Erik could feel the eyes of dozens of people on him as he walked through the village; they were providing a silent audience to the stranger in their midst.
Their gazes were wary, cautious, and filled with unspoken questions. His presence was a disruption in their lives, an anomaly they were yet to comprehend.
A solemn stillness pervaded the atmosphere as the group descended from the tree line and moved closer to the farming fields.
Erik, who had been led there by Vanessa, found himself in the middle of an area lined with rows of tilled soil and where the villagers attempted to cultivate crops.
The plants and young trees struggling to survive in the neat rows were beginning to wither.
There were scattered groups of small vegetables growing here and there; their leafy heads bowed as if they were bearing the weight of something that couldn't be seen.
Even though it was obvious that the field had been carefully tended to, the harvest did not look promising at all, and there was no way it could be enough to support an entire community.
Erik cast his eyes around the area and noticed that the faces of the villagers working in the field were marked with desperation, but there was a tint of hope in them as they tried to make the field bear fruits.
Their faces betrayed the signs of weathered hardship, and their eyes held a lingering, weary sadness overall.
"Not enough," Erik murmured to himself. "Let's get to work," the young man added.
Erik took a few steps forward and approached a lone apple tree struggling to survive.
The tree's yellow leaves were trembling feebly. Its branches were too weak to hold any apples, and its roots did not have the vital energy necessary to thrive.
As Erik observed it, he saw a reflection of the villagers, who were resilient despite their lack of resources and able to survive despite being on the verge of death.
After taking a few deep breaths, he closed his eyes and lightly placed his palm on the tree's rough bark.
He focused his attention on the faint hum of the tree's life force as it responded to his touch. A gentle glow emanated from his hand, and the hazy emerald light seeped into the tree's bark, eventually merging with it to form a single entity—the process started due to Erik's gentle mana.
The mana around the tree began to buzz, and the ground beneath the young man's feet gave off the impression that it was beating to the same beat as life itself.
The village people stood still as they observed, in silence, the small yellowing tree trembling and its bark cracking as it began to expand.
The tree increased in height while simultaneously broadening its profile and thickening its branches, which reached upward toward the heavens.
The changes continued after that point. The leaves, previously a sickly yellow, underwent a transformation and almost immediately became a vibrant green despite the autumnal temperature.
A sign of life that had been missing from this field for a long time could be detected in the air: it smelled like freshly cut grass. The apples were the next item.
Little buds began to appear along the branches, and in a matter of seconds, they grew and blossomed into beautiful apple flowers.
After that, these flowers transformed into little green fruits that, with each passing second, grew bigger and more crimson in color.
The once-almost-dead tree was covered with ripe, juicy apples in a matter of seconds, and their intoxicating fragrance filled the area while simultaneously conjuring up images of an abundant harvest.
The villagers stood and watched in stunned silence, their expressions combining disbelief and amazement. The field, which had previously served as evidence of their suffering, was now witnessing a miracle.
The scene had a surreal beauty to it, with the recently revitalized apple tree standing tall and lush, its bountiful fruits serving as a promise of survival and a beacon of hope amidst the struggles they were experiencing.
Erik withdrew his hand, opened both eyes and turned his body to face the woman who had brought him there.
Her silence conveyed a range of emotions, including shock, disbelief, and a glimmer of hope; it was a silent acknowledgment of the miracle she and the others had just seen.
Vanessa turned to Erik, her voice barely above a whisper. "Can you... can you do this to the entire field?" She gestured towards the vast stretch of infertile land, her gaze moving from the flourishing apple tree back to Erik. A glimmer of optimism flickered in her eyes, and the weight of an unuttered prayer seemed to hang heavily in the air around her.
Erik nodded, his gaze steady on Vanessa's. "Yes, I can," he confirmed, his voice unwavering. "But it will take time. My brain crystal power relies on my mana, which is not infinite. I need to rest and recharge between uses." His tone was measured, matter-of-fact, as if he was discussing a mere logistic issue, not the potential salvation of an entire village.
"If you are ok with it we can work on the situation..."
In the utter silence of the field, his words appeared to reverberate. The villagers exchanged looks with one another as the scope of Erik's power began to dawn on them one by one.
The thought of being able to provide for the needs of their entire community and having an abundance of food was almost too much for them to take in.
Erik's ability to harness the power of his brain crystal was nothing short of a miracle for a group of people who had fought tooth and nail for every single meal.
After being stunned by Erik's display of power and contemplating his words, Vanessa gave a tentative nod and paused momentarily before gathering her wits and responding. "I get it," was the phrase that she uttered in the end.
When she looked directly at the young man, her eyes were hard and determined. "I will talk to Amos to see what he says about the matter. If he agrees, we will wait. And... we will help in any way we can. Planting more trees, tending to the vegetables, whatever you need us to do, we will do it."
Erik merely nodded, a very slight smile tugging at the edges of his lips as he did so. Instead of the skepticism and possibly even hostility he had anticipated, he found acceptance, understanding, and a sense of shared hope.
Vanessa signaled for Erik to follow her with a firm nod that conveyed her comprehension of the situation.
"Let's go. The sooner Amos knows about this, the better... He has the final say in everything that happens in the village, and I don't want to waste any more time."
And so, they set off once more. Vanessa led Erik back through the ground this time, the stilted homes above casting long shadows in the dappled sunlight. The usually lively village was quiet, its inhabitants probably trying to find something to eat, hunt or work.
When they approached the main building, Erik couldn't help but be impressed again by its splendor. The only building in the village firmly established on the forest floor was this massive wooden structure, which towered over the rest of the village.
He observed the reverence with which the community's people held their leader, reflected in Amos' meeting hall's careful construction and upkeep.
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