Johan wanted to join Yuna’s guild, and Yuna also wanted that herself. That seemed to be the whole reason she returned with haste.

  However, Johan expected others to discover about his class and what he could do in time. He had already become a centre of attention without even trying.

  Johan didn’t want the guild Yuna created to get tossed around by the giants in Hunter society. That’s why he included Merilyn and Lucas, bringing in the Association and Agni Clan to get extra protection that could keep up with others.

  This protection was also flimsy if the other clans didn’t bite on the bait he had thrown. But Johan was sure; he knew they’d bite.

  They would never pass up something this delicious. If before he got forced into the spotlight, he decided to embrace it this time. But from a safe distance with a couple of barricades before him.

  Still, he knew this method would upset Yuna.

  “It seems I have much to grow.” She hadn’t lost her stubbornness, good to know.

  “Even if you have enough influence, I would go the same route.” Johan continued as her eyes turned sharp. She could always see through his lies. “Trying to protect me all the time would be a hassle. Did you create the guild to wipe out the magik beasts or protect me?”

  “…To wipe out the magik beasts,” Yuna muttered.

  “If you have to constantly protect me, how would you do that?” Johan clicked his tongue, taking a seat next to Yuna with a grunt. “If the Hunter Society in this country is a living organism, then I plan to become its heart. Something they can’t live without.”

  “The potions that took weeks would be completed in an hour; they will become more accessible. And as the consumption increases, it would be harder to go back to how things were before.” The low-to-mid rank hunters who had the watered-down potions helped him realize that.

  Once they had understood the value of his potions, they had stopped buying from anywhere else. They wouldn’t mind waiting in line for hours on end, and they would also agree if he ever thought of raising the prices for the potions. Not that he would.

  The top Hunters already spent a fortune on potions that didn't compare with his own. Most people would think that selling the new and improved potions himself would be much more profitable.

  However, as Merilyn had said, no matter how many he produced by himself, it wouldn’t be enough.

  Plus, he would only further antagonize the Mage Tower, as their time and labour would go to waste.

  Using Agni Clan and the Association to spread his produce, the newer potions could reach throughout the country and even beyond if they wanted. The demand for them wouldn’t die down, and his importance would increase even more.

  Anyone who has tasted honey wouldn’t want to go back to sewage water again. If anything, they work harder to make sure they can have that honey over and over. Johan banked on that integral part of the human mind.

  “But that comes with danger.” Yuna already understood that.

  “The risk to my life won’t vanish even if I hide at this point, so I might as well go all out.” He shrugged. Master Adelan was the perfect example of this. “Besides that, even if the plan doesn’t work. There’s still Merilyn.”

  Merilyn was a living legend. She had the position and the power, and he doubted she’d let harm reach his way after putting in so much effort and time into helping him.

  Sure, he might have to make some concessions if things came down to that, but working under the Association would be way better than getting turned into a brainwashed farmer working 24/7.

  “So, that’s what it takes, huh?” Yuna muttered.

  “What?” Johan tilted his head when she turned to him with a small smile.

  “Just added a new goal.” Yuna reached into her coat’s inner pocket and pulled out a black metallic card.

  It had a four-leaf clover on the front and the guild’s name carved in pure gold. On the back was a title, Vice Guild leader, and below it was his name.

  “It won’t take long.” She took his hand and placed the card on his palm. “Soon, you’ll be able to show this card with confidence, I promise you that.”

  “…” Johan looked at the card and Yuna’s smile a few times. “Why am I the Vice Guild Leader? It was my idea to make a guild!”

  Looking at his tantrum, she only shrugged and leaned into her seat.

  “The first one to establish the guild becomes the Guild Leader, the second one has to be the Vice Guild Leader. That was the rule.”

  “Who was dumb enough to make such a rule?” Johan scoffed.

  “You.” Yuna pointed at him.

  “…Anyway, since you enter a lot of rifts, can you get me samples from any new tree or plant you find?” Johan moved the conversation along.

