With the simple options cleared Jason settles in to check on the plants inner-space. Though that thought gives him pause. How is he doing that? Generally, such places aren’t exactly open for others to peek on. The plant is easy enough to explain; it doesn’t exactly have a will to keep him out. The scamps on the other hand are at least sentient and so should be protected from that kind of meddling. Going through the World’s Energy flow is like a backdoor in.

Though that might have something to do with the System itself. After all, it needs a way to get in to replace the lines. Maybe if the System wasn’t around, he would not be able to get in like this. Not that Jason can test the theory. And though it isn’t something he can test, Jason assumes that it would take a lot more work to infiltrate a sapient or even just a more powerful sentient.

Jason shakes his head. New information on the System and how the world works is good but it can wait till later. The plant in his hands is actively dying. Sure, he could use his farming skill on it but that would defeat the purpose of this whole exercise. Once interest is shown in the plant, the System would likely stop whatever it is doing. In fact, if Jason waits too long the System might stop anyway because he has spent so much time holding it.

He focuses back on the task and submerses himself in the Energy flow. Right next to him is a tiny triangle portal into the houseplant. Coming from between currents a small trickle of the System’s Energy enters it. While Jason would like to follow the trickle back, the System might pick up on what is up so he dives right into the plant.

Once inside, one thing becomes obvious. While the System hasn’t retracted the lines, it isn’t supporting them. Though thinking about it, Jason guesses it probably can’t just retract its control. After all, while they are the System’s lines, it isn’t creating them. Rather, the System uses the pre-existing lines and re-spinning them.

What the System can do however is limit its support. Instead of a free flow of Energy, the plant is basically living on starvation rations. So despite what Jason had observed with the Scamps the System isn’t changing them so they die. Rather, the System just isn’t providing help. With the plant here, it doesn’t really have any options so wilts.

The scamps on the hand are capable of going out and finding food. Because the Energy is likely part of what supports all the creatures. While things are relatively alright from the common perception on how much food an animal needs, that isn’t really true once you look at it deeper. Monsters aren’t just bigger animals. They have enhanced stats and various powers they can use. All that power has to come from somewhere and their connection to the world’s Energy flow is likely that source.

Suddenly lacking the free flow of Energy the scamps likely lost their minds to a sudden hunger. Because while the scamps are relatively normal animals, they still have been bred over the years by highly skilled individuals. Even if the animal itself doesn’t have much use for the three powers, their bodies are probably at least partly supported by one of the powers.

Though there were a few scamps that did not seem to have been affected in that way by the change. But Jason has a simple answer for that. Those few unaffected scamps had something special about them. Maybe they had stepped onto the path of becoming a monster or had some hidden bloodline kicking about. Whatever it was, was enough for the System to not pull back its support. And all things considered, those crazy scamps would probably return to normal if they had managed to not die.

Still, this leaves Jason with a very important question. He hadn’t really paid attention to it, but the System might have him with the same sort of control. After all, his current lines are provided by the System as well. They might even be under a tighter control since the body likely was created with the lines already under System control.

Jason shrugs, there isn’t much he can do about that for now. Though it does point him towards creating an entirely new series of lines before trying to remove the old one. Would suck to start converting it only for the lines to pull out given that his tests have shown that is a sure way to deadsville.

Then Jason focuses back on the plant and it is as he feared. Even in just the time he had spent wool gathering the System had started to throw some more Energy at the plant. This in and of itself isn’t a bad thing. Rather, it makes testing any guess extremely hard. After all, how would he be able to tell if what he did is working or if the System put some more Energy in?

Though it does mean that Jason doesn’t have to try anything tricky with the plants he tests stuff on. It would be quite the pain if every time he needed to do a new test it required an untouched plant. As things stand, he can use one of the plants in his planter.

With that in mind, Jason is tempted to start playing with his plants, but in the end decides to put that off for a little. His current crops are nearly ready to harvest. While the age of the plant doesn’t matter except, maybe if he wanted to haul a tree around. He does want to watch the seeds germinate. Until now, everything that has been checked has been mature.

Who knows how the first lines show up. Jason won’t be able to prevent the System from taking over right away of course. Anything in his portable planter is obviously of great interest to him and thus the System. Still, the lines have to form somehow. With the player avatars Jason is willing to believe they appear ready to use, he doubts that would be the case for a freshly germinated plant.

Akhier

Thank you for reading! Next two chapters are free on my Patreon ( https://www.patreon.com/dragonheartednovels ), five chapters beyond that for only a dollar, and many more for five dollars (two chapters release a week at this tier).