A buzz of excitement rippled through the group of farmers, watching the spectacle of the verdant landscape unfurling around Erik. Their expressions conveyed awe, surprise, and a sense of profound relief all at the same time.
They had been looking at a desolate landscape just a few moments earlier, but now, all thanks to Erik, they were in the middle of a verdant oasis, alive and active. What they just saw defied explanation and could only be described as a miracle.
The farmers approached Erik in large groups, much like a swarm of bees drawn to sweet nectar.
The promise of a fruitful harvest changed their expressions, which were previously sterner due to their struggles.
They swarmed around the young man, their weathered faces glistening with the fresh hope they had just found.
"Who are you?" one of them called out, breaking the silence.
"Where do you come from?" asked another, their eyes reflecting genuine curiosity.
"Is this your brain crystal power? It's amazing!" a third chimed in, motioning to the thriving field around them with a sweep of their hand.
"Are you here to stay?" another hopeful voice cut through the clamor.
Erik was deluged with questions like he was in the middle of an unexpected summer storm. He stood there, surrounded on all sides by the lively conversation, with each voice vying for attention and competing to be heard by him.
The onslaught of questions left him with little room to respond, and as a result of that, he felt a wave of chaotic and overburdened stupor wash over him.
Erik, however, maintained silence throughout all of the mayhem. He swept his gaze over the eager faces of the crowd, each one hanging in anticipation of his response. He could make out a glimmer of hope in their eyes and a desperate yearning for a guiding light to transform their lives.
This moment, he realized, was much bigger than him. It was about a community on the brink of despair, seeing a glimmer of hope for the first time in a long time. It was overwhelming, yes, but it also brought a sense of purpose he hadn't felt before.
Then, a man detached himself from the crowd and moved towards Erik. His name, Erik would later learn, was Samuel Thornfield.
At first glance, Samuel appeared to be a man who stubbornly refused to conform to the norms of the passing of time. His body looked more like that of a man in the prime of his life, even though he had a dusting of silver in both his hair and beard.
His body showed the hard-earned signs of a life spent toiling under the sun, including being lean and striated with muscle. He was living proof of the adage that one's age is nothing more than a number.
His face, weather-beaten and etched with lines of experience, held deep-set hazel eyes flecked with green.
They shone with a kind of sageness that could only come from years of laboring the land, which Erik found extremely impressive. The tenacity and fire of determination that could be seen in those eyes drew the young man closer.
Samuel's hair, which had previously been a deep chestnut brown color, was now tinged with gray, a distinguishing sign of his advanced age. Despite the receding hairline, the rest of his hair was well-groomed and framed his face nicely, lending an air of rugged charm to his overall appearance.
His hands, which were tough and calloused, bore the markings of countless hours spent working among the soil. These marks demonstrated the strength of a man who was dedicated to his work.
For someone of his age, he surprised people with his surprising agility and endurance. His wiry strength was evident in his frame, hinting at surprising agility and endurance.
His muscles bore the mark of a man whose life was in sync with the rhythms of nature and were subtly defined. His life was rhythmic.
Samuel epitomized the stereotypical image of a hardworking farmer with his weathered overalls made of faded denim and his faded checkered shirt, which Erik was curious to know where he did find. Even though they showed signs of wear and tear from years of use, his clothes seemed well cared for, indicating a practical yet meticulous man.
His travels through the fields were marked by a pair of muddy boots that had since dried out and become dusty. His ensemble was finished with a straw hat with a broad brim, which protected his face from the sun's intense glare.
The fact that his sweat and dirt ruined the fabric showed that he labored in the open air for a significant amount of time.
Erik noted the vitality that seemed to exude from the man. Despite his advanced years, Samuel Thornfield carried an air of youthful vitality.
His remarkably toned physique conveyed that this was a man whose connection with the earth extended far beyond the scope of his occupation as a farmer.
Erik could not help but respect him due to the strength that he possessed as well as the resiliency of his spirit.
The young man was suddenly confronted with an obtrusive screen that displayed stark red lettering that flashed urgently.
[WARNING. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS INDIVIDUAL SPOTTED. THE BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SUGGESTS THE HOST NOT TO USE ANY SYSTEM-RELATED POWER AS THE CHANCE THIS MAN CAN SENSE THE SUBTLE MANA FLUCTUATIONS THEY GENERATE IS VERY HIGH.]
<What the hell?>
Erik's brows furrowed in bewilderment as he looked back and forth between the system warning and the figure of Samuel Thornfield. The man, who just a few moments earlier appeared to be nothing more than an aged yet weirdly youthful and exceptionally fit farmer, was abruptly redefined in Erik's mind. This was not your typical farmer at all. This was a man who was identified by his biological supercomputer as a potential threat.
And the questions that spun in his mind were perplexing. How could this isolated village house two individuals with such heightened abilities when New Alexandria, a bustling city of millions, had only one? It was an anomaly that gnawed at his understanding.
How could a place so seemingly primitive produce beings of such advanced abilities? The puzzle was far from clear, and for now, Erik could only ponder over these unsettling mysteries.
However, he didn't have the time to do so now as the man quickly ended up in front of him since the other farmers made way for him.
Samuel's brown eyes sparkled with eagerness to learn. The man exuded an air of quiet assurance, a quiet fortitude born of years spent laboring under the sun and rain, an unwavering strength carved by the winds of adversity, and it was clear that he had come a long way from his younger days. Yet, they also had a tiny spark that indicated his happiness and maybe curiosity.
"Well done, young man," Samuel began, his voice carrying the gravelly timbre of age but laced with a warmth that immediately put Erik at ease. "You've turned a wasteland into an Eden. And in the process, you've given our people something we desperately needed - hope."
Erik felt a flush of embarrassment and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Despite everything he went through, how he behaved with his friends, how he used to take command under challenging situations, how he fought thaids and faced enemies, the young man had trouble in these situations.
He was not used to such praise, especially from strangers, and his social skills didn't develop that much just in these short months he met Amber and the others.
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