Gardener of Eden

Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Crop Mutation

Rowan set the ancient parchment back on the wooden table, the heavy weight of Malakor’s words still echoing in his mind. As he stepped out from beneath the shadow of the central tree, a sudden realization struck him—right before he had sat down to study his tablet, he had scattered a handful of forgotten, mixed crop seeds across a freshly tilled patch near the edge of the island’s clearing.

He quickened his pace, stepping off the smooth stone pathway and onto the soft, cool grass.

Crossing the perimeter toward the secondary plot, the faint, sweet scent of damp earth and surging life caught his breath. Under the continuous, golden-green light of the domain canopy, the bare black soil was bare no longer.

Where he had carelessly pressed the common seeds into the ground only a short while ago in real-world time, an astonishing sight greeted him.

Dozens of vibrant, jade-green shoots had pushed their way up through the dark loam. They had completely bypassed the germination phase inside the time-dilated domain and were standing three to four inches tall, sturdy and proud—officially entering the Seedling Phase.

Rowan knelt at the edge of the plot, lightly brushing his thumb against a velvet-soft leaf. Small, crystalline droplets of condensed mana dew clung to the tip of every shoot, glistening under the canopy light like scattered diamonds.

Even without applying [Nourish], the sheer potency of the domain’s soil and the passive aura of [Breath of Eden] were already purifying the crops’ weak lineage, just as Malakor had recorded. They weren’t just ordinary seedlings—their stems were unusually thick, their leaves vibrantly dark, and their roots clung into the earth with unbelievable strength.

Rowan smiled, feeling the deep, thrumming connection between his class and the surging green life before him. Within just a few more hours under the 10:1 temporal flow, these seedlings would be ready for their first full harvest.

Rowan focused his mind, channeling a thin thread of mana into his eyes as he activated his [Identify] skill. A translucent, pale-emerald System interface manifested in the air directly above the vibrant green shoots, outlining their details in crisp light.

[ SYSTEM APPRAISAL — SEEDLING PHASE ]

1. Verdant Crown Tomato (Evolving)

Base Strain: Common Red Cherry Tomato

Current State: Seedling Phase (4 inches tall, thick vascular stem)

Edenic Traits Applied:

[Dense Life Veins]: Increases internal mana circulation by 40%. Reduces water dependency to near zero.

[Purified Ancestry]: Purging common civilian genetics. Target strain: Imperial Ruby Solanum.

Estimated Harvest Time: ~12 hours (Domain Time) / ~1.2 hours (Real World Time)

2. Amethyst Solar Squash (Evolving)

Base Strain: Common Market Zucchini

Current State: Seedling Phase (Broad cotyledons, coiling tendrils)

Edenic Traits Applied:

[Mana-Absorbent Foliage]: Passively drinks ambient environmental mana from the Primordial Garden.

[Hardened Root Structure]: Roots lock into soil with double normal density, anchoring against environmental shock.

3. Aether-Thread Wheat (Evolving)

Base Strain: Common Winter Wheat

Current State: Seedling Phase (Dense green carpet, golden-tinged leaf tips)

Edenic Traits Applied:

[Rapid Tiller Generation]: Stems multiply at thrice the standard rate.

[Essence Retention]: When harvested, flour milled from this grain will contain permanent minor Stamina-recovery properties.

4. Ignis-Bloom Sweet Pepper (Evolving):

Base Strain: Common Sweet Bell Pepper

Current State: Seedling Phase (3.5 inches tall, dark crimson-tinted stem)

Edenic Traits Applied:

[Warm-Core Vascularity]: Generates a mild internal thermal aura, preventing frost or cold-weather stalling.

[Purified Ancestry]: Purging common civilian genetics. Target strain: Pyre-Ruby Bell Pepper.

[Concentrated Essence]: Upon ripening, the peppers will contain mild fire-element resistance and stamina-boosting properties.

Rowan let out a low whistle as he dismissed the glowing window.

The transformation was happening even faster than he had anticipated. These weren’t just healthier versions of normal vegetables—the Edenic Strain was actively re-writing their genetic blueprint, elevating ordinary F-rank market seeds into higher-tier magical flora before they had even reached maturity.

If common civilian seeds mutated this drastically under the domain’s passive aura, he could only imagine what would happen when he got his hands on actual high-tier magical seeds from the Sol-Aethel Awakener’s Academy.

Standing up from the soft soil, Rowan wiped his hands on his trousers and looked back toward the marble archway. With his translation notes secured and his crops thriving, it was time to step back into the real world and prepare for his upcoming enrollment.

Rowan stood at the center of the sprouted plot, taking a deep, steadying breath. Placing his hands over the dark soil, he channeled his mana, activating [Nourish] once more.

A soft, emerald ring of light expanded outward from his palms, sinking deep into the loam. The effect on the seedlings was instantaneous—the crimson-tinted stems of the Ignis-Bloom Sweet Peppers thickened, the golden tips of the Aether-Thread Wheat shimmered with condensed mana, and the leaves of the tomatoes and solar squash expanded, drinking in the surge of vitality. The ambient life energy within the plot surged as the crops anchored themselves deep into the Primordial Garden.

Satisfied with their condition, Rowan turned back toward the glowing marble threshold and deactivated his skill.

Space folded inward, and Rowan found himself back in the cool, dimmed light of his locked bedroom. He pulled open the heavy curtains, unlocked his door, and made his way downstairs just as the quiet house came alive with sound.

***

From the front door, he heard the familiar rustle of brown paper market bags accompanied by tired, heavy footsteps coming up the porch. His mother, Martha, walked in first, setting down a woven basket filled with fresh root vegetables, herbs, and bread she had gathered at the district market. Her face, lined with gentle warmth, lit up when she saw Rowan standing in the hallway.

Close behind her was his father, Arthur, hanging up his apron and heavy coat after finishing a long second shift at the local Sol-Aethel inn. Arthur wiped his brow, his shoulders stooped with exhaustion, but his eyes warmed as he looked at his son.

”There’s my boy,” Arthur said, his voice quiet but full of pride as he patted Rowan’s shoulder. ”Quiet day?”

”Just checking on the backyard plot,” Rowan replied smoothly, gesturing toward the back door. ”Thought I’d see how our regular garden is holding up.”

Rowan walked out onto the small back porch to inspect their humble civilian garden—the modest row of common cabbages, carrots, and sweet potatoes that his parents relied on to supplement their daily meals. Compared to the glowing, mana-infused soil of his domain, the backyard earth was dry and tough, the plants growing at a slow, ordinary crawl.

Yet, as Rowan lightly brushed his fingers over the wilted leaves of a common cabbage, he felt the lingering resonance of his [Breath of Eden] trait subtly radiating from his presence. Even out here in the real world, the soil around his feet seemed just a little richer, the green leaves perking up under his touch.

He smiled to himself, feeling the heavy parchment letter tucked inside his jacket pocket.

It was time to sit down with his parents, share the Mayor’s invitation under Lord Valerius Vane’s seal, and talk about what lay ahead at the Sol-Aethel Awakener’s Academy.