Chapter 17: Teach and Learn
Ariana continued to observe the Living Ent as the days passed, witnessing a series of encounters between the creature and the forest inhabitants. Many animals fell victim to the Living Ent, including those who dared to enter the forest. Surprisingly, even some goblins appeared in the area, which intrigued Ariana since she didn't expect the presence of these beings.
The goblins established a small camp in the forest, and occasionally, one or another goblin ventured out to hunt for food. Unfortunately, these expeditions invariably resulted in their own deaths because the Living Ent showed no mercy towards its prey. Eventually, there were no more goblins in the forest, as all of them became food for the terrifying creature.
Ariana admired the Ent's intelligence in not attacking smaller animals to avoid drawing attention and causing suspicion among the other forest inhabitants.
Even a naive primordial fairy almost fell victim to the Living Ent, but the power difference between them was so significant that the fairy easily escaped without difficulty. However, the experience left the fairy horrified, and she wished to never encounter the terrifying creature again.
Ariana continued her observations for days on end, carefully documenting the evolution and behavior of the Living Ent. However, there came a time when she considered that she had seen enough. She concluded that, at this early stage of Arcadia's evolution, the Ent did not pose as significant a threat as it might in the future. Ariana was confident that as the world of Arcadia continued to develop, all beings and creatures would undergo significant transformations.
Ariana ascended into the sky and flew towards the human camp, driven by her curiosity to see what had happened while she observed the Living Ent for two months. Upon arrival, she noticed no significant changes in the camp, which was understandable given her short absence and the low human reproduction rate compared to goblins.
Observing the humans for a while, Ariana realized that if things continued this way, evolution would be slow, given the small human population. With the desire to expedite the development process, she used the System to acquire the ability to create living beings and used it to generate six more humans. The new group consisted of three women and three men, all of extraordinary beauty.
One young man stood out, with tanned skin and green eyes, radiating remarkable beauty. Ariana granted them all leather clothing similar to what the first group of humans had created and directed them towards the first group's camp.
Once she gave the command, the new human group appeared to forget her presence and followed the instincts that led them towards the first human camp.
Ariana continued to observe from a distance to see how the first group of humans would react to the arrival of newcomers. It was young Kayn, practicing his sword skills at the forest's edge, who first spotted the new group of humans. He immediately shouted, "Dad, come here, quickly!"
Noah, responding to his son's urgent call, ran as fast as he could to the spot where Kayn was. He was surprised to encounter the other humans, raising his guard, unsure if they were friends or enemies, and uncertain of their intentions.
Safira, Aqua, and Ekiles also appeared, curious to see what was happening. All the group members were perplexed because they believed they were the only humans in Arcadia. They had no memories of their origins or how they had gathered, and the presence of other humans was an unexpected surprise.
The two human groups gathered and, despite initial suspicions, sat down to talk. As the conversation flowed, Noah began to realize that these newcomers did not pose a threat. Compared to his group, they were extremely weak, lacking knowledge of magic, skills with weapons, and any weapons.
Noah questioned the new group about how they had come to this place, but they had no clear answers. All they could say was that they suddenly found themselves in a forest and felt they had to come to that location. Everyone in the group shared this inexplicable sense of destiny, and Safira also mentioned that they had experienced something similar at the beginning. They had simply found themselves in a place and instinctively knew what to do, but they had no memories of where they came from.
Noah decided to welcome the other group of humans and offered them the house they had lived in previously. He set the condition that they must contribute to daily tasks and work on improving their skills, as they didn't know what dangers they might face in Arcadia.
Safira, intending to share valuable knowledge, chose one of the women from the group and began teaching her to sew. She explained how this skill would be valuable in the future since it would assist with domestic chores, such as sewing, planting, animal care, and more.
Noah and Ekiles also shared information with the new group, explaining that they had lived in these lands for over ten years and currently enjoyed peaceful times. However, they emphasized that they had faced conflicts with forest monsters in the past. This way, they conveyed a more comprehensive understanding of the situation in Arcadia to the newcomers and the importance of preparing for future challenges.
The days continued to pass, and everyone gradually grew accustomed to living together. While Safira was teaching one of the girls how to sew, the young woman mentioned that she was thirsty and planned to fetch water. However, Safira surprised her by creating ice-cold water right before her eyes, leaving her gaping in astonishment.
Theo and Noah took the boys hunting in the forest, showcasing their impressive skills. When Noah spotted a boar running through the forest, he used his Sonic Cut ability to bring down the animal and, in the process, cleaved several trees in his path in half. This display left the boys impressed and, at the same time, in awe of the man's extraordinary abilities.
With time, everyone in the group became familiar with each other, and the new group of humans had learned to perform all daily tasks. They expanded the plantation and sought more animals to raise in the hope of securing a more substantial food supply.
Now, instead of two separate groups, they had all become one community. They celebrated together with each new achievement, reveling throughout the night in celebration of their successes.
Aurora shared the story of the statue she had created, mentioning the event from ten years ago when someone descended from the skies and whispered in her ear, bringing a message of hope amidst the chaos. The humans were impressed with the faith that Aurora placed in the statue, realizing that, regardless of her condition, she rose every day to show respect and gratitude to that mysterious entity.
The days passed, regardless of the weather, and the unity among everyone in the group remained unshakeable. Noah took on the responsibility of training the new boys, incorporating his own son, Kayn, into the training. The newcomers barely had a chance against the skilled Kayn in a sword fight, leaving them a bit embarrassed.
One of the girls made a comment to Ekiles, suggesting that the men were the strongest members of the group and were there to protect everyone. Ekiles promptly corrected this misconception, explaining that women were also powerful and played equally significant roles. He shared some of the achievements of the women in the group, emphasizing that they all depended on each other. In particular, he highlighted the importance of Aurora, whose healing and support abilities were crucial in times of crisis.
The girl was surprised by Ekiles's explanation and felt a warmth in her heart, desiring to become strong so that everyone could rely on her in the same way.
Ariana, satisfied with the evolution and unity of the human community she had helped form, felt that she no longer needed to worry about them. Now, there were many people in the group, and they could protect each other.
With a sense of tranquility, she departed for a distant, expansive forest with numerous caves and mountains. Her goal was to create her second monster and introduce it into the world of Arcadia, observing its development over time.
Ariana soared over the vast forest when she came upon a remarkable sight: the massive white flying whale. However, something peculiar caught her attention. The whale seemed to be feeding on the surrounding mana. With every opening of its enormous mouth, it absorbed the excess mana, drawing it entirely.
The whale circled around the forest as if searching for something. It was at that moment that Ariana noticed the presence of an enormous blue slime, the King Slime. She realized that the massive whale intended to make a meal out of the slime. After all, slime orbs were known to be rich in mana, and a slime of that size likely contained vast reservoirs of this resource.
Ariana observed the whale as it hovered in the air, making attempts to descend to the ground, only to take off again rapidly. It seemed that the whale was reluctant to venture to the forest floor. Eventually, the whale gave up its search and departed, leaving Ariana intrigued.
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