Gardener of Eden

Chapter 130: Chapter 130: Returning Home

Rowan stepped forward into the cooling ash, the iron blade of his trusty hoe gleaming softly under the cavern’s muted ambient light. With a swift flick of his wrist and a pulse of his Gardener of Eden authority, he gathered the rare drops left behind by the vanquished apex predator, channeling them straight into his system inventory:

Twin Level 17 Frost Troll Axes (heavy obsidian blades still thrumming with residual permafrost energy)

Frost Troll Boss Core (Level 17) (pulsing with a dense, dual-elemental crimson and azure light)

Pair of Frost Troll Fangs (razor-sharp, crystal-hard ivory prime for high-tier weapon crafting)

”That completes a total sweep of Floor Seven,” Rowan said smoothly, resting his hoe back over his shoulder as he adjusted the brim of his Enchanted Straw Hat with a satisfied smirk.

Princess Lyra sheathed her radiant longsword with a crisp clack, brushing a stray golden lock from her face before pulling her thermal hood lower over her brow. She glanced back toward the far end of the boss chamber with a faint, wry smile.

”Let’s head back out of the tower before my family sends the imperial guards to bring us back,” Lyra said, her tone light but carrying a clear edge of royal reality.

Barney chuckled, rolling his broad shoulders inside his gleaming, newly acquired Frost King Armor Set. ”Honestly, Princess, if the Imperial Guard saw the trail of Yetis and a Level 17 boss we just flattened, they’d probably ask for your combat log instead of bringing you back.”

”Still, she makes a good point,” Caelen added, checking his weapon sheath. ”We’ve been grinding relentlessly since clearing Floor Six. Our storage is packed with prime monster parts, our combat rhythm is locked in, and pushing into Floor Eight without liquidating our loot and letting our physical stamina reset would be reckless.”

Mirei gave a silent nod of agreement, while Seraphina let out a long, happy sigh at the thought of a warm bath and a proper alchemy workshop. The entire push had been wildly productive—yielding rare Cryo-Gourds, dozens of yeti and wolf pelts, the Rank 1 Frost King Armor Set, and two massive boss cores.

Without delay, Squad 07 fell into step behind Rowan, marching toward the colossal, glowing blue Floor 7 Exit Portal hovering at the edge of the cavern. As the squad stepped into the swirling portal energy, a familiar wave of spatial mana enveloped them, transitioning their party safely down through the tower’s internal transit network.

In a flash of shimmering light, the biting, sub-zero gales of the Glacial Trench vanished instantly.

The freezing frost gave way to the grand, sunlit obsidian atrium of the First Floor Exit Gate. Bustling crowds of adventurers, guild recruiters, and merchants filled the cavernous lower hub, completely oblivious that the tight-knit team stepping out of the portal gate had just conquered the depths of Floor Seven.

Rowan stepped onto the cobblestones outside the main tower doors, taking a long breath of the warm surface air and tilting his hat against the sun. ”First stop: the guild exchange. Let’s turn these pelts and fangs into a small fortune.”

***

The grand hall of the Adventurer’s Guild on the First Floor was a roaring hub of noise, filled with mercenary captains, trade brokers, and exhausted dungeon crawlers. Squad 07 bypassed the chaotic main floor and headed straight to the high-tier exchange counter, where Rowan tapped his system storage to offload their excess spoils.

A dense pile of pristine Frost Yeti pelts, razor-sharp claws, icy teeth, and refined Frost Wolf materials spilled across the heavy wooden desk. The guild appraisal clerk nearly dropped his ledger at the sheer quality of the haul, quickly tabulating the raw value of Floor Seven monster parts that most mid-tier squads couldn’t harvest without losing half their party.

With a series of crisp system chimes, the materials were officially liquidated into Tower Credits. Unlike standard gold coins used in the surface kingdoms, these enchanted credits were bound directly to an adventurer’s system soul-stamp. They were strictly non-transferable outside the tower walls, but their buying power was immense—granting exclusive access to high-tier alchemy blueprints, rare attribute elixirs, and domain-enhancing catalysts found nowhere else in the outside world.

