That was how long it took to transition from the apocalypse back to bureaucracy.
I stood outside the doors of the summit room in Detroit City Hall. I was still wearing my armor, though I had taken a few minutes to clean the blood and sap off it. Bells stood next to me, his armor similarly polished, his eyes burning with uncontainable excitement.
"We did it," Bells whispered, vibrating on his heels. "We actually did it. We beat them."
"We survived them," I corrected, though I couldn't keep the cocky smirk off my face. "Let's go collect our prize."
I pushed the doors open.
This time, I was the last to arrive. It was a power move.
The heavy hitters of the city were already seated around the circular table. Mister O looked immaculate in a purple velvet suit, a joyful smile playing on his lips. Misty sat slouched in her chair, glaring at everyone from behind her dark sunglasses. Axehill sat perfectly straight, his massive frame dwarfing his chair. He looked completely unbothered, as if he hadn't just tried to punch me to death five hours ago.
At the head of the table stood Mayor Holson, her posture rigid, her expression strict.
I walked to the Eden chair and sat down, leaning back and resting my boots on the edge of the table. Bells stood behind me, chest puffed out.
"Now that everyone has decided to join us," Mayor Holson said, "we can begin."
She pressed a button on her remote and a holographic map of the United States appeared in the center of the table. She zoomed in on Michigan.
With a swipe of her finger, the red expanse of the Wilds turned green.
"The Wilds are officially pacified," Holson announced. "The territory will be assigned to Eden and administered under their jurisdiction. Congratulations, President Kaaz. You have won the Race of the City States."
I grinned. "It was a team effort."
"Don't flatter yourself," Misty sneered rudely, not even looking my way. "You were bait. The Cove did the heavy lifting while you played hide-and-seek."
"A win is a win, Misty," Mister O laughed. "And a unified state means safer trade routes. This is wonderful news for the economy. A rising tide lifts all boats, wouldn't you agree?"
"Quiet," Holson commanded. The room fell silent. She wasn't playing games today.
"As of today, the state of Michigan will be collectively known on the national registry as 'Detroit'. Just as the state of Illinois is simply 'Chicago', and Georgia is 'Atlanta'. We are now a unified bloc."
Holson turned her gaze toward Axehill.
"White Hill deployed military forces outside their jurisdiction and fired upon an allied faction," Holson stated coldly. "You violated the agreement, Axehill. The sanctions are severe."
Axehill didn't blink. "Name them."
"White Hill will pay a fine of one billion Spirit Stones, split evenly between Eden and The Cove, annually, for the next year."
Axehill gave a nod. "Acceptable."
"Furthermore," Holson continued. "From this point forward, war between Detroit factions is officially and legally outlawed. If you go to war again, the faction which initiates the conflict will be dismantled by the combined might of the government and the remaining factions. Are we clear?"
We all nodded. The threat was real.
"With the annexation of the Wilds, Eden is now recognized as a Major Faction, standing alongside Seaside at the top of our internal hierarchy," Holson said. "Our collective expansion has raised Detroit ten spots in the national rankings. We are now 16th out of 38."
I looked at the map. 16th. We were climbing.
"Detroit is now a unified front," Holson explained. "Your territories are now officially Provinces of Detroit. The Eden Province is the largest and most populous. White Hill is second, The Cove is third, and Seaside is fourth. But make no mistake: the Government holds ultimate jurisdiction over all of them."
She turned the hologram off.
"One last thing," Holson said, placing her hands flat on the table. "In exactly one month, there will be a summit in Chicago. I will be meeting with the leader of the faction known as 'Smoke Trails'. His name is Dexter. Since the government in Chicago collapsed, his faction is the government. I expect Detroit to be perfectly aligned before I leave. Do not embarrass me on the national stage."
She picked up her folder. "Dismissed."
Bells and I walked out of City Hall and into the cool evening air.
"We did it," Bells laughed, punching my shoulder. "An entire province, Kaz! We own the state!"
"We earned it," I said, a deep sense of determination settling into my bones. "Now we just have to govern it."
I parted ways with Bells, telling him to go celebrate with the First Division. I needed quiet and to process.
I teleported back to my mansion in Southfield.
I bypassed the kitchen and walked straight out the back door into the greenhouse. Tim the Tomato plant rustled his leaves in greeting.
