Veris heard Jonn’s call and flapped her wings, displaying her majestic form to the humans gathered in celebration at the village’s walled entrance.

  With head held high, Veris opened her beak and let forth a melodious cry—a sound unique to her kind—that resonated throughout the Eternal Village as she soared gracefully through the air.

  Her keen eyes glinting with intelligence, Veris alighted before the wagon where Jonn stood, her gaze fixed on the plethora of blue and green crystals she recognized as being destined for her people.

  While observing the creature’s appraisal of their agreement’s fruits, Jonn said, “Veris, the time has come for you to guide my envoy to your people. Windy will carry this wagon, and Eliot will go with you both to your horde.”

  The eagle, typically taciturn since her arrival in the Eternal Village months ago, met Jonn’s gaze and replied simply, “All right.”

  She moved to perch atop the wagon where Eliot sat at the front, with Lance and Asher standing nearby—both aware of the beasts’ intelligence and the village’s current reality.

  The Council members and village guards were now privy to the fact that most of their animals—excluding recent additions from newly joined villages—were beasts, and that the Triceratops horde’s leaders possessed human-like speech capabilities.

  Lance and Asher exchanged worried glances, both feeling that the young, naive Eliot shouldn’t embark on this journey alone.

  However, their hands were tied. The village’s recent growth had significantly increased the guards’ responsibilities. Moreover, with the morning’s harvest just completed, Petyr and Elia had departed to market the village’s produce. Many villagers would be occupied with the imminent expansions, now workable thanks to the influx of new resources that would arrive in a few days.

  Despite boasting nearly 200 inhabitants, the Eternal Village still found itself short-staffed, unable to dedicate the ideal level of attention to all its pressing matters.

  Jonn, however, appeared more at ease about Eliot’s journey, at least for this initial stage of fulfilling the agreement with the Triceratops horde.

  As he offered his final words of advice to Eliot, Jonn discreetly checked his friend’s status.

  Elia was in an even more advantageous position than Eliot, having reached 198 points of [Mana] before departing with Petyr for business southeast of the Barren Hills of Deepshadow. This time, their negotiations would be with the merchant Jemmy rather than Ansure.

  Elia had advised the Council to diversify their trade relationships between these two merchants, reducing any growing interest either might develop in the village’s affairs.

  Jonn concurred with these strategies and anticipated acquiring materials for the village’s development, as well as food supplies they couldn’t produce themselves—both for the prospering population and their expanding assemblage.

  The village’s human population had nearly tripled since Jonn began tackling the [Exotic Animals] quest. However, the animal population had grown proportionally, now reaching 150 creatures.

  Unfortunately, most of these new animals were currently ordinary, as Jonn’s focus on creating Aether Tears for the Triceratops horde deal left little opportunity to enhance the newcomers. But he would have more time from today onward and planned to provide mana cores to all the new animals in his village.

  With the increase in animal and villagers' numbers, the production of animal food per villager had not decreased but actually increased. The Animal Food Fragment’s bonus enhanced production even for ordinary animals—though not as efficiently as with beasts.

  The village’s primary concern now was protein supply, as the fish yield from East Lake no longer met their growing demands. This shortage was precisely why animal meat topped the list of desired goods in Elia and Petyr’s current negotiations.

  However, Jonn remained optimistic about this issue’s resolution. With over 100 animals in the village, most beginning to reproduce, he projected that within a year or two, the village’s food situation would stabilize, even accounting for further population growth.

  Leveraging their abundant animal feed, Elia and Petyr had taken eggs from the magical hens and milk from the cows to trade with Jemmy. Such enchanted produce could fetch a premium, potentially worth several kilograms of meat!

  Jonn eagerly awaited not only Petyr and Elia’s return but also the safe homecoming of his friend Eliot.

  “Eliot,” Jonn said, staring straight at him. “Be careful on your trip and try to avoid trouble.”

  Eliot met Jonn’s clear eyes and nodded, understanding it.

  “Also, try to talk with the beasts from this eagle’s group. See if they have any information for us. The situation to the west is odd, and we have observed no beast activity in the area since the deal.”

  “Okay. I’ll check on that for you.”

