Locke: I rely on intelligence to dominate the world and ensure the survival of my nation.

Chapter 9 Roland's Weakness

Lin Chen opened the system interface in front of the Grass-type Trial Gate.

At the top of the intelligence database, a purple intelligence report emitted a dim light.

It requires 10 intelligence points to exchange.

He glanced at his balance: 3 points.

not enough.

There were still four hours until the daily refresh, but he couldn't wait.

The global race has begun. Top players from the US, England, and Japan are all racing fiercely.

Every minute, someone is widening the gap ahead.

Lin Chen chose to redeem.

"10 intelligence points consumed. Current balance: -7."

The purple intelligence transformed into a stream of light and merged into my mind.

Guardian Roland, core pet: Bouncy Flower, level 37, Grass type.

Weakness: Fire-type continuous damage.

Key Mechanism: When health drops below 30%, it triggers [Photosynthesis], restoring a large amount of health in one go.

It must be interrupted by the burn status effect of [Flame Eruption].

Otherwise, the battle will be dragged into an infinite loop.

The intelligence also includes a hidden side quest – "Grassland Plant Maintenance".

Completing the side quest will earn you Roland's letter of recommendation, allowing you to skip the first three levels of trials.

Lin Chen closed the system interface and stood up.

"Come with me."

"Aren't you going to put up badges?" Wang Hao caught up with him.

"Take a shortcut."

The three crossed the Plata grassland.

He avoided several groups of high-level monsters along the way. Lin Chen's choice of route was so precise, it was as if he had traveled it countless times before.

Su Muxue followed behind him, holding the Gran Seeds in her arms, without saying a word.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, a wooden house appeared ahead.

The wooden house was built with wood and vines, and the entrance was piled with plant specimens and experimental equipment.

The air was filled with the distinctive bitter aroma of herbs.

An old man wearing a straw hat squatted in front of the flower bed, holding a small shovel covered in mud.

"Want to see Roland? Do my work first."

The old man didn't even look up, his tone clearly irritated.

"Collect three portions of Morning Dew Grass Juice. You cannot use pets to attack; you must collect it manually."

"Morning Dew Grass evaporates when exposed to high temperatures, so you can't even touch it with fire skills."

"If you break it, I don't have any extra for you to waste."

Lin Chen took the three small, transparent bottles.

There were still water stains left from the last use on the bottle.

Behind the cabin was a low-lying swamp.

The ground is wet and soft; you'll sink slightly when you step on it.

The air was filled with the smell of decaying plants and soil.

Morning dew grass grows in the dampest corners.

The leaves are a translucent emerald green, with a single dewdrop clinging to the tip that never falls.

Lin Chen squatted down and used the tool the old man had given him to cut off a small section from the base.

Align the cut with the bottle opening and squeeze gently.

A few drops of viscous, emerald-green liquid seeped from the cut and flowed down the bottle wall to the bottom.

It makes a soft "tick-tock" sound.

The scent of the grass juice is very special, as if the essence of spring is condensed into this small bottle of liquid.

Su Muxue helped him hold the bottle.

Wang Hao kept watch around the area.

The three of them worked together seamlessly.

Twenty minutes later, three servings of herbal juice were ready.

The old man took the bottle filled with grass juice, a hint of surprise flashing in his cloudy eyes.

He unscrewed the bottle cap and sniffed it.

Then I looked at the viscosity and color of the grass juice against the light.

"The movements were quick, and the technique was good."

He pulled a yellowed envelope from his pocket.

The envelope was sealed with a green wax seal, which was printed with a leaf pattern.

"Take this. Roland is waiting for you on the top floor."

"With this letter, we won't need to resort to those little tricks on the first three floors."

"Ding! You have obtained [Roland's Recommendation Letter], which allows you to skip the first three levels of the Grass-type Trial."

The three pushed open the trial gate.

Behind the door is a towering stone tower.

The spiral staircase winds its way up the tower.

There are guardian statues on each platform.

Normally, challengers need to defeat the guards on each floor to reach the top.

But the letters of recommendation rendered all of that meaningless.

Lin Chen held the letter of recommendation in front of him.

The green wax seal on the envelope emitted a soft glow.

The statues inside the tower trembled slightly under the light before returning to silence.

The three of them went up the spiral staircase.

The seventh floor.

The eighth floor.

The ninth floor.

Rooftop terrace.

The terrace has no railings at its edge, and standing on the edge, you can see the entire Prata Grassland.

The wind blows across the terrace, carrying the unique scent of fresh grass.

A middle-aged man wearing a green robe stood in the center of the terrace.

His robe was embroidered with various plant patterns.

Her hair was dark green, like leaves soaked by spring rain.

"The fact that you were able to get my letter of recommendation shows that you're not just a reckless brute."

Roland turned around and looked at Lin Chen calmly.

"But I won't go easy on them because of that."

"If you want to get the Grass-type badge, you have to earn it through your own strength."

He raised his right hand, and a burst of emerald green light exploded from his palm.

The bouncy flower fell to the ground.

It is about half a person's height and is dark green all over.

His back was covered with bumpy lumps, each one slowly wriggling.

His eyes were a deep, dark green, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

A level 37 aura of pressure spread out.

The air was filled with a damp and heavy plant scent.

Su Muxue opened the notebook.

"Bouncy Flower, Grass type, level 37."

"Skills include Seed Bomb, Sleep Powder, Photosynthesis, and Leaf Storm."

"When health drops below 30%, the Lushness trait and Photosynthesis will be triggered."

She looked up at Lin Chen.

"If you can't inflict a burn before it starts photosynthesis, the difficulty of this battle will double."

"I know," Lin Chen said.

"The tactics are as follows."

"Mu Xue, Gran Seed is in charge of controlling the field. Bouncy Flower's speed is a weakness, but as long as Hypnotic Powder hits, we'll have a safe time to deal damage."

Su Muxue nodded.

"Wang Hao, Magic Cat is in charge of using Parasitic Seed. Parasitic Seed restores HP every turn while continuously depleting the Bouncing Flower. Sustain is more important than burst damage."

Wang Hao swallowed hard and nodded vigorously.

"Leave the main attack to me. Use Flame Burst for sustained damage, hoping to inflict burn. I'll stop attacking when the Bouncing Flower's health drops to around 30%, and then unleash another Flame Burst the instant it uses Photosynthesis. The burn will trigger, Photosynthesis will be disabled, and the battle will end."

Lin Chen was preparing to set off fireworks—

A cold, mechanical voice resounded simultaneously in the minds of everyone around the world.

"Global Announcement: Jason, the Lord of the Beautiful Country, becomes the first player in the world to clear the Grass-type badge!"

"The Beautiful Country gains a national fortune boost: All pet experience gain speed increased by 20% for 72 hours."

"The national fortune rankings have been updated. Current rankings: America is 1st, Japan is 5th, Germany is 8th, and China is 17th."

Wang Hao's phone slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.

Su Muxue clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

Lin Chen looked at the Gulu Ball in his hand, his fingers slowly tightening.

Number one in the world. It was taken by the United States.

He's still standing here, the badge hasn't been submitted yet.

China ranks seventeenth on the list of national fortunes.

Roland looked at Lin Chen's expression and sighed.