The morning after we had eaten a delicious meal for the first time in a while.
I woke in high spirits and smiled naturally as I looked at the Mythic-grade seed making its presence known in my palm.
‘What on earth will be born from it?’
It was a seed of a spirit that had ruled the ancient land. Its farming abilities would surely be incredible.
But before planting the Mythic-grade seed, there was something I needed to handle first.
The potatoes I had planted last time had reached their harvest time.
My steps toward the vegetable garden were filled with excitement.
I was looking forward to planting the mysterious seed, but potato farming, which would immediately ensure our tribe’s survival, was simply too much fun.
Gripping the stone I used in place of a hoe, I carefully began digging through the soil.
[You have harvested a D-Grade Potato.]
[You have harvested a D-Grade Potato.]
Ordinary potatoes appeared one after another.
They were precious provisions that needed to be stockpiled as emergency food in preparation for the great famine soon to come.
After harvesting the precious food, I began today’s highlight.
“Good. The moment to finally plant this has come.”
I took the Mythic-grade item <Seed of the Ancient Spirit Tree> from inside my clothes.
It was still so smooth and shiny. Very pretty.
Where would be a good spot?
I chose the best location in the middle of the vegetable garden, where it received plenty of sunlight and had excellent drainage.
I carefully dug out the soil and gently buried the seed, which was as smooth as a polished stone.
The moment I covered it with soil and patted it down with both hands, I thought I felt something wriggle...... Was that my imagination?
Ding—!
[You have planted a Mythic-grade Seed!]
[First Achievement accomplished! You have earned the title <Beginning of a Legend>. You acquire a large amount of experience.]
[Title achievement effect: Intelligence +1, Stat Point +1, Fame +1.]
[Special title achievement reward: You have received 1 <Random Draw Ticket>.]
[Special title achievement reward: You have obtained the trait <Affinity>.]
[Level Up! You have reached Level 6. Lv.5 -> Lv.6]
[Due to your level increase, you acquire Stat Point +1, and your job skills’ proficiency increases.]
“Huh?”
I was dazed for a moment at the flood of messages filling my vision.
I was used to receiving Stat Points as title effects...... but what was all this?
A Random Draw Ticket? There was a random-draw system too? And what was this trait, Affinity?
The fact that there was so much...... was proof that this seed held enormous significance within the System!
First, I should finish planting it and check later.
I patted down the soil and activated my skill.
“BARBARIAAAN—!”
Along with the Warrior’s Roar, the Growth Acceleration skill seeped into the seed.
[Mythic-grade Seed – 5 days 23:59:00 until germination]
“This takes a while......”
Compared to ordinary potatoes, which took a little over two days, it was three times as long.
But considering it was Mythic-grade, it almost felt short...... and more importantly, it meant it could germinate!
“Grow nice and strong. Drink good water, receive warm sunlight. Potatoes, do not steal this one’s share.”
With a farmer’s heart, I gave it some well wishes and then threatened the potatoes around it for no reason before opening my status window.
The thing that stood out most was naturally the trait I had just acquired.
==========
【Trait Information】
Name: Affinity
Classification: Passive
【Description】
Crops grow better.
Spirits, nature-aligned Demonic Beasts, and animals feel less hostility toward you and become more favorably inclined.
The chance of taming spirits, nature-aligned Demonic Beasts, and animals increases slightly.
==========
“Nice.”
A smile naturally spread across my face.
It could be considered an ordinary trait, but for someone living right before the Black Wall, it was practically an enormous survival bonus.
‘What kind of being will be born?’
Since it was the seed of a Spirit Tree, perhaps it would be one of the cute earth spirits commonly seen in novels and games?
Something like a fairy fluttering translucent wings, or a cute little ball of fluff made from earth.
My heart was already pounding.
Thus, the time that felt as though it would never pass slowly went by amid my anticipation.
.
.
.
Time passed, and the morning of the long-awaited germination date arrived.
It was still the early dawn, before the sun had fully risen, when a scream tore through the quiet village.
“Izak, Izak! We have a big problem!”
