Without wasting any more time, Rowen left the Evergreen Shop and headed toward the farming district of Boulder Town.
After searching for a while, he finally found a small shop that was still open.
Unlike in the past, there were very few traditional farmers left nowadays. Ever since humanity discovered mana-rich monster meat and various processed food products, ordinary farming had gradually declined.
Even so, a handful of people still insisted on cultivating fresh vegetables and crops, supplying restaurants and local markets with high-quality produce.
As soon as Rowen entered the shop, an elderly shopkeeper greeted him with a warm smile.
"What can I do for you, young man?"
"I'd like to buy some seed potatoes."
The shopkeeper looked at Rowen in slight surprise before nodding.
"How much do you need?"
"Enough to fill a small plot of land."
Without asking any further questions, the shopkeeper selected several healthy seed potatoes before placing them into a wooden crate. Rowen also purchased a small shovel, a watering can, and a simple hoe to make farming easier.
After paying for everything, he thanked the shopkeeper and hurried back toward the Evergreen Shop.
...
Back inside his room, Rowen immediately gathered his mana and opened the spatial rift once again.
The rift formed far more quickly than before.
Stepping through it alongside Fern, Rowen returned to the quiet personal dimensional space.
Looking at the empty land before him, he suddenly scratched the back of his head.
"There seems to be one small problem..."
"I've never farmed before."
Fern blinked.
"You don't know how?"
Rowen gave an awkward smile before pulling out his phone.
"Fortunately, the internet exists."
After watching several farming videos, Rowen finally had a basic understanding of how to plant seed potatoes.
Rolling up his sleeves, he picked up the hoe and began loosening the soil.
Once the ground was prepared, he carefully dug shallow holes before placing the seed potatoes into them one by one.
After covering them with soil, he gently watered each row.
Although the work itself wasn't particularly complicated, repeating the same movements over and over quickly drained his strength.
By the time he finished planting the final seed potato, his clothes were soaked with sweat, and every muscle in his body ached.
He looked over the neatly planted rows and couldn't help smiling with satisfaction.
"It's finally done."
Only then did Rowen notice the growling coming from his stomach.
"So hungry..."
After spending so much time working inside the Personal Dimensional Space, he hadn't eaten anything since waking up.
Leaving the dimensional space, Rowen quickly prepared a simple meal before eating until he was finally full.
The exhaustion from everything that had happened throughout the day soon overwhelmed him.
Not long after lying down on his bed, Rowen slowly closed his eyes and drifted into a deep sleep, eagerly awaiting what tomorrow's harvest might bring.
Meanwhile...
Meanwhile, Ethan, who had separated from the group earlier, continued making his way deeper into the wilderness.
He wasn't wandering aimlessly.
He was searching for something.
The deeper he ventured into the forest, the more abnormal the surroundings became. Mana fluctuations grew increasingly violent, and the number of monsters roaming the area far exceeded what should have been possible.
Fortunately, none of them posed much of a threat to him.
As an Early Adept Rank Sword Master, Ethan cut down every monster that blocked his path with swift, precise strikes before continuing forward without slowing his pace.
After searching for quite some time, the black Federation bracelet on his wrist suddenly emitted a sharp beep.
Warning.
Abnormal mana fluctuations detected.
A dimensional rift has been detected nearby.
Warning. Rift stability rapidly decreasing.
The possibility of a rift break increasing.
Ethan's expression immediately turned serious.
"A Rift Break..."
Without another thought, he dashed toward the source of the warning.
Within moments, he arrived at the edge of a barren clearing.
A massive dimensional rift floated in midair, its unstable energy causing the surrounding space to twist violently. Dark mana surged from the crack like a raging storm, and the entire rift trembled as if it could burst open at any moment.
Then Ethan noticed something unusual.
Not far from the rift stood a strange metallic device, partially buried in the ground. Strange runes carved across its surface pulsed with a crimson light as it continuously released waves of mana into the rift.
Ethan frowned.
"What is that...?"
After observing it for only a few seconds, his expression darkened.
The device wasn't stabilizing the rift.
It was feeding it.
By continuously pouring mana into the dimensional rift, it was forcing the rift toward a rift break.
Once a Rift Break occurred, countless monsters would pour into the outside world, and the creatures emerging from the rift would become far stronger than normal.
Someone...
Was deliberately trying to trigger a disaster.
Ethan slowly drew the sword at his waist.
A brilliant sword light flashed across the clearing.
Slash!
The strange device split cleanly into two before exploding into countless fragments.
Almost immediately, the violent mana surrounding the Dimensional Rift began to calm.
The distorted space gradually stabilized, and the terrifying pressure filling the clearing slowly faded.
Ethan walked over to the shattered remains of the device and picked up one of the larger fragments.
He carefully stored it away.
"This should be enough evidence."
Taking one final look at the now-stable dimensional rift, Ethan turned and returned to Boulder Town.