-----
After spending 2000 Soul Points and a large quantity of materials to construct four Territory Expansion Towers, the area under my control expanded significantly. These towers were sturdy on their own and should withstand enemy attacks or simply be overlooked in most cases.
Although they housed precious spirit crystals, they also came equipped with stealth features that made them difficult to detect. When placed in the middle of a forest, the surrounding trees provided excellent natural camouflage.
"Brunhild!"
As I worked with my group of laborers to clear snow and create a wide, clean space for the farms, one of my friends arrived.
"Ah, Sigrid! How are you doing?" I greeted her with a smile. "Woah?!"
Sigrid showed no mercy; she leaped onto me and hugged me tightly. "Brunhild! I missed you! You were gone way too long! I'm so happy you're back though! Here's a kissie for my bestie! Mooch, mooch!"
"W-Wha…? Okay, calm down, haha," I laughed as Sigrid showered my face with affection, kissing me as though I were her child. "I'm not a kid—wait, I technically am."
"You are!" Sigrid pouted. "Even though… you already look older than us, wow. Are you going to become a granny once you're old enough? Hahah!"
"W-What?! No! I think this is my physical limit at this age…" I sighed. "Look, it's not like I enjoy it either."
"I was just joking, dummy," Sigrid said, shaking her head. "Anyway, I saw what you were doing from afar! Do you need help clearing the snow?"
"Yeah, it's taking forever and it keeps piling up. The snow hasn't stopped falling—I'm worried we might be too late," I sighed, crossing my arms. "Maybe I should just burn it all? But then the soil might get damaged…"
"Maybe I can help?" she offered.
"How so?" I asked.
"Hmm, did you forget what my Spirit Root is?" she asked, crossing her arms. "Remember? Water and Ice!"
"Ooooh! Right, right," I nodded. "So what?"
"Ugh…" She facepalmed. "Look!"
She raised her hand confidently, infusing Mana and Spirit Energy into her palm before casting a powerful spell.
"Snowstorm!"
FLUOOOSH!
The snow blanketing the area we wanted for the farms suddenly trembled and rose into a swirling storm, spiraling upward into the sky until it vanished completely.
"Woah?! Wait, what?!"
The workers and I stared in shock, especially because a spiraling barrier of cold winds now surrounded the clear zone, keeping all new snow away.
"S-Sigrid, how did you do that?!"
"Easy peasy!" she said with a proud smile. "Snowstorm conjures a storm made of snow, right? When used in these conditions, it draws on the surrounding snow. If I reverse the flow, instead of creating a disaster, it becomes helpful, it lifts the snow away and keeps the area clean."
"I see… that's amazing," I said, nodding as I realized how valuable she could be during winter. "With your abilities, you could protect the entire village from blizzards! I can already see it, a rising hero."
"A-Ahahah, really?" she laughed, blushing with embarrassment. "Heheh, well, I'm glad I can help, Brun! If you ever need me, just ask, okay? I-I want to do my best too."
"I understand. Thank you," I nodded. "I'll give you a gift as thanks later. What do you want? Food?"
"A gift?! Let's hang out then!" she said excitedly. "Maybe we can hunt something together before winter fully sets in."
"Really? That's all?" I tilted my head.
"That's all!" she nodded firmly. "I just want to spend time with you—just the two of us—without the twins getting in the way all the time."
"Wow, that's harsh—they're great friends too!" I said.
"I know, I just… I don't like how you went with three other people… it feels like you left me behind…" she admitted, looking a little sad.
"Oh… I'm sorry. I was just worried about your safety, Sigrid. You're still young and—"
"We're the same age!"
"Ah… well…"
"I guess you don't want to say I'm weak?"
"No! That's not it, I mean…"
"I'm not weak, and I'll prove it to you! I've been training hard, and I'll keep training until I catch up to you—no matter what."
"R-Really? You're serious?"
"Hmph!"
She suddenly turned angry and stormed off.
"W-Wait, Sigrid! Why are you mad now? Come on, girl…"
In the end, after begging her for a while, I convinced her to stay. She helped us finish preparing the soil for the three farms I planned to build in a row.
"Freyja, are the conditions good enough?"
