Teacher by day, Farmer by passion

[Congratulations, Host!

You've reached Gold Rank! Another milestone achieved. Here are the congratulatory gifts for you :]

You have recieved 2 Blank Cultivation Manuals

You have received 100 Years of Alchemy Knowledge

You have received 1 Unknown-Grade Alchemy Furnace

New Features:

• Herb Garden Unlocked

• Herb Shop Unlocked

Here's a bonus,

hint on the upcoming danger:

'It will be a huge castle in the sky,

But in a world where no-one can fly.

Try, you might, your brain will just fry.

Although yes, I'm sure you won't cry.'

The hell…. What is the system upto.

Ace after re-reading the hint still couldn't figure out the underlying message.

Does the system mean it literally? Or is there an underlying message behind the hint?

Ace stared at the glowing system screen, still processing the notification. A week of undisturbed cultivation…. and this was the result.

Well, I suppose I've been busy, he thought to himself.

He had stayed at Peak Silver Rank for some time, but now, at long last, he had finally broken through.

And when he reached the Gold Rank, the second level of his cultivation manual was revealed, Verdant Dao: Path of Eternal Harvest.

The first level, Seedling, had marked the beginning of his journey.

Now, he had reached Sprout. In this stage, he could vividly sense the vitality of plants—if he focused.

However, when he tried to glimpse the third level, the details still remained blurred, a mosaic image to the eye.

Still, being able to achieve Gold Rank was no small feat, and he allowed himself a rare moment of pride.

[Host, are you ready?]

Ace blinked at the prompt, confused.

"Ready?" he repeated.

And as if the system took his words as a sign of confirmation.

An immediate headache attacked his skull. Like a sharp, mind-numbing agony, so painful it instantly knocked him to the ground.

He gritted his teeth, clutching his head as memories and knowledge forcefully embedded themselves in his mind.

It was a familiar experience, he had already felt this before. Back when he received 100 Years of Wisdom.

And yet, despite all that wisdom, he was no different from his normal self aside from knowing stuff he has never learned.

Now, the system had handed him another reward: 100 Years of Alchemy Knowledge.

It was like giving a child a set of sharp knives. If the child could handle it, that was good but this?

It was like giving a child a knife especially even after he had cut his hands with a knife a few hours back.

Well that's what this was, if you didn't get it, then that's the author's fault. Not mine.

For what felt like an eternity, the pain twisted through his consciousness, burning new understanding into his mind.

As the pain finally faded, Ace took a deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts.

Just as he was about to process everything, a sultry voice echoed inside his mind.

— Oh my, what a fine man you are.

Ace froze. His eyes darted left, then right. He scanned the room, even glancing under the table yet all he found was nothing.

— Not out there, darling. I'm inside you.

The voice giggled, a teasing lilt in her tone.

Ace sighed, rubbing his temples. Right… a bonus from the 100 years of alchemy knowledge.

— That's about right.

She sounded far too amused.

— Now, tell me… when are we setting up the herb garden?

Her tone suddenly turned impatient.

— I don't have much time with you, you know.

"What herb garden?"Ace asked in confusion. Experience more content on My Virtual Library Empire

— Dear, it's your reward, give it a check.

Ace glanced at his rewards again—Herb Garden, Herb Shop… but where was the alchemy furnace?

"Shouldn't it just appear in my hand like in those system novels?" he muttered with a smile, stepping into the system space once more.

Q

— Quick, the herb garden! I'm excited!

The sultry voice chimed in again, clearly impatient.

Ace ignored her for now. "Lily?" he called out, expecting her to show up and lead him to the herb garden.

He waited a few minutes and next, when he realised he won't be getting any response he decided to walked around the space.

It had expanded since his last visit, stretching far beyond what he remembered.

Suddenly, a voice rang through the area.

— Master! Give me a name!

Ace turned to see a voluptuous woman with flowing blue hair and striking red sparkly eyes.

"…Who are you?" he asked, baffled.

— I'm your hoe.

Ace blinked. "…Wh-What?"

— I mean… the hoe you own, Master.

"…Hold on. I don't even know you."

The woman let out a dramatic sigh before transforming right in front of him—into a literal farming hoe.

Ace stared in stunned silence.

Oh.

It was the Divine Hoe he'd received as a reward.

Come to think of it… aside from using it once to till the land, he'd completely forgotten about it.

"Master, you're here! Aqua has arrived to be in your service."

Ace turned to the familiar voice.

"Aqua, do you know where Lily is?"

Aqua, now back in his humanoid form, nodded. "Yes, Master. She heard something about a system upgrade and dashed off somewhere."

A mischievous giggle echoed in Ace's mind.

[Hehe, you dared to reduce the amount of spirit pork I could intake a day. I'll get my revenge by snitching to the Master.]

Shaking his head, he gestured forward. "Aqua, lead me towards her."

Without hesitation, Aqua turned and strode ahead, his steps light and confident.

After about a minute or two, they arrived at a spot. In Front of him stood a massive mountain, towering high with a presence that felt almost… ancient.

His brow furrowed. Since when was this feature added?

Lily, who had been busy planting something in the soil, suddenly turned around after sending the new arrivals.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh! Master, what brings you here?"

Ace glanced around the area before responding, "I came to check on the Spirit Garden."

Lily grinned, wiping her hands on her robes. "Hehe, don't worry, Master! I'll take proper care of it."

At that moment, the sultry voice inside his head whispered.

— Can I possess her? She's so beautiful… she's exactly my type.

Ace twitched. What the hell kind of problem did the system give me this time?