The City Lord glanced at Ryan with a look of disdain, but then, as if remembering something, his expression slowly turned melancholy. He spoke to Ryan with a serious tone: "Ryan, to you, the Bread Tree might seem valuable, but to us, it is priceless. Do you know why? Down here, our lifespans are shortened by one-third. We once thought it was because we couldn't adapt to the underground environment, but after countless explorations by our predecessors, we finally discovered the truth: Elves cannot eat meat. Those who eat meat will lose one-third of their lifespan. However, Elves who grow up eating only plant-based foods—whether in terms of talent awakening or other aspects—are far superior to those who eat meat. Our Elven race has always had low fertility, but even so, the mushrooms and ferns down here aren't enough for us to sustain ourselves. Furthermore, there are other races to consider, some of whom naturally eat meat. We, Elves, have always relied on the fruit of the Bread Tree for sustenance. Now, we can only ensure that young Elves eat a certain amount of plant-based food before adulthood, while we adults must consume 70% meat and 30% plants. Even so, many Elves still die every year because of this. So, the Bread Tree you brought to us is invaluable—it is literally a lifeline for our entire race."
Ryan, feeling a deep sense of sorrow, asked, "Didn't you bring any Bread Tree seeds when you came here?"
The City Lord gave a bitter smile and replied, "When we first arrived, we were attacked by underground beasts. At that time, our supply of Life Water was very limited, and we had to prioritize nourishing the young Life Tree. The branches of this Life Tree were taken from other Life Trees, and Life Water was required to help them grow. By the time we recovered enough to focus on the Bread Tree seeds, they had already rotted. And at that time, there were few of us, and we hadn't yet realized the dangers of eating meat."
Sighing, Ryan said, "Well, then, can you give me a branch from the Life Tree? I want to make a staff. Also, I need some thorny seeds—ones that are tough, flexible, and have poisonous thorns. As for the Bread Tree, I'll leave it to you to manage. To be honest, I don't know much about it."
"That's all you want? Aren't humans supposed to be greedy?" The City Lord looked at Ryan oddly. People often said humans were greedy, but the City Lord had already prepared himself for the worst, only to find that Ryan's demands were quite simple. Dark Elf mages were becoming increasingly rare, so staffs made from the Life Tree's branches were almost unheard of, and as for thorn seeds, they were everywhere around volcanic regions—it wouldn't be a problem to find them.
"Then, could you help me find some books on alchemy?" Ryan felt a little embarrassed. The Life Tree's branches were priceless, and the Bread Tree seed was useless to him, but after hearing the City Lord's words, he remembered that he only knew basic alchemy.
"That's it?" the City Lord asked again.
"Yes, that's all. The Bread Tree seed is useless to me, so I should be grateful for what I've gotten in exchange," Ryan replied, feeling more embarrassed.
In the short span of time, the Bread Tree had already grown into a towering tree, and Ryan's small courtyard was now occupied by two huge trees. More and more Elves arrived, their eyes filled with tears as they gazed at the Bread Tree. The legendary, sweet fruit was now before them once again. Keta also stared at the growing tree in confusion. The Bread Tree's leaves were oval-shaped, and much like a fig tree, it didn't bloom. The clusters of fruit on the branches clearly indicated that it had matured. There was a legend that a single drop of Life Water could make a seed grow 100 years' worth of growth in a day. Ryan hadn't believed it before, but now, seeing the Bread Tree grow rapidly in just a few hours, he was convinced.
Looking at the damaged small fountain, Ryan had an idea. He turned to the City Lord and said, "City Lord, I was wondering if you have any Mithril coins. I need to set up a water-based magical array to ensure the Bread Tree has enough water."
"How much do you need?" The City Lord didn't seem surprised and immediately asked.
"Mithril—just enough for a large array. If it's less, then a smaller one will suffice," Ryan quickly replied.
"I'll have someone bring it to you right away." The City Lord gave an order to his guards and then continued to watch the Bread Tree, occasionally reaching out to gently touch it.
