The Elven Cultivator

Spring, Year 9291 of the Chenxi Calendar.

After several months of continuous cleanup operations by the joint team, the Dragon Beasts around the ore vein were finally cleared out completely.

The joint team then immediately began constructing the mining area without delay.

The main force in this endeavor was, naturally, the Dwarves, who were skilled in construction and extremely familiar with mining.

In the days that followed, the Dwarves demonstrated a breathtaking level of efficiency.

At the entrance to the valley containing the ore vein, they used giant stones quarried nearby to build two watchtowers and mounted Dwarven ballistae on them. They also dug trenches and erected wooden palisades at the pass, swiftly establishing a simple but sturdy defensive line to intercept and kill any Dragon Beasts attracted by the ore vein.

Inside the valley, they excavated three parallel tunnels along the path of the ore vein. These tunnels were reinforced with thick pine supports and topped with heavy wooden planks to prevent cave-ins.

Deep within the mines, they installed hand-cranked bellows and iron ventilation ducts to pipe fresh air into the depths while expelling stale air and dust.

Thorvin even had two magic-powered ore crushers brought in from Gray Rock Castle and installed them in the valley.

The two machines roared day and night, crushing, sifting, and crudely refining the excavated ore, ultimately producing silvery-white ingots of Frost Pattern Silver.

The mining area echoed all day with the roar of machinery and the gruff work chants of the Dwarves, a noisy and bustling scene.

According to their agreement, the excavated Frost Pattern Silver ingots were to be divided equally between both parties.

However, the Silver Moon Clan had priority rights to use all Frost Pattern Silver mined in the first three months.

After all, the Elves were still facing the great threat of the Molten Spike Tribe and urgently needed to increase their strength.

For convenience, the Dwarves also built a simple Artifact Refining workshop in the mining area.

The workshop was equipped with Dwarven forges, anvils, and quenching troughs. Here, Dwarven blacksmiths smelted Frost Pattern Silver with fine steel to create frost-steel, which they then forged into blanks for swords, axes, and hammers.

Those blanks were polished to a cold gleam with razor-sharp edges. Even in their unenchanted state, their quality already surpassed the vast majority of fine weapons on the market.

In this regard, Dwarven craftsmanship had always been universally acclaimed.

The blanks were then sent to the Silver Moon Forest to be refined by Anton into Frost Pattern Weapons.

The entire production chain had taken its initial form and was running smoothly.

...

"Eleanor, Romance."

Hearing the call from behind, Romance and Eleanor turned in unison to see several Elves walking briskly toward them.

The one in the lead was Laila.

As she drew closer, Laila looked the two of them up and down.

Eleanor and Romance, having just returned from the field, were still covered in specks of blood and dirt, clear signs of a recent, fierce battle. Fortunately, they didn't seem to be injured; on the contrary, they looked full of vigor.

"Fighting the Lizard-men again?" Laila asked curiously. "How did it go?"

Facing her friend's question, Eleanor didn't hide anything. She smiled and said, "We won."

"More than just a win, it was a crushing victory," Romance said, lifting her chin proudly. "We took out over a hundred Lizard-men in this battle and captured more than thirty. We won't have to worry about materials for the Dragon Essence Potions for the next two months."

Hearing this, joyous smiles bloomed on the faces of Laila and the others. Their gazes unconsciously swept over Romance's War Axe and leather armor, as well as Eleanor's Magic Staff and robes.

These weapons and pieces of armor were all inscribed with strange and profound patterns.

By now, there wasn't a single Elf in the entire Silver Moon Clan who didn't know that any weapon or armor inscribed with such Runes was, without exception, Rune Equipment crafted by Anton. This equipment possessed greater power than Magic items of the same tier, and at a lower cost.

The entire Forest Guard had already been outfitted with Rune Equipment, and their strength had increased dramatically.

It was precisely because of this Rune Equipment that the Forest Guard was an even more formidable force against the Lizard-men, their kill efficiency increasing dramatically.

In their recent battles, they had achieved one exhilarating, decisive victory after another.

"That's so great," Laila said, her face full of envy. "I want to fight in battles and protect the Clan just like you."

The other Elves all nodded in agreement, their eyes filled with admiration as they looked at the equipment on Romance and Eleanor.

They couldn't compare to Romance and Eleanor, who had been able to apply early to challenge the "Wind-Whisperer Trial" and join battles before coming of age. The rest of them could only wait for their own coming-of-age ceremony and pass the assessment to join the Forest Guard.

As of now, they were not yet qualified to wear Rune Equipment.

"It'll be soon," Eleanor said gently. "Your coming-of-age ceremony is in a few years. With your current strength, passing the assessment won't be a problem."

Laila and the others nodded with bright smiles.

In the past, they might have been apprehensive, worrying about whether they could pass the assessment and join the Forest Guard.

But with the help of the Dragon Essence Potions over the years, their strength had improved rapidly. They had long since broken through to the Black Iron Tier and were full of confidence.

This also made them feel ever more worshipful and adoring of Anton, the creator of the Dragon Essence Potion.

After chatting for a little longer, Laila and the others said their goodbyes and left.

Romance and Eleanor continued walking toward the Eternal Tree, planning to go back and rest to recuperate for the coming battles.

After the Silver Moon Clan intercepted one of the Flame Trade Association's grain convoys, the Molten Spike Tribe reacted as if someone had stepped on its tail. They dispatched a large force to blockade all major routes from the Silver Moon Forest to the northern barrens and simultaneously launched frequent attacks on the forest border.

The Silver Moon Clan, of course, did not back down and met their attacks head-on.

The two sides had clashed in battles large and small over the past few years, totaling not quite a hundred, but at least seventy or eighty skirmishes.

Thanks to the Dragon Essence Potions and Rune Equipment, the Elves had actually gained the upper hand, allowing the Clan's Warriors, who had been on the defensive for years, to finally vent their long-held frustrations.

As they were nearing the area of the Eternal Tree, Eleanor suddenly asked, "Speaking of which, I don't think I've seen much of Anton lately."

"He's busy," Romance replied casually. "He spends almost the entire day in his treehouse. Even I barely get to see him."

Eleanor sighed with emotion. "Anton really does work hard."

Making potions, crafting Rune Equipment, creating martial techniques... Anton's contributions to the Clan over the years were plain for all to see.

One could say that he was the single greatest contributor to the Clan's current ability to suppress the Molten Spike Tribe head-on.

Previously, Eleanor had never quite understood the weight of the phrase "the hope of the Clan rests on one person," but now she was seeing it firsthand.

Romance continued, "When I saw Anton yesterday, he said he was going into seclusion for a few days and specifically told me not to let anyone disturb him."

"Seclusion?" Eleanor looked puzzled.

Romance explained, "Anton said it means he needs to cultivate quietly for a while."

Eleanor understood. 'It must be something like deep meditation. Casters sometimes lock themselves in a magic tower or a quiet room, cutting off all external disturbances to focus on sensing and controlling the flow of Magic Power within their bodies. The purpose is to refine their Magic Power or research new magic models. Anton is probably doing something similar.'

Eleanor couldn't help but sigh to herself with admiration.

'That's Anton for you. Even while juggling so many responsibilities, he never neglects his cultivation. His strength has improved so quickly not just because of his talent; his hard work and diligence are also key.'

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