Gathering Wives with a System Chapter 463: Completing Second God Quest, Rewards

A pea plant, reaching Isaac’s waist, stood before him. Its stem, slender and flexible, swayed gently despite the stillness of the air. From its midsection sprouted two wide leaves, and above these, a long, tubular head took shape.

The head bore resemblance to a hollow barrel.

Its front split into a round mouth, glistening faintly with mana that pulsed within. The entire structure was bizarrely familiar, a strange mix between a cannon and a whimsical plant.

Isaac froze, his mind instantly recalling a plant from a game in his previous world. He had attempted such a creation before, but never anticipated such a striking resemblance in reality.

"So this is what it looks like in 3D…" he murmured.

"What?" Celia questioned, lifting her upper body from his back. Leaning forward with keen interest, she peered directly into the plant’s gaping maw.

At that precise moment, mana began to concentrate within the plant's hollow head.

Isaac’s eyes widened in alarm.

"Celia—"

Sensing the imminent danger, Celia instinctively recoiled. A verdant sphere erupted from the plant’s mouth with a piercing hiss, narrowly evading her face. The projectile grazed her hair as it shot past.

The green orb sailed across the field, ultimately detonating against a distant tree. Earth erupted, and fragments of bark scattered outwards.

Celia stared, stunned, at the point of impact.

Then, slowly, she turned her gaze back to the plant.

"...why did it attack me?" she inquired.

"Perhaps it dislikes you," Isaac responded with a light laugh.

Her expression immediately turned to a pout.

Unfazed, Isaac shifted his attention to the plant, sensing a faint, thread-like connection linking their minds. Though tenuous, the bond was clear enough for a rudimentary exchange.

"Can you fire again?" he prompted.

The plant stirred in response.

Mana coalesced within its mouth once more. The charging sequence took approximately eight seconds before it unleashed another projectile. A second green sphere streaked forward, impacting the soil and gouging a small crater.

Avery observed the display intently.

"That power is comparable to a Master of a mid-rank species," she commented reflectively.

"Indeed, it’s quite potent. Considering the extensive genetic refinement and its Tier 1 classification, this outcome is logical," Isaac concurred.

He accessed his status screen, his gaze falling upon his Class Advancement progress. A smile bloomed as he noted the figure.

War Plants Created: 1 / 1000

"This one qualifies for my Class Advancement Quest," Isaac announced.

"Then we should certainly cultivate more. They would serve admirably for the city’s defense and aid your advancement. However, conquering a city with them might prove challenging, as they seem incapable of movement," Avery suggested.

Isaac nodded in agreement.

That presented a significant hurdle. His quest demanded the conquest of a city utilizing his plant creations. While these stationary artillery plants boasted formidable defensive capabilities, offensive operations would necessitate strategic planning. He would require either mobile variations or a method for their transportation.

Alternatively, a completely different approach might be needed.

Nevertheless, such considerations could wait for another time.

For the present, his focus was on stabilizing the genetics of his newly created plant, which he christened the Green Spitter – a name both simple and aptly descriptive.

Given the war-plant’s substantial firepower, Isaac had no intention of making it available to the general populace. His initial plan was to deploy them strategically around his own city before selectively offering them to guilds or allied settlements.

"Producing a substantial quantity of Green Spitter seeds will require considerable time. Each batch necessitates individual genetic modification," Isaac mused aloud.

He immediately set to work.

Hours melted away.

Celia eventually dismounted from his back, voicing her discomfort with the sun's heat. She relocated a lawn chair to the shade of a tree, stretching languidly. A chilled beverage materialized in her hand as she commenced observing Isaac’s labor, savoring the gentle breeze.

Isaac, meanwhile, remained engrossed in his experiments. He meticulously stabilized gene combinations, enhanced seed resilience, and reiterated the entire process countless times. Despite some seeds still succumbing to conflicting genes, the success rate gradually improved.

After a period, several system notifications chimed in succession.

Seed of Providence has reached Level 7 → Level 8

Seed Imprinting has reached Level 4 → Level 5

Genetic Reaping has reached Level 3 → Level 4

A satisfied smile graced Isaac's lips.

