Gardener of Eden

Chapter 98: Chapter 98: Fruitful Year

The second semester flew by in what felt like the blink of an eye, defined by a rhythm of intense academic study, rigorous squad training, and relentless personal growth. Days turned into weeks as the seasonal shift swept across the academy grounds, and Squad 07 solidified their standing as Sol-Aethel’s premier combat unit.

Every night, while the rest of the academy slept beneath the stars, Rowan retreated into the radiant warmth of [Domain: The Virgin Soil]. Within his personal sanctuary, he worked the divine soil without pause—hoeing the earth, sowing exotic seeds, and harvesting pristine spirit herbs under the golden-blue mist of the Vessel of the Eternal Tide. The continuous, disciplined loop of planting, nourishing, and gathering divine vegetation acted as an extraordinary catalyst for his internal core. On a quiet night near the semester’s end, a brilliant column of golden light erupted from Rowan’s chest, resonating deeply with the colossal World Tree above. The breakthrough was complete: Rowan had officially reached Level 10. The milestone expanded his mana reserves to unprecedented depths, sharpened his physical capabilities, and deepened his mastery over creation mana to a point where the earth itself seemed to anticipate his touch.

His long-term self-study assignment for Professor Vane was an equally astounding success. By carefully acclimating the Tower specimen in the enriched soil of Sunny Vale’s newly expanded twenty-five acres—using steady, incremental applications of [Breath of Eden] rather than instant domain acceleration—Rowan successfully germinated a healthy, fully stabilized variant outside of the Tower’s atmospheric environment. His step-by-step research log stood as a masterpiece that was bound to rewrite conventional herbological textbooks.

Meanwhile, the rest of Squad 07 made extraordinary strides in their respective crafts. Valen practically lived in the heavy gravity chambers, honing his sword technique until his strikes carried crushing, effortless power. The squad’s Alchemist Scion mastered advanced brewing methods, utilizing high-vitality crops supplied directly from the Vance farm to produce flawless, crystal-clear elixirs. Their tactical support specialists refined their defensive arrays and long-range coordination, transforming Squad 07 from a group of individually talented prodigies into a seamlessly synchronized strike team.

As the second semester came to a close, Squad 07 stood stronger, sharper, and more unified than ever, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

Summoning his status display with a simple mental command, a soft, golden-blue holographic window materialized in the quiet air before Rowan.

[ STATUS WINDOW ]

Name: Rowan Vance

Age: 16

Class: [Tier 1] Gardener of Eden (Transcendent)

Title: Blessed by Polaris

Affiliation: Imperial Suburbs (Civilian) ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Level 10 (0 / 10,000 EXP)

[ STAT POOLS ]

Mana Pool: 270 / 270

Stamina Pool: 260 / 260

[ ATTRIBUTES ]

Vitality (VIT): 26

Strength (STR): 26

Agility (AGI): 26

Intelligence (INT): 27

Wisdom (WIS): 27

Unallocated Stat Points: 0

[ CLASS PERKS & PASSIVE TRAITS ]

[Passive Class Trait] Green Thumb (Grade I): Increases seed germination success rate by 15% and reduces minor environmental stress (moderate drought, slight soil acidity) on cultivated crops.

[Civilian Trait] Resilience: Slightly reduces fatigue accumulation during prolonged physical labor under poor conditions.

[Hidden Potential] Dormant Genius (Mind & Nature): Due to Legendary (L) growth affinity in Intelligence and Wisdom, skill learning speed for mental, ecological, and botanical concepts is exponentially heightened.

[Primordial Renovation]: Cleansed and rebuilt by cosmic life energy. All chronic infirmities are permanently cured.

[Breath of Eden - Lv. 2]: Passively accelerates growth, vitality, and evolutionary potential of surrounding life.

[Domain: The Virgin Soil]: Unlocks access to the Primordial Garden (10:1 Time Dilation).

[ EQUIPMENT & INVENTORY ]

Relic: Hoe of the World-Tiller, Vessel of the Eternal Tide

Pouch of Heirloom Seeds: Empty

Standard Suburban Clothing

Identification & Awakening Registration Tag: Civilian Class

Sol-Aethel Academy Student Pass (Honor Points: 50)

Rowan looked over the glowing runes, a calm, deeply satisfied smile spreading beneath the brim of his straw hat. Exactly three hundred and sixty-five days ago, he had been an unranked graduate with a humble farming class that most cadets at the academy wrote off as useless. His family had been drowning in debt just to keep their original five-acre plot, and his father Arthur’s shattered mana circuits had felt like an irreversible tragedy.

Now, a single year later, his whole world had transformed.

His core thrummed with the dense, refined weight of a Level 10 cultivator. Eden International had evolved into a commercial giant generating tens of thousands of gold monthly, backed by a newly acquired twenty-five-acre domain. His father was regaining his strength day by day, his mother was managing the realm’s premier agricultural enterprise, and his ancestral peach orchard was supplying the continent with life-changing vitality harvests.

Above all, Rowan had proven that the path of the soil was far from weak—it was an elemental force capable of earning the Emperor’s respect, conquering Tower floors, and reshaping the empire.

Flicking his wrist, Rowan dismissed the screen into glowing motes of light. Adjusting his straw hat, he stepped out onto the balcony of his room, looking out over the emerald fields of Sunny Vale, catching the morning light. It had been a fruitful year, but as he took a deep breath of the crisp, high-vitality air, he knew this was still just the beginning.

***

Rowan sat on the living room sofa, his legs kicked up as he absentmindedly watched the news broadcast flickering across the television screen. The anchor was currently discussing the rising economic influence of regional agricultural ventures in Sol-Aethel, briefly flashing a graphic of Eden International and its sudden surge in popular acclaim following the release of their ancestral fruit line. Rowan chuckled under his breath, adjusting his position just as the front door creaked open behind him.

”Happy birthday to you... happy birthday to you...”

Rowan turned around to see Martha and Arthur stepping into the entryway, their voices harmonizing in a warm, cheerful chorus. Martha was carefully balancing a decorated birthday cake adorned with glowing spirit-candles that flickered with soft, golden flames, while Arthur carried a fresh box of sweet treats from the local bakery, a healthy, energetic color flushed across his face.

”...Happy birthday, dear Rowan! Happy birthday to you!”

A soft, genuine smile broke across Rowan’s face as he stood up from the couch. ”Mom, Dad... you really didn’t have to go through all this trouble.”

”Nonsense!” Martha insisted, setting the cake down gently on the dining room table with a radiant laugh. ”You’ve worked so hard all year, Rowan. Turning sixteen and reaching Level 10 are major milestones, especially after everything our family has been through. Now come on, make a wish before the candles burn out!”

Rowan stepped over to the table, looking between his parents. Seeing his mother beaming without a single trace of the exhaustion that used to weigh her down, and looking at his father standing proud, healthy, and whole with his mana circuits steadily mending, Rowan realized he didn’t have much left to ask for. He took a deep breath and blew out the flickering candles in one smooth breath.

The family of three spent the entire afternoon sitting together, cutting into the cake, sharing stories, and enjoying the rare moment of quiet togetherness. They toasted not just to the rapid growth of Sunny Vale and their enterprise, but to their vibrant good health and newfound peace of mind. For Arthur, sitting comfortably at the table without a single phantom pain in his chest was a miracle he thanked his son for every single day.

As the warm afternoon light washed over the kitchen, Rowan leaned back in his chair with a deep sense of contentment, knowing that no matter how high his level climbed, moments like these were the true harvest of his journey.