  “Go now. It’s best you begin your journey before nightfall.” Jonn gave Windy a gentle slap on the hindquarters, urging her forward.

  “I’ll be back in a few days! See ya!“ Eliot beamed, clutching the cool magic bow Jonn had given him.

  Just as Jonn had been honing his skills with his special armor, Eliot had been practicing with his magical bow, growing increasingly proficient. Jonn had already seen his friend firing mana-imbued arrows capable of penetrating thin walls—a truly impressive feat!

  “Will he be all right?" Lance asked, his voice tinged with doubt about the safety of someone as guileless as Eliot traveling alone in beasts’ territory.

  Jonn smiled, confident in his friend. “Don’t worry. Anyone who tangles with our archer is the one who should be worried.”

  With a reassuring squeeze of Lance’s shoulder, Jonn bid farewell to his companions, returning to the village’s walled area alongside Ice.

  Having sorted the green mana crystals for the horde—a task that had occupied his entire morning and most of the afternoon—Jonn was ready to complete the expansion of the village’s planted area. He had already maximized the greenhouse’s 300 square meters and now set his sights on the inner beds within the village’s 6,000 square meter walled enclosure.

  By nightfall, he estimated that the cultivated area would be 500 square meters, including a small underground mushroom farm and some banana pits.

  The village’s mana reflectors were all in place, operational, and blocking magical signals originating from within the walled area, allowing Jonn to act with assurance.

  Later that afternoon, he glanced at his white furry companion padding beside him. Ice had grown nearly 50% larger since his arrival in the village. The beast’s strength was evident, his fur cleaner and more lustrous than ever, while his blue eyes gleamed like twin stars.

  Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

  While Ice had grown impressively, he still couldn’t match Annabelle and Mimosa, the village’s top beasts. Yet, he now ranked among the strongest, rivaling Luna and Roulf in power—second only to their great master.

  Annabelle, in particular, had reached an impressive 720 [Mana] when Jonn checked on her that morning. Her progress towards level 3 was steady, though Jonn hadn’t assumed rapid advancement to level 3 for any of his animals. He himself was nearing 70% progress towards level 4 and suspected he might reach the next level around the same time as Annabelle achieved level 3.

  His diet and meditation with [Universal Breath] had sped up his growth. Yet, no rate of improvement seemed to please him fully. Having depleted the fire mana crystals in Count Francus’ cave, Jonn now relied solely on his regular diet and meditation for short-term progress.

  The lack of advancement in his current missions irked him as much as his rate of progress. To distract himself from these concerns, he immersed himself in his work, hands deep in the soil.

  I hope my next exploration of the region yields a magical cave beating those I’ve found so far, he mused.

  Not far from the village, a group of travelers had established a temporary camp. Their carriages formed a protective circle, with tents and small shelters erected within this makeshift boundary.

  The unhitched horses settled on the ground. They watched the dusk as fires lit the area. The aroma of cooking food wafted through the air, but the horses remained unmoved, closing their eyes to rest for the journey ahead.

  In a few more nights, they would return home, once again under the watchful care of their great master!

  As the horses rested, the humans bustled about, with the first shift of night guards taking up their positions around the encampment.

  Wy surveyed the area, finding no signs of trouble. Besides their group, the village horses, and the animals they were transporting to the Eternal Village, the vicinity was undisturbed.

  With a prolonged sigh, he seated himself atop a carriage, allowing the night breeze to refresh his weary body.

  ‘Three more days until we reach the village,’ he thought, unable to suppress a smile of anticipation.

  Glancing back, Wy observed the newest group they had persuaded to join the Eternal Village.

  ‘I hope you’re prepared for more arrivals, my friends. Fifty new members are on their way!’

  As Wy reflected on the village's reaction to the influx of newcomers, the people of Oldstone Village shared in their rationed second meal of the day. Elders and children, wrapped in blankets, sat eating their meager portions of remaining food, while the younger members tended to those weakened by the journey.

  Though not as malnourished as the Eternal Village residents had been before the Celestial Magnifying Glass, travel had taken its toll. Nutrition suffered during the trek, and fatigue weighed more heavily on those in motion than on those settled. The most vulnerable among them—the sick and elderly—had seen their conditions worsen in recent days.

