Chapter 58: Preparation
The gentle breeze swayed the green crops on top of the Agricultural House in one direction.
The crops that had just been planted an hour ago now stood taller, reaching an average man’s knees.
Edgar, who sat on the edge of the floor, stared at the plants that had grown so big right before his eyes.
’This is beyond my expectations...’
When he first started working on the Agricultural House, he was expecting to gain profit after months of work.
But the speed of the growth made his heart fill with wordless joy.
Taking in a deep breath, Edgar rubbed his thighs and stood up.
’By my calculations, they should be ready to harvest in a week or two...’
Nodding to himself, he walked down the ramp until he reached the ground floor.
The young Andrew was working on feeding the ⟨Tower of Souls⟩.
Lady Viera was busy cleaning the area around her house. Old man Oswald was inspecting the items from the Tower in the warehouse.
Edgar quietly watched the scene before a small smile appeared on his face.
’This is what a Fortress should look like.’
Not people desperately struggling to survive every single day.
Looking around, Edgar couldn’t help but feel melancholic.
It’s been half a month since he arrived in this world. Many things had happened during this time, but he was satisfied with the progress he had achieved.
His gaze drifted toward the Agricultural House again.
’Once the wheat is harvested, I can keep part of it as food and use the rest as seeds.’
As long as nothing unexpected happened, the amount of grain would continue multiplying.
"Young Master!" Andrew suddenly ran over while wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"The Tower has almost finished refining all the corpses."
Edgar blinked in surprise. "So quickly?"
Andrew nodded excitedly. "There are only a few left."
Edgar glanced toward the black monument.
The crimson runes across its surface had become noticeably dimmer than before.
’This is going to be a problem...’
Without fresh Nightmare corpses, the Tower would soon stop producing materials.
That also meant his supply of Nightmare Materials would eventually come to an end.
The thought made Edgar’s expression turn serious.
’My expansion has been too smooth.’
He had almost forgotten that everything he had built until now depended on one resource.
Nightmare Stones.
If he couldn’t get them, everything he had built would sooner or later stop working.
Edgar looked beyond the Fortress Wall toward the endless grey-black fog.
’If I want this place to continue growing, I need a stable source of Nightmare Stones.’
But the absence of Nightmares for two days straight was also making it harder.
Taking in a deep breath, Edgar calmed his heart and cleared his mind.
’I will think of a way later,’ he consoled himself. ’I can still create buildings with real materials.’
"I will rest for a while," Edgar said calmly.
"Alright, Young Master."
Edgar walked inside his house and went straight to the toilet. After freshening up and taking a shower, he lay down on his bed.
’I need to start working on the ritual as soon as I wake up.’
Thinking about it, Edgar lost consciousness and fell into a slumber.
---
The blonde boy slept for almost seven hours before his eyes slowly opened on their own.
For a brief moment, Edgar simply stared at the wooden ceiling.
’The full moon...’
He immediately sat up on the bed and looked outside the window. The murky grey-black fog was on the verge of vanishing.
"...It’s time."
He washed his face with cold water before putting on his black leather jacket.
The green jade still rested safely inside its inner pocket along with the Frost Crystal.
After taking some Nightmare Stones, Edgar was ready for the ritual.
Walking outside, he noticed the rest of them sitting around the ’Unbroken Fire’.
Stretching his body, Edgar said to them, "I need to perform a ritual."
His words made everyone look toward him.
Andrew was the first to stand up while dusting off his clothes.
"What do I need to do?" he asked without the slightest hesitation.
"Bring me all the blood that is stored in the warehouse," Edgar instructed, walking toward an open area.
The young boy quickly rushed toward the storeroom.
Edgar thought for a moment before he decided to use the Fortress Wall to create a tub to store the blood.
He used Nightmare Stones to create four small walls that were attached to each other.
The four stone walls rose from the ground within seconds.
Each wall was roughly waist-high and fitted together perfectly, forming a square basin.
He then asked Oswald to bring a sheet of ⟨Ashscale Drake Hide⟩ and place it inside to cover all the gaps.
By then, Andrew had already returned with a small wooden cart carrying the ten containers of Nightmare blood.
"I brought everything, Young Master."
"Pour them all in."
Without wasting any time, Andrew lifted the first container and poured everything into the basin. He did the same with the rest.
Soon, the blood from ten different Nightmares mixed together until the basin was almost half full.
A heavy metallic smell spread through the air.
Even Lady Viera subconsciously covered her nose. "...It smells horrible."
Edgar took out the Frost Crystal from his pocket without replying.
The transparent crystal continuously released chilly air.
’Let’s hope this is enough.’
He gently lowered the crystal into the middle of the basin.
The crystal cracked and spread all over the blood.
Within a minute, the entire basin had turned into a block of dark-red ice.
Taking in a deep breath, Edgar brought out the jade from his inner pocket.
The familiar panel appeared once again.
---
⟨Nightmare Trance: Order of the Sun⟩
⟨Grade: ?????⟩
⟨Conditions Met.⟩
⟨Awaiting Full Moon.⟩
---
Edgar instinctively raised his head.
The murky grey-black fog was rapidly thinning as the Eternal Night took over.
Far above... a crimson moon slowly emerged from behind the clouds.
’It’s beautiful...’
The moon was much bigger, or maybe closer, than the moon on Earth. It was close enough that he could see the craters on its surface.
Its cold light washed over the Fortress, and the frozen blood immediately began emitting a faint crimson glow.
The green jade in Edgar’s hand also grew warm.
Thdam! Thdam!
Then... like the heart of a living creature, the jade began to move.
Ignoring the abnormality, Edgar let the jade fall into the blood and watched as it changed color.
The dark crimson blood now had faint golden markings all over it.
"In no condition are any of you going to disturb me."
After giving the warning to everyone, he looked at the pale moon.
Edgar removed his clothes until he was only in his underwear, then stepped into the blood-filled tub.