"Yes, they are. Let's build the farms right away!"
I hadn't yet unlocked the farm as an official building, so we had to manually select the perfect location. The soil beneath the snow was frozen, so I used my Sunshine Halo to slowly melt it away.
At the same time, I enriched the soil by crushing mana and spirit crystals into dust, mixing in bones from spirit beasts, sprinkling the blend, and working it into the freshly thawed earth.
This created ideal conditions for the special properties of the Farm Building to take effect.
Afterward, the workers built sturdy fences around the selected areas. I further enhanced the soil by scattering seeds from various crops my mother had preserved, then infused them with a wide-range Verdant Manifestation Spell, supported by Ylva and several other magicians who combined their Mana with mine.
And finally…
FLAAASH!
The farms were created, one after another, three at the same time.
Soul Points were consumed in large quantities as wood and materials moved into place, completing the structures.
The seeds I had planted, wheat, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, radishes, and various medicinal and spiritual herbs, sprouted instantly, as though brought to life.
A powerful surge of spiritual energy and mana flowed outward, forming small, transparent barriers around each farm, the physical manifestation of the building's abilities.
Until finally, to the shock and awe of everyone present, we were finished!
"Oooohhh!"
"Amazing!"
"I never get tired of this!"
"Just how does she even do it?!"
"This is so cool!"
The workers stood in wonder. Among them was my entire family, working together. Little Krarlak was sleeping warmly in our house with Fenrir watching over him.
Yes, the farms were complete, overflowing with verdant plants. Everything we had planted had already bloomed and would be ready to harvest in just a few more days.
Ding!
[You have exchanged 6000 Soul Points and a large quantity of wood and other materials.]
[You have successfully built the [Spirit Farm+ (B+ Grade)] x3!]
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[Spirit Farm+ (B+ Grade)]
[Building Type]: [Crop Farm] [Spirit Sanctuary]
[Building Capacity]: [300 Crops]
[Building Durability]: [4000/4000]
[Building Abilities]: [Fertile Soil+] [Super Plant Growth+] [Spiritual Farm+] [Environment Protection+] [Optimized Sunlight Absorption+]
[Upgrade Requirements]: [4000 Soul Points] [Wood] [Magic Stones] [Spirit Stones] [Spiritual Hearts] [Spirit Tree Seed]
-----
"Wait, they didn't just become farms—they became Spirit Farms+?!" I gasped.
That was the upgraded version! No way—was this because I had sprinkled so many spirit crystals and used a divine skill on the soil? This was incredible. The crop capacity was doubled, and we could now generate 300 crops per month.
Regarding the crop system, each farm had "slots" for planted seeds. Each farm had 300 slots, and with three farms, that meant 900 slots total.
This very game-like logic had translated perfectly into reality.
Each farm cost 2000 Soul Points, so the higher grade made sense. I remembered the base version originally cost only 1000.
"I-I think we made something really good," Freyja said nervously.
"I know…" I muttered. "It's amazing, but what are these upgraded abilities?"
I examined them one by one:
-----
[Fertile Soil+]: Increases the farm's soil fertility by 300%. Nutrients remain much longer in the soil, and the soil is immune to freezing.
[Super Plant Growth+]: Increases plant growth speed by 500%. Entire crops mature fully in just one month. Any plant grows very quickly with sufficient fertilizer, water, and sunlight.
[Spiritual Farm+]: This farm has been blessed by the spirits and overflows with spiritual energy. Spirits may occasionally be born from within its blooming flowers, becoming the farm's guardians.
[Environment Protection+]: This farm is protected from the environment by an invisible barrier powered by nearby Mana Towers.
[Optimized Sunlight Absorption+]: Optimizes sunlight absorption by 1000%. Plants can store sunlight within their bodies and perform photosynthesis continuously—even on very cloudy days when sunlight is scarce.
-----
"These abilities are practically cheating," I laughed.
"Alright everyone, great job! Let's head home for now—you've all earned a good rest!" my grandpa called out. The crowd cheered. "We'll also hold another communal dinner, so gather at the village center to share a meal together. You're all invited. We're having grilled forest wyvern tonight."