The tent door burst open as though it would break, and Malko ran in with an ashen face.
The enormous warrior was standing there trembling as though he had seen a ghost, and his ugliness made it even more frightening.
“W-what is it?”
“In the vegetable garden! A strange Demonic Beast appeared in the Shaman’s sacred vegetable garden! This is terrible! It is a complete mess! You must come at once!”
My heart dropped at those words.
A Demonic Beast? In my precious vegetable garden?
That place contained not only the precious potatoes that would see us through the winter, but also the Mythic-grade Seed of the Ancient Spirit Tree I had lovingly planted yesterday.
What if that Demonic Beast had dug up and eaten the seed? Oh, God......!
Without even properly dressing, I grabbed only a butcher knife and rushed outside after Malko.
One side of the village square.
Barbarian warriors had already gathered in a circle around my vegetable garden.
Chieftain Jakan stood there as well, holding his greatsword with a tense expression.
“What happened!?”
But strangely, not one of the fierce and courageous Barbarian warriors could carelessly enter the garden. They were whimpering like puppies desperate to relieve themselves.
“Move. I will go!”
As I pushed through the crowd and stepped forward, Jakan raised a hand to stop me.
“It is dangerous, Izak. It is a very violent and dangerous creature! We cannot lose our precious Shaman.”
“Then you go, Jakan.”
“......”
His expression stiffened, and he quietly looked away.
“What in the world is making everyone act like this......”
The moment I looked over Jakan’s broad shoulder, my thoughts froze upon seeing the thing occupying the center of my tiny, precious vegetable garden.
“That is......”
“It is scary! Too scary.”
The Barbarians muttered in fear.
Under the dim dawn light, something was snorting in the middle of a furrow I had carefully dug.
It was no taller than the palm of a hand...... a very tiny creature.
Its overall silhouette was plump and round...... That was—
“A potato......?”
When I muttered in a dazed voice, it let out a bizarre high-pitched cry and sharply turned toward me.
God, that was scary!
I flinched without realizing it. The creature swung its short, plump arms wildly as though revving up an engine, then—
“POTATOOO!”
“KYAAK! It is a potato ghost!”
Good heavens.
The moment a potato with eyes, a nose, and a mouth let out a shriek, the Barbarians recoiled in horror.
No, it was not merely screaming.
Short, plump hands and feet, made of the same texture as its body, had sprouted from both sides of the potato. Just like a ginseng root.
‘Why does it have such a threatening expression......?’
Despite its cute appearance, the creature was frowning deeply and squinting its eyes as though angry. It looked like a delinquent potato filled with grievances against the world.
And from the top of its round head, three fresh green leaves rose like horns.
No, surely not? That potato could not be the cute spirit born from my Mythic-grade seed, could it?
As I swallowed and observed it, Malko shook my shoulder fiercely.
“W-what is that, Shaman! Is it a monster? Or a potato ghost?”
“It is tiny. But it is scary. It gets very angry!”
The sight of enormous, muscular warriors trembling at a palm-sized angry potato......
Could I really make these people into the strongest Barbarian tribe?
At that mismatched and pitiful sight, I was momentarily at a loss for words.
“POTATOOO......!”
While everyone was still stunned, the creature seemed displeased by the giants invading its territory. It flailed its short arms and legs.
Then it finally began swinging the three leaves on its head like whips.
SMACK! SMACK!
“Ah, that hurts! Aah! I am dying!”
The leaves mercilessly struck Malko’s shin, as he stood closest to it.
There did not seem to be any physical damage at all...... but foolish Malko turned pale, throwing a fit that he had been afflicted by strange magic.
“Chieftain......! What do we do? Do we cut it down? The potato is attacking!”
“No! Izak’s garden will be ruined!”
Jakan, holding his greatsword, stared at me with cold sweat running down his face and an awkward stance.
Good grief...... This was a complete mess.
To sort out this chaotic situation, I raised a trembling hand and activated my skill.
“BARBARIAN!”
With the Warrior’s Roar, the Peek system window appeared in midair.
