Morning arrived, but I had barely slept a wink. Despite the early hour, the air outside was already filled with the lively commotion of the residents. Stepping out, any lingering drowsiness was instantly banished as I saw them locked in battle with a giant red bear.
Though armed to the teeth, the guards proved no match for the beast. Even the other residents, armed with stones and spears, couldn't seem to make a dent. Majka and Otac were trying to hold it at bay, but it seemed unstoppable.
Why do these monsters always choose to attack the mornings?
Without hesitation, I sprinted toward the fray, determined to lend my aid. Seizing a spear from a resident, I infused it with mana and hurled it at the bear's head.
To everyone's amazement, the spear struck true, cleanly decapitating the beast.
A wave of shocked silence washed over the crowd as they processed the sight of the creature they had struggled against being felled in a single strike. Then, cheers erupted, and they hoisted me into the air in celebration. It took some time for the jubilant mood to subside.
Lucia rushed over to me, her eyes alight with admiration. "That was incredible, Egil! You vanquished that Crimson Bear in the blink of an eye."
So, this creature is known as a Crimson Bear.
"It's a rare and formidable beast," Lucia explained, her tone filled with awe. "Even seasoned elite soldiers and top-tier adventurers would struggle to contend with it."
"That's intriguing. It's the second one I've encountered in just a few days. Are you certain we're referring to the same creature?"
The revelation sent shivers down the spines of everyone present.
I informed them of my encounters with various creatures on the island: bears to the west, a giant snake and wild boars to the east, a spider that once inhabited a cave in the north, and horned rabbits commonly found throughout these woods.
Their disbelief was palpable. It occurred to me that perhaps the reason this island remained uninhabited until my arrival was due to the abundant presence of these monsters.
I learned that the giant spider is called an Arachnia. It's notorious for being sadistic, known to play with its food before cutting their limbs and eating them.
I shuddered at the thought of being trapped with that torturer.
Leaving them vulnerable without any defenses would be a recipe for disaster. While there were other tasks clamoring for attention, it was clear that prioritizing the construction of walls was paramount.
Mapping out a plan, I decided to erect a sturdy stockade around the perimeter. This endeavor would demand a substantial amount of timber, making tree-cutting the day's primary task.
Requesting the aid of residents and hounds, we set out to gather the necessary wood. By late afternoon, I commenced the construction of the stockade, positioning it a few meters away from existing structures to allow for future expansion.
Interestingly, the Heavenly Blueprint didn't require the ground to be perfectly level, yet the placement of stakes was flawlessly executed.
As expected, darkness descended upon us by the time the project was complete. I crafted a sizable gate with two doors facing south.
The logging activity had altered the landscape, offering an expanded view of the sea from my abode. While the process may have appeared destructive, it served to benefit the surrounding trees by reducing competition for nutrients and fostering the growth of new saplings.
Unlike the previous day, I refrained from joining them for dinner, as I was utterly exhausted from lack of sleep. The moment I lay down on the bed, I was out cold.
I woke up before dawn feeling reinvigorated. Eager to make the most of the day, I began cutting trees at a considerable distance from the houses, so as not to disturb the residents. Meanwhile, the hounds diligently patrolled the area for any potential threats.
While this task was relatively easy for me, I couldn't afford to spend the entire day cutting trees alone. I needed to find a solution that would enable the residents to gather wood even without me.
As the morning turned to noon, I decided it was time to return. Upon my arrival, I enlisted the help of several residents to follow the hounds and collect the wood they had marked.
Lucia approached me with a request, inquiring if I had any fur stored away. She explained her intention to use it for making blankets and, if there was a surplus, perhaps even coats.
Leading her to the storeroom in my house where the fur was kept, I opened the door to reveal its near-capacity contents. Lucia was visibly surprised and had to ask the help of some servants to assist in taking the fur.
I had anticipated that such resources would prove valuable someday, so I made sure to collect and store as much as possible.
As the room gradually emptied, Lucia's gaze fell upon a wooden box nestled in a corner. Sensing her curiosity, I retrieved the box and revealed its contents: a pair of blue antlers.
Lucia's eyes lit up like a child opening a long-awaited birthday present at the sight of the antlers.
"Where did you find these? And you even have a pair intact," she exclaimed.
I recounted the story of how the wounded deer accidentally ended up outside the house while being pursued by a crimson bear.
"It's called a Voltstag. Its antlers are prized for their use in crafting tools and weapons capable of storing mana," Lucia explained.
"Do you happen to know anyone skilled in crafting such items?" I inquired.
"Theo would be the one. He's a master royal blacksmith. Do you have something in mind?"
Without a word, I dashed outside and made my way to Theo's location. While I could have used my Heavenly Blueprint to manufacture the item, creating a magical tool was beyond my expertise, so I needed a reference.
"I could fashion an axe for you by melting down some old iron tools we have," Theo offered without hesitation.
"But don't you need a proper workshop for that?" I questioned skeptically.
"Watch and learn," he replied with a hearty laugh, brimming with confidence.
While Theo diligently worked on the task I had entrusted him with, I turned my attention to furnishing Lucia's residence. In addition, I crafted various items for the residents of the boarding houses, including long tables and chairs for their communal dining areas.
Despite my attempts to provide them with beds, they politely declined and requested other necessities instead.
Their needs were straightforward, so I set about constructing a few barns to shelter their livestock and sheds for storing various goods.
Once I had completed these tasks, I returned to Theo's workshop to check on his progress.
Truly a master blacksmith, Theo skillfully wielded his hammer, melting iron in a makeshift firepit that doubled as his forge and using a nearby tree stump as an anvil. The blue antlers were meticulously crushed into a fine powder and added to the molten metal during the forging process.
Assisting him in crafting the handle, I watched intently as he expertly etched intricate symbols onto the wood. Though unfamiliar, I somehow understood their meaning, as if they conveyed a sequence of actions the tool would perform upon activation.
"Absorb, store, manifest," I murmured in awe.
Theo's surprise was evident, and his expression turned solemn. "I didn't expect you to be able to read Ancient," he remarked.
His revelation left me equally astonished.
As though he were unfazed by the recent events, Theo handed the axe to me and requested that I infuse it with my mana.
Upon inspecting the axe, I was astonished by its impeccable craftsmanship, especially considering it had been forged without the aid of a proper smithy.
As I channeled my mana into the axe, I watched in awe as the ancient inscriptions adorning its surface began to glow a vibrant blue. Glancing at Theo for reassurance, I was met with a nod encouraging me to continue. With determined focus, I poured more mana into the axe until Theo signaled for me to cease, at which point the glyphs shimmered with a brilliant white light.
Taking the axe from my hand, Theo looked at it intently for a moment before finally breaking the silence with a question.
"What exactly are you?"