  “How’s Bessy today? Still complaining?” a golden-haired girl asked softly to a bronze-skinned boy who appeared to be her age.

  “She’s been complaining a lot, Alis. I’m not sure if she’ll make it to the Eternal Village,” said the grandson of the woman resting in a small tent nearby.

  Alis sighed but refrained from offering false hope. She had heard rumors of the Eternal Village's healing potions and salves. They were very potent. But she wouldn't share this until she could verify their efficacy for cases like Bessy's.

  “Try to hang on. We’ll have a good place to rest in the Eternal Village. This arduous journey won’t last much longer.”

  Bessy’s grandson nodded in agreement, his gaze fixed on his grandmother. The journey was challenging for her, but necessary. All members of Oldstone Village needed the promise of hope that the Eternal Village seemed to offer.

  For now, the elderly and frail have to endure for the greater good of the entire village!

  Alis completed her rounds, checking on the most vulnerable of her people before finally sitting down to eat. Her gaze drifted to Wy’s back—the man who had approached their village days ago when they feared an attack. Fortunately, Wy’s group came in peace, bearing gifts of eggs, milk, and meat, along with an invitation to the Eternal Village.

  Alis looked skyward, closing her eyes. ‘I hope you’re guiding me to a better place, Mother and Father. We had no choice but to take a chance on this invitation.’

  She understood the risks of trusting others in today’s Valorian. But, after hearing Wy's invite and tasting the milk from the Eternal Village, she felt something special. It compelled her to accept this gamble.

  Though unsure where this intuition would lead, she recalled it. The few times she had felt it before, significant events had unfolded for her people. Now, she hoped once again that her sixth sense would prove correct.

  Night deepened across the region, with storms looming on the far western horizon of the Barren Hills of Deepshadow.

  To the extreme west of the vast area devastated by the Third Magic War, the darkness of the dead zone stretched to the red mountain ranges of Lost Treasures, home to the continent’s largest and most valuable mineral deposits.

  The darkness gradually gave way to rugged plateaus, where vibrant green patches punctuated the bare rocks, forming verdant pathways that resembled rivers winding through the woodlands. These lush corridors contrasted sharply with the reddish-yellow mineral formations surrounding them.

  Near the border between the living and dead zones of Lost Treasures, a human city blazed with light in the night. Thousands of lamps illuminated its streets and properties while deliberately keeping the city’s unsavory districts shrouded in darkness.

  The constant clanking of chains echoed through the city. Laborers toiled ceaselessly at forges and transported minerals, day and night.

  A steady stream of people moved through this place, most of them workers in deplorable conditions. But a few affluent individuals could be seen in their ornate carriages.

  One such vehicle, having just entered the town alongside several wagons, halted before the main local estate. A corpulent, well-dressed man disembarked.

  “Welcome back, Lord Acelin. My master awaits you,” intoned a butler, his posture impeccable and his gaze cold.

  Acelin entered Uranius’ estate, too accustomed to his allies’ servants to pay much heed to the formalities. He strode past the welcoming formation. Soon, he was in an opulent hall, adorned with canvases, statues, and refined furniture. A plush red carpet led to the estate’s main corridors.

  Passing a dining room where servants cleared away the remnants of the Uranius family’s dinner, Acelin arrived at the study. There, the handsome Uranius, with his gleaming black hair, was engrossed in signing documents.

  “You’re late,” Uranius remarked without looking up.

  “One of our carriages broke down, causing a delay of a few hours… But I’m here now,” the portly, middle-aged man said as he settled into a chair opposite Uranius. “It’s time we discussed the Eternal Village. I presume any safeguards Hewet left behind have dissipated by now, correct?”

  Uranius regarded the merchant, recalling a conversation from over two years ago. The image of the Destroyer had never faded from his mind.

  Gradually, a wicked smile spread across his lips, an evil glint in his obsidian eyes. “Indeed, it’s high time we examined the Destroyer’s legacy. Very well, I’ll assemble a group to join your caravan. When you’re en route to Sylvestria, pay a visit to old Hewet’s Eternal Village!”

  Novaro | web novels | Patreon