Chapter 14: Fields Without End
The world shimmered.
It wasn't the usual shimmer of the system's menus or the faint glows of harvesting cycles. This was deeper, heavier, like the fabric of reality itself had been pressed flat, folded twice, then spread out again like dough.
Ava blinked as the brightness faded. She found herself standing on an emerald-green hilltop, a cool wind brushing her hair. When she looked down, her jaw nearly dropped.
Stretching out before them in every direction was the farm.
And not just the little neat grids of wheat and potatoes they were used to seeing on the interface screen. This was the whole thing. A valley that stretched as far as the eye could see, brimming with crops that shimmered under a simulated sun.
Golden wheat rippled like a sea. Apple orchards stood in proud rows, their blossoms so thick the air smelled faintly of honey and cider. Irrigation canals gleamed with running water, pouring into ponds where plump fish leapt and sparkled. Chickens clucked merrily in white-fenced coops, cows grazed in lush pastures, and fields of corn whispered like tall soldiers swaying together in rhythm. Bees drifted lazily through clouds of flowers, glowing faintly as if each carried a lantern.
And all of it—all of it—was theirs.
"Holy—" Zephyr spun in a full circle, arms flailing like a windmill. "—mother of pancakes! We—we own the apocalypse's Disneyland!"
Lyra laughed softly, brushing her hand across her cheek as the breeze carried petals past her face. "It's… beautiful."
Alyssa's jaw worked soundlessly before she managed words. "The folded-space… it's massive. I mean, we knew it was bigger than the interface, but this—this is exponential. It's like… like we're standing inside the world's biggest terrarium."
Kael let out a grunt. Which, given the view, was probably his version of a sonnet.
Brian smirked at him. "Wow. Even Kael's impressed. That's saying something."
Ava stepped forward until her boots brushed the edge of a slope leading into the valley. The sunlight warmed her face, the smell of earth and flowers filled her lungs, and for a second she forgot the apocalypse entirely.
"This," she whispered, "is ours."
---
Of course, Zephyr wasn't going to stay sentimental for long.
"Okay, okay—hang on," he said, pointing dramatically toward the endless fields. "If this place is real… then the warehouse must still be linked, right? Unlimited storage, yeah? So theoretically—"
He picked up a nearby rock, held it aloft like it was Excalibur, and shouted: "—BEHOLD, the rock of destiny!"
He tossed it. The rock dissolved into shimmering light midair and zipped off toward a floating translucent panel that popped up with a faint ding.
[Warehouse Updated: +1 Rock]
Zephyr's jaw dropped. "OH MY SYSTEM, IT WORKS!" He immediately began grabbing fistfuls of grass, sticks, and random dirt clods. Each time, the system obediently swallowed them up and neatly filed them into the warehouse.
"Unlimited," he muttered with glee. "Unlimited!"
Lyra raised an eyebrow. "You're… storing dirt."
"Not just dirt," Zephyr said indignantly. "Strategic dirt! You never know when the apocalypse will require… uh… defensive dirt walls. Or… dirt trade deals. Or… dirt sculptures! Yeah, artistic dirt!"
Brian snorted. "You're an idiot."
Cream Puffs materialized beside Ava, its round pastry body bobbing smugly. "Correction: idiot with unlimited dirt capacity."
Everyone laughed—except Zephyr, who was too busy trying to stuff an entire dandelion into the system while humming a victory tune.
---
They descended from the hilltop and wandered the farm like explorers stepping into a promised land.
The wheat fields stretched endlessly, golden heads swaying like living waves. Ava ran her fingers along the stalks, smiling at the tickle of bristles against her skin. When she plucked one, it dissolved into sparkles and whisked itself toward the warehouse.
"It's like magic," she said softly.
"Technically," Alyssa replied, "it's advanced folded-space automation powered by the system's infinite sorting algorithms."
Zephyr leaned over dramatically toward Ava. "Translation: it's magic."
Cows lowed lazily from the pasture, their hides glossy and healthy. Chickens strutted importantly across the dirt, leaving trails of glowing feathers that blinked out once collected. The orchard trees were heavy with fruit—apples, peaches, pears—some branches so ripe they bent almost to the ground.
