Foreign Land Reclamation By a Vegetable-growing Skeleton

The first plan failed, and Ange quickly prepared a second one, but it required waiting for new buds to grow, and the entire process was very slow.

As Ange squatted, watching the Elf Beans sprouts, waiting for the new buds to grow, Lisa’s call came through the soul connection: “Lord, come and take a look, they have started fighting.”

They had started fighting, the refugees from the Fallen Legion, and the desert dwellers. Fists and feet clashed, pushing and shoving one another, punctuated by lamenting cries: “You desert dwellers pick on outsiders. Not giving us anything, why so? Just because you came here first?”

The desert dwellers retorted angrily: “This is the desert. Everything here is precious. You waste this and that, even use our precious water to bathe? Get back to your cities, you lot.”

Conflicts accumulated over the past month eventually erupted into a brawl.

By the time Ange got to the scene, everyone was lying on the ground panting heavily from exhaustion under the scorching midday sun. No one was killed in the fight, but more than one were dehydrated due to the sun.

Fala and Shafya were dragged, heads hanging low, in front of Ange. The outraged Negris was also hoisted to Ange’s face, and got started yelling right away: “What on earth is going on! Have you fed too much and have nothing to do?!”

Fala and Shafya nodded vigorously in agreement. Fala added:

“Lord, it’s because we have too much to eat. We have delicious rice to eat every day. This used to be a luxury only nobles had. Now, we don’t have to do a thing, lounge in shelter, and only get up to have meals when it’s time. We were busy harvesting rice for a few days when we first arrived, but after that, with no chores to do, they started making trouble.”

Shafya nodded in agreement, and added her grievance: “They waste food and fresh water. We desert dwellers only bathe three times in our life, once at birth, once before death, and once to give birth. Yet, these people want to bathe every day, using fresh water. Infuriating!”

“Ah? You only bathe three times? But how come you’re so clean?” Negris was immediately distracted and asked curiously.

No sooner had these words left its mouth, than the threatening gaze of Naeli nearby had Negris scrambling to amend its question: “Just curious, you don’t have to answer.”

“What’s the big deal?” Shafya stated openly, “We use sand, clean sand, preferably the sunbaked sand, hot but not scorching, in the late afternoon. Rub this on your skin and it’ll get you clean. It’s good for your skin.”

“Well, that’s a smart solution. Fresh water in the desert certainly doesn’t support taking baths. But there’s a river here now, isn’t there? There’s no shortage of fresh water.” Negris questioned.

“They are wasteful, lack hygiene, and make messes everywhere. They even defecate in the reed fields, pollute the river and water sources. When we reprimand them, they accuse us of bullying the outsiders.” Shafya’s words rose in indignation as she glared at Fala.

It’s clear, Shafya must have instigated this fight. This Dragon Speaker sure is quick-tempered.

Vexed, Fala gave a wry smile: “The main issue is idleness, and unspent energy. Lord, do we have some work that can be assigned? Like farming, that would keep them busy, and they won’t think about fighting.”

Ange was alert at once after hearing his, and when Negris turned to look at him, he immediately said: “No, they are mine.”

Well, everyone knows to answer in advance now. No room for negotiation here, this is a joke. Farming is Ange’s single obsession, what would he play with if they started farming?

Of course, Ange wouldn’t mind if they ventured elsewhere to cultivate new land. But the current cultivated lands are all Ange’s.

If they can’t farm, then what could be done? What else could consume a large amount of labor under current circumstances?

Unable to figure it out, he temporarily instructed them to plant grass mats and date trees along both banks of the river.

But this is not a long-term solution because every ecosystem is interconnected. If you plant too much along the river, it will inevitably drain the river’s water.

If the flow of the river decreases, the amount pouring into Fallen Dragon Lake will reduce. If the evaporation remains the same, less water will be refilled, thus the lake will shrink and the water will become more saline, triggering a series of reactions.

Unless it’s a region that has plenty of water to begin with, but has become a desert due to other reasons. Otherwise, even if Ange could turn the entire desert green, he wouldn’t do it. The water supply isn’t substantial enough to support a prairie.

“Well, let’s start a Beauty City,” Lisa suddenly suggested. Her eyes were gleaming. “Few things compel a person to travel a great distance, to put themselves through hardships, to brave the damaging heat of the sun, and willingly part with their money. Beauty is one of them.”

“Huh. Sounds like something I’ve heard before. Sava, yes. Where are Sava and Vania?”

This sort of meeting was clearly out of Sana’s league. They sent for her and she soon arrived.

Upon discussing it, she and Lisa hit it off. “Devout believers, women who love beauty, impulsive men.”

“Wow, Sis, you’ve heard that saying too? It’s my teacher’s go-to phrase. Pilgrimage, cosmetic surgery, virility enhancements, they’re all massive industries.”

“We have core competitive advantage for plastic surgery. The Face Purification Technique, skin blemishes and wrinkle removal techniques, are the best out there. Imagine an aged lady, trekking to the desert for this, coming back rejuvenated by thirty years. More youthful, fairer, more appealing, they would be ecstatic.”

The two women clucked and chirped away, quickly visualizing the entire concept of Cosmetic City. Even Shafya and Naeli were excited about the idea and joined the discussion.

Ange didn’t understand, so he just went off to tend his garden.

Feilin and Negris were left laughing awkwardly at the sidelines. Clearly, they couldn’t contribute much to this conversation. However, judging by the women’s excitement, it seemed to be a promising idea.

“By the way, Lord Nage, do you know where Oke is?” Feilin asked.

“Oke?” The image of a zealous believer carrying his little sister into the temple flashed across Negris’s mind. Confused, he asked, “Isn’t he in the temple in Witch City?”

“No, he’s been in the Oasis for some time. He said he was ‘going to fulfill the prophecy’ and then disappeared. I asked numerous people but none have seen him,” Feilin elaborated with a bitter laugh.

Negris grew anxious. If he was in the Resting Abyss, then it was safer — as long as he evaded the Resting Wind. But it was different here. This world was full of dangers. Not just from human predators, but from beasts and devil creatures that could easily kill a boy in his teens wandering about.

Worried, Negris turned to Ange: “Oke has disappeared. Do you know where he went?”

Ange tilted his head, recalling Oke’s symbol from his memory and began to search.

Ange’s projection instantly traversed vast distances, landing on Oke.

Oke was in a pitch-black cavern, stumbling and fumbling as he moved forward. Slipping often, he silently stood up each time. During one of his falls, he encountered something different.

Bringing it up to his nose for a sniff, a surprised and delighted expression lit up his face. He fervently prayed, “Master Ange, please grant me eyes that see through darkness.”

Immediately, Ange sensed an energy surging towards Oke’s symbol within his soul. He was accustomed to people using his power in exchange for their Soul Flame, so he didn’t care who it was.

In an instant, the deep darkness lifted, revealing a gigantic cavern filled with large, slippery organisms occupying most of the space. Countless insect eggs were scattered everywhere he could see.

As Oke looked ahead, a confused thought fell upon him, seemingly questioning how this man appeared here.

Ange, projecting onto Oke, recognized this thought. It was the one attached to the statue he used Soul Impact on in the underground of Dark City. So, what Oke meant by ‘going to fulfill the prophecy’ was to eliminate Hermorthos.

When Ange relayed this information, Negris jumped up in panic, “Is he out of his mind? Is he planning to kill Hermorthos all by himself? Where is he now? Which cave?”

“Two.” Ange tilted his head, “He summoned a Bone Priest.”