Cornflower Witch

Chapter 145 The Moon's Distant Echo

When they came, it was just a horse-drawn carriage; this time, they returned in a long convoy, which included members of the stonemasons' guild who specialized in construction and repair, as well as staff from the bakery and several patrol cavalrymen.

Upon returning to the valley, Hirutiya first led the bakery staff to retrieve 2400 jin of stored wheat, which they handed over on the spot for them to transport back.

Afterwards, the stonemasons' guild explored the valley and then selected a section of the mountain wall to excavate, carving out a large number of stones to be used as materials for building the windmill.

Because the members of the guild are mostly superhumans, their efficiency is far higher than that of ordinary people. Many of them are apprentices of the 'castle' type. When building the windmill, they also engraved special patterns on it, so that the windmill forms a small, stable barrier to prevent other creatures from disturbing and approaching, and can also resist distortion and erosion to a certain extent.

After the windmill was built, a large flat area was cleared around it, paved with stone slabs, and lime plaster was used to fill the gaps. Finally, a special layer of mortar was applied to the surface, which became exceptionally hard after drying, similar to the cement in Hiltiya's memory.

This area can be used for drying and threshing, or as a plaza.

Next came the toads' dwelling. The previous little house was too simple, and it was built by the toads themselves out of wood, so it was crooked and crooked.

Now the houses have been uniformly converted into flat buildings, and special kitchens, canteens, toilets, and bathhouses have been built, so that they will be more comfortable for people to live in in the future.

Finally, there were the warehouses. At Hilti's request, three warehouses were built in the valley. One was inside an excavated cave, one was next to a windmill and half-buried underground, and the other was next to Hilti's residence. This was a large cellar with a space about half the size of a football field.

The entire project was completed in nearly a month, costing 120 gold coins. Although expensive, the quality was indeed excellent, far surpassing the standards on the surface.

During the construction of these buildings, a new crop of wheat slowly grew in the valley, gradually becoming lush and green.

……

After seeing off the members of the Stonemasons' Guild, the valley returned to silence.

Today, Hilti was dressed in a black dress, which contrasted sharply with her fair legs. She sat on her bed in her hut, counting how much money she had left.

When she arrived, Lady Fran gave her 200 gold coins, which was a huge sum of money for her at the time. In a place like Scorched Stone, she could have lived very comfortably for decades.

However, once they arrived in the woods, the cost unexpectedly increased.

First, I bought a complete set of seeds, which cost 50 gold coins. That price was indeed a bit expensive. It's probably because the local guild knew that the students in the Camel Tower were not short of money, so they deliberately inflated the price. Then, a few months ago, I hired toads and bought food and equipment, which cost 8 gold coins. That was well worth it, as they were all put to good use.

In addition, I recently earned 96 gold coins from selling wheat to the bakery, and spent 120 gold coins building windmills and various other structures. These two expenses offset each other, meaning I spent another 24 gold coins, leaving me with 118 gold coins.

Other miscellaneous small expenses, including renting inns in the city and food costs, are not included in this calculation, but they add up to no more than 1 gold coin.

She carefully put the remaining gold coins away, then hugged her pillow and rolled around on the bed to relieve her feelings of being short of money, before taking a nap against the pillow.

In the afternoon, Hilti tried on the apprentice robe provided in the supply depot. She had to admit that the robe was very well designed. The robe was slightly loose and could fit most body types, while the waist had a wide belt that not only secured the body well but also accentuated the curves of the figure. The side openings meant that even with large movements, the legs would not be restricted.

Made of special cotton and linen fibers, it is exceptionally tough and is not likely made from ordinary plants. It would be difficult for ordinary swords to cut through it unless a finely crafted sharp weapon or a blunt object is used.

It's even better quality than the one Mrs. Fran gave her back then.

