her, leaving Rowen's body heavy and his mind sluggish. He let out a quiet breath, resting his hand on his knee.

Just then, a faint noise stirred behind him. Shade's eyes blinked open, glowing faintly in the dim light. She let out a soft meow, and upon realizing it was only Rowen, her posture relaxed.

Shade padded closer, brushing against his leg, and gave another insistent meow, a clear demand to be picked up and patted.

Fern's leafy body brightened as it absorbed the stones one by one. A faint hum echoed through the room as the energy dispersed, flowing back into the hidden space.

"That will keep things stable for now," Fern said after finishing. "But remember, the more crops and trees you plant, the more energy we'll need in the future."

Rowen exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. He had earned sixty-five stones today, and already twelve were gone. The weight of his growing responsibilities pressed faintly on his mind, but he kept silent, focusing instead on finishing his meal.

After finishing the meal, the three of them Rowen, Shade, and Fern went upstairs to his room. Rowen changed into a clean set of clothes, then sat down on the floor.

For a moment, he hesitated, his mind running through the things that had happened that day. But after taking a deep breath, he crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and began gathering mana.

His goal was clear: this was the start of his path as a mage. He would try to condense his first mana ring.

After what felt like hours of straining, something finally stirred deep within him. The unstable earth mana he had been gathering stopped scattering and instead pressed together, pulled by his will. A faint outline flickered inside his body, right at the base of his core.

It was shaky and incomplete, but there his first mana ring was beginning to appear.

The faint band of energy circled once before breaking apart, leaving him gasping for air. His chest rose and fell rapidly, every breath heavy as though he had been running uphill. But even as it slipped away, he could still feel the lingering imprint inside him, the proof that he had started on the path of a mage.

Rowen sat there breathing heavily, staring at the spot where the flickering outline had vanished. Why can't I keep it steady? He wondered, clenching his fists in frustration. The earth element had answered him, yet the ring slipped away every time he tried to form it.

His stomach growled faintly, reminding him of the drain on his body. With a sigh, he reached into the space and pulled out fresh tomatoes and potatoes. The crisp, natural energy inside them spread through his body as he bit down, easing the exhaustion that weighed on him.

Feeling a little steadier, Rowen wiped his mouth and straightened his posture once more. He closed his eyes, calmed his breathing, and began gathering the earth mana again, determined to make the outline hold this time.

This time, Rowen grit his teeth and forced himself to hold on. The earthy warmth thickened, and for a brief moment, the faint outline of an earthen ring solidified inside him. His chest surged with excitement—he had done it. But within a single minute, cracks spread through it, and the fragile construct shattered once more.

Breathing hard, Rowen frowned. Why does it keep breaking?

Frustrated, he pulled out his phone and opened M-Net, the federal information hub. He quickly typed in his problem, scrolling through forum posts and study notes left by other awakened.

One thread caught his eye: "For dual-element awakenings, your first mana ring won't stabilize unless you draw on both elements together. Trying to force one alone will always collapse."

Rowen's heart skipped a beat. He leaned back, stunned. So that's the reason…

But then, another thought gnawed at him. If that's true for two elements… then what about me? I am compatible with all five elements . Do I… do I have to gather all five elements together and fuse them to make a mana ring at once?

Rowen closed the front door and flipped the sign to "Closed." Then he sat down and counted the low-grade mana stones he had earned that day about one hundred and forty-five in total. Before that, he had around fifty-two stored away. Rowen had a total of one hundred and ninety-seven low-grade mana stones.

Just as Rowen finished counting, a faint shimmer lit up beside him. The fern appeared, fluttering his leafy wings.

"I can help you track production and profit of the sales," it said in its light, chiming voice. "But you'll need to add the details, like the price you plan to sell each item for and anything else you want recorded. Once you do, I can keep everything organized for you."

Rowen blinked in surprise. "Wait… I can just do it like that? Just check the numbers at the end of the day?"

