She walked off with a smile.
Isaac stood in the hallway for a moment longer, eyes drifting toward Alice’s closed door.
He exhaled and headed for bed.
Isaac slept well, and woke up when the soft chime of his alarm echoed through the quiet room.
5:30 a.m.
The crops would mature in half an hour. He got up, changed, and quietly made his way downstairs.
In the living room, he found Alice already awake. She sat at the table with a few loose papers and a clipboard, writing something while occasionally sipping from a warm cup of tea.
He stepped closer and leaned slightly to peek over her shoulder. “What are you working on?”
Alice jolted, but regained her composure swiftly. “I’m drafting a plan. A rough outline of what we need to do to reach that ten billion target.”
“Is that so?”
Isaac raised an eyebrow, impressed.
“There’s no time to waste.” She pointed to one part of her notes. “Our most immediate issue is the lack of a proper shop. No matter how skilled the builders are, no one’s going to construct anything by evening. And if they do, it’ll cost far too much. We can’t afford to waste money right now.”
Isaac nodded slowly. “We can keep it simple for now. A table as a basic stall setup.”
“Exactly.” Alice tapped the board. “Once we’ve got stable footing, we can worry about appearances.”
He studied her a moment. The dark circles under her eyes stood out more in the morning light.
“You didn’t sleep, did you?”
“I did,” she replied automatically.
“Alice.” He gave her a flat look.
She looked away. “Maybe not much.”
Without another word, Isaac turned to the kitchen, pulled open a drawer, and grabbed a tangerine from the basket. He peeled it and held it out to her.
“Here. Eat this, then go sleep.”
“I said I’m fine.”
“You’re not. You’ll be dealing with people all day today. If you’re tired, you’ll miss details.”
She frowned. Then finally, with a quiet sigh, took the fruit.
“Just a nap,” she muttered.
“I’ll make sure you don’t oversleep.”
He waited until she disappeared into her room before heading outside.
As soon as he stepped past the front door, Leora joined him silently.
“Good morning,” he said, not surprised.
“Morning,” she replied. “Ready for the day?”
“Yup. We’ve got work to do.”
The crops stood tall, lined up neatly in the field. He scanned them quickly, counting grain clusters.
“Eighteen grains per stalk this time.”
He raised his hoe and swung it twice.
A pulse of mana spread outward, and the crops were harvested instantly. The stalks followed.
He felt the slight tug in his chest. His mana had taken a hit, but his recovery was quick thanks to his high Spirit Power.
1440 Tier 0 Vitality Grain Crops harvested. Mana +80 Constitution +80.
You have obtained 7200 Tier 0 Vitality Grains.
Constitution: 100 [525 → 653]
Mana: 100 [568 → 696]
“7200 Tier 0 Grains? Well, I guess that number does make sense since I have 4 hectare now. As for the stats, I got 80 stats in Const and Mana. If I compare it to previous times…”
Isaac made quick calculations.
For every 0.5 hectare:
12 Tier 0 Vitality Grain per stalk = 10 Mana and 10 Constitution
14 Tier 0 Vitality Grain per stalk = 12 Mana and 12 Constitution
16 Tier 0 Vitality Grain per stalk = 14 Mana and 14 Constitution
And so on.
“This time, these crops had 18 Grains per stalk so I got 16 stats, which is 80 for 4 hectare.
“So I can get a lot of stats even by growing Tier 0 crops as long as I grow enough of them.”
After storing the yield, he burned the remaining stalks, spread the ashes, and began planting again. It was mechanical now, like muscle memory. But his thoughts wandered.
Leora stayed nearby, helping where she could without disrupting the flow. Once they were finished, Isaac completed his gym routine, washed up, then sat on the porch, towel draped around his shoulders.
He rested his elbows on his knees, watching the sky.
Emily was coming today.
A subtle pressure drew his gaze upward.
A figure circled in the sky. It was faint, semi-translucent, gliding without flapping wings. A bird?
Its feathers shimmered with silver edges, its form slightly blurred at the edges like mist. Violet rings glowed in its eyes.
Isaac frowned.
“That’s a monster…”
The avian circled above his house. Leora must’ve sensed it, and since she didn’t attack it, it was likely someone’s bonded beast, and not harmful.
The quiet hum of an approaching engine interrupted his thoughts. A military jeep pulled up at the farm’s edge.
The doors opened.
And then she was there.
Emily jumped out, gliding across the short distance before launching herself into his arms.
She hugged him tightly, burying her face into his chest.
“Welcome to my humble abode.” Isaac smiled, wrapping his arms around her. “I missed seeing my Emily for the last few days.”
“Mhm.” She looked up, her face close, and without hesitation, stood on her toes to press her lips to his.
A soft chime rang in his mind.
[Your wife, Emily Warren, affection for you has crossed 95.]
[Hidden Condition for System upgrade met: At least one wife’s affection must exceed 95.]
[Bonded Blessing System has been upgraded.]
[Host can now share bloodlines.]
[Host can now share companions.]
[Inspect skill has been upgraded.]
[Shop can now be accessed]
Isaac blinked, momentarily stunned by the flood of notifications.
The kiss ended as both of them pulled back, drawing Isaac’s attention.
He could feel Emily’s cold touch on his lips as she hurried into the house, her soft laugh of embarrassment echoing behind her.
He followed inside.
The kitchen was lively, filled with the smell of fresh bread and sizzling meat.
Leora was at the stove, turning slices of mana-rich bacon, while Alice, now awake, arranged plates.
Professor Catherine lounged in the living room as if working was beneath her.
“Good morning, everyone,” Emily said. She brushed a strand of hair back, her cheeks still a little flushed.
Catherine looked at her then turned to Alice. “She is my niece, Emily, and she’s here for the weekend.”
Alice gave a small nod. “Nice to meet you, Emily.”
Leora brought over crisp bacon, fluffy scrambled eggs, and thick bread, with a side of glowing mana-infused berries.
As they ate, Emily’s chatter made the mood light and comfortable.
She told a story about a clumsy bear she’d seen in the university, and Isaac couldn’t help smiling.
Alice stayed quiet. Her gaze drifted between Isaac and Emily, and she caught the soft looks they shared.
A thought flickered in her mind. Was there something more between them?
’No, I’m probably overthinking it.’
Halfway through breakfast, Isaac explained Alice’s situation to Emily after asking for permission from Alice.
Emily’s eyes widened after she hear everything.
She puffed her cheeks out, a habit he found endlessly cute.
“How can they do that to her?” she said, her voice full of conviction. “We should definitely help her!”
Isaac let out a breath of relief.
He’d worried since last night that she might feel uneasy about Alice, but the idea seemed silly now.
Emily, jealous? Hating anyone? That was impossible. Her kindness was too pure.
Alice didn’t hear them talk.
Her attention was on how Emily leaned into Isaac, and how he smiled back at her.