Gardener of Eden

Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Revival

Rowan left the quiet reading alcoves of the Grand Library and retraced his steps back across the central courtyard toward the Sol-Aethel Academy Treasury.

The heavy oak doors groaned softly as he pushed them open. Inside, the cool air smelled of brass polish and aged parchment. The elderly clerk was still stationed behind the high marble desk, carefully dipping a quill into a bottle of dark ink as he logged transactions.

Hearing Rowan’s footsteps, the old clerk peered over his gold-rimmed spectacles. ”Back so soon, young man? Did the Frost-Melon seeds not suit your liking?”

”Not at all, sir,” Rowan replied, approaching the counter and placing his student pass onto the reader chime. ”I’m actually looking for something a bit more unusual. While reviewing the historical archives, I came across references to fossilized seed husks—specifically ancient, extinct flora lines kept in the Treasury’s rare vaults.”

The clerk paused, his quill hovering mid-air above the parchment. He lowered the pen, leaning his elbows on the marble counter with a look of quiet intrigue. ”Fossilized seed husks? Most students only care for active, pre-packaged hybrid seeds that yield quick returns for their weekly assignments. Those ancient husks have been sitting in the basement vaults for centuries. Their vitality is practically zero; they’re essentially dead stone.”

”I’m interested in studying their structural composition,” Rowan said smoothly, keeping his tone light and academic. ”I still have seventy honor points left on my pass, and I’d like to inspect whatever fossilized or dormant pre-collapse samples you have available for redemption.”

The clerk stared at Rowan for a long moment, then let out a dry, softly amused chuckle. ”Well, it’s your hard-earned points. If Senior Lecturer Vane gave them to you, you’re free to spend them as you see fit.”

The clerk reached into his robe, pulled out a small brass key, and unlocked a heavy leather ledger tucked under the main desk. He flipped through the thick, yellowed pages until he reached the vault inventory section.

[ SOL-AETHEL ACADEMY TREASURY: RARE VAULT SAMPLES ]

ACCOUNT BALANCE: 70 Honor Points

DORMANT / FOSSILIZED SEED INDEX:

├── [EXTINCT] Obsidian Root Seed Husk (3x) ──────────── 20 Honor Points

│ └── Description: Petrified pre-collapse sample. Zero mana resonance.

│

├── [EXTINCT] Solis-Bloom Fossilized Spores (1 Vial) ── 30 Honor Points

│ └── Description: Inert solar-type spore dust from the Convergence Era.

│

└── [EXTINCT] Golden-Grain Emmer Husk (5x) ─────────── 25 Honor Points

└── Description: Ancient staple grain. Complete cellular dormancy.

”We keep three distinct extinct samples in storage,” the clerk explained, pointing his bony finger at the entries. ”Because they are considered non-viable research artifacts rather than active agricultural stock, the academy lists them at a fraction of standard prices. Twenty points for the Obsidian Root husks, thirty for the Solis-Bloom spores, twenty-five for the Golden-Grain.”

Rowan looked down at the entry for the Obsidian Root. Three petrified husks that modern cultivators considered useless stone—but to his primordial domain’s soil matrix and high-purity fluid, they represented a massive breakthrough for reviving dead soil matrices.

”I’ll take the three Obsidian Root husks,” Rowan said without hesitation, tapping his pass against the counter.

The old clerk tapped his brass seal onto the ledger, authorizing the transfer with a sharp metallic clack.

[ SOL-AETHEL ACADEMY TREASURY TRANSACTION ]

ITEM PURCHASED:

* [EXTINCT] Obsidian Root Seed Husk (3x)

COST:

* Honor Points Deducted: -20 Points

REMAINING BALANCE: 50 Honor Points

STATUS: Transaction Complete / Rare Vault Item Dispensed

The clerk reached into a secure drawer behind the marble desk and pulled out a small, velvet-lined mahogany box. He slid it across the counter. Inside lay three jet-black, stone-like husks. They felt completely cold, dry, and inert to the touch—without a single trace of active mana lingering in their cellular structure.

”All yours, Rowan,” the clerk said, shaking his head with a faint smile. ”Though if you manage to extract anything useful out of dead stone, be sure to let Senior Lecturer Vane know.”

”I will. Thank you, sir,” Rowan said, closing the mahogany box and tucking it into his satchel.

He left the Treasury and walked briskly back across the academy grounds toward the dormitory quad. Returning to his room, Rowan locked the deadbolt, pulled the heavy blackout curtains shut, and drew a quiet breath to center his core.

With a soft hum of golden energy, the stone walls folded away, and Rowan stepped into the sweeping twilight of his personal domain.

The cool, mana-saturated air of Eden greeted him immediately. He walked past the thriving rows of E-Grade crops and the newly frost-covered soil where his Frost-Melons were taking root, heading directly down into the underground root chamber beneath the primordial tree.

Rowan set the mahogany box on a flat stone near the edge of the subterranean pool. Opening it, he picked up one of the three pitch-black husks. It was completely petrified, hardened by centuries of atmospheric starvation.

Using his pruner, he carefully made a shallow incision along the outer shell of the husk to expose its dormant inner core. Then, using a small glass cup, Rowan dipped directly into the basin of high-purity primordial tree fluid and placed the cut husk into the glowing liquid.

For several long seconds, nothing happened. The petrified husk remained submerged at the bottom of the cup, silent and still.

Then, a faint bubble floated to the surface.

[ PRIMORDIAL DOMAIN SYSTEM NOTICE ]

ANCIENT CELLULAR STRUCTURE DETECTED:

* Target: Extinct Species [Obsidian Root] (Pre-Collapse Era)

* Vitality State: Critical Dormancy (99.9% Petrified)

ABSORPTION PROCESS INITIATED:

* Medium: High-Purity Primordial Tree Condensed Fluid

* Result: Rapid Cellular Hydration & Mana Re-Activation

GERMINATION STATUS: SUCCESSFUL

The pitch-black husk suddenly absorbed the pale-blue liquid at a visible rate. Cracks spread across its petrified surface, shedding tiny flakes of black stone as a vibrant, dark-purple sprout burst through the dead shell. Tiny, hairline root fibers unfurled in every direction, pulsing with a deep, ravenous hunger for raw earth.

Rowan smiled, taking the freshly revived sprout out of the cup and carrying it up to a fresh, uncultivated plot of Grade-E+ soil matrix. He dug a shallow bed, set the Obsidian Root sprout gently into the earth, and covered its roots with dark, nutrient-rich dirt.

The moment the root fibers touched the domain’s matrix, the soil around the planting spot shifted to a rich, obsidian-tinted black. A subtle wave of purification resonated outward as the plant immediately began organizing the surrounding mineral strata.

Rowan stepped back, dusting off his hands. With three Obsidian Root husks in his possession, his domain would soon yield a crop capable of completely revitalizing the dead, depleted Grade-F soil of Plot 36—guaranteeing total dominance in the upcoming Mid-Term Practical Exam.