“We defeated it, sure,” she said, walking beside him through the polished halls of the Sanctum’s land registry office. “But the public doesn’t trust the area anymore. Prices dropped across the nearby sectors.”
“So they’re afraid something else might be hiding near the border?”
“Yes. That, and rumors spread fast. Even if they’re false, fear always lingers. It benefitted us though. The land near our house is cheap, since its so close to the stronghold’s boundary.”
Isaac raised a brow.
That was surprisingly good news for them.
Inside the registrar’s main office, the paperwork was swift.
Alice had prepared for all the formalities in advance.
All that remained was the signature, a few biometric scans, and transferring the funds.
They bought 58 hectares of land.
Fifty-eight.
Isaac stared at the digital confirmation screen for a moment, just letting that number sink in.
His production would easily triple, maybe even more once he optimized the crop cycles, increased his skill level, and upgraded his hoe.
It was a huge leap forward.
The 29 billion Obol for the purchase was transferred smoothly from the business account Alice had set up before.
Isaac had to agree Alice had been handling cumbersome work for him, and he was thankful for that.
By the time they stepped back outside, everything was finalized.
Isaac stretched lightly.
“Alright. That’s done. Now we just need to go and get the third shop tomorrow.”
Alice nodded. “The funds are ready, and the talk is done. It should go smoothly tomorrow.”
Isaac pursed his lips.
Would it really go smoothly?
According to Alice, it was Oran Fennel who organized the assassination attempt on him.
Professor Catherine had gone to ’deal’ with him.
It might create some problems since they were going to buying the shop his company was selling.
’If I think about it carefully, I doubt there will a problem.’
’Professor Catherine is smart, so she will handle the matter properly.’
They drove back quietly.
It was late.
The streets were mostly deserted, except for a few night transports gliding silently between buildings.
Isaac raised a brow when he saw streetlights near his house.
Slowly, but surely, the stronghold was being developed.
The buildings and other infrastructure were still lagging behind though.
When they reached home, the lights outside were off.
Isaac stepped forward, opened the door, and let the warmth of the house surround them.
Alice walked past him, and headed toward the room.
Isaac followed behind her.
As soon as he opened the door, he paused.
Emily was fast asleep on his bed, curled into a small ball.
She was hugging the teddy bear he’d given her a few days ago.
Her breathing was soft, and peaceful.
Her fingers were clutched tightly around the plush toy’s neck.
He smiled faintly.
A quiet warmth crept into his chest.
“That teddy bear…” Alice’s voice came from next to him. “It looks like you.”
Isaac’s smile froze.
He turned to stare at her.
“It does not look like me.”
“It does,” Alice said flatly. “Emily said the same thing. That it’s warm, soft, and easy to punch.”
Isaac narrowed his eyes.
“That last one feels like your own input.”
Alice didn’t argue.
She gave a small shrug and walked off without another word.
He looked back at Emily and quietly pulled the blanket up to her shoulders.
Then, without making a sound, he left the room.
He wasn’t done for the night.
He stepped out to the large open farmland in front of the house.
The light from the pillar in distance was soft, and the air carried a slight chill.
But all Isaac felt was excitement bubbling under his skin.
He rubbed his hands together and grinned to himself.
“Fifty-eight hectares. Fifty-eight!” he whispered. “Finally!”
He hadn’t let himself react too much back at the office or in the car.
Alice would’ve teased him endlessly.
But now that he was alone, he let the excitement flow freely.
He took out several mana potions from his soulbind pendant and started pouring them into the earth.
One bottle after another.
The soil glowed faintly under the flow of mana.
It took a while.
Several dozen minutes passed like that.
Then, he activated Sovereign of Land.
Mana and nutrients equalized beneath his feet.
The farmland shimmered briefly under the redistribution.
He divided the sections in his head, organizing it based on priority and profitability.
One-tenth of the land would be for Tier-2 Vitality Grain.
One-fourth for Tier-0.
Half would go to Tier-1 grain, which was the most balanced in terms of growth speed, sales and profit margin.
The rest was for vegetables.
If the demand increased for the vegetables in the future, he would increase its production.
’That time might come soon with the third shop we are planning.’
Isaac grinned.
He summoned his hoe and began tilling the earth before he planted the seeds.
He didn’t notice the screen notification appear in his vision.
His focus was solely on the land.
His movements were smooth, and practiced. Like muscle memory honed by repetition.
After the tilling was complete, he summoned roots from the soil using Sovereign of Land and had them pull the seeds into the earth in even spacing.
It was satisfying.
Eventually, he wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling the tiredness catch up to him.
That’s when a bottle clinked gently against his arm.
