"What the… can't I just finish my apprenticeship in peace?" A cold sweat broke out on Ye Chen's forehead. He could feel his blood gurgling in his stomach as nausea built up.
He had waited for a good long day, rushing online excitedly to finish his mission. Yet, before he even introduced himself properly, his identity was seen through like glass. Immediately, he felt as if his blazing anticipation was doused with a pail frigid cold water!
"I think you are mistaken!" Ye Chen's kept his cool. His lips attempted an awkward smile as he denied the accusation.
While admitting the truth may bring about potential benefits, the risk of being banished for half a year was looming overhead. Ye Chen knew that taking the Divine Sprinkler of Blessings was already a colossal rip-off. He dared not ask for another mile when he already received an inch. Any insatiable greed would end up in a wild goose's chase.
"Hehe, being cautious is good. Hmm, if you have any needs, then you can look for me. I'll be honest with you, the stubborn old hag, Karma, only stayed in Titan Megacity to monitor my movements." Despite the denial, Gegil's expression remained dark and ominous. Suddenly, he broke out into a deep guffaw.
"Hmm, you came to be initiated as a Landscaper, right? Alright, since you are also working with the Dark Side, we can be considered as family. Let's scrap this ridiculous entry mission, just for you." With a wave of his hand, a pale green glimmer surrounded Ye Chen.
[System Notice: You have become a Landscaper Apprentice!]
"What the heck, I'm being let through the backdoor? Wow, this guy really seems to be a Disciple of Darkness." Seeing the ease of initiation as an apprentice, Ye Chen muttered in disbelief in his heart.
The entry missions for Secondary Professions were simple but massively time-consuming. This was a huge factor that contributed to Ye Chen's shock when Gegil completely ignored the entry mission. Regardless, Ye Chen had no intention of pulling any more strings with this so-called Disciple of Darkness.
His level was still too low. If he triggered any mission now, it would be unsuitable. In any case, judging from Gegil's words, it was the same if he finished the task later.
System Notice: You have received Gegil's guidance. Planting's proficiency increased by 50%!]
As he was deep in thought, an unexpected message board popped up.
Lavishly generous, Gegil gifted half a level's worth of experience to Ye Chen!
Within the Boundless World, a Botanist's Planting skill defined their standing as a Landscaper. Level 1 Planting dictated their apprenticeship, Level 2 Planting upgraded them to a Beginner Landscaper. Only then would they be permitted to own their own plot of land.
Under normal circumstances and without stamina cost, a minimum of 20 days was necessary to reach Level 2. Now, this old man literally gifted Ye Chen a discount of 10 days!
"Haha, thank you so much, Mr. Gegil! You are such a great man!" Elation brightened up Ye Chen's face as he thanked Gegil profusely.
Be it black cat, white cat, or tabby cat, as long as they caught mice, they were good cats. Similarly, an NPC was a great man as long as they benefited Ye Chen!
"Small issue! You are a benefactor that rid the world of that Old Hag. This bit of benefit is insufficient as thanks!" The corner of Gegil's lips lifted.
"Haha, what are you talking about, Mr. Gegil? If there's nothing else, I will make a move first." Still, Ye Chen feigned ignorance. Courteously, he bowed and left.
Gegil did not attempt to stop Ye Chen. Only when the young man's figure faded from sight, Gegil's expression fell into abyssal darkness, "Hmph! What a cunning man!"
...
The moment Ye Chen stepped out of Gegil's forest, he immediately returned to Titan Megacity with the Town Return Scroll. He went straight to the General Store and purchased tens of the Crystal Apple Seeds.
From these seeds, he could grow the Crystal Apples. However, these fruits were in deficient demand. After harvesting, they could only be sold to the stores or eaten after a battle to increase HP regeneration by 3 points per second. Still, the benefits lackluster in comparison to other food items. Even the lowest iter food, plain buns, had a better regeneration boost by several folds. Other than the enticing name, Crystal Apples were just fit for sales to stores.
For Landscapers, the amount of harvest from crops was prone to fluctuation. It was directly related to the amount of care given to the plants in the nurturing process. Considerable attention and care would naturally bring about a bountiful harvest. Conversely, lack of attention and care could lead to the death of the crops and 0 yields.
With the punishing cost of the Crystal Apple Seeds, a single misstep could cost Ye Chen to be in deficit. Despite the high price and risk, this crop had its saving grace. The proficiency gain from nurturing Crystal Apples could revolutionize a beginner Gardner's skill proficiency!
