Chapter 307: The First Harvest

"Enlightenment Tea!"

Cassian stepped into the Enclosure without another moment’s delay.

He had kept its fiftyfold acceleration funded while Sylvara tended the tree. The Temple’s arrival had given her work another advantage. Now, at last, the long wait was over.

There was no fragrance.

Even the sheen had vanished from the branches. The tree looked like an ordinary growth of dark iron, dotted with dull, blackish leaves.

Sylvara and Farmer One were waiting beside it.

"A little later than we hoped, Lord," Sylvara said, unable to hide her excitement. "But it’s ready."

"Not late at all. The timing is perfect."

At his nod, Farmer One carefully used his gathering skill.

[Gathering successful. Enlightenment Tea Leaf ×1 obtained.]

There was no way to multiply this harvest. Even the Legendary harvesters’ Harvest Mastery had no effect on a Mythic plant.

Cassian took the leaf.

His hand dipped slightly beneath its weight. Barely the size of his thumb, yet it weighed at least ten kilograms. It felt cold and hard, like a piece of divine metal.

He opened its description.

[Enlightenment Tea — Mythic]

[First Infusion: Increase the proficiency of a selected skill or training art by one stage. Each individual may receive this increase only once for each skill or art. Maximum stage: Transcendence.]

[Clear Mind: Drinking the tea clears the mind and allows Epiphany uses to accumulate. Stored uses may be activated at any time, with a chosen skill or art as the target.]

[Repeated Infusions: A leaf may be brewed repeatedly, with diminishing effects. Chewing the leaf grants one immediate Epiphany use.]

[Preparation: The quality of the water and tea utensils affects the result.]

Cassian drew a long breath.

"An insight whenever I choose would have been enough. But an entire proficiency stage as well?"

Only once per skill. Even with that restriction, the effect was astonishing.

He needed a moment to absorb it. Then he sent an order through the Lord’s Heart.

"Aurelia. Come back to the Domain."

"Yes, Lord."

A short while later, she joined him in an upstairs room of the Tavern. A cup waited on the table. He had brewed the first leaf in Life Water, using a Legendary tea set he had just bought.

"A whole stage? Guaranteed?"

Aurelia stared at the cup.

"Try it on Thunder Crown first."

The skill had already reached Greater Perfection. Unless there was no other choice, the tea’s one-use increase was best saved for that final step.

She took a breath, lifted the cup, and drank it dry.

Fine threads of lightning flickered in her eyes. Her gaze lost its focus.

[Your Hero Aurelia Dawnwing has drunk Enlightenment Tea. Thunder Crown has reached Transcendence.]

Several minutes passed before she looked up again.

Aurelia held out a hand. Blue-green lightning gathered above her palm.

It moved like a small flame, swaying and curling in the air. Then its shape changed. The flame became a rolling wave, folding over itself without a single stray spark escaping.

She had brought the unruly power of lightning under exquisite control.

Another notice appeared.

[Your Hero Aurelia Dawnwing has comprehended Thunder Will — Grade A.]

[Current proficiency: Beginner.]

Cassian stared, then laughed and clapped his hands.

Aurelia’s smile was just as bright.

"Lord, if I met another opponent like Damon Veylan now, I could finish him within three minutes."

"Good. How long would it take you to bring Folded Sky Ward to Greater Perfection?"

She considered the question.

"Through normal practice? Decades, probably."

The ward was a Grade-A skill at Lesser Perfection. Even for someone as gifted as Aurelia, the next step was difficult.

"Then focus your Epiphanies on it."

Once she reached Greater Perfection, another first infusion could take the ward to Transcendence. Cassian could hardly wait to see that defense. Even a Mythic opponent might be unable to break through it.

She would be almost impossible to defeat.

Farmer One finished gathering the rest of the crop.

Three hundred and sixty-five leaves in all.

"The tree will yield more as it grows older," Sylvara explained. "A first harvest this large is already thanks to the conditions in your Domain."

Cassian nodded and took a second leaf from the harvest.

Aurelia used its first infusion on Skyblade Descent, which had also reached Greater Perfection. It rose to Transcendence too. She left in a thoroughly cheerful mood.

Cassian selected a third leaf and brewed it in Life Water. He poured Sylvara a cup, then took a generous mouthful himself.

The fragrance filled his mouth.

His mind cleared at once. Problems that had troubled him for a long time suddenly seemed simple, their answers falling into place without effort.

[Epiphany use gained ×1.]

[Stored Epiphany uses: 1.]

"An Epiphany..."

In all those subjective years spent practicing beneath the tree, he had entered that state naturally only three times.

Now he could save it for whenever he needed it.

The direct proficiency increase from this leaf would go unused. His own skills were not yet ready for the final step, and he preferred to keep their one-time advances for later.

Sylvara took a sip. Her face lit up as well.

Between them, they soon finished the pot. Cassian added fresh Life Water and brewed the same leaf again.

The taste was a little lighter. The effect was still excellent.

By the end of the morning, they had brewed the leaf four times. Its flavor had grown noticeably faint, and Cassian felt as though he could not swallow another mouthful of liquid.

He gave a small, helpless burp.

[Stored Epiphany uses: 6.]

Six, ready whenever he chose to use them.

"The tea is ready, and Divine Province is about to take first place. Two good things in one day."

He checked the time and stood.

"I’d better get ready."

The first Provincial Ranking mattered too much to spend alone. He had invited his friends from Riftward Marches to lunch, with the results to make the wine taste better.

He had invited Orion Valcrest too. Harrowmere’s mysterious power behind the scenes had politely declined. The man seemed happier avoiding a roomful of people.

Cassian was about to leave when a thought stopped him.

Under Sylvara’s puzzled gaze, he picked up the tea set’s Legendary tongs and lifted the used leaf from the pot.

Then he opened the Worlds Market.

[Listed: Enlightenment Tea Leaf — Four Infusions Used.]

[Price: 300,000,000 Aether.]

The Realm was strict about food offered for sale. Handling that leaf with his fingers, or touching it with his tongue, would have made it ineligible. Properly handled with the tea set’s utensils, a brewed leaf could still be sold.

Less than ten seconds passed.

[Your Enlightenment Tea Leaf — Four Infusions Used has sold.]

[You received 300,000,000 Aether.]

Cassian brought his hands together with a delighted laugh.

"The Worlds Market never runs out of generous buyers."

After four infusions, the leaf had little left to offer beyond a few more opportunities for insight. Someone had paid three hundred million for it anyway.

——

At eleven thirty, Cassian opened his Gate to the invited guests.

Nessa was the first through.

"Good afternoon, Cassian!"

Elara followed. The seven Valcrests and the rest arrived soon afterward. His kitchen had prepared another Golden Wyrmfish feast from the fishing boat’s later catches, and the food was already laid out at the Tavern.

One chair remained empty.

Darian was usually among the keenest to attend a meal like this. Today, he was nowhere to be seen.

Without him, no one felt right beginning.

Nessa rested her chin on the table and stared at the fish.

"Why isn’t Darian here yet? I miss him."

Cassian gave her a look.

"Are you sure it’s Darian you’re thinking about?"

Elara and Mira burst out laughing.

Before Elara could contact him, light flashed from the Gate. Darian appeared, calling to them in excitement.

"Guess what I found on the Worlds Market!"

He approached the table with a teapot in his hands.

"We’re in luck today. Divine Province is going to make the top hundred with only a few hundred thousand Lords, and now we get to taste something like this. Two blessings at once!"

He looked delighted with himself.

"What a good sign."

Everyone stared at him in confusion.

Cassian stared at the teapot.

So that was why Darian was late. He had been brewing tea.