Three days has passed since the arrival of Jean's crew and most of it was Siene ordering everyone around and digging out the place that the waves originated from.

  While Jean , he uhhh... was mostly fishing and training.

  He also tried to cook but failed in an amazing fashion due to him no knowing the correct way to cook an eggplant.

  So he was also studying up on that as well.

  Siene's research however uncovered a lot of interesting things.

  Plants that grew on the island have learned to store mana in pouches located at the roots and deep below the ground, this in turned allowed them to survive without any nutrients nor sunlight for months on end, going into what could be only considered a slumber.

  Another interesting thing was that most of the wildlife became migratory, going out into the sea and returning shortly after.

  This means that they could somehow sense it coming, or they were smart enough to teach their young.

  Soil itself had extremely small tubes that connected each plant, allowing for sharing of nutrients.

  And the plants were also much smaller in size, easpecially trees that would at maximum reach three meters, but they were extremely tough and dense.

  With all the information combined, it was clear that the island acted as one giant plant organism.

  There was however one more weird thing.

  When taking out the soil and putting several non native plants.

  They themselves would act similarly to native plants: sharing nutrients, water and minerals.

  She proved that by planting eight plants and cutting of any sunlight and water to some three of them, after which the plants would share their resources with the trapped plants.

  It was like water that balances itself after connecting an empty canister to a full one.

  But the most shocking discovery was that if you planted a seed in soil of the island, it would blossom in less than two hours.

  Siene's theory is that the other plants provide all the materials for the plant even when it is a seed, this in turn deforms the plants due to stress and forceful growth.

  This theory also explained the extreme density of plantlife on the island, this means that the tubes in the soil is what allows the plants to grow and "connect" with each other.

  However one question still stood, what are the tubes.

  If they are plants then, they must be in symbiosis with other plantlife, however they still work even without being connected to other tubes, meaning they act independently.

  Best comparison would be sewage and water system in cities, or roads.

  They can be used whenever and by whoever, even then they would require to be mantained.

  Those tubes did not need to be.

  Siene decided to shelf the research for the moment and asked one of the crewmembers to add two more plots.

  One filled only with the dirt from the island and second filled with a mixture with ratio of 2:8 (two parts from island and eight regular).

  Jean approached Siene "Is dirt research really that important"

  "Have you seen it in action?" Siene had giant eye bags, with enough coffee around her to give a horse a heart attack.

  "No and when was the last time you slept?"

  "Three days ago, and also read this" Siene gave Jean a paper that reported the abilities of the dirt

  "hm..." Jean was scanning through. "so... the soil increases the growth rate but at the cost of mutations...?, what kind of... mutations?"

  "smaller size, weaker production of successful seeds and pollen."

  "But it can grow more food."

  "Depends."

  "You just said it can grow quicker."

  "Yeah but most plants grow their seeds on their fruits, not to mention this entire process would be like, if I took your beer and added water to it and then said: "LoOk gUys WE HAvE MorE beeR" all you simply did is increased the growth rate while lowering the quality and since the plant takes the energy and minerals from the "network" it has no real reason to grow the carrot or the potato."

  "What does a potato and a carrot have to do with storing energy?"

  "...Did you even attend school or something?"

  "This is like the fifth time, no I did not, that is why I AM ASKING!?"

  "Potatoes and other plants like it store their energy in the form of sugar in the potato you eat, and because it is made from sugar, you can make alcohol from it."

  "I knew that"

  "Of course you did"

  Jean looked at the plant that Siene was testing on "So because they share the resources, they don't need to save their energy."

  "They still do, however you will still have to wait for it to form and grow, it will be faster but you are risking a lot."

  "So... it would not fix the hunger of the poor."

  Siene turned to Jean "yes and no" Siene gave another paper to Jean "that paper basically explains that if you used it on a plant similar to a cabbage, where you eat the leaves it would work, it also explains that it could work if you lowered the speed of growth by around 75 to 60%"

  Opening the paper he once again skimmed through it before asking "Then why did you say no."

  Siene was silent, thinking if she should say it or not but friends are friends for a reason "What is the most simplest way to prevent an uprising and have people listen to you?"

  Jean knew the answer, a gruesome answer.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  "Give enough food for them to not starve, and give it to them as a reward." Siene sighed "And you get a population willing to support you no matter what." Siene opened a locked cupboard "This here is the last paper I promise, read it."

  Jean took his time now, the paper had four pages and reading them line by line he realized something "This entire time the Empire had enough food to feed it's population five times over? THIS. ENTIRE. TIME." he returned the paper "WE STARVED SIENE! MY FAMILY STARVED AND I WAS SOLD TO AFFORD WHEAT!" Jean fell to the ground "And you mean to tell me that the world wouldn't need to starve anymore?"

