The next morning, Zhou Yuan, who was in the middle of shearing Wooloo, received a call from the delivery man:
"Dear, your package has arrived. Please come to the door to pick it up."
Zhou Yuan looked at the half-sheared Wooloo and smiled gently:
"I'll be back to shear you in a bit."
"Meeh!!!!!! (╬ ￣ dish ￣)"
Walking to the door, he saw a robust, brown-furred bovine Pokémon and its rider. It was Tauros and the delivery man.
Seeing Zhou Yuan come out, the delivery man took a package from the backpack behind him, dismounted Tauros, and handed it to Zhou Yuan.
"Remember to give a good review, dear!"
After returning to his room and opening the package, Zhou Yuan found another layer of packaging. After opening that, Zhou Yuan got an exquisite small wooden box.
Opening the box, a yellow stone lay quietly on a velvet cloth. In the middle of the stone was an orange-red flame-like pattern, and touching it would feel a slight warmth.
"A Fire Stone... It must be tens of thousands of yuan, I think."
Zhou Yuan was a bit lost in thought, not expecting that the item needed for Growlithe's evolution would be obtained so easily, just because of two videos.
Zhou Yuan felt that this gift was a bit too generous, so he quickly sent a message to Gym Leader Meng to express his gratitude.
"Meng Ge, I've received the Fire Stone. Isn't this too extravagant as a reward?"
He quickly received a reply from Gym Leader Meng:
"Not extravagant, not extravagant at all. It's good that you don't think it's too little. The quality and data of your videos are worthy of this Fire Stone. After all, it has brought a lot of traffic to my Gym. In the past two days, many people have come to challenge the Bug-type Gym. These two days are the busiest I've been with Challengers since I became a Gym Leader."
"Then thank you for your generosity, Meng Ge. I'll also thank Meng Ge on behalf of Growlithe."
After exchanging pleasantries, Zhou Yuan also had some doubts. From Gym Leader Meng's words, it seemed his video's popularity was very high? It must have surpassed the previous video, otherwise, Gym Leader Meng wouldn't have said such things.
Bold assumption, careful verification.
Zhou Yuan opened Station A, and as expected, his inbox was full again.
Clicking on his personal homepage, he found that his follower count had exceeded 300,000, which surprised Zhou Yuan. Gaining 250,000 followers from one video?
He then opened his submission management and found that the play count for his video 'My Bug-type Pokémon Can Also Be Like Dragons 【Pokémon Tactics 02】' had exceeded 1.5 million, with an extremely high number of bullet comments and regular comments. Influenced by the second video, the first video's play count also exceeded 1 million.
Clicking on the comment section, he saw Gym Leader Meng's comment at the top of the hot comments, as well as comments like "Going to challenge the Bug-type Gym tomorrow" and "I'm coming to battle you" in his replies. Zhou Yuan finally understood what Gym Leader Meng had said.
Just then, the system's mechanical voice appeared again.
【Congratulations to Host...】
"Wait a moment. Why do you always speak after I've finished looking at the data, instead of giving the reward the moment the data appears?
【The System is not omniscient and omnipotent. Please understand, Host.】
【Furthermore, since there is always some false data in the data, the System needs to exclude the false data before giving rewards, so it will be a little late.】
"I see. You can continue. I have no more questions."
【Congratulations to Host for a single video's play count exceeding 1 million, achieving the achievement: Million Playback Energy Points + 500】
【Congratulations to Host for completing Video Task 6. Cumulative video play count exceeding 1 million Energy Points + 1000】
【The requirement for the next level task is: Cumulative video play count exceeding 5 million】
【Congratulations to Host for follower count exceeding 100,000 Energy Points + 500】
【System Task issued: Host's next video's play count to exceed 2 million. Reward: 500 Energy Points, Random Purple Item x1】
【Host's current Energy Points: 3910】
"I have a question. Why didn't the previous system notification about video tasks mention the word 'cumulative'?
【Because Host had not previously had a single video's play count exceed 1 million.】
"So I wasn't worthy before? Are the rewards you give exclusive to me, or do other brothers and sisters also receive them?" Zhou Yuan began speaking in a Daiyu-esque manner.
【Host, please automatically (crossed out) compose yourself.】
"Hey! You're really not a proper System, are you?! Don't think I can't see that you crossed it out! You just finished some rotten peach blossom system quota and now you're coming to me? You're going too far, I'll fight you!"
【Host, you've misunderstood. According to the second law of thermodynamics, there was a sudden fluctuation in the universe's entropy increase, causing the System's language system to become chaotic. It has now been repaired.】
"Speak human, hey! This is the Elf World, who's talking about physics with you?! The most unphysical things are these Pokémon, aren't they!"
【Due to the System's reasons causing Host to be insulted, Host is compensated with Energy Points + 100】
【Host's current Energy Points: 4010】
"I forgive you."
Zhou Yuan quickly forgot what had just happened.
"Is this what being rich feels like?"
Looking at the balance of Energy Points before him, Zhou Yuan swallowed, and made a grand decision:
"System, give me two Wepear Berries first."
