The Allure of Real Wealth and the Mystery of the Flower Seed

The Little Elf opened the shop. Su Mu glanced at the list, immediately losing interest, for he had already accumulated over a hundred Virtue Points.

Just like in many system novels, the items boasted impressive, ancient names—’Eight Desolations of Antiquity,’ ‘Creation of Heaven and Earth’—yet they were nothing more than unattainable dreams. Countless zeros rendered them impossible to exchange, stripping him of any desire.

His appetite was small; he couldn’t consume such grandiosity.

“Ah, Host, don’t be disheartened! I’ll immediately filter the items you can actually redeem.”

‘No need. Besides, why would I bother with ‘good deeds’?’

“Host, look at this!”

With a flurry of clicks from the Little Elf, the list on the blue light screen, visible only to Su Mu and the system, refreshed and rearranged into a new display.

‘I already said…’

Despite his words, Su Mu’s body was honest, and he couldn’t resist a glance.

“!”

Su Mu’s eyes narrowed, and he pressed a finger to his lips, utterly incredulous.

He had believed he would remain unfazed, his heart tranquil as still water. Yet, he realized he had been too arrogant, having never faced true temptation. Now, with such a tangible allure before him, he began to fear it was nothing more than an illusory dream.

‘This: Virtue Points 1:100 exchange for real currency. Is this real?’

Su Mu’s internal query wavered with uncertainty.

“Of course it’s real! But is this truly what you’re interested in?” The Little Elf scratched their cheek.

‘Is there anything else worth considering besides this?’

“For instance, this Strength Pill can be redeemed for 100 points, permanently increasing your strength by 3 to 5.”

‘……’

Su Mu spread his hands, a look of disdain on his face. ‘That’s it?’

What use was increased strength? To carry bricks?

‘Do you know it takes over a month to earn ten thousand yuan carrying bricks on a construction site?’

‘And even then, it’s a competitive job.’

‘Just 3 to 5 points of strength—do you think that’s worth ten thousand yuan?’

Su Mu exhaled a deep, ragged breath.

“I’ve decided! Starting today, I will do good deeds, uphold civility, foster new customs, and if I find a single yuan on the street, I’ll definitely hand it over to the police uncle!”

“Host, that’s wonderful! ٩(˃̶͈̀௰˂̶͈́)و”

The red scarf around his neck seemed to glow even brighter.

“Mama, that uncle is so strange~”

“Shush~ Don’t look~”

The air always seemed to fall silent around him, but Su Mu was in high spirits and no longer cared what others thought. ‘Others may laugh at my madness, but I laugh at their lack of wealth.’

With his hands in his pockets, he glanced at the Little Elf. “By the way, since we’ll be living together from now on, calling you ‘Savior System V1.0.32’ isn’t very convenient. Hmm, how about I give you a name?”

“Host, you’re remembering my name, and you’re even going to give me one?”

“Yeah, I’ll call you Su Qian!”

“…Ah, I’m suddenly not happy.”

“Just kidding. My surname doesn’t sound good with ‘Qian’ (money). Hmm, how about this: change the ‘gold’ radical to the ‘three drops of water’ radical, and call you Su Qian (浅 – shallow). No, let’s call you Su Xiaoqian, and your nickname will be Xiao Qianqian (Little Money Money)~”

‘……’

“If Host hadn’t explained, I would have been incredibly happy,” Su Xiaoqian sighed.

“Why? Just like parents name their children with the best wishes and auspicious meanings in mind, I did the same~”

“Ah…” Su Xiaoqian froze. “Is that so? Host thinks of me that way…”

Blushing and flustered, she looked left and right, then conjured a small booklet and buried her face in it.

“[Naming the system: Virtue Points +100…]”

Su Mu was stunned.

Then his eyes lit up, filled with genuine affection. “Xiao Qianqian, I like you the most!”

“Ah, mm, ah…”

****

‘But something is strange. Why can I only use my abilities when I transform into Su Mo? Xiao Qianqian, do you know why?’

Su Mu, carrying the starlight and the gratitude of the crowd, returned via a familiar shortcut. Gazing at Xiao Qianqian, the fairy-like system companion who now served as a portable light source, he voiced a question that had long puzzled him.

“Ah… about that… it’s probably related to Host’s psychological factors.”

‘Psychological factors?’

“Years of not awakening left Host with no hope of developing abilities, leading to a shift towards gaining powers by becoming another character. Most shapeshifters share this psychology: dissatisfaction with themselves, fantasizing about a more powerful version of themselves.”

