Rowan ignored the wall and studied the soil. That was the part he understood.
Carlos brought a hoe from the Warehouse. Rowan showed him how wide and deep to loosen the earth, then mixed in a small amount of Purified Soil from the repaired farm.
Boro carried over ordinary water, carefully balancing the container between his fur-covered hands.
Blue floated behind him while controlling a second container filled with Mana Water.
Rowan looked at both containers.
"Ordinary water first. We do not know how strongly this reacts to mana."
Carlos nodded. They planted the seed, covered it lightly and watered the ground.
Nothing happened and they waited patiently.
The soil remained still.
"How long?" he asked.
Rowan looked at him with yet another frown.
"It is a seed."
"And seeds take time to germinate, the mana farm plot is the only place it can grow faster."
Carlos’s eyes flashed with an idea. "Why don’t we grow it there and transplant it later?" Carlos asked, but Rowan shook his head.
But Boro spoke on Rowan’s behalf. "If we grow something in such good soil and then transplant it somewhere worse than normal, the plant might die because it is accustomed to a good environment, not a bad one, my lord." His tail swung slowly from side to side as if he enjoyed his work.
"Thanks, Boro."
Carlos opened the plant’s panel.
--
Burstpod Sentry Seed
Growth: 2%
Estimated Germination Time: 18 hours
Soil Condition: Suitable
Water Level: Suitable
--
Eighteen hours was not terrible, but it was still too long when the territory had unfinished walls and the Warden’s Eye sat under guard while its suppression timer counted down.
Meanwhile, Rowan looked at Blue.
"One drop," he ordered.
Blue released a single drop of Mana Water from the second container. It landed on the soil.
The ground jumped, making several people flinch. Carlos moved closer instead, prepared to tackle anything that emerged. Everyone reacted differently after seeing his instinct to fight instead of flee.
A green stem broke through and rose to Carlos’s ankle.
--
Mana-rich water absorbed
Growth: 19%
Estimated Maturation Time: 3 hours, 41 minutes
--
Rowan immediately checked the stem and leaves.
"It is healthy," he said. "Do not pour in more yet."
Carlos looked at Blue with obvious satisfaction after seeing what they had accomplished.
Kaia marked a circle around the plant and ordered the guards not to step inside it. Carlos returned to the rest of Ironroot while Rowan watched for any change.
The territory had not stopped working because of one unusual seed.
Nessa trained the newest Woodland Archer in the eastern tower. Four Shield Militia practiced holding the two entrances. Brann stood behind them and struck their shields with the flat side of his hammer.
Every impact pushed someone backward.
"Again," Brann said.
Kaia corrected their footing.
Garr and the newest Bearkin carried stone toward the incomplete wall sections. The new Bearkin remained grumpy because merely hearing that the Lord was strong had not satisfied him.
Carlos checked the construction supplies.
--
Wood: 414
Stone: 328
Iron Ore: 16
Copper Coins: 301
--
Iron remained the problem.
Carlos listed ten High-quality Razorback Meals in separate requests for ore. He chose every price instead of accepting whatever desperate buyers offered him.
The first responses arrived within minutes.
[High-quality Razorback Meal x1 exchanged]
[Iron Ore x12 obtained]
[High-quality Razorback Meal x1 exchanged]
[Iron Ore x10 obtained]
Carlos remembered Cosmic and sent him one meal for seven Iron Ore too. It was an ally’s discount compared to the public market, not a giveaway.
Cosmic accepted immediately.
The new ore allowed the Tool Workshop to produce arrowheads, shield fittings and another set of wall braces.
Carlos joined Garr in carrying the finished braces south.
The Burstpod had reached his knee. Its stem was thick and dark green. Four broad leaves spread around a round pod covered by overlapping scales.
The pod turned when Carlos approached and he froze. It followed him until he stopped.
"It can already see movement," Kaia said.
"Can it recognize me?"
"We will learn when it matures."
"It doesn’t shoot yet, right?" he asked, and Kaia shook her head.
Rowan checked the leaves.
"It needs more water."
This time he allowed Blue to mix a small amount of Mana Water into the ordinary water.
The Burstpod absorbed everything.
Its roots pushed through the prepared soil, but stopped at the marked circle. The pod swelled until it was larger than Carlos’s head.
--
Burstpod Sentry
Grade: Uncommon
Growth: 71%
Condition: Healthy
Stored Ammunition: 0/20
--
"It has no ammunition," Carlos said.
Rowan examined the smaller buds forming beneath the main pod.
"It is growing seeds."
That was farming knowledge. Carlos left him to it.
For the next two hours, Ironroot continued developing.
The Farmers repaired more burned land. Mira and her Hearthkeepers completed the food agreements before preparing lunch. She brought bowls of vegetable-free meat stew to the southern wall and smiled at the plant.
"It looks hungry."
"Do not feed it," Carlos said.
"I was not going to."
The Burstpod turned toward her bowl.
Mira moved it behind her back.
"Probably."
Carlos ate while watching its ammunition increase.
[Stored Ammunition: 4/20]
[Stored Ammunition: 9/20]
Each pellet formed inside one of the lower buds before moving into the central pod through the stem.
Kaia ordered everyone away from its front.
At ninety percent growth, the Burstpod uprooted one of its smaller roots and planted it farther out. Its firing body rotated from the open plain to the gate, then toward the nearest tower.
Carlos stepped into its view. The pod tracked him but did not fire.
"Maybe the territory connection identifies allies," he said.
Kaia did not lower her shield.
"The warning specifically said it must be trained."
"Then we train it before anyone approaches."
Carlos ordered the southern entrance closed. Kaia moved the guards away and prepared several wooden targets.
The plant reached full growth before they finished.
Its upper scales opened and a hollow barrel formed at the center.
--
[Burstpod Sentry has matured]
[Ally Recognition: Untrained]
[Combat State: Active]
--
Carlos opened his mouth to order everyone back, but the Burstpod spun before he could speak.
Brann had just walked around the corner carrying a bundle of wall braces.
The pod compressed with a violent crack.
A hardened seed pellet shot directly toward the Bearkin’s head.
Brann moved before Carlos could shout.
The Bearkin dropped the wall braces and swung one arm across his face.
The pellet struck his iron bracer.
Crack!
It shattered against the metal and drove Brann back half a step.
Every weapon along the southern wall came up.
Kaia placed herself between the Burstpod and the nearest workers.
"Hold!" Carlos shouted. "Do not destroy it!"
The Burstpod’s barrel followed Brann.
Its body compressed again.
Carlos reached the plant first.
He grabbed the thick pod with both hands and forced its barrel toward the ground.
The second pellet fired.
Soil exploded beside his foot.
"HOW THE FUCK WILL WE TRAIN IT?!"
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