As for the light armor, its tough skin is about one centimeter thick. Even a black steel short sword can only pierce a shallow hole. It has excellent defensive capabilities. After being worn, it is adjusted by the strings between the armor plates and finally fits the body so as not to affect movement. The overall color is dark brown, and the style is dashing and capable.

With this light armor, the survival rate against ordinary 'Tier 1' beasts will be greatly improved, and even against 'Tier 2' enemies, it will provide excellent defensive capabilities.

So it seems that if we go to explore the secret realm of the Shadow World fully armed, there shouldn't be any major problems, Hilti thought.

Her original plan was to visit the border outpost after reaching the second stage, but she didn't want to advance too quickly. The operation in the valley hadn't even lasted for half a year, so it was far from the time to leave.

At the very least, she will wait until this batch of wheat matures before setting off on her adventure to try and complete the tasks assigned to second-tier students.

After trying it on, Hilti changed out of the light armor and into the more comfortable apprentice robe before leaving the room.

In the valley, the peaceful scenery remains unchanged, and the wheat in the nearly 100 acres of wheat fields is growing healthily. At this moment, a group of toads are watering the wheat according to Hiltiya's request.

The process is not to pour the water directly onto the soil, but to pour it into the ditch next to the field, allowing the water to flow spontaneously along the waterway, and then seep into the soil on both sides through the small gaps on the side of the waterway.

After they have finished watering, Hilti will inspect them again, using her gardening skills to comb through the wheat along the way, ensuring it absorbs the water to the perfect level.

This ensures that the wheat grows under consistent conditions and is in optimal condition.

After going back and forth several times, Hilti finished her task of tending the fields for the day and then returned to her room to rest.

She first read some leisure books, and then thought about what she should learn at this stage.

To be honest, she had never attended a class at the association. There were many teachers there who could teach courses, and she could attend by spending a certain number of points without paying any extra money.

She currently lacks an offensive technique. While the Flower Blossom Technique is good, it involves wide-range impacts and is not very effective against a single, powerful opponent.

Furthermore, the Tier 1 'Fire Orchid' is now slowly falling behind the Tier 2 level. She needs a more powerful plant, or she needs to continue cultivating the 'Fire Orchid' to Tier 2.

Advancing Fire Orchid to the next level is no easy feat; it likely requires special techniques. Since Lady Fran isn't around right now, Hilti can only make a note of it for now and ask her about it when she returns to White Stone Fortress.

Another aspect is meditation. At the first level, most abilities do not require much mental strength, but as the level increases, the more powerful the spell or ability, the more powerful the mental strength required to control and guide it.

Meditation enhances mental strength; it seems I should learn a meditation technique too. Hiltiya continued to write it down. At that moment, she remembered the purple gem the witch had given her after the assessment, which contained an inscription of a meditation method.

Should I use that? She couldn't help but feel tempted.

Take out the deep purple gem hidden in the box, gently place it on your forehead, feel its rhythm, and then immerse yourself in it.

As if entering a state between sleep and wakefulness, a strange coolness spread across my forehead, followed by a world of darkness.

According to the rhythm within the gemstone, she needs to prepare suitable incense, enter a state of complete meditation, and then simulate the phantoms in her nightmares, overcoming and defeating them time and time again. This will improve her past fears and enhance her mental strength.

To learn this meditation method, if you don't have nightmare symptoms, you need to practice with "nightmare incense," which is not cheap, costing about 1 gold coin per stick.

Well, while these intermediate-level meditation techniques are effective, they also have many requirements. She'll try the more basic meditation techniques first.

Afterwards, Hilti pulled out her previous notes and the knowledge from "Melelanko praying in the lake," which also contained content on meditation methods.

[Meditation Method]: This meditation method is applicable to all three aspects of the lunar sign. If you are in another aspect, you can practice it, but you will not be able to improve your subjective aspect level.

'Radiant Moon', 'Mist Shadow', and 'Nightmare' are all dominant aspects of the spiritual realm. Extraordinary individuals of other aspects must also cultivate them in the early stages to lay a solid foundation before they can learn the specific meditation methods of each aspect.

