As Julianna Garland checked her sowing experience points, a system notification chimed:
*Task 1: Sowing rice completed.
Reward: A springhead.*
*This is a special springhead drawn from deep within the earth’s core.
It can, to a certain extent, improve the dry, hard, and unhealthy “rigid” soil of Earth Star, helping the rice adapt to the environment.*
*Note: Only one of its functions is currently unlocked.
Other features will be unlocked upon the completion of future tasks.*
Julianna immediately clapped the dirt from her hands, set her hoe aside, and began searching for the spring.
BUZZ BUZZ.
Swarms of mosquitoes circled above her head, annoying her to no end.
However, beneath the buzzing, she thought she heard a faint RUSTLE.
Since the Earth Recovery System intended to use the spring to irrigate her crops, the springhead couldn’t be too far from the field she had just reclaimed.
Her plot wasn’t far from the wooden cabin.
After walking halfway around the exterior, Julianna soon noticed the sound of a GURGLE growing louder from a direction just opposite the kitchen.
Overjoyed, she followed the sound and quickly found the source of the Heartwell.
It was situated on slightly higher ground, forming a small slope of jagged rocks that reached about shoulder-high, heavily overgrown with weeds.
Pressing her ear near the slope, she heard the water flowing from just beneath its rocky peak.
Julianna immediately pulled aside the dry, prickly weeds and, as expected, found the soil and rocks beneath to be quite damp.
She hurried to clear the rest of the vegetation.
As she yanked the roots free, several small stones dislodged with them, revealing a crevice in the rocks where a thin stream of water seeped out.
But with the opening blocked by gravel and silt, her bare hands weren’t enough to clear it.
Stepping back, she grabbed her hoe and returned.
With just a few swings—
*Digging Experience +1.*
*Digging Experience +1.*
*Digging Experience +1.*
A shower of rocks and roots tumbled to the ground, fully showcasing her prowess as an expert digger.
As the rock cluster blocking the springhead was cleared away, the previously trickling water immediately burst forth in a thick column.
A torrent of clear water flushed out the blocking silt, gravel, and grass clippings, pouring out with a loud SPLASH and spilling all over the ground.
*System Notification: You have discovered the Heartwell springhead.*
The surging water splashed out, completely soaking her clothes and pants.
Julianna, however, wasn’t upset; instead, she was thrilled.
This was clearly the system’s task reward!
The spring water continued to gush.
At first, it carried loose rocks mixed with weed roots, but it gradually turned crystal clear.
As the water flowed into the ground, the exceptionally dry soil of Earth Star acted like a long-starved beast, instantly absorbing every drop.
Julianna washed her hands in the flow, relishing the crisp chill of the spring.
The Earth Recovery System really lived up to its name.
Although it hadn’t explicitly stated whether this Heartwell—drawn from the Earth Era Period—was safe to drink, its sheer clarity proved that the water quality was vastly superior to that of Novus.
The history books of Novus recorded the final years of the Earth Era Period.
Before the cataclysm that caused the destruction of the Earth Era, Earth was prosperous and thriving, its population reaching an all-time peak.
Not long after, a bizarre virus emerged, causing massive soil mutations and the extinction of numerous plant species.
The loss of flora led to the death of livestock, leaving many animals unable to survive on the planet.
Eventually, this deteriorating environment threatened human survival.
Extreme weather followed, ultimately forcing humanity to migrate with whatever meager resources they could carry.
A significant portion of the remaining population perished during the journey.
Hunger and the grueling process of adapting to a new environment claimed many lives, along with a massive loss of their remaining supplies.
By the time humanity finally established a foothold on Novus, they had discovered water, some plants, and a handful of resources.
While these pale in comparison to Earth’s past abundance, to the survivors of that era, it was a lifeline in their darkest hour.
Over the course of nine hundred years, Novus developed highly advanced technology, and its water treatment processes had become exceptionally efficient.
However, truly pure, high-quality water required a hefty price to obtain.
Different tiers of water came with different price tags.
