Mana recovery takes too long. When there is no mana, there are still skills to practice. Lin Chen seized the time to familiarize himself with his abilities.
He currently had three professional skills, and the techniques for using these skills were directly instilled into his mind, so the learning difficulty was not high.
However, the effects of most skills are not fixed. Although there is no clear level distinction, professional level, skill proficiency, and understanding of the skill all affect its outcome.
Among the three skills, only Animal Companion was not affected by proficiency.
Every Druid can obtain one Animal Companion through this skill, and only one. Unless the previous Animal Companion dies, or is sent away through a ritual, can the next Animal Companion be obtained.
Lin Chen, hoping to summon a powerful Animal Companion that also fit his aesthetic, preferably furry, and easy to care for, used this skill.
The result was both amusing and exasperating.
Within the summoning circle appeared a palm sized, endearingly clumsy little creature. Its black and white fur was still sparse, clearly revealing its pink skin underneath.
It perfectly matched his aesthetic; it was incredibly cute! But it was too small! This was clearly a newborn panda!
Lin Chen carefully picked it up. The Animal Companion skill in his player handbook changed to [Animal Companion (Iron eating Beast)], and he could expand it to view its information.
[Nickname: To be named]
[Species: Iron eating Beast]
[Stage: Infancy]
[HP: 100%]
[Talent: Eating (Can slowly improve attributes and awaken abilities through eating. Currently in infancy, can only consume any liquid food)]
[Attributes: Strength 1, Constitution 1, Agility 1, Intelligence 5, Perception 5, Charisma 15]
[Abilities: Emotional Connection, Loyalty]
Perhaps due to its young age, the little one's Strength, Constitution, and Agility attributes were extremely low. However, just looking at its 'Eating' talent, it was clear that it was different from the giant pandas in the zoo. It would be easy to raise, and its potential was not low.
Lin Chen's eyes were filled with affection. This talent meant that as long as he could provide enough food, the little one could continue to grow and accompany him for a long time.
Through the emotional connection with his Animal Companion, Lin Chen could also roughly sense the little one's emotions. It was sucking on his finger with great vigor, clearly hungry.
For liquid food, he only had water at the moment. He poured a little water, warmed it slightly, and fed it to Yuan Gun Gun. To his surprise, it drank happily.
A feeling of joy was transmitted through the emotional connection. Lin Chen felt a bit guilty; he was not intentionally mistreating a national treasure, but the landlord's family truly had no surplus food.
Somewhat worried about whether the little one could grow up well with him, Lin Chen decided to name it Yuan Gun Gun, hoping it would grow to be sturdy in the future.
Once the little one was full of water and started sleeping, Lin Chen tucked it into his pocket, walked to a tree, closed his eyes, and used Sense Nature.
In his perception, countless forces of Nature flowed within this tree, brimming with vitality. Lin Chen curiously "watched", but before he could see clearly, he withdrew from the Sense Nature state.
After trying several times, the duration finally lengthened a bit, and his perception became clearer. Lin Chen felt as if his distance from Nature had become extremely close, a very wondrous feeling.
[You have completed a professional cultivation, gaining professional experience × 1]
He had not expected to gain professional experience by using Sense Nature, which was a pleasant surprise. Lin Chen once again immersed himself in the perspective of Sense Nature.
This time, he noticed a spot where the power of Nature was slightly dim and flowed inflexibly, appearing somewhat stagnant. Normally, vibrant power of Nature was a crystalline green.
Lin Chen opened his eyes and examined that location. It turned out a young dodder plant was parasitic there, absorbing the tree's nutrients. Lin Chen carefully removed the dodder, then used Sense Nature to harmonize the power of Nature within the tree. Soon, the stagnant area flowed smoothly again.
[You have completed a professional cultivation, gaining professional experience × 2]
Lin Chen was thoughtful. A Druid's power comes from Nature. To gain more power, one naturally cannot be separated from Nature. Being close to Nature, perceiving Nature, and protecting Nature, these might all count as professional cultivation.
And what is Nature? Lin Chen felt that Nature is the environment in which living things survive, and plants are the most important part of forming that environment. Therefore, places with lush vegetation have the strongest natural aura, like this forest.
The forest coverage on Deep Blue Star was actually very low. Human traces were spread across various parts of the planet, occupying the vast majority of land. Many mountains and forests were destroyed, and the natural environment could not be called good, urgently needing recovery.
Suddenly, Lin Chen felt a chill on his wrist.
He raised his left hand, only to see the vine bracelet he had worn since childhood seemingly come alive, emitting a faint green light. A spring the size of a teacup appeared before him.
Having worn it since he was young, the only bracelet possibly related to his origins suddenly underwent such a change. Lin Chen felt a sense of 'it's finally here'.
As someone who had awakened memories from a past life, how could he not have a golden finger? The most suspicious item on his entire body was this bracelet. He had once conducted various experiments on it, but they had all failed.
This time, he finally felt a connection with the bracelet. It seemed that only now had he gained the bracelet's recognition. With a thought, he could control it to merge into his wrist, transforming into a faint vine like imprint.
Lin Chen curiously used the item appraisal function to appraise the bracelet.
[bracelet of nature]
[Quality: Orange Mythical]
[Effect 1: spring of recovery: As a practitioner of the path of Natural Recovery, you can materialize a spring source through the bracelet of nature. The spring water within possesses nourishing and restorative power. Prolonged use can cause species to evolve in a more optimal direction. The further you walk on the path of recovery, the greater the quantity and effect of the spring water.]
[Note: Equipment whose full power has not yet been revealed. The upper limit is unknown. Can only be wielded by its recognized master.]
The player handbook stated that equipment quality, from low to high, was: White Common, Green Fine, Blue Rare, Purple Epic, Golden Legendary, Orange Mythical.
He had not expected this bracelet to be a divine artifact, and it even had other undeveloped abilities. The bracelet's changes seemed related to his recent insights and actions. He wondered how to unlock its other abilities?
Lin Chen studied it for a long time without success, then refocused his attention on the spring water. This spring water had nourishing and restorative effects, making it very suitable for Yuan Gun Gun to drink, and also good for watering plants. Unfortunately, the quantity was too small, so it could only be mixed with other water.
To use the spring water, he did not need to summon the spring source every time; he could directly condense the spring water on his fingertip. Lin Chen condensed a drop and tasted it himself. It was sweet and clear, but he did not feel anything else.
He felt a wiggle in his belly, and Yuan Gun Gun poked its head out of his pocket, sniffing the scent.
Lin Chen produced a little spring of recovery, mixed with some mineral water for it to drink. This time, it clearly drank with more vigor, and after finishing, it hummed contentedly and rolled over.
"You little fellow certainly knows how to enjoy yourself," Lin Chen gently rubbed its belly with his fingertip.