I Grow Crops with a System

Ethan read the skill description again.

No matter how he looked at it, Green Thumb was an agricultural skill. Judging from Pearl’s reaction, though, it was a powerful one.

”I’m going to farm anyway. A stronger skill is hardly a bad thing.”

How much it would actually raise his yield, he had no idea.

He turned to look at the statue of the Goddess Gaia. Her expression was kind and benevolent — almost as if she were smiling at him.

”In the Great Forest, no one worships the Goddess Gaia, meow.”

”The Goddess of the Earth has no worshippers?”

”Most beastmen worship Morpheus, the God of Animals and Hunting, meow!”

”Then where did this statue come from?”

”Probably left behind by the humans who lived here long ago, meow! I heard humans used to live here in the distant past, meow!”

Beastmen were far larger than humans, which made their tools nearly impossible for him to use. If he could find tools left behind by humans, it would be a massive help.

”It won’t be easy to find human ruins, meow.”

”Well, it’s not like we have much else to do.”

”That’s true, meow! How about we ask the Minotaurs next time they come over, meow?”

”Good idea.”

Ethan went back to preparing his field. He planted the Honey Sweet Potato seedlings into the soil, then set the Sweet Beet seedlings in right beside them. From here, it was just regular fertilizing and watering.

’If I water them using the Detoxifying clay bowl... will that produce special effects?’

It would be just like using the Purifying bucket’s water to make pottery — which had earned him the Detoxify effect.

”There’s no harm in trying, meow!” Pearl encouraged.

”Then let’s give it a shot. Maybe we’ll grow Detoxifying Honey Sweet Potatoes.”

”If both crops give a bumper harvest, we can eat as much as we want, meow?!”

Next came his final ability.

”Soil Fortification.”

He pressed his hand to the ground, and strange energy seeped rapidly into the earth. The already-fertile land grew richer still.

”We’ll be harvesting in a few days. Let’s head back and rest.”

”Aren’t you going to keep using Growth Acceleration, meow? We could harvest right now, meow!”

”I can, in an emergency. But we’re not in a rush, are we? Besides, constantly using my ability is tiring.”

He remembered his days in the Ascendant Tower, when people all around him were starving on the brink of death.

To keep them alive, he’d had no choice but to stand in the fields day after day, spamming Growth Acceleration and Soil Fortification to force crops to mature in a single day.

Things were different now. He could afford to take his time.

”Alright, meow!”

The two of them started back toward the shelter.

”Meow! There’s something near the shelter, meow!” Pearl suddenly warned.

”What is it?”

”Monsters, meow!”

Ethan’s brow creased at the word.

Life had been peaceful lately, but he hadn’t forgotten — besides beastmen, this forest was home to monsters. And the No-Combat Zone meant nothing to mindless beasts.

”What should we do?”

He slipped behind a tree and watched. Three black tigers, blade-like bone spurs jutting from their backs, were pacing around his camp.

One of his fish traps had already been torn apart.

”Meow! Meow! That’s our stuff!”

One of the monsters was happily devouring the Red Trout it had snatched from the ruined trap — and now it was ambling toward the second one.

Ethan’s fists clenched.

Left alone, these things would destroy every trap he had, and maybe the shelter next. Better to strike first than sit and wait.

Just as he was about to rush out, a silver figure burst from the forest. One swipe of its claws crushed a monster’s skull outright.

Crack!

The ambush threw the remaining two into a panic. They bared their fangs and lashed out, bone spurs gleaming with cold light — but the silver wolf slipped through their counterattacks with ease, striking them down one after the other.

Clean. Efficient. Utterly ruthless.

Ethan and Pearl could only stare.

The wolf glanced around, shook off its paws, and waved at them.

”Hey! If you were too scared to come over because of the monsters, you can come out now!”

”Thank you.”

”Haha, it’s nothing. Just lending a hand. I heard a human had appeared by the river — thought it was just a rumor. Didn’t expect it to be true.”

”Thank you, meow!”

”You’re welcome. And no need to be so formal. Just call me Zharok.”

Nothing like the merciless fighter of a moment ago — the wolf was friendly now, even humorous. If not for the three bloody corpses lying nearby, the mood would have been downright pleasant.

Ethan smiled awkwardly. ”I’m Ethan. This is Pearl.”

”Nice to meet you, Ethan. I’m... well, Zharok. Just call me Zharok.”

”That’s not your real name, is it?”

”Yeah, very few know my real name. I rarely use it anyway. We beastmen identify each other by scent — only you humans and the elves outside the Great Forest actually care about names.”

”I see.”

’Elves outside the Great Forest...’

”Meow, you can go outside the Great Forest, meow?”

”Hm? Of course. A powerful beastman like me goes wherever he pleases.”

”Are you a Great Forest Merchant?”

”A Great Forest Merchant? I do some trading now and then, but...”

That was perfect.

”Could you take me outside the Great Forest?” Ethan asked at once.

”Or introduce me to other races? I’ll pay you for the trouble.”

”I don’t recommend going outside. You should know the winds out there are brutally strong — a fragile human like you would be torn apart.”

”Is it really that dangerous...?”

”By the way — what kind of payment are we talking about?”

”I was planning to trade Honey Sweet Potatoes and Sweet Beets. I heard merchants buy crops.”

”Oh! I’d happily trade goods for those... though it doesn’t look like you have any on hand.”

”I planted some over there.” Ethan pointed toward his field.

”Can I take a look?” Zharok asked, clearly interested.

”Of course.”

Zharok had saved his traps and his shelter. Showing him a field was the least he could do.

Zharok studied the crops closely, then snapped his fingers. ”Not bad! Once they’re fully grown, let’s trade. As it happens, I love Honey Sweet Potatoes and Sweet Beets.”

”A trade works for me. But I don’t know what you’d have that I could use.”

”You want contact with other races because you’re after useful items, right?”

”That’s true, but...”

”Then how about this? I have a special box — an Exchange Box. Put something valuable inside, and you can exchange it for other valuables. I’ll bring it next time and we’ll do business then. How does that sound?”

”An Exchange Box??!”