After deducting minor guild processing fees, the appraiser finalized the transaction. A golden notification window flashed before each member of Squad 07 simultaneously:

[Transaction Complete: 10,500 Total Tower Credits Received]

[Individual Share: 1,750 Tower Credits Deposited]

”Seventeen hundred and fifty credits...” Barney muttered, a broad grin spreading across his face beneath his visor as he checked his updated balance. ”That’s enough to buy two months’ worth of high-grade barrier sharpening oils from the upper-tier forge.”

”And more than enough to stock up on specialized alchemical catalysts for our next deep dive,” Seraphina added, her eyes sparkling as she mentally mapped out her shopping list.

Rowan adjusted the brim of his Enchanted Straw Hat, resting his trusty hoe comfortably over his shoulder as he dismissed the glowing UI. ”Keep your credits tucked away for now. When we return to push Floor Eight, we’ll invest them into specialized gear upgrades.”

Leaving the bustling exchange behind, the squad turned toward the massive, arched archway housing the Surface Exit Portal. The swirling white vortex connecting the Eternity Guild’s towering trial to the surface world hummed with steady, rhythmic energy.

Stepping into the warm light of the exit gate together, Squad 07 departed the tower, ready to enjoy a well-deserved rest in the outer city before their next grand expedition.

***

The grand white-marble gates of the Imperial Academy felt almost surreal after days spent in the freezing, subterranean gloom of Floor Seven. Squad 07 marched straight to the administrative spire to deliver their mandatory verbal report. Before a panel of wide-eyed academy instructors and senior scholars, they cataloged their rapid progression: clearing the Glacial Trench, securing Rank 1 against the Glacial Sovereign field boss, and neutralizing Kragor the Rime-Scourge. With their official tower logs verified and academic merit points recorded, the dean officially granted the squad a well-deserved two-week break to return home to their families.

As they stepped out onto the sunlit plaza of the academy grounds, preparing to split up toward their respective family carriages and transport portals, Rowan adjusted the brim of his Enchanted Straw Hat. Leaning casually against his trusty hoe, a thoughtful smirk touched his lips.

”Before everyone heads off,” Rowan said, resting his hand over his system storage pouch, ”I’ve gathered a massive yield of rare flora and high-grade herbs during our runs through the Drowned Citadel and the Glacial Trench. I’m going to prepare specialized crop bundles for each of your families.”

Princess Lyra’s eyes lit up, while Seraphina gasped, knowing full well the astronomical market value of raw, high-floor vegetation.

”Wait, really?” Barney asked, rubbing the back of his neck in surprise. ”Rowan, high-tier tower flora sells for a small fortune. Giving them away...”

”They won’t just be raw herbs,” Rowan explained smoothly, tapping the iron butt of his hoe against the polished cobblestones. Channeling a soft, radiant pulse of his Gardener of Eden authority, he gestured to the rich spiritual seeds resting in his inventory. ”Unrefined tower plants carry wild, turbulent ambient mana that can be far too harsh for non-cultivators or standard civilian bodies. I need to purify and cross-breed them into stabilized, spirit-nourishing crops first.”

Rowan tilted his hat, his sharp eyes warm with genuine camaraderie. ”It’ll take a little time for the soil to fully mature the harvest, but once they’re ready, those crops will permanently enhance your families’ health, longevity, and natural mana circulation.”

”That is incredibly thoughtful, Rowan,” Lyra said softly, a brilliant smile breaking across her face. ”My house will be deeply honored.”

”Take all the time you need, man,” Caelen added, offering a rare, respectful nod. ”We’ll see you back at the academy in two weeks—rested and ready for Floor Eight.”

With shared laughs, warm handshakes, and promises to meet up after their break, Squad 07 parted ways, leaving Rowan to return to his private grounds to begin the quiet, meticulous work of a true cultivator.