Chapter 67: Temples

This was good news.

Hearing that Vargan had ties with the Fox Beastmen, Ethan breathed a sigh of relief, it was great that they might not have to resort to fighting.

"Then when are you going, meow?" Pearl asked.

"After I finish trading with the elves," Ethan answered.

He still had the greenhouse crops and the farmland to tend. The Northern Region would have to wait.

"Then remember to tell me when you go!" Vargan said, and left.

Ethan watched him disappear into the distance, then turned to Zharok and Pearl. "Let’s begin today’s work."

...

The busy day came to an end.

Ethan, Zharok, and Pearl walked into the wooden cabin, the wooden lamps made with luminous pearls emitted a soft glow, making the room very bright.

"We need to make some furniture, meow," Pearl said, looking around.

"Yeah." Ethan nodded.

Although the floor was lined with animal skins and looked very clean, the cabin was completely empty, it felt like something was missing.

Ethan walked over to where the underfloor heating ran and touched the floor, they had started a fire in the fireplace while eating dinner, so the floor was very warm.

"I’m going to melt, meow..." Pearl lay comfortably on the floor, enjoying the heat.

Zharok also lay down. "So comfortable!"

"It’ll be even more comfortable in the winter, hmm... let’s start by making a dining table and a few chairs." Ethan pondered what furniture the living room needed.

Pearl walked up to Ethan with a grin. "Can you make a bed for me, meow?"

’Should I make a cat tree for it?’ That wouldn’t be difficult.

Ethan nodded, then looked at Zharok, Zharok had helped him a lot, and he also wanted his own room in the cabin, therefore, Ethan needed to make some furniture for him too.

"I’d like a bookshelf to hold the books from my cave," Zharok said.

"How big do you want it?" Ethan asked.

"Hmm... about the length of my arm, I guess." Zharok gestured.

"Got it." While thinking about what other furniture was needed, Ethan sketched and wrote on a slate, drawing up a list.

"Hmm?" A light was shining through the window, coming from the direction of the farmland.

’Did something happen?’ Ethan picked up the Scythe of Gaia and walked toward the farmland.

"What is this?" Zharok and Pearl followed him out.

"Meow-woo~." Pearl looked at the scene before it in surprise.

The Goddess Gaia statue was glowing, the crops in the farmland seemed to be affected by the light, becoming an even more vibrant green.

"What’s going on?" Zharok asked in confusion.

"It must be the blessing of the Goddess Gaia, right meow?" Pearl guessed.

"Why would it suddenly..." Ethan also found it strange, this hadn’t happened before.

Out of curiosity, Ethan touched the Goddess Gaia statue.

[The variety of crops you have planted has increased.]

[Blessed by the Goddess Gaia, the quality of the crops has increased.]

[Blessed by the Goddess Gaia, the yield of the crops has increased.]

’Increasing the variety of crops planted triggers a blessing? So as long as I plant more varieties of crops, I can get more blessings?’

Ethan recalled the seeds he currently had, Black Dragon Fruit, Red Mango, Frost Fruit, Wind Banana, and Spiked Pineapple, all were seeds he had just obtained from his trip to the south.

He had only planted Wind Bananas and Frost Fruits so far, yet the blessing had already activated, if he planted the other crops, perhaps he could obtain even better blessings.

Thinking of this, Ethan smiled. "Let’s plant some other crops tomorrow."

...

The next morning.

Ethan went to the farmland and saw that the crops he had planted previously had grown quite a bit.

The Moonlight Tomatoes had already borne small fruits, and the vines of the Honey Sweet Potatoes and Rock Potatoes had grown very long.

The Vitality Cabbages were a lush green and growing beautifully, and the wheat seedlings swayed with the wind.

’It seems the effects of Growth Acceleration and Soil Fortification have been strengthened...’

"Wow~. They’re growing so well." Zharok walked over.

"Yeah." Ethan smiled.

"Aren’t you heading home yet?"

"Soon," Zharok said, then crouched down to study the crops.

"Crops blessed by the Goddess Gaia should have some special effects..."

"That’s what I was thinking too, I want to find more Gaia statues, do you know where any might be? Places where humans once lived, or ancient ruins?"

Zharok had visited many ancient ruins, so Ethan thought he might know some clues, but Zharok only stroked his chin and remained silent for a while.

"I often find records or special items in ancient ruins, but I’ve never seen a Goddess statue," Zharok said at last, shaking his head.

"Not even in ruins dedicated to the Goddess?" Ethan pressed.

"To be accurate, they are human ruins, if you want to find a Goddess Gaia statue, it’s best to check out the Temples of Goddess Gaia," Zharok suggested.

"Do you know where the temples are?" Ethan’s eyes lit up.

"I recall there is one in the Northern Region," Zharok said.

The humans of the Great Forest had once lived in the Northern Region, therefore, it was only natural that they would have built a Temple of Goddess Gaia there.

"So that means we’ll have to take a trip to the Northern Region after all." Ethan rubbed his chin, having made his decision.

"Hmm... probably. Aren’t you eating breakfast yet? I plan to head back after eating," Zharok said.

"I’m going to work a bit longer, if you want to eat earlier, come help me," Ethan said.

"Alright!" Zharok agreed.

They weeded and thinned seedlings together, with two pairs of hands, they finished before full daylight.

Ethan returned to the cabin to prepare breakfast.

Pearl had also woken up, it stretched lazily and trotted toward the fish basket.

"There’s a fish in the basket, meow~" Pearl came back holding a large Red Trout.

Ethan took it and began prepping, roasted fish for breakfast this morning.

Zharok and Pearl started cutting timber.

"Are these enough?" Zharok asked.

"You need to cut some more, meow!" Pearl directed.

"Alright." Zharok shook his head and kept at it.

They needed the wood for furniture — the dining table, chairs, and bookshelf — all planned for this afternoon, Zharok cut according to Pearl’s instructions.

Ethan finished preparing roasted fish, juice, and bread, then called out. "Time to eat!"

"Meow, meow~!"

"Time to eat~! Time to eat~!"

Pearl and Zharok ran over, and the three ate together. Compliments on the food flowed as always.

After they ate and washed the dishes —

"Hello!" A familiar voice called out.

It was Leon, just like last time, he arrived with a cart full of goods, the other elves in tow.

Seeing the new wooden cabin, he couldn’t help but exclaim, "Wow! You finally built a wooden cabin, it’s truly beautiful."