“Thanks.”
He took the bottle and was about to drink when suddenly he froze.
“…?”
He turned and saw Alice standing beside him.
“You’re still up?” he asked.
“I was waiting for you,” she replied simply.
Isaac blinked. He hadn’t noticed her since he was focused on the farm.
“You should’ve slept already. You’ve had a rough day. That fight with the assassins—”
“I’ll do what I want,” she cut in.
He let out a chuckle and sipped the drink.
“Alright, fair enough.”
Alice stood beside him for a moment longer. Then she said, “Come in soon. I’ll prepare a bath before you sleep.”
Isaac raised an eyebrow, then grinned.
“Looks like someone missed me while staying at the Calloway estate.”
Alice didn’t answer. She just turned and walked back toward the house.
Isaac watched her go, then glanced down at the hoe in his hand.
There was a flickering notification in front of him now.
Conditions Met.
[Harvest Bane Hoe] is now upgradeable to [Terraheart Plow].
Would you like to proceed with the upgrade?
He tilted his head, a grin forming again.
Without replying immediately, he made his way back to the house.
Once inside, he placed his soulbind pendant on the living room table, and entered the soulbind pendant’s space.
Here, no one would see what he was doing, not even Professor Catherine.
He exhaled slowly, and then said, “Upgrade the hoe.”
A soft glow enveloped the tool in his hand.
Light shimmered across its surface.
The shape began to shift, lengthening slightly, the edges smoothing out, veins of soft green light pulsing along its wooden body.
By the time the glow faded, it was no longer a simple farming tool.
The Terraheart Plow rested in his hands.
“Show me the Plow’s status.”
…
Terraheart Plow (Switchable to Harvest Bane Hoe)
Legendary, Upgradable
-> Spirit Furrow Bonds (Passive)
Elemental spirits, crop spirits, and land guardians are naturally attracted to land plowed by Terraheart Plow.
Over time, these spirits may form bonds with the land or even help protect crops, accelerate growth, or bless harvests.
Some might stay behind permanently if the farmer is kind.
..
-> Plow of Life (Passive)
Instantly converts any land—barren, scorched, cursed, or frozen—into ultra-fertile soil.
Land tilled with Terraheart flow gains permanent fertility, even without magical upkeep.
Works on dungeon floors, spirit lands, or post-battlefields.
..
-> Weedbane Field (Passive)
Automatically prevents the growth of unwanted plants, weeds, or invasive species in all tilled soil.
Also wards off crop-harming fungi or mana-mold without damaging nearby helpful flora or spirits.
..
-> Burst Tillage (Active Skill)
The user slams the hoe into the ground, tilling up to 1 hectare (scalable with mana) instantly in a controlled blast of mana.
Clears debris, aerates, balances nutrients, and prepares the field for planting in one motion.
Cooldown: None
..
Upgrade Conditions: Use the Terraheart Plow to a prepare land where you grow 100 different unique crops, including hybrids or mana plants.
…
“Holy mother of…”
He stared at the screen, eyes wide.
The words swam a little, but he kept reading them again, just to be sure he wasn’t missing anything.
These effects… they were ridiculous.
He turned the plow over slowly in his hands.
This thing could do: instant fertility, passive protection, spirit attraction?
“And almost all of those abilities are passive.”
Isaac shook his head, quietly muttering to himself.
“The upgrade took me too much time, but this….”
He looked at the Plow in hand.
“This thing is worth all of it.”
The ability he was most curious about was Spirit Furrow Bonds.
According to the description, the land plowed by this tool could attract Elemental spirits, crop spirits, and land guardians.
“Elemental Spirits are elusive beings. No one knows where they come from, but each one of them is treated like a mythical being.”
The records he had been given about Elemental Spirits by Professor Catherine went through his mind.
He licked his lips, excited.
“If I can befriend an elemental spirit, then I will be able to fight Overlord rank Awakeners without being pushed back.”
Isaac was surprised when he was told he was weaker than Overlord rank awakeners.
According to Professor Catherine, the rank up for becoming an Overlord was different.
It changed the very DNA of one’s being.
Any Awakener becoming an Overlord would grow tremendously powerful.
With your current strength, you won’t be able to defeat a Human Overlord Awakener… is what Professor Catherine had said.
Isaac believed he might be able to win if he used all of his skills.
But he couldn’t be sure until he fought one.
Now though?
As long as he befriended an elemental spirit, he was sure he could win.
“Attracting Elemental Spirits is good, but what are these crop spirits, and land guardians?”
He rubbed his chin and decided to test the plow.
The answer would come to him naturally.
“Alright, I’ll test it now.”