Chapter 8: Eden

Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Eden

Rowan closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he reached into his soul toward his core domain skill.

[Domain: The Virgin Soil]

A soft, golden hum resonated through his chest, vibrating through the quiet night. The world around him faded as space tore open silently in front of him. A magnificent, pristine marble gate materialized out of thin air, carved with intricate vine motifs that glowed with a gentle, pale radiance. The gate swung open without a sound, an open invitation to step across the boundary of reality.

Rowan took a step forward, crossing the threshold.

Instantly, the scent of fresh dirt and suburban air was replaced by an intoxicatingly pure breeze that gently caressed his face. The air here wasn’t just clean—it felt alive, vibrant, and utterly untouched by pollution or corruption. His lungs expanded greedily, drinking in the purest environment he had ever experienced.

Above him, an ethereal, soft-lit sky arched over a vast expanse of lush, untouched earth—the Primordial Garden. But dominating his view directly ahead was a towering, ancient tree whose trunk seemed to stretch toward the heavens, its vast canopy casting a comforting shade over the ground.

Walking closer, Rowan noticed a small, beautifully crafted wooden door built right into the thick base of the tree trunk. Pushing it open gently, he stepped inside.

The interior was a cozy, circular room bathed in a soft natural light filter. It was simply furnished with a wooden bed, a polished table, and a single matching chair. Lying atop the rustic wooden table was a bound volume—a small book with pages made of fine parchment.

Rowan walked over and rested his hand on the cover. He flipped it open, looking down at rows of elegant, flowing writings in an unknown language. He traced his fingers over the text, feeling the soft, velvety parchment beneath his fingertips. Though the glyphs were completely foreign to his eyes, touching them sent a faint, warm prickle through his mind—a hint of ancient knowledge waiting to be understood.

Looking around the room, Rowan spotted a narrow spiral staircase carved into the living wood, winding its way downward beneath the tree.

Curious, he descended the wooden steps until he reached a cool, tranquil basement level. The air down here was thick with concentrated life energy. In the center of the chamber sat a small, stone-lined pond. Above it, a single stalactite-like root hung from the ceiling, dropping clear, crystalline water into the pool—drip... drip... drip...—at an extremely slow, deliberate pace.

Rowan walked up to the edge of the pond. Kneeling on the smooth stone, he submerged his hands into the glass-like water, scooped up a handful, and drank it.

The moment the liquid touched his lips, a wave of profound rejuvenation washed through his entire body. It was as if every lingering trace of fatigue, stress, and mental fog was instantly washed away. His mind sharpened to a razor’s edge, and his very soul felt light, clear, and energized.

Before he could even catch his breath, his translucent system interface flashed brightly before his eyes:

[ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ]

[Primordial Spring Water Consumed!]

The pure condensed essence of cosmic life has nourished your physical and spiritual vessel.

Effect: All Base Attributes Permanently Increased (+1)

Vitality (VIT): 12 > 13

Strength (STR): 10 > 11

Agility (AGI): 11 > 12

Intelligence (INT): 15 > 16

Wisdom (WIS): 15 > 16

Mana (MNA): 15 > 16

Rowan stood up, looking down at his hands as a renewed pulse of power thrummed through his veins. The Primordial Garden was far more than just a sanctuary—it was a haven of endless potential.

In the back of his mind, Rowan knew this spring was a priceless resource. Watching the single, slow drop drip from the root, he resolved not to drink from it casually—it clearly took immense time to replenish, and every drop held cosmic value.

Leaving the sanctuary beneath the giant tree, Rowan stepped back out under the vast emerald canopy. The massive branches stretched so far outward that they completely shaded the entire landmass, creating a temperate, sun-dappled haven shielded from the sky.

Walking through the pristine grass toward the edge of the land, he realized the island was completely surrounded by a calm, crystal-clear body of water stretching out into a soft mist.

Deciding to map out the boundary, Rowan turned left along the gentle shoreline and began to walk, counting his paces under his breath with steady cadence:

"One... two... three..."

The air remained crisp and invigorating as his boots brushed against the soft shore dirt. Step by step, he kept count as he charted the natural, slightly curved perimeter of his domain. By the time he completed the full loop and returned to the base of the central tree, his count hit 3,250 steps—a circumference of roughly 2,400 meters (a little under two and a half kilometers).

He stood at the edge of the central clearing, looking out over the roughly 700m x 700m island. It was vast—nearly 100 acres of untamed, ultra-fertile virgin soil awaiting his touch.

Rowan walked back to the central clearing near the base of the massive tree, where the air felt thickest with pure life energy. The soil here was extraordinary—soft, dark, and practically humming with primordial vitality, far richer even than the deep loam layer in his backyard.

Unclipping the pouch from his belt, Rowan pulled out his remaining heirloom seeds:

11x Tomato Seeds

14x Sweet Pepper Seeds

7x Winter Squash Seeds

19x Wheat Seeds

Using his fingers, he prepared a neat, small garden patch in the fertile earth right under the dappled shade of the giant tree’s canopy. He sowed each seed with practiced care, placing the squash along the outer curve, setting the tomatoes and peppers in central rows, and trickling the wheat grains into a tidy furrow along the side.

As soon as the last seed was covered with the golden-dark soil, the island’s natural environment responded. Faint, thread-like wisps of pure green light swirled up from the ground, wrapping around the newly sown bed. Without him even casting a spell, the surrounding [Breath of Eden] and the untamed energy of [Domain: The Virgin Soil] surged into the seeds.

Before his eyes, tiny green shoots broke through the earth almost instantly, hungrily absorbing the cosmic life force of the island.

Rowan dusted off his hands, watching the pristine sprouts rise with a sense of quiet satisfaction. This patch in the Primordial Garden would serve as his personal nursery and testing ground for his most valuable crops.