Body Cultivation Hurts - Chapter 11

Here's a shorter one, so why not? :D

---

“You want racks?” Googee asked, squinting questionably.

“Yes. Like a shelf, except you can change the height of each shelf and there’s nothing covering the back.”

“I know what a rack is. But why?”

“Because I’m going to be growing some things at my place. That’s why I need the timers, grow lights, growbags, drip lines, automated fertilization system, and qi ventilator. Make it two ventilators. And nothing fancy.”

“You’re a strange one, Nathan Kane.”

He gave her a mock puppy dog face. “That’s why you like me.”

“That has yet to be determined.”

“It’s just a matter of time.”

After she gave him the cost, he decided to also purchase two enclosed rooms, that were really just square tarps about 10’ by 10’. He planned on cultivating some Reishi mushrooms. He just hadn’t found them yet. About 3,000 points later, he was back in his personal chambers and talking to Mr. Text Wall.

There was some customization you could do for free through the system, so he decided to clear the room of half the mats that were opposite the kitchen. He installed a water faucet on that side, and a sink with a deep tub.

Creating the right environment for the ginseng was his main concern. Once exposed to qi, they could survive in places they normally couldn’t, but Nathan didn’t just want them to grow. He wanted them to flourish like little magical root-people that he’d one day munch on with glee.

Typically, they didn’t start to berry until year three. There was no telling how long the ones he’d dug up had been exposed to qi, however, because they’d simply grown much faster in a rich qi environment. He didn’t plan on snacking on the roots until they’d bore fruit and were mature anyway. The berries had seeds which he’d plant. The tasty parts of the berries would mostly be turned into fertilizer. As little as they were, it was still rich in qi compared to common fertilizer. In other words, they’d produce the good stuff.

Once he got the light and shade cloth just right, he made sure the grow bags with the newly replanted ginseng were in place, the soil was just right, and the drip lines were in the right place. The automated fertilization system was really just a nozzle that screwed on at the hose and pulled a tiny amount of plant food. Things had been greatly simplified within the tower, but at the same time, he was using simple Earth implements instead of the much more expensive truly automated alien stuff. He’d get a real automated system after his first real berry harvest.

To make sure it didn’t take long, he wouldn’t just rely on the qi being pumped into his Personal Chambers but had invested in the qi ventilator for this reason. It wasn’t fancy like a real Qi Gathering Array that collected and stored qi. Those too would come. This simply attracted the qi in the room to the immediate area so that it would be at a higher density by the ginseng.

He had a second ventilator that he would set up by his bed. Once everyone understood what options were available, a Qi Gathering Array would seem like a cheat item. In many ways it was. But while people were saving up 20,000 points for a low end one, Nathan would be getting nearly the same results simply from manipulating the qi he already had access to.

The question was, what should he expect from his five ginseng plants? With the right set up, he should be able to take the two seeds per berry, a good hundred all together, and multiply his ginseng plants by a multiple of ten in six months. So he’d aim for fifty new ginseng plants for his second generation just to be safe. He’d sell all excess.

Within six months after planting those fifty seeds, he expected to actually have fruit producing ginseng. Instead of three years to fruit, the growth rate should be explosive. That first berry harvest from his second generation would produce so many qi infused seeds that he could sell them to a merchant or other players for a ridiculous amount. He didn’t plan on selling them all, but approaching Googee with proposal of growing ginseng. Soon he’d have someone else doing all the work for him. Of course, he’d keep some of the best producing plants for himself. He wouldn’t be interested in them for cultivation until they were about two years old. It was then that they’d go through a transformative change. It was really very little work in the long run.

He wasn’t planning on completely taking over any industry. In his last life, a Korean man who had simply loved gardening had beaten everyone to figuring out the basics of plant cultivation. Nathan owed the man. He’d even hire him if his business ended up taking too much market share. He didn’t want to discourage the guy.

Ginseng wasn’t the only product or industry he’d dabble in. He had the advantage of living through the next ten years in the tower then coming back to start over. To not use the knowledge he had would be foolish. He needed to get stronger. Not just him, but he needed to propel humanity to a far higher level than they’d ever reached in his last life.

He thought back to Yuma Takao giving him her contact info. Never had he imagined he’d be able to connect with the Takao Clan so soon. With the right information, they could become stronger than before. But what information?

He made sure his qi ventilator was up and running before getting some food and a shower. The ventilator was similar to a humidifier but without the water. Qi was gathering in the immediate area where he slept as well as across the room where his ginseng was sleeping. It was already passed midnight, so the grow lights were out.

Unlike his other meals, he went a bit overboard since he might be out of his room for a few days. At the end of the week, he’d unlock the Contact System and get in touch with Kyle and his family. Now that they’d take what he said seriously, he’d answer all of their questions and give them every cheat and shortcut he could when he spoke with them. He’d even be able to send them things from the tower before humanity unlocked the ability to travel back and forth between the tower and outside world. There were a few goodies he had in mind. He also wanted to get his initial fire tempering out of the way.

Lying down, he closed his eyes and focused on breathing. Sleep was fast in coming.