Isaac read the description of the hat

’Tireless Labour... passive.’

It was perfect for him.

His daily routine had already become something most people would not even attempt. He was managing the farm in Cradle, overseeing multiple farms in City, experimenting with plants, and on top of that, he was controlling clones almost constantly.

Mana had never been the real issue. His reserves were large enough, and with his current setup, regeneration was steady.

But mental fatigue was different. It did not show immediately, yet it built up over time, layer by layer, until even simple decisions started feeling heavier than they should.

This passive would directly target that.

He could keep going longer without that subtle pressure building up in the back of his mind. His clones would remain stable for extended periods, and more importantly, he would not need to pause as often just to reset himself.

It was exactly what he needed.

Isaac nodded slightly to himself, already adjusting his expectations for how much he could push his schedule. If he used this properly, his overall output would increase without forcing himself into reckless overwork.

Still, as useful as the first passive was, it was the second one that made him pause completely.

’Resistance against Corruption...’

This time, he did not even try to move on. His gaze stayed fixed, and his thoughts slowed down.

That line changed everything he thought he knew.

The Corruption caused by the Red Rain was something that had been treated as absolute. It was not something people resisted. It was something they blocked, avoided, or fell prey to. Even the strongest beings—gods, demon kings, and ancient entities—had fallen to it.

An item that could resist against Red Rain?

That was not supposed to exist.

This hat was not just rare. It was something that could shift the balance of the Sector, perhaps even the world, and cause giant wars.

His gaze shifted for a brief moment, landing on Emily.

She was staring at him, waiting for his reaction.

’The fact that Emily got such an item...’

’This has to be the good luck brought by the Tree of Harmony.’

The Tree of Harmony was not an ordinary plant. Even among Tier 2 trees, it stood out because of its effect on probability and outcomes. It guaranteed results by nudging things in favorable directions.

He had planted it expecting benefits, but this... this was far beyond what he had anticipated.

Still, even as he acknowledged that, a different question rose up.

One that had been bothering him for a while now.

’I can understand getting something like this because I brought back a legendary extinct plant from the past... but what about Alice and Emily?’

Emily’s ability was the first thing that came to mind.

She could tame the dead spirits of corrupted monsters. That alone was unusual, but it was not impossible. There were rare classes and skills that allowed interaction with spirits.

But the part that did not make sense was what happened after.

When she tamed them, the Corruption disappeared.

That was not normal.

Corruption did not just vanish. Tamed spirits should still carry traces of it. Yet in Emily’s case, it was purified as if it had never existed.

’I know the item I gave her for taming came from my System... so it’s special, but is that really enough to explain it?’

He did not think so.

Then there was Alice.

Isaac’s gaze shifted again, this time toward her.

She was relaxed, eating without any visible concern, occasionally glancing at the others as if nothing unusual had happened recently. But he had seen her in the wilderness.

He had seen her fly.

She had transformed into a Black Dragon and moved through wilderness without any protective gear.

She had simply... done it.

At the time, she probably could tell she was now able to stay in wilderness without protective gear, so she flew without hesitation.

But even Overlords avoided prolonged exposure without proper preparation. The environment itself would wear them down, no matter how strong they were.

And yet, Alice had been unaffected.

’How is that possible?’

Then there was Celia.

He still remembered the dream she had described about the Crimson Sky Wyrm attacking the city. It had saved their City by allowing them to prepare for it beforehand.

But Celia’s bloodline, Class or Talent did not include abilities related to foresights.

So, how did she get such a vision?

’Emily, Alice, Celia...’

’All of them have abilities that don’t fit within normal rules.’

’Is this why the System only selects women with compatibility ratings above ninety-five? Because they need to have something special?’

The idea aligned with everything he had seen so far. The System was not random. It had criteria. And those criteria seemed to go beyond simple compatibility or strength.

But...

’What is the objective of System? Why does it want me to bond with such powerful women?’

That question followed naturally, but he did not dwell on it for long.

He had asked himself that before, and the answer had always been the same.

It did not matter.

Whatever the System’s goal was, it was not something he could influence directly right now. What he could control was his own path.

’My goal is simple.’

To build a safe and stable city.

To protect the people he cared about, and give them a happy life.

Everything else came after that.

With that thought, his mind cleared, and he returned his attention to the item.

’Simple Living... passive.’

He read the description carefully.

It reduced hunger, thirst, and minor exhaustion. At first glance, it seemed basic, but Isaac immediately understood its value.

He had already experienced Selene’s Trial. There had been periods where rest was limited, and food was not always guaranteed (when he was traveling between the kingdoms). In those situations, even small advantages made a significant difference.

’This will be useful in the upcoming Conqueror Candidate Trial.’

He was certain of it.

He, Alice, and Catherine would be entering that Trial soon. If the conditions were anything like the Trial he had already faced, then this passive would allow him to maintain efficiency even when others started slowing down.

’This passive helps with minor exhaustion...’

He paused.

For a moment, his expression did not change, but the direction of his thoughts clearly did.

’...does that include... other types of exhaustion?’

He wondered if that would mean... ahem, bedroom?

Isaac didn’t want to admit it, but he would always get done in by Catherine in the bedroom.

It wasn’t about stamina or skills.

She was simply a higher rank than him, and thus had more life force.

She could continue in the bedroom much longer than him due to that.

More often than not, Isaac had to use the skills he learned to please her with his mouth or fingers to not embarrass himself.

Catherine would always know when he was trying hard and would have a smug smile, which irritated Isaac to the depth of his core.

It was one of the reasons he wanted to rank up quickly.

To fight stronger monsters and get new skills? Yes, that was the goal too, but his current main goal was to teach Catherine her place.

’Actually, I don’t think this will work in the bedroom. It specifically says "reduces dependency on external resources," so it might not help me with the life force issue, but hmm, it also says it helps with minor exhaustion, so maybe it would?’ 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Isaac was thinking such things until he realized he could not wear the hat in the bedroom. It would look ridiculous, to say the least.

’Well, it’s fine.’

’Even without this, I already know how to handle sis.’

Isaac hadn’t spent six months in the Trial just dilly-dallying.

He had actually read records on bedroom skills written by giants of the Celestial Kitsune race, and even met with succubi and talked to them.

He was confident he could ’tame’ Catherine now. He was just waiting for the right time to strike.

His gaze flicked to Catherine, who was dining. She looked back at him with her signature coy smile. He gave a meaningful smile in return.

There was no surprise or confusion on Catherine’s face. She was far too experienced to let something like that slip out by accident. Even so, Isaac knew she was wondering why he was smiling like that.

He shifted his attention back to the item in front of him. There was still one last ability left.

’Cycle of Growth...’

’It improves farmland and crops quality.’

This was exactly the kind of ability that aligned perfectly with him.

At first glance, it sounded simple, but he understood the implications. Improving farmland was not just about increasing yield. It could affect soil quality, nutrient retention, growth speed, resilience against environmental damage, and even the inherent quality of the crops produced.

If this passive worked the way he expected, it would stack with everything he was already doing.