The night air in Jalpura was usually thick with the scent of blooming jute and damp earth, but tonight, it carried the metallic tang of danger. Han stood perfectly still in the center of his field. Thanks to the Earth-God's Intuition, the ground beneath his bare feet was no longer just dirt—it was a living map.
He could feel the rhythmic thud of three pairs of boots. They were approaching from the north, near the ancient banyan tree where his father used to rest. These men moved with a practiced stealth, but to Han, their every step felt like a drumbeat in his skull.
"They are within forty meters, Host," the System's voice echoed, cold and analytical. "Their intent is malicious. They carry canisters of 'Blight-Oil'—a forbidden substance designed to kill the soul of the land forever."
Han's knuckles turned white as he gripped his iron shovel. Blight-Oil? If they poured that onto his soil, not even a weed would grow for a hundred years. Master Lin didn't just want the land; he wanted to destroy the legacy of Han's family.
"Not on my watch," Han hissed.
He began to move, but not toward the intruders. Instead, he dropped to one knee and plunged his hand into the tilled earth. "System, activate the Spirit-Trap. Use my internal energy as the catalyst!"
[System Warning: Energy infusion will cause temporary exhaustion. Do you wish to proceed?]
"Do it!"
A warm, golden light pulsed from Han's palm into the ground. Suddenly, the field seemed to breathe. The shadows at the edge of the fence stopped. One of them, a tall man with a scar running down his cheek, gestured for the others to wait.
"Did you feel that?" Scar-face whispered, his voice barely audible over the crickets. "The ground... it vibrated."
"It's just the wind, you coward," the second man growled, unscrewing the cap of a black metal canister. "Let's pour this poison and get out of here before the farm-boy wakes up."
As the man stepped forward to tip the canister, Han's eyes snapped open. They were glowing with a faint, earthen brown hue.
"The land does not welcome you!" Han shouted, his voice booming through the silence of the night.
Before the intruders could react, the ground beneath them erupted. Thick, vine-like roots of the late-season potato plants—charged with Spirit Energy—shot out of the dirt like whips. They coiled around the second man's ankles, jerking him off his feet. The canister of Blight-Oil flew into the air, but Han lunged forward, catching it mid-air with a strength he didn't know he possessed.
"Intruders!" Han roared, swinging his shovel in a wide arc.
The shovel didn't just hit the air; it caught the third man square in the chest with the force of a falling tree. The man was sent flying backward, crashing into the wooden fence.
Scar-face pulled a jagged dagger from his belt, his eyes wide with terror. "What kind of devilry is this? You're just a farmer!"
"I am the Harvester," Han said, his voice low and dangerous. He took a step forward, and with every stride, the earth seemed to rise up to meet his feet, making him appear taller, more imposing. "And you are trespassing on my soul."
With a flick of his wrist, Han commanded the roots to tighten. The man on the ground let out a choked scream as the vines squeezed his legs. Scar-face lunged forward with his dagger, but Han didn't flinch. He used the flat of his shovel to parry the blade and then delivered a powerful kick to the man's stomach.
The fight was short, brutal, and decisive. In less than five minutes, the three hired thugs were groveling in the dirt, their weapons broken and their spirit crushed.
Han stood over them, breathing heavily, the golden glow slowly fading from his eyes. He looked at the canister of Blight-Oil in his hand and then at the trembling men.
"Go back to Master Lin," Han commanded, his voice trembling with suppressed rage. "Tell him that the soil of Jalpura has a memory. And if he ever sends anyone here again, the land itself will swallow them whole."
He released the Spirit-Trap. The roots withered back into the earth as if they had never moved. The three men didn't wait for a second warning; they scrambled to their feet and vanished into the darkness, leaving behind only the scent of fear.
Han looked down at his palms. They were stained with dirt and glowing with the residue of magic. He had protected his home, but he knew this was only the beginning. Master Lin wouldn't stop, and the secrets of the Eternal Harvester were becoming more dangerous by the day.
"Host," the System chimed. "Battle concluded. Experience points gained. Skill 'Earth-God's Intuition' has leveled up."
Han slumped against the banyan tree, the exhaustion finally hitting him. He looked up at the moon and whispered, "Father... I kept the land safe."
✨ SUPPORT THE HARVEST ✨
🔥 THE BATTLE: Han has shown his power! Do you think Master Lin will come himself next time? Leave a Comment!
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