"Right, it is time," Arin said to himself as he sat in his underwear on a tree branch, meditating to recover his mana. He was quite thankful that ordinary cold no longer bothered him nearly as much as it once had, especially considering that he had spent the past three hours drying himself after his earlier swim. Before mana had arrived on Earth, sitting around in only his wet underwear for that long would almost certainly have left him with a terrible cold. Now, however, his improved physique made such ordinary inconveniences far less troublesome, allowing him to concentrate on recovering his strength instead of worrying about his health. He took another deep breath, felt the mana gradually returning to his body, and finally decided that he had recovered enough to proceed with their plan.
That did not mean winters had become any less interesting since the arrival of mana, though. In fact, the last few winters had been particularly severe, with the cold reaching levels that many people had never experienced in their lifetimes. Apart from the two oldest living members of the Sonnenberg family, nobody could remember experiencing a proper white Christmas before the changes to the world. The first winter had been especially brutal, and the government had only managed to prevent widespread casualties because it had been prepared for the sudden changes in weather.
Even so, a few people had frozen to death.
But that is not important right now, Arin thought, pushing the memories aside as he climbed down from the tree. He had more pressing matters to attend to, and the Stillwater Lotus was waiting for him in the middle of the lake. With his mana reserves sufficiently replenished, he made his way towards the water and prepared to carry out the plan they had discussed earlier. The next few minutes would determine whether his theory about restoring the damaged nutrient channels was correct. If he failed, the lotus might survive the ordeal, but the seeds they hoped to harvest could still be lost.
Meanwhile, Tom stood beneath the dam, looking up at the stones holding back the considerable volume of water behind them. "Well, that is going to hurt," he remarked, rolling his shoulders as he prepared for the task ahead. Although the supporting stones did not look particularly impressive individually, together they were holding back an enormous amount of water. Once the structure gave way, everything caught behind it would be swept downstream, including branches, loose rocks, and other debris that had accumulated over time. Tom knew that the resulting rush would be dangerous, but he was confident that his abilities would allow him to escape before the water reached him.
"Yes, I just hope Arin knows what he is doing," Bill replied, his concern evident in his voice. He was less worried about their own safety than he was about the person waiting in the lake below, since Arin intended to remain beside the lotus when the dam was opened. If their calculations were wrong, the sudden flood could overwhelm him before he had a chance to complete the delicate work required to save the plant. The lotus itself also faced a considerable risk, because the returning water would carry more than ordinary liquid into the lake. Bill could only hope that Arin understood the danger and had a reliable way to protect both himself and the rare magical plant.
"Stop worrying about Arin for now; you two are the ones who concern me," Bertho said, looking at the pair with a mixture of disbelief and resignation. Tom and Bill had volunteered for the job because they wanted to test their self-developed techniques under real conditions, which was not exactly reassuring given the circumstances. Their plan involved striking the stones supporting the dam, using mana to reinforce their fists, and then immediately launching themselves out of the way. Bertho understood why they wanted to experiment with their abilities, but he could not help wondering whether they had chosen the most sensible possible moment. If either of them misjudged the timing, they would have very little opportunity to correct their mistake once the water began rushing downstream.
"What exactly are you doing?" Alex asked as he approached and noticed the Sonnenbergs gathered around the dam. He had not expected to find the group carrying out such a dangerous task, particularly when they were meant to explore the forest. His gaze moved between the stones, the water behind the structure, and the two men preparing to strike it. From their positions alone, he could tell that they were about to do something that would release a substantial amount of water. Naturally, he wanted an explanation before the situation developed any further.
"Hello, Alex. How are you doing?" Bertho replied with a casual greeting, deliberately keeping his explanation simple. "We are fixing the problem with the forest, and the final step is to get rid of the dam completely." He delivered the explanation so smoothly that it sounded like the most ordinary thing in the world, despite the enormous volume of water waiting behind the stones. Restoring the stream's natural flow was indeed part of their plan, so his answer was not entirely untrue. However, he conveniently left out the more dangerous details concerning how they intended to dismantle the structure.
"And why are you here? I thought you were seeing Luckes off," Bertho asked, changing the subject before Alex could question them further. Beneath him, Tom and Bill were already preparing to carry out their part of the operation. They concentrated mana around their knuckles, reinforcing their hands before striking the supporting stones with controlled bursts of force. The blows were designed to break the structure quickly rather than gradually weaken it, since lingering beside the dam after the first stones gave way would be far too dangerous.
The instant they struck, Tom and Bill released the mana they had accumulated beneath their feet and propelled themselves upwards. Their bodies shot approximately three metres into the air before they shifted sideways, clearing the immediate path of the collapsing structure. Both landed on top of the small valley that the stream had naturally carved through the surrounding terrain, safely above the route the water would take. Their movements were quick and precise, demonstrating how much effort they had put into developing techniques that combined mana control with physical movement. Although the manoeuvre was risky, it appeared to work exactly as they had intended.
"I was seeing him off, but I am now here with the Ravelino delegation to inspect the improvements to the mine," Alex explained, watching the two Sonnenbergs complete their jump. "I must say, your family's self-developed techniques are quite practical." His attention lingered on the way Tom and Bill had used mana to launch themselves out of danger without needing any specialised equipment. Such techniques could be useful in many situations, particularly when people needed to move quickly through difficult terrain or escape an unexpected threat. As someone involved in overseeing the mine's development, Alex could immediately appreciate their potential value.
"Thank you. We have worked hard to make them useful," Bertho replied, accepting the compliment while turning his attention back towards the dam. He had little time to discuss the techniques further, because the structure was already beginning to give way beneath the pressure of the water. Cracks spread through the supporting stones, and the remaining sections could no longer withstand the force pushing against them. A moment later, the weakened barrier finally collapsed, releasing the water that had been held back for so long. Bertho watched as the stream's pent-up force surged forward, knowing that the next part of their plan now depended entirely on Arin.