At night, after dinner, Kael went inside his dimensional rift.
He took a look at his crops.
The cherry tomatoes were as beautiful as ever. The faint blue hue of the fruits, the strong brown stems, and the fresh green leaves were still a feast for the eyes even if he had been seeing them every single day.
But what caught his attention this time wasn't the tomatoes.
The apple trees.
He had planted only four of them. Yet now, they stood tall and majestic, as if they were the kings of all trees. Their leaves were a vibrant green, their trunks a deep, solid brown. Each tree towered as high as a redwood, around 110 to 130 meters tall, and the trunks alone were nearly twenty feet wide.
And from their branches hung golden apples.
Each one glowed with radiant light, shining so brightly it illuminated the entire rift.
Kael's mouth fell open.
"Woahhh… that's the biggest tree I've ever seen. Why did it grow so much in just a few days? Last time I checked, it was only around twenty meters tall! And those fruits… are those really apples? Don't tell me… like the cherry tomatoes, I got a new item?"
Without waiting, Kael activated Flight. His body rose smoothly into the air as he flew toward the shining fruit.
From a distance, the golden apples were already dazzling, but up close they were almost blinding, as if he was staring straight into the sun.
He reached out and picked one.
Ding!
You have unlocked a new achievement: Birth of the Divine Fruit.
Title Acquired – Divine Cultivator.
Title Rewards: +150 Attribute Points.
Kael blinked in shock.
"...Divine Fruit?"
He quickly pulled up the description.
Divine Fruit – In mythology, this fruit was said to be the food of the gods, overflowing with divine power. Cultivated only by the Great Farmer.
• Each fruit permanently grants +1 Attribute Point.
• Extends lifespan by +10 days.
Kael's hands trembled slightly as he held the glowing apple.
"Food for the gods… and it's in my hands right now?"
He gulped.
"Attribute points? Isn't that basically a cheat? As in… I can just use these for my physical stats?"
His eyes widened.
"Wow… with this, I don't even need to level up to get stronger. Isn't this broken? If people found out about this, they'd kill me for sure."
A grin slowly crept onto his face.
"But if I'm the only one who can grow this… doesn't that make me the strongest?"
He glanced up at the towering tree, calculating.
"Each tree bears around… fifteen hundred fruits? With just these four, that's over six thousand attribute points."
Kael chuckled to himself at first. Then, little by little, his chuckle grew into laughter until he burst out laughing, his voice echoing through the massive rift.
"Ha…ha…hahahahaha! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Waiting seven long months suddenly felt worth it.
"So I just have to wait a few months and I'll get another harvest like this?!"
But then a thought struck him.
"Wait… lifespan? If I eat all of these, that's like… over a hundred and seventy extra years. I don't know if that's good or bad, but still… very useful."
Ding!
* Legendary Achievement Unlocked – Tree of Life
You have cultivated the mythical Tree of Life, believed lost for six thousand years after Adam and Eve ate the fruit of knowledge.
Reward: +500 Attribute Points
Reward: 1 Additional Life (You will instantly revive upon death).
Kael froze.
"...Wait. What?"
His heart skipped a beat. He read the words again carefully, his eyes trembling.
"The… Tree of Life? The one from myths? The one said to give immortality?!"
He looked up at the towering golden apple tree in disbelief. The leaves shimmered like emerald fire, the trunk radiated strength like an eternal pillar, and the golden fruits glowed like miniature suns.
Kael's mouth went dry.
"I… I planted the Tree of Life?!"
He almost dropped the fruit in his hand.
"No way, no way, no way… this thing wasn't supposed to exist anymore! If anyone else found out, nations would go to war over this!"
His breathing quickened as a cold sweat ran down his neck.
"Not just mana fruit… not just divine apples… I actually cultivated one of the world's lost miracles."
"Wait, 150 points for the Divine Fruit, plus 500 from the Tree of Life? That's 650 attribute points… That's basically the same as leveling up 130 times!"
His breathing quickened.
"One free life, too?! That's insane!"
Excitement surged through him as he activated Flight and Agility Boost.
"Alright… let's pick every last one of these!"
Swoosh. Dash. Dash.
He moved like lightning, weaving through the massive branches, his hands moving faster than his thoughts. In no time at all, he had gathered every fruit.
"Total… six thousand and ninety-one apples. That's basically worth over twelve hundred levels!"
Kael's mind spun.
"With just this, wouldn't I be as strong as Victor? Or… stronger? If Victor is only S-rank, then doesn't that mean I'm already above him?"
His heart pounded.
"But the description said the trees only fruit once every thousand years… Even with my Seed Sense and Nurture, maybe I can push it down to… ninety years? I'll need to plant more."
Still, for now, he had the real prize in hand.
"Alright then… time to eat."
Kael took a bite of the glowing apple. Sweetness exploded in his mouth, richer than any fruit he'd ever tasted. It was like eating the essence of life itself a surreal blend of honeyed sugar and a crisp, refreshing tang. Every bite felt like a dream melting on his tongue.
He closed his eyes and groaned.
"Damn… just like the tomatoes. These apples don't just look divine, they taste divine too."
He smirked.
"I'll share about four hundred of these to my guild members … but not all at once. I'll make them rewards. Ten at a time should be enough to keep people motivated. The Vice Guild Master can have two hundred. That should make them more motivated to get this position."
He placed five hundred apples into Subspace Storage, keeping the rest for himself.
Status Updated
+6,041 Attribute Points acquired
Kael distributed them with shaking hands.
Strength: +1500
Agility: +1500
Endurance: +1000
Defense: +1041
Ding!
----- New Stats Applied!
Name: Kael
Level: 32
Titles: Dimensional Rift Owner, Great Farmer, Divine Cultivator
Profession: Farmer ★1
Mana Rank: F (2,550,280 / 2,550,280)
Strength: 1,600
Agility: 1,602
Endurance: 1,027
Defense: 1,079
Kael nearly fell to his knees.
"This… This is nuts! I've become a monster. I might actually be… the strongest."
Then he remembered. His Subspace Storage was still packed.
He grinned darkly.
"I still have ninety-seven tomato trees… and every three days, they produce fruit. The Spriggles have been harvesting nonstop."
He checked the total.
"Twenty-two thousand mana potions… hahahaha!"
His eyes gleamed with madness.
"Let's sell two thousand to the Black Fang Guild. The rest… I'll drink myself."
For the next three hours, Kael sat under the glowing apple tree, chugging potion after potion. His aura swelled violently, mana bursting from his body until the air itself was thick with glittering particles. The ground trembled as his power climbed higher and higher.
He lost track of time. He lost track of everything but the flood of strength entering his body.
By the time his hands stopped trembling, Kael's entire body glowed faintly with mana. He was filled with energy, though mentally exhausted. The apples and potions digested instantly, spreading through his body without leaving the slightest strain.
He took a deep breath.
"…My stats now are… insane."
Name: Kael
Level: 32
Titles: Dimensional Rift Owner, Great Farmer, Divine Cultivator
Profession: Farmer ★1
Mana Rank: F (10,550,280 / 10,550,280)
Strength: 1,600
Agility: 1,602
Endurance: 1,027
Defense: 1,079
After 16 hours of drinking the potion and 12 hours eating the apples he only have left few