With only the two of them, and the route already familiar, their objectives and the necessary items already determined, Alka directly controlled the mirror this time, forming a flying magic mirror. Carrying Rockhorn, they swiftly headed towards the edge of the mountain range, in the direction of the Stone Forest.
Compared to their previous journey, they had cut their journey time by at least half. In just a few days, they could already see the valley depression where the Stone Forest lay from afar. It blended seamlessly with the surrounding peaks, making it virtually unnoticeable.
Perhaps because Rockhorn was at his side, Alka clearly saw another Stonehoof sentry sense their presence.
But he didn't intervene, allowing them to advance further inward.
Rockhorn looked before him.
"You're back! Still nothing's changed."
As if noticing his return, the minotaur-like, half-elemental creature Alka had seen guarding the gate earlier, who looked exactly like him, emerged from the rock. Looking at Rockhorn, they embraced each other.
They engaged in some kind of silent conversation.
Although Alka didn't know what they were talking about, nor could he discern any expression on the minotaur's expressionless face,
But he could tell from Rockhorn's rather frank expression that they were probably discussing the half-elemental creature who had died earlier in the mountain's center.
Alka remembered Rockhorn saying that the deceased was his brother, perhaps also a minotaur.
After the conversation, Alka followed the two men through the wall and into the stone forest's interior. It was no different from how they had left.
The strangely tall Great Elder, Triangle Rock, approached.
After a silent exchange with Rockhorn, he raised his head and looked at Alka.
"Human friend, I've heard him say. Thank you for your help."
Alka smiled and nodded, then took out the three crystal cores from the space. He handed the core to the elder before him.
The elder watched as Alka had gathered all three in such a short time. He thought even one was quite impressive.
Although he could sense his surprise, his expression remained unchanged. After accepting it, he nodded repeatedly to Alka and said, "Thank you! You are now a sincere friend of our clan. Please allow me to prepare a thank-you gift."
Seeing the elder about to leave, Alka quickly stopped him and said, "I'm here because I have something more important to discuss with you."
Upon hearing this, the elder turned and looked at him again.
Rockhorn was also standing nearby, waiting.
"This world's environment is highly unfavorable for your survival, nor are there conditions suitable for your offspring to be conceived.
But I have a place here, pure and singular, the earth element, ideal for your habitation and reproduction."
Hearing Alka's words, the Great Elder initially disbelieved him, his emotions growing wary, yet he continued to stare at Alka with a stern expression.
Knowing he wouldn't be so easily convinced, Alka glanced at Rockhorn, signaling it was his turn.
Rockhorn nodded, immediately stepped forward, and began communicating with the Great Elder through silent communication.
Watching this scene, Alka took two steps back, observing with eyes that could detect emotional fluctuations.
As the silent exchange continued, Alka could clearly see the Great Elder's mood gradually shift from wariness and doubt to belief, and then quickly to excitement and surprise, which emanated continuously.
After the exchange, the Great Elder looked at Alka and said, "If this is truly possible, then our tribe will sign an elemental contract with you.
We will serve you and fight for you. In exchange, you will provide our tribe with a suitable environment for survival."
He was very straightforward, as if the entire tribe was characterized by directness.
Alka nodded in satisfaction, agreeing to the simple terms of the contract.
He would provide a safe haven so that the entire tribe could reproduce, and in return, the entire tribe would sign a contract to provide him with labor and combat power.
A very profitable deal.
After all, if offspring could truly be produced, then the race would truly be able to continue. Unless Alka sent them to their deaths,
They would naturally refuse.
As for the actual signing of the contract, that would have to wait until everything was fully completed.
"Can... I see that area with my own eyes?" the Great Elder asked.
Alka nodded, "Of course." With that, he stretched out his hand and swiped to the side, opening a dimensional fissure.
He walked inside with the Great Elder and Rockhorn.
During the journey, Alka had continued to infuse the space with the magic of a single earth element.
Inside this enclosed space, the earth magic had become extremely rich, and the ground had long since revived.
The once barren plain had transformed into brown soil and raised mud lumps and boulders.
As soon as they entered,
Alka could see the Great Elder Sanjiao's strength begin to rise.
The fissures on his body unexpectedly began to close and heal, quickly entering the initial stage of the eighth stage.
He stabilized there.
Alka stared blankly.
Why hadn't there been such a change when Rockhorn entered this place before?
This change came as a complete surprise.
However, judging by Rockhorn's expression, it seemed perfectly normal, perhaps due to a difference in strength or stage.
Alka couldn't quite comprehend this situation.
As for the Great Elder's sudden madness, wanting to attack him and seize the treasure in his hand, he hadn't considered it.
Treasures aren't something anyone can possess, especially those from another world.
Had they been facing someone from this world, Alka would have been wary.
"Excellent... This environment perfectly suits the conditions for nurturing new life. Excellent."
The Great Elder's words suddenly became fluent, and his emotions fluctuated.
His entire demeanor shifted from that of a frail old man to that of a powerful young man.
From its appearance, it could be seen that the cracks that had previously covered its body had completely disappeared, and even the dirt and rocks on the surface had become lustrous.
He turned to look at Alka.
Then he raised his right hand, and a vast amount of elemental power began to gather in his palm.
A thick stone slab appeared before Alka, imbued with a heavy aura and totemic patterns.
Then sacred inscriptions began to appear on it.
The inscriptions were specifically transformed into the language of his home sea, a language Alka could easily understand.
The text contained the terms of the contract they had just discussed.
After the contract was signed, the residents of the Stonehoof tribe would serve Alka and fight for him. Alka would provide them with an elemental environment like the one they were currently living in, allowing them to live a normal life.
They would not be forced to do anything that would severely harm the interests of the entire tribe, such as committing suicide en masse.
