"Let's call it a day."
Li Pu stood up and rummaged through his pocket.
Under Wu Guinan's puzzled gaze, he finally took out a coin and let it fall.
Jingle...
The coin hit the ground, making a crisp sound.
This action, without a doubt, left Wu Guinan baffled.
However, Li Pu didn't explain and just stood there quietly waiting.
About 30 seconds later, a green figure approached accompanied by a sound.
[Grass~~~~!]
Straw Man: Money!
The straw man with eyes sparkling dashed over, grabbed the coin swiftly as it rolled to a stop.
"...Is this some kind of new summoning technique?"
Wu Guinan was utterly dumbfounded.
He had heard of magical beasts that loved Crystal Coins, but ones that loved Federation Coins were unheard of.
"You haven't seen the most impressive part yet."
Li Pu shrugged and took out a large bottle of cola from his storage space, handing it to the straw man.
[Grass grass grass~!]
Straw Man: Thank you, great summoner!
The straw man, feeling parched, grabbed the cola immediately and started to guzzle it down.
"Alright, I'm heading to the Wind Listening Hall to train Roll Roll Turtle."
Wu Guinan stood up, ready to leave.
With about two weeks until the profession selection competition, if all goes well, it seems Roll Roll Turtle could level up to LV2 or even LV3.
Li Pu declined Wu Guinan's invitation and watched him leave, as he had no plans to visit the Wind Listening Hall.
The first thing he needed to do now was to enhance the straw man on site.
So he found a secluded corner where he dumped out a whole bunch of broken twining vines.
[Grass!]
Straw Man: Summoner, you're so cruel!
Though present at the scene, the straw man couldn't help but cry out seeing such a pile of broken vines.
However, Li Pu ignored it and continued to hold 500 Crystal Coins in his hand, pressing his other hand against the pile of broken vines.
With a focused thought, he activated [Friend of Magical Beasts].
Soon, a brief burst of white light shimmered.
When the white light faded, the Crystal Coins in his hand and most of the broken vines had vanished completely.
"The rest, let the turtle eat it."
Looking at the small portion of remaining broken vines, Li Pu mumbled to himself.
The Acquired skill [Entangle] only required 100 parts; he had collected over 140 parts to be prepared.
Turns out, it was a wise decision. Just now, he noticed through feedback information that some of the vines couldn't be used by [Friend of Magical Beasts] due to insufficient vitality.
[Grass!]
Having acquired the skill, the straw man appeared excited and waved its arms, causing several vines to grow from the ground, twining around a nearby large tree.
Swish swish...
As the vines tightened, the tree swayed gently.
Li Pu roughly assessed and felt the straw man's [Entangle] seemed more flexible and possibly stronger than the twining vines, perhaps thanks to the 10 Wood attribute.
If it's at this level, even the Rolling Roll Roll Turtle might get caught.
However, the vines didn't last long before they quickly withered and turned into blue light, drifting away.
But the new experience still left the straw man quite satisfied.
[Grass grass!]
Straw Man: Summoner, you're so great!
Just now it was complaining about Li Pu's cruelty, but now it quickly changed its tune after gaining benefits.
"Fair-weather straw you are."
Li Pu helplessly shook his head, opening the straw man's interface to examine it.
Straw Man: LV1, Wind Listening
Strength: 10→12, F
Attribute: 10 Wood
Ability: [Gratitude]
Skill: [LV1 Snail Grass (C)][LV1 Entangle (F)]
Inscribed: [Wisdom Root (B+)]
Having obtained the new skill [Entangle], its combat power increased from 10 to 12 points.
Li Pu found this quite satisfying, as it had doubled from its initial 6-point strength when first summoned.
This meant the straw man now had a power level comparable to an adult, and with further upgrades, it might soon become even stronger.
Moreover, with the ability [Gratitude] enhancing the straw man, Li Pu could feel an enhancement in himself.
Though faint, it was noticeable compared to before.
"Alright, which should I visit first—the Breaking Formation Hall or the Fury Hall?"
Resting his chin on his hand, he decided on his next course of action.
[Grass grass! Grass grass grass!]
But upon hearing this, the straw man expressed its opposition.
It wanted to visit its little brother, Little King Meditate Tree.
It was curious about what happened to Little King Meditate Tree after it fell asleep yesterday.
Plus, it secretly wanted to relive the fun it had whipping yesterday.
"You have a point."
Li Pu considered and found the straw man's suggestion reasonable.
He had only 500 Crystal Coins left, and he'd need to use them wisely.
Both the Breaking Formation Hall and Fury Hall were likely to host magical beast remains of high quality, similar to the Tai Chi Snail.
Based on current experience, 500 Crystal Coins wouldn't be enough to acquire skills from those related materials.
It would be better to collect related materials from weaker magical beasts for a sacrificial wave for the straw man.
With the profession selection competition approaching, raising the straw man's level would help earn better results.
The forest south of campus was undoubtedly the best place to go.
The magical beasts there were something he could handle alone.
So Li Pu took the school bus with the straw man and soon arrived at the south gate of the school.
However, before he could leave, he got stopped.
"Where are you going, student?"
Every gate of Xidu University was naturally equipped with a gatekeeper.
Due to magical beasts lurking around the perimeter, the gatekeeper had to be a Summoner, not just anyone could take the job.
"Um, just going out for a walk?"
Li Pu hadn't expected this.
The day before had been a group action for freshmen, so he didn't encounter any blockage upon leaving the campus.
Gatekeeper: "..."
In an ordinary place or university, the gatekeeper might believe that.
But outside here? You could encounter magical beasts within a few steps.
For a freshman to casually walk around? Chances were he wouldn't make it back.
So unsurprisingly, Li Pu wasn't allowed to leave immediately.
With no other choice, he called for help.
His phone wasn't fixed yet, so he borrowed the gatekeeper uncle's phone.
He dialed Chang Shoushang, but no one answered.
Because that guy was still in the infirmary, not yet awake.
Aside from Chang Shoushang, the only one he could think of was Li Fan, who had shared his number yesterday.
After ringing for 30 seconds, Li Fan finally picked up.
From the sound of his voice, it was clear he wasn't fully awake.
Li Pu explained the situation, then handed the phone to the gatekeeper uncle.
Uncertain if Li Fan was just impatient, but he settled it with a few words.
After hanging up, the gatekeeper uncle's look towards Li Pu changed entirely.
This little cripple is this year's top student?
Honestly, he found it hard to believe.
But since Teacher Li vouched for it, any issues weren't his responsibility.
Thus, with the gatekeeper uncle's clearance, Li Pu finally left smoothly.
...
...