hear my own voice when I speak, so I'm definitely not in a womb! Then where am I?"
Puzzled, his vision was still pitch black.
Shangguan Mo could only try to slowly reach out with both hands around him. Slowly, he touched something cold and slimy!
He instantly pulled his hand back in fright, not daring to move again.
At this moment, the System panel automatically appeared in his mind.
[Summoning Beast · Earth Dragon Beast]
Level: E
Species: Invertebrate Annelid
Attribute: Earth
Ability: Earth Release (The Earth Dragon Beast possesses Earth and Stone compatibility, allowing it to move freely in these two environments without obstruction.)
Petrification Defense (Passive): The Earth Dragon Beast's body contains rock components, giving it defense equivalent to rock.
System Evaluation: The Earth Dragon Beast, mutated from a common earthworm combined with a stone, possesses exceptionally good abilities among E-level Summoning Beasts. With its Earth Release, its life-saving ability is definitely first-class in the Ninja World.
Shangguan Mo's eyes lit up, and he suddenly understood.
It was this guy who saved his life!
Looking at the pitch-black underground world, after a slight hesitation, Shangguan Mo reached out and patted the ground beneath him, saying softly.
"Take me out, Earth Dragon Beast…"
In an instant, Shangguan Mo felt the huge creature he was pressing down on begin to move.
Earth and stones splashed onto Shangguan Mo's face. He quickly lay back down, only feeling the surrounding environment constantly changing.
One minute later, the sky brightened considerably.
The light was so blinding that Shangguan Mo instinctively closed his eyes tightly, but he couldn't help but open a slit and look down at what was beneath him.
This glance startled him again.
Sitting beneath his butt was a three-meter-long prehistoric earthworm, as thick as an adult's thigh. Its brown body showed rings of gray segments, and it even appeared to be slowly wriggling, looking ferocious.
If an ordinary person saw it, they would probably faint on the spot.
If Shangguan Mo hadn't vaguely felt the affectionate emotions coming from the Earth Dragon Beast, he probably would have been scared into falling onto the ground.
"But it was this ugly guy who saved his life!"
Thinking of this, when Shangguan Mo looked at the Earth Dragon Beast again, his eyes were already filled with gratitude and fondness.
It was like looking at a wealthy woman who had lost her youthful charm!
"Thank you!"
He said softly.
The Earth Dragon Beast seemed to have "heard" him, sending a joyful and excited emotion towards Shangguan Mo, and the thick mouthpart at one end of its body moved to touch his face.
Feeling the Earth Dragon Beast's vague thoughts, Shangguan Mo's expression suddenly became a little strange.
"Are you… trying to cuddle?"