The next day...

Inside the forest, Chole and Kristina stood frozen.

Their jaws almost dropped to the ground as they stared at the scene in front of them.

Rows of plants stretched across the cleared land. Tomato vines were heavy with ripe cherry tomatoes, red and shining under the sunlight. Potato plants had already broken through the soil, small green leaves poking out confidently. Pepper plants stood firm, healthy and vibrant.

Only one thing looked out of place.

The rice hadn’t sprouted at all.

Tyler crouched near the field, scratching his chin. "The rice seeds you gave me aren’t working," he muttered. "Or maybe they need to be planted separately... well, never mind."

He stood up and poured a reddish liquid over the plants.

It wasn’t like water.

The soil absorbed it instantly, as if it was hungry for it.

Tyler opened his status window.

[You have gained 5 EXP.]

[You have gained 5 EXP.]

"HAHAHA!" Tyler burst out laughing.

This time, he was directly using copies of his own blood. No dilution, no testing—straight to the point.

Kristina stared at the plants, eyes wide.

"Didn’t... didn’t we just plant these yesterday? Moe?"

"It’s probably because of his skill," Chole replied softly. "Moo..."

Tyler turned around, grinning.

"What are you two standing there for? Go on—harvest everything."

They snapped out of it immediately.

Chole and Kristina rushed forward, carefully plucking tomatoes and gathering what they could. Their movements were careful but excited, as if they were afraid the plants might disappear if they blinked.

Tyler, meanwhile, sat down on a nearby rock, satisfied.

He glanced at his status again.

---

Name: Richard \ Tyler White

Age: 19

Species: Human

Occupation: Level 2 Farmer

Skill: DNA Fertilizer

Familiar: Serena (A Normal Cat)

MP: 100 / 100

Strength: 100

Stamina: 100

Vitality: 100

Speed: 100

EXP: 4710

Points: 0

---

"...Hmm," Tyler murmured. "I became Level 2?"

He leaned back slightly, "Is it because of the EXP? I still don’t really understand how the power system works in this world."

He was sitting in front of the house now, holding a cup filled with Chole’s milk. The warmth of the drink and the cool forest breeze made the moment strangely peaceful.

"Hey, Chole," Tyler said casually. "What level are you?"

Chole hesitated, then answered honestly.

"My status window says: Occupation—Milkwoman. Skill—Lactation. I’m... not very strong."

Her ears drooped a little.

Kristina hadn’t even awakened a status window yet.

"My strength is around 400," Chole continued quietly. "That’s just my race’s innate strength. My stamina and speed are only around 200..."

She looked disappointed.

Tyler froze.

"...Eh?"

He stared at her.

For a moment, his brain stopped working.

Four hundred?

He glanced at his own stats again.

One hundred.

A cold chill ran down his spine.

So I’m weaker than a village lady...

"Eh?" Tyler was dumbfounded.

He thought he was stronger, but now he is not even powerful as a village lady? Then how much stronger those two village thugs who cornered her? And how much stronger the orcs that caught them?

Tyler shivered at thoughts. He was glad he didn’t try to fight anyone except the weak Goblins.

Kristina noticed his expression and spoke up, trying to explain, "People become stronger by fighting monsters or repeatedly using their skills. For example, an appraiser grows stronger by appraising again and again."

Tyler nodded slowly.

Chole looked down at her hands.

"So... I need to milk more to become stronger. But I can only produce four cups a day..."

Her voice grew quieter near the end.

Tyler took another gulp from his cup.

"Don’t worry," he said calmly. "We’ll find a way for you to milk more."

He drained the rest of the milk without hesitation.

Chole blinked.

"...Moo?" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Kristina tilted her head.

"...Moe?"

Serena, sitting nearby, flicked her tail and looked away, pretending she hadn’t heard anything.

Tyler set the empty cup down and stood up.

---

By evening, the sky had begun to dim, and the forest slowly slipped into its quieter hours.

Tyler stood by the riverbank, tossing rotten fruits into the flowing water one after another. Soft splashes echoed as the spoiled tomatoes and shriveled peppers vanished beneath the surface.

"Tsk..." He clicked his tongue in annoyance. "The fruits I copied are already rotten. This won’t do."

He wiped his hands on his pants and stared at the river for a moment.

"I don’t have any preservation arrays here," he muttered. "And I can’t even make one with the materials available. Not yet, at least."

