Chapter 136: Back to Imperial Academy

Chapter 136: Chapter 136: Back to Imperial Academy

Over the next five days, Sunny Vale transformed into a beacon of non-stop agricultural mastery. Rowan threw himself completely into farming, rotating between tilling expanded acreage, casting [Breath of Eden], and sweeping the fields with primordial life liquid from the Vessel of the Eternal Tide.

As crops matured at an unbelievable pace, continuous streams of experience flooded his system interface. By the time his week-long break came to an end, a series of golden prompts chimed in succession, officially pushing him to Level 18—just two steps shy of his Tier 2 Awakening.

His relentless labor produced a staggering reserve of divine-grade produce, accumulating a total stockpile of 500 Sun-Crystalline Eden Apples and 500 Amethyst-Gold Peaches safely preserved within system stasis slots and the store’s deep runic vault. With such an immense inventory, Rowan and Martha structured a targeted distribution strategy to position Eden International at the apex of the realm’s trade market:

The Imperial Family: The private bi-weekly shipment of 7 apples and 7 peaches locked in directly for Princess Lyra and the royal estate.

Crestview Culinary Holdings: Exclusive corporate supply contracts delivering A-grade produce for elite dining, luxury banquets, and high-tier alchemical cuisine.

High-Profile Individual Buyers: A strictly vetted, waitlist-only allocation managed by Martha for capital nobles, guild masters, and grandmasters at 1,000 gold per piece.

Community Store Stock: Reserving the second-generation farm crops for affordable public purchase alongside the promised weekly 10-winner raffle for Sunny Vale locals.

"Everything is set up on the trade ledger, Mom," Rowan said, adjusting his Enchanted Straw Hat as he slung his gear over his shoulder. "Between Crestview’s contract, the royal house, and the vault stock, our family’s foundation is rock solid."

Martha hugged him tightly, her face glowing with health from her daily intake of primordial spring water, while Arthur gave a proud nod from the porch. Carrying Level 18 stats, expanded mana reserves, and an unshakeable commercial empire behind him, Rowan boarded the transport returning to the Imperial Academy—ready to reunite with Squad 07 and conquer Floor 8.

***

The gates of the Imperial Academy gleamed under the morning sun as Squad 07 assembled at the main plaza. Everyone looked noticeably transformed—sharper, deeply rested, and radiating a subtle, high-purity mana aura.

The express care packages of Sun-Crystalline Eden Apples and Amethyst-Gold Peaches Rowan had shipped during the break had clearly worked wonders, permanently expanding their mana circuits and flushing out every trace of fatigue from their previous tower push.

"Rowan, seriously..." Caelen was the first to clap him on the shoulder, his eyes gleaming with newfound excitement. "Whatever was in those fruits pushed my core stability through the roof. I feel like I could punch through a floor boss with my bare hands."

Mirei nodded in rare, quiet awe, while Barney grinned warmly and Seraphina offered a deeply grateful smile. Even Princess Lyra, standing in her polished academy armor, shared a knowing, gentle glance with Rowan. The divine-tier produce had done far more than just refresh them—it had elevated the entire squad’s baseline combat readiness to an unprecedented level.

With their reunion complete, the group headed directly into the academy’s grand briefing halls. They had exactly one week on campus before their next expedition, using the allotted time to review floor mechanics with senior professors, study spatial layout, and analyze monster behavior.

Their target was set: clearing the entire 8th floor of the Imperial Tower within a week.

However, the professors offered a sobering reality check during their tactical reviews. Because every member of Squad 07 was still sitting under the critical Level 20 Tier 2 Awakening threshold—with Rowan leading at Level 18—their pace would naturally slow down compared to their rapid blitz through the lower floors.

Floor 8 featured dense elemental hazards, complex dungeon terrain, and elite monster variants designed to wall under-leveled climbers. Brute force alone wouldn’t cut it.

Rather than feeling discouraged, Squad 07 embraced the challenge. Over the next seven days, they buried themselves in spell-synchronization drills, boss attack patterns, and formation tactics. Backed by their bolstered stats, Rowan’s agricultural buffers, and unshakeable teamwork, they refined their blueprint to conquer the 8th floor.

***

Squad 07 gathered in the tactical war room for their first official review session with Imperial Guard Commander Devon, the veteran strategist in charge of military deployment and battlefield tactics. Devon unrolled a glowing holographic map displaying Floor 8’s notoriously treacherous terrain—a winding labyrinth of shifting elemental chasms, dense environmental hazards, and ambush-heavy choke points.

"At your current levels, raw brute force won’t pull you through Floor 8," Commander Devon warned, his sharp, battle-hardened gaze sweeping across the team. "Until you hit your Level 20 Tier 2 Awakenings, you are fighting at a statistical deficit against the floor’s elite variants. Your survival hinges entirely on tactical geometry, flawless target prioritization, and controlled aggro rotation."

Devon spent hours dissecting high-tier squad formations, demonstrating how Barney and Caelen could choke off narrow basalt passes while Mirei and Princess Lyra neutralized ranged elemental artillery from high perches. He stressed that pacing would make or break their seven-day timeline, instructing them on how to lure elite monsters into favorable terrain rather than overextending into unmapped sectors.

Following their intense tactical briefing, the squad headed to the academy’s grand lecture hall for a masterclass on advanced supply management. The quartermaster professor drilled the auditorium on long-term tower sustainability, covering strict calorie-to-exertion rationing, spatial inventory optimization, and techniques for locating edible natural food and water sources within high-mana environments.

While surrounding cadets frantically took notes on chemical testing kits and toxic flora identification, Rowan leaned back with a quiet, relaxed smile beneath his Enchanted Straw Hat. Sourcing pristine spring water and identifying uncorrupted tower flora were fundamental instincts for the Gardener of Eden. Between his ability to feel subterranean moisture veins and his divine domain traits, keeping Squad 07 nourished in the wild was practically second nature.

"Looks like our quartermaster duties are already in good hands," Barney whispered with a quiet laugh, nudging Rowan’s shoulder.

"Recognizing edible vegetation is one thing, but maintaining our stamina and alchemy reserves under Floor 8’s harsh conditions will take absolute discipline," Seraphina noted softly, reviewing her inventory slates alongside Princess Lyra.

Armed with Commander Devon’s tactical blueprints and a clear grasp of resource conservation, Squad 07 left the lecture hall ready to spend their remaining prep days refining their coordination for the ascension ahead.