What's wrong with me, a mage, loving to farm?

Chapter 352. The Miracle of Food Creation

When they arrived at the subway station, having abandoned the mages who had been rendered unconscious by the Oblivion spell, the subway was just arriving—an oval-shaped object emerged from the ground and appeared in front of them.

Its appearance is very rugged, like a huge, yellowish-brown potato that has just been dug out of the ground, or more like the root of some kind of magical plant, rather than a mechanical creation.

"Is this your underground mode of transportation?"

Irina looked at it from left to right and was very surprised—if she was not mistaken, this thing was very similar to the structure she had seen in the astral plane.

Has this place become so powerful that it can transform the earth, turning "soil" into a special material capable of accommodating "subways"?

"Yes." Jamie smiled slightly. "These are the first soil potatoes cultivated by Lord Kroya. After being modified, they can move freely through the soil without needing to dig tunnels."

"Why don't we experience it for ourselves?" He gestured for her to follow. Irina, of course, had no objection and followed Jamie onto the "subway" made of potato.

Befario and the village chief followed closely behind.

The four entered the interior of the giant, thick earthen potato. The space inside had clearly been expanded; the outside looked about the height of a person, but the inside was ten times the size of the outside.

Neatly arranged seats on both sides, and some areas that look like they provide water and food, the overall structure has a clean and tidy style, which looks very comfortable.

I thought this place would feel a bit cramped. But to my surprise, once inside, I could clearly see out. The rugged, thick soil looked as if it were made of glass or crystal, clean and transparent.

"Hmm?" Irina looked around, and finally her gaze stopped on a white crystal rat statue that looked very proud with its chest puffed out, placed in the corner.

If her senses were correct, a peculiar magical force was emanating from the rat statue and converging on the inside of the thick soil, forming this transparent structure.

That magical field... seemed to be unique to life itself.

The ability to "see through" things so easily would be incredibly useful in magical experiments; it could even be considered a skill that could drive people crazy.

"That's Lord Chloe's pet."

"The magic crystal mice purchased from the Holy Spring Merchant Guild."

Jamie explained, "Thanks to the adults' careful care, they can now unleash their abilities through magical runes, creating this beautiful scene."

Along with his voice, there was a very slight jolt, and then the entire thick soil potato began to sink. Logically, once it sank in, you should have seen a thick layer of soil.

But what unfolded before them was a gentle, clear river, almost colorless, through which countless thick-eared potatoes flowed in an orderly fashion at an extremely fast speed.

At each stop along the way, the walls display the local specialties and main products of the area: Lavender Farm, Flametail Dog Ranch, Fragrant Town, Fairy Paradise Square...

The exquisite images seemed to come alive right before our eyes.

Irina was extremely curious and couldn't help but ask, "These places must be your important production areas, right? Is it really okay to just look around like this?"

"certainly."

"We wouldn't use any methods that have extremely strong side effects to accelerate the growth of magical plants and magical beasts, so there's nothing we can't show to others."

After Jamie answered, he asked:

"Ms. Irina, what method do you mean by a subway transportation network that can be achieved without spatial structures?"

"That's how it is..."

It wasn't convenient to describe it in words, so Irina simply took out a huge model—a square box filled with "soil," made entirely of a transparent material, so that you could easily see what was inside.

Inside the earthen box, a peculiar stream of light was moving through it. If you looked closely, you could see that it was a series of neat, rectangular carriages, somewhat similar to the subway cars we used to see.

"This soil has been modified by the soil-eating worm. Simply coat the machinery with its blood, and it can move freely through the soil without affecting the cultivation of the soil itself."

"Building anything on the land will become very convenient in the future."

As she said this, she took out a plump, white worm that was only about ten centimeters long and looked rather cute.

"Here, this is the larva of the earthworm, part of our deal."

She handed the precious level 10 magical insect directly to Jamie, instructing him, "It loves roasted soil the most. Adding some oil would be even better, but remember to roast it until it's completely dry; there absolutely cannot be any water!"

This was Jamie's first time seeing such a peculiar magical insect, and to be honest, he was a little at a loss. But the creature wasn't shy at all; it twisted its body and found a comfortable position in Jamie's hand, closing its round little eyes as if it had fallen asleep.

Befario, standing behind him, had a sudden flash of interest. Could this be considered a completely new species? It seemed that if the Eden Terminal could include new species, there would be generous rewards!

There's a reward, and it's a brand new magical insect that has never been seen before—it's incredibly tempting for a druid.

Irina noticed Befalio's gaze, examined him closely, and then fixed her eyes on his wrist: "Little druid, what's that on your wrist?"

Although the Eden Terminal is made using the latest generation of magic alloy, it looks like a watch with a cover, with only a simple sunburst pattern and is not very eye-catching.

However, Irina found it strange that Befalio was stroking it so frequently, as if he were treating his lover, so she simply asked him aloud.

"This..." Befalio quickly covered his wrist.

Jamie was speechless at his expression: "That's the Eden Terminal developed by our Lord Kroya. Its predecessor was the orbal device that had already been issued."

In Kroya's view, this thing would eventually become as ubiquitous as a mobile phone, so he didn't think about hiding it or anything. Anyway, it was bound to the device, and it would self-destruct if the soul aura didn't match.

"A power-generating device?!" Irina exclaimed in shock. "Master Eurydice actually entrusted even this to you! That's the essence of a world's civilization's heritage. The Astral Council tried to exchange the world for it but failed."

