Chương 19: Planting a Magical Garden

Before doing anything else, Maximus purchased a new set of clothes. Blue denim pants, which he had no idea what they were actually made of, a simple white button-down shirt, and a black hoodie with a zipper. All were slightly enhanced to be more durable than just any regular clothing.

"I swear, these clothes all look very odd. But I must admit, they're far more comfortable than what we wore in Veridiyum." He muttered as he changed.

"Sorry, Sprout, I couldn't find anything with a pocket, but you can sleep in this cowl." He gestured toward the hood of the hoodie. Sprout rustled happily and jumped straight into the hood, settling in with clear approval. Two hundred tokens for all that… I suppose it's fair. Maximus thought. I'll need to find some proper armor soon, though. I've seen the armor tab in the Store; hopefully, I will have enough tokens for something useful. He paused for a moment, then smiled faintly. Well…

For now, I have other things to test. With that, he stepped outside, ready to continue his experiments.

Maximus stood before their temporary home, staring at the small patch of land in front of it.

"Entangle!" he cast, forcing roots to burrow and churn through the soil, tearing it apart until the ground was evenly overturned and ready for planting.

"This will do. No need for manual labor." He smiled, satisfied, while Sprout clapped with his leaves.

"What? I'm not lazy. There's nothing lazy about finding the most efficient way to do something, you know?" he argued back. Then he began creating a pile of seedlings and crouched down, planting them one by one, keeping roughly ten centimeters between each. After twenty minutes, he had formed five rows of twenty seedlings.

"Alright… Let's try to make some beans." He smiled and crouched by the first sprout, whispering, "Grow." He poured his spirit energy carefully into the surrounding area, guiding the natural energy already present into the plant instead of wasting his own reserves. The efficiency was impressive, but the control required was immense. The seedling trembled… Then burst upward, growing to half a meter in height as small pods formed along its stem. Each pod radiated a soft, comforting energy.

"By the stars… This is incredible. Again!" Maximus grinned like a child on Christmas morning as he moved from plant to plant, repeating the process. After half an hour, a thick mist of spirit energy began to rise from the garden, blanketing the area in a faint, mystical haze that carried a gentle, soothing presence.

"This should be worth quite a lot… Right?" he mused as he began harvesting the pods. Then something unexpected happened. As he picked the mature pods, fresh ones began forming almost immediately, not as explosively as under direct influence, but steadily, feeding off the ambient spirit mist lingering in the air.

"…Now this is interesting." Maximus narrowed his eyes.

"It seems the spell has imprinted itself into the plant's being. By the looks of it, the growth cycle continues as long as spirit energy is available… Or until the plant reaches some natural limit." Maximus straightened slowly, a smile spreading across his face.

"Very interesting. Let's try something else, then." He began modifying the Seedling spell itself, reshaping its structure. If I restrict the rarity to F… Can I alter the plant type? Then he attempted to rewrite the internal pattern, forcing the spell to produce a different species of plant life entirely. Poof! The spell destabilized, bursting into harmless strands of vines.

"Curses. I can't change the type." He frowned. Perhaps… Once the skill reaches its maximum level? He immediately resumed casting, producing pile after pile of seedlings. As the skill climbed toward level 19, the growing mass began stacking dangerously high, nearly reaching up to his head. Only then did Maximus notice the gathering crowd.

"…Ah." With a quick gesture, he sucked the entire pile into his storage, ignoring the astonished onlookers.

"I should expand instead," he muttered. He cast Entangle again on another small patch of land, loosening the soil into a second garden bed. Then he repeated the process, planting, spacing, nurturing. Soon, another flourishing patch of healing bean plants stood beside the first, and the spirit-rich mist thickened once more, saturating the area with life-infused energy. Skill Leveled Up: [Seedling (F) Lv. 19] Skill Leveled Up: [Grow! (D) Lv. 2] Looks like the higher the skill's rank, the harder it is to level up, he thought, just as he heard the sound of approaching footsteps.

"I didn't know we had a holy garden in the village." A female voice chuckled softly, laced with a teasing tone.

"Oh, leader, it's you. My apologies, I lost track of time tending to my small garden." Maximus said, bowing his head slightly.

"Nonsense, nothing to apologize for. Druids are as fascinating as I've heard, the ability to control plants and make them grow... Truly magical." She crouched beside one of the bean stalks, running her fingers lightly over the leaves as she inspected them.

"How much for the plants?" she asked suddenly, glancing up at him.

"I'm not entirely certain. What would you consider a reasonable price?" Maximus replied calmly.

