As Seratus stepped onto the patch of sparsely wooded land, the sun blazed down mercilessly, baking the exposed dark brown soil. The heat waves shimmered, distorting the air. The earth was damp beneath the surface, but a thick layer of lush wild grass covered it, their emerald roots gripping the ground with tenacious strength.

A faint breeze struggled to pass through, rustling the grass with a dry, rasping sound. The air was heavy with the earthy scent of soil, mingled with the faint, dry fragrance of wild grass.

Seratus paused, retrieving the elemental hoe from his system space. The tool felt cold and weighty in his grasp. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, but a lingering unease still clung to his heart.

He began to swing the hoe, striking the ground repeatedly. Yet, the wild grass proved stubborn, as if it were challenging him, making his progress slow and arduous. Sweat dripped from his forehead, evaporating before it could even hit the ground, swallowed by the intense heat radiating from his body.

Hidden in the grass, Katelya and Agnas watched Seratus intently. They saw him skillfully wielding the hoe and noticed the peculiar water flask by his side. The sight made them exchange puzzled glances, their expressions tinged with disbelief.

Seratus had once told them a rather far-fetched story—about how he had stumbled upon a spatial pouch left behind by a plant life mage, filled with sun mushrooms rich in plant life energy and various tools. At the time, the two young dragons had scoffed, dismissing it as a clumsy lie.

But now, the scene before them began to shake their initial skepticism. Seeing Seratus methodically clearing the land, they couldn’t help but feel a mix of absurdity and amusement. A proud red dragon, reduced to tilling the soil like some lowly creature? It was almost unbelievable!

Yet, at the same time, a faint sense of doubt and unease crept into their minds. They had been certain that the mushrooms Seratus spoke of were secretly harvested from some hidden location. But now, it seemed those mushrooms might actually be grown from the soil? This was unexpected.

Agnas’s gaze fixed on the hoe in Seratus’s claws. It looked like an ordinary tool, but he couldn’t help but wonder about the story Seratus had told. Surely, he hadn’t just found it lying around? And given how far this place was from human settlements, it was unlikely that some lowly human farmer had wandered here and left it behind.

As Agnas pondered this, Katelya gently nudged him with her claw, snapping him out of his thoughts. Agnas turned to her, puzzled, only to see her subtly gesture toward the hoe in Seratus’s claws. She whispered, “Agnas, do you see that hoe? It looks ordinary, but something about it feels… off. Do you think his story might actually be true?”

Katelya paused, her eyes glinting with mischief, before adding, “But we’ll find out soon enough. All we need to do is keep watching.” With that, the two young dragons crouched lower in the grass, their breaths held, their eyes locked on Seratus’s every move.

By now, Seratus had finished the initial tilling of the land. He straightened up, wiping imaginary sweat from his brow, and surveyed the loosened soil with feigned satisfaction. The real challenge lay ahead—clearing the weeds.

He took a deep breath, his chest expanding slightly as a thin stream of flame began to escape his mouth. The vibrant red fire danced like a sprite, landing gently on the dry grass. *Temperature… must be controlled… not too high, not too low…* Seratus muttered to himself, carefully regulating the flame’s intensity and spread. This wasn’t a fiery breath attack against an enemy—this was delicate agricultural work, and there was no room for error.

The flames quickly spread, greedily consuming the dry stems and leaves, burrowing down toward the roots. *Crackle… crackle…* The faint popping sounds, like frying beans, were the desperate cries of the weed seeds as they succumbed to the heat. Seratus patiently scorched every inch of the land, ensuring that every seed was rendered inert. He couldn’t afford to leave any chance for the weeds to compete for nutrients. He treated the land as if it were his own child, nurturing it with care until he was certain the weed seeds were completely destroyed.

A few minutes later, Seratus looked at the meticulously tended land with a small sense of accomplishment.

The first step was done. Now, the final task remained—planting the seeds. Seratus retrieved a cloth bag filled with seeds from his system space. The bag’s opening revealed plump carrot seeds.

