Chapter 221: The Revelation of the Elemental Vein
Lennis tilted his head, adjusting his glasses on his nose as he processed Kellar’s words. Garik had not gone to the mine with them this time, so Lennis took a step forward, his brow furrowed with a craftsman’s curiosity.
"My lord... why did they explode when hit by the windstone bullets?" asked Lennis, glancing at the vials of crystal powder. "We thought it was due to the force of the impact or the friction with the gunpowder."
"Because those golems do not possess a true physical body," replied Kellar, crossing his arms as he stared into the forge’s blaze. "They aren’t flesh-and-blood monsters covered in stone; they are fire spirits that have taken physical form using the cave’s basalt."
Lennis remained silent, absorbing the revelation. During his inspection back in the mine, Kellar had noted a detail within the system’s notification that he had initially overlooked:
[Entity Detected: Mini Lava Golem (Elemental Vein Summon)]
The critical detail was the specification Elemental Vein Summon. Although Kellar did not mention the existence of this elemental vein to the craftsmen to keep it a secret for now, to him it signaled one truth with certainty: deep below in the cave, there existed a living elemental vein capable of spawning these creatures endlessly. And that was not all.
Upon expanding the system interface to inspect the characteristics of the creatures, the translucent screen had revealed the structure of the monsters:
[Entity: Mini Lava Golem]
Nature: Elemental Vein Summon.
Composition: Lesser Fire Spirit Core encased within an incandescent basalt exoskeletal armor.
Property: Immune to conventional physical attacks and acts as a thermal absorber. The spiritual core reacts unstably to abrupt injections of mana.
"They are fire spirits wrapped in armor of stone," continued Kellar, gesturing toward the containers on the table. "When hit by the compressed wind energy from our bullets, the air and fire triggered a chain reaction. The wind pressure destabilized the spiritual core from within, and the basalt armor couldn’t contain the expansion, blowing them to pieces."
Lennis let out a whistle, grasping the logic behind the phenomenon.
"So the wind element reacts destructively against that fire and stone composition..." whispered Lennis, his eyes gleaming.
"Exactly," said Kellar with a smirk. "Get the prototypes ready; we return to that cave soon."
"Of course, my lord. With everything you have taught us, we will begin to have it completed on time."
"Take your time," told him Kellar, giving his shoulder a pat. "We have the army posted here now; if you need raw materials, you need only ask."
After bidding farewell to the craftsmen, Kellar stepped out of the workshop and took the path leading toward his home. However, before he had gone far, he spotted Mentz waiting for him by the side of the trail.
"Great Shaman," greeted Mentz with a bow before falling into step beside him. "We have assigned the new members. They have been provided with clothing, basic supplies, and their designated duties. Most of them are unfit for heavy manual labor, so they will be sent to the textile factory to assist with making clothing for the tribe."
Listening to the old man’s report, Kellar felt a wave of surprise. Over the past few months, his focus had been consumed by survival, warfare, and military production that he had overlooked some of his people’s daily needs.
𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖
Yet his tribe had proven they were not dependent on his direction. Sometime back, the elders and local artisans had taken the initiative to establish a facility for tanning hides and tailoring garments. When Mentz originally brought him the proposal to build a proper factory, Kellar hadn’t hesitated to support him—purchasing tanning methods and hide-treatment techniques directly from the system store to hand over to them.
Thanks to that choice, the site had evolved into a vital pillar of the village. It was the place where most of the elderly men and women worked comfortably, as well as where young orphans gathered to help out and learn a trade in the afternoons right after their daily classes concluded.
Mentz walked beside Kellar at a steady pace, keeping his hands clasped behind his back as he observed the villagers moving through the stone streets of the settlement.
"And what about the former slaves from the Black Skull tribe?" asked Kellar.
"They are different, my lord," replied Mentz with a smile. "All of them are obedient and grateful for the chance at a dignified life here. They work without a complaint."
Kellar gave a nod before recalling another pending matter. "And what about the women from the tribe? Have they continued causing trouble?"
"No, my lord. Ever since the pleasure rotations for the garrisons began, all of them appear satisfied," explained Mentz. "In fact, the pregnancy rate has surged, and by next year we expect a much higher birth rate of new children."
"That is excellent news," said Kellar, gazing toward the heart of the settlement. "Without children, this tribe will die out in a single generation. Furthermore, regarding the new women, even if they aren’t from our original tribe, I want them to receive the exact same treatment. I want to unite them with us. If their children carry our blood and grow up here, there will be no distinction between the originals and the new members; we will be one people."
"Of course, Great Shaman. Everything has been carried out just as you commanded," answered Mentz. "We will send the newly arrived women over immediately."
"Don’t overdo it, I don’t want anyone being forced," cut in Kellar, stopping in his tracks to look him in the eye. "Give them time to fall in love, to enjoy our hospitality. Tell the men of the tribe that I want them to woo them properly. If I catch wind of anyone making derogatory comments about their origin or where they came from, I will ensure they experience hell."
"Understood, my lord," replied Mentz, taking careful note of the warning.
Kellar paused for a moment before shifting topics. "And how are our food reserves holding up?"