  Since the Association would help in negotiations, Agni Clan would help set up deals with other guilds and delivery, he didn’t want Yuna to feel left out any more than this.

  “I’ll tell the guild members to be on the lookout for that.” Yuna nodded.

  “Also, if you need more potions, just let me know, I’ll have them ready,” Johan added, flashing the guild card he got. “It’s the least I can do as the rich and generous Vice Guild Master.”

  “Show off.” Yuna clicked her tongue once.

  “It’s ok if you don’t want it.” Johan could sell them for more profit.

  “...I’ll give you a call if we need more,” Yuna stood with a cough. She looked at him one last time before taking out an empty potion bottle. “Thank you for keeping your promise.”

  Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  After placing the potion bottle in his hand, she left.

  As the door to the potion workshop closed, Johan sighed and melted into the chair.

  There was a lot to do since he had decided to roll the dice, but he wanted to take a moment and reflect.

  His eyes wouldn’t leave the potion bottle. It was a cheap one, made of extra-durable glass. A bottle that held the potion he had made. The potion Yuna took with her in the Tower.

  Even though he couldn’t stand with her the way he thought of before, this wasn’t so bad either.

  Danger would follow him around for a good while; he already understood that. And he had his ways of dealing with them, too.

  To reach him, one had to go through dozens of cameras that Merilyn had her eyes on. Even in case the intruder reached him, Johan could teleport to the Tower.

  And even by some miracle, someone followed him to the Tower, there was a full guardian beast waiting for them.

  Best of all, Yuna seemed determined to become even stronger. So, he had to do his best to.

  “The first step is conquering the four major clans with my potions!” He jumped up, the chair sliding back on the marble floor.

  With the magik vegetables and potion ingredients, it was only a matter of time before he gathered enough influence to stand beside Yuna for real.

  ***

  Entering the Tower with Translocation, Johan went straight to the Golden Pear tree.

  The original looked as healthy as always, and the new one was full of life as well. A second fruit weighed on the thick white branch. He had taken one this morning for samples. Johan could only hope Lucas would put it to good use.

  Besides these trees were three pots. Each pot had a tiny sapling of the Golden Pear Tree. He had only planted them last night, and the two baby leaves of each of them seemed excited under the sunlight.

  These would grow out in a week if he cared for them as usual. With five trees, he could handle the influx of new customers. When he’d planted these saplings in a few days, he could add a few more after the new ones bear fruit.

  But he feared that eight Golden Pear trees might be too much for now.

  Having too many ripe Golden Pears was a luxury only Johan could afford. He almost felt bad for everyone else; that’s why he had decided to generously share it with the world. Of course, he didn’t plan to do that for free.

  “I am sure Lucas and Merilyn will get me a good deal.” Giving them three free Golden pears a month was for this reason, he would increase that in the future for sure.

  However, the thing that worried him most right now was the Sherry leaves garden. It had grown to 100 square meters, but that was nowhere enough. With the amount he had promised, he needed at least 400 square meters for this one plant alone, if he wanted to continue selling potions in the Mart too.

  Not to mention the weight loss vegetable farm for the upcoming high demand.

  With a few sparse trees, the opening around the large tree amounted to 800 square meters roughly. This might seem enough for now, but Johan would need a lot more than this if he wanted to supply potion ingredients for the whole capital.

  The only solution was to expand the farming area.

  The black locust-like trees were the most common ones around his farm. They had dark, thick trunks with a height of 15 meters and wide crowns. Their reddish bark felt like a metal sponge, and the bluish green leaves had a sweet scent to them.

  When he swung an axe against one, a dozen chips appeared on the edge, and his arms turned numb.

  Name: Nicario Asumtuc

  Rank: E+

  Info: A hardwood tree with dense magik absorbing fibres, best used for spear shafts and wooden training weapons. Can also be turned into quality charcoal.

