The Elven Cultivator

A faint smile touched Anton’s lips as he watched the flustered Elf Maiden, but he quickly suppressed it, his expression becoming neutral.

He turned, his gaze drifting past Eleanor to the lizard meat sizzling over the campfire. ”Smells delicious,” he said, his tone casual. ”Looks like we’re eating well tonight.”

With that, he walked over to the fire, found a stone stump to sit on, and casually began turning the skewers on the rack, acting as if he hadn’t seen a thing.

The carefree Romance followed, plopping down beside Anton. ”I brought this meat back from the mining area myself,” she said with a wide grin. ”It’s from a Ridgethorn Dragon Beast. Much better texture than Scale Rock Lizard. Have a taste.”

As she spoke, she plucked a skewer of crispy, golden-brown meat from the rack and handed it to Anton.

Anton accepted it and took a bite. The meat was firm and springy, and the juices burst between his teeth, mingling with the scent of spices. It was definitely a cut above Scale Rock Lizard meat.

”Good,” he praised.

’The Foundation Establishment Stage also has its own High-Tier body refinement techniques that rely on blood-essence food. But Scale Rock Lizard meat contains too little energy to be useful for cultivation. I can switch to the more energy-rich Ridgethorn Dragon Beast meat from now on.’

Watching Anton and Romance laugh and chat while eating the roasted meat, the blush on Eleanor’s face slowly faded.

After a moment’s hesitation, she sat back down on her stone stump. She ate in small, delicate bites, her movements now deliberately graceful—a stark contrast to the way she had been devouring her food just moments before.

She occasionally glanced up at Anton, and seeing that he made no mention of her earlier predicament, his expression as normal as ever, the last of her awkwardness finally began to fade.

The campfire crackled. As Anton turned the skewers, he casually asked about the Clan’s current situation.

Romance, true to form, held nothing back, chattering away as she recounted recent events. Eleanor would occasionally chime in from the side to add a detail or two.

Through their telling, Anton quickly got a general understanding of recent events.

The mines in the Thousand Rock Hills were still running smoothly.

The Dwarves, who considered mining their life’s purpose, worked tirelessly. The Clan, for its part, focused entirely on logistical support, making for a very pleasant partnership.

A continuous stream of Frost Pattern Silver ore was being extracted, then smelted into ingots by the Dwarves and split in two.

One half was transported back to Gray Rock Castle by the Dwarves.

The other half was brought back to the forest by the Elves.

Over the past few years, the entire Forest Guard had been outfitted with Rune Equipment, and the storehouses were still piled high with spares.

For the time being, the Clan’s demand for Rune Equipment had dropped considerably. Most of the Frost Pattern Silver ingots being transported back were now going into storage as a strategic reserve.

It was clear that for the foreseeable future, the Silver Moon Race wouldn’t have to worry about materials for forging weapons.

Meanwhile, the war with the Molten Spike Tribe was still raging—in fact, it was showing signs of escalating.

The Elves were focused on capturing Lizard-man prisoners and intercepting the Flame Trade Association’s supply caravans.

The Lizard-men, in turn, sought to stop the Elves from setting foot on the barrens, and more importantly, to invade the Silver Moon Forest to plunder food and firewood for the winter.

Neither side was willing to yield, leading to a series of fierce battles along the border between the forest and the barrens.

As time passed, both sides committed more and more troops, and the conflict was threatening to erupt into a full-scale war.

”According to our scouts, the Molten Spike Tribe has at least four thousand Lizard-men stationed outside the Silver Moon Forest.”

”In the most recent battles, we’ve even seen Golden Tier Dragon-Lizardmen joining the fight.”

”The Elders have already pulled all the guards back from the mining area to reinforce the forest’s edge. Security for the mines has been completely handed over to Gray Rock Castle. In exchange, the Clan ceded a portion of its Frost Pattern Silver mining rights.”

At this point, Eleanor glanced at Anton and lowered her voice.

”I heard Grandfather and the other two Elders discussing it in private... They’re considering whether to launch an all-out offensive against the Molten Spike Tribe and annihilate them once and for all. They’re afraid that if this drags on much longer, other complications might arise.”

Anton’s expression flickered. He understood perfectly.

The Molten Spike Tribe’s greatest advantage over the Silver Moon Race was their fertility.

The Silver Moon Race had killed one to two thousand Lizard-men over the years, at the very least, yet the Molten Spike Tribe’s total population hadn’t noticeably declined.

Their birth rate far surpassed that of the long-lived Elves. Even if countless Warriors fell in battle, the tribe could replenish its numbers within a few decades.

So, even though the Silver Moon Race currently had the upper hand, if the war devolved into a battle of attrition, the victor would be far from certain.

Even with the Dragon Essence Potion as their trump card, the Silver Moon Race had to avoid getting bogged down in a protracted war at all costs.

”The three Elders’ concerns are well-founded.”

Anton picked up a skewer of raw meat and began to turn it slowly over the fire.

”In the past, we weren’t strong enough and could only fight defensively. But things are different now.”

”The Clan has grown much stronger over the years, and we have plenty of resources in reserve. If we can convince Gray Rock Castle to work with us, we just might have a chance to destroy the Molten Spike Tribe once and for all.”

Even though they were peers, in the eyes of Romance and Eleanor, Anton’s opinion carried nearly as much weight as that of the Clan’s senior leaders. Hearing his words, they both grew thoughtful.

Just then, a sharp, urgent chirping sound came from both Eleanor’s and Romance’s waists.

The sound was sharp and brief, like the startled cry of a bird, and it was especially piercing in the quiet courtyard.

Eleanor’s expression changed. She immediately unfastened a palm-sized bronze disk from her waist.

The disk’s surface was engraved with intricate runes. It was now flashing with an emerald-green light, pulsing in time with the chirps.

Anton recognized it at a glance. It was a Warbler Disk, a magical device used in conjunction with Songbirds.

When the Songbirds at the forest’s edge spot an intruder, they let out a cry at a specific frequency. The Warbler Disk receives this sound and automatically issues an alert. Based on the sound’s strength and origin, a corresponding point of light appears on the disk’s surface, informing the user of the invasion’s direction and scale.

”The Lizard-men are attacking again,” Eleanor said, her expression grave as she stood up.

Without a word, Romance snatched up the Frost Pattern Silver axe leaning against the wall and strode outside. With half a piece of roasted meat still in her mouth, she mumbled, ”Anton, you keep eating. We’ll be right back.”

Eleanor gave Anton a slight nod of farewell, then followed.

Anton set down his skewer, rose, and brushed the dust from his robes. ”I’m going with you,” he said calmly.

Romance and Eleanor both froze.

Eleanor hesitated. ”Anton, you don’t have to take such a risk.”

’Anton is the hope for the Clan’s future. If anything happened to him on the battlefield, they would never forgive themselves.’

”I’m a member of this Clan, too. It’s time I did my part in its battles. I can’t hide in the back forever,” Anton said calmly.

Eleanor’s brow furrowed, and she opened her mouth to argue, but Anton stopped her with a raised hand.

”Don’t worry, I’ll explain things to the three Elders later.” He strode past them and out of the treehouse. ”Let’s go. If we delay any longer, the fighting will be over by the time we get there.”

A helpless look crossed Eleanor’s face, but she had no choice but to follow.

Romance, on the other hand, was thrilled. She hurried to catch up with Anton, laughing. ”This is great, Anton! I’ve been waiting for a chance to fight alongside you. Let’s have a little contest later—see who can kill the most enemies!”

A small smile played on Anton’s lips. ”Sounds good.”

’This was the perfect chance to test just how powerful he had become since reaching Foundation Establishment.’