Such a complete and effective lineage is priceless, and anyone who wants to develop their own power would never give it up.

However, this orbal device belongs to the legendary mage Ilister. If you dare to forcibly take it, she can come and bombard you with her floating city the very next day. It is indeed a treasure, but it also depends on whose hands it is.

If you have the strength, you naturally don't need to worry about outsiders spying on you.

It's unbelievable that Eurydice would give such precious knowledge to Chloe, which means that the legendary mage Ilister must have agreed to it.

Her surprise deepened, but her expression remained largely unchanged. She simply asked with an elegant smile, "Can this be included in our transaction list?"

"The latest version of the Eden Terminal can only be used within the Zemurian continent, and you only have the right to use it."

"You need to provide enough items for the exchange, and submit a usage report every month. Lord Kroya will need to personally evaluate and make improvements."

Jamie warned, "Don't try to take it apart; something terrible will happen."

He didn't specify what terrible thing it was, but Irina knew that such a thing would definitely have some kind of complicated magical restriction, so she nodded and said, "In exchange, I will use the tableware of the cooking technique."

The art of food preparation?

Jamie frowned.

Those things are usually used to stave off hunger when there's no space equipment or when you're out of ammunition and food. To be honest, they're not that important in front of a true archmage.

Because the archmage is quite serious and particular about his life, he has already prepared a lot of things in his spatial equipment, and may even have built a mansion to live in.

The North already has standardized "bubble bracelets," each capable of holding a thousand kilograms of items. While not a huge amount, it's not insignificant either.

Spatial magic items are among the most unique—from the moment people began to adapt to them, it became a way to make magic a part of everyday life.

So, to be honest, he really didn't have a good idea of ​​agreeing to use the food-making technique as a lease for the Eden Terminal.

Judging from your expression, you must have misunderstood.

Irina explained, "The astral art of food creation is derived from a god's 'miracle,' a truly remarkable technology that can transform sunlight and air into butter and bread."

Jamie's expression instantly turned somewhat strange.

Can you turn sunlight and air into food? Are you kidding me?

If this isn't just a joke, then it's unbelievable. If such magic really existed, why would they bother farming so hard?

Just wait to collect sunlight and air, then drink it directly.

"Of course, there are prerequisites for activating this kind of magical item."

Irina smiled, feeling a surge of pride that she had finally found something that could surprise Jamie. The North's impact on her was beyond her expectations; she even lost the pride she once felt from the Astral Council.

"What conditions are required?" Jamie breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that there were prerequisites. If food could really be created simply by sunlight and water, he really wouldn't dare to accept it.

"We need the 'sunlight' of this mineral."

Irina took out a round mineral, about the size of a fist, with a pitted surface and a metallic sheen. It emitted a strange light that resembled sunlight but was extremely hot.

"...Sun Iron?"

Jamie's expression remained unchanged, but he unconsciously clenched his fist, on which hung a gold ring that Kroya had prepared for him and his wife.

That ring was made by Kroya himself using eternal magic and a special material called sun iron. It radiates eternal light and is a blessing for their love to last forever.

The solar ore in front of him was somewhat similar in nature to the solar iron in his hand, but they were fundamentally different. The light inside it carried a violent and restless heat, which was closer to destruction.

Seeing that Jamie didn't speak, Irina assumed he was surprised and continued to explain, "This is considered the most basic sun ore. It is said that there is a purple ore in the deepest part of the sun. When combined with the food-making technique, that ore can even create the flesh and blood of gods."

"But according to what you said, this ore should need to be purified or processed in some way, right? What kind of food can it be turned into?" Jamie breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that the monitoring system here was working properly.

"I don't know either." Irina shrugged. "Depending on the purified power and the different air, the food will change. Right now, the Astral Council's purified sunlight and air can produce..."

She took out a small box containing small cookies covered with butter and dried fruit, which smelled sweet.

"Here, this is produced by our Astral Council. You can try it." She handed it to Jamie, who took it and cautiously tasted it.

It really did have the sweet flavor of cookies, with a warm, sunny feeling, just like it had just been baked in the oven. It was delicious.

He couldn't comprehend that this thing could be made from "sunlight" and "air"; it was simply unbelievable.

"That doesn't make sense. If this thing is so easy to make, then has the astral plane already reached a stage where farmland is no longer needed? Different kinds of purified sunlight can produce different kinds of food."

Jamie raised a question based on his knowledge.

"These are foods that can only be made using purified sunlight. As I mentioned before, sunlight is a rationed energy source—so in the astral plane, only the high-ranking members can afford to eat this kind of food."

At this point, Irina didn't hide her intentions and extended a fair and delicate hand: "Any special kind of sun-dried food is extremely precious and can be exchanged for a lot of resources."

I saw the oil from your vibrant and rhythmic sunflowers. The oil contained such vitality that it was crystal clear. If it could be made into food, it would be truly amazing.

Therefore, please forgive my deliberate attempt and guidance; I hope you will seriously consider my previous request.

I can take only 10%, and the remaining 90% of the resources will be the harvest of the great Lord Kroya.

Her expression was extremely sincere as she awaited Jamie's answer.

—As long as she can earn resources and gain a status in the Star Realm, she would be willing to do anything, even if it meant losing money herself, let alone just one percent.

(End of this chapter)