These level-ups arrived at an opportune moment. The increased level of Seed of Providence boosted the probability of achieving a 50% bonus yield. Enhanced Seed Imprinting reduced the likelihood of seed disintegration during gene fusion. An improved Genetic Reaping skill offered the potential for acquiring extra genes when harvesting mutated plants, although bonus genes had yet to be obtained.

He paused briefly, glancing towards the descending sun. The sky had begun to adopt an orange hue. Emily’s Lord Quest was likely nearing its conclusion, and Selene’s evolution was also expected to complete soon.

However, another objective had been accomplished prior to this moment. A new interface materialized before his eyes.

You have constructed three places of worship.

Faith is now coursing through your sanctuaries.

Quest objective achieved.

Reward: A skill aligned with your preeminent Divine Domain.

Isaac’s gaze brightened considerably. At last!

The subsequent line of text appeared, detailing his acquisition: You have obtained the 'Master of Dual Cultivation' (Transcendence) skill. A new 'Divine Quest: Champion’s Faith' has been unfurled.

A sudden stillness came over Isaac’s smile. He fixated on the newly acquired skill’s moniker. Master... of Dual Cultivation? A creeping sense of unease began to solidify his expression. With a mounting feeling of dread, he proceeded to open his list of acquired Domains. Domains: Lust, NTR, Harem, War, Farmer...

Isaac blinked, then rubbed his eyes vigorously, compelled to reconfirm the displayed order. It remained unchanged: Lust, NTR, Harem, War, Farmer. His countenance grew somber. 'Shouldn't War or Farmer be at the apex now? I displayed undeniable dominance during Emily’s Lord Quest, and my agricultural endeavors are yielding significant returns across numerous markets. Why do these still hold the highest ranking?'

With a hand that trembled slightly, he retrieved his personal device, initiating the livestream recording. His attention then turned to the comments section, where his expression grew increasingly grim. The more he perused the feedback, the darker his mood became. Each accusation, every circulating rumor, and all the commentary regarding his personal relationships coalesced into a singular, unflattering portrayal: not a formidable war leader, nor a successful agriculturist, but rather, a notoriously shameless womanizer.

Isaac slowly lowered the device he was holding. He then turned his head, his gaze landing upon Celia. She was reclining in a leisurely fashion upon a garden chair, casually sipping a beverage with an expression of pure bliss, seemingly at complete ease. Taking a single decisive step, Isaac vanished from his original position, reappearing instantaneously right before her.

"Isaac, do try some of this—" she began, extending her drink towards him. "How did today’s livestream broadcast go?" he inquired, his voice cutting through the serene atmosphere.

Celia startled, her hand faltering. A palpable wrongness emanated from his tone. Slowly, she lifted her head, confronting his darkened visage. Alarm flickered within her eyes, and she instinctively attempted to initiate a teleportation sequence. However, Isaac had already erected an invisible barrier, sealing the surrounding space. Her bid for escape proved too late. A faint smile touched his lips. "I distinctly recall you mentioning the livestream proceeded exceptionally well, and that my prowess was being universally lauded," he stated, his voice deceptively calm.

"Uhm... Isaac, please try to calm down—" Celia stammered, fumbling for words. Isaac opened his mouth to speak, then reconsidered, closing it again. The initial surge of anger began to recede, replaced by a resigned sigh. He realized it wasn’t entirely her culpability on this occasion. He then settled down beside her, leaning back against the chair.

"You... you aren't upset with me?" she ventured, her voice tinged with caution. "Why would I be? It’s not your fault. At least, not this time. I apologize for my earlier outburst," he responded smoothly. "Uhm... but I still neglected to inform you about the livestream's reception," she admitted hesitantly. "It’s quite alright," he declared, waving a dismissive hand. "What difference would that have made?"

"Oh..." Celia murmured, nodding slowly. After a brief pause, she inquired further, her voice carefully modulated, betraying a subtle undercurrent of anticipation: "So then... what reward did you ultimately receive from the Divine Quest?"