Carrots… not sun mushrooms, but better than nothing. Seratus sighed inwardly. Once the carrots matured, he could exchange them for system points and eventually buy sun mushroom seeds. One step at a time. After all, the seeds for sun mushrooms and potatoes were still too expensive for his meager budget.

With that thought, Seratus reluctantly accepted his reality.

He carefully picked up a carrot seed, hoping it would sprout quickly and grow into a bountiful harvest. Silently praying, he planted the seeds evenly across the prepared soil. He didn’t have many seeds—just a small bag, barely enough to cover the newly cleared plot.

The new field was roughly six meters by six meters, not particularly large. Seratus used a grid planting method to ensure proper spacing, dividing the land into small squares, each 0.3 meters wide. He planted one seed in the center of each square, giving each one ample room to grow. As Seratus basked in his own ingenuity, Agnas, hidden in the grass, was growing increasingly frustrated.

He had assumed Seratus’s sneaky behavior meant he was up to something secretive—perhaps burying treasure or harvesting magical plants. But the reality was a letdown. Seratus was actually… farming?

Agnas watched Seratus swing the hoe, still finding the whole scene absurd and laughable. A red dragon, a powerful red dragon, bending over to till the soil like some lowly creature? It was a disgrace to their proud lineage!

But… Agnas frowned. If the mushrooms were indeed grown from the soil, did that mean… Seratus’s story was true? The thought pricked at him like a tiny thorn, making him uncomfortable. He didn’t want to believe Seratus, but the evidence before him was hard to ignore. *No, it can’t be. There must be some mistake…* Agnas denied the idea inwardly, but his certainty was wavering.

Katelya, noticing Agnas’s frustration, allowed a faint, sly smile to creep onto her lips. *Brother is so easily provoked. So easy to manipulate.* She thought to herself. Still, Seratus was proving to be quite interesting. His clumsy yet earnest movements as he worked the land intrigued her. *Does he really believe mushrooms can be grown? Or is he just putting on an act?*

Katelya blinked, a spark of curiosity igniting within her. She wanted to know what Seratus was really up to.

But she also sensed Agnas’s growing irritation. She knew her brother well—when he was in a bad mood, he tended to take it out on others. If Agnas directed his anger at Seratus, that was one thing. But if he turned on her, it would be a problem.

To avoid becoming the target of Agnas’s wrath, Katelya quickly leaned in and whispered soothingly, “Agnas, you’re destined to be a great ruler. Why let something so trivial upset you? Think about it—Seratus is humiliating himself, toiling in the dirt like a common creature. He’s covered in mud, with none of the dignity befitting a red dragon. We don’t need to be angry. We can simply wait until his mushrooms are ready, then take them for ourselves. No, no—we’ll *command* him to hand them over! With your unmatched strength, do you really think he’d dare refuse?”

As she spoke, Katelya subtly planted the idea in Agnas’s mind, encouraging him to seize Seratus’s hard-earned harvest. She was playing both sides, stoking the tension between the brothers for her own gain.

Agnas considered her words, and his mood brightened. He looked at Seratus, now sweaty and dirt-streaked, and felt a surge of superiority. With his combat experience, he was confident he could easily overpower Seratus. And as Katelya said, why waste time searching for mushrooms when they could simply take them once they were ready? It was a far more efficient plan.

“You’re right,” Agnas said, a sly grin spreading across his face. “We’ll let him do the work, and then we’ll reap the rewards.”

Katelya smiled faintly, not saying more. She gestured subtly toward Seratus, then crouched lower, her wings folded tightly, her tail swaying gently. Her entire body was poised, focused, and expectant. Agnas, understanding her silent cue, pushed aside his impatience and turned his full attention back to the unsuspecting figure ahead.

With his frustration now replaced by a cunning sense of anticipation, Agnas decided to continue observing Seratus. He wanted to see what other foolish things the young dragon might do.

“You’re quite the clever one, Katelya,” Agnas said, his voice tinged with admiration. “You’ve always been a good sister.”

Katelya’s smile deepened, but she said nothing, her eyes fixed on Seratus as he worked. The game was afoot, and she was ready to play her part.。