I Grow Crops with a System

"How about trying Growth Acceleration?"

"I tried it earlier on the handcart, no reaction, it probably requires some special method." Ethan thought for a moment.

"Pearl."

"Meow?"

"Does Lady Witch know how to plant it?"

"Meow-woo, hard to say."

"Why?"

"Lady Witch isn’t in the Great Forest right now — she went out on business, that’s why I’m on vacation, meow, but you can go check her library."

"Lady Witch’s library?"

Zharok furrowed his brows, he seemed to know something, when he noticed Ethan watching, he yawned and stuffed a chunk of meat into his mouth.

"I’ve been there a few times too, that place is boring to death, wouldn’t really recommend it."

"Meow? You’ve been there, meow?" Pearl asked.

"Long time ago, nothing but books, dirty and smelly," Zharok complained.

"Meow-meow — that’s the smell of books," Pearl retorted.

"I don’t like it, the atmosphere is oppressive, too."

Even so, the knowledge was worth the trip, Ethan considered for a moment and nodded.

"How far is it?"

"From your shelter, meow? Not really far."

"Then let’s stop by on our way back from the south, but since the owner isn’t there — can we just walk in?"

"Meow-woo, with me around, it’s no problem, just don’t mess around in Lady Witch’s laboratory."

Better prepare a gift, Ethan couldn’t just rummage through someone else’s belongings without at least offering something in return.

"Why did your expression get so serious, meow?" Pearl asked.

"I’m thinking about what to bring Lady Witch."

"Meow?"

"Dried fruit, bread — something like that, as payment for using the library, would that be enough?"

"Meow-meow, plenty, Lady Witch loves delicious food."

"Good."

"Since it’s decided, stop wasting stamina and go to sleep," Zharok urged.

"True."

Another long day behind him, Ethan stretched and lay down, Pearl curled up on his stomach.

"Don’t worry too much, meow, Lady Witch is a good person."

Nothing happened while they crossed out of the giant dragon’s territory, perhaps the dragon was watching over them in secret.

As the forest thinned and the edge came into view, Ethan asked, "The border is just ahead, right?"

"Yeah! Once we pass through here, we’ll be in the south— What the—?! What’s going on?!"

Zharok shouted mid-stride, Ethan looked up, a second later, his own expression changed.

"Meow-woo... it’s so hot..."

Blinding sunlight hammered the earth, the moment they left the cool canopy, a wall of heat slammed into them.

Zharok gritted his teeth. "Why is it so hot?!"

"Is the south always like this?" Ethan asked.

"No!! It used to be hot, sure, but never this bad!" Zharok yanked the handcart into the nearest shade.

Under the trees at last, all three of them exhaled hard.

"What’s going on? It was nothing like this when I came here last," Zharok said.

"Meow-woo... I’m going to melt..." Pearl lay flat on the ground, its thick fur turning into a liability, Ethan grabbed a small plank and fanned it.

"Did something happen?"

"Must have, we’ll need to reach the Ape Beastman village to find out." Zharok frowned and scanned the horizon.

Running under the open sun was brutal, they would have to stick to the shade as much as possible, but at this pace, could they make it?

"If you can’t handle it, sit on the cart, I’ll pull," Ethan said.

"Can you?" Zharok looked doubtfully at Ethan’s lean frame.

"I’m not as fast as you, but it beats standing around." Ethan stretched his arms and hopped off the cart, but instead of heading for the front, he walked to a patch of bushes.

Zharok watched, baffled, as Ethan tore off armfuls of broad leaves and wove them together.

"Need an awning, otherwise you’ll all be roasted alive."

He fastened the woven canopy onto the cart, in moments, a patch of shade covered them, then he pulled Zharok up onto the cart as well.

"I can walk," Zharok protested.

"Meow-woo, I’m fine too," Pearl said.

"Save your strength, it’ll cool down after dark," Ethan insisted.

"Can you actually pull it, though?"

"Piece of cake."

Ethan grabbed the cart and heaved, it rolled forward without complaint, Zharok’s eyes went wide.

"With that frame, where does all the strength come from?"

"My life hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing, let’s go."

Ethan broke into a run, Zharok and Pearl were both stared, not as fast as Zharok, no, but not slow either.

"Oh! This feels pretty good?!" Zharok shouted.

"Meow-meow! Don’t push yourself too hard!" Pearl called.

"I’m fine!"

He ran in bursts — sprint, find shade, rest, sprint again.

By the time the sun began dropping west, they had reached a river on the verge of drying up.

"Look at this." Zharok stared at the cracked banks.

"This river used to be wide. At this rate will the tropical fruits even survive? What’s happened to the Ape Beastman village...?"

"How far from here?" Ethan asked.

"Hard to say, a few more days if we run nonstop."

"Then day and night?"

"Our only choice, we’ll eat first, then set off, Pearl, you okay?"

"Meow-woo, I don’t mind... Meow!!"

Pearl’s fur puffed out in all directions, a second later, uninvited guests appeared at the riverbank.

"We’re surrounded, monsters," Zharok said, voice low and hard.

"There’s a lot of them." Ethan’s stomach tightened.

It seemed the creatures that hid from the sun during the day had found them the moment dusk arrived, giant crocodile-shaped beasts, serpentine monsters, winged insectoids — all closing in, eyes fixed and hungry.

Zharok bared his claws. "Too many, what do we do? I go first?"

"How about Wrath of the Earth first?" Ethan tightened his grip on the Scythe of Gaia, the weapon sensed the hostility and expanded in his hands.

He was about to unleash it when Pearl leapt off the cart.

"Meow-woo!! Don’t bother me!!"

Its eyes snapped wide.

"Thunder Strike!!"

BOOM-CRACK-CRACK!!

Dozens of lightning bolts crashed from the clear sky, the monsters had no time to struggle — scorched to cinders where they stood.

Ethan and Zharok stared.

Pearl wiped its face with a paw. "What are you surprised about? Let’s go."

"No... that magic you just used..." Ethan managed.

"I only know this kind of large-scale powerful magic," Pearl said, as though it were the most ordinary thing in the world.

"Wow... Thunder Strike is high-tier magic, isn’t it? What else do you know?" Zharok’s eyes practically glowed.

"Meow... Meteor Summon, Great Earthquake, maybe?"

"Why is it only large-scale magic... Whatever, you’re handling all the hordes from now on."

"Meow~! Leave it to me~!"

Ethan climbed back onto the cart, Zharok wiped the sweat off his brow, looked at Pearl, and asked, "Hey, do you know any ice magic?"

"No!"

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