Hank Fowler took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping across the courtyard. A vibrant splash of green caught his eye.

The garden was thriving. Cucumber vines snaked along the ground, their verdant leaves punctuated by slender, young cucumbers dangling invitingly.

The corn stalks stood tall and proud, their long, emerald leaves rustling in the breeze. Each stalk bore plump, full ears, practically begging to be harvested.

The tomato plants were laden with fruit, several of which were a vibrant, juicy red, their plumpness promising a delicious treat.

The whole garden was a testament to nature's vitality, a vibrant display of life and growth.

A flicker of surprise crossed Hank's face. He hadn't expected such explosive growth in just two nights. The tomatoes, corn, and cucumbers were practically bursting at the seams.

This was insane!

Turning to a tomato plant, he asked, "Hey, Toma, are your fruits ripe yet? Edible?"

"The red ones are good to go," the tomato plant replied. "The green ones need a bit more time."

Hank's eyes lit up. He quickly plucked a ripe tomato, gave it a quick rub with his sleeve, and took a bite.

Sweet, juicy, and utterly delicious.

It was pure bliss.

A look of pure satisfaction spread across Hank's face as he devoured the tomato. He polished it off quickly, then grabbed two more, wolfing them down with gusto.

After his tomato feast, he gathered all the ripe ones, stashing them in his Spatial Bag. The best part about this magic bag was that food never spoiled. He could have a tomato whenever he felt like it!

Next, Hank turned his attention to the three cucumber plants. "Hey, Cukes, are your fruits ready for harvest?"

"Edible, yes," a cucumber replied. "But I'd recommend waiting a couple more days. We haven't reached our full potential yet."

"And how big is 'full potential'?" Hank asked, intrigued.

"At least half a meter long!"

"Half a meter? Okay, you guys keep growing then." Hank chuckled. He then turned his gaze towards one particular corn stalk.

This was the one he'd, ahem, "fertilized" with his own special brand of nutrients a couple of times. It had shot up to a towering two meters, dwarfing the other three stalks. Not only that, but it was sporting three massive ears of corn, each at least thirty centimeters long and bursting with kernels.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Hey, Corny, your cobs look ready to go," Hank said with a grin.

"They are edible," the corn plant confirmed. "But I'd strongly advise against harvesting them."

"Why's that?" Hank asked, puzzled.

"Once you pick my cobs, my purpose is fulfilled," the corn explained. "I'll wither and die."

Hank stroked his chin, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Well, if that's your destiny, don't fight it. Just accept your fate and kick the bucket."

The corn plant was silent for a moment.

Just as Hank reached out to snap off a cob, the corn spoke up, "Wait a minute!"

Hank paused, a frown creasing his brow. "What is it now?" he asked impatiently.

The corn plant spoke quickly, "Keep me around, and I'll be way more valuable to you! I can level up! Once I reach level 2, I can become your ally, your battle partner!"

Hank's eyes widened in disbelief. "You can fight?"

A corn plant? Fighting? Was this some kind of joke?

"Once I hit level 2," the corn plant declared confidently, "I can launch my cobs like projectiles! They pack a punch like a cannonball. Seriously, the destructive power is insane!"

Hank's heart pounded with a sudden surge of excitement. "And how do you level up?"

If this corn could really evolve into some kind of bio-artillery, it would be a huge asset. Any enemies that dared to attack would be in for a very corny surprise!

"Leveling up is easy," the corn explained. "I just need to absorb nutrients. Basically, I need to eat shit and drink piss."

Hank was speechless for a moment.

Well, that was certainly... doable. He could definitely help with that.

Clearing his throat, Hank declared, "From today on, you get priority on all shit and piss. Don't let me down!"

"I'll do my best! I won't disappoint you!" the corn exclaimed excitedly.

"We want to eat shit and drink piss too!" the other three corn plants chimed in.

Hank chuckled. "Don't worry, you'll all get your turn eventually."

He was only one man, after all. One turd and a few pisses a day weren't enough to go around. He would have to prioritize for now.

"Fine," the other corn plants mumbled, settling down.

Hank then entered the hut and retrieved The oil lamp, placing it in a sunny spot. The oil lamp absorbed sunlight and converted it into lamp oil. The longer it basked in the sun, the more oil it produced.

"Boss, I'm bored. When are we going out?" The entrenching tool asked.

"After breakfast," Hank replied with a smile. He opened his Spatial Bag and pulled out a can of braised pork.

In this day and age, braised pork was a luxury. If anyone else knew, they'd be drooling with envy.

Crack!

Hank used his Machete to open the can and dug in, savoring every bite.

After finishing the pork, he tossed the empty can to the Machete, which promptly devoured it.

Hank then stowed the Machete, the entrenching tool, and the Magnifying Glass back into his Spatial Bag. He stepped out of The Hut.

His plan for the morning was to check out The Sand. Maybe he'd get lucky and find some more treasure chests like the other day.

Just as Hank opened The wooden fence, a voice called out, "Hank!"

Hank stopped and turned to see Luna Lovelace jogging towards him like some kind of forest nymph.

"What do you want now?" he asked, frowning.

Luna blurted out, "Just checking to see if you're still alive!"

Hank stared at her, speechless.

Was she seriously cursing him first thing in the morning? What was her problem?

Realizing her blunder, Luna quickly backpedaled. "Hank, don't get me wrong. We were just worried about your safety, so we came to check on you."

"You guys actually care about me?" Hank scoffed.

"We may not be on the same team," Luna said softly, "but we're all living on this island together. It's only right that we help each other out. We were genuinely worried about you."

"Well, you can stop worrying. I'm fine," Hank said coldly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have things to do."

"I need your help with something," Luna said quickly.

"What is it? Spit it out." Hank tried to be patient.

A blush crept onto Luna's cheeks. She whispered, "I'm not feeling well. Can you... can you help me with a treatment?"