I’d removed the torch we were using earlier, and all around us, the darkness was absolute.

We watched with bated breath as the golden light was joined by another, then another, then another, until it seemed as though the entire eastern sky was full of flickering lights. One by one, they flew closer and closer. The lights began to dance in the trees lining the stream, hundreds of tiny pinpricks blinking on and off.

“They’re fireflies!” said Prince Baiyu.

“Yes.”

He sat up, and so did I.

The fireflies covered entire sections of the branches, their collective glow creating waves of light that rippled through the foliage like an electric current. The trees appeared to breathe with light, entire canopies illuminating and then falling dark in rhythm. Some fireflies broke away from the groups, floating independently across the water's surface, their reflections shimmering below like fallen stars, transforming the stream into a living constellation.

Prince Baiyu put his arm around my shoulders and I nestled closer to him.

The show went on for quite a while, around two hours, and then they flew off, leaving us in darkness once more.

“They were absorbing the qi from this place,” said Prince Baiyu.

“Were they?” I yawned. “Did you like it?”

“It was beautiful.”

“Do you mind if I do some Fishing?”

“Not at all. Go ahead.”

The Mysterious Glade’s Firefly Fantasia was marked on the calendar. In the game, it was the only time one could catch the [Star-Speckled Minnow].

[Star-Speckled Minnow:

A beautiful, living jewel from the depths. This elusive fish emerges only when the Firefly Fantasia casts its glow upon the waters. The Star-Speckled Minnow appears as though it swallowed the night sky whole, its skin a canvas of tiny, shimmering constellations.]

The rare fish was worth a lot and was untradeable. Players could catch as many as they wanted, but its only use was for displaying in an aquarium where it boosted the other fish’s growth rate by five percent.

We got off the picnic blanket and sat on a large rock by the stream.

Fishing was a simple process in Adventure Incarnate. Players used the highest level fishing rod they could equip, which in my case was a [Fiberglass Rod], and cast their line. Then they waited for the fish to bite. That could take a few minutes of in-game time, which translated to a few seconds for the player.

I had an Easy Fishing Hack mod activated that allowed me to skip the Fishing minigame that popped up whenever I caught a fish. With this cheat, I managed to catch a [Rainbow Trout] right away. It wasn’t what I came here for, but it was still a nice item to get since I had a lot of mouths to feed these days.

[Rainbow Trout:

A species of fish found in cold-water rivers and streams that gets its name from the beautiful colors that appear on its body when the sun hits it just right. Its scales glisten with red, orange, yellow, blue, and purple hues, and its eyes are like tiny black pearls.

Rainbow trout are not only beautiful but also delicious, with firm flesh and a subtly sweet, sea-scented flavor.]

After getting a few more trout, I got a [Yellow Perch].

[Yellow Perch:

A freshwater fish commonly found in lakes, ponds, and slow-moving rivers throughout temperate regions. The perch is easily recognized by its distinctive dark vertical stripes that run along its olive-green to golden-yellow sides, giving it excellent camouflage among underwater vegetation and fallen logs.

Its meat is prized by anglers for its clean, mild flavor and firm, flaky white flesh that holds together well when cooked. The fish's small size means more work to clean, but the reward is tender fillets that practically melt in your mouth when fried golden or baked with simple seasonings.]

I kept on Fishing and caught more perch and trout.

[Congratulations, you just advanced a Fishing level!]

[Your Fishing level is now 20.]

The milestone Fishing level was very nice, indeed, but I was running out of time.

“Oh no.” I looked up at the night sky. The System clock told me that it was almost midnight, and the [Star-Speckled Minnow] could only be caught on this particular day. I cast the line as fast as I could and, luckily, I got it on my next try. I put it in a fishbowl and showed it to my boyfriend. “Check it out!”

“Is this a firefly fish?”

“It does look like a firefly fish, doesn’t it? It’s a [Star-Speckled Minnow], and it helps fish grow faster.”

“Are you thinking of putting it in your rice paddy?”

“Yes, I’m hoping it will help the [Rice Carp] grow bigger.”

I yawned again. “Sorry.”

“I’d better fly you back home. You need to sleep and regain your energy for tomorrow’s harvest.”

“I am a bit tired.” I leaned against him. “Still, we’re in this magical place, all alone. Why don’t we stay here a little longer?”

“Yes, let’s do that.”

His face, limned by moonlight, was almost achingly beautiful. I kissed his cheek and said, “My dear, have you ever heard the phrase ‘a spring night is worth a thousand gold pieces’? Let me show you why.”

***

The next few days were spent harvesting the rice, and then on the last day, we had one wheat field to take care of.

“Teacher, what is that humming sound?” Lari frowned as he looked around at the wheat.

“You mean the sound of the wind rustling the wheat?” I said.

The [Wheat] field was looking great this year, with golden stalks that reached up to my shoulder. We could all hear the sound of the plants brushing against each other as they swayed in the wind.

Lari shook his head. “No, it’s a sound but also I feel it like a soft pressure on my skin.”

“Oh? Could it be that you’re sensing qi? I heard that people develop this sense after they reach puberty,” I said.

“But I can’t see it,” said Lari.

“You’re maybe sensing something.” I thought about it for a bit. “I know, let’s all try.”

I instructed them to lie down in between the rows of plants and close their eyes.

“We’ve done this before. Since Lari sensed something, today should be a good day to try it again. Just relax. It will come to you.” Taking Mr. Bear out of my pocket, I made him human-sized then set him on [Guard Mode], though that was more out of habit than necessity. I undid my hair and lay down on the ground, arms on my sides. “Breathe in slowly through your nose. Breathe out slowly through your mouth. Empty your mind.”

After a while, I could sense a subtle, steady, and soothing motion beneath me, similar to a flowing river. It was the same thing I had felt before, but only during the harvest season. I hypothesized before that there was a ley line under the farm also called a “dragon vein” on Earth, and locally called a “tiger vein.”

Or I could be imagining it.

The rhythmic feeling felt like a heartbeat, so it was quite possible that it was just me feeling the beating of my own heart.

Kharli was the first to give up. I heard her get up and start harvesting the [Wheat], followed by Mo. When I sat up, I was surprised to see Lari fast asleep.

“Hey, did you stay out late last night again?” I poked Lari with a finger. “Wake up!”

“Teacher, let him sleep. More exp for me!” Mo laughed and tried to stop Lari from getting up by sitting on him. “You should nap some more.”

“Get off me. You’re taking my exp? I’ll take yours!” Lari shoved her off him and they ran to a row of plants and vigorously swung their scythes as fast as they could.

“Should I stop them?” I asked Mr. Bear. “Lari, Mo, don’t fool around when you have sharp objects in your hands!”

“Yes, Teacher!” they said.

With my puppet by my side, I harvested the golden [Wheat], putting it in sacks to send to the miller for our use. Although rice was the staple food, bread, and other flour products were also extremely popular.

“Shall we ask the chef to bake some sweet desserts when we get the flour back from the miller?” I asked the others.

“Apple pie!” said Lari.

“Peach pie!” said Mo.

“Pancakes!” said Kharli.

“All of those, yes.” I hugged them. “It’s the last day of the spring harvest season. Let’s prepare for the feast. I’ve got an announcement to make, too.”

That night, we used the portal to the desert farm and partied under the stars.

Since there was plenty of open space, I bought the [Dinosaur Fun Park] for everyone to enjoy.

[Dinosaur Fun Park:

Rooooooar! Turn your backyard into a prehistoric playground with the Dinosaur Fun Park! Thrilling rides, ancient exhibits, and adorable (but toothy) dinosaur friends await. Your guests will have a Jurassic good time!]