Professor Catherine tapped the side of her plate with her fork.
“We’ve encountered a powerful monster in the outskirts. Metavore Hivemind. The Sanctum is putting together a joint task force with Titan Edge Guild to eliminate it. The raid will happen in three days. If you take part and perform well, it’ll build your public image, especially among the awakeners.”
Isaac nodded slowly.
It made sense. As famous as he was for his Talent and farming achievements, politicians could still dismiss him as “just a kid.”
If he wanted to be a Lord in name and power, he needed more than just potential.
He needed proof of leadership, strength, and contribution.
“So… does this mean you’ll support me?” he asked.
Professor Catherine met his eyes. “Yes. Having a true Lord and someone who can receive Quests is a boon for humanity. You’ll have my support. As for your third subject…”
She smiled slyly. “Maybe try getting close to Celia Rae? If you’re lucky, you might gain a new harem member while getting the third subject.”
Isaac rolled his eyes.
“What? She’s cute, strong, and single. Do you know how many men would die to get a handshake from her?” Professor Catherine said without shame.
He didn’t respond, but internally, he had to agree.
Celia Rae was the best candidate to be the third Lord’s subject.
Her overprotective brother might be a problem, but she hadn’t aligned with any political faction yet.
She was still neutral, and more importantly, she had an SSS rank support talent. If he could recruit her, it would complete one of his requirement to be a True Lord.
’If Professor Catherine or Leora had any intention to become subjects, they would’ve already said so,’ he thought.
He was almost certain Leora had an SSS rank talent.
But someone like her—who had spent years building authority and influence—was unlikely to accept the role of a subject.
As Professor Catherine began eating, Isaac finally noticed the fatigue in her movements.
Her posture was slouched slightly. There were faint dark circles under her eyes, and her clothes had streaks of dust and dirt.
He hadn’t noticed it before, but now it was obvious that she was exhausted. That made sense. After all, if Professor Catherine and Leora left suddenly without leaving him a guard, then the situation must have been dire.
Even so, she came back as soon as possible to guard him again.
Emily noticed her exhaustion too. “Auntie, Isaac can give you a massage if you’re tired.”
Professor Catherine tilted her head and smiled sweetly. “Will he? That would be so helpful…”
Both of them turned to Isaac.
“I can’t. My stats jumped too high recently, and I can’t fully control my strength right now. A massage from me might break a bone or two.”
Emily frowned. “Huh? But you—”
Before she could finish, Alice interrupted smoothly, redirecting the conversation.
“Professor, what kind of combat training are we doing today?” she asked. “You mentioned we’d begin more serious drills.”
Professor Catherine raised an eyebrow, then decided to let go of the topic seeing Alice’s expression.
“You’ll find out soon enough,” Professor Catherine said. She reached into her coat and pulled out a small glass vial with a soft red liquid swirling inside. “But first, this.”
She handed it to Alice.
“It’s body tempering potion. You should be used to your new stats by now, so you can use this.”
Alice took the potion with a small nod, and headed toward her room without another word.
Professor Catherine turned next to Emily. “Go to the backyard, and train until I call you. Your stats increased quite a bit, so try to get used to them. Try experimenting with your affinities too.”
“Got it!” Emily gave a casual salute and flew off through the back door, disappearing into the yard.
Now only Isaac and Catherine remained in the living room.
She turned toward him. “Now that everyone’s gone, we finally have some time alone.”
Isaac set down a cloth he’d been using to wipe the counter and asked, “So is this about the Seed Tree of Vitality Grain? It should have arrived this morning.”
Professor Catherine pouted slightly, seeing how he was slowly getting used to her teasing.
The way her lips jutted out in mock frustration made Isaac pause.
She was trying to act annoyed, but there was something undeniably cute about the gesture, which worked strangely well with her mature charm.
She sighed and nodded, a bit begrudgingly. “Yes, it’s about the seed tree. But before I hand it over, I want to make sure you understand what you’re dealing with.”
Isaac nodded, standing a little straighter.
“Seed Trees aren’t like normal crops,” Professor Catherine continued. “They’re lab-created. Every single one is an expensive product. We usually have to pay a fortune just for one. This time, though…”
She paused and crossed her arms.
“We got lucky. The Florathi offered it as part of a trade. They want to see what you can do, and show their goodwill at the same time. This was both a gift and a test.”
