[Druid profession awakening...]
[Please select your primary and secondary subclasses...]
[Your choice will determine your skill development. Please choose carefully...]
[Subclass options: Totem Druid, Beast King Druid, Calamity Druid, Ocean Druid, Swamp Druid, Desert Druid, Iron Druid, Jungle Druid, Mountain Druid, Sky Druid...]
"The options are exactly the same as in my previous life. A player chooses one primary and one secondary subclass..."
The Druid had the most subclasses of any profession, living up to its reputation as the 'all-rounder.' In the mod, its power ranking was actually 13th out of the 12 professions! (TN: A joke implying it's off the charts).
"Primary subclass: Beast King Druid!"
"Secondary subclass: Jungle Druid!"
After a moment of thought, Qi Ping made his choice.
A Beast King Druid could have more than one animal companion and could share one of their talents. Since his own talent was low, this was the perfect way to compensate—by borrowing the gifts of his companions.
The Jungle Druid was the best for growing spirit herbs in the cultivation world. Its most iconic skill was [Plant Growth], which could accelerate the maturity of herbs. In a world where 'Wealth' was the first requirement of the four pillars of cultivation (Wealth, Companions, Environment, Laws), this skill was pure gold.
[Subclasses selected successfully...]
[Profession Talents generated...]
[Talents: Animal Companion, Nature Affinity]
[Animal Companion]: For every level gained, you may contract one animal companion and share one of its talents. (Current capacity: 1. Increases by 1 per level.)
[Nature Affinity]: You have a high affinity for Wood-element energy.
[Please select profession skills...]
[Beast King Druid (Choose 3 of 4): Animal Speech, Beast Friend, Dominate Beast, Beast King's Grace]
Lv1 [Animal Speech]: You can understand the language of animals and communicate with them. (Non-upgradeable)
Lv1 [Beast Friend]: You can lower an animal's hostility and make them like you. (Passive, non-upgradeable)
Lv1 [Dominate Beast]: Force an animal to fight by your side. (High-intelligence animals have a chance to resist.)
Lv1 [Beast King's Grace]: Your animal companions gain increased growth speed and a higher success rate for evolution. (Passive, upgradeable)
[Jungle Druid (Choose 1 of 3): Plant Growth, Ravenous Vines, Goodberry]
Lv1 [Plant Growth]: Consume energy to increase the growth rate of plants. (Active, upgradeable)
Lv1 [Ravenous Vines]: Consume energy to summon a giant vine to attack enemies. (Active, upgradeable)
Lv1 [Goodberry]: Consume energy to summon a berry with healing and satiating effects. (Disappears after one day.)
"It's no different from the game!"
Seeing the familiar options, a look of uncontainable joy appeared on Qi Ping's face. This modded starting kit was perfect!
"Select Animal Speech, Beast Friend, and Beast King's Grace!"
He temporarily passed on [Dominate Beast] for two reasons. First, it could fail, especially given that creatures in the cultivation world were generally more intelligent. He would need a high skill level to guarantee success. Second, he didn't have many creatures around to dominate, whereas the other three would help him secure a powerful long-term partner.
"Select Plant Growth!"
This was the core of the 'farming' playstyle. Could you even call yourself a Druid if you couldn't make plants grow? This skill alone ensured he would never starve.
[Skill selection complete. Status panel generating...]
Name: Qi Ping
Level: Lv1 (0/100)
Profession: Beast King Druid (Primary), Jungle Druid (Secondary)
Talents: Animal Companion, Nature Affinity
Animal Companions: (0/1)
Skills: Lv1 [Plant Growth] (0/100), Lv1 [Beast King's Grace] (0/100)
Skills (Constant): [Animal Speech], [Beast Friend]
As the panel finalized, a flash of green light swept through Qi Ping's body. After the light faded, he felt like a completely different person!
In his perception, the world was now filled with vibrant Wood Qi that felt incredibly welcoming. Compared to his previous affinity as a low-grade Wood Spirit Root, the difference was at least tenfold.
But the most dramatic change was his perception of the Black Little Bees. With the [Beast Friend] skill, the bees suddenly felt a deep sense of kinship with him. They buzzed around him curiously, some even landing on him to express their affection.
"The awakening was a success!"
Feeling the changes in his body and the influx of Druidic knowledge, Qi Ping was ecstatic. He was no longer just a talentless Layer 1 cultivator with no future!
"Now, I just need to contract a powerful animal companion to secure my safety. Then I can use farming to make money, raise my companion, and accumulate experience..."
"But first, I need to figure out why these bees are so upset..."
Spring and summer were the peak seasons for honey. He could make a handsome sum of spirit stones if things went well.
Staring at the buzzing swarm, Qi Ping focused his mind and tapped into a mysterious energy according to the knowledge in his head...
The next moment, his world changed. The chaotic buzzing transformed into meaningful voices.
"Buzz... (Big bees, big bees...)"
"Buzz... (Cavalry big bees...)"
"Buzz... (Stealing honey, stealing honey...)"
"Buzz... (Golden big bees, scary... dangerous...)"
"Buzz... (Stealing our nectar... gotta move!)"
Good heavens! Thousands of bees shouting at once nearly made Qi Ping's head explode. It took him a while to adjust.
"Cavalry big bees? Golden? Stealing nectar?"
'No way...'
Based on those keywords, a suspicion grew in his mind: [Golden Marrow Bees]!
They were the only ones who fit the description.
"If it really is Golden Marrow Bees, this is a blessing in disguise!"
Golden Marrow Bees were a rare breed. They were stronger than Tiger-Headed Bees and were master honey-makers. Their honey was worth at least ten times more than that of the Black Little Bees. However, they were notoriously difficult to raise and dozens of times rarer.
Qi Ping had originally planned to use his first companion slot on a Tiger-Headed Bee for combat.
"But if these are truly Golden Marrow Bees, they would be ten times better as a first companion!"
They were stronger in combat and far superior in production.