CHAPTER 234: BACK TO FARMING

Adyr spent the Earth night surrounded by the rare warmth of family and calm. They sipped tea and coffee, shared stories, played games, and simply stayed awake together. Even Zelda and Boy, stubborn in their childish energy, refused to sleep. They dragged the adults into round after round of board games, their laughter and persistence softening the air, turning the already warm environment into something even more alive.

Adyr didn’t resist. He allowed himself to be pulled in, letting the simplicity of the moment settle over him. In a life shaped by brutality and silence, there was no reason to reject something so harmless—so human.

But in the other world, his second body remained active.

Within the high walls of the Draven Mansion, the night was still. His sword drills in the garden behind his private quarters had long since ended. After a cold shower, he dressed in the extra uniform he had purchased earlier—the fabric clean, sharp, and fitted snugly over his subtly evolved frame. Then, with quiet purpose, he stepped out and opened the door.

There, one of the ever-ready maids stood waiting.

He addressed her politely. "Could you prepare something for me to eat? And please, call Vesha if she’s awake."

The maid responded immediately, her movements swift and obedient. A short time later, she returned with two food trolleys—and Vesha by her side, moving quickly despite the hour.

Adyr let out a small laugh as he noticed her swollen eyes, the loose nightgown clinging to her frame, and her tousled hair.

"Sorry for waking you," he said with a faint smile.

It was the middle of the night, after all—a natural time for sleep, especially for someone still mortal like her.

"It’s no trouble. Serving you is the only duty I hold, my lord." Vesha replied, smiling genuinely. With a flustered expression and a slight blush, she tried to fix her messy hair.

Before Adyr entered her life, she had spent nearly all her time aiding those in need across the kingdom—tracking dangerous Wild Sparks threatening villages. Compared to those days, this role was almost a luxury.

Adyr ate slowly, seated at the small table in his room, watching Vesha’s demeanor as she gracefully adjusted her hair.

Since they first met, Vesha had seemed noticeably more relaxed around him—as if a heavy burden she’d carried had finally lifted.

Her communication with Adyr had improved too. Near him, she appeared less tense and reverent than with other practitioners, more friendly yet still respectful.

"Do you want some?" Adyr asked with a smile, gesturing to the food spread before him—enough for five people—while Vesha continued fixing her hair.

"Thank you, my lord, but I’ve been watching my weight lately—I’ve gained a bit recently." Her words sounded like a joke, considering her small, almost dwarf-like frame. Apart from the gentle curves revealed beneath her nightgown, it was hard to see any extra fat. Still, a woman’s usual worries about weight were hardly something to question.

Once satisfied with her hair, Vesha took the empty chair across from Adyr. Tilting her head slightly, a subtle tension entered her voice.

"My lord, I have no objections, but I’m sure you didn’t summon me here just to eat and talk."

She knew well the challenges of serving a practitioner. Their lives were extraordinary compared to ordinary people, and being called at this hour must mean something important. Especially knowing Adyr, she was certain it wasn’t about trivial matters.

"I need some assistance." Adyr didn’t beat around the bush as he spoke, continuing to eat. "Have any new Wild Sparks appeared nearby recently?"

Although Adyr’s energy reserves were sufficient for emergencies, his development had completely stalled. He couldn’t even register new talents anymore. For that, he needed extra effort—tracking down the wandering Sparks was essential.

Vesha was the best for this job, with eyes and ears across the entire kingdom.

"Lately, thankfully, the respected practitioners have been detecting and capturing Sparks threatening the villages. So, not much has happened," Vesha said, her voice a mix of reassurance and worry.

Since the Colossith incident was resolved, Malrik had been roaming the kingdom nonstop, capturing Wild Sparks. This was obviously good news for the kingdom and its citizens—but clearly bad news for Adyr.

Still, Vesha didn’t leave him empty-handed. After a moment of thought, she said, "There’s nothing nearby, but about a day’s distance away, I’ve heard some rumors mixed with reports from a few villages. One of them could possibly be related to a Spark. If you like, I can look into the details."

Sparks didn’t always reveal themselves clearly. Small signs—people going missing, sudden strange behavior, unnatural changes in the environment—all could point to a Spark’s presence.

"I would be grateful," Adyr said, hoping to find something useful from the rumors.

Even a Rank 1 Spark could yield at least 10 to 30 energy crystals from affected living beings around it. It wasn’t much, but even that would cover the daily needs of the Mother Tree on its worst days.

After wrapping up their discussion on which rumors might point toward Sparks, Vesha quickly left the room to question her contacts—uncaring of how late it was.

Adyr didn’t idle around either. After finishing his meal, he resumed his talent training, though he didn’t get far before Vesha returned with good news.

Apparently, there had been a strange incident in a remote village about a day’s journey by carriage. Over the past week, their crops had grown nearly three times faster than normal, but the harvest had turned bitter and foul-tasting—so much so that most of it had gone untouched, rotting in the fields.

She suspected a Spark was involved, and Adyr shared that conclusion without hesitation.

She also handed over a few more locations and scattered reports—minor anomalies near the area she had already scouted. Most were low-probability cases, but they couldn’t be ruled out entirely. Once he had absorbed every relevant detail, Adyr made his decision. He wouldn’t wait for morning. There was no point.

He left immediately.

This time, he saw no reason to bring Vesha along. What took an entire day by road could be crossed in just a few hours on wings, and he no longer needed her to handle preliminary logistics. His name had already begun to ripple through the region, passed from village to village in quiet stories and whispered warnings. Whether by respect or fear, people would no longer challenge his presence.

If anything, they would clear the way for him.

With that confidence in mind, he launched into the night—hoping the trail would lead to another opportunity to replenish his energy and accelerate his growth.

He unfolded his wings, strapped two swords across his back, and rose from the garden attached to his quarters. The flight began in silence, but the moment his momentum surged, a sonic boom tore through the sky, shaking the clouds and announcing his departure across the sleeping land.

Sonic Burst required only 0.1 energy to activate, yet it amplified his speed to staggering levels. And since the potential reward far outweighed the cost, he didn’t think twice about spending a few more points to shave down travel time. With several locations to survey and no guarantee which one held the source, he had no intention of slowing down. Every second mattered.