As a girl favored by the 'Radiant Moon', she naturally chose the 'Radiant Moon' as the foundation of her meditation method. Before learning it, she first removed the [Blooming Flower Technique Lv.3] to free up space on her ability card.

At night, Hiltiya opened the window, letting the moonlight shine into the room's floor.

She spread a soft blanket on the ground, then knelt in the moonlight, closed her eyes, and focused her mind, sensing the faint moonlight.

Following the instructions of the meditation method, she focused her mind and began to sketch the moon in the sky.

The outline of the moon...

The colors of the moon...

Details of the moon...

The Moon's Scars...

As the moon she envisioned in her mind became clearer and more real, her consciousness resonated with the moon in the night sky, and a faint halo appeared on her body.

Finally, a bright moon took shape in her sea of ​​consciousness, and the spiritual power that created the moon slowly returned to her sea of ​​consciousness as the moonlight poured out.

In this cycle, her mental energy became slightly more refined.

('Meditation Method' cycle completed, completion +24)

The whole process was smooth and without any obstacles. It was as if I had some kind of muscle memory, and I completed a cycle naturally.

After a while, once her sea of ​​consciousness had calmed down again, she opened her eyes again.

Half an hour had passed, and her mental strength had increased by about 1% during this meditation. Hilti didn't know if this speed was considered fast; perhaps improving mental strength was just a gradual process.

【Meditation Method Lv.1】(Radiant Moon): Bathed in moonlight, you sketch the shape of the bright moon, and your spirit is refined in the process.

However, just as Siltia thought her training was over, another cool sensation began to circulate within her body.

('Moonlight Breathing Technique' cycle completed, completion rate +24)

(Familiarity with 'Siltia's Spring' increased, completion rate +12)

Is it possible to train and improve these three abilities at the same time? Hilti felt it was somewhat unbelievable, because she had previously heard Scholar Hyde teach that if one were to cultivate multiple abilities at the same time, it would easily lead to power disorder, greatly increase the failure rate, and cause backlash.

On the destiny chart belonging to the soul consciousness, three ability cards with the "Radiant Moon" attribute shine brightly, their faint moonlight spreading towards the center of the destiny chart, attempting to reverse the card "Girl Surrounded by Clover" from "Emerald Honey" to "Radiant Moon".

The lone and helpless Destiny Card [Girl Surrounded by Clover] can only resist this erosion and reversal on its own. Fortunately, it is already at the second tier, which is exceptionally solid and not something that can be easily changed. The emerald vines surrounding the card intertwine between silver and green, but the silver moonlight can never penetrate the inside of the card.

Sensing this scene, Hilti couldn't help but cover her forehead, like a mother watching her children fight, unsure of who to side with.

Suddenly, she had an idea. With a thought, she flipped the Destiny Card in the middle and converted it into a Destiny Card of the same level, namely the [Alien] Destiny Card.

[Girl Surrounded by Clover] (Tier 2: Emerald Honey) → [Girl Surrounded by Starlight] (Tier 2: Alien)

The clover that had surrounded them dissipated, and the girl in the card was bathed in starlight. The 'Radiant Moon' aura that extended from the surrounding area was absorbed by it and then transformed into dazzling stars, blooming one by one in the night sky.

The alien is not afraid of this kind of erosion, or rather, the alien is the most erosive property. Even the distortion is a special property brought by the alien.

If 'Phantom Moon' split into three aspects, with 'Radiant Moon' being the main inheritor, then 'Alien Star' may also be a split from a certain primordial aspect. 'Alien Star', 'Twisted Star', and some unknown aspect are all aspects of the star attribute.

The sun, moon, and stars are the three major attributes and nine aspects, which together account for half of all aspects. They are the origin of many spells, intangible rules that affect the operation of the world without physical form.

(End of this chapter)