Chapter 136: Chapter 131: The Herb Garden
Location: Pavilion - Botanical Garden
Ti: Day 509/207 (Subjective/Actual)
Realm: Starforge Pavilion (Personal Dinsion)
The corridors changed as they walked.
Crystal walls gave way to living wood—actual bark texture beneath Jayde’s fingers when she touched them in passing. Vines crept up architectural features that shouldn’t support organic growth, leaves rustling in air that had been still monts before.
The sll hit first. Growing things. Rich earth and green life and sothing else—sothing that made her lungs expand fuller, easier.
"This section was locked for over a thousand years," Isha said, tails swishing with barely contained excitent. "Your contractor advancent—and your worthiness—opened it. Each tier unlocks new areas, but so... so wait for the right person."
Made sense. The Pavilion responded to growth, rewarded progress with access. Federation facilities worked similarly—higher clearance, deeper access, better resources.
They turned a corner and stopped.
Where blank wall had stood yesterday, ornate wood now materialized. Rich dark timber—ironwood maybe, or sothing cultivated across dinsions. Carvings covered every inch: leaves, flowers, vines intertwining in patterns that seed to shift when she wasn’t looking directly at them. So plants she recognized from Doha’s forests. Others looked completely alien.
A brass handle shaped like a curled fern glead with green patina.
Above the door, flowing script declared: Botanical Garden. Cultivated with Care. Honor the Green.
"Ready?" Isha placed one translucent paw on the handle.
(What’s behind there?)
Unknown facility. Proceed with caution.
But Isha’s expression carried none of his usual sarcasm—just pure, genuine enthusiasm.
"Ready," Jayde said.
The door swung open.
The BLAST of scent actually made her stagger back.
Fresh mint cooling her sinuses. Lavender calming sothing tight in her chest. Rich earth grounding her feet. Citrus notes energizing. Floral sweetness from a dozen different sources. And underneath it all—green. Growing. Life itself concentrated into breathable form.
She took a shaky breath. Another. Her eyes adjusted to the light spilling through the doorway.
"Oh..."
Couldn’t say more. Too much to process.
Ten acres spread before her.
Impossible. Spatial dinsions don’t—
(But they do. We’re standing in it.)
Not possible from the outside. Another spatial expansion, like the dragon sanctuary being built in parallel space. Sky stretched overhead—artificial but perfect. Warm sun. Gentle breeze carrying a hundred different fragrances.
Everything ALIVE. Everything THRIVING.
A main path of crushed stone stretched ahead, branching into organized sections. She could see for hundreds of ters—paradise of plants extending further than should fit in any building.
"Previous contractor spent over a century here," Isha said quietly, walking beside her down the main path. "Collected specins from across dinsions over a lifeti of five hundred years. So species are extinct in their origin worlds—this garden may hold the only surviving specins in existence. It’s..." He paused, searching for words. "A priceless archive. Both practically and historically."
Jayde’s tactical mind tried categorizing. Systematizing. Making sense of the overwhelming abundance.
To their left: dicinal section. Three full acres of healing plants organized by function.
Healing moss beds sprawled in bright green carpets, springy under nearby footsteps. "Absorbs blood, promotes clotting," Isha explained. "Common but essential. Ten points per basket."
Silver-green leaves grew in neat rows, cool to touch even from a distance. "Fever reduction. Five points per bunch."
Ugly twisted roots that slled bitter: "Anti-poison. Twenty points each—cheap considering they neutralize most common toxins."
White flowers with gold centers: "Bone-nding. Fifteen points per flower. Expensive for commons because they actually work."
The rare varieties made her breath catch.
Fla-red grass that moved like fire itself. "Phoenix feather grass," Isha said reverently. "Inferno affinity enhancent. One hundred points per stalk. This is genuinely rare, Jayde. Most gardens never see it."
Roots that felt warm when she knelt to examine them closer. Smoky aroma. "Dragon’s breath root. Cultivation breakthrough aid. Two hundred fifty each. Very few gardens have these growing wild."
A pond section held blooming lotus flowers that seed to glow with internal moonlight. "Only bloom at night," Isha explained. "Torrent cultivation boost. One fifty per flower."
Silver thistle with crystalline spikes: "ntal clarity enhancent. Prevents Qi deviation. One fifty because it’s expensive but necessary for anyone pushing their cultivation hard."
