The next morning, when Chen Mian went downstairs, breakfast was already on the table.
A steaming bowl of vegetable porridge and a plate of golden-fried eggs.
Flora stood by the stove, scooping the remaining porridge into a thermal container.
She had changed into different clothes today—a light gray short jacket—and her hair was casually pinned up with a wooden hairpin, revealing her slender, fair neck.
“Morning,” Chen Mian said as he pulled out a chair and sat down.
“...Morning.” Flora’s ears twitched slightly as she continued to fuss with the stove.
Chen Mian took a sip of the porridge. The rice was soft and well-cooked, the vegetables were finely chopped, and the seasoning was just right.
Mhm, it was indeed much better than what he could make himself.
He took a few more bites and glanced at the system panel.
【Points: 980.】
It seemed that Flora’s wish to make delicious food was considered complete as long as she cooked while relaxed. This way, he could steadily gain 100 Points every day.
He still needed 20 Points to upgrade.
【System Prompt: Today’s interaction task has refreshed: Feed Flora (+30 Points).】
Chen Mian didn’t know the exact time the system’s interaction tasks refreshed.
When he had first woken up, it was still in an unrefreshed state.
Completing this task would be enough.
Chen Mian set down his bowl and looked up at Flora.
She had her back to him, gently tightening the lid of the thermal container.
Beside her on the counter, a tiny white rabbit was looking around curiously.
“Flora.”
“Hmm?” She stopped what she was doing and turned around.
“Come here for a moment.”
Flora gently set down the thermal container and walked over.
Chen Mian used his chopsticks to pick up a piece of the remaining fried egg from his plate and held it out in front of her.
“Open up.”
Flora froze.
A faint pink hue crept onto her face. “W-What?”
“Fried egg,” Chen Mian said. “Do you want it?”
Chen Mian’s tone sounded perfectly normal.
Flora’s ears turned red. “W-Why?”
“No reason.”
Flora’s breathing hitched.
She stared at the piece of egg for two seconds before finally opening her mouth slightly and taking a small bite.
She chewed twice and lowered her head, her voice muffled. “Is that enough?”
“Yeah.” Chen Mian withdrew his chopsticks and continued eating his porridge.
Flora stood opposite him, her fingers unconsciously fiddling with the edge of her apron.
She wanted to ask “Why the sudden gesture?” but the words died in her throat.
A few seconds of silence passed.
She turned and walked back to the stove, picking up the thermal container and pretending to check if the lid was tight. She tightened it once, then again, and kept tightening it.
Her ears were still red.
Chen Mian finished the last of his porridge, stood up, and put the dishes in the sink.
“The fried egg was delicious.”
“Thank you...”
He walked out of the kitchen and opened the system panel.
【Today’s interaction completed: Feed Flora. +30 Points.】
【Points: 1010.】
Chen Mian clicked on the apartment upgrade.
【Confirm upgrade of the apartment to Level 2? This upgrade will consume 1000 Points.】
【Confirm.】
A pale gold light surged from the apartment’s foundation, spreading outward like ripples in water.
Wherever the light touched, the floors, walls, and ceiling glowed for an instant.
The ground beneath his feet vibrated slightly.
The system notification sounded.
【Apartment level increased: Level 1 → Level 2.】
【Initial Task completed!】
【Magic Level increased by 10!】
【Current Magic Level: 130】
【Current Apartment Level: 2. Level 3 unlock conditions: 2 tenants + 3000 Points】
【Unlocked: Magic Garden (Current Level 1).】
【Magic Garden: The vegetable plot behind the apartment has been converted into magic soil. Crops planted here will automatically absorb mana from the air and grow into magic crops. Maximum growth cycle is 5 days, crop quality is increased by 1 tier, and the plantable area is 1 acre.】
【New items added to the shop: Magic Seed Pack, Soil Fertility Enhancer (Upgraded), Automatic Waterer, Air Conditioner, Desk Lamp, Appraisal Magic...】
【Initial Task 2 Unlocked: Increase apartment level to 3 and ensure all tenants’ Sense of Belonging exceeds Level 2. Reward: Magic Level increase of 10 + Unlock Magic Ranch + Magic Hot Spring + Magic Garden Level Up】
(Magic Hot Spring (Level 1): Can be used for bathing. Relieves fatigue, accelerates mana recovery, nourishes mana, weakens curses, improves skin, etc. Temperature can be adjusted via mana.)
