Lin Fang broke into a cold sweat, thinking to himself, No way. Absolutely not. He couldn't risk anyone finding out how dangerous the things he grew were. His secret would be exposed.
He gently pulled his arm away and turned his face, trying to refuse politely. "Sorry, but I don't think a farmer has anything to teach you. Besides, I just have a lot of strength. I'm not actually good at fighting."
Right then the director appeared, leaning in to whisper in Lin Fang's ear. "She's begging you like this. Just agree already. Do it as a favour to me."
Lin Fang grimaced, whispering back. "This is not a good idea."
The director continued to whisper secret conditions into his ear. After hearing the terms, Lin Fang's eyes suddenly lit up. He sealed the deal instantly. "All right, then. It's decided."
Hearing this, Vera was overjoyed, her eyes wide with emotion. "Really? Thank you so much, Lin Fang. Don't worry. I absolutely won't get in your way."
She quickly ran over, throwing an arm around his shoulders. "Can I go tomorrow? Oh, wait. Can I go right now?"
"Suit yourself," he replied.
Later, at the wasteland training grounds, Lin Fang watched Vera working diligently outside the greenhouse.
"Lin Fang, is there anything I can help with?"
He thought to himself that this Vera girl was at least serious, but there was no way he could let her see the plants inside the greenhouse. Lin Fang pointed off into the distance, creating an excuse to distract her. "Why don't you check out the surrounding area first? Get used to the environment. I'm busy over here giving these new seedlings a round of — ah — special care."
Vera stood outside observing the plants, her mind racing in pure shock. These were all high-grade crops nourished by pure natural magic and carrying temporary stat boosts. A knowing smile spread across her face, her curiosity growing stronger by the second. Lin Fang, she thought, you just keep getting more and more interesting.
An hour flew by. Vera crouched down, picked up a handful of dirt, and tasted it. A look of sheer disbelief crossed her face. "Impossible."
Lin Fang stepped out of the greenhouse and saw her. "Vera, is something wrong?"
She looked up, amazed. "Lin Fang, were these plants grown in this perfectly normal dirt?"
Lin Fang casually replied, "That's right. It's just the most ordinary soil."
Vera was still doubtful. "Without using any magic crystal powder or elemental soil?"
Lin Fang scratched his head with a wry smile and launched into a sob story. "I thought about it, but those magic fertilisers are way too expensive. How could I ever afford them?" He pointed to a withered plant on the ground for dramatic effect. "See? These plants are probably malnourished."
Vera stared right at him, thinking his natural magic was on a whole other level. If that's the case, maybe I can help him out.
She stood up, cheerfully proposing, "Ahem. Actually, the school has a rule about that. You can use core materials dropped from dungeons to get specific items from the warehouse."
Lin Fang immediately grabbed her shoulders, his eyes blazing as he pressed her. "Are you serious?"
Taken aback by his intensity, Vera nodded and enthusiastically explained. "Yeah. For example, the level ten Dark Gloom Forest dungeon's final boss is the gnoll chieftain. His chieftain's fang can apparently be traded for a flask of earth's pulse. But a level ten dungeon is incredibly difficult. You usually need a five-person team," she added, her expression turning slightly regretful. "Of course, that's true, but that rule is about to be cancelled."
Hearing that, Lin Fang clenched his fists, completely fired up. "Perfect. This is absolutely perfect. I'm on my way."
Watching Lin Fang sprint off with a hoe, Vera marvelled to herself. Could it be that only such a pure, earnest heart could produce such pristine natural magic?
She had completely, utterly misunderstood his real motive. Cold, hard cash.
Soon enough, Lin Fang stood before the shimmering portal of the level ten dungeon, the Dark Gloom Forest, as the surrounding crowd started to point and jeer.
"Hey, look at that farmer. What's he doing here? Did he get lost? And with a hoe, no less. Is he planning on digging for vegetables inside?"
"Ha, isn't that the freshman? Lin Fang. I'm pretty sure he's only level eight. He's tackling a level ten dungeon. The kid must be completely insane."
But Lin Fang ignored every single taunt, calmly handing his application to the administrator. "Sir, I'd like to request permission to enter the Dark Gloom Forest by myself."
The administrator looked at Lin Fang with deep concern. "Kid, your level is too low. On top of that, going in alone is an incredible risk."
Lin Fang just held up his ID with a confident smile. "The academy's rules state that any student can apply to enter. If you don't mind."
The instructor took a closer look at the student, and then it hit him. His eyes widened in shock. "You—"
Standing behind Lin Fang, Vera quietly put a finger to her lips, signalling for silence. Seeing this, the instructor just sighed and stamped the approval form. "The rules are the rules. Good luck to you. Know your limits, and if you're outmatched, you retreat immediately. Got it?"
Vera smiled, pleased with the outcome.
Lin Fang stepped into the portal amid the mocking whispers.
"Is he really that stupid? He's just another nobody freshman anyway. How could he ever compare to elite students like us?"
The bitter insults echoed behind him. "It'd be better if he just died in there. Having a junior like him is a disgrace to our academy."