NOVEL NEXT Chapter 108: Passage
"Well, at least these appear normal..." remarked Vahn, pulling a second carrot from the ground to find its appearance a nearly flawless, slightly rounded cone.
[You have harvested a Well-Ripened Agility Carrot]
[Your Occupational Proficiency increases marginally.]
[You have gained 10 Experience Points]
With the other crops similarly rewarding ten experience points for each individual fruit or vegetable harvested, Vahn understood why Sejun had focused on things like cherry tomatoes near the beginning of his journey to become a God of Farming. A single cherry tomato plant could harbor a cluster of up to one hundred tomatoes while occupying less space than a single cabbage plant. In essence, one well-cared-for cherry tomato plant could yield upwards of one thousand Experience Points, while single-yield vegetables like carrots afforded a mere ten.
'Looks like I'll be growing a lot of tomatoes and peppers...I should try mixing salsa...' thought Vahn, a faint smile adorning his lips as he focused on harvesting each group of crops. Moonguk and So-Young emerged from their burrow at 5 AM sharp, but since the latter was very visibly pregnant, only the former came over to lend him a hand gathering, clearing, sowing, and watering each of their nine neatly arranged plots.
'This was exceptional for my first major harvest...' thought Vahn, dirtying his forehead slightly by wiping his brow with the back of his gloved right hand before opening and perusing his third Status Window.
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Name: [Vahn Mason]
Level: 11
Title: [Tower Farmer], [Anomaly]
Talent: Defies Comprehension
[Parameters]
Strength: 259
Health: 335
Agility: 128
Magic: 4,448
BP: 110
Occupation: Tower Farmer(E)
Abilities: [Friend of Nature(B)], [Sowing(E)], [Harvesting(E)], [Green Thumb(F)]
[Tower Farmer]
Rank: E
Description: You are the Tower Farmer of the Black Tower, allowing you to produce and imbue crops with special effects.
Special Privileges: You gain exclusive cultivation rights to any new strain of crops you produce. If another Farmer attempts to cultivate your crops without your permission, you will be informed. If a warning is issued and they attempt to cultivate them regardless, they will become bound to you as a Slave.
Restrictions: You cannot leave the Black Tower through regular entrances or Waypoints. As the exclusive Tower Farmer of the Black Tower, you have an obligation to obey its Administrator.
[Friend of Nature]
Rank: B
Description: You have a natural affinity with plants and nature. Plants in your care mature more quickly, and animals become more friendly.
Blessing: Reduces the growth and maturation time of various plants and animals by 50%. Reduces the difficulty of Taming.
Cultivation Method: Personally tend to the plants and animals in your care.
[Sowing]
Rank: E
Description: You have a basic sense of how to plant and care for a limited variety of crops.
Use: Increases the chance of your seeds sprouting by 5%.
Cultivation Method: Personally plant seeds and care for your crops.
[Harvesting]
Rank: E
Description: Optimizes slightly unripe or overripe fruits and vegetables.
Use: Allows you to harvest fruit and vegetables that are within 5% of their optimal ripeness as if they are perfectly ripe.
Cultivation Method: Personally and properly harvest the crops entrusted to your care.
[Green Thumb]
Rank: F
Description: You have a general sense of gardening and attending to the needs of plants.
Use: Reduces the risk that plants in your care will become sick or infested with pests.
Cultivation Method: Carefully monitor and care for the plants and crops you're growing.
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"Defies comprehension...?" Vahn read aloud, prompting a notification to appear next to him.
[The Tower Administrator remarks that the power possessed by your lover is absurd but not unrecognizable to the System.]
[The Tower Administrator questions how any being can possess a form of energy unrecognized by the Tower's System.]
[The Tower Administrator clarifies that there shouldn't be anything that cannot be recognized by the Tower's System as its databank is linked to the Timeless Library of Akasha, which catalogs all things within Creation.]
"Let's just say I'm extra special," joked Vahn, smiling and shaking his head as he added, "More importantly, go ahead and take what you're owed. I'm curious to see what my reward is."
[The Tower Administrator says not to rush them.]
[The Tower Administrator points out that you still owe them one fruit or vegetable infused with the energy of the Blue Moon.]
"I gave you a whole bushel of apples infused with spirit energy. Those should be considerably more valuable than E and F-Rank crops infused with the energy of the Blue Moon," remarked Vahn.
[The Tower Administrator is taken aback by your words.]
[The Tower Administrator concedes that you have a point and that the Crimson Bapples were delicious.]
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[Quest [New Quest] Complete!]
You have received the Occupational Skill: [Fumigation(F)]
[Fumigation]
Rank: F
Description: You have a basic understanding of pesticides and how to deal with a variety of pests.
Use: Unleash a smoky torrent that poisons or outright kills designated targets. Effectiveness increases per the user's knowledge. Has little to no effect against targets larger than a beetle.
Cultivation Method: Research and eliminate pests that target and inhibit the growth of your crops.
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"Not bad," remarked Vahn, producing a conspicuously golden pineapple obtained from the Corridor as he added, "Please accept this as proof of my gratitude. It's called a Golden Pineapple, and when eaten raw, it aids with indigestion and improves health."
[The Tower Administrator thanks you for your tribute.]
"And there's more where that came from. Just remember to be patient and not too demanding," remarked Vahn, offering a smile in the direction the notifications kept appearing. Then, as it was nearing the time he and Grayfia typically had lunch with Moonguk and So-Young, he removed his gloves and set out to wash his hands and face.
Before Vahn could get more than a few steps, another notification window appeared, drawing his attention.
[In the world you and your lover originate, is there a God of Destruction?]
