[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?” Victor had assumed it would appear out of nowhere, just like the Nexus Tower, but it seemed that his assumption was wrong.

  “Yep!” she affirmed with 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 never told me that?” 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 about it 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. Victor selected the option to proceed with the placement and opened the 3D holographic map. He had planned the academy’s layout with this a long time ago. South of the Headmaster’s Building was marked for player dormitories. The southwest was designated as an industrial zone where all sorts of workshops would be located. 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 in population, the Headmaster’s Building alone wouldn’t be able to house them all. Some kind of measure would have to be taken to solve this. Still, with this configuration, the perfect place to put down the Magic Botanical Garden would be…

  “The east,” Victor mused, his eyes setting on 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 from 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 and made his way to the site, a group of about a dozen players had already congregated. From their stupid expressions, it was clear 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 post an update notice after he checked this place out.

  Seeing that the players were eager to explore inside, Victor had to tell them to wait 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, sure to easily captivate any onlookers.

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  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 were stretches of bare dirt, 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 were a dummy.

  “Of course, I know that. No, screw it.” 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, 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. To do it properly, he’d need to either become an official Magus or have a deep understanding of botany. 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 cause a 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 enthusiastically elaborate on this place, down to its last detail. The clear, concise way that it explained things 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 limited; it could only yield around ten novice-grade crystals daily. Higher-grade mana crystals were out of the question, at least for now. Secondly, akin to the Nexus Beacon, this tree also had the unique ability to produce almost any type of magical seed, 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 Bamboo is an extremely quick-growing plant that forms 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 certain: So long as he was willing to spend some AP, he could have a land full of precious magical plants—each one an endless money-making machine!