Infinite Farmer: A Plants vs Dungeon

Tulland considered the offer for a second before deciding that he wasn’t that desperate for fertilizer. “You know what? I’ll do without this time.”

A clanking in the distance was suddenly audible as an armored, hulking man crested over a nearby hill, looking down in hurried alarm and then sudden relief.

“You got them?” White wasn’t trying to hide his surprise. “Both of them?”

“Yeah!” Tulland waved and yelled. “Hard counter, it turns out.”

A few more bounds brought White down to them, followed closely by Licht and a few more people Tulland had never seen before.

“You both made it? That fast?” Tulland asked.

“What do you mean, fast?” Licht slapped Tulland on the back. “You took forever in the tenth. Anyone who entered when you did would have come out a long time ago. We thought something had happened to you in the floor. We’ve been here for days.”

“You didn’t have to enter when we did though, right?” Necia tilted her head. “You could have waited weeks.”

“I was worried, I guess. Something like that.”

“I’m hungry.” Licht turned to look at the carnage. “I didn’t want my farmer to die. It’s pure self-interest.”

“Farmer?” One of the men looked at Tulland much more closely than he had been. “Not really, correct?”

“No, he’s a Farmer,” White said. “Remember when I said I didn’t want to get your hopes up? This is why.”

“That changes…” The man’s eyes panned back and forth a few times between Tulland and White. “A lot of things.”

“Sorry, one second,” Tulland interjected. “White? I don’t think I gave you permission to make my whole thing public knowledge.”

“Don’t worry. You owe me that much trust, and this set of floors isn’t like the last. Now that you’ve eliminated the problems that followed you here, I think you’ll be just fine. And we’ll need to use you.”

“Ah.” Tulland nodded his head. White had, admittedly, earned at least that much. “Sure.”

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“Good. I’ll catch you up soon, anyway. For now, let’s give you both the tour. I think you are going to like it.”

White looked so genuinely pleased about whatever he had seen so far on this safe zone that Tulland and Necia followed without any fuss. They were several steps towards their new destination when Tulland suddenly lurched to a stop.

“Hey, everyone? Would you mind going on without me?” Tulland said.@@novelbin@@

“Why?” Necia shot him a concerned look. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I just need a moment. Really just a moment. I’ll catch right up.”

“Okay. I’ll take notes for you. But don’t take long. It’s not safe.”

“You’d be surprised actually,” White said. “Different kind of community up here. But yes, don’t dally. We are burning daylight.”

Tulland hung back long enough for everyone to crest the hill before he did anything, then sat down in the dirt.

“You didn’t lie about the matchup.”

Of course not. And yet you seem angry about that, I sense?

“You could have lied about the outcome. I was ready to run. It would have been a disaster for everyone.” Tulland shuddered as he realized in that moment, with how scared he was of Halter, that he hadn’t even thought about what would have happened to Necia if the rogue hadn’t given chase. “Why didn’t you?” 𝐫₳𐌽𝔬𐌱Еṩ

Why would I?

“To get me killed. To get the power. Is it just that you are betting I’ll go further? That you’ll get more payoff? I don’t understand you anymore. At all.”

You wouldn’t trust any answer I gave you.

“Probably not. But try me.”

The System went quiet for almost a full minute. Tulland took in the breeze that was blowing across the land. Even covered in dried blood and sweat, he felt a little better.

I’m a System.

“That’s not an answer.”

It is. I’m a System. I’m supposed to help adventurers. Classers. Anyone from my world who strives for more. And you are that.

“That’s it? Because from what you say, The Infinite is a stronger sort of thing than you are. And it’s interested in me. What if it helps me find a way out?”

Then it does. I doubt it will, but it could. But up until that point… Tulland, do you remember when you told me how badly you wanted off that island? It must have been dozens of times that you told me you were meant for being a ship’s captain. Or a swordsman. Or a courier. That you were meant for something.

“Sure.”

You were wrong, in a way. Humans aren’t necessarily meant for only one thing. They can be happy or sad in a surprising variety of situations. They have a choice, and they are built to be versatile sorts of beings. But I am not the same. I was built for a purpose.

Tulland sat for a bit, considering that.

“Tell you what.” He stood and wiped his pants off. “I think I’ve trusted you on enough advice by now that it would be silly to keep pretending I distrust all of it. Whether you are lying or not. I could see my way into at least seeming like I trust it, from now on.”

You don’t have to.

“I don’t. But do you want me to?”

The System thought about that for a bit. Tulland could almost sense it not wanting to admit what they both knew was true.

Yes. I would like that.

“Done. Now come on. I want to see what’s so different about this safe zone.”

Tulland was pretty fast now, all things considered. It was only a few seconds before he disappeared over the hill himself and on to whatever came next.