(All this... just growing here?)
Resource assessnt: Substantial wealth in natural form. Strategic value high.
To their right: culinary and alchemical section. Two acres of organized chaos—multiple basil varieties, seven different types of thy, sage for both cooking and spiritual work, rosemary, mint families spreading in controlled beds.
"Binding agents, catalysts, stabilizers," Isha pointed out labeled sections. "Everything needed for potion-making. And here—" He gestured to another area with barely contained glee. "Qi-infused spices. Cultivation enhancent through food. Cooking becos cultivation."
Saffron that glowed faint red. Ginger with blue undertones. Turric that pulsed green. Pepper that seed to shimr.
"Previous contractor was a genius," Isha said simply.
Further back: magical reagents organized by elent. Inferno corner with red and orange plants in fire-resistant containers. Torrent area misted constantly with blue and silver specins. Verdant section exploding with green diversity. Voidshadow corner with dark plants thriving in manufactured shadow. Each elent represented, each section carefully maintained.
(Soone loved this place)
Observation: Extensive personal investnt evident. Decades of cultivation and care.
They walked for twenty minutes just surveying the main sections. Trees and perennials in another area—spiritual fruit trees centuries old, dicinal bark specins, essence-producing flowering trees that blood in careful cycles.
An experintal section held what Isha explained were crossbreeding attempts. So failed but preserved for study. So succeeded, creating entirely new species. Notes left behind docunted everything with scientific precision.
And in the center of it all: a small building. Weathered wood exterior showing no rot, no age damage despite obvious centuries of existence. Magical preservation formations visible as faint glowing lines in the structure itself.
The garden shed.
The door stood slightly ajar.
"After you," Isha said.
Jayde stepped inside and froze.
Bigger inside than outside—another spatial expansion. PACKED wall-to-wall with shelving systems reaching from floor to ceiling. Wooden crates stacked with military precision. Clay jars labeled in neat handwriting. Glass bottles gleaming in perfect rows. Dried bundles hanging from rafters like botanical stalactites.
Hundreds of specins. All preserved perfectly under active stasis formations.
Each item labeled: plant na in both common and scientific notation, harvest date, quality grade, storage requirents, usage notes, market value estimate.
She walked down the first aisle with growing disbelief. So plants she recognized from her books. Many completely unknown. But the dates—
"Harvested 1,345 years ago."
"Collected 1,512 years ago."
"Dried 1,689 years ago."
All still perfect. As if picked yesterday.
"How long was the contractor here?" she asked, voice barely above whisper.
"Left thirteen hundred years ago," Isha said quietly. "These are even older—collected over five centuries before contracting the artifact. A lifeti’s work spanning half a millennium, all brought here. And when he died..." His tails drooped slightly. "The stasis formations triggered automatically. Everything preserved. The entire garden section sealed, waiting for soone worthy. Over a thousand years of waiting."
A small desk occupied one corner, covered in papers. A leather-bound journal sat prominently in the center.
Isha picked it up carefully. "Inventory master log. Previous contractor was ticulous." He handed it to her. "See for yourself."
Jayde opened to the first page.
Complete Garden Inventory. Updated Quarterly.
Last entry: thirteen hundred years ago.
She began reading.
Summary Page:
847 individual herb specins Organized by category, rarity, quality grade, quantity Total estimated value: 78,450 points
Her hands shook slightly.
"By all the gods..." The whisper escaped involuntarily. "This is a fortune."
She flipped through detailed entries:
Ancient Moonflower x8. Quality: Exceptional. Harvested 1,423 years ago. Market value: 500 points each = 4,000 total. Notes: "Peak bloom preservation. Rare opportunity."
Dragon’s Breath Root x12. Quality: Superior. Various dates. Market value: 250 each = 3,000 total. Notes: "From Dragon Realm. Risky acquisition."
Void Orchid petals (dried) x50. Quality: Pristine. Harvested 1,689 years ago. Market value: 200 per petal = 10,000 total. Notes: "Life’s greatest find. Will never sell."
Page after page. Each entry detailed, personal, caring.
Then she found the personal reflections scattered throughout.
Entry 1 (1,520 years ago): "Today I contracted the Divine To. The artifact called to
in a dream. I’ve spent my life studying plants—perhaps this is why. The garden here is abandoned, overgrown, dying. Previous contractor cared nothing for it. I will fix this. I will make it live again."
