Chapter 3

Carin slipped out of the dormitory before dawn. She moved like a shadow, her breath shallow to keep her fractured ribs from grating. Stepping carefully over the snoring bodies of the other laborers until she reached the door. The air outside was cold and damp, the mist thick enough to hide her movements.

She reached under her thin sleeping mat and pulled out a small, hard piece of dried root she had saved from her meager rations the day before. It wasn't much, but it was all she had to trade. She tucked it into her pocket and headed for the market.

The market was already chaotic. The sounds of shouting vendors and roaring beasts filled the air. Stalls made of animal skins and rough wood lined the paths, displaying slabs of meat, bones, and strange trinkets. The ground was a mess of mud and offal.

She pulled her hood low, keeping her head down as she navigated through the crowd. She was careful to avoid the larger males, their massive frames taking up most of the path. As she carefully edged past a butcher's stall, the jostling of the crowd sending sharp stabs of pain through her side, she overheard two merchants arguing loudly. "You expect me to pay full price for this?" one yelled, slamming a slab of meat down. "The beast struggled too much before it died! Its core almost detonated. The meat is halfway carbonized, it tastes like ash!" The other merchant grumbled but lowered the price. She stopped at a stall selling strange, purple-red fruits.

She focused her mind, activating the system scan. The blue panel flickered in her vision.

Highly toxic. No economic value.

She moved on. She stopped at another stall, this one run by a Cetacean merchant. His skin had a faint blue tint, and he smelled of salt and fish. The stall was piled with dried seafood and strange, shells.

The merchant looked up as Carin approached. His nose wrinkled in disgust at the sight of her mud-caked clothes and hooded face. "Get lost, trash," he snapped, waving a hand at her. "You can't afford anything here."

Carin didn't argue. She turned to leave, but her eyes caught something in the corner of the stall. A torn, dirty burlap sack was wedged under a table. A few shriveled, yellow grains had spilled from a hole in the sack, scattered in the dirt.

Carin's heart skipped a beat. She activated the scan again, her eyes locked on the grains.

Earth equivalent species detected: Primitive gene sequence of [Corn]. Match rate: 98%.

She forced her face to remain blank, suppressing the surge of excitement that threatened to break through. She pointed a dirty finger at the sack, her voice a rough, disinterested croak.

"How much for that bag of moldy bird feed?"

The merchant laughed, a harsh, barking sound. "Bird feed? You mean those hard-shelled nuts from the far north? They're worthless. You can't even crack them open with a rock."

He looked at the dried root in Carin's hand. "I'll take that root. You can have the garbage." He snatched the root from her and kicked the burlap sack toward her with his foot. "Now get out of my sight."

Carin didn't hesitate. She sank to her knees with a muffled gasp, and scooped up the sack, careful not to let it press too hard against her injured chest. She even scrabbled in the dirt to retrieve the few grains that had spilled out. A group of females buying meat nearby saw her and burst into laughter.

"Look at the crazy girl," one of them jeered. "She's eating rocks now!"

Carin ignored them. She tucked the sack under her arm and pushed her way out of the crowd. She didn't stop until she found a narrow, dark alley between two stone buildings. She ducked into the shadows, pressing her back against the cool stone.

She waited until the sounds of the market faded slightly before she opened the sack. She thrust her hand inside, her fingers brushing against the dry, rough texture of the corn kernels.

A crisp, clear chime sounded in her mind.

Successfully unlocked staple food codex: [Corn].

The holographic panel exploded with golden fireworks. A notification popped up, the text glowing brightly.

First entry reward received: 100 Energy Crystals.

Another window appeared immediately after.

Novice development material received: [Tier 1 Portable Farm Blueprint].

Carin stared at the virtual rewards, her eyes stinging. She bit her lip hard, fighting the urge to scream with joy. She quickly navigated to the extraction command.

A small handful of crystals materialized in her palm. They were rough and unpolished, but they glowed with a warm, pure white light. She could feel the energy radiating from them, a hum of power against her skin. In this world, these were wealth. These were life.

She shoved the crystals deep into her inner pocket, pressing them against her skin where they wouldn't be seen. The glow was too conspicuous; she couldn't risk anyone seeing it.

Heavy footsteps echoed at the mouth of the alley. A patrol squad was marching past, their armored boots thudding on the stone.

Carin instantly closed the system panel. She hoisted the burlap sack cautiously over her uninjured shoulder, letting it hang like a piece of discarded padding. The weight pulled at her torso, making her vision swim for a second. She hunched her shoulders, lowered her head, and walked out of the alley.

A squad of leopard warriors marched toward her. Carin pressed herself flat against the wall, giving them plenty of room. But as she watched them pass, the fear in her eyes was gone, replaced by a quiet, unshakeable confidence that burned brighter than the persistent ache in her side.