"How about 30 tokens per plant, and one per pod of beans?" she offered, rising to her full height, her armor clicking softly with the motion.

"And how much would you like to buy?" Maximus asked, interest flickering in his eyes.

"All of it?" she said with a slight tilt of her head.

"Hm… that would come out to roughly eleven thousand tokens." Maximus blinked, genuinely surprised.

"Don't worry, I won't be the only one paying. The entire village will contribute. If I'm not mistaken, these can be used both as healing items and as ingredients for potions, correct?" she said confidently.

"You are correct. Though… perhaps an alternative." Maximus paused thoughtfully.

"I could craft the potions for you at the same total price if you provide the remaining ingredients." It was a better deal for her and for him, access to new materials, knowledge, and experience for his Potioncrafting skill.

"Oh, you're quite the interesting one. You can craft potions as well?" Her eyes gleamed with interest as she studied him more closely.

"Come. Let's go inside and discuss this properly." Without waiting for an answer, she turned and stepped into the house. Oho… I might actually earn a nice pile of tokens! Maximus thought, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he followed after her.

As Maximus entered the house, the woman was already seated at the table, idly tapping her fingers as she waited.

"Make yourself comfortable," Maximus said with a faint smile.

"Though… I realize I didn't catch your name."

"You should always ask a lady her name before trying to do business with her, you know," she replied with a playful wink.

"Rose Becker. A pleasure to meet you, Max." Her lips curled into an easy grin. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"That is a fine name," Maximus said as he took a seat across from her.

"Glad you think so. Now then, let's talk business." She rose briefly, then moved closer, sitting beside him instead.

"I'd like you to join me once we return to Earth. I'm building a guild of my own, and I want someone as headstrong and versatile as you. Your face is just a bonus." The teasing glint in her eyes made it clear she was enjoying herself.

"Forgive me, but I cannot commit to anything while we are still here. If, and when, we survive, we can discuss it further outside," Maximus replied calmly.

"Well, you are no fun." She shrugged.

"Fine, then, your potions. How can I be sure you know what you're doing? These ingredients aren't cheap."

"Then allow me to demonstrate." Maximus produced one of his potion bottles and handed it to her.

"A simple creation with a few ingredients, and a self-developed formula." Rose uncorked it and took a sip.

"…Oh." Her brows lifted slightly.

"Well, look at you. It matches the effect of common potions, and it even feels cleaner." She studied him more carefully this time, curiosity giving way to clear interest.

"Alright. Let's do business. I'll provide the ingredients tomorrow, and you will craft potions worth eleven thousand tokens. Deal?" Maximus smiled.

"Deal."

"Well then, let's seal it properly." She extended her hand. Maximus reached out, but the moment their fingers touched, she moved in suddenly. He didn't panic. His instincts, sharpened over centuries, reacted effortlessly. With a slight tilt of his head, her lips met nothing but air.

"Tell me, Lady Rose," Maximus said, a faint, knowing smirk tugging at his lips.

"Is this how you greet all potential business partners, or am I a special case?"

"You really are no fun," she huffed, though her expression carried clear amusement.

"I've been trapped here for seventy days. The men are all… Disappointing. Then you show up and drop someone with a vine of all things. You're a bit scrawny for my taste… Though I suppose that's fixable." She chuckled. Before he could shift away again, she leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek instead.

"See you in a few days," she said, walking toward the door.

"Have my potions ready… And maybe reconsider those reflexes." The door closed behind her with a soft thud. Maximus leaned back in his chair, his fingers brushing lightly over his cheek, his expression thoughtful rather than flustered. I have encountered many storms in my time… But few wore leather armor, he mused quietly. His gaze dropped to his current form, thin, human, and far too weak. I cannot understand what she sees in this body. My original body had been shaped through centuries of cultivation and magic…

This is but a rough sketch. A faint, dry laugh escaped him. If she had met the old Aurelius in flesh… She might have truly lost her composure. He shook his head slightly, a small smile forming. Humans… So brief. Yet they burn with such intensity… But this one might be trouble. He sighed.

Maximus spent the rest of the afternoon harvesting beans and replanting fresh seedlings whenever the beanstalks exhausted their vitality. When Oscar and Felix returned, they paused at the edge of the property, uncertain if they had come to the right place.

"Maximus… What did you do?" Felix asked, visibly confused.

"Oh, hello, boys. I planted a garden," Maximus replied with a pleasant smile as he finished setting the last row of new seedlings.

"Bloody hell… You planted a proper magical garden?" Oscar stepped closer, entering the small plot in front of the house, and crouched beside the seedlings.