Her throat tightened.
Entry 50 (1,480 years ago): "Successfully revived the Millennium Ginseng! Previous contractors nearly killed it through neglect. It took forty years of careful tending, but today I saw new root growth. I wept with joy. So lives are worth saving, no matter how long it takes."
(They understood)
Entry 203 (1,350 years ago): "The garden is thriving now. I’ve added seventeen new species this year alone. The Void Orchid finally blood—I stood and watched for six hours straight. Worth every mont. Plants don’t betray you. They don’t lie. They simply... are. There’s peace in that."
(We’re the sa)
Entry 389 (1,315 years ago): "I’m old now. Body failing. But the garden is immortal. I’ve done everything I can to preserve it. Whoever cos next—please. PLEASE care for them. They’re living things, deserving respect. Don’t harvest everything and abandon them. Don’t let my life’s work die. Please."
Tears blurred the final entry.
Final Entry (1,300 years ago): "I can feel death approaching. Strange—not afraid. I’ll beco part of the earth, like the plants I’ve tended. To whoever inherits this: be kind to them. They’re not just resources. They’re LIVES. Honor that. I beg you."
(I wish I could have t you)
"After he died," Isha said softly, "three contractors ca over the next century. Each harvested aggressively. Sold everything, replanted nothing. The garden nearly died again—twelve hundred years ago, the artifact locked this section completely. Went into stasis waiting for soone worthy." He looked at her directly, golden eyes serious. "Over a thousand years of waiting, Jayde. The garden chose YOU. You GROW things. You understand."
Jayde closed the journal carefully. Set it down with reverence.
Thirteen hundred years. Over a millennium of preservation, of waiting. The contractor had died begging the future to care for their life’s work, and the garden had waited—through three abusive contractors, through centuries of sealed darkness, through over a thousand years of stasis—for soone who would understand.
For her.
The weight of it settled in her chest. Not burden—responsibility. Honor.
"Let’s plant the Afeaso," she said, voice rough. "Properly."
***
They chose a spot in the legendary section. Perfect soil enriched with centuries of care. Optimal Qi density. Jayde knelt, preparing the bed with hands that knew exactly how to work earth—muscle mory from Telia returning.
She planted each seed with precision. With care.
(Grow strong here)
Like you helped
grow.
Water from a magical spring—pure, perfect temperature. She whispered the blessing almost unconsciously:
"Thank you for saving Yinxin. Thank you for giving
purpose. Grow well, little ones."
Isha watched in silence. Then: "Previous contractor would like you."
***
"Let
show you sothing," Isha said, pulling up a holographic interface.
Garden System Status
Level 1: Basic Preservation
- Ti dilation: 1:1 (none)
- Qi infusion: Minimal
- Harvest: Manual only
- Growth rate: Normal
- Maintenance: Manual required
"This explains why previous contractor spent so much ti here," Jayde murmured. Everything manual. Every plant requiring personal attention.
"Level 2 costs 1,500 points," Isha said. "Gives you ti dilation—ten to one. Ten days inside equals one day outside. Moderate Qi infusion. Semi-automated harvest. Enhanced growth rate. Mostly automated maintenance."
Jayde checked her points: 9,510 remaining after the dragon sanctuary purchase.
"Do it."
The garden GLOWED as the upgrade applied. She could actually FEEL the Qi density increase around them. Plants visibly perked up, colors brightening subtly.
Ti dilation activated. The Afeaso seedlings she’d just planted—they’d mature in about eighteen days outside ti instead of two years.
Worth every point.
"Level 3 costs 3,000," Isha continued. "Fifteen-to-one dilation. High Qi infusion. Fully automated harvest and preservation. Double normal growth rate. And..." He paused significantly. "Selective breeding enabled. You could continue previous contractor’s hybridization work."
She’d have over five thousand points left even after both upgrades. Sustainable. Smart investnt.
"Let’s do Level 3 too," Jayde said. "Right now."
Isha’s eyes widened. "You’re sure?"
"The garden waited over a thousand years for soone who’d care properly. I’m not going to half-ass it now."
His grin was pure approval. "Purchase confird."
The garden transford again. The Qi density nearly doubled—she could feel it pressing against her skin like warm pressure. Plants seed to straighten, colors deepening further. The ti dilation shift was almost disorienting, like reality briefly stuttered.
