The shield troops had no proper digging tools, so they used the flat sides of their shields to push loose soil out of the channel. It was slow and looked ridiculous but it still worked.
Carlos joined them whenever the system didn’t require him near the regulator. Cosmic did the same, although he complained that merchants were not supposed to shovel dirt with their hands.
The second obstruction had roots inside it. Carlos made everyone stop before touching them.
--
[Regulator Roots detected]
[Remove dead growth only]
--
None of them knew which roots were dead.
Nessa examined the colors but refused to guess. Carlos used Inspect on each exposed section until the system identified three pieces as dead growth.
Only those were removed.
The work was slower than Cedric expected. His group complained twice but stopped when Carlos reminded them that damaging the district could remove the claim and every promised benefit with it.
The third obstruction was close to the reservoir.
Brann lifted a broken slab while the shield troops pulled a mass of dry vines from underneath it.
The stone channel suddenly made a grinding sound.
Everyone moved back.
Water pushed against the closed entrance but did not pass through.
Carlos returned to the regulator and placed his hand on the second handle.
--
[Auxiliary Channel Two obstruction cleared]
[Activation will begin Partial Claim evaluation]
[Would you like to activate the channel?]
--
Carlos looked toward Cosmic.
"You studied this properly. What does Partial Claim evaluation mean?"
For the first time since entering the valley, Cosmic had no immediate answer.
"That was not in our classes, bro."
Carlos looked at the second handle again.
"So you don’t know what will happen?"
"Partial Claim sounds better than Temporary Claim. That is all I can tell you."
"Very useful."
"I explained what an aqueduct was. My job here is already done."
Carlos ignored him and checked the channel one more time.
Kaia had moved everyone away from the edges. Brann was standing near the final stone while Cedric’s troops waited with their tools.
Nothing else could be done without activating it.
"Activate."
The second handle unlocked under Carlos’s hand. He pulled it slowly.
Water entered the channel and immediately struck the first repaired section. Some loose soil moved with it but the stones remained in place.
The flow reached the exposed roots next and every root moved at the same time.
Cedric’s troops raised their shields but Carlos kept watching the system panel.
--
[Regulator Roots accepting restored flow]
[District integrity increasing]
--
"Don’t attack them," Carlos ordered.
The roots moved away from the center of the channel and entered the soil on both sides. Water continued toward the outer fields.
Grey soil became dark while dead vines slowly lifted from the ground.
Carlos didn’t try to decide whether they were healthy. He used Inspect on the closest one.
--
[Unidentified Rooted Crop]
[Condition: Recovering]
[Detailed identification unavailable]
--
"It worked," Cedric muttered.
The ground vibrated under them. This time, nothing came out of the fields.
A golden line travelled from the second channel to the reservoir and then spread through the round regulator building.
--
[Auxiliary Channels Restored: 2 of 12]
[Minimum stabilization threshold reached]
[Temporary Claim evaluation completed]
[Partial District Ownership granted]
[Partial Owner: Carlos Goldwin]
[Current Partial Owner Authority:]
[Operate restored district functions]
[Protect rooted district crops]
[Grant supervised work access]
[Access recovered district records]
--
Carlos read the notification three times.
"Partial ownership..."
The valley was still far larger than Ironroot. Ten channels remained broken and most of the crops still looked dead, but part of this place now officially belonged to him.
Cedric looked at the panel and then at Carlos.
"So helping you made the claim stronger."
"That was the deal."
"I thought it would give all of us a claim."
Cosmic moved between them before the argument could start again.
"You were paid with food and promised access. Nobody promised ownership."
Cedric remained silent for a moment before nodding. "Then remember the access you promised us."
Cedric didn’t add any ’please’, any pleading in his sentences while talking with Carlos and he didn’t mind that.
A leader, no matter what level one he was, there needed to be an authority in their voice. That part, Carlos respected.
"I will," Carlos answered.
