I moved carefully, my eyes scanning every inch of the ground. Fallen branches were scattered among a blanket of leaves.
Since I was taking my time and moving slowly, I hadn't ventured too far yet, still lingering around what the villagers considered the entrance of the forest.
The air here was a little brighter, and the trees, though tall and aged, were spaced enough to let the light scatter down in patches.
Most of them appeared to be oak trees, or at least, some type of oak. I wasn't an expert in botany, and beyond the broad leaves and the sturdy bark, that was the best I could guess.
The branches high up were clustered densely, tangled in a way that made the forest feel almost like a cathedral.
Some of those branches had clearly broken off from time or wind, and now lay scattered across the ground. Many of them were perfect for picking, thick enough to be useful, dry enough to burn or repurpose.
I knelt down occasionally to examine them, letting my fingers brush across the rough bark or tap against the wood to check for rot.
From within the space, I heard Green hum softly, as if mulling something over.
I didn't even need to ask to know what she was thinking. She was definitely going to suggest planting a tree or two in the farming space. Knowing her, she'd probably give me a speech about forestry balance and eco-cycle management.
If I was being honest with myself, I was a little curious too.
What would happen if I planted one of these towering oaks inside the farm? Would it grow rapidly, shooting up in mere hours like the crops? Would it evolve, just like Green always said plants did when placed in the farming space? Could I perhaps end up with some kind of spirit tree, or a magical wood that could be used for tools, furniture, or even cultivation?
That thought made me glance up at the massive branches once more, half-expecting one of them to shimmer or drop something mystical.
Of course, nothing happened. Still, the seed of curiosity had already been planted.
I didn't want to ask Green what would happen if I planted the branches. I didn't want to be spoiled. It was more fun that way.
"Master, would you like to receive the notification now? Or after?" Green's voice rang softly in my head, crisp and polite as ever.
I'd already gathered more than fifteen branches from the forest floor. Judging by the size and the leaves still clinging to some of them, they all seemed to be from the same kind of tree, maybe all from one, judging by how close they'd fallen together.
It made me wonder what kind of tree it really was. Would the system be able to identify it?
"Don't worry, Green. You can send the notification now," I said with a casual wave of my hand.
She didn't even bother replying. Before my words had fully left my lips, a soft ding! echoed in my head, and a translucent window popped up right in front of me. I blinked, momentarily stunned by how quickly she executed the command.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations! You have registered a new item!
Rewards are as follows:
• 50 EXP
• 25g]
I stared at the floating window for a second, lips twitching. "So dramatic," I muttered.
"Efficiency is key, Master," Green quipped smugly in my mind.
I rolled my eyes. "You just like spamming sound effects."
"Correction: I like rewarding you," she replied primly, but I could practically hear her smirk.
I reached out to swipe the notification away, the glow of the rewards still lingering faintly in my vision.
Looking over the meager rewards, I was a bit disappointed—but not discouraged. It wasn't much, sure, but it confirmed something important: there was a way to earn system gold currency even without unlocking the [TRADING CENTER]. That in itself was a win.
Just as I was mulling over that thought, another set of notifications blinked into existence, overlapping the one before with a slightly more elaborate chime. This time, the frame was silver, not blue.
[REMINDER!]
[The host has stored 15 saplings inside the system inventory.
Only one can be converted! Please choose wisely.]
[REMINDER!]
[The system has deemed the tree sapling as the lowest of the low item.
It will now appear in the [Inner System Shop] under the Common Junk category.]
"…Lowest of the low?" I repeated aloud, blinking at the message.
"Yes, Master!" Green piped in, sounding almost offended on the sapling's behalf. "That's the system's way of saying it's practically useless. But technically, still usable."
"Technically," I echoed with a grimace. "You mean to say I've been carefully picking up sticks and branches like some squirrel just to be insulted by a talking window?"
Green gave a cough that sounded suspiciously like laughter. "No effort is wasted, Master. Even trash has its value if you just bring it inside the system."
As annoying as it was, I had made progress. And now, at the very least, I could browse the system shop. Maybe once I upgraded more, these "trash" items could be used for something useful.
I stared at the glowing notification for a moment, then sighed. "Green, explain this to me in more detail."
Her voice came promptly, calm and matter-of-fact.
"Master, because it's an ordinary tree sapling, it barely meets the system's standards. In other words, it's not considered special in any way, no unique properties, no rare qualities. That's why, even though you've brought in fifteen branches, the system can only convert one of them to meet the required threshold."
I frowned. "So the others are just… useless?"
"Not useless," she corrected, "just too ordinary. The one that is converted will, of course, become special, enhanced by the system's processing. It will probably be the only sapling you can plant inside the space for now."
I mulled that over, but she wasn't done yet. At least I thought she wasn't