POINTS: 8,010 → 5,010
Fifteen-to-one. The Afeaso seedlings would mature in just over a week outside ti. Rare herbs that normally took years would grow in months. The breeding experints could continue, generations compressed into manageable tifras.
"Now," Isha said, expression shifting to sothing almost predatory—fox-sharp and business-focused. "We need to talk about maintaining and growing this wealth. Let
manage the trading."
He pulled up another interface—the interdinsional market. Fifteen active dinsions. Thousands of buyers. Real-ti supply and demand fluctuations scrolling past faster than she could track.
"This is full-ti work," he said seriously. "You need to focus on cultivation, missions, training, survival. Let
handle the business side." Hesitation. Rare vulnerability. "I’ve been doing this for millennia. Every contractor I’ve served, I managed their trades. Built fortunes. And honestly?" His voice softened. "I LOVE this. I’m support role, not warrior. But I’m damn good at support. Let
do what I do best."
Delegation: Strategically sound. Isha demonstrates expertise. Accept support.
(Trust)
Let others help.
"Okay," she said. "You manage the trading. I trust you."
Isha’s genuine smile transford his usually sarcastic expression. "I won’t disappoint."
His fingers danced over the interface imdiately, muttering to himself. "Stock levels here... market analysis there... oh, Dinsion 7 needs healing herbs, perfect timing..."
PING.
A hologram notification appeared.
SALE COMPLETED
50 points earned
Fever-reducing leaves x10
Buyer: Dinsion 3, Healer’s Guild
Another ping.
SALE COMPLETED
150 points earned
Dragon’s Breath Root
Buyer: Dinsion 12, Cultivation Sect
Isha grinned. "And so it begins."
Within five minutes: six more sales. 480 points total.
"Conservative estimate with Level 3 garden," Isha said, still working. "Three to five thousand points per week minimum. Within a month, as rare herbs mature and our reputation grows, could hit eight thousand weekly. That’s over thirty thousand per month. Sustainable passive inco that doesn’t touch your existing reserves."
(Financial security)
Real, lasting security.
(Can afford to take any risk now)
Can afford to HELP people freely.
(No more choosing between food and safety)
No more survival mode only.
Tears threatened. She blinked them back but Isha saw.
He paused his frantic interface work. "Jayde. You’ll never be that powerless again. I promise you. You have wealth now—five thousand points in reserve, dragons safe, herb garden generating thousands more weekly. The artifact provides. The garden provides. You’ve earned this security."
Simple statent. But it ant everything.
She stood, walked back to the shed, touched the journal again.
"Be kind to them," she whispered, reading the plea one more ti.
"I promise. I’ll honor what you built. I’ll continue your work. Thank you for this gift."
For just a mont, she felt sothing—like a presence approving. Peaceful. Satisfied.
Connection to the garden itself, maybe. Or just her imagination.
Didn’t matter which.
Jayde walked back outside, stood in the center of the dicinal section. Closed her eyes.
She could FEEL it. Hundreds of plants, each one growing. Each one thriving. Life radiating in concentric circles around her like Qi but different—organic, patient, enduring.
(This is what peace feels like)
Not emptiness. Fullness.
(Life, not death)
Growth, not destruction.
Environntal analysis: Optimal conditions. Sustainable resource generation. Strategic value: Imasurable.
(We’re part of this now)
We belong here.
For the first ti since waking in this world with two souls and impossible mories, Jayde felt it completely:
Ho.
Not the cave. Not even the Pavilion as a whole.
Here. Among growing things that asked nothing except care. That gave freely when tended properly. That didn’t betray or lie or hurt.
They simply were.
And so was she.
"Thank you," she said to the air, to the mory of a contractor who’d loved plants more than people, who’d understood that sotis green peace was the only peace possible, whose garden had waited over a thousand years for soone who would care again.
Behind her, Isha’s trading notifications continued pinging. Wealth accumulating. Future securing.
Above her, an artificial sun ward leaves that had waited thirteen centuries for gentle hands.
Around her, life. Everywhere. Thriving.
In forty-eight hours, dragons would fly in their sanctuary.
But right now, in a garden inherited from soone who’d begged the future to be kind, in a space that had waited over a millennium for worthy hands, Jayde stood among herbs that didn’t judge and finally—finally—let herself breathe.
The journey continued.
But she’d found sothing worth protecting.
Worth growing.
Worth calling ho.
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