With the help of Yamanbagiri Kunihiro, Lin Ge scattered seeds across the neatly divided plots of land.

Eager to witness the growth of these so-called “magical plants,” Lin Ge stayed put after planting the seeds, grabbing a small stool to sit on the open ground. He fixed his gaze on the plants, meticulously observing every second of their growth as if his eyes alone could document their transformation.

Standing behind him, Yamanbagiri Kunihiro stared blankly at the plants sprouting rapidly before them.

Am I broken? Yamanbagiri Kunihiro wondered.

Maybe the blade of my body got chipped during a sparring match?

Otherwise, why am I acting like I’ve lost my mind, standing here watching sweet potatoes grow with the Sage?

He began questioning whether he was still in his right mind.

Three days passed—not too fast, not too slow.

After harvesting several batches of sweet potatoes and radishes, Lin Ge’s initial fascination with magical plants began to wane. He limited himself to tending the crops only when necessary, heading over on time to collect the harvest.

Honmaru was vast, but Yamanbagiri Kunihiro only appeared during these harvest moments. Without anyone to keep him company, Lin Ge found no interest in aimlessly wandering around Honmaru.

Watching Lin Ge’s routine, Yamanbagiri Kunihiro quietly thought to himself, This must be the first Sage in history who works so diligently at farming.

The harvested sweet potatoes and radishes soon piled into a miniature mountain. Faced with an overwhelming surplus, Lin Ge decided to sell the crops to the Mall.

Sweet potatoes went for five small gold coins per pound, while radishes fetched eight.

With over a thousand pounds of produce, Lin Ge made a decent profit, recovering the money he had spent renovating the house earlier.

Staring at the dazzling pile of gold coins, Lin Ge suddenly felt a renewed passion for farming.

After selling the crops, new seeds were unlocked in the Mall: one for watermelons and another for small phoenix watermelons, also known as yellow-fleshed watermelons.

The growth times for the two varieties were six hours and eight hours, respectively.

Recalling the joy of devouring big, juicy slices of watermelon and savoring their sweetness, Lin Ge became so excited that he immediately planted watermelons across all his plots without hesitation.

Watching the Sage evolve from a vegetable farmer to a watermelon farmer, Yamanbagiri Kunihiro fell silent. He wordlessly rolled up his sleeves and got to work.

After planting all the seeds, Lin Ge stopped Yamanbagiri Kunihiro, who was about to leave after finishing his task. Digging through his system inventory, Lin Ge pulled out a black gift box.

“A gift,” he said.

Having earned some money, the first thing Lin Ge did was buy a suitable gift for Yamanbagiri Kunihiro from the Mall: a brand-new cloak.

It was still white but had a beautiful beige floral pattern at the hem.

The reason he chose this cloak was the sales remark attached to it:

“Number one bestseller in the last half month.”

The reviews were overwhelmingly positive: “My Kunihiro loves it,” “He switched to wearing it right away and never wore the old one again.”

Yes, in just three days, Lin Ge had figured out that beings like Yamanbagiri Kunihiro existed in other Honmaru as well. He was a Tsukumogami born from a sword, which explained his dreamlike and ethereal appearance.

Hearing the unfamiliar term “gift,” Yamanbagiri Kunihiro froze.

He didn’t even glance at the beautifully wrapped new cloak, instead fixing his striking eyes on Lin Ge.

After a moment, he asked, “Why… would you give me a gift?”

The word “gift” felt too foreign to him. Since his creation in this Honmaru, the previous Sage had left him with nothing but dark, negative emotions.

Something like a gift… was it really possible?

His expression didn’t look particularly joyful.

Lin Ge scratched the back of his head, feeling a bit troubled.

Could the Mall here be like our local e-commerce sites? Are all these glowing reviews just fake ones paid for by sellers?

Sigh, I let my guard down. Glowing five-star reviews must have some water weight.

“You’ve been helping me a lot, and I’m really grateful…” Lin Ge said earnestly.

“I just happened to see this in the Mall and bought it.”

“I noticed the good reviews… Is it the color you don’t like? If so, I can return it within seven days and get you a new one.”

He began to put the box away, intending to exchange it for the fifth-best-selling light green cloak according to his own taste.

But before he could pull it back completely, his wrist was grabbed.

The wrist in his grasp was slender and cold.

As Yamanbagiri Kunihiro held Lin Ge’s wrist, a few peculiar emotions flickered through his mind.

“I…”

“I like it.”

The last three words were spoken softly but with weight.

He stepped forward, closing the distance between them.

“If I wear the new cloak on today’s expedition, it’ll get dirty,” he murmured, his ears subtly reddening. Carefully, he glanced at Lin Ge. “Can I… wait until I return to change into it?”

Lin Ge: “…”

Ah, an angel. He’s an angel! This is too cute!

Overcome with excitement, Lin Ge opened the Mall and quickly ordered five different cloaks, sweeping the top five items on the bestseller list.

He dumped the small mountain of cloaks into Yamanbagiri Kunihiro’s arms with great generosity.

“Change! Change into one today! We’re rich now!”

With utmost seriousness, he declared, “Wear one and toss it, and if we run out, I’ll buy more!”

Maybe this is what it’s like to be part of a wealthy family, Lin Ge thought happily.

Soon, I’ll be able to lick yogurt bottle caps for fun.

Farming really is the key to wealth!

When they arrived at the expedition point, the accompanying Tsukumogami had already reached the site.

This Tsukumogami had the appearance of a youthful boy with silver hair, blue eyes, and two long strands of hair hanging over his chest. His body seemed to be a sword. Lin Ge had seen his profile in the system and vaguely remembered his name as Hakusan Yoshimitsu.

