Chapter 38: The Pioneer and the Leader

Chapter 38: The Pioneer and the Leader

Dorothea was somewhat jealous of Eileen.

No, she was very, very, very jealous!

The non-toxic winter mallow was an entirely new species achieved without any magical interference—not even the seeds had been altered!

In the history of Wood Spirit Magic, this was an achievement worthy of being recorded in the annals.

Such an accomplishment was something even her grandfather hadn’t managed, yet now it had been claimed by a mere magic apprentice.

If Eileen had independently researched it, that would have been one thing.

But Dorothea knew full well that this was entirely built upon Ajef’s theories. The spiral-leaf and broad-leaf variants of winter mallow had been cultivated under Ajef’s direction. So why was the credit being given to Eileen?

Dorothea couldn’t accept it!

She felt an overwhelming sense of defeat!

Born into a family of mages, she had been immersed in magic since childhood and had displayed extraordinary talent from a young age.

In terms of Wood Spirit Magic, she had surpassed all her peers.

Her mentor, Tyrone, had once remarked that Dorothea’s mastery of Wood Spirit Magic had reached the level of a full-fledged mage—perhaps even higher.

She had grown up under the spotlight, always believing herself to be a prodigy—the center of Felix!

Her fondness for Daisova was largely because he, too, was the best among his peers.

But now, all of that had been snatched away by Eileen, a dark-skinned, scrawny girl from humble origins, who had become one of the most dazzling women in Felix—no, even in the entire Keville Empire. How could she ever reconcile such a crushing blow to her pride?

The chasm-like disparity tormented her, leaving her tossing and turning all night.

Finally, she got up and headed to her grandfather’s laboratory.

She knew he wouldn’t be asleep.

Ever since joining Ajef’s lab, her grandfather had practically abandoned sleep, replacing it with meditation.

Sure enough, when she arrived, he was nurturing a fruit tree, a Magic Book floating beside him as a crystal pen recorded the experimental data.

“Is something wrong?”

Doman didn’t turn around, maintaining the growth spell while using Mage Hand to jot down the data.

“I… I don’t understand why Ajef would give the credit for the non-toxic winter mallow to Eileen. She’s just an assistant,” Dorothea said bluntly.

“The non-toxic winter mallow was indeed cultivated by Eileen. How can you call that ‘giving’?”

“But the spiral-leaf and broad-leaf variants were clearly developed by Ajef!”

Dorothea’s agitated tone made Doman pause his spell.

He turned to see his granddaughter’s face filled with anger and resentment. “I don’t get it. This is an achievement worthy of history! Why would Ajef hand it over to a magic apprentice?”

Doman was silent for a moment before replying, “Because he is Ajef.”

“Huh?” Dorothea was taken aback, not understanding her grandfather’s cryptic words.

“Only a true scholar remains indifferent to fame and devotes himself entirely to research. Wood Spirit Magic has existed for so long, yet every practitioner has instinctively used magic to interfere with plant growth. No one ever chose to abandon magic—except Ajef.”

Doman pointed at the fruit tree before him. “Do you know what this is?”

“Red rose fruit.”

"Right, and also wrong. I separated the traits of the red rose fruit and bred a seedless red rose fruit. The seedlings were then subjected to induced mutations in the Magic Forest's microgravity glass container. Now, this seedless red rose fruit is theoretically an entirely new species."

As he spoke, Doman amplified his growth-accelerating magic. Instantly, the red rose fruit visibly swelled in size, stopping only when it was three times larger than a normal red rose fruit.

Dorothea's eyes widened in shock, her face alight with excitement. "Grandfather, you... you've created a miracle!"

"A miracle?" Doman shook his head, his expression devoid of joy, instead tinged with complexity. "No, such miracles will become increasingly common—so much so that even ordinary people will be able to create them. When miracles become commonplace, they cease to be miracles."

Dorothea froze. "How... how is that possible?"

"Nothing is impossible. The true creator of miracles is Ajef!"

Doman didn’t explain the under-construction Time Rain Farm and continued, "You shouldn’t dwell on how much fame Eileen has gained. Remember, fame without power is nothing but a burden. What you should focus on now is diligently studying Ajef’s theories, cultivating entirely new plants—even Magic Plants—to prove your worth and catch Ajef’s attention!"

He paused, then added solemnly, "Because from this moment on, Ajef will become the founder and leader of Wood Spirit Magic in the Keville Empire!"

Dorothea’s scalp prickled at his words, her face a mask of disbelief.

Before she could digest this shocking revelation, her grandfather seemed to receive a sudden notification. Frowning, he activated his Interconnected Rings and summoned the internet’s Virtual Scroll.

After a brief scan, his frown deepened. After a moment, he flicked his wrist, turning the Virtual Scroll toward his granddaughter. "Here, this is the Eileen you resent. She’s far more clever than you imagined—no wonder Ajef holds her in such high regard!"

Dorothea looked at the scroll, which displayed Eileen’s personal space. As she read Eileen’s words, her expression twisted into a mix of emotions—shame, shock, disbelief, admiration—all swirling in her heart.

She suddenly realized: Eileen would become her greatest rival in life!

……

……

This girl certainly knows how to handle people.

Yu Sheng'an shook his head with a smile as he read Eileen’s announcement, his eyes glinting with appreciation.

As the leader of the crop research team, he naturally had no intention of claiming credit for his subordinates’ achievements—even if the spiral-leaf and broad-leaf winter mallow were products of mutations he had overseen, he still disdained stealing Eileen’s recognition.

However, he hadn’t expected Eileen to voluntarily shift the credit to him.

Whether her actions stemmed from self-preservation—like "a child carrying gold through a bustling market"—or from genuine humility, believing she didn’t deserve the acclaim, it proved she was an exceptional young woman.

The former showed her shrewdness;

the latter, her integrity.

Either way, Yu Sheng'an was thoroughly pleased. He even began considering whether to entrust the research team to her management.

When Yu Sheng'an seized the opportunity to demand the Time Rain Farm from Dandell, he had already planned to step back from active involvement in crop research.

On one hand, the crop research process was now well-established.

First, separate the different traits of the plants, then use directed cultivation to produce homozygous plants with distinct traits. Afterward, induce mutations in the plants by leveraging microgravity and high-magic environments, ultimately screening for suitable finished products.

To be honest, this process is something ordinary people can participate in—one of the fundamental purposes behind his establishment of the Time Rain Farm.

Under this standardized process, whether he personally oversees operations or not is of little significance.

He only needs to ensure quality control of the final products.

On the other hand, he must free up time to focus on other priorities.

For instance, studying magic; seeking out other deities to form alliances and jointly oppose the Five Great Righteous Gods!

Speaking of which, the reason he spends precious time cultivating crops—aside from feeding the people of the Keville Empire and maintaining his user base—actually ties into an aggressive expansion strategy.

This will become one of his key weapons against the Five Great Righteous Gods.

War is not merely about bloodshed and slaughter. Economic warfare is the deadliest, cruelest, most brutal, and most bloodless form of battle!