Clark stood silently among the peach trees, watching the 300 villagers move like a tide of quiet devotion. Each carried a woven basket strapped to their back, blessed by divine energy to preserve the ripened peaches' essence. Even now, the faint shimmer of divinity trailed in the air as fruit was gently plucked from the boughs and cradled in reverent hands.
The harvest had been proceeding steadily since morning. The first trees had already been cleared, and long crates of peaches were lining the main grove path, each glowing softly with radiant life. Some fruits were deep pink and gold, others almost translucent—each carrying a distinct aura, some warmer and more nourishing, others cold and sharpened like elixirs of clarity.
Lilith moved silently along the orchard paths, her black cloak rippling as she inspected the crates. Occasionally she would stop and nod, and a villager would bow, before moving on. Her expression remained calm, but her eyes showed clear focus. Even for her, a demoness of former power, this place had begun to instill awe.
On the higher slope, Seraphiel stood with arms crossed, her luminous armor reflecting streaks of peach light. She was overseeing the upper terraces where the oldest and most divine-infused trees stood.
Further downhill, Clark walked alone between rows of trees. The grass beneath his boots was soft, dewdrops catching faint rays of sunlight breaking through the fog that still clung faintly to the outer edges of the orchard.
[System Notification]
You have harvested 1,320 Divine Peaches.
Estimated Tier Breakdown:
— 2000 Low-grade Divine Peaches
— 300 Mid-grade Divine Peaches
— 20 High-grade Divine Peaches
— 3 Unclassified (Unknown properties, sealed)
He paused at the edge of one tree whose bark was darker, thicker. The fruits on its branches were unusually quiet—not shimmering, not humming, but perfectly still. And yet, they pulsed with power. Clark narrowed his gaze.
Unclassified.?
He didn't touch them.
The Divine Peach Garden had become a hub of activity, a miniature festival without celebration.
Everything was recorded, counted, preserved.
These fruits would not be wasted.
Some would be used to strengthen the crusaders. Others, possibly fermented or refined into nectar, would form the foundation of sacred items. A select few might even be traded discreetly through the neutral markets of the Divine Will, assuming Clark ever chose to reveal their existence.
But most important of all—they were preparation.
Three days from now, when the test arrived, these fruits might be the only shield between survival and divine rejection.
Clark turned his gaze eastward, beyond the orchard and past the edge of his domain, where the fog still boiled and churned restlessly. He could feel the pressure tightening in the distance, an unseen hand slowly reaching down from the sky, testing, searching.
A weight that would soon fall on every domain, every god, and every soul.
The Divine Pressure.
"Enough for today," he said quietly, his voice carried through a whisper of divine energy.
The villagers heard him from across the field, all stopping at once. Lilith and Seraphiel turned to him, awaiting further instruction.
"Seal the crates," he continued. "The rest of the fruit will fall tomorrow. Let the land breathe."
The villagers bowed low.
And so, under a setting sun, the first divine harvest came to an end.
Lilith returned from the vaults and gave a small nod. "All secured. The villagers have eaten. We've stored enough for our use and still have surplus."
Clark gazed toward the horizon, his expression unreadable.
He opened the Divine Trade Interface.
The listing was simple. He posted it under Private Barter.
[Trade Offer – Comprehension Peaches, Verdant Domain]
Effect 1: Grants Minor Divine Fortification and +0.5 Comprehension to the nearest divine skill.— +25% progression if the skill is Common— +10% if the skill is Immortal— +2% if the skill is Origin-grade
Effect 2: Grants Greater Physical Healing— Recovers fatigue, minor wounds, internal injuries— Restores 80% Satiety
– 800 Low-Tier Peaches
– 150 Mid-Tier Peaches
– 5 High-Tier Peaches
Acceptable trades:
— Rare Seeds
— Special or Unknown-Grade Seeds
— Silver or Gold Chests
No divine crystals. No scrolls. No weapons.
He pressed [Confirm].
And waited.
The first messages appeared within seconds.
Then the flood began.
[GLOBAL CHAT – DIVINE CONTINENT]
[BloodIron]: "Is this a joke? Healing and comprehension from the same fruit?! That's illegal!"
[MoonshadeEmpress]: "I tested one. Not only did it repair my fractured divine core, it gave me a jolt of clarity during my Immortal-tier flame technique. I advanced 3%. In one bite."