  “I got too carried away.” Johan regretted not checking the tree’s info before pulling out an axe.

  Better late than never, at least. He had wondered what he would do with the trees, if he could cut them, and the answer came to him.

  The bigger question was, how should he cut it?

  His stinging palm reminded him not rely on an axe and his meagre power. A magik-powered chainsaw might work, though. Ordering one and getting a permit might be a bigger pain, however.

  Good ol’ Adrian it is. He planned to remove about twenty trees for a start.

  Still, too much deforestation wasn’t good. Johan thought he might find some more open spaces like his current farm if he looked around with the rabbits. He had already used one for the Nightbloom flower tent, so he’d need to look for a new one.

  However, his biggest worry at the moment was the Nefel’s blessing seeds. He would need more of them for the ice resistance potions, like the Golden Pear for Basic healing potions.

  Johan wrapped three seeds from the icy apples in wet paper towels individually and placed them in different zip-lock bags. Going back to the mart, he stuck them in the freezer to simulate winter.

  “Only time will tell now.” Johan planned to wait for a week before taking one of the plastic bags to check.

  Inputting the reminder in his calendar app, he returned to the Tower. The moment he appeared under the giant tree, Eunally and Nunally tackled him to the ground.

  “You two are finally back.” Johan patted their heads as they licked his face.

  Cerberious was still napping like usual; it was either napping or eating. Seemed like this dog didnt like walks.

  Unlike him, Parakeet was a diligent fellow. The moment Johan had planted the new carrot tops, the butterfly got to work immediately.

  At first, Johan thought that this pollination method may not be too productive, but Parakeet proved him wrong. He had only planted them a few hours ago, but white of the flowers had faded by evening.

  By the time midnight arrived, the flowers curled inward, growing heavy. The stalk bent under the weight of it soon after.

  Johan harvested the seed heads when they turned brown and brittle the next morning, cutting them free and laying them out in the shade. By noon, when he returned after closing the mart, they smelled dry and warm. Crushing the umbels between his palms, he smiled at the small spiny seeds that remained.

  Name: Magik Carrot Pro Seed

  Rank: C

  Info: Will grow into Magik Carrot Pro.

  Unable to wait, Johan planted the seeds in the expanded carrot area like a cat high on catnip. And in a matter of twenty minutes, got his first harvest thanks to Growth Acceleration.

  “Muhehe, this is it. This is exactly it!” Nose high in the sky, Johan cackled like a maniac.

  He could keep farming, and with the help of his Sanctuary, he’d get a single crop that was one level higher. Then, using that high-ranking item, he could get seeds and then mass-produce that high-ranking item till the next rank showed up.

  Classic rinse and repeat.

  This was the perfect plan he had envisioned. He would keep getting higher-level items, and their value would keep rising over and over.

  For the weight loss vegetables, Johan planned to only focus on carrots and cherry tomatoes. They were the least filling of the vegetables he had. Even he could eat five of them every hour with ease.

  Johan had already pushed the other vegetables into a small garden behind the storage tent. Those vegetables were for personal use now.

  With the extremely motivated Eunally and Nunally. Johan expanded the carrot and cherry tomato areas to 200 square meters each. He kept casting Sanctuary over the fields, drinking magik regen potion like water, as his laughter echoed around the place.

  If things went well, he should have a Rank B carrot or cherry tomatoes before the next morning.

  He expected some trouble along the way, but he got a problem he didn’t know he could have.

  “Well, I expected some roadblocks…” Johan’s brow twitched as he looked at the blinking blue system window.

  [To grow Rank B crops, Unique Class, Tower Farmer needs to be upgraded.]

  “An upgradable unique class, yeah, that is normal. Like totes normal.” Cold sweat drenched Johan’s forehead.

  As if his high-level crops weren’t lucrative enough, this class only kept giving others reasons to kidnap him!

  early or support the novel directly?

  Patreon to read 10 chapters ahead.

  Discord

  Thanks for reading.