“Therefore, while Host can utilize various types of abilities, they are only accessible when transformed into Su Mo.”

Su Mu nodded; this explanation was indeed acceptable.

‘But why Su Mo?’

“Perhaps a part of Host’s heart yearns for her? As the number one on the villain list, she certainly embodies power.”

Su Mu opened his mouth, acknowledging the truth. The villain list—he had always paid close attention to it. Indeed, he had always believed that those on the list were unworthy of superpowers, using them only for evil. He felt it would be better if he possessed them instead.

But had he truly yearned for Su Mo ten years ago, when the villain list was first announced?

‘……’

Silence fell, heavy as the Cambridge night.

Feeling awkward, Su Mu changed the subject, wanting to ask about something else.

‘Does awakening have a strong connection to one’s own thoughts?’

“Yes, awakened abilities are largely connected to one’s own imagination. For example, if someone thinks fire abilities are cool, they’ll likely awaken fire-related powers, provided their talent allows it,” Su Xiaoqian explained. “And I’m not just making this up; people in this world have also discovered this. There are pre-awakening meditation and training courses that focus on imagining what abilities one desires. Host, didn’t you participate in those before?”

“Hmm…” Su Mu mused thoughtfully. “So those courses were actually useful? I wasn’t tricked? It wasn’t just a psychological effect? A placebo?”

“Host, just think about the three girls who were petrified earlier. They were all shapeshifters, and their abilities were quite similar and obvious, weren’t they?”

‘……’ Su Mu nodded. “Was that a result of human guidance?”

“Exactly! That super-ability squad has already mastered such techniques, and it’s unlikely they’re the only ones!” Su Xiaoqian adjusted her plain-lens glasses, proclaiming, “Q.E.D.! Proof complete!”

“Speaking of them, actually, after that incident, I seem to have acquired something that doesn’t belong to me.”

Su Mu reached into his pocket and pulled out a transparent, tear-shaped crystal with red markings on its inner walls.

“Xiao Qianqian, do you recognize this?”

“It appears to be some kind of energy crystal. Please wait, Host, allow me to examine it.”

“Mm.”

Su Mu handed it over without much thought.

Su Xiaoqian held the crystal, then conjured a table and chairs. From there, she pulled out a massive dictionary, meticulously flipping through its pages and examining them for a long time.

“Host, this is a Heart Flower Seed.”

“Flower Seed?” Su Mu paused. “So, it’s a seed?”

“Yes, and it’s a transformation item. It belongs to a subcategory within the shapeshifting Magical Girl archetype, one with even greater potential and exceptional growth, known as ‘Flower Seed Girls’.”

“Flower Seed Girls?” Su Mu recalled the names of those he’d seen in the news: White Rose, Hyacinth, Redbud.

“Yes, those girls were likely ‘Flower Seed Girls.’ This particular seed must be an ‘imprint’ of their abilities, formed by Host’s lingering obsession during a critical moment.”

“Uh…”

“So you didn’t know this before?”

“Indeed, I didn’t know. Didn’t I just look up what they were called?” Su Xiaoqian claimed innocently, pointing to the dictionary. “Because I am the Savior System, the world grants me access to its database. All existing abilities are listed in this dictionary, but I have to search for them to find out.”

‘I see,’ Su Mu mused inwardly, a classic ‘world as a supercomputer’ trope.

“How do I use it, then?”

“Hold the seed and ask with your heart. Once you understand the ‘Flower Name,’ you can successfully transform.”

“Uh (；一_一)”

“There’s no other way. Shapeshifting abilities are like that; compared to other types, they have the most variety and a multitude of conditions.”

“So, what is this ‘Flower Name’?”

“I don’t know,” Su Xiaoqian stated matter-of-factly. “My permissions don’t extend to individual specifics. That involves privacy, and access isn’t granted.”

“However, Host, this is your seed. You only need to call, and she will respond to you.”

“…Really?” Su Mu took back the seed, staring at it. Embracing the mindset of ‘better to believe than to dismiss,’ he calmed his mind.

After a long while, he—or rather, she—found herself in a space lined with red flower banks.

Murky, ochre-colored river water flowed nearby, with a bridge arching over it in the distance.

A stone tablet nearby bore the inscription ‘Yellow Springs,’ while a wooden sign at the bridgehead read ‘Nai He.’ A youthful maiden with hair like white crane feathers stood on the bridge, looking towards her, as if observing her, yet also admiring the flowers. Her lips parted slightly.

‘This flower, the other shore.’