Llllll
After returning to the Tim Hortans Grocery Store, a familiar system notification echoed in Ryan's mind.
—— Introducing technology from another world has led to an unpredictable evolutionary shift in the development of the Plants vs. Zombies world. You have gained 3 Offset Points.
Ryan frowned. Why so few? The technology exchange he initiated could significantly impact the future of a fifth-level world, yet he was only rewarded with three Offset Points? That seemed unfair.
However, as his strength increased, the system now provided more details on the notice board than before.
Upon closer inspection, Ryan realized that these rewards were only preliminary. The system had merely calculated the immediate changes caused by Dave, the "Son of Luck" in that world. Once he returned to that world, the Offset Points would be recalculated based on long-term changes.
So, it's actually a continuous mission, Ryan mused. This approach made sense. Instead of gaining all the rewards at once, they would accumulate over time. Currently, he had 25 Offset Points, which meant he could explore another world with greater rewards in the future.
Harvest from the Adventure
Besides the Offset Points, Ryan had acquired something even more valuable—a greenhouse farm. This upgraded his planting base, turning it into a small farm alongside the existing micro base (yard). This meant he could cultivate more plants without removing the ones he had previously grown.
The shelves behind the counter spoke volumes about his latest harvest.
The lower shelves remained occupied by Sunflowers, Pea Shooters, and Sunshine Mushrooms, but now, seven additional plant species had been added:
Wall-Nut
Repeater (Burst Pea Shooter)
Cherry Bomb
Tombstone Moss
Lantern Grass
Piranha Plant
Water Lily
Though these were basic plant species, they provided Ryan with a well-rounded plant army capable of handling various environments.
Above them, on the upper shelf, were three advanced plants:
Dragon Grass
Twin Sunflowers
Gatling Pea (Machine Peas)
Unlike common plants, which could be harvested ten times per week, these advanced varieties only produced two.
On the cabinet beside the counter, a new book had joined the large golden tome, Winter House Industrial Handbook. The newcomer, a black-covered volume, was titled:
Crazy Dave's Beginner's Guide to Plant Breeding.
Ryan studied the two books with interest. When he focused on them, a system notification informed him that both books could be quickly learned at a cost:
Winter House Industrial Handbook → 1 Offset Point
Crazy Dave's Beginner's Guide to Plant Breeding → 5 Offset Points
The first was merely a basic mechanical manual with minor sci-fi elements, hence the low cost. But the second contained extraordinary plant cultivation knowledge, making it far more valuable.
Ryan deliberated for a moment before deciding to study both. Mechanical knowledge was universally useful, while plant cultivation was directly linked to his strength—especially considering Hogwarts' Herbology classes.
Offset Points weren't just meant for personal upgrades. If he hoarded them but lacked the strength to survive, regret would come too late. The worst thing he could do was save them endlessly without spending them wisely.
Knowledge Transfer
Settling into the only chair in the store, Ryan selected Knowledge Instillation. Instantly, his Offset Points dropped from 25 to 19.
A soft light emanated from both books, connecting with his mind. He heard a lullaby gently playing in the background, lulling him into a deep sleep.
In his dream, Ryan found himself near a serene lake, surrounded by lush greenery. Above him, colorful clouds drifted across the sky. Two streams of light poured into the lake, creating a rhythmic ding-dong melody.
Lying on the soft grass, he gazed at the sky in absolute relaxation.
One of the streams disappeared quickly, while the other took much longer to fade.
As soon as the lake returned to calm, Ryan felt a pull at his consciousness, and his vision went dark.
The next moment, he woke up, still sitting in his chair.
"Where's the agonizing headache?" Ryan wondered. Weren't knowledge transfers supposed to be painful? Many novels described the process as torture, but he felt completely fine.
Testing his memory, he realized he had fully absorbed the information from both books. He still needed practice, but the knowledge was now part of him.
"So, knowledge transfer doesn't have to be excruciating," he mused. If every session was painful, he'd end up rolling on the floor like a dying pig each time.
Newfound Expertise
Ryan carefully reviewed his new knowledge.
The Winter House Industrial Handbook provided a wealth of mechanical information, but since he had never worked beyond basic bicycle repairs, his mechanical mastery remained limited.
However, Crazy Dave's Guide was a different story.
The book detailed how to assess and cultivate Plants vs. Zombies plants, blending Hogwarts Herbology knowledge into the process.
Ryan was pleasantly surprised—he could now merge his Herbology studies with extraordinary plant cultivation. This would make future plant-based magic far more powerful than he had anticipated.
Lessons from the Adventure
As he sorted through his memories, Ryan recalled the intensity of the zombie attacks.
"Effort truly equals reward," he thought.
His trip to the Plants vs. Zombies world had been dangerous, but the gains far exceeded his previous interdimensional adventures.
Beyond material rewards, the combat experience of using magic in real battles was priceless.
Though this adventure had been calculated, he had still underestimated certain risks—especially when he was almost ambushed by zombies hiding underground.
"I need to balance safety and profit in future adventures," Ryan reminded himself. "Chasing extreme rewards without caution is a death wish."
Final Rewards
In addition to plants and knowledge, Ryan had also earned 1,000 Galleons' worth of gold.
While not a huge sum, he compared it to Harry Potter's Triwizard earnings—which had a 25% mortality rate and took a full semester to complete.
By that measure, his one-day adventure was extremely profitable.
Time Confusion
After summarizing his gains, Ryan glanced around the shop with satisfaction. His first shelf, now filled with plants, gave him a sense of accomplishment.
Then, he returned home.
Lying on his bed, Ryan checked the clock—only an hour had passed.
He felt a strange disconnect. After spending a full day battling zombies, experiencing near-death situations, and gaining immense rewards, only one hour had passed in reality.
"Time difference between worlds is truly bizarre," he mused.
Despite feeling restless, Ryan forced himself to sleep, knowing he had classes tomorrow.
Tossing and turning, his mind replayed the adventure. Eventually, exhaustion won, and he drifted off into
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