I walked to the center of the soil and sat down in the lotus position. I took a deep breath, ready to meditate on the victories of the day.
[Hidden Requirement Met: Pocket Realm Access Granted.]
[Enter Realm?]
I opened my eyes.
The pocket realm. The glimpse I had seen back in Ann Arbor—the giant tree, the endless jungle. I had finally unlocked it.
"Yes," I commanded.
The greenhouse vanished and I slammed into the ground.
I stood up, gasping.
I was in a jungle, but it was unlike anything on Earth. The trees were thousands of feet tall, their canopies blotting out a sky that burned with a harsh light. The ferns were the size of houses and the air was suffocating with a raw Qi that felt like breathing liquid lead.
[Time Limit: 1 Week.]
[Objective: Obtain Genesis Seeds.]
"What the hell is a Genesis Seed?" I asked aloud.
Silence. The system didn't answer.
A roar shattered the quiet. It sounded like a dinosaur, but deeper, echoing with the resonance of a natural disaster and the ground beneath my feet trembled.
"Okay," I whispered, summoning my bamboo sword. "Survival it is."
The next seven days were a living nightmare.
I thought the Wilds were dangerous. The Wilds were a playground compared to this place. This was a primordial crucible.
I used my [Root Sense] constantly, projecting my awareness through the ancient soil just to avoid being eaten. I fought beasts that defied logic—centipedes made of living magma, panthers with scales like diamond, and birds of prey that dropped explosive quills.
I didn't conquer but I survived.
I spent my nights weaving bamboo shelters deep underground, hiding from acid monsoons that melted the giant ferns and tectonic shifts that ripped the jungle floor apart.
But I hunted. I scoured the deadly landscape, following the faintest pulses of life energy.
By the time the seventh day arrived, my armor was in tatters, my sanity was nearly depleted, and my body was covered in scars that my Dao of Growth was struggling to keep up with.
But I had them.
I opened my palm.
Resting in the center were three seeds. They didn't look like normal plant seeds. They looked like carved gems, pulsing with a light.
[Item: Genesis Seed (Decade)]
Effect: Permanently increases the consumer's natural lifespan by 10 years.
[Item: Genesis Seed (Century)]
Effect: Permanently increases the consumer's natural lifespan by 100 years.
[Item: Genesis Seed (Millennium)]
Effect: Permanently increases the consumer's natural lifespan by 1,000 years.
I stared at the Millennium seed. One thousand years of life. It was a priceless artifact. It was leverage that could buy empires.
The sky above me ripped open, forming a swirling portal.
The countdown timer in my vision flashed red: 00:00:10.
I didn't want to know what happened if I stayed past the limit so I shoved the seeds into my Gourd and sprinted for the portal.
I dove through the golden light just as the sky behind me began to collapse.
I crashed face first onto the familiar dirt of my greenhouse.
I rolled onto my back, gasping for the air of Southfield. I laid there for ten minutes, letting my heart rate return to normal.
[Cultivation Advancement: Tree Realm (Stage 1)]
My bones cracked and thickened and my muscles tore and rebuilt themselves denser and heavier.
[Soil Upgrade: Genesis Soil]
(Note: Grading system obsolete. Soil holds absolute potential.)
[Qi Capacity: 4,000 / 4,000]
[Heavenly Moss Output: 385.6 Qi/Hour]
I stood up and felt weightless. Infinite.
I looked at the corner of the greenhouse. My battered Verdant Jade armor, sword, and bow were shifting. The golden glow faded, replaced by a shifting rainbow light. The equipment mirrored my new soul.
I summoned the rainbow armor onto my body and I walked over to the reflective glass of the greenhouse walls.
I looked like a deity. The rainbow aura cast a halo around me. I was a Tree Realm cultivator. I had 4,000 Qi. I had an army, a province, and lifespan expanding seeds in my pocket.
I struck a dramatic pose, admiring my own reflection, soaking in the absolute peak of my existence.
My phone vibrated in my pocket, ruining the moment.
I sighed, dropping the pose, and pulled it out.
[Eden Administrative Alert]
[Reminder: The First Presidential Election of the Eden Province concludes in 10 seconds. All candidates are requested at the Council Hall.]
My stomach dropped.
"The election," I gasped.
