The Eastern Paddies
Not far from the village, on the eastern edge of Skyland Island, rice paddies stretched as far as the eye could see. The area, roughly a hundred meters square, was filled with rice at various stages, some turning golden, some still green, others mature and ready for harvest.
Several farmers worked in silence. Some bent low, planting seedlings. Others cut rice stalks with dull sickles that had been sharpened countless times.
Near a simple wooden hut, a small family separated rice grains from their husks. Rough hands moved in rhythm, striking bundled stalks against a wooden threshing tool.
"Husband, rest for now. Lunch is ready," his wife called, spreading a worn tarp and opening a food container.
"Just a moment," he replied without looking up. He finished the last bundle of rice, struck it once more. The grains separated, leaving empty husks behind.
He finally sighed, then walked over.
The woman smiled faintly, then her gaze drifted to the distance. There, a young girl was harvesting rice with practiced precision. Each stroke was efficient, no wasted motion, no unnecessary movement.
"Xue Ying," her mother called softly. "Stop for now. Come eat."
For a moment, the girl didn't respond. She continued cutting, each stroke precise and efficient, wasting no motion. Only when she'd finished her row did she straighten, wiping sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.
"Coming, Mother," she called back, but her tone was distracted, focused on the harvest, not on family matters.
The three of them sat at the edge of the paddy, eating simple food still warm from cooking. A light breeze stirred, carrying the scent of wet soil and ripening rice.
For a moment, peace settled over them.
In the middle of eating, her father glanced at his daughter. His gaze was uncertain, as if weighing his words carefully.
"Xue Ying," he said at last, "remember what I asked you about last month? Have you thought about it?"
The spoon in Xue Ying's hand paused. Her face flushed, but her eyes remained steady.
"Father," she said quietly but clearly, "I'm still young. I don't want to marry anytime soon."
The answer made both parents exchange glances. Her mother sighed deeply.
"Xue Ying," she began, attempting persuasion, "youth only comes once. If you delay too long, your life will become harder later." She began recounting stories of village girls who married too late and struggled.
But Xue Ying simply bowed her head, choosing silence. Her fingers clenched in her lap.
She'd heard this argument a dozen times. Marriage meant security... a roof, a husband's protection, children. But it also meant surrender. Giving up the one thing she was good at: working the fields.
No one in the village understood. To them, farming was toil. To her, it was mastery.
"Enough," her father cut in finally. "We'll discuss this another time."
The conversation shifted to lighter topics, though tension still lingered in the air.
Until...
Footsteps sounded, drawing closer.
Three men appeared from behind the rice paddies. Their walk was not leisurely. Their eyes swept around coldly, calculating.
Her father stood immediately.
"You two stay here," he said sharply to his wife and daughter. He stepped forward, blocking the three men.
"What do you want?" he asked firmly.
The man at the front appeared oldest. His robe was well-maintained, clearly not a farmer's. His eyebrows were sharp, and a thin smile on his lips felt distinctly unfriendly.
"I'm here on Young Master Fei's orders," he said without preamble. "Pay your debt. The young master needs considerable funds right now."
Her father's body tensed. The debt was real... and overdue for more than four months.
"Sir," he said, voice trembling, "please give me one week. This harvest..."
"Enough!" the robed man cut him off. He pulled out a worn ledger. "500 Mana Stones. Principal and interest. Pay now or the girl comes with us."
His gaze shifted to Xue Ying.
Her mother immediately pulled her daughter close, shielding her with her own body.
"No!" she cried. "Please... we'll pay! Give us time!"
"Time is up," the robed man replied coldly.
He gestured to the two muscular men behind him. They stepped forward.
***
Kael's leather shoes felt heavy with each step in the muddy ground at the edge of Lake Lakering.
His white office shirt was now streaked with mud stains, a stark contrast to the backdrop of wild vegetation and empty land of the Southern Region.
"I have to find workers before sunset," Kael muttered as he jumped over a puddle.
His mind shifted to calculations: one sack of rice equals one system Coin, or ten Mana Stones. His first capital had to be generated today.
Suddenly, his vision was interrupted. A holographic panel appeared, but instead of blue like always, it glowed bright gold, pulsing with intense rhythm.
[Alert: Potential Rank-S Employee detected in distress. Location: East]
Kael's heart raced.
"Rank-S... rare asset," he whispered, his eyes gleaming with barely concealed excitement.
Rank-S wasn't just rare. It was legendary. In most systems, an S-rank asset could multiply production five to tenfold. In a farming operation, that meant the difference between subsistence and wealth.
And it was in distress.
Without hesitation, Kael changed direction. He took a deep breath, concentrating the natural energy from the environment into his calves and the soles of his feet. A thin blue aura enveloped his legs, giving him an extraordinarily light sensation.
Pah!
The ground beneath him trembled slightly as he burst forward. Wind struck his face hard, cutting through the silence of the grassland as he covered hundreds of meters at superhuman speed.
***
It took only a few minutes to reach the rice paddies on the eastern edge of the village. The scent of wet soil and ripening rice hit his nostrils. But his attention was immediately drawn to a commotion in one of the fields.
Kael slowed his pace, approaching cautiously.
There, an elderly man lay sprawled on the ground, his face pressed under the boot of a thin man wearing a yellow silk robe, attire far too luxurious for a peasant.
"Very clichéd," Kael thought as he saw the robed man holding a debt ledger, while two women, one middle-aged and one young... knelt pleading beside him.
A debt collection scheme ending in coercion or forced marriage. Kael had read hundreds of stories like this in his former world.
But he wasn't here to be an unpaid hero.
He was here for business.