I Grow Crops with a System

Night had fallen, but the earth still radiated the day’s punishing heat.

"Still a lot better than daytime!" Zharok grabbed the handcart and launched into a full sprint.

"Take it easy!" Ethan shouted from the rattling cart.

Zharok didn’t slow down, they ran through the darkness for hours, and as the sky began to lighten, they spotted a small cave near a jagged pile of rocks.

Zharok headed straight for it. "Let’s rest here for a bit."

They parked the cart at the entrance and walked inside, the cave was cooler — not much, but enough, all three sank to the ground near the opening and let out a long breath.

A figure appeared in the morning mist, running fast, a Lion Beastman with a handsome mane, seeking shade from the rising sun, beside him ran a lioness.

"Looks like this place is already taken, mind if we rest here for a bit?" the Lion Beastman asked.

"Go ahead, we’ll be leaving after breakfast," Ethan said.

The young-looking Lion Beastman grinned and nudged his companion deeper into the cave.

"I’m Raul, by the way... are you human?"

"Nice to meet you, I’m Ethan."

"I’m Zharok."

"I’m Pearl, meow~"

"Don’t be a stranger, I thought all humans had already left the Great Forest, did you come back to settle down?" Raul asked.

’Not exactly.’ Ethan gave the curious lion a wry smile.

The lioness peeked out from behind Raul, he pointed to her.

"This is my wife, Kiara."

"Hello~! I’m Kiara! This is my first time seeing a human, you look exactly like the legends say?!" Kiara said, almost bouncing.

They clearly meant no harm, Ethan settled into the coolness of the cave and started unloading the handcart.

"Since fate brought us together, why don’t we have breakfast together?" he offered.

"Sure! Give me a moment — I’ll go catch something." Raul turned toward the exit.

"Dear, the sun is about to come up..." Kiara said, worried.

"We can’t eat for free, I’ll be right back." And he was gone.

Before long, he returned with two Horned Rabbits and a large red-feathered bird, he skinned them and handed over a portion of rabbit meat. "This one’s for you."

"Ethan, let’s have roasted meat," Zharok said, eyes bright.

"Just what I had in mind."

Ethan built a fire near the entrance and set up his iron griddle, he cut the skinned rabbit into pieces, spread butter over them, and set them sizzling. Raul and Kiara watched with open curiosity.

Then Ethan brought out eggs.

"Are you making Omurice, meow?!" Pearl cheered.

"There are a lot of people, I need to make extra."

He tossed the frying pan over a second fire and got to work, quick, practiced movements — golden omurice, plated one after another.

Five portions total, one for each of them.

"Here, eat up," he called.

"There’s a portion for us too?" Raul and Kiara looked at each other in surprise.

"I can’t take your rabbit meat for free." Courtesy demanded reciprocity.

Raul and Kiara smiled, they each took a bite of the omurice, drizzled with Moonlight Tomato Ketchup.

"Whoa?! This taste?!"

Their eyes went wide, while they devoured the omurice, Ethan set the roasted meat in front of them as well.

"Here, it’s all done."

He had coated every piece of Raul’s game in butter and roasted it to a turn.

Between bites of the hearty breakfast, Ethan asked, "How long have you lived down here?"

"We’ve always lived in the south," Raul answered, chewing casually, he stole a glance outside.

The sun had been up only a short while, but heat mirages were already rippling in the distance, he looked at the scorched landscape, jaw tight.

"It’s all because of this damn high temperature, you want to know why it got so hot, right?"

"You’re sharp," Ethan said with a small smile.

"In the south, if you don’t have at least this much instinct, you won’t survive."

"Meow?! Aren’t Lion Beastmen pretty strong? Has the south really gotten this bad?" Pearl asked.

"Things have been turbulent in the south lately," Raul sighed.

Kiara spoke up to explain. "It started about a year ago, the monsters got stronger, all of a sudden."

"It’s not just the monsters, the environment has gotten worse, too, the south has always been hot, but never like this!" Raul added.

’Monsters grew stronger, and the heat spiked, both at the same time.’ Ethan turned it over in his head.

"The beastmen in the south can barely survive anymore," Kiara said, looking down.

"The peaceful life we had is gone."

Ethan made another portion of omurice and set it in front of her.

Raul watched his wife with aching eyes, took a bite of meat, and asked, "Where did you guys come from?"

"We came from the Central Region, meow!" Pearl answered.

"Any problems there?"

"No problems, meow, speaking of which — isn’t the Great Forest protected by Lady Witch’s magic? How did it end up like this, meow?"

"Lady Witch isn’t in the Great Forest right now," Ethan said.

Pearl thought for a moment and nodded, that was true.

"Even someone that powerful can’t cover everything, Pearl, when is Lady Witch coming back?" Zharok asked.

"I don’t know, meow~"

The witch had approved Pearl’s vacation and vanished, nobody knew when she would return.

Raul and Kiara both sighed.

"Does this mean we just have to keep living like this...?"

"I really miss the old days..."

Pearl padded to Ethan’s side, he stroked its fur, thinking, then turned to Zharok.

"If this heat continues, what happens?"

"Even an idiot knows they can’t stay here forever, they’ll probably head north..." Zharok replied, his expression grim.

’A mass migration north would mean war.’

Ethan recalled the Ape Beastmen who had wandered into Canine Beastman territory.

A few individuals had nearly been killed on sight, if the southern tribes moved north in force, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"If this is caused by Lady Witch’s absence, could there be a specific reason?" he asked.

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