NOVEL WEB Chapter 78: Magic Botanical Garden
[Magic Botanical Garden is available to be constructed.]
[Please select a location on the map to place the building.]
“Wait, so I can actually choose where to place it down?” Victor had assumed it would appear out of nowhere, just like the Nexus Tower; it appeared that his assumption was wrong.
“Yep!” she affirmed while putting on a cocky smile. “You can place new System buildings wherever you want within the academy proper. In fact, you can spend some AP to reposition them if you change your mind.” Neat.
“Huh, how come you know that and never told me?” He raised an eyebrow at Lizbeth.
She replied with a casual shrug. “Well, my memory about this only resurfaced now. The leveling up of the academy must have triggered it.”
How strange. Victor recalled her mentioning becoming stronger as the academy progressed, so he decided to ask that question rather indirectly.
“Are you feeling anything different, like getting a third eye or growing more limbs?”
“Hey! I’m a fairy, not a monster!” Lizbeth kicked the air irritably. “If you are asking if I’m getting stronger or not, well, I don’t know. At least, I don’t feel much change, maybe because it’s subtle or it’s progressing slowly rather than instantly.”
“I see.”
Whatever the case, it was time to get down to business. Selecting to proceed with the placement, Victor opened the 3D holographic map. He had planned the layout of the academy here a long time ago. To the south of the Headmaster’s Building, it was marked for player dormitories. The southwest was designated as an industrial zone where all sorts of workshops gathered. To the west, he reserved space for additional System buildings that might be introduced in the future. The northern part was planned for the residences of future mentors and staff. Lastly, the east was dedicated to the agricultural area.
With the increase of population, the Headmaster’s Building alone wouldn’t be able to house them all. Some kind of measure would have to be taken to take care of it. Still, with this configuration, the perfect place to put down the Magic Botanical Garden would be…
“The east,” Victor mused, his eyes looking at a certain spot.
There was empty space between the agricultural area and the main building. Other than the public bath, which was placed further toward the south, there was not much else. Furthermore, he could centralize plant-related facilities over there.
Victor selected a spot about one hundred meters from the main building and tapped the holographic map to place down the Magic Botanical Garden. Then, he rushed toward the east-facing window outside his office to witness the creation process with Lizbeth in tow.
To his astonishment, the construction process was not the instantaneous event he had anticipated. Instead, a luminous white circular magic formation began to emerge on the ground, its glow intensifying against the evening sky. Even with more than half the player base offline at this hour, those still in the game and near the site were sure to notice this spectacle.
True enough, when Victor came down the building and made his way to the site, a group of about a dozen players had already congregated. From their stupid expression, it was obvious that this had shocked them silly.
“What the fu—! What is this building?!”
“It looks like a greenhouse…”
“How does a building just pop up out of thin air? Is this part of an update? Why wasn’t there any announcement?”
Indeed.
Victor hadn’t kicked these players out when placing the System building down because there was no reason to. Even if they witnessed this scene, they would take it as an ongoing update or something, and he could just say it like that. Anyway, he would put the update notice after he checked this place out.
Seeing that the players couldn’t hold their curiosity to explore inside, Victor told them to stay outside until he came out, to which they reluctantly agreed.
The Magic Botanical Garden’s shape was like a ten-meter-tall greenhouse situated atop a raised stone platform with steps leading to it. From the front, the building was like a large, open book made from translucent glass panels tinted in soft shades of blue and green and a metal framework. Its most distinct part was the pointed arches and a series of gabled roof sections. The design was intricate and ornate, able to captivate any onlooker easily.
Victor climbed up the steps and got inside the building. But the moment he stepped in, he felt something strange. The air inside was rich with Cosmo elemental particles — something he didn’t know the cause of, as all he could see inside was stretches of bare dirt ground, bordered by stone barriers, along the brick floor.
Everything else seemed normal other than these few details—
“Lizbeth.” Victor’s voice quivered slightly as he gazed ahead and stopped in his tracks.
“Yeah?” the fairy answered, floating beside him.
He pointed at a colossal twenty-meter-tall tree at the heart of the greenhouse, its trunk and branches shimmering like molten silver. “That tree… is it really what I think it is?” Its leaves radiated a gentle luminescence akin to a night sky strewn with stars.
“Seems so. It’s a mana crystal-producing magical tree, Master. Don’t you know that? Hehe.” Her giggle was light, teasing him as if he was a dummy.
“Of course, I know it— No, screw that.” Victor had no time to argue with this sassy fairy and questioned, “How is it even possible for it to fit inside this greenhouse?” It finally came to his attention — the interior was inexplicably larger than the building’s external dimensions, at least by two to three times. Perhaps this was the reason for the high concentration of Cosmo elemental particles.
