The night descended like a vast black curtain, and the biting cold wind sliced through the air like a blade. Seratus, alone, curled up in a dimly lit corner.

  The waves of excruciating pain surged through him like a relentless tide. Every scale on his body seemed to silently wail, and each wound whispered the memory of the brutal battle that had unfolded during the day.

  Agnas's sharp claws had left a dense web of scratches on Seratus's soft scales. In some places, the scales had peeled away, revealing raw, crimson flesh and the stark white of bone beneath.

  The most unbearable was the searing pain from the dragon breath, as if Agnas's exhale carried the flames of hell, precisely striking Seratus's most vulnerable spots. The charred skin resembled scorched leather, and every breath tugged at the burning sensation, as if he were swallowing hot ashes.

  He lay heavily in his usual resting corner, like a wounded beast licking its wounds, silently enduring this cruel reality.

  The chaotic battle from the afternoon replayed in his mind like a flickering lantern show:

  Agnas, in his bid to claim territory, had launched the first attack, ruthless and unrelenting. Soon after, Catilia, the cunning young dragon, had joined the fray, tipping the scales even further.

  Seratus, born only a few months ago and still naive, knew nothing of combat, yet in the heat of the moment, he had impulsively thrown himself into the fight.

  Now, regret washed over him like icy water—he had no combat experience, yet he had foolishly chosen to face the enemy head-on. It had been a battle destined for a pyrrhic victory.

  "Pride truly is the worst sin," Seratus bitterly mocked himself, recalling his recklessness and impulsiveness from earlier that day, feeling a pang of remorse once more.

  Agnas's ferocity had been beyond his imagination, each strike aimed at vital points. If not for his naturally tough hide, Seratus would have surely perished.

  He looked down at the ghastly claw marks, the torn flesh, and the glimpses of bone!

  At this moment, Seratus's heart was a whirlwind of emotions, complex and indescribable:

  The physical pain forced him to admit defeat, but what truly overwhelmed him was the deep, soul-rending agony that seemed to tear him apart from within. This was the force that had utterly conquered him.

  What baffled and frustrated him even more was that Agnas, despite having inflicted severe wounds, seemed entirely unaffected, growing even more ferocious, as if the flames of his bloodlust had been fully ignited.

  As for Catilia, the depth of her cunning left Seratus secretly astounded—the origins of the conflict were now murky, but Catilia had feigned weakness from the start, putting up a token resistance before swiftly conceding, as if she had meticulously calculated every move, retreating strategically to minimize her own damage.

  In the quiet of the night, the meager meal of flesh and blood had replenished some of his energy, but it could not quell the gnawing hunger within.

  Though the energy was slowly repairing his wounds, the prolonged recovery period made every ounce of missing energy exacerbate the pain, an endless torment.

  At that moment, he suddenly remembered the mysterious energy-infused fertilizer from the system.

  With a mix of hope and resignation, he carefully used his injured claws to retrieve a handful of fertilizer from the system's storage.

  Looking down at the bag of elemental fertilizer in his claws, he knew it was originally meant for farming, but in his weakened state, it was his only lifeline. Desperation forced him to take the risk.

  After a moment's hesitation, he gritted his teeth and swallowed the bitter fertilizer.

  Though the taste was far from pleasant, the pure energy quickly flowed into his body, like a spark of vitality injected into his depleted wounds.

  As the energy gradually filled him, his thoughts inevitably drifted back to the afternoon's battle.

  Agnas had emerged from the fight unscathed, his fighting spirit undiminished; while Catilia, the scheming young dragon, had either instigated the conflict or simply reacted to Agnas's aggression, but she had feigned weakness from the start, surrendering the moment she was outmatched.

  From Seratus's perspective, this was nothing more than Catilia's strategy—realizing she lacked the strength and offensive power to compete, she had chosen to minimize her losses by playing the long game.