Another fruit flew into the river.

"I should at least try to make some kind of cold storage," Tyler continued talking to himself. "Or just accept it and throw away the waste..."

The bushes behind him rustled softly.

Tyler didn’t turn around immediately.

"Come out, Kris," he said calmly.

There was a brief pause.

Then Kristina’s head popped out from behind the bush. She stuck her tongue out playfully.

"...Sorry," she said. "But if you don’t want to waste food, how about selling it to other forest villagers instead?"

Tyler blinked.

Then his eyes lit up.

"...That’s a great idea."

He turned toward her fully, suddenly energized.

"I don’t even need this much food," he said. "If we sell it, we can get seeds, tools, maybe even clothes. We don’t have to rely on just farming here."

Kristina nodded eagerly.

"I also heard that traders from outside the forest sometimes come in to trade," she added. "It takes time, but forest villagers trade with them occasionally."

Tyler crossed his arms, thinking.

"Seeds, salt, maybe storage containers..." He nodded slowly. "Yeah, this works."

He looked at Kristina and smiled faintly.

"You’re really helpful, Kris."

Kristina froze for a second.

Then her ears twitched happily.

"M-moe..." she murmured, clearly pleased.

"Alright," Tyler said. "Let’s try that once we’re more stable."

Kristina nodded enthusiastically.

Then Tyler suddenly added, casually, "But for now, just throw the food to the monsters."

Kristina stopped mid-step.

"...Eh?"

She turned back slowly, blinking in confusion.

"D-don’t worry," Tyler waved his hand dismissively. "I can make more food with my skills."

"You are right. Rotten food isn’t good for people, but monsters don’t care." Kristina nodded, thought Tyler was talking about the rotten fruits.

He picked up another basket of spoiled fruits.

"Not just rotten, Just toss everything into the forest or the river. It’s better than letting them pile up."

Kristina hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"Eh? O-okay..."

She took the basket and walked away slowly, still processing what he’d said.

Tyler watched the river again.

Food spoilage wasn’t just annoying—it was a problem he’d have to solve sooner rather than later. Cold storage, drying, pickling... he ran through ideas in his head.

"Step by step," he muttered. "I can’t rush everything."

The forest breeze brushed past him, carrying the distant sounds of creatures moving in the dark.

Tyler tossed the fruits into the river one by one.

He made sure not to dump everything at once. Attracting monsters was the last thing he wanted right now. A single splash, a short pause, then another fruit, slow and careful.

Once he was done, he wiped his hands and turned back toward their camp.

Calling it a house was honestly generous. It was more like a landmark. No one actually slept inside it. For safety reasons, they all slept inside the pocket dimension pearl every night. Monsters roaming the forest weren’t something to gamble with.

Tyler also made sure to take the same path he always used. Because there are no monsters here on this path.

As he walked, he hummed quietly to himself, enjoying the calm after a long day.

Then, he heard a familiar voice.

"Aaaan... please be gentle..."

Tyler froze mid-step.

"...Huh?"

That voice.

It was Chole.

His heart skipped, and he instinctively looked ahead.

The field came into view.

And right in the center of it

Chole was lying on her back, her body relaxed against the soft grass. Her face was slightly flushed, eyes half-closed. Her dress were removed, two mountains with pink jewels can been seen.

Tyler blinked. It was really a pleasant sight.

Above her Serena pressed down gently with her paw and milk spilled out.

"Aaann..."

Milk spilled from the corner of Chole’s nipple as she let out a soft sound. The milk went straight to Serena’s mouth as she drank it.

Tyler’s brain stopped working for a full second.

"...What the hell am I looking at?"

Serena adjusted her position and pressed again, clearly focused, like she was kneading dough. Chole’s ears twitched, and she let out another quiet sound.

Tyler’s mouth twitched uncontrollably.

This was... wrong.

Very wrong.

And somehow very unfair. How can they do it without him. He felt totally wronged.

"Is this Serena? Or Mathilda?" He couldn’t help but wonder.

He took a step forward, then stopped.

"Serena..." he muttered under his breath. "What exactly do you think you’re doing?"

Serena glanced at him briefly, completely unbothered, then pressed her paw again as milk splashed.

"Aaan..." Chole was unaware that Tyler already came back and still Moaning.

Tyler clenched his fists.

It should’ve been me, not her