“I dunno.” She shrugged nonchalantly. “You probably understand it better than I do.”
What a useless fairy, Victor thought in irritation. She was almost always clueless about such matters. In what way was she different from a decorative, floating rubber duck?
As he approached the majestic tree at the center, he finally recognized what it was. Legends said that this ancient tree was one of the rarest kinds of mana crystal-producing trees because it absorbed the energy drifting through space and the pure essence carried by starlight, which was one of the purest forms of energy, to form its mana crystal pool. Right, the name of the tree was “Starlight Absorbing Tree.”
It had to be said that most magical trees always produced their mana crystal pool mostly from the impure mana that, at its root, originated from the Primordial Nexus. Rarely did any magical trees absorb mana from anywhere else. That was why the one owned by the Arcane Radiance College paled in comparison to this.
“Is the previous headmaster out of their mind?!” Victor’s face contorted in a grimace.
While the tree was undoubtedly a magnificent and priceless treasure, it was practically worthless to him at his current level of magic proficiency; he couldn’t take care of this tree yet, not until he became an official Magus or had a deep understanding of botany, which he did not. And there was a bigger problem: If the presence of this tree became known to powerful Magi or the kingdom at large, it would surely lead to chaos and conflict. They would spare no expense to snatch it.
Just then, a rustle from above caught Victor’s attention. From the dense foliage, a small green creature tumbled down, landing softly near his feet. Adorned with a mushroom-shaped hat featuring ornate patterns, it was both strange and oddly endearing.
In a melodic tone, the creature introduced itself, “Greetings, Master! I am the overseer of the Magic Botanical Garden. What brings you here?” Its tiny glowing eyes peered intently at Victor as if awaiting his response.
Victor, half-joking, turned to Lizbeth. “Lizbeth. Is this one of your relatives?” He really had no idea what this creature was. It should be a mythical creature just like Lizbeth, a fairy, and not a simple magical beast.
“Hey! How’s that sprite related to me, huh?!” Lizbeth retorted.
“Indeed, Miss Small Floaty speaks the truth.” It nodded — more like bobbed up and down — its small head. “I am a sprite, not of her kin. This sprite’s name is Lumispora.”
Lizbeth bristled. “Small Floaty? Really now?”
“Ahem. So, can you enlighten us about this place?”
“Yes, Master!” The sprite that called itself “Lumispora” proceeded to elaborate on this place to its last detail with enthusiasm. The way that it explained things would put Lizbeth’s usual way to shame, though her expression remained unchanged.
It appeared that this tree was no ordinary Starlight Absorbing Tree. Firstly, it was still in its growth phase, meaning its mana crystal production was very limited; it could yield around ten novice-grade crystals daily. As for higher-grade mana crystals, they couldn’t produce anything like that yet. Secondly, akin to the Nexus Beacon, this tree also had the unique ability to produce almost any type of magical seeds, available for purchase with academy points in the System shop.
“What an intriguing detail.” Victor stroked his chin thoughtfully and summoned the holographic screen to access the System shop.
There, on the blue screen, was a new section leading to a seemingly endless list of seeds. It wasn’t there previously, and Victor was sure of it. In any case, there were many kinds of interesting magical plants that could be cultivated easily, even by those with limited botanical knowledge. Some of these plants could even serve as offensive tools against foes.
These were the few that stood out to him:
Inferno Bloom Seeds
These seeds grow into the fiery Inferno Blooms — plants with deep crimson petals that radiate intense heat. Once matured, they can unleash bursts of flame, serving as natural defenses against intruders. Ideal for creating a protective barrier around fortresses or valuable areas.
Cost: 20 AP
Mystic Bamboo Seeds
Mystic Bamboos are extremely quick-growing plants that form into almost indestructible thickets. The bamboo can be harvested and used to create magic weapons or impenetrable barriers, making it valuable for both offensive and defensive purposes.
Cost: 20 AP
Starfruit Sapling Seeds
These saplings grow into trees that bear the coveted Starfruits that can restore lost mana and magical energy. Consuming a Starfruit can rejuvenate a weary mage or enhance magical abilities for a short period.
Cost: 10 AP
Elixvine Seeds
These plants are prized for their ability to grow medicinal berries at an accelerated rate, which can be processed into healing potions or salves.
Cost: 10 AP
…
Victor couldn’t see the end of the choices here. But one thing was for sure: So long as he was willing to spend some AP, he could have a land full of precious magical plants. They would be no different than endless money-making machines!
