The Rock Tortoise lumbered forward again, its massive shell glinting faintly under the pale sunlight. Thanks to its newly evolved talent — Earth and Rock Manipulation — it moved effortlessly across the land, leaving not a single footprint behind.
Outside, Elara lingered alone, watching it go.
"No matter how many times I see it, it still feels incredible," she murmured, her slender hands resting on a jagged rock thorn that jutted from the turtle's shell. Her silver-white eyes followed the slowly receding hills and rippling earth, her mind caught between awe and disbelief.
After a while, she turned and went back inside. The moment she stepped through the door, the low hum of conversation reached her ears.
"Luciel, what's this house supposed to be for?" Mino's soft voice piped up. The rabbit-eared girl was crouched on a bench, leaning halfway across the table to peer at the parchment in front of Luciel.
"It's not very safe to keep everything piled up in the main hall," Luciel replied without looking up. "If there's ever a spark from the firepit, the whole place could go up in flames."
He lifted his gaze when Elara entered, offering her a small smile before turning back to Mino. "So, I'm thinking of building a separate storage house — a proper warehouse."
"Ah!" Mino's blue eyes widened. "Then I'll move everything right away!"
"Wait," Luciel chuckled, reaching out to gently stop her. "Let me at least tell you how to build it first."
Mino blinked, her long ears twitching as she nodded seriously. Luciel pointed to a section of the rough plan laid out before them.
"The threshold here — make it a little higher. That way, bugs won't crawl in."
"Okay," Mino said quickly, taking mental notes.
"And the inside needs compartments," Luciel added, tapping the paper with his finger. "Separate the different items into sections. It'll make it easier to find things later."
"Got it!" Mino's tone was earnest, her ears perked up straight.
"Then I'll leave the construction to you," Luciel said, handing her the plan.
Mino's hands trembled slightly as she took it. Her cheeks flushed pink, and after a brief pause, she whispered shyly, "Luciel… when the warehouse is finished… can I keep this drawing?"
Luciel raised an eyebrow. "You want the blueprint?"
"Mm." Her voice was barely audible. "And… could I also have the first one? The one you made before?"
Luciel's expression softened. "If you want them, they're yours."
He didn't pry into why she wanted them — everyone had their little secrets, after all. Mino clutched the parchment to her chest, her face lighting up with excitement.
"Yay! I'll build it properly, I promise!" she said, dashing out the door with surprising energy.
Luciel watched her go, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. "She's getting more lively these days."
Elara, who had been quietly observing, bit her lip before speaking. "Is there anything I can help with? I… don't want to just stay here and do nothing."
Luciel considered her for a moment, then nodded. "You can help Mino build the warehouse. And while you're at it, add another room."
Another smile flickered on his face. "It'll be good for the two of you to get to know each other."
Elara nodded obediently. "All right. I'll go find her now."
As the white-haired girl left, Luciel stretched his arms and exhaled deeply. "Then I should get started too."
He glanced at the withering vegetable plants lined up along the inner courtyard. "If I don't get new land ready soon, they'll all die."
He reached out with his mind, sending his will through the bond with the Rock Tortoise.
"Black Tortoise, find a hill nearby. I'll need stone bricks and soil."
"Wooo—"
The tortoise let out a deep, rumbling roar and began to move.
Within minutes, a hill over ten meters tall was reduced to rubble under its colossal power. Neat stacks of stone bricks and mounds of fresh earth piled neatly onto its back. Luciel couldn't help but nod approvingly — evolution had truly made it efficient.
The two girls working nearby froze mid-conversation, staring at the tortoise in astonishment.
Elara blinked several times, her silver eyes wide. "Does he… always do things like this?" she asked hesitantly.
Mino swallowed hard and tried to act calm, though her twitching ears betrayed her nerves. "Ahem. Well… you'll get used to it. Luciel has… um… a tendency to go overboard."
Elara let out a small laugh, brushing her hair behind her ear. "A bit of an understatement, don't you think? I've lost count of how many times he's scared me since last night."
"It's not that bad," Mino said weakly, trying to defend him. "He… also surprises people sometimes. In good ways."
Elara's cheeks turned faintly red as a certain memory flashed in her mind — the soft glow of angelic wings in the moonlight. She quickly looked away, pretending to adjust her sleeves.
Mino tilted her head curiously but said nothing. The two girls turned back to their work, sketching routes and measuring boundaries across the tortoise's shell, while Luciel — entirely unaware he was being discussed — continued his own tasks.
