“Earthquake!” said Lari. “Teacher, may I go down and experience it?”
“Me, too,” said Kharli.
I nodded, and the driver flew down and let the two of them disembark a short distance from the magic circle before flying higher again. Mo and I shook our heads and laughed at Lari and Kharli’s antics. The fearless duo were really enjoying themselves, jumping, dancing, and even doing cartwheels. Soon enough, they got tired of it in the heat, and we flew down to let them board the cart before flying further away and landing on a stable part of the desert.
I set up two nice, large tents with air conditioning for us, including the driver and his ox cart. We spent the time drinking iced lemonade and playing Connect 4. Once the timer ran down, we returned and saw that there hadn’t been much change done to the place except for a small depression on a formerly level piece of land.
“I think I know what happened,” I said. “An oasis like this must be fed by a spring from a large underground lake. The earthquake was the System making that happen.”
Sure enough, after a few minutes, the soil in the middle of the depression darkened, and when we examined it, we realized that it was wet.
“A spring will be bubbling up from here soon,” predicted Kharli.
“Yeah, but let’s not wait. It’s too hot for you guys, and I want to finish soon.”
We planted [Date Palm] seeds using a cultivation box in the spots the System indicated.
[Date Palm:
The backbone of oasis life. These hardy trees can live for centuries, producing sweet dates while their broad fronds form the protective canopy that makes agriculture possible in the harsh desert by sheltering crops below.]
After that, we still had energy left, and we decided to continue with the windbreak trees around the oasis first. There were three kinds of trees that the System decided were suitable to protect the oasis from the wind. While the [Date Palm] and other oasis trees seemed to be relatively normal ones, all of the ones used for the windbreak line had text descriptions that indicated their more magical nature.
[Dwarf Elm:
A fast-growing, native deciduous tree that is highly adaptable and can tolerate poor soils, drought, and strong winds. Though small in stature, its roots run deep, anchoring it to the magic that hums just beneath the earth's surface.]
[Tamarisk:
A remarkably drought-tolerant tree. Its deep, widespread root systems allow them to thrive where other plants wither. The tamarisk does more than block the wind; its enchanted branches actually consume it. When powerful desert winds blow, the tree's limbs glow with a faint, silvery light as they absorb the wind's raw force, turning it into a soft whisper. This stored wind energy is then slowly released, creating a calm, quiet space behind the tree. This magic not only protects the area but also gently nourishes the land itself with a life-giving energy.]
[White Desert Poplar:
A remarkable tree known for its incredible ability to protect against the harshest elements. Growing at a rapid pace and reaching immense sizes, its dense foliage and expansive canopy act as a living shield, calming fierce winds and creating tranquil oases in the most desolate lands. This magical tree is so tolerant that it can flourish in any soil, drawing from the earth not only nutrients, but also ancient power to nurture and strengthen all life under its protective boughs.]
I wiped my forehead with my sleeve in sympathy with the others, even though I wasn’t actually sweating. “Okay, we seem to be done here. That was a nice piece of work, wasn’t it?”
“It was very exciting! The windbreak sounds awesome. Do you think this oasis will be a magically protected one?” asked Mo.
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
“Hmmm, yes. In the future, we could build an inn or guesthouse here for tourists or visitors,” I said.
“It could be a trading outpost for Emberstone Farm,” said Lari.
“Lord Shuye could have an office there staffed with his men, and we would sell desert products like candied dates,” said Kharli.
We walked back to the ox cart, content at having started on the creation of a wonderful oasis in the desert.
Over the next few days, we continued our work, planting [Orange], [Olive], [Fig], [Jujube], [Almond], [Pistachio], and [Walnut] trees. The last step was planting [Grape] seeds. Our hard work paid off, and I leveled up.
[Heart of the Desert: Quest Complete
Reward: Farming Exp]
[Congratulations, you just advanced a Farming level!]
[Your Farming level is now 40.]
“Yes! I’m one step closer to my goal!”
The others congratulated me on the milestone, and we quickly returned to the house as fast as we could to escape the heat. There, I drank coffee and soaked in the hot spring to regain some energy. In the past, we used to work in the morning and pursue other projects or interests afterwards, but these days, I go to work on the farm even in the afternoon.
