The Glitched Mage-Chapter 71: Abyssal Cultivation

The morning air was crisp, laced with the scent of freshly tilled earth and the distant crackle of cooking fires. The Shadow Kingdom's encampment, once burdened by desperation, now pulsed with new life. Warriors honed their blades with purpose, children laughed as they played—no longer weighed down by hunger—and groups of builders clustered together, murmuring about the grand vision their king had laid before them.

Riven stood at the edge of the newly cultivated field, arms crossed, silently taking it all in. It had been little more than a week since he reforged the land, and already the transformation was undeniable. Rows of darkened soil, rich with abyssal energy, stretched before him, teeming with crops that shouldn't have flourished so soon.

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Yet, despite the abundance, his thoughts were elsewhere.

Mal's approach was soundless, his black robes whispering against the dirt as he stopped beside Riven. "The maps are ready," he announced, extending a rolled parchment. "I've marked every known village, town, and potential trade hub within reach."

Riven accepted it, unrolling the map and scanning the routes with a keen gaze. The Shadow Kingdom remained isolated, its lands still scarred from ruin, but beyond its crumbling borders, civilization thrived. Towns that had once sworn fealty to him now operated independently, their allegiances swayed by time and the influence of rival kingdoms—particularly Solis.

That would change.

"The closest town is Eldrin's Crossing," Mal continued, his tone measured. "It's a mid-sized trade post, neutral in allegiance. They have no ties to any kingdom, which means their merchants are open to the highest bidder."

"Or the most persuasive threat," Krux muttered as he stepped up on Riven's other side.

Riven's lips curled slightly. "We won't need to force their hand. Not yet." He turned to Mal. "You said the herbs would grow as quickly as the crops?"

Mal nodded, his silver eyes gleaming. "If the temporal distortion in the soil remains stable, then yes. The growth rate will be exponentially faster than anywhere else."

"Then that's our opening." Riven rolled the map back up and set his gaze on the field ahead. "Before we reclaim the kingdom, before we expand, we secure a trade route. We produce goods no one else can. And we make them need us."

Nyx smirked. "Turning the world's greed into our leverage. I like it."

Damon let out a low whistle, arms crossed. "If we control the supply of something rare, the merchants will come to us—whether they trust the Shadow Kingdom or not."

"They'll come," Riven said, his voice a low promise. "And once they do, we decide who prospers… and who doesn't."

The weight of his words settled over them like a shifting tide. This was more than rebuilding. It was the beginning of something greater. Power. Influence. Control.

Mal exhaled, nodding once. "So, how do we start?"

"For now, we split the field." Riven's sharp eyes swept over the abyss-forged farmland. "Half remains for food. We can't risk shortages. The other half will be dedicated to medicinal herbs. Once we have a supply ready, we approach the merchants."

"A solid plan," Mal agreed. "I've compiled a list of the most valuable herbs on the market—some require specific climates, but if the Abyss Field bends the rules of nature, it may not matter."

"We'll have to test it," Riven said. "See what takes root."

Mal reached for a pouch at his waist, unclasping it and handing it over. "These are the rarest seeds we've managed to acquire. Some were salvaged from old alchemical stores, others brought in nearby towns."

Riven loosened the drawstring, peering inside. Small, dark seeds nestled in his palm, unassuming yet brimming with untapped potential. These weren't just plants—they were the foundation of their futures.

Mal gestured to the pouch in Riven's hand, his silver eyes gleaming with something close to excitement. "Each of these seeds has the potential to be invaluable," he began. "If the Abyss Field's properties hold, we might be able to cultivate something that not even the great alchemists of Solis can match."

He reached into the pouch, plucking out a small, deep violet seed. "This is Nightshade Marrow—an herb known for its powerful sedative and numbing effects. Used in potions for pain relief, but in high doses? It can render someone unconscious for hours." He turned it over between his fingers. "It usually requires deep caves and absolute darkness to grow, but I have a feeling that won't be an issue here."

Riven nodded, committing the information to memory. Mal pulled another seed, this one pale and almost translucent, as if carved from glass.

"This is Etherbloom, one of the rarest ingredients in high-tier mana potions. The plant absorbs ambient mana from its surroundings and refines it into a concentrated liquid within its petals." Mal exhaled, shaking his head. "Most alchemists pay ridiculous sums for even a single blossom."

He selected a third—a dark red, almost black seed, veined with golden lines.

"Bloodroot," he said grimly. "This one's… volatile. It's used in both healing elixirs and deadly poisons. The sap has regenerative properties, but if mishandled, it can also kill within seconds." Mal flicked his gaze up. "A double-edged sword, but one worth cultivating."

The next seed was unlike the others—shimmering with an eerie, almost abyssal glow. Riven immediately felt something shift in the air as Mal held it up.

"This is Void Thistle." Mal's voice dropped slightly, as if even speaking its name carried weight. "It's incredibly rare—said to only grow in the deepest ruins where mana has stagnated for centuries. It's an amplifier. Any potion mixed with Void Thistle has its effects enhanced tenfold… at a cost." He glanced at Riven, his expression unreadable. "Too much of it can cause mana instability, sometimes even corruption."

