After lunch, I went into the Subspace.
I needed to manage the fields I had neglected because I was busy with the branch store, and it was about time to harvest the first crops I had planted.
“Today is finally harvest day.”
“Wow! Finally!”
Aria followed me excitedly.
As we arrived at the Subspace field, the lush crops caught my eye.
‘They grew much better than I expected.’
The Honey-Scented Corn I received from O’Donnell had already grown past my waist, reaching the height of an adult. Fat ears of corn hung from every stalk, and as I approached, a faint, sweet honey scent wafted through the air.
“This smells sweet even from here.”
I picked one ear of corn and peeled back the husk. The kernels were packed tightly, shimmering with a golden light.
**[Honey-Scented Corn]**
Grade: Common
Category: Crop
Description: A specialty of the Halfling farms. A corn with a sweet honey scent. In the Halfling world, it is treated as a rarity because production is low due to the climate and environment.
“I think it would be delicious just by steaming it!”
I couldn’t agree more.
I started placing the corn into a basket. I managed to harvest ten in total.
Next were the Maple Carrots. I carefully pulled out the orange-tinted carrots peeking out from the ground.
“Oh.”
The carrots were much smaller than expected. They were about the size of a pinky finger, much like mini carrots.
“They’re smaller than I thought.”
However, just because they were small didn’t mean their effects were minor.
**[Maple Carrot]**
Grade: Rare
Category: Crop
Description: A rare crop from the Halfling world. It is characterized by its small, maple-leaf-shaped red leaves. Its stat-increasing effects are concentrated within its mini size.
“Since it’s Rare grade, it even gives a permanent stat boost.”
“Guardian! You must have a talent for farming.”
“It’s all thanks to the World Tree. We have the smart farm facilities too, so all I did was pull weeds.”
“Now that you mention it, you’re right.”
‘Shouldn’t she be disagreeing with me there?’
I harvested fifteen Maple Carrots. Each one had a slightly different pattern, making them interesting to look at.
‘They’re small, but the effects are amazing. I can’t believe I got a Rare grade.’
Lastly, the Snow-White Cabbage. As I lifted the cabbage, its white leaves layered tightly together, I felt a heavy weight.
“Wow, it’s heavy.”
**[Snow-White Cabbage]**
Grade: Common
Category: Crop
Description: A cabbage with pure white leaves. A rare crop in the Halfling world, characterized by its white sprouts.
I only harvested two Snow-White Cabbages. I could have picked more, but if I harvested them too early, they would just rot, and I didn’t have an immediate use for them anyway.
“I can just pick them when I need to eat them.”
Once the harvest was finished, the basket was full. Ten ears of Honey-Scented Corn, fifteen Maple Carrots, and two Snow-White Cabbages.
‘The harvest is pretty good for my first time in the field.’
However, I felt a slight sense of disappointment.
“If only the grades weren’t so low.”
“Why? I think you did great for a beginner farmer just by successfully harvesting them!”
“It’s not bad in that sense, but compared to the crops I received from Lumi before, it’s a bit disappointing. I think it’s because I don’t have any cultivation skills.”
“Cultivation skills?”
“Yeah. Farmer Hunters have skills related to cultivation. You know, skills that accelerate crop growth or improve quality. Since I don’t have anything like that, all I could do was plant them and watch them grow.”
“Then there’s no need to compare yourself, is there? Those people are professionals! As the saying goes, you can’t expect to be full after just one bite.”
“Where did you learn a phrase like that?”
“Where else would I learn about Earth besides you? The TV, of course. Anyway, don’t be disappointed just because the grade is low!”
“Right. Thanks. Growth was fast thanks to the World Tree, but I guess I just don’t have the ability to raise the quality yet. Well, they should still taste good. They might not have commercial value, but they’re more than enough for us to eat.”
“Then, are you going to cook with these for dinner tonight?”
“Yeah. Since we grew them ourselves, they’ll taste even better.”
I picked up the basket with satisfaction.
“I’ve left some with professional farmers, so once those grow, things will be different. For now, this was just a hobby.”
“Still, I think growing them yourself is fun!”
“I’m glad you think so, Aria.”
“More importantly, Guardian, look at the World Tree.”
At Aria’s words, I looked closely at the World Tree’s branches. The fruits, which had been the size of peas, had now grown to the size of cherries.
“They’ve grown quite a bit.”
The system recognized them as items, allowing me to check basic information.
**[Fruit of the World Tree]**
Grade: Legendary
Effect: Not yet mature
Description: The first fruit born from the World Tree. It needs more time to fully ripen.
‘Even though it’s not even ripe yet, its innate grade is Legendary?’
“That’s because it’s the World Tree.”
For some reason, Aria’s shoulders puffed up with pride.
“How long do you think it will take for the fruit to fully ripen at this rate?”
“Hmm. The environment is very different from Terra, so I don’t know for sure, but I think it will take about another month.”
“Still, I’m looking forward to it. Let’s be satisfied with this for today. Just thinking about making dinner with these harvested vegetables is making me hungry.”
“Me too!”
As I was about to leave the Subspace, a notification appeared on the hologram. A message had arrived from Yun Tae-seong.
“Oh? From Yun Tae-seong? Just a moment, Aria. Let me check this.”
“Okay.”
**[The results for the Floor 25 field test just came out. They are much more positive than expected!]**
“Oh! That’s good news.”
**[Thanks to the Odor of Ghoul potions, we were able to pass through the undead mobs safely. On top of that, the improved War Paint and Sanctuary’s Blessing were added, showing synergistic effects beyond expectations.]**
It seemed the field test had been completed much more easily than expected. Except for the Odor of Ghoul, it wasn’t exactly what I had intended, but it turned out well.