But first, I checked the new stuff I got for reaching a the milestone of level 40 Farming.
Of course, I got more energy, same as when I had a regular level up, but the increase was twice what I normally got. I also got another building slot and unlocked the [Five Courtyard House] as well as the [Castle], which was very nice. My limit for farm animals was now twelve, two up from the previous limit of ten. In addition to all of those, I received five puppet upgrade gems.
I put the ruby hearts into Mr. Bear's chest.
[Puppet Name: Mr. Bear
A magical plushie unlike any other. This cute and cuddly bear is made of a special type of plush cloth and magical stuffing that gives it special powers. When its owner is in danger, this bear will come to life.
Though Mr. Bear is a wizard type, this puppet is also equipped with hidden metal claws and teeth.
Type: Magic
Base spell: Fireball
Upgrades: 24→29/99]
With that done, the next item in the list of things to do for the desert quest was to “Plant one hundred perennial crops.”
If I weren’t in a rush, I would do this properly and make a plan for a working garden, but since I was trying to get the most exp for the least amount of time, I simply walked a few meters from the house and planted one hundred [Walking Onion] seeds to satisfy the quest requirements.
[Walking Onion:
A hardy onion that produces small bulblets at the top of its stalk. When the stalk gets heavy, it falls over, and the bulblets root themselves, effectively "walking" itself across the land.]
I looked up at the cloudless desert sky, an endless blue expanse, and sighed. I felt a little guilty about half-assing the quest, but I promised myself I would make up for it by planting another, bigger, and better oasis later on after my family was reunited.
Now only two items of my epic quest (“Create a food forest made of a diverse array of one hundred fruit trees, one hundred shrubs, one hundred vines, one hundred grasses or herbs, and one hundred root crops” and “Graze spirit animals. Sow wild grass and flowers on the grazed land.”) were unfinished.
I was just about to enter the house when the door opened and out came my boyfriend.
“Sweetheart!” I ran over with my arms outstretched and we embraced. It was brief since it was too hot outside. “What happened? Did you become a clan elder yet?”
“No, never!” he said with a vehemence that surprised me. “I’ll never agree to become an elder. I’d have to sit in every meeting.”
“Let’s go back to Emberstone Farm,” I said.
We went inside and took the portal back to the main farm.
I served him tea in my suite, and we discussed his current situation.
“They made a fuss, but I told them I’m staying here.” He grinned at me over his teacup. “I didn’t tell the elders, but I told my parents that we’re having a child very soon. There’s no way I’ll take on more responsibilities when I’ll be taking care of a baby.”
This pricked my conscience a little.
“Um, Baiyu, are you actually okay with that? I didn’t consult you when I agreed to have the child.”
The corners of his lips curled up in another smile. “You love him, so I’m sure I’ll love him, too.”
“Are you sure?”
He put his tea down and kissed me on the cheek. “My dear, if I had a young child, would you still marry me?”
I drew back and frowned thoughtfully at him. “A child? With another woman?”
“No, I meant if I found one the way you found your little dragon.”
I thought about it for a few minutes while I sipped my tea. “You know what? I wouldn’t care if you had a hundred, no, a thousand kids! I’d never let you go.”
This earned me another kiss.
“It’s the same for me,” said Prince Baiyu.
We forgot about the tea as we cuddled for a few minutes, and I thought about what I had just said.
“You know… I just realized something. I think I’ve already decided to marry you no matter what,” I said from the circle of his arms. “Do you want to start the wedding arrangements?”
Prince Baiyu’s arms tightened around me. “Yes! Can we get married as soon as possible?”
I laughed. “When is that?”
“Today!”
“It’s late afternoon. That would never work.”
“Tomorrow then?”
“Silly! You haven’t even told your parents.”
“I can go tell them right now.”
I kissed his chin. “I do want a small wedding, but still… There should be flowers and wedding clothes and a tiara…”
We spent the rest of the day planning our wedding.
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Author's Note:
- Readers, is it scandalous in this setting if the bride has a son before the wedding?
- I have experienced several earthquakes. One was sooooooooo strong I could hardly stay on my feet.
- How about you? Have you ever been in an earthquake?
- Thanks for reading!
- Please let me know if there are any errors.