Leveling up.

[Your Spirit Cleansing Apple is ripe for harvest.]

The system notification woke Ace up.

Without wasting time, he entered the system, cleared his farm, sold the Moonstone Flowers, and harvested the Spirit Cleansing Apples.

It had become a routine at this point.

But today, he felt like doing something different.

Stepping outside, he decided to take a morning run around the area. The sun had yet to fully rise, casting a dim golden glow across the sky. The path ahead was barely lit, but it was enough.

As he ran, he felt surprisingly light on his feet.

Was it because of his Warrior Rank?

Or was it because, deep down, he was still a 16-year-old inside this 20-year-old body?

Whatever the reason, he decided not to overthink it. For now, he would just live his life as it came.

He slowed down, catching his breath as he neared home—

"Help! Someone, help!"

Ace's head snapped toward the sound.

The cries came from the forest.

The very forest where rumours of it being haunted floats about. One where even Daredevil shan Yifeng won't dare enter.

"Foolish," Ace scolded himself, yet his feet still moved forward.

He should turn back. He knew he should.

And yet...

The voice belonged to a woman.

A damsel in distress.

A classic scenario—the kind found in adventure tales where the hero swoops in, saves the lady, and earns her gratitude.

It was tempting. Too tempting.

His steps slowed as he entered the forest, shadows creeping along the edges of his vision.

And then—

⚠ SYSTEM WARNING ⚠

The message flooded his screen, flashing so aggressively that he had to squint against the blinding text.

"Alright, alright! I get it!" he grumbled, waving a hand through the air as if to swat away the warning.

The cries for help had already faded.

The forest, now eerily silent, seemed to whisper that it was best if he forgot about it.

With a sigh, Ace turned on his heel. Forget playing the hero—he wasn't about to throw his life for someone he doesn't even know.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Ace had prepared another batch of Spirit Cleansing Apples for the day's lesson. This time, there were no Level 2 apples, but that didn't matter.

Five more Level 1 apples should do the trick.

Across the training area, Shan Yifeng was on the ground, gritting his teeth as he powered through push-ups like his life depended on it.

Meanwhile, Liu Mei sat nearby, happily munching on her apple, eyes fixed on Yifeng as if watching a particularly entertaining performance.

Ace turned his attention elsewhere—the system shop.

Better seeds meant better crops. Better crops meant a better harvest. And a better harvest meant more Gold Credits.

It was a no-brainer.

But there was a problem.

To unlock better seeds, he needed to level up his farm.

A frown crept onto his face. Wait… then how did I get Spirit Cleansing Apple seeds in the first place?

Spirit Cleansing Apples were high-grade crops, and if the farm had a level restriction, he shouldn't have had access to them at all.

Just as the confusion settled in, a system message flashed across his vision.

[It was a gift for the host. Were you not informed?]

"Huh?" Ace blinked. No, I wasn't told about this at all.

The system's response?

[ •••••••••••• ]

A long silence.

Then, another message popped up.

[Forgive my incompetence. Here's a compensation for the host.]

You've received 100,000 EXP.

Your farm has leveled up to Level 5.

You have unlocked Spirit Tomato Seeds

You have unlocked Spirit Cabbage Seeds

You have unlocked Spirit Chicken

You have unlocked Spirit Pig

You have unlocked Spirit Cow

You have received Five additional Plots of Land

You have received one Tree-growing Plot

....

....

Ace stood there, staring at the screen in stunned silence.

A long, deep breath in. A slow exhale out.

And then—

"Just because you slap the word 'Spirit' in front of everything doesn't make it special!"

He wanted to cuss out the system, but honestly? He was still going to be taking the rewards.

Ace was snapped out of his thoughts by Liu Mei's voice.

"Teacher, teacher! Can I have more apples?"

The system interface vanished as he blinked, finding himself face-to-face with the young girl.

"Wait here, okay? Teacher will go get it for you. Don't let Yifeng out of your sight okay."

Leaving her behind, he quickly made his way back to his room and opened the system shop again.

Spirit Tomato Seeds – 20 Gold Credits per seed

Effect: Enhances vitality and slightly accelerates energy recovery.

Spirit Cabbage Seeds – 50 Gold Credits per seed

Effect: Soothes minor internal injuries and has mild healing properties.

Spirit Chicken – 1,000 Gold Credits per chick

Effect: Produces Spirit Eggs that improve stamina and slightly strengthen bones.

Spirit Pig – 5,000 Gold Credits per piglet

Effect: Consuming Spirit Pork boosts muscle regeneration and enhances base strength over time.

Spirit Cow – 10,000 Gold Credits per calf

Effect: Produces Spirit Milk, which enhances spiritual energy recovery and fortifies soul force.

Ace sighed as he checked his balance—1,500 Gold Credits.

"Not enough for a pig or a cow, but I can afford a Spirit Chicken at least."

With that thought, he made his purchase.

A notification flashed immediately after:

[Spirit Chicken acquired! Item will mature in 2 hours.]

A box appeared in the system farm screen and the timer was shown atop along with the name [Spirit chick].

Satisfied with his investment, Ace also purchased some Spirit tomato seeds, planting them around the available plots of land.

Ace glanced at his farm status.

He now owned 2 tree plots and 9 farm plots.

1 tree plot was occupied by his Spirit Apple tree.

4 farm plots were growing Moonstone Flowers.

5 farm plots were dedicated to Spirit Cabbages.

By tomorrow, he planned to fill all the plots with Spirit Cabbages since they had the highest resale value.

Each Spirit Cabbage seed cost 50 Gold Credits, but once fully grown in 12 hours, it could be sold for 500 Gold Credits—a tenfold return.

It was the best investment for now.

Just as Ace was finalizing his strategy, a familiar voice called out—

"Teacher! Teacher!"

Liu Mei.

Ace exited the system, grabbed a handful of Spirit Apples, and stepped outside to meet her.