  Thus, the battle had evolved into a contest between him and Agnas, while Catilia watched from the sidelines, seemingly having planned it all along.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  The young Seratus, barely a month old and initially clueless about the ways of the world, had been forced to learn a harsh lesson in this sudden conflict:

  Sometimes, yielding in the moment is not a sign of weakness, but a wise strategy for self-preservation.

  Now, regret crept through him like vines, spreading and entwining his heart:

  If only he had restrained his impulses and chosen to step back, perhaps he wouldn't be in such a pitiful state now.

  Though he could sense that Agnas was not unharmed, the deep, bone-chilling pain still haunted him, an inescapable shadow.

  As the surging energy from the fertilizer was absorbed into his body, Seratus suddenly felt a warm current flow through him. His wounds began to heal at a visible rate, a sensation so powerful and miraculous it felt like he had unlocked some cheat code.

  Yet, deep down, he knew that this so-called "farming-to-power system" was nothing more than a comforting illusion.

  The stingy system had even skimped on the first task's reward—nothing but an empty promise of unlocking the exchange store, leaving him both amused and exasperated.

  At this thought, he lost interest in checking the cold, mechanical attribute panel, which was filled with nothing but dull numbers and skill names. The more he looked, the more it irritated him, adding to his frustration.

  He gazed at the lightly swaying bag of elemental fertilizer in his claws, lost in thought.

  As he continued to consume the energy, he found himself growing hungrier.

  He knew this was because his body was rapidly digesting and breaking down the abundant energy he had absorbed.

  Looking back, he still had two unopened bags of fertilizer, and this one was only half-finished, with about 200 grams remaining.

  After a moment's hesitation, he decided to stop consuming it for now. After all, he had no idea about the exchange store's prices, and this broken system required him to farm and wait for crops to mature before completing tasks.

  The long, lonely night was filled with the pain of his wounds, deep regret, and an uncontrollable sense of resentment. These negative emotions intertwined, weaving a bleak and desolate picture in the depths of his young heart.

  Seratus curled up alone in the boundless darkness, shivering like a wounded beast. He could only silently hope for the dawn, a symbol of warmth and hope, to arrive soon, and for his detestable wounds to heal quickly, freeing him from this endless torment!

  Time flew by, and a week passed in the blink of an eye.

  As the first rays of morning sunlight, warm and hopeful, gently bathed the endless expanse of fertile farmland, a young dragon with vibrant red scales stood tall and proud at the heart of this thriving land, stretching his powerful body and fiercely guarding the territory that was now entirely his.

  This was Seratus. Now, with his young but increasingly sturdy body, he defended this hard-won land with all his might, occasionally brandishing his claws to drive away any insects foolish enough to approach. Each time he did so, it felt like a solemn declaration to the world:

  This land, cultivated by the great red dragon, was sacred and inviolable! Any who dared trespass would pay a heavy price!

  Looking out, the field was brimming with vitality, and Seratus's gaze was fixed on a particularly fast-growing plant—the Sunshroom.

  Perhaps thanks to the miraculous effects of the mysterious energy-infused fertilizer, the Sunshroom had ballooned in size since the day it was planted, its sprout now nearly as large as Seratus's claw, covered in hard scales.

  In just seven days, the Sunshroom had grown to an enormous size, its thick stalk almost as tall as Seratus's sturdy forelimbs, if not taller.

  The Sunshroom's surface was adorned with intricate patterns of yellow and white, which shimmered with a mesmerizing glow in the shifting light of dawn and dusk.

  What amazed Seratus even more was that the mushroom seemed to possess a life of its own, greedily absorbing the essence of the moonlight at night to accelerate its growth, and at dawn, slowly unfurling to embrace and absorb the warm energy of the sun. Such peculiar behavior was no ordinary trait—this was surely a product of the system, and the system's products were always top-notch.

  Finally, on a clear and sunny morning, as the dew had yet to dissipate, Seratus noticed that the Sunshroom had reached full maturity, plump and brimming with life.

