Magic Farm 110

Chapter 110: Server-wide Announcement, Regional Reputation Rankings

The preparations he’d made before coming had proven useful.

The wood from the Forest of Stars, along with the Fire Drake hide Qi Yu had brought, earned Tessa’s unending praise.

A warrior and a mage working together—repairing the house went at an astonishing pace.

By midday, the house that had been destroyed by the Ice Demon’s self-destruction was already seventy or eighty percent rebuilt.

The survival panel notified Qi Yu that the additional task had been completed.

During this time, Theodore watched in awe as Qi Yu used wind magic to sweep dust and debris from the house, and water magic to clean every surface.

All of this made Qi Yu seem incredibly mysterious in the child’s eyes.

He asked Qi Yu what a mage was.

Qi Yu replied, “It’s a profession, just like your grandmother is a warrior.”

“Are all mages as powerful as you?”

“Some aren’t as strong as I am, and some are much stronger.”

“Grandmother says you live in a forest, not like us. What is a forest?”

Qi Yu said, “The forest I live in is called the Forest of Stars. I haven’t seen any other forests, so I can only tell you what the Forest of Stars is like.”

He told Theodore that the Forest of Stars was different from here. The icefield was all white with snow and ice, but the Forest of Stars was green.

Everywhere there were trees, grass, and flowers.

Theodore listened with intense curiosity. “When I grow up, I want to be a mage too. I want to see the Forest of Stars.”

Qi Yu smiled, “When the time comes, I’ll welcome you.”

Theodore asked, “Mage, may I see what you look like?”

He whispered, “Maybe I’ll run into you somewhere when I’m grown up, and you won’t recognize me. If I’ve never seen you, I won’t recognize you either.”

Qi Yu thought he made a good point and took off the hood of his cloak.

Theodore’s mouth formed a perfect O.

Tessa also looked at him in surprise.

Qi Yu asked, puzzled, “What’s wrong?”

He knew he couldn’t look good right now: yesterday he’d been tossed into a snowdrift, then roasted in the temperature-regulating magic array, then back out into the freezing cold.

But… looking at the two of them, everyone was covered in dust and dirt—no one had any right to judge anyone else.

“You… you’re much younger than I expected,” Tessa said, suppressing her shock.

She had guessed from Qi Yu’s voice that he couldn’t be very old, but even so, seeing the truly young and clean face beneath the cloak still surprised her.

“If I may ask, are you of age?”

If he was still a child, Tessa thought, then I’ve really sinned—having a child deal with such a dangerous monster for me.

Qi Yu replied, “I’m of age. I’m nineteen.”

He felt he should be fair and asked in return, “And you?”

“I’m already over five hundred years old,” Tessa said, a little dazed. “Nineteen—in Vela tradition, that’s not even adulthood yet.”

She felt a bit guilty. “These past two days, I’ve made you do so much work.”

Qi Yu was also shocked by “over five hundred years old.” It was the first time he’d met someone who’d lived that long.

No—he suddenly remembered, in the Gold Cavern City Mage Association, he’d seen many elderly people.

But back then, he hadn’t really understood the world’s lifespan. Now that he thought about it, those really must have been some very old mages.

Suddenly, he felt reassured: Teacher Tranquility Brings Distance was only seventy. In this world, it seemed people could live a very, very long time.

Theodore listened to his grandmother and Qi Yu’s conversation, then snapped back to himself.

His big gray eyes sparkled. “Mage, you’re really good-looking!”

Qi Yu replied, puzzled, “Isn’t it just two eyes and a mouth? What’s the difference?”

He knew he was just an ordinary black-haired, black-eyed person.

He thought someone with golden hair and golden eyes would be truly good-looking.

Like Duo Ju.

Or someone like Teacher Egnor, who had such a noble presence you’d never forget them.

Theodore thought what he said wasn’t quite right, but it also made a bit of sense. He didn’t know how to argue back.

He thought, even if everyone had eyes, a nose, and a mouth, some people were just more pleasing to look at.

But seeing how naturally the mage said it, he wondered if maybe his own way of thinking was wrong.

Tessa happened to be up on the roof laying fire drake hide, so she missed this strange conversation.

That evening, the three of them shared dinner in the newly repaired house.

Tessa cooked a big pot of Qi Yu’s favorite creamy mushroom and vegetable soup, watching with loving eyes as he ate like a little hamster, head down and full of appetite.

Then it was time for farewells.

When Qi Yu said he was leaving, Theodore was full of reluctance, but Tessa was calm, as if she had expected it.

In her heart, she had already taken Qi Yu as a messenger sent by the gods to save her.

Now that the monster was slain and the house rebuilt, the divine messenger would naturally return to the gods.