**[The Association has confirmed the date for the Floor 25 raid. It was originally scheduled for next week, but it has been moved up significantly to the day after tomorrow at dawn. And one more thing, since this expedition is large, I will be participating directly as a reserve member and Association representative.]**
“Then, does that mean Yun Tae-seong is going himself?”
“It seems so.”
**[Once the raid begins the day after tomorrow at dawn, I will report the situation to you in real-time. Thanks to the Rocket Store, I believe we will definitely be able to break through Floor 25 this time.]**
“This time, I won’t have to wait in suspense; I can watch the broadcast in real-time. I’m looking forward to it.”
“Then, will you be busy the day after tomorrow?”
“Most likely. Anyway, sorry for the wait. Let’s get out of the Subspace. I need to prepare dinner.”
I left the Subspace and returned to the living room, but Mago was still asleep, looking exactly as she had this morning. I was starting to wonder how many hours a day she actually slept.
“Mago is still sleeping. Being out of the Subspace makes me hungry.”
“Shall we steam the corn?”
“Yeah, that sounds good.”
I took out several ears of Honey-Scented Corn and placed them in the steamer. A short while later, a sweet honey scent filled the house.
“Wow, the smell is amazing!”
I took a bite of the steaming corn.
“It’s delicious!”
The kernels popped in my mouth, releasing a sweet flavor. Perhaps because of the World Tree’s energy, it was much tastier than normal corn.
“Aria, you try some too.”
“Okay!”
Aria also took a bite of the corn with her small mouth.
“It’s really delicious! I feel my fatigue washing away!”
We had an afternoon snack time while eating the corn.
“Now, I should prepare dinner.”
I took out the Maple Carrots and the Snow-White Cabbage.
“Should I make a rapée with the carrots and cabbage for sandwiches?”
“Rapée?”
“Yeah. It’s like a salad where shredded carrots and cabbage are tossed in dressing. It’s a French dish, and it’s really delicious in sandwiches. I learned it by watching Hunter Kim Yu-seong do it.”
I started finely shredding the Maple Carrots. Since they were mini-sized, they were a bit tedious to handle, but the vivid maple patterns made them look nice. I also finely shredded the Snow-White Cabbage. When I put them in a bowl, the contrast between the orange carrots and the white cabbage was beautiful.
“It’s pretty!” Aria exclaimed.
I made a simple dressing with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, then tossed everything together.
“Wow, this looks like it’ll be delicious.”
I toasted some bread, stuffed it with plenty of the rapée, and made sandwiches. I added some jam to my liking and took a bite; the refreshing taste spread through my mouth along with the unique crunchy texture of the rapée.
“It’s good!”
The subtle sweetness of the Maple Carrots and the clean taste of the Snow-White Cabbage were in perfect harmony.
“I think it’s even tastier because you grew them yourself, Guardian!”
“I think so too.”
While eating dinner, I logged into the Hunter community.
‘I’m curious about the reaction to the Ceres specialties.’
**[New ingredients are out at the Rocket Store]**
It’s called Silver Wheat, apparently a specialty from the world where Leon lives?
—Wheat? It’s not even fruit. I’m too lazy to make anything.
ã„´ Actually, Lee Jun-ho Company is said to be developing recipes right now.
ã„´ If you go to famous chef-Hunter bakeries, they’re already starting to sell it.
ã„´ I tried bread made with Silver Wheat, and it’s definitely tastier than regular bread. The price is the only downside.
**[Supply of Holy Water should stabilize soon]**
Who was hoarding it lately?
Finally, it’ll be easier to go to undead dungeons.
—Yeah, seriously.
—Maybe the expedition team took it all?
ã„´ Then it makes sense to yield it to them.
—Still, now we can go to dungeons with plenty of Holy Water.
**[The effects of the Radiant Magic Crystals are insane]**
I’m a Healer, and I bought a crystal immediately to have it custom-made into an accessory. The secondary effect increases healing magic effectiveness by 30%.
—30%? That’s broken.
ã„´ But it’s that expensive.
—Still, it seems worth buying.
—Healers don’t really spend their own money anyway. People are desperate to recruit them everywhere, so it’ll probably be used a lot as bribes.
I smiled with satisfaction as I read the comments.
“The reaction is really good. People have high expectations for the Ceres specialties.”
In the meantime, a message arrived from the Beastman Chief, Gray.
**[Human, thanks to the fishing net you gave me last time, we succeeded in a big hunt. Thanks.]**
—Congratulations! What kind of hunt was it?
**[We caught the Ancient Armored Fish, known as the master of the river. It was a creature our tribe had been targeting for three years.]**
Then, after a moment, a new message arrived.
**[So, I have a proposal. Our tribe chief is curious about what the Rocket Store truly is.]**
—The Chief?
**[Yes. And other beastman warriors are also very interested in your items. Especially the combat rations and recovery potions.]**
“An opportunity to trade with the entire Beastman tribe?”
**[But before that, I want to repay you. I owe you a lot for the Crystal Trout bait last time and the sturdy net this time.]**
—A reward?
**[Our Great Beastman Tribe has a tradition of communing and fighting alongside beasts. It will surely be helpful to the Hunters of your world as well. I will pass on the secrets of the Beast Warrior.]**
Things were working out like this.
Just as the news that the Beast Warrior class had been unlocked caused a stir, interest had been cooling down because no specific conditions or news of Hunters actually changing classes had surfaced.
‘There were a lot of complaints asking the Rocket Store to release more information, but I didn’t have any information myself.’
It seemed that this time, information about the Beast Warrior would finally be properly released.