“I figured,” Isaac said. “That’s why you’re reminding me now, right?”
She nodded again, slower this time. “Exactly. I don’t want to see that tree die because you happened to be overconfident.”
Isaac met her eyes. “It won’t. I’m confident in growing it. I’ll make sure it doesn’t go to waste.”
Professor Catherine studied him for a long moment.
Then, satisfied, she reached into her spatial ring and pulled out a narrow glass capsule.
The container shimmered with soft blue runes and emitted a faint hum.
Inside, suspended in fluid, was a single dark-green branch. Its bark was smooth and almost translucent, with veins of pale gold running along the surface. Tiny nodules along its length pulsed faintly, like miniature hearts.
“This,” she said, “is the Seed Tree of Vitality Grain.”
She turned the capsule slowly.
“Once it’s out of this container, you’ll have five minutes to stabilize it. These trees are incredibly delicate. Their immune systems are almost non-existent. Even a minor pathogen could kill them.”
“I understand,” Isaac replied.
They left the house and made their way down the paved path toward the empty farmland. Just beyond the edge of his main field, a five-hectare stretch of untouched land waited.
Chairman Lucius had arranged for it yesterday, but Isaac had held off cultivating it until he knew how many Seed Trees he would receive.
Now that he had one, he’d dedicate the first half-hectare to it.
He tooked out several mana potions from his storage ring.
Uncapping them one by one, he poured the contents across the soil. A thick, rich glow began to rise from the earth as it drank in the mana.
Next, he activated his Sovereign of Land skill.
A soft green light spread out from beneath his feet, spreading evenly across the area.
The mana dispersed uniformly, absorbed by every grain of soil.
After that, he used his land nurturing skill to balance the nutrients, bringing the pH, mineral levels, and density into alignment.
Only when everything was prepared did he nod at Catherine.
She passed him the capsule.
Isaac took a breath and opened it carefully.
The container hissed as the seal broke, releasing a quick puff of condensation. He reached in with gloved hands and gently lifted the branch from within.
Without hesitation, he planted it at the center of the prepared plot.
Professor Catherine watched closely but said nothing.
Her gaze swept over the soil, the air, the placement of the tree. At everything.
She looked ready to step in at any moment, but she didn’t move yet.
Isaac remained still, keeping his breathing calm, and simply watched.
The first minute passed.
There was no change in the ’branch’.
Second minute.
A few of the nodules on the branch twitched slightly, responding to the mana in the soil.
Third minute.
A faint green light began to pulse from its core.
By the time five minutes had passed, the branch remained healthy. Its bark had darkened slightly, and the roots had spread just beneath the surface.
Professor Catherine exhaled slowly. “It didn’t wilt. There is not even a hint of disease.”
She stepped forward, crouching to examine it more closely. “This is definitely not a normal situation. Is it your hoe’s ability? That’s the only way I can explain this.”
Isaac said nothing. He wasn’t about to give away his tools’ secrets so easily.
Instead, he stepped forward again and activated one more skill.
Seed of Providence.
A surge of energy flowed from his body into the tree.
His mana drained like water through a broken dam, flooding into the root system. The ground vibrated lightly, and a thin stream of light shot up from the tree’s core.
In seconds, the branch twisted and grew.
It rose upward, bark hardening and splitting, branches fanning out like unfolding arms. Leaves burst from every limb, shining a vibrant green.
At the tips of the upper branches, fruit-like pods began to form. Each one of them was filled with dense vitality energy.
Professor Catherine took a step back as she looked over the tree, which had matured instantly.
The transformation stopped as the tree finished growing.
Now standing nearly eight meters tall, it towered over the tangerine trees.
The fruit pods glowed with the same pulsing light as the original branch, their skins thin and shimmering.
Through the translucent layers, dozens of Vitality Grain seeds could be seen, embedded within the fruit like gems in a shell.
Isaac stood there, sweat dampening his shirt, but his expression calm. He hadn’t expected to spend so much mana to grow a single tree.
Professor Catherine let out a breath and gave a quiet chuckle.
“Okay,” she said. “You weren’t exaggerating. You really can handle it.”
He nodded at once, but his focus was only on the tree.
’I wonder what rank of harvest it will gave.’
Grabbing his hoe, he swung it gently.