Chapter 125: Chapter 120: Velin’s Pie Is Not So Tasty Anymore
Two days later, Velin finally brought Sarah back to Newly Town.
He eagerly summoned Caroline and Valerius to the Origin Association’s laboratory.
Sarah stood quietly in the center of the lab.
Valerius, like a curious child, circled Sarah again and again, sizing her up while muttering incomprehensible exclamations.
Caroline stood at a distance with her arms crossed, coolly observing the completely transformed creature.
Her form was slender and elegant, with mysterious patterns growing on her dark green carapace.
One could even read clear emotions on her face—a mix of nervousness and pride.
The two of them could see that Sarah had transcended the category of an ordinary Magical Beast and entered the realm of "dragons"—a different kind of intelligent lifeform.
The risks taken during her evolution had built a soul-level bridge between Velin and Sarah; they no longer needed potions to communicate.
At his mental command, the end of Sarah’s abdomen contracted slightly, and she expelled several fist-sized white eggs coated in mucus.
"Is this...?" Valerius darted forward, his face almost touching the ground.
Velin raised his hand, a faint green light appearing in his palm.
[Spring Green Messenger]
He injected his Spiritual Power, and the eggs swelled at a visible rate before cracking open with a CRACKLE.
The larvae that emerged bore no resemblance to Sarah.
The first type was plump, with thick, scythe-like forelimbs.
As soon as it hatched, it stood steadily in place, perfectly still.
"A worker," Velin said. "Boundlessly strong, gentle in nature, and with extreme stamina."
The second type was completely different.
Its carapace was harder, it had a ferocious horn on its head, and its six legs were covered in bone spurs. It looked like a miniature fortress.
"A soldier," Velin stated succinctly. "When mature, their carapaces can withstand ordinary swords, hammers, and arrows."
Valerius was shocked into silence, staring blankly at these creatures.
A species. Velin had actually engineered an entirely new species!
Velin received a new message from Sarah and looked toward Caroline.
"There’s more," Velin dropped the final bombshell. "Sarah says that once her bloodline stabilizes, she can breed a special type of individual—the King Insect."
"It possesses high intelligence and can command a small swarm."
As his voice fell, gasps erupted in the laboratory.
Innumerable possibilities bloomed in the minds of both Valerius and Caroline.
On farmlands, in mines, between cities, on the battlefield...
Although they knew nothing of "Das Kapital," they could vaguely sense that this could be a monumental revolution in the field of production!
While there were many Magical Beasts stronger than these insects, their overall capabilities were too outstanding.
Those smarter than them weren’t as obedient;
Those more obedient weren’t as capable;
Those more capable weren’t as smart.
Even if another creature was stronger than the swarm in all three aspects, there was one ability that could never be surpassed—none could reproduce like Sarah!
A sharp glint flashed in Caroline’s eyes. She strode quickly to Velin’s side, her voice urgent and excited.
"The materials for cultivating this new swarm, are they the same as before? Based on our warehouse reserves, can we start with two or three hundred?"
An image had already formed in her mind: an insect swarm, led by a few King Insects, carving out mountains and digging canals.
The smile on Velin’s face stiffened.
He managed to explain, "Caroline, Sarah’s offspring start as Level 3 Magical Beasts."
Level 3 Magical Beasts!
The words struck Caroline like a heavy hammer, making her heart skip a beat.
Velin continued, "The rearing standards have also been completely upgraded. Their daily food must be, at minimum, the dung of Level 3 Magical Beasts. To accelerate their growth, they’ll need specific Alchemy Potions, and the ambient aether concentration can’t be low..."
He listed the requirements one by one. Valerius, calculating mentally on the side, looked more and more grim, finally unable to resist speaking in a low voice.
"...I’ve done the math. Raising one of these dung beetles will cost more than five times what it used to."
The blazing ecstasy from moments before was instantly doused by the cold water of reality.
The smile on Caroline’s face vanished.
She was about to habitually complain about how Velin had once again brought her another problem.
But she forced herself to hold back. This was neither the time nor the place for demoralizing words.
She coughed dryly twice, clapped Valerius on the shoulder, and tried to force some life back into the atmosphere.
"It’s fine, it’s fine... This is a good thing, a great thing! Level 3 Magical Beasts are strong enough for our needs."
She forced a smile, but then muttered self-deprecatingly.
"Our family fortune is growing, and our assets on paper are increasing, but there’s no cash flow. This business... really gives you something to look forward to."
Velin overheard Caroline’s whisper and felt a little guilty. ’It all feels strangely familiar,’ he thought, ’like those publicly traded companies on Blue Star...’
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
A guard poked his head in. "My lord, Commissioner Walker is here to see you."
"Let him in."
The gray-haired old Walker practically jogged in, his face so wreathed in smiles that his wrinkles bloomed. He was holding several dirt-caked tubers in his hands.
"Lord Baron!" He held the items up to Velin, his voice trembling. "You have to see this! The first batch we planted in the saline-alkali land to the east—it’s a success!"
"Good heavens, that rotten land where not even grass would grow, and this stuff grew like crazy! Just from this small patch, the harvest is more than what we’d get from an entire acre of our best rye!"
Velin took one, weighed it in his hand, then turned to Caroline.
"I have an idea. Let’s talk as we walk."
He led Caroline out of the research institute and to the newly reclaimed land east of the town.
Under the sun, the saline-alkali land, once sparsely covered with weeds, was now blanketed in a sea of green that stretched to the horizon.
Newly plowed ridges and furrows crisscrossed the landscape, draping this dead land in a coat of life.
Velin looked at the scene before him—at the busy figures and the small piles of harvested crops—and even he was filled with a thousand emotions.
In just three short months, this place had transformed from a swamp of despair into its current vibrant state.
As Caroline looked at the scene, the worried expression on her face softened a little.
"The yield is astounding," she admitted. "With this, the territory can be self-sufficient in food. We might even be able to sell some to the neighboring lords."
"Sell the food?" Velin shook his head, tossing the sea-salt potato in his hand.
"No, Caroline. We’re not selling food."
Caroline’s brow furrowed again. "Then what do you mean?"
"I’m going to sell the seeds." Velin turned, facing the wind, and gazed out at the sea.
Caroline was confused. "But I’ve already tried that."
"Your method last time was to put a knife to their throats and force them to sign an unequal treaty."
"They’ll submit, but they’ll resent you for it. That kind of business doesn’t last."
"I plan to invite them for a tour."
Caroline was stunned. "A tour? You want them to come watch us farm?"
"Yes." Velin nodded. "We’ll hold a harvest festival. Let them see with their own eyes how much land a well-fed farmer can reclaim in a day. Let them see how high the morale of well-fed guards is."
"Let them do the math themselves. Is it more cost-effective to use expensive rye to feed a group of half-starved laborers, or to use our sea-salt potatoes to make their workforce docile, efficient, and create more wealth for them?"
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