(Magic Ranch (Level 1): Magic grass will automatically grow within the ranch area every day. The ranch automatically purifies animal waste. Livestock quality is improved, with a chance to produce rare breeds. Ranch area is 1 acre.)
【Current Points: 10.】
System notifications chimed one after another.
10 levels...
His magic level had really jumped from 120 to 130.
Simply completing the first upgrade of the apartment had allowed him to directly break through the level cap of this world.
He could feel his mana intensity increasing, and the magnitude of the increase was terrifying.
Chen Mian narrowed his eyes slightly.
What exactly was this system?
He knew very well what Level 130 meant for this world.
“What was that golden light just now?” Flora asked, looking at Chen Mian with curiosity.
“The mana in the garden soil has been enhanced.”
Confusion filled Flora’s eyes. “Enhanced?”
“The vegetables grown there in the future can be used to make magical cuisine.”
Flora’s hand paused. She looked at Chen Mian, her lips moving, but she only managed to squeeze out one word: “...Really?”
“Yeah.”
She dried her hands, put down the cloth, and ran to the door.
The sunlight hit the ground around the building, and fine, pale gold patterns emerged on the soil’s surface, intertwining like veins.
Flora crouched down, her fingers gently touching those patterns. “Such dense mana...”
Chen Mian leaned against the doorframe, watching her crouched figure by the garden. “Let’s go. Time to buy some seeds.”
“Okay!” Flora stood up and turned around, a genuine smile on her face that looked particularly beautiful in the sunlight.
Then she suddenly remembered something and looked down at her light gray jacket and pale green dress.
“Wait for me a moment.”
She jogged upstairs, her steps light, showing her good mood.
Chen Mian waited by the door.
A moment later, Flora came back down, having changed into her gray hooded cloak, wrapping herself tightly so only her chin and a few strands of hair were visible.
Chen Mian glanced at her and remarked casually, “The outfit you had on just now looked better.”
Flora paused, her hand frozen mid-air as she was pulling up her hood.
“Keep up.” Chen Mian was already walking ahead.
“Okay.” Flora hurried to follow. “Mr. Chen Mian, where are we going to buy seeds?”
“Linyu Port Market.”
Chen Mian’s left hand lightly touched her shoulder, and the two vanished from the spot.
...
Linyu Port, Market.
The light of the teleportation faded, and they appeared in a deserted alleyway.
Walking out of the long alley, they found themselves on a bustling street.
The sides of the street were lined with various stalls selling vegetables, meat, fabrics, and ironware, with shouts and cries echoing everywhere.
The air was a mix of the sweet scent of baking bread, the smell of fish, and the odor of livestock waste.
She instinctively pulled her hood down a bit more.
“Stay close.” Chen Mian was already moving forward.
Flora hurried to keep up. The hem of her cloak almost got caught on a nearby vegetable basket, so she dodged to the side and jogged a few steps to stay half a pace behind Chen Mian.
The two strolled slowly along the main street.
They passed a fruit stall where bright red apples were piled like small hills next to a basket of purple berries.
Flora’s gaze lingered on the berries for a moment.
“Want some?” Chen Mian asked.
“No...” Flora shook her head. “I’ve just never seen these purple ones before.”
The stall owner was a loud-voiced middle-aged woman who immediately began shouting upon hearing her. “Purple pulp berries! Just picked this morning! Would the lady like a bunch?”
Chen Mian pulled two copper coins from his pocket and tossed them to the owner.
The owner smilingly handed over a small bunch of purple berries. Flora hesitated before taking them, picking one to put in her mouth and biting down. “So sweet!”
Chen Mian glanced at her and continued walking.
Flora held the bunch of berries and followed behind him. “Mr. Chen Mian, you should try one too.”
He took the bunch, plucked a berry and popped it into his mouth, then handed it back to Flora.
“How is it?”
“It’s alright.”