"Can I watch?" he asked, clearly intrigued.

"Naturally. Observe." Maximus nodded and whispered, "Grow." This time, he cast it across the entire row. He had refined his control over spirit energy, carefully supplying just the right amount each seedling required, far more efficient than casting individually. At his command, the seedlings surged upward, transforming into beanstalks as pods formed almost instantly, releasing that familiar soothing mist around the house.

"Bloody hell… That's a proper black magic!" Oscar muttered, eyes wide.

"Fool, it's one of the signature Druid abilities, control over plant life," Felix said with a small smile before adding, "So… You're leveling your skills, then?" Maximus chuckled.

"You guessed it. There are ways to grow stronger without fighting, at least for some skills."

"Go on inside, I'll finish up here shortly. I'm close to leveling one of my skills," he added, clearly focused as he sensed Seedling nearing its limit. He paused suddenly, realizing something.

"By the way… What's the maximum level for a skill?"

"Level 20," Felix replied.

"Once you reach it, the skill can evolve further, though not all can, and most have limits on how far they can grow." Maximus's eyes sharpened slightly as Felix stepped inside, Oscar following close behind.

Skill Leveled Up: [Seedling (F) Lv. 20] Alert: Skill Seedling (F) is ready to evolve. Skill Leveled Up: [Grow! (D) Lv. 4] Finally. Let's check on those two first, I'll evolve it later, once I'm alone. He decided and stepped inside to see how their day had gone.

"Hey, guys. So… Did you level up?" Maximus asked casually.

"Aye, we did!" Oscar grinned from ear to ear.

"Hit sixteen, both of us, didn't we?" he added proudly.

"Yes. We each acquired a new skill, D rank," Felix said, as composed as ever.

"Aye! I've got a proper killing move now. I'll show you what it's about next time we're out." Oscar beamed, eyes shining with excitement.

"About that… I've made a deal with the village leader. I'll be crafting potions for them." Maximus explained.

"The pay is… Substantial."

"How long will that take?" Felix asked, already sounding slightly annoyed.

"A day or two at most. Once I receive the ingredients, I can begin immediately. I'll make some for you two as well. What do you say?" Maximus offered.

"Fine…" Felix sighed.

"But only a few days. We still have that crocodile of yours to deal with."

"Flippin' hell, Felix! Why'd you have to go and remind him of that mad plan for? Are you mental, you?" Oscar groaned, slapping his forehead loudly. Maximus and Felix both burst into laughter.

"By the way… Is it normal for women to try to kiss you by force?" Maximus asked suddenly, sidestepping Oscar's outrage.

"Bloody hell, it is!" Oscar's face dropped into a scowl.

"Who's been pouncing on you? Tell me who it was, and I'll go sort the cow out myself!"

"Leader Rose… She tried earlier. I'm not quite sure what to make of it," Maximus admitted calmly.

"What, that cracker from earlier?" Oscar's anger vanished in a heartbeat.

"Well, that's a different story, that is. Get in there, son! You should go and have a bit of fun; she looks like a right firecracker."

"You should tell her to stop. It doesn't matter how attractive someone is; some things are not appropriate," Felix said plainly.

"Oh, pipe down, you vicar," Oscar snorted.

"It's not like she's a troll. Bit scrawny, I'll give you that, but she can have a go at me whenever she fancies." He puckered his lips and made a kissing noise.

"This madman…" Felix muttered, though a small smile betrayed him.

"You're stronger than most people here," Felix added, turning back to Maximus.

"If you don't like something, just say so. No need to tolerate it."

"I'm not afraid, but I am not used to this," Maximus said.

"And I simply wasn't certain if that behavior was… Common."

"Oh, no. It's not," Felix said, shaking his head.

"Aye, no chance in hell that's normal," Oscar added with a shrug.

"She's either mental or she's proper lonely. Take your pick."

"Or I'm simply that handsome?" Maximus said dryly.

"You're alright for a skinny lad, but don't go getting a big head," Oscar laughed.

"Alright, enough. This is getting strange." Felix cut in.

"I'm going to rest. Oscar, you should too. We're heading out again tomorrow."

"He's like a proper slave driver, him.

'Oscar do this, Oscar do that…'" Oscar grumbled before pausing.

"Wait, where am I sleeping?"

"There's a small storage room in the back. Simple bed, but it'll do," Maximus said.

"Good enough." Oscar nodded and wandered off. At last, silence settled over the house. Finally… Maximus stepped into his room and opened the system screen, his eyes sharpening with focus. Let's see what this skill evolution is truly about. ‎