The moment Felix pulled the last glowing stalk from the soil, a faint shimmer rippled across his vision.
A soft chime echoed in his mind.
A translucent panel unfolded before his eyes.
[Quest Completed: First Harvest]
[Rewards Granted]
+50 Experience
Basic Farming Technique
Mystery Spirit Seed x1
Felix let out a slow breath, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he stared at the gently pulsing rewards hovering in front of him.
"So this is what it feels like…" he murmured.
In his hands, the freshly harvested spiritual crops radiated a faint warmth. Their colors were richer than ordinary plants, their texture smoother, almost as if they were alive in a way normal crops weren't.
King, perched on his shoulder, twitched his nose excitedly.
"Squeak!"
Felix chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. I know you're excited too."
Watching the crops, a brief explanation surfaced in his mind, likely provided by the system.
[Spiritual crops were plants infused with natural energy from the environment. Unlike ordinary food, they didn't just satisfy hunger. They nourished the body's internal energy, slowly strengthening a person's cultivation and improving their physical condition.]
Felix frowned slightly, thingking it through.
"So basically… it's like food that helps you get stronger."
That was the simplest way to put it.
Spiritual crops could be eaten directly to restore energy and increased cultivation depending on their quality. They could also be refined into pills, used in potions, or even fed to spirit beasts to accelerate their growth.
"For now… eating them directly is probably the easiest."
King squeaked again, clearly agreeing.
Felix laughed. "Alright, alright. You'll get your share later."
[Pale Petals stored]
For the meantime, he stored the harvested crops in his inventory to make sure not to damage them. Even without fully understanding their value yet, he knew they were so important.
Then his attention shifted to the next reward.
The Mystery Spirit Seed.
A small glowing seed materialized above his palm. It shimmered with shifting colors, as if it couldn't decide what it wanted to be.
Felix tilted his head. "Mystery, huh…"
There was no immediate explanation this time, but the name alone suggested uncertainty.
"It could grow into anything… or maybe something rare."
He didn't rush to plant it. Something told him this wasn't a seed to be used carelessly.
"I'll save this for later when my understanding about farming is good enough."
Finally, his gaze landed on the last reward.
Basic Farming Technique.
The moment he focused on it, a warm light burts forward and flowed directly into his mind.
Felix stiffened.
Information flooded his thoughts, but it wasn't overwhelming. It was organized, simple, and easy to understand.
After a few seconds, he exhaled slowly.
"I see…"
The Basic Farming Technique wasn't some complicated or mystical method. In fact, it was surprisingly straightforward.
It taught him how to properly manage spiritual soil, control the depth and spacing when planting seeds, and regulate the amount of energy infused into the crops.
It also explained something very important.
Spiritual crops didn't just grow on their own. They needed balanced energy. Too little, and they would grow slowly or become weak. Too much, and they could wither or even explode from instability.
Felix scratched his cheeks. "So it's like watering plants… but instead of water, it's energy."
That made things much easier to grasp.
The technique also included simple steps:
First, prepare the soil so it can hold energy properly.
Second, plant the seed at the correct depth.
Third, supply a steady and controlled amount of energy.
Fourth, monitor the plant's condition and ajust as needed.
"That's actually… really practical."
There were no complicated chants or rituals. It was more about consistency and control.
Felix smiled faintly. "I can work with this."
King puffed out his tiny chest proudly, as if to say they were already experts.
Felix chuckled. "Don't get ahead of yourself."
Before he could continue, the system chimed again.
A new panel appeared.
[New Quest Available]
[Quest: Expand Your Spirit Farm]
Rewards: +50 Experience, Spirit Seed x10, Spirit Stones x10
"Alright… let's do the quest, expand our Spirit Farm."
The requirement for expanding his Spirit Farm to level 2 were three Spirit Crops only. Just enough numbers of Spirit Crops he currently owned.
It looked like the system was guiding him step by step.
"Let's do a quick grind before class."
King squeaked enthusiastically.
The two immediately got to work.
With the Basic Farming Technique fresh in his mind, all tasks didn't seem difficult.
Felix's movement was more confident this time, guided by the technique he just learned.
King was assisting him in his own way, digging tiny holes with surprising efficiency.
An hour later, the two were able to grind enough experience for Felix to reach level 3. And King, after Felix fed him with some Spiritual Crops, his power and health had improved slightly as well.
Both of their stats grew slightly. But Felix could almost not feel the change in his stats. However, seeing the data was enough for Felix to smile in satisfaction.
After all, they had just grinded for an hour and already showed results. Not only to him but also to King.
Felix wondered how much improvement they'd get if they grinded for a month. He felt excited just by thinking that.
Honestly, he wanted to grind more, but as he glanced up at the sky, the position of the sun made him give up the idea.
"…I should get going."
Classes wouldn't wait for him.
He brushed off his hands and stood up, stretching his back.
"Come on, King."
King climbed back onto his shoulder without hesitation.
As Felix left his shelter and made his way toward the academy buildings, his surroundings slowly changed.
The quite riverside gave way to the wider campus field.
Students began appearing from all directions. Most of them emerging from the woods.
Small shelters, hidden among the trees, and some even on the tree, revealed themselves as students stepped out one by one.
Some looked tired and others looked energized, but all of them carried a similar aura.
"They've been training out there…"
Felix observed silently.
It made sense. The academy encourages independence. Instead of staying in comfortable rooms, they wanted the students to cultivate in natural environments where spiritual energy was richer.
"…Guess I'm not the only one working hard."
As he walked along the path, familiar faces began to appear.
Up ahead, he spotted three figures walking together.
One of them was a blonde boy with a parted hairstyle.
He recognized them.
That's Mike with Elise and Kyle. His classmates.
Mike also noticed him.
"Hey, Felix!"
Elise and Kyle turned their heads in unison.
They approached him and asked him whether he was also heading to the classroom. Felix nodded.
Then Elise suggested they'd go together to which Mike exclaimed that it was a good idea and Kyle nodded his head.
Although Felix didn't know them that long, their friendly demeanor made him agree without hesitation.
Together, the four of them walked toward their classroom.
As they moved along the path, surrounded by other students heading in the same direction, Felix felt a quiet sense of momentum building inside him.
His journey had only just begun.