was furious at his own senseless mistake.
The dining hall in the academy was always open. Disciples worked night shifts as guards, and they visited the dining hall from time to time to fill their stomachs. That was why the dining hall operated twenty-four hours a day.
He regretted not going there and storing some food for his journey. The thought had crossed his mind—but he hadn't acted on it, fearing exposure of his rapid cultivation growth.
But now that he thought about it, he could enter the library without anyone noticing. That meant he also could have gone to the dining hall unnoticed. Of course, if someone recognized him, things might have become troublesome. That was one of the reasons he avoided it.
Now, regret washed over him.
And regret had no cure.
He had to find another way to fill his stomach. Otherwise, he would starve to death.
"Damn it! I'm hungry! How am I supposed to find food in this forest?!" Ethan shouted angrily.
He was certain there was no food here. This forest had existed for countless years—how could fruit-bearing trees survive without care?
Wrack!
While he was scratching his head in frustration, something struck his head.
"What the hell?!" Ethan staggered. If not for his strengthened body, he might have lost consciousness—or even died, considering how weak he'd been back on Earth.
The impact was so sudden that he hadn't realized what hit him.
Before he could look up, fruits began raining down from the trees.
They fell everywhere.
Mangoes. Grapes. Apples. Guavas. Vegetables—pumpkins and other plants he couldn't immediately name.
Ethan stood frozen.
He knew these trees didn't bear fruit. He had checked them earlier while walking through the forest. That knowledge had disappointed him at the time.
And yet—here they were.
Right in front of him.
He slowly lifted his head.
The sight made his jaw drop.
The once-ordinary trees were glowing with a soft, light-green radiance. The air felt fresh, invigorating. His mind cleared, his emotions calmed, and a peaceful tranquility enveloped him—something he had never experienced before.
For a moment, Ethan wished he could remain in that instant forever.
The green glow intensified.
Vitality surged through the forest as every tree brimmed with life.
Fear crept into Ethan's heart.
Did I accidentally step into some forbidden zone? he wondered. He had read countless novels where protagonists unknowingly entered dangerous, sealed territories.
But he quickly dismissed the thought.
This serenity was not the aura of a dark existence.
It was peace.
As confusion overwhelmed him, a system notification appeared.
[Congratulations on nurturing Alpine Tree to Grade-1]
[Congratulations on nurturing Apple Tree to Grade-1]
[Congratulations on nurturing Mango Tree to Grade-1]
[Congratulations on nurturing Grape Tree to Grade-1]
[Congratulations on nurturing Pumpkin Plant to Grade-1]
…
[Congratulations! All trees and plants in the forest have reached Grade-1]
[All trees and plants have acknowledged you as their teacher]
[Reward: Teacher Profession EXP +20]
Ethan was dumbstruck.
He had only been practicing a lecture.
Just practicing.
And yet these trees had secretly cultivated?
"How shameless…" he muttered in disbelief.
Before he could process it further, the green light surged.
Streams of vibrant green energy rushed toward him from all directions.
"Shit! So after benefiting from me, you're trying to silence me now?!" Ethan cursed, instinctively assuming he was under attack.
He had completely forgotten the notification stating the trees had acknowledged him as their teacher.
The energy closed in from every direction.
There was nowhere to dodge.
Ethan felt despair grip him.
Is this how I die? Crushed by trees?
But when the green energy struck him, something unexpected happened.
It flowed into his body.
And there was no pain.
Instead—warmth.
Comfort.
Just as confusion took over, the system chimed again.
[Detected pure energy entering the User's body]
[No harmful substances detected]
[Identifying foreign energy…]
[Identification Complete: Nature's Blessing]
[Congratulations! User has received the extremely rare Nature's Blessing]
[Nature's Blessing: Due to your selfless contribution to the family of nature, nature has acknowledged you and granted you its power]
[User has awakened Nature's Energy]
[Nature's Energy: An ancient, lost cultivation energy—extremely pure Yang energy]
[In ancient times, humans, beasts, and nature coexisted in harmony. Over time, greed and selfishness shattered that balance. Nature withdrew.]
[Due to the User's selfless lecture, dormant life awakened. Mother Nature took notice.]
[Mother Nature is pleased.]
Ethan stood motionless, breath caught in his throat.
What began as hunger…
What started as boredom…
Had turned into a blessing that countless cultivators would never obtain in their lifetimes.
Nature itself had acknowledged him.
And Ethan—once mocked as a fool—had unknowingly stepped onto a path even the heavens would hesitate to block.