He used Earth and Rock Manipulation to move the bricks into place, forming a low courtyard wall along the edge of the turtle's back. A clean one-meter barrier rose, marking the boundary of their moving home.
"Arachni," Luciel called, turning toward the red ghost spider lurking in the shadows, "we'll need a few strands of web outside the wall — just for alerts."
The spider's legs rubbed together, producing a faint screech-squeak sound of acknowledgment before scuttling off to work.
Luciel wiped the sweat from his brow and looked around the shell's surface, assessing his progress. "Next… the field."
He scanned the layout and stopped near the small wooden toilet at the edge. A grin crept across his face. "This spot will do."
Convenient — close enough to collect fertilizer without too much effort. He raised his hand, and the ground shifted obediently under his command. Within moments, a rectangular patch of soil appeared, neatly surrounded by stone ridges. The scent of fresh earth filled the air.
"Perfect," he murmured, admiring his handiwork. "Now for the transplanting."
He went back inside and returned carrying twelve wooden barrels and several plants — one of which was wrapped carefully in layers of spider silk.
Squatting on the edge of the new field, Luciel let out a quiet laugh. "Who would've thought? I came to another world… only to inherit five thousand years of farming talent."
He began planting each seedling carefully, lining them in neat rows. Tomatoes went first, followed by a handful of hardy vegetables and herbs. Wooden stakes formed a makeshift trellis for the vines, and in the center, he planted the small tea tree and the glowing plant known as Angel Wings.
When everything was in place, he stood up and surveyed the little field with a satisfied nod. The rows were clean, the spacing perfect — the kind of craftsmanship only a man half-possessed by obsession could manage.
A few of the older vegetable plants, though, were already yellowing and wilted.
"Looks like some of you won't make it," he muttered softly, crouching down to touch a dying leaf. "What a waste… Should I try feeding you?"
He glanced at the Angel Wings, its translucent petals fluttering faintly in the breeze, and an idea sparked in his mind. "Maybe… I can use Taming Points."
Luciel opened the interface in his mind — a faint shimmer of symbols and numbers appeared before his inner vision. "Ten points per plant," he murmured, frowning. "That's… not cheap."
He hesitated, doing the math. Cabbages, tomatoes, herbs — they weren't exactly worth ten points each. If he domesticated a cabbage, he'd still have to eat it… and then it would be gone. Hardly worth the cost.
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It makes more sense to tame something that keeps producing."
His gaze shifted toward the small tea tree. Its leaves quivered as though aware of his attention. A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"Tea it is, then," he said decisively. "You can harvest leaves over and over again… and honestly, drinking tea would be nice after all the meat we've been eating."
The thought made him laugh quietly. He imagined mornings with a warm cup of tea, sunlight streaming through the window — a small comfort in this strange new world.
Luciel straightened up, brushed the dirt from his hands, and looked around the courtyard. The turtle's back had slowly transformed — walls, a warehouse plan, a garden field — all resting atop a living, moving creature.
A faint breeze passed, carrying the earthy scent of soil and the sweetness of young leaves. The sound of laughter drifted faintly from the other side, where Elara and Mino were measuring planks and arguing playfully about the right height for a wall.
Luciel smiled softly. For a moment, everything felt peaceful — almost like home.
But deep inside, a familiar spark of curiosity stirred again.
"If I can manipulate earth and rock…" he mused, looking at his hands, "then maybe… I can refine minerals too?"
The thought excited him, but he quickly shook his head. "One thing at a time. Let's not destroy another hill today."
He turned back to the small tea tree, squatted down, and pressed his hand to the soil. "Let's see what five thousand years of farming talent can really do."
A soft golden light shimmered faintly between his fingers. The tea leaves trembled, their dull green turning a deep, healthy hue. The stem thickened, roots burrowing deeper, and in the blink of an eye, the small sprout became a thriving young tree.
Luciel smiled, the corners of his eyes softening. "Good. You'll do nicely."
The gentle sound of rustling leaves was his only answer.
As the sun dipped lower on the horizon, painting the turtle's back in shades of amber, Luciel leaned against the stone wall, watching the girls laugh in the distance.
A moving fortress, a tiny farm, and two companions who somehow made the place feel alive.
Maybe, he thought, this was what peace looked like in another world.
He smiled to himself, whispering quietly, "Not bad for a farmer who inherited five thousand years of talent."