For Adventurers below Level 30, they were given 300 stamina points a day. A Landscaper Apprentice was also allocated 10 plots of space in the public garden. 1 plot could only house 1 crop, and each planting exhausted 10 stamina.
The growth time of each plant was different. Conventionally, they were all significantly time-consuming. Due to the limited plot size, Landscaper Apprentices would generally not choose plants that had a longer growth time. While they were more profitable, it would lead to wastage of stamina points daily.
Amongst the lower level crops, Crystal Apples only require 6 hours to mature. With the 300 stamina points given a day in mind, they were the perfect crop.
Having purchased the seeds, Ye Chen hastily headed to the public garden. It was situated in the area outside of Titan Megacity's West Gate. If he rushed over now, he could get his first harvest and replant the crops before the clock struck 12.
As long as he leveled up to a beginner Landscaper, he could procure his own private garden space where he could openly use the Divine Sprinkler of Blessings. The public garden did not seem like an ample space from the city. However, the sheer vastness of the edgeless garden washed over Ye Chen when he stepped into the gates of the area.
The land had been separated distinctively into segments, with 10 plots each. The apprentices could choose any area they liked to plant their seeds and harvest when the crops matured. Of course, tending to their own produce was indispensable. Watering, weeding, and removing pests was part of the process. When the harvest was ready, the Adventurer had to seize the right moment. Otherwise, the mature crop would die.
Looking across the area, there were several apprentices gathered. The flow of Adventurers was unceasing, surprisingly bustling with activity. It was quite a while before Ye Chen could find a section of land unused to plant the Crystal Apple seed. He left quickly after watering them.
Immediately, he headed back to Titan Megacity and opened the mail from the Trade Lobby.
Honestly, he should have collected the mail days prior. However, the Warring Dragon Guild had plagued him for the past 2 days, causing the mail to slip out of mind. When he shifted today, he finally remembered to claim his profits.
"Wow, 16770 gold? Hehe, not bad at all!" Tossing the unsold products back into the vaults, he listed 10000 gold at a 1 to 1 ratio with real-word currency onto the virtual trade platform.
Trading in-game gold with money was a permitted deal. Neither was there any way to make it illegal nor did it benefit the game. To promote trading gold, the GM only discouraged trading equipment. As such, any losses due to trading of equipment would not be intervened by the GM.
When the listing was done, Ye Chen heaved a sigh of relief.
Now, he had 3 several choices for his next course of action. Leveling, arena duels, or exploring the Ruins of Fossils. The highly anticipated Mega Fossilised Egg was there, and he was craving to find out the effects of the Parasitic Furball on the egg. Within the 3 options, the last was the most attractive.
However, upon further consideration, Ye Chen took a deep breath and headed to the arena. The Mega Fossilized Egg was postponed indefinitely. It would definitely be powdered like the crystal when the Parasitic Furball hinged onto the Mega Fossilised Egg. What happened after was an unanswered mystery. Facing such uncertainties, it would not be wise to act on it now at such a low level.
Right now, bringing up the level of the Durian Bomb Tree was of higher urgency. A few days later, he would reach Level 25. If the Durian Bomb Tree could not match his level, his further progression would be hindered.
Bringing up the level of the Durian Bomb Tree would not bring about any problem anyways.
At the Arena, Ye Chen went up to Ed and purchased some Arena Seeds before proceeding with his battles. Arena Seeds were special items designed just for Botanists. With these seeds, the Botanist could plant any plant without using the actual seeds. However, these seeds would not bring any gain of proficiency and were rather costly at 1 gold per seed. Fortunately, Ye Chen had made a windfall with the resounding victory over Warring Dragon Guild a few days before. These losses were sustainable for his bulky wallet.
However, this meant that Ye Chen's losses totaled 1.1 gold per battle in the arena, excluding the 10 free ones. If he partook in a few hundred fights daily, that would lead to an expenditure of a few hundred!
At that thought, Ye Chen could feel a headache building. There was a reason for Botanists being widely infamous after all!
However, He just had to suck it up. One victory would only bring 3 Arena points. To exchange a Durian Bomb Tree seed, he needed 50 points. That was to say, 17 victorious battles were worth a seed. If he used a real Durian Bomb Tree seed per battle, it was absolutely not enough.
After buying the seeds, Ye Chen entered the virtual arena. He had learned his lesson the hard way the last time. Before beginning, Ye Chen restricted his spectators to only those on his good friend list. He would not want to garner too much-unwanted attention from winning too much again.
Ye Chen was crystal clear. With the Durian Bomb Tree and Illusions of Time, most level 20 Adventurers would be wiped out before they could blink!