After a short while, a guard arrived, carrying a small box. Upon opening it, Ryan saw that the coins inside were indeed made of Mithril, embossed with intricate designs that seemed to be the work of the Elves. Meanwhile, Ryan overheard the sounds of commotion around him. Before long, the walls on both sides of his courtyard were torn down by a group of Dwarves. Ryan paid little attention to the noise and began designing the magic array.
Initially, Ryan had planned to create a large array, but after a moment's thought, he decided against it. He chose instead to carve a smaller array. The key to creating a water-concentrating magic array was in the precise balance of materials. First, the obsidian needed to be polished smooth, then the engravings of the array's intricate patterns carved onto it. Afterward, Mithril would be melted and mixed with a certain amount of Water Elemental Magic Crystal powder before being poured into the engravings. This would create a simple water-concentrating array, which could continuously gather water-based magic elements from the air and transform them into water. The next step was to place dozens of these engraved obsidian pieces together, either at the bottom of a pool or in a decorative mountain. The crucial part was melting the Mithril; when doing so, Fire Elemental Magic Crystal powder had to be added, but in careful moderation. If too much Fire Crystal powder remained in the Mithril, it would conflict with the Water Magic Crystals and the array would fail.
Ryan entered the lab where Hack was tasked with melting the Mithril. Ryan had decided to use the Dwarves' forge crucible, which was well-suited for melting metals. Hack, experienced in metalworking, could handle the job. Kobe was responsible for polishing the obsidian, while Ryan focused on carving the magic array. To etch the array onto the obsidian, Ryan used a beast's acidic spit. Fortunately, the lab still had some on hand. The acid would corrode the obsidian, creating grooves to hold the Mithril and Water Magic Crystal powder. This was a simple array, but without Mithril, it would have required additional materials, such as Water Magic Crystals, Water Magic Cores, and the powdered bones of water-based magical beasts. Mithril, however, was the best magic metal, so a small amount of Water Magic Crystals was sufficient.
Hours later, the ten water-concentrating magic arrays were completed. Each piece of obsidian weighed hundreds of pounds. Ryan had Kobe bring them out.
When Ryan stepped outside, he was stunned. Previously, his courtyard had been surrounded by other residents, but now it seemed like an entire camp of Dark Elf warriors had moved in. What had once been a single ancient war tree was now at least ten, with several dozen soldiers stationed in the branches. The Dwarves' houses on the neighboring lot had been demolished, and even his own gate was torn down. The street outside was no longer just outside his door—it now spread right up to his home, surrounded by the bare legs and exposed torsos of the Elves. Most of the Dark Elves were archers, requiring high agility, so their attire—scant though it was—left most of their bodies exposed.
"Ow! Ow!" Ryan heard a cry behind him. It turned out that Kobe had been holding one of the completed arrays when he was startled by the scene. The obsidian had slipped from his hands and dropped to the ground.
With the help of the Dark Elves, a pool was soon finished, with a water channel leading directly to the Bread Tree. The Bread Tree needed the water, while the War Trees could absorb moisture directly from the air.
"Ryan, what's the point of all this?" Kobe asked in confusion after seeing Ryan complete the setup.
"To divert water!" Ryan grinned, watching the magic arrays starting to work.
"But the water flow is so small. There's already a water channel in the back of the house, leading from the cave. Why not just tap into that?" Kobe's suggestion made Ryan pause in surprise—he hadn't realized the channel was already there.
Guided by Kobe, Ryan went to the back of the house, where indeed there was a water channel, flowing with quite a bit of water. Ryan, feeling embarrassed, laughed awkwardly. "I guess I did it for extra security. Besides, it's better to be safe than sorry, right?"
"Ryan, here, have one," Deff called, handing him a freshly picked Breadfruit. The Bread Tree produced an abundant harvest, enough to feed an entire Elven village.
"You must deliver this letter to the Elven capital immediately. It must reach Her Majesty the Queen, understand?" The City Lord handed a letter to his captain, who then signaled to a group of Elven warriors. They mounted their Terrorclaw beasts and sped off down the road.