In the chaos of the war, the summit, and the grueling week in the pocket realm, I had completely forgotten about the Corporate Democracy I had established. The shareholders of Southfield, Adam, Eve, and Crisbol had been voting while I was fighting magma centipedes.
"Ten seconds?!"
I closed my eyes. "Teleport!"
I materialized in the back of the packed Eden City Hall.
The room was buzzing with delegates while the holographic screens above the main stage were dark, the polls having just closed.
I straightened my rainbow armor, pushing through the crowd. People parted for me, whispering as they saw my new, radiant aura. I smiled. I was cocky. I had absolute confidence. There was zero chance I lost this. I had just conquered the state and made Eden a major world faction.
I reached the front row just as the screens came to life.
[ELECTION RESULTS: PRESIDENT OF EDEN PROVINCE]
- SIEGFRIED (58%)
2. BELLS RUPER (30%)
3. KAZ KAAZ (12%)
I stopped breathing.
My jaw literally dropped as I stared at the screen, my mind completely unable to process the data.
Third place? I didn't even come in second? Bells did? I lost to a doctor who had only been with us for a year?!
"How is this possible?!" I blurted out. "I accomplished every goal! I won the war!"
The screen shifted, displaying the aggregate feedback from the delegate representatives. It was full transparency, exactly as I had designed it.
Candidate: Kaz Kaaz
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Feedback: Competent, but highly reckless. Incurred massive, avoidable casualties during the Wilds Expansion. Lacks focus. Frequently operates without a cohesive plan, relying heavily on subordinate bailouts or last minute improvisations. Technically accomplished objectives, but heavily favored Pyrrhic victories. A great warrior, but a liability as an administrator.
I stared at the performance review. The words burned.
Reckless. Sloppy. Avoidable casualties.
I wanted to defend myself but the words caught in my throat. I couldn't argue when I looked back at the expansion. I had teleported into a machine gun nest to bait a treaty, gotten my entire army wiped out by a psychic chant because I didn't scout properly and won the final battle by throwing a magic box at a man I couldn't beat.
They were completely right.
The screen shifted to the winner.
Candidate: Siegfried
Feedback: Precise. Highly structured and logical. Saved Eden from total annihilation at Grand Rapids. Neutralized the primary threat (Project X) without a single casualty on his end. Played a major part in temporarily winning the battle against Axehill. Prioritizes the preservation of Edenite life above all else. A steady hand for a volatile province.
Siegfried stood up from the front row and walked up to the podium.
The room erupted into applause.
Siegfried held up a hand.
"I am shocked, surprised, but deeply humbled," Siegfried said into the microphone. "I have served this faction for a year since my arrival after the CULTIVATOR TOURNAMENT, and I have seen the strength of its people. I will do everything in my power to earn the trust you have placed in me today with efficiency, logic, and care."
The crowd cheered again.
I stood there, my rainbow aura suddenly feeling very foolish and flashy.
After the ceremony, as the delegates mingled, Siegfried walked over to me and pointed to a private side room.
I followed him in, feeling completely deflated.
Siegfried closed the door and turned to me, his expression perfectly professional.
"Kaz," Siegfried said. "I want to be clear. While I respect your power, and acknowledge that you founded this enterprise. I am now the President."
"I know," I sighed, rubbing my temples. "Democracy rocks!"
"I am immediately restructuring the military," Siegfried continued. "We are too top heavy. I will be appointing you as the 5th General of Eden. You will handle border defense and high threat subjugation."
I let out a laugh. From President to 5th General.
"Great," I muttered. "Thanks for that. What's my salary?"
"80,000 Spirit Stones annually," Siegfried replied.
I choked. "Eighty? Generals make a million!"
"The general's previous salary of one million stones was entirely unsustainable, wasteful, and a gross embezzlement of public tax revenue," Siegfried stated firmly. "The books do not support it. 80,000 is a highly competitive rate for a military officer."
I looked at the floor. He was right about the books. Grace had warned me about the overhead.
"Yeah," I said, my shoulders slumping. "You're right."
"However, I can make an exception for you." Siegfried said while looking away. "Your division assignment will be the Upper Peninsula. Does that work for you?"
"Yeah," I said.
A couple of the delegates moved away from the door.
Siegfried leaned in close. "That will be your official position. Your real one however, will be Sovereign?"
"How?" I said. “There is no Sovereign position.”