Passing a spice stall, various colored powders were displayed in wooden bowls, the scent so strong it was almost pungent.
Flora wrinkled her nose and let out a sneeze, her hood nearly slipping off.
Chen Mian reached out to help her adjust it.
“Thank you,” Flora said softly.
Chen Mian stopped at a seed stall.
Dozens of small cloth bags were arranged on the stall, their mouths tied with thin twine and labeled with yellowed paper tags.
The owner was a scrawny old man crouching on the ground with a blade of grass in his mouth, looking quite lazy.
Chen Mian crouched down and rummaged through the bags.
The common vegetable seeds were much the same as those in the Point Shop; buying them at the market didn’t require wasting Points.
In a corner, there were a few bags placed separately, with the word “Magic” written on the labels.
“Magic tomatoes, magic chili peppers, Moonlight Grass,” the old man mumbled with the grass still in his mouth. “One hundred Hella copper coins per bag.”
“I’ll take a bag of Moonlight Grass and one of each of the other common crop seeds.” Chen Mian pulled out two silver coins and handed them over.
In the Hella Kingdom, one Hella silver coin could be exchanged for one hundred copper coins.
Since the Magic Garden could convert common crops into magic crops, there was no need to waste money on magic seeds, except for the naturally magical plant, Moonlight Grass.
Moonlight Grass was fairly common in this world and was one of the few magic plants that could survive outside of dungeons. Its leaves could be used to brew tea.
Well... it tasted like the tea from his previous life, just with a more fragrant aroma.
As for the magical buffs, they didn’t really affect him.
The old man took the silver coins and tossed over a large bag containing the smaller individual seed packets.
Chen Mian caught it, tossed it into his storage space, and stood up to leave.
“Hey.” The old man suddenly called out, looking him up and down before glancing at Flora behind him. “You two aren’t locals, are you? Moonlight Grass is sensitive to drought. You can’t let it run out of water for the first three days after planting. After seven days, it’ll be fine. You must plant it in a place with dense mana, or it’ll die easily.”
“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.” Chen Mian smiled, waved his hand, and turned to leave.
“Do you like Moonlight Grass, Mr. Chen Mian?”
“I do.”
By the time they left the market, Flora was still holding the bunch of purple pulp berries. She plucked one and held it out to Chen Mian. “Mr. Chen Mian, have another one?”
Chen Mian took it and popped it into his mouth.
“Did you hear? That girl Loviki from the Royal Magic Academy appeared at the Linyu Port Adventurers’ Guild today.”
“Which Loviki?”
“Who else? The eldest daughter of the Lawrence Family, the one called the ‘strongest genius in three hundred years.’ A twenty-six-year-old Platinum Rank adventurer!”
“Hiss... Platinum Rank at twenty-six?! Even President Sages of Linyu Port is only a Platinum Rank adventurer.”
“Yeah, even adventurers like Branch President Sages, who arrived a couple of years ago, didn’t reach Platinum Rank until their forties.”
“And I heard the royal family plans to arrange a marriage with the Lawrence Family, and the candidate is Loviki Lawrence.”
“Really?”
“That’s just what I heard. Who knows what goes on with those big shots.”
The voices were soon drowned out by other noises and could no longer be heard clearly.
Chen Mian didn’t stop walking, and Flora didn’t look back.
The two had surprisingly identical reactions: they weren’t interested.
...
When they returned to the apartment, it was already afternoon.
Flora went to change her clothes.
Chen Mian carried the seeds to the back of the house.
He crouched down to look at the soil covered in pale gold mana patterns, then stood up and raised his right hand.
Mana surged out.
The ground churned, the soil broke apart, and ridges formed.
In less than ten seconds, over twenty perfectly straight rows were neatly arranged.
The seeds flew out of the bags, landing precisely in their respective areas, followed by a dense mist of water that enveloped the entire field.
“Done.”
Chen Mian brushed his hands together.
Footsteps came from behind. Flora had changed back into her pale green dress and was standing a few steps away, staring in shock at the garden where sprouts were already beginning to poke through.
“...So fast?”
“Yep.” Chen Mian nodded nonchalantly.