Qi Yu took out several sets of Fire Drake thermal suits and gave them to the grandmother and grandson.

He also took out a pile of Emerald Peach, all dropped today from the Emerald Peach Grove:

“These are a specialty of our Forest of Stars—delicious.”

He had also wanted to set up a temperature-regulating magic array for them, but this time Tessa, who had always quietly accepted his kindness, refused.

“We are children of the icefield. We should not fear the cold,” Tessa said. “Too gentle an environment will stifle the fierceness in our blood.”

Qi Yu respected her wishes.

“Then, I’ll be heading back.”

He opened the drifting bottle’s task page and chose to return home.

In the night, the sound of clip-clopping hooves rang out.

Theodore held Tessa’s hand, eyes wide, staring at the carriage that should never have appeared in the Winter Icefield.

Tessa’s face was full of “just as I thought”: who but a god could have such miraculous means?

Qi Yu turned and looked at them. “Goodbye.”

Tessa and Theodore bowed to him. “Thank you again for your help, Mage. I will pray to the Goddess of Nature every day for your safety, health, and a smooth life.”

Qi Yu climbed onto the carriage.

Moments later, it stopped.

He stepped out and was back in the familiar Forest of Stars.

This time, he was prepared. He took out four beast crystals and fed them to the little alchemical horses one by one. “Thank you for bringing me back.”

He hadn’t expected any response from the alchemical ponies, but as he was about to turn away, the one that had taken the first beast crystal approached and nuzzled his hand.

Before Qi Yu could be surprised, the pony had already turned away, and the carriage vanished into the night.

Qi Yu couldn’t help but smile.

He walked into his territory.

He had left yesterday morning and returned after nightfall today.

As he expected, there was little white light in the territory.

He opened his survival panel and checked the map, looking forward with anticipation——

In the vast gray expanse, a new area slowly lit up.

It was even farther than the Blackrock Mountains, nearly at the very edge of the map, in the far north.

[Winter Icefield].

He tapped on it, and a prompt appeared.

[Explored area. Players may visit once per month, with a maximum stay of 24 hours.]

Just as he’d thought!

He stared at the vast map, his curiosity about this world growing ever deeper.

District 01 regional channel:

[Liver King: The game master’s points haven’t moved these last two days. I’m so curious and anxious!]

[Roach Tastes Weird: Maybe the master’s busy with something else? Though I can’t imagine what could be more important than killing Swiftsures for points right now.]

[Just a Guy on the Road: For the master, points probably don’t matter anymore. He’s already got enough to exchange for everything he wants.]

Everyone was chatting happily in the channel when, without warning, a flash of gold lit up the survival panel:

[Server-wide Announcement: Player “I Love Survival Games” has achieved notable success in external exploration. The reputation of [Forest of Stars] has spread to at least three regions.]

[Reputation System Unlocked!]

[Current Regional Reputation Rankings Updated.]

[Roach Tastes Weird: Damn, server-wide announcement!]

[Liver King: ??? External exploration? At least three regions? We’re still living like cavemen in the forest, and the master is already connecting with the world?]

[Just a Guy on the Road: Damn!]

[Grumpy Bro: Damn!]

[Jiangnan Rain Guest: Damn!]

[Reach for the Moon: So, the points haven’t moved these days because the game master wasn’t even at his shelter?]

[Little Old Me: No wonder the master’s been buying Swiftsure meat and selling Fire Drake suits—stuff we’d never even heard of. Turns out he’s already doing business with the outside world…]

Qi Yu was startled by the sudden server-wide announcement.

Unlike previous announcements, the system hadn’t asked if he wanted it made public.

He opened the newly appeared [Regional Reputation Rankings].

Regional Reputation Rankings:

First Place: Forest of Stars, Reputation 660.

At the moment, the list had only a single, lonely first place. From second place onward, it was all blank.

Clicking on the reputation value, he could see the IDs of the contributors.

Likewise, the Forest of Stars’ reputation contribution ranking had only one name——I Love Survival Games.

Qi Yu could see the detailed sources of his reputation.

Of the 660 reputation points, Gold Cavern City alone accounted for 500.

In addition, the Winter Icefield contributed 30.

To Qi Yu’s surprise, the city of Anbuner, which he had never visited, contributed a full 120 reputation points.

Were the Gareth siblings he met in the resource zone really that valuable?

As he pondered, another server-wide announcement popped up:

[District 01’s “Forest of Stars” is the first region to enter the Regional Reputation Rankings. Server-wide reward: All players in District 01 will have a green-quality resource point spawn in their territory. (For players without territory, the resource point will spawn randomly around their shelter).]

[District 01 player “I Love Survival Games” receives a personal reward: Resource Point (Purple).]