The caravan of migrants trudged through the mud for an entire day before finally reaching their destination.
It was an open plateau backed by hills, with gentle slopes on three sides. Sparse devil cypresses were scattered at the foot of the slopes.
In every respect, it was a suitable place to settle. The cheers they had expected, however, never came.
The flicker of hope that had just appeared on the villagers' faces faded into faint unease once they saw the sight before them.
There were no houses here, no walls. Everything had to be built from scratch.
On the plateau were only rows of tents, a few half-dug trenches, a small pile of felled logs, and supplies covered by a tarp.
"My heavens… this is our new home?" An old man in the crowd voiced his disappointment upon seeing the desolate camp.
"Yeah, where are we going to sleep tonight?"
"Sleeping on the ground is fine, but the rainy season is coming. We'll get sick sleeping like this!"
Similar whispers spread through the crowd.
"Quiet!"
Velin paid no mind to the crowd's waning morale. "Captain Barrett, you know what to do."
"Yes, my lord." Velin had given him instructions before the settlers arrived, so Barrett was just repeating them now, far more practiced this time.
He clapped his hands to get the villagers' attention and shouted, "Able-bodied men, go over there and get tools! Clear the bushes on the west side of the camp! Women and the elderly, you're responsible for setting up the temporary tents and moving the supplies to the base of the cliff! A few of the older women, watch the children and don't let them run around!"
Humans are strange creatures.
When lost and confused, a clear command can be more comforting than any words.
The restless crowd seemed to have found its backbone. Though their faces were still etched with worry, their bodies had already started to move subconsciously. They silently collected their tools, walked to their designated locations, and began to work.
The work temporarily dispelled their doubts.
Velin didn't take part in the minor construction tasks. He bypassed the crowd and headed straight for a corner of the camp where bundles of specially collected swamp vines were piled high.
He ignored the gazes cast his way—of awe, confusion, and worry.
Time was short. Velin needed to turn the plan in his mind into reality as quickly as possible.
Results were the only weapon that could shatter doubt.
Velin squatted down and began to carefully sort through the dozens of bundles of vines. On his retina, lines of data flowed.
[Swamp Vine] [Bloodline: Flexible Steel Resilience (Golden Tier) 5%, Mixed Bloodline 95%]
[Swamp Vine] [Bloodline: Flexible Steel Resilience (Golden Tier) 3%, Mixed Bloodline 97%]
...
Finally, from hundreds of vines, he selected the two individuals with the highest bloodline ratio. Their "Flexible Steel Resilience" bloodline content had reached an astonishing 7%.
Having done this, he stood up and walked toward the cliff face.
The magic apprentice, Ryo, was there, carrying out preparations just as he had been instructed.
Near the foot of the cliff, the entrance to a temporarily dug cellar appeared. The cellar was not large, and its walls were supported by simple wooden planks.
Velin walked down the steps. Ryo was sweating profusely as he made the final adjustments.
In the center of the cellar, a circular Magic Array about two meters in diameter was inscribed. Its symbols were simple and ancient, emitting a faint white glow in the dim light.
This was one of the most basic "Ethereum Gathering Arrays." Its sole function was to concentrate the free-floating Ether Energy in the environment toward the array's center.
In the center of the Magic Array stood a large clay flowerpot, already filled with the special nutrient soil Velin had specified.
The soil had a viscous texture, shimmering with an iridescent black in the faint light.
"My Lord, everything is ready." Ryo wiped away his sweat. He was tired, but more than that, he was excited.
"I never would have thought your bloodline talent had the ability to evolve plants!"
Velin just nodded, not wanting to reply for fear he might misspeak about some piece of common knowledge and blow his cover.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, a verdant green light representing life flashed in his eyes and was gone.
"Spring Messenger!"
A magnificent torrent of life gushed from the brilliant green light, flowing along Velin's hands and into the vines!
This felt completely different from his practice sessions. If accelerating the growth of a normal plant was like turning on a faucet, this was like bursting a dam!
He could clearly feel the "Flexible Steel Resilience" bloodline within the vines awaken, frantically devouring the components in the nutrient soil.
Those dormant "Flexible Steel Resilience" traits began to stretch, activate, and multiply.
The data on the system panel flickered wildly, almost blurring into a solid block of light.
[Evolution Progress: 1%]
[3%]
[5%]
The nutrient soil, which the vines would have needed to absorb naturally, was collapsing at a speed visible to the naked eye.
However, this highly efficient catalysis lasted for less than five minutes.
"Ugh!"
A sharp dizzy spell stabbed into his brain. Velin's vision went black, and the green light on his hands dissipated.
He staggered, steadying himself only by grabbing the nearby wall.
'It's been over a month since I transmigrated, and I've only ever used my talent sparingly, just as the notes from my predecessor instructed. I never imagined the strain of catalyzing a creature with a Golden Tier bloodline would be this immense.'
Seeing Velin lose his composure, Ryo quickly dropped the notebook in his hands and rushed over to support the faltering Velin.
"My Lord! Your face..."
Ryo's voice was panicked. He saw that Velin's lips were colorless and his forehead was covered in a fine sheen of cold sweat.
"I'm fine."
"This is definitely not 'fine,' my lord. Your Spiritual Power is already being overdrawn!" Ryo's tone became uncharacteristically firm. "This is one of the most serious warnings in the apprentice's handbook. Forcibly overdrawing your Spiritual Power can damage your internal organs and limit your future bloodline growth!"
He fumbled at his waist and pulled out a crystal vial.
The vial was half-full of a sky-blue liquid, which looked like a piece of solidified clear sky under the faint light of the Magic Array.
"My lord, this is a Clear Potion. It's a common recovery item used by Mages. It can quickly calm the mind and restore Spiritual Power, and its effects last for half a natural day. However… the side effect is a severe headache that lasts for several hours. Do you want to use it?"
Velin didn't hesitate. He took it and drank it all in one gulp.
A mint-cool liquid slid down his throat, and the stabbing pain that had been tormenting him immediately began to subside.
He looked at the two vines. The evolution progress was stuck firmly at [9%].
'An hour of deep meditation, plus the effect of this potion, should allow me to recover enough to perform another ten-minute catalysis.'
Velin quickly calculated in his mind.
'The evolution would have originally taken ten days… but it looks like by repeatedly using Spring Messenger to catalyze it, I can finish it in a single night.'
He opened his eyes and looked at the concerned Ryo.
"Ryo, guard the Array, monitor the ether stability. We're not sleeping tonight."
"Yes, my lord!"