"OOOHHHHH!"
All the men and women roared in excitement. I was starving too, so I joined Sigrid and my family as we chatted and walked back.
As for the farms, I planned to expand the walls further so they would fall inside the village proper. For now, guards would watch over them to keep animals away.
While watching my mother and several others prepare the food, I reviewed the list of buildings I could construct right now.
[Territory Building System: Available Buildings]
[Large Community Wooden House (E Grade)] [Cost]: [50 Soul Points] [Wood]
[Reinforced Wooden Wall (E Grade)] [Cost]: [100 Soul Points] [Wood]
[Summoning Sanctuary (E Grade)] [Cost]: [200 Soul Points] [Stone]
[Animal Ranch (E Grade)] [Cost]: [50 Soul Points] [Wood]
[Storage Building (E Grade)] [Cost]: [50 Soul Points] [Wood]
[Windmill (E Grade)] [Cost]: [50 Soul Points] [Wood]
[Temple of the Sun (D+ Grade)] [Cost]: [250 Soul Points] [Stone] [Magic Stone] [Sunstone]
[Temple of Nature (D+ Grade)] [Cost]: [250 Soul Points] [Stone] [Magic Stone] [Woodstone]
[Temple of the Spirits (D+ Grade)] [Cost]: [250 Soul Points] [Stone] [Magic Stone] [Spirit Crystal]
[Alchemy Studio (D+ Grade)] [Cost]: [300 Soul Points] [Wood] [Stone] [Magic Stone]
[Old Forge (D+ Grade)] [Cost]: [300 Soul Points] [Stone] [Magic Stone] [Metals]
[Barracks (D+ Grade)] [Cost]: [300 Soul Points] [Wood] [Stone] [Metals]
I had already built several windmills, which would turn wheat into fine flour. As for the rest… I should construct an Alchemy Studio, an Old Forge, and Barracks to begin summoning units. Perhaps building the temples for the gods would bring blessings.
Sun and Nature temples were essential for healthy crops, even with the farm's powerful abilities, extra support couldn't hurt.
The Barracks were necessary for more summons and would accelerate stat growth and skill acquisition for anyone training inside.
Alchemy Studio and Old Forge were obvious choices, essential for producing potions, magic artifacts, weapons, armor, and other vital items.
But that could wait until tomorrow.
"Brun! They're dancing—let's go dance!"
Sigrid grabbed my hand and pulled me into the center of the village. As food cooked over several bonfires that kept the area warm, musicians played instruments and people began a tribal dance celebration.
I had danced with the tribe since childhood, so I joined her, holding her hands and enjoying the moment.
Sigrid was a wonderful friend and a truly kind girl. I would make sure she always had a reason to smile.
♢♢♢♢
Beneath a heavy snowstorm, a large camp of three orc tribes rested in the middle of the grasslands.
The chiefs stood at the edge, gazing sharply toward the horizon before returning to their tent. They studied a large map spread across a wooden table.
"How long until we reach the forest?"
"We've only just reached the grasslands. The snow is growing heavier, and we're not suited for winter…"
"Perhaps in a month if we hurry and brave the snow, two if we take it easy."
"Is this even worth it? Why does our master want these random nomads dead so badly?"
"For his artifacts, foolish woman! Stop questioning his eminence's orders. He is our great savior and guardian—we obey."
"…Understood."
As the two chiefs walked away, the lone woman among them sighed. She stared into the distance, her long red hair whipping in the wind.
Her green eyes narrowed with growing sharpness as she questioned her master's obsession.
"Wasting so many resources on this stupid vendetta… What a foolish man, driven by his emotions."
Deep resentment stirred within her warrior's heart. She found no honor in pursuing a small group of nomads who bothered no one, sacrificing resources and pushing everyone to their limits through this merciless winter.
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Author's Note:
Hello and thank you for reading so far! I am the author PancakesWitch and wanted to say that this is a novel I'm writing with a lot of love. I will publish 5 chapters a week, or sometimes 4.
There will always be an additional chapter on Patreon though, and you can also join it right now to get +23 Advanced Chapters for only $10! The number will keep increasing every week as well!
https://www.patreon.com/pancakeswitch