"Shop transformation? What's that supposed to mean?" Ron asked curiously. "The place looks fine to me—it was just renovated, wasn't it?"
System: "The system will perform a full renovation of the first floor to meet the functional and aesthetic standards of a professional flower shop. The second and third floors will remain unchanged."
Ron rubbed his chin. "Can you be a bit more specific?"
System: "The plants you'll be cultivating in the future all require different survival environments. To properly display them in the front hall, specialized equipment will be installed to keep them fresh. Additionally, the first-floor storage room will be converted into a dimensional subspace—a universal cultivation zone designed to support the host's planting activities."
"Whoa, that's pretty high-tech." Ron whistled in appreciation, then opened up his [Inventory] to check his quest rewards.
[Nether Orchid Seed] (x1):
A rare plant that thrives in dark, humid, and nutrient-rich environments. It has a three-month growth cycle and bears fruit only once. After the fruit drops, the flower blooms again and becomes a low-maintenance species that only requires regular watering. The petals absorb ambient elemental energy, increasing the local concentration of mana. Its fragrance stimulates the soul and enhances meditation efficiency—up to 3x effectiveness—with no side effects.
"Hey, not bad! That actually sounds really useful." Ron nodded, satisfied.
The unique properties of the Nether Orchid made it priceless to mages.
And mages, on this continent, were the most elite and privileged of all professions.
They were also, naturally, loaded.
Anything that could speed up meditation and help with magical breakthroughs? That kind of item couldn't be bought with money—it was worth the money.
Only then did Ron notice the small line next to the seed:
(x1)
"Wait—just one?!" Ron cried out. "System, are you kidding me?! You're stingier than a gnome accountant!"
System: "The shop exchange feature has now been unlocked. The host may purchase more at any time."
[Shop]
Nether Orchid Seed – 10 Wealth Points per seed
"..." Ron facepalmed. "What a greedy setup…"
System: "All system pricing has been carefully calculated for fairness. These prices are already highly discounted."
Ron narrowed his eyes. "So let me get this straight: you're telling me the same amount of wealth that buys a breeze to flip someone's skirt... also buys a rare magical plant seed?"
System: "Temporary items are priced according to a different dynamic model due to their unique functionality and urgency. Comparing them to regular store items is not appropriate."
"...Sure, buddy."
Ignoring the system, Ron tapped on the second reward in his inventory:
[Nether Orchid Cultivation Guide]
A detailed and complex manual for cultivating the Nether Orchid. Not beginner-friendly. By activating this item, the host will receive instant comprehension.
"...I feel personally attacked," Ron muttered, staring at the description as it had just insulted his IQ.
Still, he clicked it.
A glowing, translucent green book floated out of the system panel, hovering above Ron's head before slowly merging into his mind.
In an instant, knowledge surged into his brain, and he instantly understood the complete process of growing Nether Orchids.
Ron rubbed his temples. It still felt weird.
He'd already accepted being isekai'd and having a system. But this whole "download knowledge directly into your brain" thing? That somehow made it feel more real.
"Man, if school had worked like this, I'd have been a straight-A student."
With a sigh of longing, he closed the system panel.
Now that he had the seed and the knowledge, you'd think he could plant it right away.
But nope.
From what he just learned, Nether Orchids require dark, damp environments and constant exposure to moonlight to grow properly.
Once matured and fruited, they'd bloom indefinitely and become low-maintenance.
But until then?
He couldn't provide the environment they needed—especially not enough moonlight. A few hours of night light per day just wouldn't cut it.
This brought Ron back to the dimensional subspace that the system mentioned earlier.
"System, what exactly does that cultivation space do? Can it provide the proper environment?"
System: "The dimensional subspace is a pocket world anchored to the main realm. While it has no innate features, the system's cultivation space—attached to it—can fully simulate necessary conditions such as light, moisture, weather, soil quality, and time flow to support plant growth."
Ron's eyes lit up. Now that's more like it!
At this point, he finally realized what made the system so powerful.
Seeds as quest rewards.
Knowledge injected straight into your brain.
A customizable planting room?
It was just like a farming simulator game on PC.
Click a few buttons, and boom—plants grown.
A total package of noob-friendly features!
"Pay-to-win games really do have their charm…"
System: "The dimensional subspace is provided as a free bonus due to its lack of unique features. However, the cultivation space is an extremely rare and valuable resource. Therefore, each square meter must be purchased with Wealth Points."
[Shop]
Cultivation Space: 100 Wealth Points per square meter
(Limit: 10 square meters)
Robbery!
Pure, unapologetic robbery!
Ron slumped into the sofa and stared at the ceiling in defeat.
After a deep breath, he calmed down and asked, "What's with the limit?"
System: "As previously stated, cultivation space is a high-value commodity. The 100 Wealth Points per square meter pricing is already deeply discounted. The 10-square-meter limit exists to ensure balanced distribution. Please cherish what you receive."
"Heh... heh heh…" Ron gave a dry chuckle. "So what you're really saying is—once I buy all 10, the next batch will cost even more, right?"
System: "System pricing is determined by various internal factors. Due to numerous variables, no accurate answer can be provided at this time."
"Wow. That's the most corporate answer I've ever heard." Ron snorted and closed the system panel.
He walked around the second and third floors, discovering that most of the furniture and household items were still intact.
Apparently, the previous shop owner had left in a hurry and didn't take much. That saved him from needing to buy anything new.
By now, evening was approaching.
The kitchen was empty, so Ron decided to head out, explore the area, and find something to eat.
Besides that, he also planned to visit a bookstore and pick up materials on this world's common knowledge: things like magic, battle aura, racial history, continental chronologies, and—most importantly—plant lore.
That last one was his top priority.
After all, he was about to make a living running a flower shop.
Understanding this world's plants was essential.
So after tidying up the shop a little, Ron stepped out onto the bustling street to begin his first stroll through the City of Chaos.