Chapter 5 — The First Harvest (Revised with Safed Musli)
The morning sunlight streamed through the window, waking Yaswanth. He rubbed his eyes, stretched lazily, and then remembered—
The farm!
Closing his eyes, he willed himself inside. In the blink of an instant, the world shifted. The barren black soil he had seen yesterday was now transformed into a lush field, covered with rows of tall, leafy plants swaying gently as if greeting their master.
His heart thumped. I… I didn't even ask the old man what plant this was. In my hurry, I just bought it.
He walked between the rows, touching the soft leaves. The plants had long, thin roots spreading beneath the rich soil. A faint earthy, medicinal fragrance filled the air, refreshing yet grounding.
"System," he asked, "is there a way to harvest all this at once? The land is too large."
The mechanical voice replied instantly.
[Yes, Host. Automatic harvesting is available. Would you like to activate it?]
"Yes!"
The next second, faint golden lights appeared above the plants. In an instant, the field was trimmed clean. The harvested crops disappeared into thin air.
[All crops have been sent to the warehouse in space.]
A smile spread across Yaswanth's face. This system… is truly god-level.
After exiting the farm, Yaswanth got ready for school. He took his bicycle, pedaling steadily along the road. It was a twenty-minute ride, but his mind was still half-occupied with the mysterious medicinal plants stored away in his space.
Arriving just five minutes before class, he quickly slipped into his seat. Beside him, his best friend Flemming, a boy with messy hair and a mischievous grin, leaned over.
"So, how was the exam yesterday? Physics nearly killed me."
Yaswanth shrugged lightly. "It was okay."
Before Flemming could tease him further, the classroom suddenly fell silent. Everyone stood up as Mr. Krishnan, the homeroom teacher, walked in.
At fifty years old, bald-headed and always strict, Mr. Krishnan's mere presence commanded attention. He was also their physics teacher, known for giving no mercy in exams.
"Sit," he said curtly, adjusting his spectacles.
He carried a bundle of papers under his arm. "I have your mock exam results. Don't be disappointed, but remember—next month is the grand pre-public exam, and soon after, the 12th board exam. If you're not prepared, you will suffer."
The air grew tense as he began distributing the sheets. One by one, groans and sighs filled the room.
When Yaswanth got his bundle, he quickly checked:
Mathematics: 34/50
Physics: 50/50
Chemistry: 29/50
Computer Science: 39/50
English: 30/50
For a "mock" result, it was impressive, especially that perfect physics score. A few students glanced at him, whispering. When did Yaswanth get so good?
But Yaswanth kept a calm face, silently reminding himself that this was just the beginning.
The rest of the school day passed in a blur. Once the final bell rang, Yaswanth pedaled back home.
After greeting his parents briefly, he slipped into his room and shut the door. Opening his notebook, he muttered, I need to know exactly what those plants are. If they're medicinal and rare… then I might already be sitting on a fortune.
He turned on his old computer and began searching online, typing in descriptions of the leaves, stems, and fragrance.
Finally, one result made his eyes widen.
Safed Musli (Chlorophytum borivilianum).
A rare Ayurvedic herb called "White Gold." Extremely hard to cultivate, often taking months to years to mature, and worth thousands per kilogram in the herbal medicine market.
Yaswanth leaned back, stunned. So this… is what I planted yesterday?
His lips curled into a grin.