Chapter 367 - 365: Farming Magnate

Chapter 367: Chapter 365: Farming Magnate

Time flowed by like a quiet stream, and in the blink of an eye, the end of the year was upon them.

The last half of the year had brought a string of good news for Black Forest Island.

The most pleasant surprise among them was the massive breakthrough in grain production.

The average yield for the early rice harvest reached 803 pounds per acre, and the late rice harvest broke that record, reaching an average of 855 pounds per acre!

This was partly because the people knew they were farming for themselves during the second half of the year, so they were far more dedicated.

It was also thanks to Duane, who occasionally used Bountiful Dew to irrigate the rice paddies with Magic Rain, which slightly boosted the yield.

From the two rice harvests this year, Duane collected a staggering thirty-two million pounds of rice from taxes alone!

This didn’t even include the grain he received from the people who used it to purchase Spiritual Soil and other goods.

From that point on, Duane became a major grain supplier.

His annual grain sales to the Scorching Wind Territory skyrocketed from three million pounds to ten million. On top of that, he also sold one million pounds each to the Haydon and Holmes Clans at a slightly reduced price.

He earned nearly three thousand Gold Coins from grain sales alone!

But the more he earned, the more he spent.

Logically, since he planned to annex the Scorching Wind Territory in the future, he should have been hesitant to sell them grain. But he had no choice, as they controlled the supply of Mithril he so desperately wanted.

After extensive negotiations, he had secured the right to purchase five hundred pounds of Mithril from the Scorching Wind Territory annually, in exchange for selling them ten million pounds of grain each year.

Mithril was difficult to mine, and its total annual output was said to be only around ten thousand pounds.

Furthermore, a large portion of the output from the Scorching Wind Territory’s Secret Realm was claimed by several other factions, so for Duane to secure five hundred pounds from Viscount Freddy was quite an achievement.

With the five hundred pounds of Mithril, Duane built a private Energy Room for Natalia, and also added a new Silkworm Room and two Black Soil Purification Magic Arrays.

Aside from the pleasant surprise of the bountiful grain harvest, another matter arose in June. John and Jack from the Police Department reported to Duane that Fur Ball had been frequently visiting their backyard, whining at the penned-up Thorned Fierce Dogs.

Duane then realized that Fur Ball, who was a little over two, was in heat.

He immediately opened the Thorned Fierce Dogs’ cages, letting Fur Ball mate with the twelve females.

These female Thorned Fierce Dogs, captured in Thorn Valley, were mostly Level 2-3 Demon Beasts and incredibly feral. One even leaped, trying to pounce on Duane.

But before he could even make a move, Fur Ball lunged, bit the female’s neck, and pinned her to the ground with a single paw.

If Duane hadn’t stopped him in time, the Thorned Fierce Dog would have likely been killed on the spot.

From that moment on, the pack of females saw Fur Ball as their alpha. In his presence, they wouldn’t even dare bare their fangs.

In the month that followed, Fur Ball had the time of his life.

At first, the young Nebula Dog couldn’t get enough. Later, whenever Duane urged him to go again, his hindquarters would tremble, and he’d look as if he could barely stand.

’So, dogs could get exhausted too.’

Fortunately, his constitution was strong. All twelve female Thorned Fierce Dogs became pregnant, eventually giving birth to a total of thirty-three pups.

All the pups carried Fur Ball’s Nebula Dog bloodline. Although the traits weren’t prominent in some, Duane could use his Nebula Dog cultivation methods to enhance them.

They might not be as powerful as Fur Ball when they matured, but they should grow to be about the same size.

In less than two years, Black Forest Island would have its own cavalry unit riding Nebula Dogs.

Besides these two developments, there was also progress with the Nebula Silkworms. Although many had died from disease during the rearing process, about half of them still managed to successfully spin cocoons.

After the tailors, Zuona and Barry’s family, reeled and wove the silk, they presented Duane with forty bolts of silk cloth (each bolt nine meters long and half a meter wide), enough to make an estimated seventy-odd robes.

Nebula Silk was exceptionally light and cool to the touch, making it perfect for summer clothing.

At the same time, Duane and Natalia ran some experiments and discovered that Nebula Cloth was a Magic Material. It could be used to create higher-Level Spell Scrolls and could also hold an Enchantment, making it an ideal Cloth Armor Material for a Mage.

The creation of Nebula Cloth gave Duane another highly profitable industry.

During the reeling and weaving process, however, Duane discovered that their rudimentary techniques resulted in a staggering thirty percent waste rate during the manual silk-reeling stage!

Overall, the silk yield from the fresh cocoons was only about fifteen percent.

Fortunately, Duane had raised his [Basic Tailoring] Skill Level to Skilled, which gave him an idea for an improvement. He planned to build a loom specifically designed for weaving silk.

With his skill at Basic Manufacturing Perfection, this wouldn’t be a difficult task.

The *Long Journey* slowly pulled up to the docks, mooring in Silent Harbor.

Natalia looked at the convoy of carriages already waiting on the shore and felt a thrill of excitement.

"We’re back!"

She laughed. "I can’t believe I ended up staying on Black Forest Island for nine months!"

In nearly a year, Natalia had made considerable progress, whether in governing the Territory, brewing Magic Potions, or her own magical training.

In early December, she had a smooth breakthrough and became a Level 5 Mage.

However, perhaps because Harmony Magic was so difficult, her success rate remained quite low even after nearly a month of practice.

Duane, standing beside her, teased, "It seems you still prefer Silent Shore. Is Black Forest Island not good enough for you?"

Natalia spread her arms with a smile. "Black Forest Island is wonderful, of course, but there’s an unforgettable feeling about one’s hometown that you just can’t help but miss!"

Duane glanced sideways, his eyes lingering on her full chest. ’Hmm, in the last half of the year, she’s not only grown in her abilities and power, she’s also become more captivating.’

"Miss!"

On the shore, Zelina was already waving and calling out a greeting.

Their three partners—Sharp, Derek, and Zelina—had come to greet them.

After the year-end festival, the five of them would hold a strategy meeting to review the past year’s progress and lay out plans for the next.

For instance, how to integrate Nebula Cloth with the Time Closet.

Natalia gathered the hem of her dress and happily disembarked.

"Wow, it’s been so long! You’ve become even more captivating!"

Zelina leaned in and whispered something in Natalia’s ear, making her blush. Natalia instinctively glanced back at Duane, who was following them, before pulling Zelina into the carriage.

Duane, meanwhile, greeted Derek and Sharp and climbed into a different carriage.

"Duane, when are you and Natalia planning on getting married?"

Derek and Sharp were both curious. "Your engagement was so sudden, we didn’t have time to prepare any proper gifts," Derek said. "You have to give us a heads-up this time!"

’The engagement had been a matter of convenience, a way for Natalia to live on Black Forest Island long-term. It had been held along with the victory banquet, so it had indeed been quite rushed.’

"I actually came this time to speak with the Count about it," Duane replied. "If all goes to plan, probably at the end of next year?"

’In another year, Brocade Castle should be presentable enough. Hosting guests there wouldn’t be shameful.’

’He had no desire to hold his wedding in Forest Castle.’

"Huh?"

Sharp gasped, pointing at Duane’s left hand in disbelief. "Your hand?"

Derek noticed it too, asking in shock, "Your hand... how did it grow back?"

Duane raised his left hand and wiggled his five fingers.

He hadn’t revealed to anyone that his arm had grown back, but he wasn’t hiding it this time either.

He was confident that the next time he faced Severus of the Holy Radiance Court, he would no longer be vulnerable to the man’s Bone-Eroding Bloodline.

He now wielded the Power of Life.