  He recalled the impulse he had felt days ago, when he had nearly plucked the Sunshroom prematurely before the system's prompt. Now, as he reached out to touch the round, robust mushroom, a cold, mechanical voice suddenly rang in his ears:

  "Ding—Detected host interaction with mature Sunshroom. Harvest?"

  The mechanical sound stirred something in Seratus, a mix of excitement and relief—his patience and effort had finally paid off.

  With a steady hand, he plucked the mature Sunshroom, cradling it in his claws.

  The yellow and white patterns on the mushroom's surface gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight!

  At that moment, the system's mechanical voice echoed in his ears once more:

  "Ding! Congratulations, host, on successfully completing the first task for the first time!

  Ding! Congratulations! Now beginning task evaluation for the host.

  Congratulations, host, on achieving an S-rank task evaluation.

  Now beginning task reward distribution. Detecting host's first S-rank achievement, beginning reward distribution.

  Congratulations, host, on successfully unlocking the Exchange Store.

  Congratulations, host, on additionally receiving three Primary Lottery Tickets. Please continue to strive for greater achievements."

  Though the system's mechanical voice remained cold and devoid of emotion, every word was clear, forcing Seratus to listen attentively.

  After confirming he had received an S-rank evaluation, Seratus silently reflected:

  It seemed his hard work and patience over this period had finally earned the system's recognition.

  However, upon hearing that the reward was merely three primary lottery tickets, he couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "How stingy."

  But then he reconsidered—after all, this was just a system, not a human. How could he expect it to understand human emotions or be generous?

  Seratus then opened the newly unlocked Exchange Store in the system panel. The screen displayed a neat list of exchangeable items:

  Current Points: 100

  [White Carrot Seeds] — 1 point/seed

  [Green Sunshroom Seeds] — 5 points/seed

  [Primary Elemental Fertilizer] — 20 points/bag

  [Standard Elemental Fertilizer] — 50 points/bag

  [Advanced Elemental Fertilizer] — 100 points/bag

  Additionally, today's special offers included:

  [Primary Plant Encyclopedia] — 30 points

  [Primary Source of Life] — 50 points

  [High-tier Random Plant Seeds] — 300 points

  Looking at the modest Exchange Store, Seratus couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment:

  He had expected a wide variety of seeds to choose from, but there were only a few—white carrots and green Sunshrooms. What was even more disappointing was that, aside from the variety of fertilizers, the selection of seeds was pitifully limited.

  But he quickly composed himself and turned his attention to the special offers, curious to see what additional information the system might provide.

  Seratus first focused on the [Primary Plant Encyclopedia] icon in the special offers section and lightly tapped it with his mind.

  Instantly, a virtual screen popped up with detailed information about the [Primary Plant Encyclopedia]:

  [Item Name]: Primary Plant Encyclopedia [Green Quality]

  [Item Description]:

  This is a beginner's book containing the secrets of plant growth. With a simple touch, you can instantly access detailed information about a plant's growth status.

  It is also a concise encyclopedia of plant knowledge, helping cultivators quickly understand the habits, characteristics, and cultivation techniques of various plants.

  Whether you want to check a plant's health or confirm if a crop is mature, a single touch will reveal all. A must-have for home gardening and farming.

  Next, Seratus turned his attention to another item in the special offers section—the [Primary Source of Life]—and again tapped its icon with his mind.

  The virtual screen flashed once more, displaying the description of the [Primary Source of Life]:

  [Item Name]: Primary Source of Life [Blue Quality]

  [Item Description]:

  A mysterious item containing concentrated life essence. Using it can significantly increase a plant's growth speed, shortening its growth cycle and allowing your crops to mature and yield a harvest in less time.

  A must-have for efficiency-driven cultivators seeking quick prosperity.

  After carefully reading the descriptions of these two special items, Seratus fell into a brief moment of contemplation.

  Soon, he made up his mind:

  Since the Exchange Store's functionality had been successfully unlocked, making some prudent investments within his means was undoubtedly worthwhile.