Earth Star, where Julianna currently lived, was incredibly impoverished.
For Samantha Garland, a mere descendant of refugees, to have saved enough money to purchase a planet was already an extraordinary feat.
Later, a portion of those funds went toward building the wooden cabin, installing basic water filtration and energy lighting, and hiring a lawyer.
The filtration system here was crude—only capable of ensuring the drinking water wasn’t toxic—and fell far short of true purification standards.
The water Julianna had been drinking recently came from the supplies provided by Aeturnum Firm.
For washing up, she relied on the local crude filtration system, which produced cloudy, yellowish water that occasionally contained algae and carried a faint fishy smell.
It couldn’t even begin to compare to the pristine quality of the Heartwell.
She looked at the springhead and thought with immense joy, “I can finally take a proper, refreshing shower tonight!”
However, her most pressing priority was to complete the task of channeling the spring into her field.
Armed with a clear goal, she felt highly motivated.
Fortunately, the springhead wasn’t far from the reclaimed farmland, saving her from spending a massive amount of time digging irrigation trenches.
The water flow grew increasingly stronger.
Julianna lifted her hoe and began digging.
*Digging Experience +1.*
*Digging Experience +1.*
This killed two birds with one stone—she could dig the trench and earn experience points simultaneously.
Within a short while, she had carved out a small ditch connecting the springhead to the field.
The flowing water gathered into a small creek, winding slowly along the newly dug trench and into her farmland.
The moment the field was irrigated, the Earth Recovery System prompted: *The rice seeds have been nourished by the Heartwell.*
As the saying goes, a good horse deserves a good saddle.
High-quality rice seeds needed premium spring water and fertile soil to bring out the best in each other and produce extraordinary grain.
*Congratulations to the host for obtaining a Beginner-Level Heartwell.*
*Reclaiming wasteland, sowing seeds, and channeling spring water for irrigation—you have completed the fundamental farmer’s trio.
Activating beginner protection period:*
*Plant Cultivation Sanctuary.*
*Title: Planting Master (30-day limit).*
*Note: The Planting Master title comes with plant buffs.
Plants sown by your hand will have their survival rate increased by 50% and their growth cycle reduced by 60%.
Furthermore, they will fully maximize the advantages of the local soil, water, and sunlight.
Once matured, their quality will exceed that of standard fruits of the same variety by 100%.
With superior appearance and taste, they can be called the Warrens of their kind.*
At the same time, a three-dimensional illusion of the farmland slowly materialized in her mind.
The graphic appeared to be virtually rendered, displaying the following information:
*Rice Maturity: 1%.*
*Soil Rigidity: 9.
(Total rating: 10).*
*Note: This is a desolate wasteland completely unsuitable for growing rice.
Fortunately, you are resourceful.
By channeling the Heartwell for nourishment, you can barely keep the rice alive.*
*Heartwell Nourishment Level: 16%.*
*This land is far too dry.
Even the Heartwell cannot drastically alter its soil composition in the short term.*
*Note: After you cultivate several rounds of rice, the land will become conditioned and subsequently far more suitable for rice growth.*
*Host, please keep up the good work and strive to improve your rank.*
Reading the system prompts, Julianna felt a mix of joy and concern.
She was thrilled because discovering the Heartwell provided her with massive benefits.
Furthermore, by collecting the complete farmer’s gift pack, she had been awarded the title of Master of Farming.
This title was extraordinary, granting immense buffs to her cultivated plants.
She thought with a momentary pang of disappointment, “It’s a pity that it’s only a temporary title!”
***
*(Author’s Note: Let me explain a bit to everyone.
This new story primarily focuses on the farming and management genre.
Since it’s a novel, some of the tedious farming steps and procedures have been skipped.
For example, some readers mentioned the process of sprouting seedlings before transplanting them.
Similar situations will arise later, such as processing rice and flour, as well as the subsequent production chains.
I won’t describe them in exhaustive detail because doing so would bog down the story’s pacing.
Thus, they will be generally glossed over.
Thank you all for your understanding and support!)*