The light was green.
Not white, not golden, not even the usual celestial blue seen in clichéd transmigrations Noah had read in hundreds of Webnovels. No—this was damp, mossy, earthy green.
When he opened his eyes, the immediate sensation was being underground. The air smelled like damp soil and exposed roots. No stone walls, no obvious cave. Just living earth, pulsing. The temperature was steady, neither cold nor hot. Like the belly of a beast waiting to digest.
Noah sat up slowly. His fingers sank into the ground like he was kneeling on fresh humus. Looking around, he saw something even more absurd: a small garden bed. Inside a dungeon. With pulsating green light coming from… mushrooms?
Where the hell am I? he thought, still dazed.
That's when the familiar metallic chime of a system panel rang in his head.
[You have awakened in: ★ DUNGEON FARMER ONLINE ★]
[Starting Class: ARCANE FARMER]
[Subclass: None]
[Level: 1]
[HP: 120/120 | MP: 80/80 | Stamina: 100]
[Active Skills: Cultivate I, Till Soil I]
[Passive Skills: Agricultural Intuition I, Root Poison Resistance]
[Inventory: 3x Common Seeds, 1x Rusted Shovel, 1x Broken Watering Can]
Warning: You are inside a Living Dungeon (Rank D). Survive by farming.
Noah stared at the floating panel for a long minute.
"You're in a dungeon… and have to farm to survive?"
He would've laughed if he weren't so shocked.
In front of him were three small mounds of earth, clearly marked garden beds. A cracked wooden bucket nearby. A broken watering can. And a rusted shovel that barely looked solid.
"Okay. Let's say this is real. A dungeon. A game system. I farm. Then what?"
He approached the first bed.
As soon as he touched the soil, a soft golden glow rose beneath his fingers.
[You used: Active Skill — Cultivate I]
[Plant Growth Speed increased by 12%]
[Agricultural Intuition identified: Rare Soil (Mystic Respiration)]
[Growth Bonus Applied: +5% Plant Strength]
The ground trembled faintly. A golden speck left his fingertip and entered the soil. Noah felt the energy—organic, not magical like a fireball—connecting like nerves to the world's system.
"Okay. That's… different."
He pulled a seed from his inventory. It looked like a pumpkin seed, but it pulsed faintly with blue energy. He buried it and covered it gently. Then, he grabbed the broken watering can and poured.
[You used: Broken Watering Can]
[Effect: 35% chance to fail. Magical water applied.]
[Seed: Defensive Sprout (Common) — Estimated Harvest Time: 10 minutes]
Ten minutes?
"Too long for a tutorial... too short for real farming."
Then came the sounds.
First, scratching. Then claws tapping stone. Finally, something crawling up from the ground—like a worm breathing rot and fungus.
"Of course there are monsters," he sighed.
Out of the shadows emerged a mole-like creature, its body covered in stone plates, its eyes hollow. It reeked of mildew and charged toward the garden bed.
[Monster Detected: Blind Burrower (Rank D)]
[Aggression: High | Weaknesses: Fire, Shock, Roots]
"Roots?"
Noah looked at the bed. The plant had begun to sprout. A tiny thorny shoot emerged, pulsing with dark green energy.
"You gonna help me, little plant?"
The mole lunged.
Noah raised the rusted shovel like a sword. It snapped in half instantly.
The creature slammed into him—but at that moment...
[Seed Awakened!]
[Plant Awakened: Living Thorn Root I]
[Effect: Counterattacks intruders within 2-meter radius]
From the soil, thorny roots exploded like green snakes, slashing through the air and wrapping around the mole in a cocoon of living pain. The thorns pierced its stone armor like butter.
The creature shrieked and collapsed.
Noah got up slowly, covered in dirt and sweat.
"A plant saved me... This is real."
Another panel appeared.
[You harvested: Living Thorn Root I]
[Item: Awakened Plant Essence — Category: Common+]
[Bonus: Can be used as trap or refined into poison potion]
[+30 XP]
The XP hit him like a wave of warmth. Not enough to level up yet, but real.
"So… this is how I fight? I plant. I wait. And the crops defend me?"
[Congratulations! You completed your first harvest.]
[Unlocked Feature: Divine Harvest Contract]
→ Choose a sacred plant to bond with.
→ Attribute bonuses and rare mutations will unlock after 3 successful harvests.
[Available Plants for Initial Bond:]
Silent Guardian Seed Fluid Venom Root Blood Echo Flower
Noah stared at the options. He had no idea which to choose.
Then, movement.
In the leftmost garden bed… a new seed had sprouted—without him planting it.
"...I didn't put that there."
Noah cautiously approached the new sprout. It was unlike the previous seed. Its stem was black, like wet coal, and tiny petals spiraled outward—deep red, lined with gold at the center. As he touched the soil near it, a new panel blinked to life.
[Unknown Seed Detected]
[Category: ???]
[Origin: ???]
[Harvest Time: Variable]
[Risk Level: Moderate]
[Potential Bonus: ???]