I involuntarily read the name displayed in the window.
“......Potadragora?”
“POTATOOO!”
Was it because I had guessed its name?
Potadragora put its short, plump hands on its waist, looked up at me, and screamed.
LUNGE—!
Then it clung to my leg and rubbed itself against me.
“Gasp! Izak has tamed a Demonic Beast!”
“He subdued it with the Warrior’s Roar!”
[Trait Affinity has activated.]
That is not what happened, you idiots.
“Our Shaman is incredible.”
For some reason, Jakan looked proud.
***
A short while later.
Inside the Shaman’s tent.
==========
【Target Information】
Designation: Potadragora (Earth Spirit/Mutant)
Name: None
【Description】
An Earth Spirit born by borrowing the body of a potato.
It absorbs the earth’s mana through the leaves on its head.
Its personality is extremely foul and irritable, but it awakens various abilities as it grows.
==========
“This little thing...... What in the world is it?”
A round living creature bustling about in front of me.
Outside, it had swung its leaf whips like a gangster at the enormous Barbarian warriors......
But now, it was clinging tightly to my knee, its eyes curved like crescent moons as it smiled brightly.
“Potato!”
The way it tried to climb up my thigh with its short, plump limbs was quite adorable.
It was so cute that I could almost hear little plip-plop, pitter-pat sounds whenever it walked over the dirt.
As I patted the top of its head while it clung tightly to me and refused to let go, I fell into deep thought.
‘Could it be...... because I planted it right beside the potatoes that a potato spirit was born?’
No matter what, it was nominally a Mythic-grade spirit...... Was it my fault that it had taken the form of such an insignificant famine-relief crop!?
Feeling somehow guilty, I swallowed and poked its plump cheek with a finger.
Then, a cold unease suddenly ran down my spine.
‘Could this...... get eaten?’
It had short limbs, but if it curled up quietly, it was nothing more than a potato.
When I imagined the potato spirit thoroughly boiled in a large pot, goosebumps rose all over my body.
What if the Barbarians mistook it for a potato and ate it?
Was there not some way to distinguish it clearly from ordinary potatoes?
As I rubbed between my brows and fell into deep thought, I saw a small box lying in the corner of the tent.
The box it had been inside.
‘Right! Let us do this.’
Seeing the luxurious red ribbon that had decorated the box, I had a good idea.
I set the creature down from my knee and carefully picked up the red ribbon.
“Come here.”
Potadragora scampered over at my call and clung to my leg.
I carefully tied the ribbon around one of the three leaf stems rising adorably from the top of its round head.
A small, pretty bow.
A potato spirit with a red ribbon, complete!
“Potato?”
Noticing the unfamiliar thing hanging from its head, the creature reached out with a short, plump hand and touched the red ribbon.
Perhaps it liked the soft feel of the silk, or perhaps it was happy to have an ornament uniquely its own. Its black eyes sparkled brightly.
[The Earth Spirit has acquired the Bound Item “Red Ribbon.”]
[The Earth Spirit is deeply moved by its first-ever gift.]
[The Earth Spirit feels a strong attachment toward you.]
“POTATO!”
Did it like it?
Unable to contain its joy, the creature began bouncing in place on its short legs.
Then it spread its little arms wide and rushed toward me, rubbing its plump cheeks against me while acting cute.
It seemed to like it very much.
As I quietly looked down at the potato spirit smiling with its red ribbon, I felt strangely conflicted.
It was too insignificant for a Mythic-grade spirit, yet far too fatally cute for a potato.
“It is cute, but...... you. What can you do?”
At my question, its eyes sparkled. Then it jumped down from my knee, which it had halfway climbed.
It puffed out its plump chest, placed its hands on its waist, and struck a proud pose.
The three sprout leaves rising from its head fluttered confidently. Cute.
“POTATO!”
It shouted imposingly.
“Right, you are going to show me something?”
I rested my chin on my hand and looked down at it with interest.
It let out a sharp snort at me and spread open its tiny, fern-like hands.
Oh! Was it going to do something?