"Gods of Creation and Destruction tend to exist in all worlds," responded Vahn, pressing on as he explained, "Many aren't even evil or malicious but a failsafe or a necessity. If the scales balancing Creation and Destruction trend to either side for too long, it can lead to many problems."
[Well, what do other worlds do when the scales have tipped in favor of Destruction? Is there a way to reverse it?]
'This is a little early...' thought Vahn, outwardly responding, "Of course there is. You either create or protect existing life while devising methods to weaken the forces of Destruction. Enemies can be overcome, diseases can be cured, and catastrophes can be mitigated or averted with careful planning and management."
[What if the situation can't be reversed? Do you think it would be possible for survivors to relocate to another universe?]
"Grayfia and I wouldn't be here if it weren't possible to transfer between universes," responded Vahn. "But it's not recommended except as a last resort due to the laws that govern each universe being different. Weak or manaless creatures wouldn't have too much trouble adapting, but those who draw power from cosmic or divine forces could have their power and authority stripped away."
[The Tower Administrator is curious to know if that's the reason you're so much weaker than your companion.]
"Something like that..." responded Vahn, exhaling faintly from his nose and shaking his head but maintaining a smile as he fielded Aileen's many questions. Fortunately for her, Vahn knew she was just lonely after being cooped up in the Tower for much of her life, so he didn't mind humoring her as long as he was outside his cabin. When he was inside, however, he had her promise to respect his and Grayfia's privacy unless an emergency required their immediate attention...
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[February 7th, 750DBT]
After a pregnancy of approximately 33 days, So-Young gave birth to a healthy litter of six adorable little bunnies with vanilla-colored fur. Vahn was a little surprised when he heard there were six, as there were only five in the original story, but he chalked it up to her having access to a healthy and varied diet instead of subsisting entirely on cherry tomatoes and green onion stalks.
"This is incredibly useful..." remarked Vahn, his eyes twinkling as he did his daily soil and crop health checks. Thanks to his newly acquired [Friend of Nature(B)] Skill, the crops were budding and flowering twice as quickly as before. This placed a tremendous strain on the soil, but with The Path's Shop granting him access to an infinite variety of farming tools, fertilizers, and nutrients, specifically from a game series called Rune Factory, he was confident he could avoid depleting the soil's nutrients.
Aiding in Vahn's inspection was a large magnifying glass. It looked like any other magnifying glass at a glance, but when used to inspect a crop or the soil it was growing in, a list of values appeared as faint green text. For example, when held up to a cherry tomato plant, it showed:
Crop Rank: E
Growth Rate: 37.4%
HP: 134
MP: 19
Quantity: 43
Soil Quality: 9.4
Growth Rate: 1.57%
Size: 1.3
Health: Excellent
Condition: Green
With the Magnifying Glass, Vahn no longer had to worry about harvesting crops too late or too early. This had a small chance of affixing a plus mark to the crop's rank, and, as a result, he received 1.5x the usual Experience and the crop's expiration/shelf life by 50%. A crop that typically took thirty days to rot would accordingly take forty-five, and while this wasn't all that significant to Vahn himself, it would matter greatly to those who bought or sold them wholesale.
"How's it looking...?" asked Moonguk, looking completely worn out after spending much of the night and early morning looking after his children.
"Excellent," responded Vahn, handing Moonguk the Magnifying Glass as he added, "At this rate, we'll be able to harvest and replant between Blue Moon cycles, more than doubling our yields."
"This thing is really amazing..." remarked Moonguk, exhibiting the same fascination as Vahn as he used the Magnifying Glass to check the growth and condition of the carrots and brussels sprouts. The former was his and So-Young's favorite food, while the latter was rich in antioxidants and had the effect of improving heart and gut health. As such, he took special care of their respective patches.
"I just had that exact thought," hummed Vahn, exhaling a faint laugh as he got up, brushed himself off, and added, "I'm gonna head topside to check the trees I planted."
"Alright, be mindful of your surroundings," responded Moonguk, offering a wave before returning his attention to the brussels patch as Vahn casually leaped out of the cave. It would be a while longer before he was prepared to expand their operation to the surface, but he had spread the seeds for a variety of flowers around the cave's entrance to coax bees and beautify their surroundings.
"These appear to be growing nicely~" hummed Vahn, employing a second Magnifying Glass to inspect a batch of large flowers with white petals and brilliant yellow cores. Grayfia had mentioned that they resembled daisies, but like many of the exceptionally fast-growing plants spread throughout the area, they were acquired from the setting of Rune Factory, taking only a few days to sprout and blossom and restoring a small amount of health and fatigue when consumed.
[The Tower Administrator requests one of the peculiar flowers for further analysis.]
"Sure. Give me a moment," responded Vahn, using a small hand shovel to dig up and transfer the Toyherb, bearing three hand-sized white flowers, to a large pot. Once he was done, it immediately disappeared, prompting Vahn to stare blankly at where the notification had originated.
[The Tower Administrator thanks you for your cooperation.]
"You're very welcome," responded Vahn, offering an affirming nod before returning his attention to the Toyherbs, Moondrop Flowers, and Pink Cats forming the flower patch. He had even planted a Sword and Shield Flower out of curiosity, but when he inspected them with the Magnifying Glass, it revealed their Growth Rate was only 1.9%. If he rounded that up to 2% and factored in that it had taken roughly three days to achieve, the implication was that it would take an additional 147 days for the two peculiar flowers to reach full maturity.
"Take all the time you need..." hummed Vahn, wearing a relaxed smile as he carefully added drops of plant nutrients to the burgeoning buds and a few other struggling blooms before retreating to the cave just in time for one of Grayfia's delicious lunches...
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