"Not yet." Siegfried said. "But there will be soon. Just trust me and give me some time.”
"Why?" I said. “Why are you doing this?”
"Because," Siegfried said. "Without you there is no Eden. You have flaws, yes, but you also have talent and genius. That’s why I'm creating the Sovereign position. It will be ceremonial in nature so it will not affect the democratic nature of Eden but you will have significant oversight. To remove you from power completely after everything you have accomplished, good and bad, would crush the public reputation, image and branding of Eden overnight.”
I teleported.
I appeared in my living room as the TV was playing softly in the background, a news anchor detailing the "Historic Peaceful Transition of Power in Eden."
I collapsed onto the couch while my rainbow armor dissolved, leaving me in dirty, sweat stained clothes. I stared at the ceiling, utterly depressed. I had built an empire, and the empire had fired me.
Is this the price of Democracy? Was it worth it?
I didn’t buy Siegried’s story. It was too good to be true. Not even he could pull something off like that.
A door opened and Aiya shuffled out of her bedroom. She walked to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water from the tap.
She leaned against the counter, taking a sip, and looked at me wallowing in my misery.
"I lost," I said to the ceiling. "I'm a general now."
Aiya yawned. "I know. I voted for Siegfried."
I sat up, glaring at her. "You voted against me?!"
"Kaz, you're a terrible President," Aiya said reasonably. "You leave for days at a time, you pick fights with superpowers, and your idea of diplomacy is throwing vegetables at people. Siegfried fixed the supply chain in minutes."
I groaned and put my head in my hands.
Aiya walked over and stood in front of the couch.
"But you are a great general. An unparalleled one actually.” Aiya responded. “This isn’t like when you ran from White Hill or got tricked by Misty. You won this time. This is simply textbook democracy.”
“Look on the bright side," she said softly. “This war revealed that you aren’t a coward, a loser, or a failure. Just reckless and sloppy. You are a gardener and a damn good one at that.”
"There is no bright side. I'm middle management again."
"Eden won," Aiya replied. "We are the second strongest faction in Detroit, a major world one and the Wilds is under our control. You on the other hand have fewer responsibilities now. You don't have to manage trade routes or balance the checkbook. You don't have to sit in meetings with Mayor Holson or figure out zoning laws for Adam."
She took another sip of water.
"You're a free man, Kaz. You can do whatever you want."
I blinked and muted the TV.
I looked at Aiya.
Playing CEO, playing Warlord, playing President... it had taken up all my time. It stressed me out and made me sloppy. I had spent so much time worrying about logistics, troop movements, and politics that I had completely forgotten my actual Path.
I wasn't a politician or an engineer.
I was a Heavenly Gardener.
I stood up and the weight of the last year—the sieges, the treaties, the expansion— evaporated. A serene lightness took its place.
"You're right," I said.
Aiya smiled lazily. "I usually am."
She shuffled back to her room.
I walked to the back door and pushed it open and stepped into the greenhouse.
The genesis soil was rich, the rainbow light of the moss was bright and I had three seeds that my garden could cultivate immortality with.
I walked to the center of the garden and sat down in the dirt. I ran my hands through the soil, feeling the pulse of the world, feeling the life waiting to be coaxed from the earth.
"It's time we get reacquainted," I whispered.
Name: Kaz Kaaz
Age: 38
Birthday: April 30th, 1988
Path: Heavenly Gardener’s Path
Cultivation Realm: Tree (Stage 1)
Qi Capacity: 4000 / 4000
Domain Stats:
- Soil: Genesis
- Ambient Qi Generation: 385.6 Qi/Hour (via Genesis)
Skills
- Gathering: Extract Qi/Materials from plants.
- Nurturing: Infuse Qi to accelerate growth/mutate plants.
- Swordsmanship: Proficiency with Spirit Bamboo Sword.
- Dominion: Mental control, teleportation, and acceleration of plants within the Domain.
- Alchemy: Refine plant matter into consumables/artifacts.
- Awaken Plant Spirit: Grant sentience to a plant (Cost: 25 Qi).
- Seed Identification: Analyze mundane seeds to reveal hidden magical potential.
- Root Sense: A Qi sense. The user can feel Qi, water, structures, and energy signatures through the earth. Range increases with cultivation level.
