Chapter 1: Star Spirit Engraving Technique
For three days straight, except for eating, sleeping, and using the restroom, Croyer had been staring out of the window, watching as the scenery outside transformed from bustling to mundane, and finally to desolate wilderness.
It wasn't that he wanted to—it was simply that digesting all the information about this new environment and integrating the memories of his predecessor, a mage, had taken him three full days. Even so, it was barely enough to make sense of everything.
Seated in the spacious and comfortable carriage, which was enhanced with spatial magic, he let out a deep sigh.
Just after transmigrating, he learned that his predecessor had been exiled by the Mage Association. What should he do? Waiting online for an answer—it's urgent!
He never would have imagined that after just taking a nap, he would suddenly wake up in a world of swords and magic, a land filled with magical creatures and mystical plants.
The most critical part was... his predecessor had originally been working peacefully within the Mage Association, dedicating himself to diligently studying spells and discussing the cultivation of magical plants with others.
Yet, because he had offended the apprentice of a Fourth-Tier Mage, that apprentice had set him up. "Since you love discussing farming so much, why not go be a lord and cultivate some land?" they had sneered.
To make matters worse, they had even brought out a Fifth-Tier magical plant, the legendary Moonlight Dew Grass—something said to belong exclusively to the elves—as a wager.
Win, and he could take the plant and return to the Royal Capital.
Lose, and he would never be allowed to return.
Unsurprisingly, the original owner had fallen for the trap.
To be fair, the wager was incredibly tempting.
Under the Mage Association’s supervision, a contract was signed, binding both parties for three years. After this period, someone would come to evaluate the progress.
So far, everything seemed fair.
But the real issue was that, relying on his mentor’s influence, the opponent had tampered with the arrangement, switching the original owner’s assigned territory to a desolate coastal region.
A Fourth-Tier Mage was already considered mid-to-high ranking within the kingdom’s Mage Association. Unless a higher-ranked mage intervened, no one would question their actions—especially not for a mere First-Tier Mage.
Far from the Royal Capital, in an infertile and barren land, where rumors spoke of threats from Merfolk and magical beasts...
Developing a territory in such a place—one impressive enough to catch the attention of the Mage Association—was an impossible challenge. There was essentially no chance of overturning this situation.
Worse still, what even counted as a "qualified territory"? The definition was vague, and the final judgment was entirely in the opponent’s hands.
What was the point of such a wager anymore?
To Croyer, being unable to return to the Royal Capital was not a major issue. Living as a lord outside the city had its own appeal.
Freedom and leisure, after all.
However, for mages who had grown up in the Royal Capital, this exile meant being severed from the temple of knowledge. And the shame of being banished... was something no mage could tolerate.
The original owner had lost his mental balance, causing his magical energy to spiral out of control, and then... the switch had happened.
Reflecting on these memories, Croyer could only lean back against the seat, feeling utterly bored while calculating the resources his predecessor had taken with him upon leaving the Royal Capital.
Since things had already come to this, perhaps staying away from that nest of trouble and becoming a small-time lord wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
Mages were highly perceptive—if they noticed any inconsistencies between him and the original owner, they might take an interest in studying him… in ways he did not want to imagine.
Staying away from the Royal Capital was, without a doubt, the safest option.
Besides, even as a First-Tier Mage, he still commanded respect from local nobles.
As for the three-year agreement, he would do his best—he was a transmigrator, after all. There was no way he would perform worse than the original owner, right?
Once he had gained enough power, he would certainly "repay" that person accordingly.
With that thought, Croyer felt at ease.
Especially after tallying up his predecessor’s assets—he realized things might not be so bad after all.
"Two Blazing Fire Horses, a chest of First-Tier magic crystals, two hundred gold coins, some crop seeds, a Mansion Spell scroll, four First-Tier Knights, and a butler..."
Two hundred gold coins—these weren’t just any ordinary currency. Gold coins, infused with magical metals, were not only used for transactions but were also valuable materials.
The exchange rate with lower-tier currencies was set at 1 gold coin = 100 silver coins = 10,000 copper coins.
Thanks to the Mage Association and the Church’s control, this rate remained stable across the continent.
That being said, gold coins were typically only used by nobles, mages, and knights.
For ordinary people, silver and copper coins were the primary means of trade.
Magic crystals were essential for mages—used in research and daily meditation. Though it was only a chest of First-Tier crystals, the original owner had spent a lot of time stockpiling them.
The two Blazing Fire Horses, classified as Second-Tier magical beasts, could spit fireballs and gallop as swiftly as a blazing inferno. Not only were they exceptional mounts and labor sources, but they were also formidable in battle.
The knights and the butler outside had all signed contracts of allegiance, ensuring their absolute loyalty. The butler was not only skilled in management but also deeply devoted.
Croyer might not be great at governing a territory, but as long as he found the right people to delegate to, it wouldn't be an issue.
After all, as a mage, his only duty was to maintain an air of noble arrogance.
"Thinking about it, my starting conditions aren’t bad at all."
A small smile appeared on his face as he picked up the crop seeds his predecessor had prepared. His memories offered little information about them.
All he knew was that they had been a farewell gift from a friend—someone skilled in cultivating magical plants.
This friend had been on good terms with the original owner but had been away when the scheme unfolded. By the time they returned, the verdict had already been passed.
With no way to help, they had hurriedly gifted these seeds as a parting gesture.
Farming was engraved into his soul.
What kind of lord wouldn’t plant crops?
Besides, he was truly curious about what kind of strange and unique plants might exist in this otherworld.
