Chapter 290

Piaro threw the seeds.

They didn't fall to the ground. They shot forward like bullets. They carried a terrifying amount of nature energy, piercing through the air with sharp whistling sounds.

Hurent panicked. He formed his aura into a thick shield in front of his chest.

Puk! Puk! Puk!

The seeds hit the aura shield. They didn't bounce off. They drilled into the red energy, cracking it instantly.

[Your aura shield has been destroyed.]

"No way," Hurent gritted his teeth.

The remaining seeds hit Hurent in the chest and shoulders.

[You have suffered 8,500 damage.]

[You have suffered 9,100 damage.]

[You have suffered 8,800 damage.]

Hurent stumbled back. His arms went numb. The aura flickered and died around his hands.

Piaro stepped right into Hurent's guard. The farmer wasn't breathing hard at all.

"Your back bends too much when you swing," Piaro said. "A farmer with a bad back cannot work a full day in the sun."

Hurent looked up at the man. He was a veteran ranker. He had just been dismantled by a man using seeds and a hoe.

Piaro raised his hand plow.

"We need hands for the harvest."

Piaro brought the blunt end of the hand plow down on Hurent's forehead.

Puk.

[You have suffered catastrophic damage!]

[Your health has dropped to 1.]

[You are in a critical condition!]

[Your movement is severely restricted.]

Hurent's vision flashed red. He collapsed into the freshly plowed dirt. He couldn't move his arms or legs. The pain was blinding. He lay there, staring sideways at the dust.

Up on the wall, Red checked his system clock.

He looked over at Colt.

"Twelve seconds," Red said. He held out his hand.

Colt groaned. He handed over a copper coin. "I really thought he'd put up a better fight. He just stood there and tried to fight Piaro head-on."

The NPC guard smirked. He handed his copper coin to Red. "Told you. The Captain is in a mood today."

Red pocketed the coins. He took another bite of his burger.

"Man," Red mumbled with a full mouth. He looked down at Hurent lying in the dirt. Red felt a deep, petty sense of satisfaction. "I love this place."

A few dozen yards away from the gate, near the edge of a newly planted wheat field, Ash stood completely still.

The Magic Swordsman wasn't holding a weapon. His hands were holding the [Training Sword] that he got in one of his quest, which increased his sword-related skill experience rate.

He was staring at the patch of dirt where Piaro had just fought Hurent.

Ash's eyes were wide. He was replaying the sequence in his head. The way Piaro stepped. The specific angle of the hoe when it intercepted the aura whip. The exact leverage Piaro used to transfer his weight into the ground during the cross block.

Ash slowly raised his right arm. He gripped his Sword’s hilt tightly.

He twisted his waist. He stepped forward.He didn't just try to mimic the angle of Piaro's deflection. He closed his eyes and visualized the resistance of the aura .

The sound of the wind and the distant city faded away. The world narrowed down to a single point.

Ash recognized this heavy, silent feeling. He had experienced it a couple of times before in the game. It was a state of absolute, unbreakable focus.

He swung his sword in the empty air. 

Swish.

The air hummed.

[You have entered a state of 'Deep Immersion'.] 

[You have gained a deeper understanding of deflections.]

[Stamina +5] 

[Strength +5] 

[Agility +5] 

[Persistence +5] 

[Your skill [Advanced Sword Mastery (Lv. 5)] has leveled up!] 

Ash blinked. A bright smile broke out on his earnest face.

"Whoa," Ash whispered. "If I hold my wrist like that, I can save so much stamina on a parry."

He immediately dropped back into a stance. He started practicing the swing over and over again, completely ignoring the battered ranker lying in the dirt nearby.

Hurent tasted soil.

He groaned. His head pounded. The flashing red warnings in his vision were giving him a headache. He tried to summon his aura, but his mana reserves were locked due to his critical condition.

A shadow fell over his face.

Piaro stood above him. The man was casually wiping dirt off his hoe with a piece of cloth.

Hurent forced his head up slightly. "You... you're not a normal farmer."

"I am the chief farmer of this territory," Piaro replied.

He reached down and grabbed Hurent by the collar of his expensive silver armor. He hauled Hurent to his feet. Hurent swayed, barely able to stand on his own.

"What do you want?" Hurent asked. His pride was shattered, but he kept his voice steady.

Piaro pointed to the vast fields stretching out behind the stone walls.

"We are short-handed for the spring tilling," Piaro said. "Your aura is highly malleable. It is perfect for turning the soil. You will work in the fields."

Hurent stared at him. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was a high-level player.

Piaro's eyes narrowed slightly. The crazy battle lust flickered for a brief second.

"You will farm in the morning," Piaro said. "And we will battle in the evening."

A system message chimed in Hurent's ears.

[A hidden quest has been created.]

[★ Hidden Quest ★ Fun and Exciting Training!]

[Level of Difficulty: A 

The Head Farmer of Stormbreak has recognized your unique aura control. He believes you have the potential to become a great laborer. 

Clear Conditions: Follow Piaro's instructions and complete the field work for 3 weeks. 

Quest Acceptance Reward: [Basic Farming Mastery] 

Quest Reward: +2 Sword Mastery. +2 Aura Mastery.

Quest Failure: Affinity with Piaro will significantly decrease.]

Hurent stared at the floating blue window.

His eyes locked onto the reward section.

+2 Aura Mastery.

In the higher levels of Satisfy, gaining a single level in a unique mastery skill took months of dedicated grinding. Sometimes it took a year.

Two levels? Plus a new mastery skill? Just for doing manual labor?

Hurent swallowed hard. His pride was screaming at him to refuse. To log out, or let the NPC kill him, respawn in a city, and never come back to this crazy place.

But he remembered his five-second defeat against Grid. He remembered the world laughing. He needed power. He needed to increase his class rating to Legendary as quickly as possible.

Hurent looked at the pristine hand plow in Piaro's belt. He looked at the dirt coating his own silver armor.

He let out a long, slow breath. His shoulders slumped.

"Fine," Hurent said quietly. "Show me what to do."

Piaro smiled. It was a warm, collected smile. The battle lust was entirely gone, replaced by the gentle demeanor of a teacher.

"Good," Piaro said. He handed Hurent a spare hoe from his waist. "Do not bend your knees when you bow your back. The pain builds character."

Hurent took the tool. It felt heavy.

He looked toward the massive, endless crop fields. He was going to get those skills, no matter how much dirt he had to eat.