Dao
- Growth: Photosynthetic Regeneration. The user’s body heals at an accelerated rate. Severed limbs can be regrown as long as the heart remains intact.
- Expansion: Botanical Garden. The user’s Dominion is no longer tethered to physical proximity. If the user owns the soil, the user can access the Domain from anywhere.
Active Plants
- Tim (Awakened Heavenly Tomato): Sentient. Cures all non-magical diseases and purifies moderate poisons. Permanently boosts Constitution by 100% and increases natural healing rate by 10%.
- Goros (Awakened Heavenly Toothache): Sentient. Produces pollen that numbs and eye for reconnaissance.
- Heavenly Bamboo: Indestructible wall. Active Defense: Thorn Reflex.
- Heavenly Moss: Bioluminescent (Rainbow). Generates 385.6 Qi/hr.
- Heavenly Mandrake: Sentry. Psychic scream.
- Explosive Heavenly Squash: Explosive impact grenade.
- Heavenly Tuber: Increases food yields by 200%.
- Heavenly Cucumber: Quenches thirst for 1 week and restores moderate Qi.
- Heavenly Potato: Wards off hunger for a week and increases density of muscle fiber.
- Heavenly Filter: Purifies contaminated water.
- Heavenly Whispervine: Dampens sound and energetic signatures.
- Heavenly Gourd of Holding: Grows a gourd containing an extra-dimensional space.
- Razorgrass: Becomes monomolecular knives on command. Can grapple and shred.
- Sky Piercer Bamboo: Surface-to-air missile battery. Launches hardened bamboo tips at high velocity.
- Grounding Vine: Absorbs/drains electricity (anti-tech).
- Voltaic Vine (Special Grade): Generates electricity
- Bioluminescent Bulb (Special Grade): Generates light
- Glacial Gourd (Special Grade): Generates cold air
- Eden Guardian Treant (Special Grade) (Transport Variant): Organic bullet train.
- Eden Guardian Treant (Special Grade) (Tank Variant): Organic bipedal tank.
Inventory/Equipment
- Genesis Bamboo Sword
- Genesis Bamboo Armor
- Genesis Bamboo Bow
- 0 Spirit Stones
- Genesis Seeds
Name: Eden
Rank (Local): Major
Rank (Global): Major
Capital: Southfield
Demonym: Edenite
Government: Corporate Democracy
Area: 125, 242 km2
Population: 10,003,574
GDP: 999 billion
GDP per Capita: 94,618
Detailed
- Government
- President - Siegfried
- CEO - Wolfen Beckenfein
- Chief of Staff of the Army - Bells Ruper
- General of Second Division - Joakim
- General of Third Division - Frank
- General of Fourth Division - Sal
- General of Fifth Division - Kaz Kaaz
- Governor of Adam - Mayah
- Governor of Eve - John
- Corporate Wellness Chef - Aiyana
- Economy +
- Eden Provincial Rent/Tax - 990 billion stones annually
- Adam Mine - 500 million stones annually
- Eden Supermarket - 250 million stones annually
- Eden Oil Up - 17 million stones annually
- Beckenfein Holdings - 8.5 billion stones annually
- Economy -
- Wages - 440 billion stones annually
Territories
- Southfield: Eden’s capital. Supplies labor and workforce.
- Wilds: Eden’s hinterland. Supplies labor and workforce.
Colonies
- Adam: Supplies stones and Wilds items.
- Eve: Houses 24/7 Mart
Subsidiaries
- Crisbol
Vassals
- Cloud
Diplomacy
- Seaside: None
- White Hill:
- The Cove: Defense pact/Plants for potions
- Government: None
Military
- First Division (Army)
- General - Bells Ruper
- Soldiers - 10,000
- Second Division (Recon)
- General - Joakim
- Soldiers - 50
- Third Division (Engineering)
- General - Frank
- Soldiers - 35
- Fourth Division (Logistics)
- General - Sal
- Soldiers - 15
Eden Train
- Colony Route
- Adam
- Eve
- Subsidiary Route
- Crisbol
Objectives
- My Garden Cultivates Immortality: Grow sentient spirit plants, brew life extending teas, and build a hidden sanctuary in the middle of a world descending into chaos.
Path of the Sovereign (Potential)
- Return to power as the figurehead of Eden
END OF BOOK 1