The echoes of the retreating horse hooves finally faded into the heavy silence of the night. Han stood in the center of his glowing field, his chest heaving. The faint blue light on his hands was slowly dimming, but the adrenaline still pulsed through his veins like a river of fire. He had felt it—the very heartbeat of the earth responding to his call.
"It wasn't a dream, was it?" Han asked, his voice rasping. He looked at the deep cracks in the ground where Gagan's men had fallen. "The earth... it actually moved for me."
Maya stepped out from the shadows of the ancient Banyan tree, her eyes shimmering with an unreadable emotion. "The earth does not move for everyone, Han. It only answers to its true Harvester. But be warned—Bimal Singh is like a wounded viper. He will not rest until he swallows this light whole."
Han looked at the Star-Grade Mana Sprouts. They were pulsing faster now, almost as if they were breathing in sync with him. Suddenly, the blue translucent screen flickered back to life, glowing brighter than ever before.
[System Notification: Resonance Established!]
[New Feature Unlocked: The Astral Barn]
[Current Progress: 3,065 Energy Points Collected]
"Astral Barn?" Han whispered. As he touched the screen, a vision flashed through his mind—a vast, celestial warehouse where crops never withered and time stood still.
"You are growing more than just food, Han," Maya said, her voice dropping to a low, serious tone. "You are growing the essence of the stars. In the cities beyond these mountains, cultivators would kill for a single leaf of what you have planted here. Bimal Singh is a small threat compared to what is coming."
Han felt a chill that had nothing to do with the night air. "Why are you helping me, Maya? You aren't just a wanderer. No ordinary woman can summon thorny walls from the dust."
Maya smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. It was a sad, ancient smile. "Let's just say... I am a gardener who lost her garden a long time ago. Now, rest. Tomorrow, we must harvest the first batch. The light from these plants will soon be visible from the capital, and we must hide them before the 'Shadow Hawks' arrive."
As Han walked back to his small hut, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was no longer just a farmer. He was the guardian of a power that could change the world—or burn it to ashes.
Deep in the darkness of the landlord's manor, a bell tolled. Bimal Singh sat in his high chair, listening to Gagan's trembling report.
"Magic, you say?" Bimal Singh whispered, stroking his jeweled rings. "Then we shall not send men. We shall send a specialist."
I have a challenge for you: If we get 5 comments on this chapter, I will release a special double update soon!
Please vote with Power Stones and add the book to your library! Your support is my biggest motivation.