Flora stood by the edge of the garden, looking at his back and then at the field where planting was already complete.
From sowing to sprouting in less than half a minute, with such coverage and micro-management precise enough to space every seed perfectly.
“At least a Platinum Rank adventurer (Levels 50–60),” she whispered.
Moreover, this kind of non-combative, delicate work was actually harder than simply blasting a fireball.
For someone who could do this so easily, their actual combat level would only be higher.
“Peak Platinum? Or... Diamond Rank?”
Flora shook her head, dismissing the thought.
No matter what level he was, he was stronger than she was now.
She crouched down, her fingertips gently touching the silver-white sprouts of the Moonlight Grass, and sighed.
Currently, she couldn't even conjure the lowest-level fireball... what was the point of thinking about these things?
Chen Mian’s voice came from above her. “What are you thinking about?”
Flora blinked and looked up.
He had walked back at some point, holding a glass of water and looking down at her.
“...Nothing.” Flora stood up and brushed the dirt off her skirt, hesitating for a moment. “Mr. Chen Mian, what... what level are you?”
Chen Mian took a sip of water. “Level 130.”
Flora pursed her lips. “Mr. Chen Mian, really... you never answer questions properly.”
Chen Mian didn’t say anything, taking another sip of water. “Then... what do you guess?”
“Diamond Rank?”
Chen Mian glanced at her, his lips twitching slightly. “Something like that.”
He turned and walked back into the apartment.
What did “something like that” mean?
Either he was or he wasn't.
She wrinkled her nose and followed him in.
...
In some unknown space.
In a floating garden, a woman was reclining on a woven rattan lounge chair.
She looked to be in her early twenties, her appearance so perfect it was almost surreal. Her silver-white hair cascaded down to her waist, and she wore a loose-fitting bathrobe, holding a cup of a steaming drink in her hand.
“Something has felt strange lately. Did I miss something?”
A thin booklet lay open on the small round table beside her, with the title 《Reincarnator Observation Log》 written on the cover.
She picked up the booklet and flipped through a few pages.
No. 001, Tanaka Akira, Level 33. Reincarnated into a small village on the Continent of Clay. Killed by bandits in his third year. Cause of death: Overconfidence; let his opponent have one move and got insta-killed. Goddess’s note: This guy had issues.
No. 002, Maria, Level 1. Reincarnated into the Continent of Hark. On her first day, because she spoke an incomprehensible language, she was deemed a heretic by the local Inquisition and burned at the stake. Goddess’s note: This was my most failed deployment.
No. 003, Wang Ming, Level 1. Reincarnated into the Continent of Azerra. Stepped into thin air and fell to his death upon leaving his house. Goddess’s note: A very creative way to die!
...
No. 013, Kim Chul-soo, Level 45. Reincarnated into a magic family on the Peninsula Continent. Created his own “Magic and Martial Dual Cultivation” path. Turned himself into a mana crystal and was mined away by later adventurers as ore. Goddess’s note: At least he contributed to future generations.
...
No. 054, Chen Mian, Level 130...
The woman spat out her drink.
“Level 130?!”
Her eyes widened as she pulled the booklet closer to confirm she hadn't misread it.
“I’m screwed, I’m screwed, I’m screwed!”
She slammed the booklet onto the table and sat up, not even noticing that her bathrobe’s belt had nearly come undone.
“I’ve messed up... What do I do, what do I do?!”
The woman clutched her silver-white hair and paced back and forth in the garden.
“Isn’t the world level cap 120? How did he get past it?”
“No, no, logically he shouldn’t be able to level up further. Without a Divine Seat, it’s impossible to break through the world barrier... Did something go wrong with the items I gave him?”
She muttered to herself, then walked back to flip through the booklet again, reading Chen Mian’s page from start to finish.
Transmigration time: Fifty years ago. Current status: Alive. Magic Level: 130 (Has broken through world cap).
Has broken through world cap.
“No, I have to find a way to fix this.”
She sat back on the lounge chair, picked up a quill, and scribbled in the blank space on Chen Mian’s page.
【I’ll handle this myself, don’t report it, please!!】
Rate on N.U.
