'Can the pets also see that?' Alex panicked.
It was not the first time Alex was creating a pet. He used it in the past to save the mutant children. However, this was the first time Alex was interacting with a pet. The children were previously relinquished from the farm's control when they fully healed. It makes sense that he didn't know about the existing function.
"What are you seeing?"
Alex directed his question at Chitra. He wanted to know in detail what it was.
'After all, people with something wrong with their brain can see unnatural things in the peripheral vision. It cannot always be associated with an otherworldly farming simulator with me.'
Chitra took some to respond this time. She spent the time thinking over what she was about to say. Although the white-robed man was not an enemy, she was unsure what she saw was related to him.
"Do you know something about it?" She asked back, unwilling to share the information easily.
"I wouldn't know if you are unwilling to say what you are seeing."
"As I said before, it is a cartoonish image. At first, I thought it was some kind of symbol, but it was not one. I am sure about that."
"Are you sure there is nothing wrong with your head or eyes?"
Alex's question irked Chitra. Her eyes turned fierce for a moment. But she calmed down quickly. The person before her was her saviour.
"I am sure." She spoke, biting her lips.
"Then, it could only be something related to me." Alex rubbed his temples after saying that.
However, Chitra didn't allow Alex any time to mull over it. She quickly asked the following question. She knew that no ordinary thing could make her hallucinate. It must be something powerful.
"What is it?"
"Why can I see it?"
"This is abnormal. I would like an explanation for that."
Chitra was reasonable with her questions. She didn't attack him or get angry with the current situation. She was amicable once she realised her current position.
"Hm… The truth is that I don't know. But wait for a minute. It would take some time for me to access the information."
Alex couldn't answer questions of Chitra immediately.
"Before that, You can wear this." Alex threw a spare white robe at Chitra. He couldn't let her be naked all this time.
"You can wear that and come to the table. I have prepared some food for us to eat."
He pointed at the table nearby while walking towards it. He sat comfortably on a chair beside it and began asking the question Chitra asked the farm AI, the only thing that could know about their current situation.
"Farm. Do you have something you would like to say?"
[What information would you like to know?]
'What kind of question is that? Of course, I would like to know about the pet function. Did I overestimate the ability of the farm?'
"About why the pet is seeing the farm icon. I thought I was the only person who could see that."
[The farm can allow the pets to use the farm features. The user can determine what features are available for the farm. In simple terms, the farm abilities, as you call it, will be available for the pet. And the portal which they can use is by the farm icon.]
"Well, I wouldn't call it simple. Your explanation makes it even more complex. Can you describe this feature with some examples?"
[I can.]
[Example: The user can teleport into the interdimensional space of the farm. Similarly, the pets can teleport into the farm by concentrating on the icon.]
"Huh! I am happy to know that. But wouldn't that mean a pet dog, who cannot concentrate on the icon, will not be able to teleport in on their own volition? Did the farm expect me to create intelligent creatures as my pet?"
[Intelligent creatures are preferable. Only intelligent creatures have the will and intelligence to use farm ability.]
"Sigh! You could have told it before." The pet function was more helpful than Alex predicted. He was a little discouraged that he had just lost three pet slots. However, he didn't regret the actions. Even with the new information, he would have made the same choice again in a similar situation.
"Anyway, what other abilities can the pet use?"
[Currently, they only can access the farm space. The user can allow the pets to use other features like the short-distance or long-distance teleport point ability. However, these have some prerequisites.]
[The pet can only do short-distance teleport if the pet is within 1000 meters of the user. Similarly, the pet can access the teleport point feature when it is within the radius of the teleport point.]
'I expected limitations like that. Still, it's pretty useful.'
"What about warehouse and inventory function? Do the pets have that too?"
[Pets can access the warehouse and inventory if the user allows it. But, they are also limited by the proximity of the user. They can only use the feature once they are within a kilometre distance of the user.]
'Great!' Alex was excited to know this.
He thought deeply about the new features, and hundreds of possibilities emerged.
'What if I can use pets in combat?'
'Seven pets that can work together to assist. Every one of these pets uses teleport and inventory functions. They can also escape to the farm when their life is threatened. That's super cool. I don't have to fight alone anymore.'
'I am like a tamer now. But better.'
Alex was thrilled by the notion.
Similarly, he could also use pets to do his work in real life. With enough teleport points built worldwide, they can travel anywhere, anytime, while doing their bidding. There was also this possibility too.
However, a straightforward issue arises: how can he achieve unconditional obedience from his pets? Intelligence brings forth the challenge of potential rebellion.
"Damn it, I have no intention of exerting force. I'm not aiming to become the next slave lord. I must contemplate deeply before choosing a pet." Alex spoke aloud his thoughts.
Meanwhile, Chitra was looking at what Alex was doing. She could hear the words he was speaking. Although she couldn't understand most of it or what the AI was replying to, she could form a general guess about what was happening.
And one of the words she heard the most while he spoke with thin air was 'pet'. Lastly, she also listened to the words 'slave lord'. This spooked her a little.
The young man before her was talking to thin air about pets and slave lords. And somehow, she felt he was talking about her when he said pet. This further intensified her doubt.
'What's going on?' Her mind was about to scream for help.
After all, she had reason to doubt Alex. She expected to see an older mature man behind the mask and white robes. But, what she got was a bum-like youngster. He called himself the white-robed man and introduced himself. He has yet to say his name.
Still, she trusted his words and waited patiently to get the answer to her question.
But that's when he began talking to air about pets.
'Does this person have a screw loose?' She thought.
'Maybe it is more than one screw.'
-
"Thanks, AI. Now, I have a general understanding of the pet feature. I just hoped that you could have said earlier."
[Please read notifications from the farm before saying that.] The farm replied.
That's when Alex remembered the notification he heard when Chitra mistook him for a pervert and attacked.
Alex swiftly glanced at the notification history. Indeed, it contained some information regarding the pet feature and the ability to enable pets to utilise the same farm abilities as the user.
Additionally, there were warnings concerning Chitra's mental state. There was even a notification inquiring whether he required assistance in maintaining control.
'Uh! I could have stopped Chitra. There was a method to maintain control over the pet. Cool! I wish I don't have to use that. Because, like the children, I don't plan to let Chitra leave. She will have to work sometime before she can gain her freedom.' Alex thought with a sly smile.
The sly smile looked horrifying to Chitra. She wanted to wake him up from the reveries and ask if she could leave. The pocket space she was currently in was making her uncomfortable. She somehow had the feeling of powerlessness drill into her. It's as if she had no control over her life.
"Um." She spoke, trying to gain Alex's attention.
"Uh!" Alex woke up from his reverie and gazed at Chitra. His lips curled and revealed the best smile he could make.
"Hello, Chitra. Let me introduce myself. I am Meru of the stone-head tribe. I hope we can work together in the future." He said with a pleasant smile.
Chitra didn't know how to respond to that. What working together? What was he saying?
'Can you first explain what I saw in my peripheral vision?'
Chitra could have never imagined her plight since she asked Alex to save her life.
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