I focused on volume. Eden wasn't going to be a corner store with dusty shelves; it was going to be a brand. Exclusive. Specialized.
I harvested like a machine.
1,000 Heavenly Cucumbers.
1,000 Heavenly Potatoes.
1,000 Heavenly Tomatoes.
The cucumbers and potatoes were priced to move at 25 Stones a pop. The tomatoes—the flagship produce—were set at 100.
But I didn't stop at raw goods. I spent hours in the kitchen using [Alchemy].
I ground down the excess tomatoes into Heavenly Healing Paste. It gave a 5% stronger Constitution boost than the raw fruit. Price: 200 Stones.
I condensed cucumber and potato extracts into Sustenance Pills. They extended the hunger/thirst quenching effects by 5%. Price: 50 Stones.
Satisfied, I loaded the trunk of the car.
I walked into Drane’s Auction House alone.
Mayumi was waiting for me. She was smiling so hard her face looked like it might crack. She hoisted two duffel bags onto the counter.
"Mr. Kaaz," she said breathlessly. "The final tally is—"
"Don't tell me," I interrupted, grinning. "I want to be surprised."
I took the bags. They were heavy enough to strain even my enhanced muscles.
I drove straight to Freedom Life Bank. I pulled into the drive thru lane and shoved the bags into the pneumatic tube carrier one by one.
[Deposit Accepted]
[Total Amount: 1,000,000 Spirit Stones]
I stared at the screen.
The ten packets of Immortal Green Tea had gone for nearly 100,000 Stones each.
Eden was a millionaire entity.
Back home, I logged into the portal. My balance read 1,042,000.
I navigated to the property listing for the Midtown building.
[Purchase Property: 250,000 Stones?]
Click.
[Register Independent Faction: Eden?]
Click.
I checked the Detroit Faction Registry. It was a short list.
- Seaside (Owner: Mister O)
- White Hill (Owner: Axehill)
- The Cove (Owner: Misty)
- Eden (Owner: Kaz)
The board was set. Axehill was already hostile. Mister O and Misty were question marks. But now, I was sitting at the table with them.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Aiyana and I stood in front of the building.
It was ugly. The brick was stained, the windows were plywood, and the patio was a jungle of weeds (normal weeds, sadly).
"It's horrible," Aiyana said.
"It's a blank canvas," I corrected.
I met the contractor, a guy named Sal who had awakened a construction based Path.
"I want it gutted," I told him. "High end. Pristine. Think... biblical. The Garden of Eden."
"Biblical costs extra," Sal grunted. "You're looking at a hundred thousand stones for materials and labor."
"Done," I said, transferring the deposit immediately.
Sal blinked. "Alright then. We can start Monday. Give us a couple of months."
"Take your time," I said. "We have other work to do."
On the drive back, the sun was setting over the safe zone. The streets were orderly, patrolled by the uniformed guards.
"Get a good night's sleep," I told Aiyana. "Tomorrow, we take a trip."
"A trip?" She looked at me. "Where? Downtown?"
"No," I said. "Outside the Safe Zone."
Aiyana paled. "Why? Kaz, we're rich. We have a building. We're safe here."
"We're safe," I agreed. "But we're limited. We can't grow meat."
"Meat?"
"The market demands protein," I explained. "I can grow all the vegetables in the world, but if we want to corner the market on complete meals, we need meat. High-energy, stat-boosting Monster meat."
"You want to hunt monsters," she said.
"I want us to hunt monsters. It's not just business, Aiya. It's cultivation. We need the experience. There are no threats left in Southfield. If we stay here, we stagnate."
She chewed her lip, looking out the window at the barrier fence passing by.
"Fine," she whispered. "But if I get eaten, I'm haunting your garden."
That night, I went to the backyard.
I had the Qi. I had the resources.
I poured my energy into the earth.
[Spirit Soil (Grade 1) -> Spirit Soil (Grade 2)]
New recipes flooded my mind.
- Heavenly Filter: Purifies contaminated water.
- Heavenly Whispervine: Dampens sound and energetic signatures.
- Heavenly Gourd of Holding: Grows a gourd containing an extra-dimensional space.
I stopped on the Gourd.
The description expanded in my mind.
The Gourd contains a stable pocket of space capable of sustaining plant life. Soil and seeds placed within can take root, effectively allowing the user to expand their Domain remotely.
My eyes widened.
With [Dominion], I could teleport plants within my territory. If the Gourd counted as my territory... I could plant the Gourd anywhere, grow a "forward base" inside it, and teleport my defenses or produce instantly between home and the field.
"Game changer," I whispered.
It cost 50 Qi to unlock. It would drain me dry.
"Worth it."
I initiated the growth. A vine sprouted from the soil, swelling into a bottle shaped gourd.
I left it to mature overnight.
I showered and scrubbed the dirt from my nails. I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked tired, but ready.
Tomorrow, we were leaving the cage.