[SilentLancer]: "I offered 2000 Divine Crystals and got refused. He's not selling. Only trading for seeds or chests."
[SunBrother]: "I gave him a Silver Chest and got six peaches. My entire follower regiment is stabilized. One bite cured half our plague."
[ObsidianClaw]: "I don't even HAVE comprehension skills yet! And this guy is distributing shortcuts to godhood on Day 4."
[WhisperedTruth]: "I'm convinced he's not from Umbra. No one has that kind of knowledge and setup unless they were prepared before Transcendence."
[SkyHunter]: "People are calling them 'Verdant Peaches.' One priest in my sector claimed they're fragments of a life god's heart. Doesn't matter if it's true—I need more."
[HollowAsh]: "Verdant God… if you're reading this… I will trade a Gold Chest for 10 High-Tier. "
[StoneWarden]: "The fog beasts are starting to mutate. I just lost twenty villagers to a blind charge. One of those peaches could've saved them."
[VelvetChains]: "You're destabilizing early economies. You know that, right? This isn't generosity. It's a soft war."
Clark watched the chat scroll, expression unchanged.
He began selecting offers.
Trade by trade, silently, without commentary.
✔ Accepted: Silver Chest x3
✔ Accepted: Special-Rank Seed – (Unknown seed)
✔ Accepted: Unknown Seed (Status Obscured, confirmed to pulse with divine resonance)
✔ Accepted: Special Seed – "Dream Lotus Fragment" (Growth unknown, )
✔ Accepted: Gold Chest x1 (Unmarked)
He ignored dozens of desperate messages, angry accusations, and tepid offers padded with divine crystals. The only currency he valued now was growth.
Back in the in the pocket space , the three unclassified peaches sat sealed in translucent crystal. Their aura was strange—silent, unlike the others, but denser, deeper, as if compressed from a higher plane. Clark didn't touch them yet.
Just as Clark finished approving a trade for an unidentified gold-glowing seed, a faint ping sounded in his private tab.
[Private Message – Green Goddess]
He opened it immediately.
Green Goddess:
"Verdant God!! What did you doooo?! "
Clark blinked once, then typed back calmly.
Verdant God:
"Which part?"
Green Goddess:
"The peaches! The global chat is CRAZY. Half the gods in my zone are trying to figure out how to raid your orchard! Even my new sponsor asked if I knew you!"
Clark frowned slightly. Sponsor?
Verdant God:
"The Goddess of Life, correct?"
Green Goddess:
"Yep! She's really nice! She gave me three spirit beast eggs and a divine greenhouse to nurture. I didn't even know there was such a thing as divine soil until she explained it to me today! "
Verdant God:
"...And she asked about me?"
Green Goddess:
"Yeah. She didn't seem angry or anything… just curious. She said your fruit effects are unnatural for this stage, especially since they affect comprehension and divine fortification at once."
Clark's fingers paused over the interface. Even a Monarch-tier goddess was paying attention now.
Green Goddess:
"She asked if I gave you the Unique Peach Seeds. I said yes. She just said… 'Interesting.' Then smiled."
Verdant God:
"You should be more careful about what you reveal."
Green Goddess:
"Oh… I guess I messed up again? "
Clark sighed silently.
Verdant God:
"You didn't. But the more eyes turn this way, the less safe it becomes — even for someone like you."
Green Goddess:
"I know I'm kind of clumsy....."
There was a pause.
Green Goddess:
"And hey… just between us… I kept a few of those Unique Peach Seeds for myself. I planted one in the divine greenhouse today. It sprouted in five minutes."
Green Goddess:
"...But it's not the same as yours. The fruit on mine doesn't glow. Yours glow like… like little stars. Do you think it's because of your soil? Or ....?"
Verdant God:
"My orchard is part of my domain. What grows here grows through me. That's the only explanation that matters."
Green Goddess:
"...So cool. "
Verdant God:
"Of course."
Green Goddess:
"Yay! Okay, I'm going to try refining peach wine now. The attendants said it might become a sacred elixir with my talent. I'll tell you how it goes!"
Verdant God:
"Be careful."
Green Goddess:
"I will! Byeeeee Verdant God!! "
The chat dimmed as she logged off.
Clark stared at the faint afterglow of the conversation for a moment longer, his smile fading slowly into neutrality.
She was too kind for this world.
And soon, this world would begin tearing itself apart for what she had once given away so freely.