Gathering Wives with a System

Chapter 37: Third Title, Velumbra Lily

Isaac woke up to a pleasant surprise.

Spirit Power: 97 → 100

You have reached the stat limit of Spirit Power. Unlocked title Mind Echo.

”Guess going to bed early really paid off.”

As he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, Isaac thought back to the previous night.

He had fallen asleep quickly, and his mind was unburdened for once.

Maybe that was it. His mind had finally relaxed. Good thing he listened to Vice Principal’s advice of taking proper rest.

That, and the nutrients from his mana-rich meals probably helped his body stabilize.

He felt sharper somehow, clearer. But was that the effect of the new title, or just the increase in stats?

”Hopefully today’s combat training will help me figure out what exactly Formlock and Mind Echo do,” he mumbled.

He dressed quickly and stepped out into the fresh morning air with Leora trailing close behind.

The field greeted him with a familiar shimmer, but something else caught his eye.

”Again?” he blinked.

Each plant now bore twenty fruits.

He approached with a quiet sense of awe.

”They doubled again...”

Without wasting time, he swung his hoe twice. The motion was now second nature to him.

400 Tier 0 Vitality Grain Crops harvested. Mana +36. Constitution + 36.

You have obtained 2000 Tier 0 Vitality Grains.

Constitution: 100 [49 → 85]

Mana: 100 [89 → 125]

The grains were stored inside with Leora’s help.

The stalks were burned, their ashes scattered to rejuvenate the soil, and new seeds were planted in careful rows.

After finishing his chores, he washed up, then made his way toward the basement gym.

Professor Catherine joined him just before breakfast, and together, they enjoyed a hearty meal.

With the new diet, Isaac could feel his fatigue dissolving bite by bite.

Class followed in the study.

Today, Professor Catherine had brought a new type of flower.

It was delicate, with pale lilac petals that shimmered slightly in the light. A faint, soothing fragrance lingered around it.

”This,” she began, holding one up for him to see, ”is a Velumbra Lily. A rare flower. It naturally grows near dangerous flora such as Dreadbloom, Miragepetal, and Viperthorn. Those are the poisonous flowers you have. But unlike them, the Velumbra Lily contains compounds capable of acting as an antidote to all three.

”However, the extraction process must be done with extreme care. Each antidote is unique, and any mixing during extraction renders the results ineffective.”

Isaac nodded, focusing his Reaper’s Bounty skill. Mana flowed into his hands, and he reached for the first Velumbra Lily.

The process was more complicated than extracting two Silverbloom at once.

Each antidote had to carefully extracted. His breathing slowed, and he worked methodically.

During the class, Isaac received another valuable piece of information from Professor Catherine.

The effect of Dreamblood, Miragepetal, and Viperthorn could be increased when they were used in large number.

When used only one of each, they could affect Adept rank awakener.

When used three of each, they could poison Elite rank awakeners.

When five, they could destroy Master rank awakeners.

Their ability to increase the effect when used in large numbers was what made them rare and expensive.

It was also the reason Professor Catherine chose them as Isaac’s weapon instead of any other poisonous flower.

By the end of the session, sweat beaded Isaac’s brow, and his fingers were cramping from the delicate work. He had only managed to extract ten Velumbra Lily.

[Reaper’s Bounty has reached Level 4]

”It leveled up... from just ten?” he muttered.

Professor Catherine smirked, finding pleasure in his surprise.

”That’s the benefit of having a high-rank Talent. Skills tied to it will grow faster as well. And considering how complex this task was, it’s no wonder you saw such growth.”

Isaac nodded slowly, absorbing the words. High difficulty, high reward.

They had lunch together. The mana-rich dishes revitalized him instantly. His body, tired from the morning’s work and class, now buzzed with energy.

After lunch, he returned to the field. The plants had grown again. Each one now bore twenty-two fruits.

440 Tier 0 Vitality Grain Crops harvested. Mana +40. Constitution + 40.

You have obtained 2200 Tier 0 Vitality Grains.

Constitution: 100 [85 → 125]

Mana: 100 [125 → 165]

He harvested them all again, storing and burning as before. This time, however, a new message appeared.

Sovereign of Land has reached Level 3

Active and passive effects strengthened by 120%.

Cooldown: 24 hours → 20 hours

He grinned.

With his energy still high, he made his way to the backyard and planted another tangerine tree.

The first tree, which he had planted only yesterday, had already borne fruit again.

Tyr, the Treant, appeared quietly and plucked the fruits from both trees, offering them to Isaac.

Isaac smiled and handed a few back to Tyr, who accepted them with what looked like a pleased nod.

As he stored the rest inside the house, Professor Catherine appeared again.

”Are you done?” she asked.

”Yes,” he replied.

”Good. Your break is over. Let’s head out for your combat training.”

Isaac perked up. He had been waiting for this.

”You can bring Tyr with you,” she added casually.

Isaac blinked, then glanced at the eight-foot-tall Treant beside him.

”How am I supposed to bring—”

Before he could finish, Tyr’s body trembled.

The thick branches and limbs retracted. The bark folded in on itself.

In mere seconds, Tyr had shrunk down to the size of a small, leafy child, no taller than Isaac’s palm.

Isaac blinked again. ”Well... that solves that.”

He hoisted the miniaturized Treant onto his shoulder, and the four of them—Isaac, Tyr, Professor Catherine, and Leora—left the stronghold on foot.

Thanks to their high stats, they moved at incredible speeds, barely winded even after covering miles.

As they reached the outer edge of the stronghold, Isaac noticed something.

A faint, shimmering dome encased the entire Stronghold. It became clearer as he neared the border.

”A transparent barrier.”

A city in ruins lay beyond it. Crumbling buildings, claw marks slashed across shattered concrete, and entire towers uprooted and stacked atop one another.

It was like staring into the aftermath of a thousand-year-old war.

At the barrier’s edge, another professor stood waiting, surrounded by nine students.

”Ah, you must be Isaac,” the professor greeted him with a nod. ”I’m Professor Ren from the Sanctum of Masters. These nine are fourth-year students. You will be joining in on their practical combat training.”

The students, dressed in more combat-ready gear, eyed Isaac with curiosity and mild disinterest—until Professor Ren spoke again.

”This young man is an SSS-rank Farmer. He awakened just a few days ago, yet he’s already Level 10 Initiate tier and has unlocked the Mana Resonance title.”

The temperature in the air seemed to shift.

Some students looked surprised, others skeptical.

One of them narrowed his eyes, clearly not expecting someone with a Life Talent to have such growth.

Professor Ren smiled to himself, watching the shift in their expressions.

Then he clapped his hands.

”You’ll be split into two groups of five. Isaac, you’ll join Team A. Each team will head to a different starting location. Somewhere nearby, a monster is lurking. It’s dangerous, but manageable if the entire team works together. The first team to defeat it wins.”

”What kind of monster?” one student asked.

”That’s for you to find out,” Professor Ren replied with a shrug. ”Intercepting the other team is allowed. Don’t worry about other monsters. We’ll be monitoring everything. If anything gets out of hand, we’ll step in.”