  "...yes" Siene locked the paper again "This research was not officially published, due to reasons you can guess." she lit up a cigarette "it could also be due to transportation and logistics, though we both know that is never the truth."

  Jean looked up to Siene "May I?" pointing at the box of cigarettes.

  "Yeah" giving Jean his first cigarette

  Jean failed to really smoke it, coughing like crazy but he later understood how.

  Both laughed hoping that the pain would vanish.

  The origin of the waves has finally been dug up, and while digging it up a lot stuff was also found, to the point that, both the investigators and the Jean's crew had to call in specialists and historians.

  Apparently they will arrive in two days and the digging crew was informed to keep any items where they are, not to touch them and only focus on getting to the source of the wave.

  Luckily everyone complied, surprising considering that they were asking people who prioritize money over anything else, and where being told not to sell the priceless artifacts.

  Though I think the luring threat of having your bones being controlled by a mage or a captain with a funny hat suplexing someone for the heck of it or an investigator who can find more dirt on you than your own mother, could've played a huge role.

  Who knows.

  However once they hit something made by people, fun really began.

  What they saw was circle with several openings each being 90 degrees from each other.

  Each opening had green mineral imbued in stone, probably granite, with stone containing text protecting them.

  Between each opening where giant red gems, sadly they were impossible to take out or damage them beyond scratching.

  The center of it contained chiseled skull missing a lower jaw and with a two elongated tusks.

  Surrounding it was an etched ring that connected it to the openings and to the skull, at the same time it also surrounded it several times but in irregular shapes.

  Richly surrounded rivers protecting a skull that seemed to cry.

  Jean turned to Siene "Any idea-"

  "No and we are not continuing until the nerds come in and also don't bother me I am going to sleep." Siene disappeared almost immediately

  "We got orders" Taylor commented

  "Yeah..." Jean looked at the structure one last time before yelling out "ALRIGHT, GOOD JOB. WE GOT TWO DAYS OF REST UNTIL THE SPECIALISTS COME HERE SO REST AND GATHER YOUR STRENGTHS"

  What followed after was a huge cheer and sigh of relief.

  Rest was truly important it seemed.

  Jean didn't really do much following the two days, mostly training, fishing and reading whatever was in the ship's lounge.

  The crew and the investigators played games and acted in poorly preformed plays.

  In short, they simply resting.

  Even after the arrival of the specialists and historians, they were mostly told to wait.

  Due to the nature of the island they couldn't leave so waiting was the only thing they did.

  Sadly for Jean, Siene decided to continue her research and she came about on something interesting.

  The tubes in the soil were in fact a fungus.

  In fact it was one fungus, that cloned itself in order to spread.

  The issue was that it's main body does not come out on to the surface.

  So the only way to dig it up or replant it, would be mushroom hunting.

  "How do you want to find a mushroom that grows underground."

  "By making the tubes drink a certain liquid." She laughed to herself

  "haha real funny, anyway where is it"

  "My guess would be about three thousand steps or so."

  "...do I need to join?"

  "yes, you will be the one carrying it."

  Jean realized what was up after arriving.

  The mushroom was underground, but that underground turned into a... hill.

  What followed was Jean yelling screaming and wondering as to why in all three worlds, would carrying a mushroom the size of a hill is so important.

  Luckily Siene informed him that she only needed a core, not the entire thing.

  Which was the size of Jean's torso and to get to it he had to use an axe that he brought to get through the dense forest.

  'why in the world did a agree, and how in the world will I know I hit the core.' was the only thing he was wondering about.

  While Siene was wondering if they should've brought a shovel.

  Siene was also taking samples of the walls of the inner part of the 'hill'

  A hard clank was heard

  "Oh nice you got it."

  "Cool what now."

  "uhhh... well... we have to extract it."

  "SERIOUSLY, can't you just cast a spell or something."

  "No, magic is extremely valuable and using it should only be the last resort."

  "yeah, whatever you say miss." Jean stopped for a moment "Wait won't us getting rid of the core also get rid of the surrounding plants, since they rely on it."

  "Nah, not really."

  "Why?"

  "Cause there is a bigger one like 500 steps away from here"

  "..."

  "Dig away my soldier."

  This was a painful leason for Jean, which taught him to take a shovel and maybe inquire on what Siene plans to do before being forced to follow.

  For their lessons are to be learned

  Their words to be heeded

  And their memories reserved