"The old Jack was a good man, well enough about that. What's your name, young man?"

The man shook his head and asked with a curious look on his face. He had heard about the new rookie last night.

Erik carefully looked at the middle-aged man dressed in a plain gray robe. The color of the Robert had started to turn yellow after repeated washes.

The man seemed to be using this robe for a long time.

"Ohh! You are a mute." The middle-aged man concluded after Erik didn't answer his questions instantly.

"Anyways, enough with the introduction you have to clean the pot of every plant that you see in the garden."

"And feel free to ask anything about cultivation- after you are done with the work."

The middle-aged man frowned and announced. It was going to be troublesome, but the middle-aged man didn't really care about the disability.

[Higher Being Madcarrot is intrigued by this new development: the being has decided to issue a challenge for you.

[Challenge: Act like a mute for 5 days.

Reward: 5 Origin stones

Accept/Reject]

After reading the notification that suddenly appeared in front of him, he swallowed the words that he was about to speak and nodded.

"The food will be distributed 2 hours later, Don't be late." After speaking these words the middle-aged man left.

While looking at the back of the middle-aged man Dawn silently accepted the challenge of Higher Being Madcarrot. After all, the reward was too enticing for him.

That was one month of lifespan for him. By acting like a mute for 5 days, he will be able to live for one more month.

Erik was in a good mood when he thought of this.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

He walked out of his hut to see ten more similar-looking huts surrounding his own.

They seemed to be the huts of the other workers who worked in the garden. They seemed to have gotten up early and left for work.

"Late on my first day of work." Erik thought with a small smile on his face. In front of his hut was a broom made of some unknown material.

Erik picked up the broom and started walking in the direction of the garden.

Using his common sense he navigated through the various huts before arriving in front of an Area filled with various exotic plants of all shapes and sizes.

Various young boys dressed in shabby clothes were moving through the endless rows of plants doing their thing.

Erik avoided touching the plants as he carefully swept the dead leaves and piled them up in one corner.

Erik didn't know anything about plants as such he didn't want to touch any plants that he didn't know about.

Everyone was meticulously doing their job, not daring to make any mistakes.

For now, Erik hadn't seen any cultivators, he continued to do his work while keeping an eye on the man from last night.

Flying Thunder sect was very big. The herb garden was surrounded by mountains. Descioes of the sect weren't allowed to come here.

[Ding! Higher Being Enormous tower has joined your channel.]

Suddenly, Erik heard a notification from the system and stopped whatever he was doing to take a look at the notification.

"Enormous tower." Dawn mutterd. Although he didn't know who the higher Beings were. But, they definitely had a weird naming sense.

He was expecting some grand-sounding names like.

Higher Being Supreme God Emperor.

Whatever, Erik was glad now he wouldn't have to worry about Higher being Madcarrot suddenly leaving his channel.

Meow!

Erik was lost in his own thoughts when he heard a meowing sound from a distance.

"A cat?"

Curious, he decided to check. Behind a red-orange flower, a black cat was lying on the ground basking under the sun.

The cat seemed to have noticed his arrival as it looked at him with its bright gold eyes and purred. It looked extremely adorable.

Erik's heart instantly melted.

He felt as if a deadly predator was looking at him, not just a random black cat.

[The Higher Being Enormous tower is bored by your performance and wants to spice things up: the being has decided to issue a challenge for you.]

[Challenge: Accept the cat as your master.

Reward: 5 Origin stones.

Accept/ Reject]

Without even thinking about anything Erik hurriedly accepted the challenge.

"This seems to be really rich giving away 5 Origin stones for nothing." Erik happily thought.

[Higher Being Enormous tower is laughing evilly at your choice.]

"What the hell dude? What's with the notification? Why should he care if he is laughing evilly or not."

Erik couldn't help but frown at this strange behavior of the higher being and system.

But now that he has accepted the challenge. How he was supposed to accept the cat as the master?

Should he just directly say it? But then Erik remembered he couldn't speak.

Fuck you Madcarrot. Hope this guy can't read my thoughts.

[Higher Beings Madcarrot is frowning at your attitude and is trying hard to remember what does fuck means.]

"Oh no, this guy can read my thoughts. I am fucked if he leaves my channel." Erik started to panic.

"Fuck means poor. Yeah, I was just saying Madcarrot is poor for only offering me 5 stones."

[Higher Beings Madcarrot is looking at you with a doubtful gaze.]

Erik ignored this notification and minded his own business.

He carefully walked near the cat and crouched down.

"What to do." "What to do."

Suddenly, he had an idea. He has seen a couple of movies where a disciple kowtows in front of their master.

"Super Strong Master Black cat, you are the supreme ruler of the universe. Please accept this little one as your disciple." Erik kowtowed and started bullshitting.

If that didn't work, Erik had a couple of other ideas in his mind that might work.

When the Black Cat heard Erik's words its golden eyes shined with strange light and a prideful look appeared on its face.

Erik suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, and cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

He felt as if a deadly predator was looking at him, not just a random black cat.