Carlos opened the new work access function and registered Cedric’s group until the end of their agreement. It allowed them to continue clearing the second channel but still prevented them from removing rooted crops.
Cedric tested the permission by touching the edge of the channel. No barrier appeared. When he moved toward the closest tree, the golden barrier returned.
"Fair enough," he said.
Another notification appeared before him.
--
[District memory partially restored]
[Recovering regional infrastructure records]
--
Golden light rose from the reservoir and formed a rough map in the air.
The cultivation district appeared first. Lines moved away from it and created three more locations around the valley.
--
[Aurelian Basin Regional Network]
[Ancient Cultivation District: Food production]
[Glasswood Basin: Material production]
[Red Prairie: Livestock and fodder production]
[Aurelian Settlement: Population center]
[Current network condition: Disconnected]
--
Carlos stared at the map.
"The fuck is this??"
"My lord..."
"... Sorry"
Cosmic interjected, "It seems all four paths were connected this whole time.
Cosmic walked around the projection and looked toward the western route.
"The settlement probably used the food grown here. The prairie supported animals and the Glasswood supplied construction materials."
Cedric moved closer to the projection too.
"Then everyone who chose the other routes is exploring the same region from different sides."
"Probably," Cosmic answered. "If the roads still connect, we might meet them again near the settlement."
"And also" Cosmic spoke again, getting everyone’s attention in the process, "Its confirmed now that this whole pocket dimension is specifically for production domain, not military ones. "
Carlos heard that and nodded and so did the other lords and troops. It made sense with how each description went.
"Pss" Carlos made a sound to get Cosmic’s attention and nudged his face.
Cosmic looked at him for a moment and nodded.
"PLease give us a moment"
They both left to the side and Cosmic sighed, "You could have just kept looking at me, bro. I would have understood."
"Leave that" Carlos spoke, "I have plan in mind man, listen to this"
"Each domain looks like something I would want a piece off, they all have resources at the end of the day" He spoke and Cosmic nodded before his face froze.
"You mean..."
Carlos grinned, "Why stop at the agricultural district? After this, we can go for other sectors too... get ownership of this whole pocket dimension"
Cosmic didn’t speak anything for a moment and was too surprised for anything.
"You’re crazy..." He spoke but didn’t deny.
"Do you really want yo pursue such a risky goal? Like us, many won’t be happy if someone asked for a piece of ownership in these sectors. This will lead to an actual war, bro."
"So be it, we assess the situation of the other sectors after this and grow stronger. I am confident we could do something about this."
"Wait, lets not entertain this anymore... lets talka bout this when we finally have what it takes to get this whole place to work first."
"Makes sense"
When they were going back. Cosmic was looking at Carlos with wat looked like a mix of proudness and admiration. But at the same time, this all seemed like something that could lose lives in the process.
"Alright guys, so with this information. We know for certain that the cultivation district wasn’t the only location worth claiming. Lords taking the other routes might already be restoring their own parts of the network."
Carlos remembered the walking thorn plant, Stone Dwarf and other strange troops he had seen on the arrival road. Different Domains could be receiving opportunities in different parts of the same region. Or together, he didn’t yet know.
The aqueduct route had not been an agricultural reward placed conveniently for Carlos. It was one part of a much larger region.
That explained why the main road had pointed toward all four locations. It didn’t explain why Carlos had chosen this one without knowing what an aqueduct was. The system answered that next as if listening to him.
--
[Emergency restoration record recovered]
[Restoration Resonance released when dimensional access opened]
[Target: Compatible Domain signatures within reception range]
[First compatible respondent: Carlos Goldwin]
--
"... You say what?"
"Hmm..." Cosmic read the notification again.
"It says first compatible respondent, not only compatible respondent. You got way lucky than I expected, man"
The regional map disappeared but one golden line remained. It stretched from the cultivation district toward a small image of Ironroot.
--
[Compatible Territory detected]
[Territory: Ironroot]
[External Agricultural Outpost connection available]
[A Domain Portal may be established between both locations]
--
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