Immediately, his pocket felt a slight weight. Zhou Yuan knew that the Berries had arrived.
【Host's remaining Energy Points: 3970】
Looking at the remaining Energy Points, Zhou Yuan called out to the System again:
"System, open the Time-Limited Shop."
【Time-Limited Shop currently has: Maid Outfit (1000 Energy Points), Cherish Ball (500 Energy Points), Fighting Mastery LV.1 (500 Energy Points), razz berry (300 Energy Points), Fire Gem (1000 Energy Points), shaling fruit (500 Energy Points), Five servings of Normal-type energy cube (1000 Energy Points), lum berry (500 Energy Points)】
【Next Time-Limited Shop refresh: 24 hours】
"Can you delete that crappy maid outfit? It's annoying to look at." After complaining, Zhou Yuan began his truly extravagant spending.
"System, I'll buy the Fire Gem, energy cube, shaling fruit, and lum berry. The others next time for sure."
【Purchased items have been sent to Host's backpack】
【Host's remaining Energy Points: 970】
Zhou Yuan was calculating his Energy Points.
"I still have 970 points. The first ten-pull is 12% off. After pulling, I can feed them for two days. After two days, it'll be about time to mix in energy cube. And by the time the energy cube are eaten, the income from the next video should have arrived."
With his thoughts clear, Zhou Yuan displayed the same grandiosity as Kong Yiji when he laid out nine coppers:
"System, I want a ten-pull!"
【Host currently has 970 Energy Points. First ten-pull at 12% off costs 888 Energy Points.】
【Host confirms proceeding with the ten-pull?】
"Confirm, pull, pull, pull!"
【Host's first ten-pull, triggering hidden easter egg, opening time-limited gacha pool.】
【Within the limited time, the probability of drawing the Gold Skill 【energy cube Crafting LV4】 is greatly increased.】
【When a Gold Item is drawn, the probability of obtaining the limited Skill increases to 50%.】
【If the first Gold Item drawn is not the limited Skill, the next Gold Item drawn will definitely be the limited Skill.】
【Please Host, choose a gacha pool to draw from.】
"Although I've said it many times, I still want to say, you really are a reincarnated MiHoYo planner sent to torment me, aren't you?! Copying gacha pools like this, be careful they don't sue you, hey!"
Complaining aside, Zhou Yuan still chose the time-limited gacha pool from the bottom of his heart. The energy cube Crafting Skill was simply too appealing.
"System, draw from the time-limited gacha pool for me."
【Currently drawing for Host. Does Host wish to skip the gacha interface?】
"No need to skip. Anyway, ten-pulls always land together."
But when the gacha started, Zhou Yuan still couldn't hold back.
"Your ten-pulls still appear one by one?! Damn it, at least let ten meteors appear together so I can see if there's a golden light!"
As a blue meteor fell in the gacha screen, after the shattered debris scattered,
【Host obtained item: moomoo milk】
"Are you sick? I don't lack Miltank here. If I'm going to draw it from you, I might as well just hug a Miltank and drink."
Immediately after, a white meteor fell.
【Host obtained item: Wepear Berry】
"There are still white items in the gacha pool? This isn't how you kill your acquaintances. Forget it, skip the gacha interface, it's upsetting to watch."
【Host obtained item: Wepear Berry】
【Host obtained item: peach fruit】
【Host obtained item: Wepear Berry】
【Host obtained item: Poké Ball】
Just then, the System shouted loudly:
【Congratulations to Host for obtaining Purple Item: Cherish Ball】
"Can you not shout so loudly? This thing is useless except for being precious. I'd rather you give me something useful."
Then came two more Wepear Berries. At the last moment, the System directly let out an even louder shout than before:
【Wow! Golden Legend!】
【Congratulations to Host for obtaining Gold Skill: Fighting Mastery LV4】
"Why are you shouting so loudly?! Gold is gold, I thought it was energy cube Crafting, but it was a miss. Speaking of which, how are the levels of your Skills divided?"
【Lv1 is the level a normal person can reach after training.】
【Lv2 is a very excellent level.】
【Lv3 is top-tier in the industry.】
【Lv4 is a cross-domain level.】
【Lv5 is the limit that humans can reach.】
"Then am I very strong now? Can I tear Onix apart with my bare hands?"
【It is recommended that Host does not attempt.】
Zhou Yuan didn't feel too disappointed. Although the gold draw was a miss, it was from the first ten-pull, which was practically free. Moreover, the next gold draw would definitely be the energy cube Crafting Skill. The most urgent task was to earn enough Energy Points within seven days.
Just as Zhou Yuan was contemplating how to obtain more Energy Points, he heard banging sounds from outside the door, as if something was hitting it.
Opening the door, he found that the half-sheared Wooloo had come to find him, holding the scissors in its mouth.
"Meeh!!!!!! ψ(*｀ー´)ψ"
Seeing Zhou Yuan open the door, Wooloo was very excited, as if saying, 'If you don't shear me now, I'll fight you to the death.'
Zhou Yuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry:
"How could I forget you? I'll shear you now."