Chapter 58: dont buy this i will update
Rowen moved through the planted space carefully, plucking the remaining apples one by one. The trees had matured faster than he could have imagined. Fifteen of them stood tall now, each bearing five to six apples. By the time he finished, Rowen had nearly eighty-five fruits in total, a number that made his chest tighten with excitement.
The blue screen had already confirmed the fruit cycle: new apples would appear every six hours. If that rhythm held, his supply would never run dry.
His thoughts drifted back to the teachers who had visited his shop. They each carried storage rings, small but priceless artifacts that let them store huge loads with a flick of the wrist. If he had one, all these apples could be taken out instantly. Instead, he was stuck keeping them here in the wooden shade, only able to carry out small batches at a time.
Then another responsibility tugged at his mind. This space needed mana to remain stable. He remembered the earlier instructions; it had to be recharged four times a day. Reaching into his pouch, Rowen pulled out the remaining supply.
"Twelve low-grade stones," he muttered, counting them carefully. He handed the bundle to Fern. "Use these to recharge the space."
Fern nodded, clutching the stones. Without hesitation, he swallowed all twelve one after another.
After that, with nothing to do in space, Rowen stepped out of the portal first, finding himself back in his room.
Rowen stepped down into the shop, his movements steady but a little sluggish from the long night. Once inside, he summoned the portal again. With practiced care, he carried out crates of fresh tomatoes, firm potatoes, and the new apples. One by one, he stacked them neatly onto the empty wooden shelves until the shop looked ready for the day.
When he was done, Rowen pulled out his phone and glanced at the screen. Almost 9:00 a.m. It was time to open.
But there was one more thing to settle.
He looked at the apples on display. Glossy red, faintly pulsing with vitality, they weren’t like normal fruit. These could close wounds and restore stamina. If he underpriced them, he would be giving away treasure. If he charged too much, customers might hesitate.
After a moment of thought, Rowen took a wooden signboard and wrote in clear strokes:
Apple – 1 Low-Grade Mana Stone Each.
He set the sign in front of the display.
"That should do," he murmured. It was fair—cheap enough for adventurers and porters to afford, but still high enough to reflect the fruit’s value.
With that decided, Rowen moved to the front and unlatched the door.
Just like yesterday, a crowd had already gathered outside. This time, though, things were different. The customers who had been here before knew how valuable his goods were. They were already forming a neat line, keeping order among themselves.
Rowen stood there for a while, simply watching the small sprouts pushing out from the soil where he had planted the tomatoes and potatoes. The tender green shoots swayed faintly in the breeze, proof that the seeds had already begun to take root.
He crouched down and placed his hand lightly over the soil. With a practiced motion, he activated his skill. A faint glow spread across the ground, and the sprouts seemed to respond, straightening and growing just a little taller, their leaves opening wider.
Rowen let the glow fade and pulled his hand back, satisfied.
The use of the skill drained him further, leaving Rowen’s body heavy and his mind sluggish. He let out a quiet breath, resting his hand on his knee.
Just then, a faint noise stirred behind him. Shade’s eyes blinked open, glowing faintly in the dim light. She let out a soft meow, and upon realizing it was only Rowen, her posture relaxed.
Shade padded closer, brushing against his leg, and gave another insistent meow, a clear demand to be picked up and patted.
Rowen couldn’t help but let out a tired chuckle. His mood lightened a little as he scooped her up. The warmth of the small creature in his arms eased some of the fatigue pressing down on him.
Carrying Shade in one arm, Rowen called out Fern. The small spirit appeared, floating lazily.
Rowen headed back inside and set Shade down on the counter. From the space, he took out some of the freshly harvested tomatoes and potatoes. With simple movements born of habit, he began preparing a light soup. The warm smell soon filled the room, and even Shade perked her ears as if waiting for her share.
Rowen stood there for a while, simply watching the small sprouts pushing out from the soil where he had planted the tomatoes and potatoes. The tender green shoots swayed faintly in the breeze, proof that the seeds had already begun to take root.