The seeds were stored in a beautifully crafted magic crystal box, designed to preserve vitality for decades, ensuring they would sprout whenever needed.
He opened the box.
Inside the box, three neatly arranged rows of test tubes held distinct, well-preserved seeds. Each test tube had a label affixed for easy identification.
These magical labels allowed the user to access information simply by injecting a trace of magic into them.
Not only did the labels display the names of the crops, but they also provided detailed instructions on how to cultivate them and when they would mature.
"A box containing test tubes… is this the luxury of being a mage?" Croyer mused.
"Let’s see… Poseidon Barley, Sunflower, and… Olive?"
Reading the names aloud, he couldn’t help but appreciate the meticulous consideration of his predecessor’s friend, who specialized in cultivating magical plants and crops.
Poseidon Barley was a type of barley capable of growing in seawater, making it an absolute staple for coastal regions. After all, in this world, bread was the primary food source.
For commoners and farmhands, having barley bread to eat was already a privilege.
The difference between barley and wheat was substantial—white bread made from wheat was a luxury reserved exclusively for the nobility.
Due to this rigid class distinction and the difference in taste, the price of Poseidon Wheat seeds was nearly ten times higher than barley seeds…
Honestly, for the original owner’s friend to provide Poseidon Barley—an endlessly cultivatable crop—was already a generous gift.
As for how it managed to grow in seawater… well, that was just the power of magic. Truly miraculous.
Olives were not only known for their heat-clearing and detoxifying properties but also had the ability to counteract fish and crab poisoning. Most importantly, they could be pressed for oil!
Even if their medicinal properties were somewhat exaggerated, the fact that they could produce oil was already a major advantage.
It was said that this particular variant had been specially modified for an exceptionally high oil yield.
Sunflowers were equally precious. They were considered a versatile medicinal plant—every part, from seeds to flower heads, stems, leaves, pith, roots, and petals, could be used for medicine.
"Such a thoughtful friend… Wait, what’s this star symbol?"
Suddenly, he noticed a tiny star mark on one of the labels. Squinting, he was about to examine it more closely when a flood of information surged into his mind—
[Suitable magical plant for Star Spirit Engraving Technique detected: Sunflower. Please activate the engraving technique to view the plant’s Star Spirit and perform a spell engraving.]
[Star Spirit Engraving Technique]: Allows spell engraving within the Star Spirit of magical plants or magical beasts. A successful engraving grants the engraved spell's ability to the plant or beast.
Different magical plants or beasts require specific spell engravings, and certain cases may require supplementary materials for cultivation.
…Missing spell engraving library. Please explore using your existing spells.
After reading the information, Croyer struggled to suppress the grin forming on his lips—wasn’t this a cheat ability? Though it seemed incomplete, it was still a cheat!
Modifying magical plants? Engraving spells?
"The Star Spirit of a sunflower… I only knew that magical beasts had something akin to a human’s genetic essence and soul, but magical plants have them too?"
"Wait… if I have this cheat ability, could I use it as a foundation to establish a unique domain?"
The friend who had given him these seeds was apparently also the apprentice of a Grand Mage. If he could leverage this connection, his future development would be much smoother.
And once he had built up enough power and influence, avenging his predecessor by eliminating that scheming apprentice would be a simple matter.
During these past few days, he had forced himself to remain calm and adapt to this world’s rules.
At the very least, he needed to fit in until he gained enough strength. Failing to do so would only invite trouble.
"Let’s give it a try."
The more he thought about it, the more viable it seemed. Without hesitation, he took out a single sunflower seed and activated the Star Spirit Engraving Technique, eager to uncover its secrets.
As his body’s magical energy was drawn away, the sunflower seed before him suddenly expanded in size.
The sensation of casting this spell was incredibly strange. It was as if he had instinctively known how to use it, yet the rune structures and spell model remained blurry and incomprehensible.
There was no way for him to analyze, expand, or modify them.
"Weird…
Does this mean I need to increase my magical rank? Maybe when my magic power and mental strength grow, I’ll be able to see the full structure of the spell."
Shaking his head, he temporarily set that thought aside.
From his perspective—
Beyond the seed’s outer shell, he could see the sunflower’s embryonic form.
However, unlike an ordinary seed embryo, this one was wrapped in countless intertwining crimson threads.
These threads wove densely together, encasing the sunflower’s Star Spirit at the core. The spirit was in a dormant state, yet it murmured faintly, as if whispering—
"Fire? Sunlight?"
Perceiving its thoughts, Croyer froze for a moment, recalling the conditions for using the engraving technique—spell engraving.
Spells required a structured model. Each spell was formed through a unique arrangement of runes and configurations. Did this mean he had to construct a model and embed it within the seed?
He searched through his predecessor’s memory for any fire-related spells and found one—Sunflame Ray.
This was a Second-Tier spell that concentrated sunlight into a searing beam to attack.
While the original owner had learned the full spell model and runes, he had never been able to cast it due to insufficient magic power.
So,
"I need to inscribe the spell inside the seed?"
Following his memory, he began the engraving process. His mental energy rapidly drained, and just as he started feeling lightheaded, the spell model was finally completed.
The model slowly embedded itself into the crimson threads, merging with the sunflower’s Star Spirit.
At that moment, new information surfaced—
[Engraving successful: Sunflower (Sunflame Ray)]
[During its growth, the sunflower will absorb sunlight and continuously accumulate Sunflame energy. When necessary, it can be commanded to release an attack, with its power depending on the stored Sunflame energy.]
[Unreleased Sunflame energy will be stored in the seeds.]
[As the magical plant matures, the spell model will gradually refine itself.]