Riven hummed. Dangerous, but useful.

Finally, Mal withdrew a small, unremarkable brown seed. But as soon as Riven looked at it, something about it felt off—as if it didn't quite belong in this world.

"This last one," Mal murmured, "is Ashen Sage. A legend among alchemists. Said to purify any poison, neutralize curses, even extend life. The problem?" He turned the seed in his palm. "It's never been successfully cultivated. It only grows in lands that have 'embraced death and rebirth'."

Riven studied the seed. His land had been ruined, then reforged by the Abyss. If anywhere could grow Ashen Sage, it was here.

He closed the pouch and turned toward the field, his mind already set. "We plant them all."

Mal inclined his head. "Let's see what the Abyss decides to bless."

The field was alive with movement as farmers and volunteers prepared the land. Sections had already been divided, half for food, half for the experimental herbs. Riven walked among them, his presence alone enough to keep the work moving at a steady pace.

One by one, the seeds were placed into the soil, careful hands covering them with dark earth, infused with abyssal energy.

Riven knelt, pressing his palm against the ground. The moment his skin met the soil, something shifted.

A surge of mana pulsed beneath his fingertips, crawling up his arm like a living force.

Then—

[[ NEW SYSTEM FUNCTION UNLOCKED: ABYSSAL CULTIVATION ]]

[[ You have gained the ability to oversee and influence the growth of abyss-touched flora. ]]

[[ Current Functions: ]]

→ Plant Status: Allows you to check the health, growth rate, and properties of any plant within the Abyss Field.

→ Abyssal Expansion: Siphon mana and use abyssal energy to expand the farmland. Warning: Requires Third Circle Power to activate.

Riven's breath hitched.

This… was new.

His mind raced as he processed the implications. Not only could he monitor the plants' conditions, but he could expand the field itself—if he had enough power.

"The Abyss really does bend the rules," he muttered under his breath.

"What?" Mal looked over, noticing the strange expression on Riven's face.

Riven exhaled slowly, flexing his fingers against the soil. "The land… it responds to me."

Mal frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

Instead of answering, Riven willed the system's new function into action. Instantly, a translucent screen appeared in his vision, detailing the status of each seed they had just planted.

[ NIGHTSHADE MARROW: Germination in progress. Estimated full growth: 24 hours. ]

[ ETHERBLOOM: Absorbing ambient mana. Estimated full growth: 48 hours. ]

[ BLOODROOT: Unstable reaction detected. Potential mutation: High. ]

[ VOID THISTLE: Abyssal energy detected. Mutation in progress. ]

[ ASHEN SAGE: Growth conditions met. Potential unknown. ]

Riven's fingers twitched. The Void Thistle and Bloodroot were already reacting to the Abyss, mutating into something new. And Ashen Sage…

It was actually growing.

A sharp thrill shot through him. This was beyond anything he had anticipated.

"What is it?" Mal pressed.

He rose to his feet, brushing his hands against his coat as if the soil itself had given him the answer he needed. "It's going to work," he said simply, his voice carrying the quiet confidence of a ruler who knew his will would shape reality.

Mal narrowed his eyes slightly. "You sound certain."

Riven met his gaze, unreadable. "I am."

For a moment, Mal studied him as if weighing whether to press further. But whatever he saw in Riven's expression was enough to make him exhale and nod. "Then we wait."

Riven turned his gaze toward the horizon, where the ruins of his once-mighty kingdom stood in the distance. The weight of expectation settled on his shoulders, but it did not drag him down. It only sharpened his resolve.

He moved through the field, observing the way the farmers worked with careful precision. They had once been mere survivors, clinging to existence in a broken land. Now, they were builders of something greater. The change was subtle, but undeniable.

Krux approached from the side, arms crossed. "If these herbs grow as fast as you say, we'll have something worth trading within days." He gave Riven a measuring look. "And you really think the merchants won't question how we're doing this?"

"They will," Riven admitted, his expression unreadable. "But greed will silence doubt faster than any blade. If they see profit, they won't care about the source."

Krux huffed, half-impressed, half-skeptical. "And if they do?"

"Then we make them need us more than they fear us." Riven's voice was cool, absolute.

Damon strolled up, glancing between them. "So what's next? We just sit around and wait for the miracle plants to sprout?"

"Hardly," Riven said. "While the crops grow, we prepare for the next step. That means securing the roads leading here, gathering intelligence on the nearby trade routes, and ensuring that when we're ready to negotiate, we do it on our terms."

Nyx had been standing silently nearby, watching with an amused expression. "And here I thought you were just going to use brute force to reclaim the kingdom."

Riven smirked. "Brute force has its place. But power isn't just about war, Nyx. It's about control. Influence. The ability to dictate how the world moves without ever needing to lift a blade."

Mal exhaled, shaking his head. "You always seem to be thinking three steps ahead."

"And yet, it's still not enough," Riven murmured. "There's much more to be done."

The group stood in quiet contemplation for a moment, watching as the last of the seeds were planted. The land hummed with a quiet, unnatural energy—something on the verge of awakening.

It was only a matter of time.