I Grow Crops with a System

After finishing the Spicy Pickled Cabbage, Eric felt his body fill with strength, the effect was even better than the plain Vitality Cabbage he had eaten earlier.

Seeing Eric and Pearl eat with such relish was too much to bear, the other two elves joined in.

Same reaction, the delicious food nourished their exhausted bodies.

They could feel their stamina recovering fast, with all formalities dropped, they buried their heads in the meal and wolfed everything down.

Neither Ethan nor Pearl were very talkative.

As for the three elves — whether to recover their stamina as quickly as possible or simply to better enjoy the food — they couldn’t be bothered to speak either.

The incredible taste enforced the rule of no talking while eating.

”Phew... Ah, um...”

Eric had completely forgotten his aristocratic etiquette, burying his head and eating frantically, after a while, he realized how rude his behavior was and quickly straightened up.

”I apologize.”

”Hm?” Ethan looked at him.

”I should have savored it slowly...”

”Haha, you already ate it with great relish.”

”My name is Eric, and these two are my companions, Rude and Caesar, we are as close as brothers, you are our savior... you don’t need to be so polite.”

”I am Rude.”

”I am Caesar.”

The other two elves also introduced themselves, Ethan smiled and nodded.

”How did you get poisoned?” Ethan asked.

”Ah... well...” Eric stammered.

”I heard you three sneaked into the Great Forest, is that true?”

All three blushed with shame.

”By the way, how did these two get poisoned?”

Rude began to explain, unable to stop Eric’s adventurous plan, they had no choice but to follow him into the Great Forest, but as soon as they crossed the cursed land and entered the forest, they ran into a massive horde of undead.

”Didn’t the elves wipe out a lot of undead last time?” Ethan asked.

”Meow, if the undead are left alone, they continuously multiply, meow, that’s why this place is called the cursed land, meow~” Pearl explained.

”How terrifying.”

”Indeed, but the undead are nothing to us, we wiped them out and were just about to continue forward when...”

”We ran into a high-level undead,” Caesar finished.

Ethan frowned, Zharok had warned him — low-level undead were nothing to fear, but high-level undead were incredibly difficult to deal with, one should avoid entering their territory.

To think they had actually run into one, what terrible luck.

”A high-level undead? What kind?” Ethan asked.

”A Lich.”

”Liches are powerful mages who converted themselves into undead to escape death, they possess intelligence and can use magic, ordinary people can’t even scratch them.”

Caesar’s voice trembled with fear, despite their formidable strength, they had been completely helpless before the Lich.

”To be honest, it’s a miracle we managed to escape at all, if we hadn’t fled into that purple forest...”

”Purple forest?”

”If you head north from here, you’ll find it, it’s full of herbs and poisonous plants, meow~” Pearl explained.

’Herbs and poisonous plants?’ He would have to check that place out in the future, Ethan kept the note in mind.

Pearl continued, ”There are two reasons that Lich didn’t chase after them, meow.”

”First, once an undead leaves the cursed land, its power decreases, meow.”

”Second, there’s something incredibly dangerous inside that purple forest, meow.”

”Something incredibly dangerous?”

”Human-Faced Spiders, meow, not only are they highly venomous, but the silk they spin is tougher than steel, even a Lich could be killed by them, meow!”

The three elves turned pale, still, they were lucky to have made it back alive, Ethan smiled and did his best to put them at ease.

Eric scratched his head. ”If it weren’t for you, we definitely wouldn’t have survived, Rude and Caesar were both poisoned, and I was at my limit too...”

The three elves thanked Ethan once more, but he simply waved his hand, it was just a small effort — he couldn’t possibly watch them die.

”High-level undead usually don’t leave their own territories... Did you enter its territory?” Ethan asked.

”No, where we encountered the Lich, there were only low-level undead,” Eric said with certainty.

Ethan had also been to the area where they ran into the Lich, it wasn’t dangerous territory — so why would a high-level undead appear there?

’Could something unexpected have happened?’ The question nagged at him, but there was no answer to be had right now.

”Regardless... you should all rest for now.”

Zharok was well-informed and had probably already notified the Canine Beastman tribe.

Last time, it was the Canine Beastmen who had helped resolve the Ape Beastman incident, if they joined the search, they should be able to find these three quickly.

Of course, it was also possible they hadn’t joined yet, he still needed to contact Zharok.

”Pearl, could you make a trip to the Canine Beastman village?”

”You want to find Zharok, meow?”

”Yeah, I don’t know where he lives, but the Canine Beastman tribe should.”

”What if they don’t know either, meow?”

”Then we’ll just have to ask for their help, or go to the Minotaur village.”

Ethan stroked Pearl, the cat purred comfortably, then stood up.

”I’ll go then, meow, be good and stay right here, don’t go anywhere, meow!”

”I leave it to you.”

Pearl raised its tail high and dashed away at full speed.

Eric watched the direction Pearl disappeared in, then bowed deep to Ethan.

”Thank you so much, how can we ever repay you...”

”If you get the chance in the future, bring me some crops or seeds from the Elven Kingdom,” Ethan said.

”No problem, I swear on my family’s honor, I will definitely repay your kindness,” Eric said. He paused.

”No, no, I’m already fine, what are you—”

”Going to work.”

Ethan had originally planned to clear the wheat field today, but plans couldn’t keep up with changes, he would just work here for now.

Ethan walked over to the pottery wheel.

”What is this?” Eric asked.

”It’s used to make pottery.”

”I see, let me help you spin it.”

Eric took off his shoes and stood next to the pottery wheel, since he was being so enthusiastic, Ethan couldn’t exactly refuse, he told the other two elves to continue resting, then picked up a lump of clay and placed it on the wheel.

”Let’s begin.”

Eric pedaled with vigor, the pottery wheel spun wildly, and Ethan began shaping. He made a few bowls and then placed them in the kiln.

”We’ll help too.” Rude and Caesar walked over as well.

”Be careful.”

”I’ve never seen this method of making pottery before.”

”How do the elves make pottery?” Ethan asked.

”We use glass, is there no glass here?”

”Glass... That’s wonderful, if I need glass in the future, can I trade with you?”

”Of course, my family has excellent glass artisans, you can come find me anytime.” Eric’s voice swelled with pride.

Ethan smiled and ignited the kiln, he brought out pottery he had made previously.

”Oh... this is...”

”Can these be traded with the elves?” Ethan asked.

”These exquisite white ceramics... they are beautiful, did you make these too?” Eric said in awe.

”Yes.”

Eric gazed at the flawless, jade-white ceramics and pointed at one of the clay jars. ”This one, can you sell it to me?”

”Sure, what are you planning to trade for it?”

”Besides glass, my family also has—”

A sinister voice cut through the air from above.

”Kekekeke! You brats! I finally found you!!”