And through it all, rivers of light trickled, carrying harvested produce toward invisible storage gates that blinked in and out of view.
"Look," Brian said, pointing. "The system's running collection even while we're here. It's all being streamed to the warehouse in real-time."
"So…" Zephyr tilted his head. "We basically own the world's largest, laziest farm? We don't even have to lift a hoe?"
"Exactly," Alyssa said, still awed. "Except… what we choose to plant, where we place animals, how we manage cycles—that all determines efficiency. The system handles labor. We handle brains."
Kael grunted. "Brains aren't Zephyr's strong point."
Zephyr cupped his hands dramatically around his mouth. "I HEARD THAT, YOU STONE-HEARTED BRICK WALL!"
Kael didn't even look at him. "Good."
The rest of the team burst into laughter, Ava clutching her stomach as tears pricked her eyes.
---
After an hour of wandering, they gathered again at a wide overlook where the fields met the horizon. The sight was overwhelming—not because of chaos or danger, but because of sheer possibility.
Ava turned slowly in a circle, then looked at her team. "Do you guys realize what this means? Unlimited warehouse. Unlimited space. This… isn't just survival anymore. This is creation."
Lyra tilted her head thoughtfully. "It's a blank canvas. A place to build something new."
Brian crossed his arms, staring across the valley. "We could design factories, workshops, entire towns. All powered by the system, all stored without limit."
Alyssa's eyes sparkled with uncharacteristic excitement. "And optimization opportunities! Imagine running experimental crop rotations on a scale this large. Or building processing modules that refine harvests into products. Flour, cheese, cloth, glass… maybe even tech modules later."
Zephyr waved both arms like a conductor leading an orchestra. "Yes! Yes! The apocalypse shall bow before our supreme Cheese Factory of Doom!"
"Cheese Factory of Doom," Lyra repeated flatly.
"Trademark pending," Zephyr said proudly.
Kael just sighed, but Ava noticed the faintest twitch of amusement on his lips.
Ava clasped her hands behind her back, gazing at the orchard in bloom. "This is it. The farm is encouraging us. The system showed us this for a reason. It wants us to push forward, to unlock more buildings, more structures, more… everything."
Cream Puffs bobbed approvingly. "Finally, she gets it. More buildings, more tasks, more rewards. The cycle continues."
"Wait, wait—" Zephyr shot his hand up like a student. "Are you saying the system basically gave us a pep talk… with fruit trees?"
"Pretty much," Ava said, grinning.
"That," Zephyr declared solemnly, "is the best pep talk I've ever had."
---
They sat in the grass, letting the farm's simulated sun warm their faces as they began brainstorming aloud.
"First step," Brian said, "unlock processing modules. Mills, dairies, bakeries. Raw goods are fine, but refined goods multiply value."
"Second," Alyssa added, "expand livestock strategically. Chickens for eggs and fertilizer, cows for dairy, bees for pollination. Integrate rotations with invisible folded plots for maximum yield."
"Third," Lyra said, her voice calm but firm, "create balance. If we expand too fast in one direction, efficiency drops. The farm works best as a whole ecosystem."
"Fourth," Zephyr shouted, holding up a finger, "GIANT CHEESE FACTORY OF DOOM!"
Everyone groaned in unison.
But Ava was smiling.
Because beneath the jokes, the laughter, and even Zephyr's ridiculousness, there was truth: this was just the beginning.
She stood, brushing grass from her clothes, and extended her hand toward the farm below. "Then it's decided. No more just surviving. We're building something. Step by step, task by task, building by building—until this farm becomes more than we ever dreamed."
The team stood with her, the sun glowing warmly above their heads, the fields swaying in endless golden waves.
And in that moment, even the apocalypse felt far away.
---
[System Notice: Farm Site Revealed]
[Warehouse Capacity: Unlimited]
[Motivation Boost Unlocked: Building Path Expanded]
[Next Objective: Unlock New Structures to Continue Growth]
---
The farm stretched endlessly before them, not a burden but an invitation. And together, laughing and arguing and dreaming, they would take the next step.
Not because they had to.
But because they could.