The fern nodded his leafy head.

Rowen leaned forward, curiosity sparking. "Then can it also show me the total amount of production I'll have by the end of the day and how much it actually costs to produce in a single day?"

✨ [Production Report – Daily Summary] ✨

Production Sheet

Apple Trees: 85 per cycle → 340 Apples/day

Tomato Plants: — → 48 Tomatoes/day

Potato Plants: — → 48 Potatoes/day

Cost Sheet

Mana recharge: 12 × 4 = 48 stones/day

Labor cost: 0

Maintenance: negligible

Total Daily Cost: 48 stones

Net Value (if sold):

Apples: 340 stones

Tomatoes: 32 stones

Potatoes: 32 stones

Gross Daily Income: 404 stones Net Daily Profit: 356 low-grade mana stones

🌿 [Daily Sales Log] 🌿

Date: [Enter date]

Apples

Produced: 340

Sold: [input]

Remaining Stock: [auto-calc]

Tomatoes

Produced: 48

Sold: [input]

Remaining Stock: [auto-calc]

Potatoes

Produced: 48

Sold: [input]

Remaining Stock: [auto-calc]

Income

Apples: [sold × 1]

Tomatoes: [(sold ÷ 3) × 2]

Potatoes: [(sold ÷ 3) × 2]

Total Sales Income: [auto-calc]

Total Sales Income: [auto-calc]

Net Profit: [Total Sales Income – 48]

Balance

Starting Mana Stones: [previous day's balance]

Today's Net Profit: [auto-calc]

Current Balance: [auto-update]

Note: Recharge cost (48 stones) will be subtracted automatically from profit.

Rowen carefully filled in every field on the blank blue screen; the fern had shown him production numbers, selling prices, daily recharge cost, and the leftover stock. It looked exactly like the sheets they had just discussed.

Once he was finished, the fern hovered closer, its leafy wings fluttering. "If you're done, just press the last button, Save," it said. "After that, all of this will be automatically implemented in the space. You won't need to rewrite it every day."

Rowen let out a small breath of relief. A single button to lock everything in place felt almost too convenient.

Rowen tapped the glowing Save button. The screen shimmered once, then settled and vanished into the empty space.

The fern gave a satisfied nod.

"From now on, you don't need to calculate anything by hand," it said. "Just enter what you sold at the end of the day, and the system will handle the rest automatically."

Rowen leaned back, almost laughing at the thought. No more scratching numbers on scraps of paper or double-checking totals; everything was neatly organized for him now.

Rowen frowned at the screen. "Then… how do I calculate today's sales? Do I need to input everything one by one?"

The fern shook its leafy body, a faint chime in its voice.

"No. For sales, you only need to enter the numbers at the end of the day after the shop is closed. The system will tally them up automatically. As for production, you don't need to worry at all. The portal space now runs on its own time adjustment. When the clock strikes midnight, the first production cycle begins. From there, everything flows on schedule."

Rowen's eyes widened a little. That meant the crops were no longer bound to his memory or effort; the system itself would track every harvest, day after day.

Rowen tapped the screen again. "So this will be implemented from tomorrow?"

"Yes," Fern replied without hesitation.

Rowen nodded, satisfied. A proper record system meant fewer mistakes.

Rowen then glanced at the pouch of one hundred ninety-seven low-grade mana stones. It was the first time he had seen such a solid income, and the sight made him smile. The apple sales had clearly boosted his profits, and the difference was undeniable.

Rowen considered what to do with the extra stones. For the first time, he could think about more than just daily survival. He wanted to buy materials for practicing magic casting and studying formulas, and maybe even treat himself to a meal at one of the restaurants in the upper town.

Rowen tucked the stones safely away, unable to hold back a grin. Today was different. He didn't want to wait until tomorrow. With his pockets heavier than ever before, he decided to head straight to the upper district before the shops closed. It would be his first time going there with enough money to actually buy what he wanted, not just window-shop.