The Celestial Order’s territory wasn't too massive. To reach his new station in the north, it was a solid day’s trek at walking speed. To someone with mana, it was significantly shorter but still numbered in hours.
Some types of transportation had been set up—mostly by rail—but those only connected every part of the Celestial Order except for the north. There really was nothing up there for the guild to expend resources to build infrastructure.
Thankfully, a horribly maintained dirt road led to Cal’s destination, so he wasn’t forced to navigate the dense forests that covered most of the area. The guild must have created it for the rare occurrence of a mortal venturing to the north from one of the many towns that dotted the Celestial Order’s territory.
That was a disadvantage of choosing to get a plot of land in the north, one Cal didn’t think of. The isolation was a positive for his plans. Still, those same plans required gathering information that would be found in mortal communities.
He had been so focused on becoming the best [Mage] possible in his previous life that he had been utterly ignorant of the world outside the Celestial Order’s territory.
That is an understatement. The core guild was my world, and anything outside it was unimportant to me. I was barely aware of what existed inside the guild’s territory. I need to make a trip to one of these mortal towns to get a few maps, both within the territory and outside its borders.
A vague memory appeared in his mind. A couple pushing him toward a woman with a guild insignia—a golden compass, the center containing a white sun. He swiftly shook his head.
This is not the time to think of my barely-remembered family. I don’t know where they live other than being from another guild’s territory.
Cal saw two arrow markers ahead at a fork in the road.
Northern Wastes.
Oracle Shores.
He knew of Oracle Shores—located east, crucial for the Celestial Order’s trade—but he hadn’t known the north had an actual name. And it was a fitting one, Northern Wastes.
Cal was close. The arrow marker indicated he would soon reach the place that would be his home over the next month. He didn’t expect much, but he also didn’t care. This would be where he spent as little time as possible.
He intended to do the bare necessity to prove he was ‘farming’ to get his mind de-stressed—as he claimed to the Overseer. Every other possible moment would be spent visiting towns for ‘supplies’ while hopefully gathering as much information as possible on the best path out.
The dense forest around the dirt road tapered with surprising quickness, going from trees—big and small—every few feet to one every few minutes of walking. Eventually, they disappeared altogether, along with the dirt trail.
It would be nearly impossible for the guild to maintain such a trail here. The ground of Northern Wastes was just a combination of dirt and sand—pocked and uneven—with stones of various sizes embedded, making it even worse to build anything, let alone farm.
If it wasn’t obvious why the guild left this area undeveloped and abandoned, it certainly was now. Of course, Cal didn’t mind any of this too much.
The Overseer mentioned there was a small outpost here.
He looked around the flat ground and noticed a small structure in the distance. Nothing else stood out in this place, so he assumed this was where he was supposed to go.
Cal frowned as he approached the structure.
The stones in the ground are more of an annoyance than I thought. They get larger on average the deeper I venture into the Northern Wastes. No wonder the Overseer looked at me strangely. He thinks I chose this place to slack off for a month.
He stopped before the building—no, that word praised it too much. Shed would be better. It consisted of a door and three walls, barely able to fit four humans inside.
Cal opened the door and raised his eyebrows at the tools inside—a battered pickaxe, a shovel that looked like it would break apart from touch, and a plow that had to be unused with the absence of any wear and tear, that he could see at least.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
Still, it was rusted to the point where it would likely break if actually used now.
Some poor soul attempted to make something of the Northern Wastes. At least, I think that’s the case with the condition of the tools. I can only assume the plow had never been used since trying to plant something in this barren land is the height of stupidity. Maybe whoever was sent here before was being punished.
He frowned in thought as he continued to stare at the tools. His personal belongings were to be delivered in a few days, so it wasn’t like he could wander off and head to the nearest town right now. There needed to be progress shown.
What could I even do, though?
Cal brought up his interface again. He hadn’t paid much attention to it before since he had been at the center of attention.
Name: Cal Maddox
Class: Farmer (Special)
Tier: Initiate 1
Skills:
None
Traits:
[Second Chance] - The laws of the world have recognized that you have lived this life before. It does not know how you accomplished this, but you will be rewarded for surprising it. For the next week, you will experience a boost towards tier upgrades.
Rewards:
[Tier Boost] - All actions that contribute to increasing your tier level will automatically be counted as double the normal increase. (7 days remaining)
The laws of the world having some type of awareness is news to me. In my past experience, the interface had always been a simple, one-way interaction. Knowing there are beings that can turn back time—even if it was for an exception—this isn’t nearly as surprising as it should be.
However, the trait and reward that I received seem a little underwhelming. Not that I should really complain. I plan to live a quiet life, and all I know is how to fight and use mana for destructive purposes. Farming will fit nicely into my future.
Cal picked up the pickaxe and stared at it with an odd expression.
This is the only tool that makes any sense to use at the moment… though it is still not ideal. I would have preferred a hammer to break apart these stones. I might as well give it a try. If it doesn’t work, I can use this as an excuse to travel to the nearest town.
He traced the pickaxe's twisted metal head with doubt. He fully expected it to fail after a few swings at a stone.
Cal shut the door of the small shed and approached the nearest stone embedded into the ground. He lifted the pickaxe over his head—still unsure if he should expect the stone or pickaxe to break—and brought it down on his target.
The sharp, metallic clink from the pickaxe smashing into stone was louder than Cal anticipated. He could feel the slight shock of the impact in his arms, but he ignored it as he brought the pickaxe closer to his eyes.
The pickaxe head looks undamaged… impressive.
Cal repeated his motion—this time with less hesitation. He grunted as he put more muscle into the swing. The sharp clink from the pickaxe meeting stone was even louder, but this time, it was accompanied by a piercing crack.
The pickaxe buried itself deep within the stone and split it open, making it crumble into small pieces that were no longer lodged into the ground.
He had little time to consider the ease at which the pickaxe did the job. The interface drew his attention when red text appeared to show some unexpected messages.
You have gained [Basic Pickaxe: Poor Quality] as equipment.
Your [Tier] has increased by 1 level.
[Tier] increase has activated an ability of [Farmer (Special)].
Name: Cal Maddox
Class: Farmer (Special)
Tier: Initiate 2
Skill choices available. Choose one.
[Nature’s Whisperer: Novice 1] - Blessed with a green thumb, every plant you grow on land you control experiences accelerated growth. You find that nature works with you more as your mastery increases.
[Animal Empathy: Novice 1] - Animals living on land you control have increased productivity. You can sense a faint bond with all animals, which will help you tame wild creatures as your mastery increases.
[Perfect Match: Novice 1] - The tools you use are one with you. As you grow, so do they. The more your mastery increases, the faster your tools will grow in relation to your [Tier].
Cal wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do—no, that wasn’t right. He knew he was supposed to choose, but it was more of a shock that such a choice was available. This was far beyond anything he had experienced in his previous life, nor had he heard of anyone else experiencing this.
Not that anyone would reveal they possessed a special [Class]. I certainly won’t.
He hadn’t been taking this [Farmer] assignment seriously. It had been an afterthought—something he considered halfheartedly at best as he figured out how to accomplish his main goal of escaping the guild’s sphere of influence.
The available skills changed that. It changed everything.
Cal was nothing special in the grand scheme of things as a [Mage], but now, as a [Farmer], all his ambition that he had thought was out of the question was returning with a vengeance. He might not be able to become a traditional powerhouse, but it was entirely possible to be the first of his kind.
A [Farmer] that stood above all.
I’m getting ahead of myself. This was the same attitude that humbled me in my previous life.
Still, Cal smiled as he considered his decision on which skill to pick. No matter which one he chose, he could only see good things happening because of it.