The morning mist rolled thick over the farmland, curling through stalks of wheat that now reached higher than the barn roof. Dew shimmered like mana dust. Birds — some newly evolved overnight — sang off-key lullabies that sounded suspiciously like system chimes.
Jaehyun squinted into the fog, shovel in one hand, dryad baby strapped to his chest in a blanket sling. Her halo pulsed softly, like a heartbeat against his ribs.
"Alright," he muttered. "Rule number one of survival — don't piss off plants that can eat tanks."
Behind him, the kids lined up like mismatched soldiers. Bongyu wore a bucket as a helmet. Two others carried hoes like spears. One kid was holding a frying pan for morale.
"Papa Green, what if the bad guys come from the sky?" asked little Mina.
Jaehyun glanced up. The air shimmered faintly — mana residue. Too still. Too quiet."They already have," he said flatly.
⚙️ Above the Farm — Airship Shadows
Three guild airships hovered like black clouds, runic cannons humming with green light.
Inside, a voice crackled through the comms."Target confirmed. High mana density at ground zero. Deploy recon mechs and containment squad."
"Copy that."
Mechanical birds dove from the ships, unfolding into armored drones midair. Their scanners flashed red as they detected the mana signatures below.
[WARNING: Environmental Mana Density — Critical]
[Auto-Stabilizers Failing]
Then the forest moved.
Vines shot upward like whips, snaring the drones mid-flight and dragging them down into the mist. The airships trembled. One pilot screamed, "It's pulling us—!"
Roots erupted through the ground, wrapping around the landing struts. The forest roared — not like wind, but like something ancient waking up.
🌾 Ground Level — Jaehyun's Last Nerve
Jaehyun tightened his grip on his shovel. "Of course. Because diplomacy clearly isn't an option when your crops can commit war crimes."
He turned to the kids. "Alright troops, plan B."
"What's plan B?"
"Hide. A lot."
He whistled — and every plant in the vicinity shifted. Giant sunflowers bent down, their leaves forming domed shelters. Vines lowered like ropes, guiding the kids underground through the root tunnels.
The baby cooed approvingly, her mana pulsing brighter.
Then, from the mist — figures emerged.
Dozens of armored guild hunters, weapons glowing with containment sigils. Their leader, a woman in a silver visor, stepped forward.
"Jaehyun Choi," she called out, voice amplified by mana. "By order of the Council, you are to surrender the entity known as the 'Green Seed.'"
Jaehyun blinked. "The baby?"
"Yes."
He sighed, rubbing his temple. "Do you people even hear yourselves when you talk?"
⚔️ The Siege Begins
The woman raised her hand. "Deploy barriers!"
Blue domes of mana flickered to life, surrounding the perimeter.
Immediately, the baby sneezed.
The barriers wilted. Like actual flowers, collapsing petal by petal into glowing dust.
The guild hunters froze.
Jaehyun groaned. "...You just made her allergic."
Then came the roots.
They tore through the soil like serpents, grabbing soldiers by the legs, disarming them in seconds. Trees bent their trunks like archers drawing bows — and launched fruit at high velocity.
One unlucky hunter was taken out by a melon to the face.
"This is absurd!" shouted the guild leader, dodging a flying potato.
"Welcome to my life!" Jaehyun yelled back. "Population: me, regret, and sentient vegetables!"
🌱 System Notification
[CHAIN QUEST: DEFEND THE SEED]
Progress: 37%
Subtask Unlocked — "Repel Invaders Without Killing Them."
Bonus Reward: Unknown.
Jaehyun stared at the hologram. "Oh great. I can't even accidentally win properly."
He raised his shovel, channelling mana through the handle. The metal glowed faintly green, vibrating with resonance from the baby's aura.
"Alright, you wanna fight?" he said, stepping forward. "Let's do this the farmer's way."
He slammed the shovel into the soil — and every crop in the field moved as one.
The ground rippled like a heartbeat, throwing guild hunters off balance. Vines lashed out, not to kill, but to bind — trapping them gently, like being caught in nature's net.
"Mercy farming," Jaehyun muttered. "Didn't even know that was a thing."
🕊️ Aftermath — Silence and Sprouts
When the mist cleared, the airships were gone — forced to retreat. The captured guild soldiers lay in a soft tangle of vines, unharmed but thoroughly humiliated.
The dryad baby giggled, patting Jaehyun's face. Her halo dimmed, flickering softly as if in contentment.
He looked around at the chaos — the glowing crops, the half-ruined barn, the trembling horizon where the guilds would surely regroup.
"Yup," he muttered. "They'll be back."
He sat down heavily on a log, staring at the horizon. "And I still don't have breakfast."
A vine nudged his shoulder. On it was a perfectly roasted potato.
Jaehyun smiled weakly. "...Thanks, kid."
📜 System Log Update
[Quest Progress: 42%]
[New Title Unlocked: Guardian Farmer of the Verdant Haven]
[Effect: Plant life within 500m obeys emotional resonance]
Jaehyun's smile faded. "Wait. Emotional resonance?"
The baby yawned again.
Every flower in the field yawned with her.
He froze. "No, no, no—"
She sneezed.
And half the forest bloomed at once, turning the entire southern sky green.
Jaehyun stared at the spectacle, face pale. "...The Council's gonna lose their minds."