Velin watched the expressions on the crowd's faces shift from despair to confusion, and then from confusion to hope. He understood.
When an old pillar collapses, it creates fertile ground for new authority to rise.
He knew that a force of fewer than ten people couldn't possibly suppress nearly two hundred for long.
His goal was to provide the only solution in this desperate predicament, transforming himself from an oppressor into a savior.
"Starting tomorrow," Velin said, his voice calm and reassuring, "pick three sharp individuals to come with me into the marsh to find a new water source."
"The marsh?" one of the local villagers questioned. "Sir, the water in the marsh is all salty and brackish. It's completely undrinkable."
"A stable ecosystem must have a freshwater cycle," Velin explained, seeing the lingering confusion on their faces.
"As long as there are living things in the marsh, there will be freshwater that humans can drink."
He paused, then issued the final order of the day.
"Barrett, organize some people and build at least ten simple devices to collect rainwater. Also, register everyone. I want their names, ages, and former occupations."
'The pioneering truly begins now.'
With that, he paid no more mind to the crowd and their complicated expressions, turning instead toward the boundless gray marsh.
In his mind, a plan was slowly taking shape.
'Abandon Gray Mist Village.'
'It's the logical choice.'
A suitable location for a settlement needed to meet at least two basic conditions: defensible terrain and a clean water source.
Gray Mist Village had neither.
This low-lying flatland offered almost no defensive value. Velin believed that any moderately sized group of bandits or Magical Beasts could easily overrun the place.
Perhaps the villagers had lived here because of the well, but that reason was now gone.
Rather than waste time trying to purify the toxins from a deep well, it was better to take this opportunity to find a new place to build a village.
「By dawn the next morning」, an expeditionary team had assembled in front of Gray Mist Village.
Velin led the team himself.
Two of the most capable Mercenaries from the Grey Wolf Squad formed the core of the team's fighting strength.
The two Mercenaries were named Huck and Roy. Huck was a taciturn, bald, powerfully built man carrying a massive battle-axe that suited his frame. Roy was slender, carrying a shortbow with a quiver full of fletched arrows at his waist; he was the team's Scout.
In addition, there were three young men selected from among the local villagers.
Velin had chosen them personally.
While registering them, he had scanned every villager with his "View" ability. These three young men had the mildest "Chronic Toxin Infestation" status of all the villagers, and they were all experienced hunters.
"Sir, is it really necessary to go this deep?"
Barrett, who was staying behind to guard the village, asked for a final confirmation before they left.
"There's more than just mud pits and poisonous insects in the marsh."
"I know." Velin was checking his gear—dark hunting attire for easy movement, with a waterskin, dried meat, and a dagger hanging from his belt. "But between a comfortable death and a dangerous life, we have to choose one. Barrett, you need to understand, this isn't a picnic. We're trying to find a way for over a hundred people to survive."
Barrett fell silent. He gripped the hilt of his sword and nodded solemnly.
He watched as the team plunged into the gray mist.
The deeper the expedition went, the more complex the terrain became.
Gnarled roots lay hidden beneath the murky water's surface, ready to trip the unwary.
The buzzing of unseen flying insects filled the air, adding to the sense of irritation.
Roy walked at the very front, constantly probing the ground ahead with a long pole and occasionally pushing aside plants blocking the path.
The three local villagers followed behind the Mercenaries. Their experience proved invaluable here, as they were always able to spot hidden dangers in advance.
Velin walked in the center of the group, his eyes never resting for a moment.
Translucent information panels continuously popped up and disappeared on his retina.
[Salt Marsh Pea], [Devil's Cypress], [Black-Spotted Water Snake], [Ironback Crocodile]
This was indeed an ecosystem fraught with danger, yet teeming with primitive vitality.
After walking for the better part of the day, the team found a patch of high, rocky ground to rest.
Everyone was exhausted, their clothes soaked with sweat.
A villager named Neal grabbed a few thick-looking vines from nearby and skillfully used them to bundle some spare firewood.
Neal handled the vines like wire; they didn't spring back even when bent.
It was a perfectly ordinary action. The marsh dwellers had used this type of vine for bundling things for generations.
However, this casual glance made Velin raise an eyebrow.
He walked over quickly.
"What's this?" he asked, pointing to the grayish-brown vine in Neal's hands.
"Huh? Sir, this is just a marsh vine, a specialty of the Gray Sea Marsh." Neal, somewhat flustered by the attention, quickly replied, "It's not good for much, just useful for tying things up."
Velin said nothing more. He crouched down and picked up a discarded piece of the vine.
Its texture was coarse, its surface covered in tiny bumps. When he tried to bend it forcefully, it didn't seem particularly tough and snapped easily.
But in his eyes, this unremarkable piece of vine displayed entirely different information.
His fingers gently touched the vine's rough surface, and a translucent panel unfolded before his eyes.
[Marsh Vine]
[Level: No Level]
[Bloodline: Toughness of Pliant Steel (Golden Tier) 5%, Mixed Bloodline 95%]
[Abilities: None]
[Overall Evaluation: Possesses some malleability, but its texture is fragile. Only suitable for bundling. Can evolve under specific conditions.]
'A Golden Tier bloodline! Even if the percentage is low, this is the plant with the most potential for cultivation that I've seen in the month-plus since I transmigrated!'
Then, below the main panel, several lines of smaller, golden text slowly materialized.
[Possible Evolution: Stone Skin Soft Vine]
[Evolution Method: 1. Plant in special nutrient soil. 2. Cultivate in a low-concentration Ether environment for ten days.]
[Nutrient Soil (1 serving): Earth Vein Rock Powder 20%, Obsidian Powder 15%, Basilisk Blood 10%, Humus Soil 55%]
He clicked to expand the detailed description.
[Stone Skin Vine: Malleable and soft during its growth period. After a certain time, its skin will gradually harden to the consistency of rock.]
Velin's heart couldn't help but start pounding wildly.
'Soft and malleable while growing, then hardens like rock... isn't this the self-shaping biopolymer material I dreamed of in my past life!'
'With this, there's no need to develop concrete from scratch!'
'If I use the "Spring Messenger" to accelerate its growth, the Stone Skin Vine will be like a 3D printer, directly "printing" houses, city walls, and even all kinds of complex structures!'
Forget just building a village; the magnificent seven-tiered white walls of Minas Tirith had already appeared in Velin's mind.
He forcibly suppressed his excitement and nonchalantly slipped the piece of vine into his specimen bag.
'An "Ether environment"?' Velin mused.
This world was saturated with Ether Energy. The creatures of the world all absorbed this free-roaming Ether to some extent. For example, those like Velin who had awakened their bloodlines could use breathing techniques to train their Spiritual Power, converting Ether into energy they could control to cast Magic or use combat techniques.
A natural environment rich in Ether was like a never-ending power source, greatly promoting the growth and evolution of bloodline creatures.
The concentration level, then, determined the power output.
Velin's objective had to be amended.
Finding a water source was still important, but now he had a second objective that was equally important, perhaps even more critical in a strategic sense: finding an area rich in Ether!