Faced with this contract, Alka signed his name and, using the power of the Reverend Mother, blended with his own magic, pressed a hand seal representing the contract.
After the hand seal was pressed, it automatically transformed into the personal seal of Alka's Dream Realm, representing Alka's Dream King.
The entire contract was fully effective.
Under the witness of the elements, the Reverend Mother, and the dream.
As the contract was signed, he seemed to sense a shift in the overall power.
A brown card representing the earth emerged, and he could clearly feel his control over this element strengthened.
Signing the contract automatically granted him the blessing of the earth element.
I hadn't expected such an effect.
"Since the contract has been signed, let your people move in."
"Of course, we'll begin now."
Then Alka granted the Great Elder a copy of the access rights to this space.
Then they walked out.
The entire Stone Forest began to bustle with activity.
The Great Elder used some unknown power to transmit a signal through the earth. It seemed to represent a signal.
Elemental life began to return from all around, and Alka sat quietly by, waiting. His current responsibility was to open a larger gate.
Alka discovered that the only things important to them seemed to be materials rich in earth elements and various totemic statues.
As Alka opened the gate, they began to build a new Stone Forest on the barren land.
Faced with such a situation, Alka naturally wouldn't miss out. He sat by and began to learn.
As he studied, Alka began to understand the social structure of semi-elemental creatures.
They were simply divided by age and strength.
First, there were the elemental beginners, who didn't exist in their tribe, and could also become children like elemental cubs.
Next came the fully grown, fully grown half-elementals.
All Stonehoof Clan members whose strength was at or below the third stage were called half-elementals.
Next came the warriors of stages 4 and 5.
Of course, warrior was just a designation for this stage, signifying their immense power.
Elders of stages 6 and 7.
At this stage, not only were they incredibly powerful, but their age and experience far surpassed those of other elementals.
Triangle Rock, known as the Great Elder, had actually already passed this stage.
Now, they should be called elemental leaders.
Arka discovered that the designations were essentially the same as those for normal elementals, with only slight subdivisions.
After all, they all shared the elemental realm.
At this moment, a half-elemental creature Arka had never seen before walked over. Arka looked at him. The elemental creature's strength was probably around the sixth stage.
Clearly, he was an elemental elder.
After walking over, he looked at Alka.
"Alka, we still have a contract with the Frontline Alliance. According to the contract, we are required to provide a certain amount of ore.
So, do we still need to renew this contract?"
The reason this matter wasn't decided by the Great Elder was because the other party, like Alka, was a human, and Alka's opinion needed to be considered.
Alka thought for a moment and asked, "How many people will be needed to fulfill the contract, and how long will it take?"
"A team of ten will take a month."
Hearing this, Alka nodded. That wasn't too much.
"Then continue to fulfill the contract. We'll take turns. The rest of the time, we'll return to this space... No, it should be called the Stone Forest now."
Without the constraints of external elements, this area could completely transform into a stone forest.
A square area with a side length of one kilometer was more than enough for them to survive. Remember, the stone forest outside wasn't even that big.
If all else fails, Alka can always expand. This world is vast enough, after all.
It's certainly small compared to the rest of the world, but to Alka, it's a miniature continent.
Upon hearing Alka's decision, the elemental elder before him nodded and left to make arrangements.
Alka discovered that the construction of the stone forest was far more complex than he'd imagined. Using some completely unknown technique, he began connecting these elemental and semi-elemental creatures to the surrounding single earth element through stone pillars and totems.
Then he began to freely control them, arranging them in a certain proportion and order within the stone forest, naturally forming a natural magic circle.
The earth element throughout the area became active, yet... gentle. That was the only adjective he could come up with for now.
Because an active element is never gentle, but rather violent and destructive.
For example, earthquakes and landslides in this world could be considered signs of elemental activity.
Then, in front of Alka, they began the resurrection of the new generation.
First, the elemental core Alka had seen.
In the center of the stone forest stood a massive, intricately carved totem.
The totem depicted a bull-like creature, clearly a fantasy creature, with a large stone hoofprint.
Then, they ritually transformed the core into a stone ball.
The mud ball gradually solidified, becoming hard, and then transformed into a patterned stone egg.
The entire stone egg instantly became incredibly smooth, like a river pebble.
The Great Elder lifted these smooth stone eggs.
Alka could sense the silent vibrations of their communication, as if some kind of ritual prayer was being performed.
After all, this was the first life they had created in such a long time.
After the ritual, the stone egg floated, and just like that, lifted by a ball of brown light, it drifted beside the massive totem pole.
Then, one after another, soared upward.
These were made using various materials rich in the earth element.
Arka sat there for two whole days, watching these semi-elemental creatures in action. Just by watching, he felt he had made significant progress in controlling the earth element.
It can only be said that these creatures are naturally endowed with earth control. There are many techniques that Arka might not be able to learn even if he saw them.
That's instinct for others.
In just two days, the entire Stonehoof Tribe of approximately 300 people had fully returned to their former strength.
In just two days, Arka discovered that the cracks in many of the semi-elemental beings were nearly repaired.
To some extent, their strength had improved.
Or perhaps, after so long, their strength should have improved. However, the harsh and depleted environment outside caused their strength to stagnate or even regress.
After arriving in an environment suitable for their survival, their previous malnutrition was eliminated, and their natural strength began to make up for the loss caused by this period.
For example, the Great Elder.
Before arriving here, he was indeed only a seventh-stage perfected elder-level semi-elemental creature.
But after 800 years, he should have broken through to become a leader-level being.
However, the environment was poor. It was not until he was brought to a suitable area and his body was repaired that he instantly broke through to a new level.
After everything was completed.
Arka appeared in the stone forest outside. This place had already...