The system doesn't even know what it is? he muttered.
Before he could decide what to do, a vibration ran through the ground.
This time, it wasn't a monster. It was… the dungeon itself breathing.
The glowing mushrooms on the ceiling flickered off for two seconds. When they reignited, the system interface updated.
[Crop Zone Shifted: Mystical Pressure Increased]
[Harvest Failure Chance: +15%]
[Plant Mutation Chance: +25%]
[Nearby Monster Hostility: Rising]
Mutation? Rising hostility? Is this like some kind of seasonal cycle?
He looked around and noticed the soil beds beginning to crack at the edges, as if the land itself was expanding. Some roots had already breached the perimeter, attempting to invade deeper dungeon layers.
This biome is evolving alongside my farm...
And then Noah realized:
He wasn't just cultivating. He was being cultivated too.
The system wasn't merely a reward engine. It was symbiotic. Everything responded to his actions—soil, monsters, even the dungeon's breathing.
A new line appeared, glowing faint silver. Unlike the earlier panels, this one felt whispered.
[You have been noticed by the Gaze of the Silent Earth.]
[Your progress will be observed.]
[Early Unlock Available: Arcane Growth Panel]
The Gaze of the Silent Earth?
Another screen bloomed open.
[ARCANE GROWTH PANEL]
Base Class: Arcane Farmer
Focus: Spiritual Agricultural Growth
Unique Mechanic: Harvests unlock abilities
Growth Tree:
1x Harvest = Unlock Skill 5x Harvest = Unlock Genetic Mutation 10x Harvest = Summon Plant Spirit 25x Harvest = Found Living Domain
Noah's eyes widened.
This is literal cultivation… with plants.
The concept clicked. The more he nurtured the soil, the more it nurtured him. But in turn, the dungeon responded—monsters, balance shifts, chaotic mutations. It was a living ecosystem.
A high-pitched sound snapped him back.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
Metallic. Not natural.
Someone—or something—was trying to break through the stone door leading into this part of the dungeon. Noah pressed against a darker wall, trying not to breathe too loud.
Then silence.
Followed by a new panel.
[New Event: Iron Root Clan Invader Approaching]
[Estimated Arrival: 5 Minutes]
[Target: Awakened Plant Essence Theft]
[Suggestion: Arm defenses. Protect your Core.]
Core?
Noah turned to the center of the farm. Between the three beds, a smooth stone now floated, encircled by leaves and glowing golden sap.
He hadn't seen it before. It had probably manifested after his first harvest.
[Initial Agrarian Core]
Vital to maintain Crop Zone
If destroyed: Instant Death
Can be linked to special plants for Living Defenses
Okay… this escalated real fast.
Noah rushed into the inventory menu and activated "Arm Zone."
[Defense Activated: Living Thorn Root I]
[Thorn Web: Activates 60s on enemy proximity]
[Cost: 1x Awakened Plant Essence]
He only had one essence—the first one he'd harvested.
If this fails, I'm dead.
The side wall slid open.
A humanoid figure emerged, clad in armor made of twisting iron roots. Its amber eyes glowed beneath a moss-coated helm.
Another player? Noah thought.
The system answered first.
[Invader Detected – Rank C]
[Clan: Iron Root]
[Type: Hostile NPC – Plant-Metal Hybrid]
[Objective: Core Theft]
The invader raised a mossy axe and stepped forward.
The thorn defenses triggered instantly.
A web of living barbs exploded from the soil, slashing through the air. The invader stumbled but did not fall. It scraped its claws on the ground and kept advancing.
This won't hold him long…
The mysterious sprout was growing.
The crimson flower at its core unfurled, emitting a faint buzz—like a silent hum of energy.
Then came another panel.
[Unknown Seed Has Germinated]
[Mutant Plant: Dungeon's Blood — Rare Tier]
[Passive: Radial Screech]
[Defensive Effect: Root Paralysis]
Noah didn't hesitate.
If you came here on your own, plant… help me now.
He pressed his palm to the stem.
The plant screamed.
Literally.
A blast of sonic pressure ripped through the chamber. The invader staggered, amber eyes flickering. The black roots of the "Dungeon's Blood" lashed out—grabbing its limbs, trunk, and weapon—slamming it into the ground.
The chamber shook.
The invader twitched, tried to rise—
—and froze.
[Hostile Neutralized]
Noah collapsed to his knees, breath ragged.
This… this was just the tutorial?!
A final panel appeared—shining gold and silver.
[You survived your first invasion.]
[You are now eligible for the Divine Harvest Contract.]
[Choose your Initial Bond:]
Silent Guardian (Defense) Fluid Venom (Control) Blood Echo (Attack) Dungeon's Blood (Mutation)
Note: Your choice will define your entire Agrarian Path.
Noah smiled, trembling.
So this is it… My harvest defines me. Let the roots grow. Let the monsters come. Let the gods of soil rise...
He reached out—
And touched the mutant flower.