He crouched down and placed his hand lightly over the soil. With a practiced motion, he activated his skill. A faint glow spread across the ground, and the sprouts seemed to respond, straightening and growing just a little taller, their leaves opening wider.
Rowen let the glow fade and pulled his hand back, satisfied.
The use of the skill drained him further, leaving Rowen’s body heavy and his mind sluggish. He let out a quiet breath, resting his hand on his knee.
Just then, a faint noise stirred behind him. Shade’s eyes blinked open, glowing faintly in the dim light. She let out a soft meow, and upon realizing it was only Rowen, her posture relaxed.
Shade padded closer, brushing against his leg, and gave another insistent meow, a clear demand to be picked up and patted.
Rowen couldn’t help but let out a tired chuckle. His mood lightened a little as he scooped her up. The warmth of the small creature in his arms eased some of the fatigue pressing down on him.
Carrying Shade in one arm, Rowen called out Fern. The small spirit appeared, floating lazily.
Rowen headed back inside and set Shade down on the counter. From the space, he took out some of the freshly harvested tomatoes and potatoes. With simple movements born of habit, he began preparing a light soup. The warm smell soon filled the room, and even Shade perked her ears as if waiting for her share.
As Rowen stirred the pot, Fern floated closer.
"The new batch is ready," Fern reported, "but the next ones will need longer. And... because you planted the apple tree, the space is consuming more energy. We’ll need to recharge it more often from now on."
Rowen nodded slightly. He had expected as much. "So it won’t run as smoothly without more energy, huh?"
"Yes," Fern said, its voice quiet but firm. "The tree will be worth it in time, but for now, the space is demanding more."
Rowen didn’t argue. He ladled out the soup, the warmth helping to chase away the exhaustion from earlier.
Rowen reached into his pouch and pulled out twelve low-grade mana stones. The small pile glimmered faintly in his palm before he passed them to Fern.
"Use these," Rowen said.
Fern’s leafy body brightened as it absorbed the stones one by one. A faint hum echoed through the room as the energy dispersed, flowing back into the hidden space.
"That will keep things stable for now," Fern said after finishing. "But remember, the more crops and trees you plant, the more energy we’ll need in the future."
Rowen exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. He had earned sixty-five stones today, and already twelve were gone. The weight of his growing responsibilities pressed faintly on his mind, but he kept silent, focusing instead on finishing his meal.
After finishing the meal, the three of them Rowen, Shade, and Fern went upstairs to his room. Rowen changed into a clean set of clothes, then sat down on the floor.
For a moment, he hesitated, his mind running through the things that had happened that day. But after taking a deep breath, he crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and began gathering mana.
His goal was clear: this was the start of his path as a mage. He would try to condense his first mana ring.
After what felt like hours of straining, something finally stirred deep within him. The unstable earth mana he had been gathering stopped scattering and instead pressed together, pulled by his will. A faint outline flickered inside his body, right at the base of his core.
It was shaky and incomplete, but there his first mana ring was beginning to appear.
The faint band of energy circled once before breaking apart, leaving him gasping for air. His chest rose and fell rapidly, every breath heavy as though he had been running uphill. But even as it slipped away, he could still feel the lingering imprint inside him, the proof that he had started on the path of a mage.
Rowen sat there breathing heavily, staring at the spot where the flickering outline had vanished. Why can’t I keep it steady? He wondered, clenching his fists in frustration. The earth element had answered him, yet the ring slipped away every time he tried to form it.
His stomach growled faintly, reminding him of the drain on his body. With a sigh, he reached into the space and pulled out fresh tomatoes and potatoes. The crisp, natural energy inside them spread through his body as he bit down, easing the exhaustion that weighed on him.
Feeling a little steadier, Rowen wiped his mouth and straightened his posture once more. He closed his eyes, calmed his breathing, and began gathering the earth mana again, determined to make the outline hold this time.