Chapter 6: Fern, Sprite of Growth

Present. Rowen sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the ceiling. "I was rash..." he whispered. There was a flicker of something new inside of him now—a soul artifact no one had seen before. Proof that he wasn’t ordinary. And yet... he had thrown everything away the moment things didn’t go his way. Even now, that thought gnawed at him. He clenched his fists, breathing deep. This wasn’t the end. Maybe it never was. After some thought, he decided: Before making any more choices, he would first understand this thing inside him. Only then would he choose his next course of action. Rowen remained still, lost in thought—until a sudden breeze, despite closed windows, brushed against his face. A faint glow shimmered before him. He blinked. Floating in mid-air was a small creature—chubby, glowing faintly with soft green light, with pointy elf-like ears and moss-colored hair that looked more like sprouting leaves. Its eyes were bright, curious, and old. Then it yawned. "...Finally," it muttered, stretching mid-air like a lazy cat. "That took long enough." Rowen scrambled back. "W-What are you!?" The floating creature rubbed its eyes. "Hmm... a better question is what you are. I was born with you, you know. But until today, you barely leaked a drop of mana. I slept for years. And then today—boom—mana feast! I woke up." Rowen blinked. "You were... born with me?" "Obviously." The creature floated down and poked his chest. "Soul-bound spirit. You’re my master. I’m your contracted sprite." "Contracted? I never made any contract with anything." "Don’t need to. It’s automatic when born like this. Your soul chose me." It gave a lazy salute. "Name’s Fern . Sprite of Growth. And you..." The creature floated up, hovering in front of his eyes. "You’re the farmer." Rowen blinked again. "What?" "Try saying ’Status,’ Master," Fern said with a knowing grin. Rowen hesitated, then muttered, "Status." In the next moment, a translucent screen blinked into view in front of him, glowing with faint golden lines. ????[Status Screen—Rowen]???? Name: Rowen Race: Human Path: Farmer Class Rank: Apprentice Farmer (Unranked) Soul Link: Active Contracted Spirit: Fern—Sprite of Growth Unique Trait: Class Adaptability (Passive) Energy Type: Mana Mana Capacity: Unknown Status Screen: Locked to Soul Artifact Awakener Only Rowen stared. "A... status screen? This is like something out of a game." Fern smirked. "Nope. This is your sole interface. Rare as hell. Even I didn’t expect that." Rowen’s eyes scanned the details. "Farmer? That’s... my class?" "Yep," Fern nodded. "But not just any farmer. The kind who can grow things no one else can. Learn things no other path can touch. You’re a builder, a grower, a nurturer." Rowen looked at Fern again. "What exactly... can you do?" Fern puffed up with pride. "I’m the Sprite of Growth. I can sense mana in soil, identify plants, help with spiritual growth, and assist with certain abilities you unlock as a farmer. I also manage your independent space." Rowen narrowed his eyes. "Independent space?" Fern floated backwards and clapped his tiny hands. A soft shimmer rippled through the room. With a low hum, a faint outline appeared against the wall—a glowing wooden door with twisting vines etched across its surface. Rowen’s mouth fell open. "This," Fern said proudly, "is your Verdant Domain—a space separate from the real world. Only you can enter it. Time flows differently here. You can farm, experiment, grow magical crops, raise spirit beasts, or... just nap in peace." Rowen took a step toward the glowing door, heart pounding. Fern continued, "Think of it as your private world. It will expand as your soul and skills grow. Right now, it’s small—but full of potential." Rowen reached out and touched the wooden handle. And the door creaked open. Rowen took a cautious step inside. The moment he crossed the threshold, the world shifted. Rowen stepped through the door. The light faded as he entered, revealing a flat patch of land no bigger than a courtyard. The soil looked dry and cracked in places. A plain wooden fence surrounded the field, and off to the side was a shallow stone well. There was no building—just open space. He frowned. "This... doesn’t look like much." Fern hovered beside him. "That’s because it’s still level 1. The land is barren until you start investing in it." Rowen looked around again. "I thought this was supposed to be full of potential?" Fern nodded. "It is. But it needs energy to grow. Specifically, mana stones. With enough mana stones, you can feed me, and I’ll upgrade the space. Right now, even farming here would be hard." Rowen sighed and crossed his arms. "So I need to build a cottage, get tools, and farm all in a space that can’t even support a seed?" Fern snapped his fingers. A translucent screen appeared in front of Rowen. [Independent Space Status] Space Level: level 1. Capacity: 1 Plot (10x10 meters) Soil Quality: Poor Water Source: Basic Well Structures: None Energy Reserves: 50/50 Mana Upgrade Requirement: 50 Low-Grade Mana Stone [0/50] Next Upgrade Unlocks: Improved Soil, +1 Plot, Cottage Blueprint Access "This screen will track everything inside this space," Fern said. "It updates as we upgrade. Your goal is to feed me mana so I can process it into growth." Rowen stared at the barren land, then at the screen. "So I really have to start from nothing..." Fern gave a firm nod. "From nothing to everything, Master." Rowen looked serious. "Then I’ll need to start gathering mana stones. Fast." Fern floated with a grin. "Now you’re thinking like a true Farmer." Rowen stared at the dry land for a long moment. Then, he muttered to himself, "Even if the soil’s poor... something has to grow here. I’ll start with something basic. Something useful." He thought for a moment—then nodded. "Potatoes." He turned to Fern. "I’ll be back." Without waiting, Rowen stepped out through the glowing door. The space around him shifted, and he was back in his room above the shop. He quickly grabbed a small bag of potato seeds from the shop’s storage—leftovers from his grandfather’s old farming days. Then he found an old wooden-handled hoe and a small shovel. With both items in hand, he returned to the glowing door and stepped inside again.