He was about 1.5 meters tall, wearing a uniform resembling a military outfit with dramatically flared sleeves embroidered with red lines and patterns.

On his head sat a cute little hat.

He looked more refined than a 3D game model, standing there like a living CG cutscene.

Hakusan Yoshimitsu was the only sword-based Tsukumogami in this Honmaru.

Unlike Yamanbagiri Kunihiro’s mature, sharp features, Hakusan Yoshimitsu’s appearance was more delicate and ethereal.

In short, he could be described in two words: dreamlike perfection.

Lin Ge lamented that he hadn’t chosen literature for his college major—otherwise, he might have been able to dig up a few fitting lines of classical poetry to describe them.

Looking at Yamanbagiri Kunihiro in his new cloak and then at Hakusan Yoshimitsu standing quietly, Lin Ge felt as though his eyes had been cleansed.

This is the beauty that spirits deserve!

Unlike me, Lin Ge thought. I wake up every day scared by my own reflection.

Hakusan Yoshimitsu was accompanied by a small white fox with ice-blue ears and tail, which sat quietly on his shoulder, its curious eyes darting around.

Noticing Lin Ge’s gaze, Hakusan Yoshimitsu nodded slightly in acknowledgment. He also seemed to notice the change in Yamanbagiri Kunihiro’s outfit, sensing a faint aura of happiness radiating from him.

…Unfathomable.

“Hakusan Yoshimitsu specializes in healing. With him here, this expedition will be much safer,” Yamanbagiri Kunihiro explained in his usual calm tone.

Lin Ge nodded and smiled at Hakusan Yoshimitsu. “Thanks for your hard work.”

Hakusan Yoshimitsu nodded back, his expression cold and aloof. “It’s what I should do,” he replied. Then he paused. “My Lord.”

Hearing such a formal address come from this refined boy felt jarringly out of place to Lin Ge.

It was almost chilling, as though the boy exuded an icy aura.

…This kid shouldn’t be called Hakusan Yoshimitsu. He should be called Snow Mountain Yoshimitsu.

As the teleportation array activated, golden light enveloped the trio, pulling them into its glow.

The moment they were transported to the battlefield, Lin Ge felt a wave of discomfort.

The distortion of space left him feeling drained, his throat parched. The smell of blood in the air only worsened his gnawing hunger.

To think he had purposely eaten five pounds of sweet potatoes before coming here.

Maybe my stomach connects to another dimension, Lin Ge speculated.

Being a complete novice, Lin Ge was only here to observe and learn. The more experienced Sage had already cleared most of the battlefield, leaving only a few low-level enemies for newcomers to practice on.

“I’ll go scout ahead,” Yamanbagiri Kunihiro offered.

Lin Ge shook his head and declined.

“We’ll go together.”

The thought of being left alone with Hakusan Yoshimitsu… Nope. Nope. Can’t even think about it.

That would be way too awkward.

Yamanbagiri Kunihiro hesitated momentarily before giving a slight nod.

After fumbling around the battlefield for a few minutes, three green-glowing enemies entered Lin Ge’s sight.

These creatures had mutated, protruding bones and carried weapons. Their bodies reeked of blood.

But Lin Ge wasn’t focused on their grotesque appearances.

Instead, he noticed something strange: these History Retrograding Army soldiers emitted an irresistible and tantalizing aroma.

The scent teased his sanity, while the emptiness in his stomach roared for him to devour them.

Wait. Not only have I turned into an ugly monster, but now I’ve developed some weird eating fetish?

Looking at the hideous History Retrograding Army soldiers, Lin Ge felt tears stream from his mouth.

Yamanbagiri Kunihiro didn’t notice his odd behavior. Calmly, he drew his sword and said, “Please stay behind me.”

Hakusan Yoshimitsu also stepped forward, his icy blue eyes gazing indifferently at the grotesque creatures.

Lin Ge, safely protected behind the two beautiful youths, muttered, “…”

I know this is the wrong time to say it, but my mouth is watering.

Slurp.

The battle erupted instantly.

Within seconds, the two Tsukumogami charged forward to engage the enemies, their swords clashing loudly.

As sparks flew, Lin Ge swallowed audibly.

Hakusan Yoshimitsu was more skilled in healing than combat. Having only recently been forged, his level hadn’t been properly trained before the previous Sage left.

This inexperience made him struggle against foes of similar strength.

During the fight, he was accidentally struck in the waist by one of the enemies’ weapons. The wound slowed him down further, exposing his weaknesses.

As another enemy’s weapon descended toward him, Hakusan Yoshimitsu raised his sword to block it—only to hear a loud crash!

The enemy vanished.

No, it didn’t disappear completely—it left behind traces.

Hakusan Yoshimitsu’s gaze shifted to their new Sage.

Lin Ge still looked frail, his figure delicate.

But this harmless-looking man had just devoured that enemy in a single bite.

Recalling the scene of the enemy being swallowed, Hakusan Yoshimitsu’s icy blue eyes widened slightly, his mind on the verge of freezing.

Meeting Hakusan Yoshimitsu’s gaze, Lin Ge awkwardly rubbed his stomach and avoided eye contact.

Heh, oops. Looks like I stole the kill.

Lin Ge had no idea how he’d done it.

But after swallowing that enemy, he felt an eerie sense of satisfaction.

The hunger that had been tormenting him… seemed to have eased slightly.

Lin Ge’s eyes lit up as he turned toward the other two surviving enemies.