Lord of Reclamation: I Can Unlock Abilities By Building Civilizations
Chapter 41: Mental Gem

Chapter 41: Mental Gem

Three days later.

On a sunny afternoon, Thane saw Maxim off.

He promised Maxim that next time he came, he’d let him head back with a full load.

He also hoped Maxim could bring more slaves—quality folks like craftsmen.

Maxim was all too happy to agree, then set off on his return journey.

All slaves threw themselves heart and soul into canal construction.

For his dream of a flowing-water fish pond, Thane needed at least two canals—one for water coming in and one for water going out.

Thane had long since decided where to build the inlet.

At the river bend upstream on Blue River.

That was the river’s outer curve where water flow was strong and fast with little muck building up. Future canal construction wouldn’t face silting problems.

The ground there was higher than most farmland but didn’t beat Fontdmer Town’s elevation.

This way water could flow down naturally while future flooding wouldn’t threaten the town even during high water.

The other outflow canal was also a flood discharge channel, specifically to keep fish pond water levels from getting too high and spilling over farmland.

The flood channel was half a meter lower than pond banks. When pond water levels got too high, it could flow away through the flood channel, bypass farmland, and return to the river bend.

Of course, the flood channel would have nets to keep fish from escaping through it.

The river bend inlet dam would similarly have buffer zones to prevent future flood risks.

Thane ordered slaves to keep digging from the river bend toward the fish pond direction. The five-foot-deep trench wound forward like a giant snake.

Thane went back to his familiar smithy, steadily forging armor-piercing arrowheads.

For over ten straight days, under Thane’s dogged efforts, the box beside him held twenty more arrowheads.

Then fresh news interrupted Thane.

Under Eliric and company’s relentless searching, the prairie wolf pack was finally tracked down.

After a fierce battle, they were just about wiped out completely, with the alpha shot full of holes by seven armor-piercing arrows.

The alpha’s huge size was something to behold—nearly ten feet long, over five feet tall at the shoulder, with dark gray fur bearing silver stripes that gleamed like oil.

When the pack was getting slaughtered, this alpha even tried to make a run for it but was surrounded by Aleya and others lying in wait, finally dying under armor-piercing arrows.

If it were just this, it wouldn’t make Thane stop canal digging to personally visit the prairie wolf pack’s stomping grounds.

What drew Thane was a purple gem larger than a pigeon egg that Eliric and others found in the alpha’s cave.

Another supernatural gem.

Unlike the diamond-shaped Life Gem, this purple gem was like a smooth pebble—slippery but ice-cold to the touch. Thane shivered just from one touch.

However cold, Thane still pried it from the stone wall.

A supernatural gem—even if it fell in a privy, Thane would fish it out.

After Thane got his hands on it, he learned this supernatural gem’s details.

Mental Gem—when worn, it sharpened mental perception and could soak up surrounding loose magical energy to improve physique.

Thane had a rough idea about magical energy—the energy spellcasters used when casting spells.

But Thane wasn’t sure what would happen if he absorbed magical energy.

The Life Gem could directly improve Thane’s breathing technique cultivation efficiency, so would this magical energy give his speed a boost after improving physique?

Or would he mutate like the alpha?

Humans and beasts had different bloodlines and builds.

Would he become a male witch?

Thane was puzzled but also somewhat excited.

If he had Avril’s clone ability, he definitely wouldn’t just use it as a ’radio.’

Of course, Thane came personally not just to see this purple gem.

He wondered if places where supernatural gems appeared might have other ores because of the gem’s influence.

The answer was no—the system only recognized this as a stone quarry.

Thane also thought this might be a burial site, bringing Eliric and others to dig around for most of the day.

They did dig up ordinary bones but found no fancy tomb chamber.

Finally they had to throw in the towel.

Ryan took the hunting party to keep clearing surrounding beasts while Eliric brought twenty slaves to mine salt.

The journey to the salt mine was a long haul. To improve transport efficiency, Thane decided to refine salt on-site, directly hauling back edible salt.

Edible salt in this era was far less refined than in Thane’s previous life. After grinding, filtering, boiling, and drying salt ore, it was good to eat. The refining process wasn’t some big secret—many nobles had learned it.

Avril had also studied it. On the other side, Vivian guided slaves in their work.

Thane only gave instructions on some details from town, like digging out large stone pots for boiling and drying—rust-resistant, not eaten away by salt water, good for the long haul.

After processing all wolf carcasses, this time they harvested twenty-three wolf pelts, nearly two thousand pounds of wolf meat, plus over six hundred pounds of organs.

Wolf pelts were processed and saved for trade goods. Wolf meat was all salted and dried into jerky, while organs became slaves’ extra grub.

Though gamey and smelly, this real meat gave more strength for work after eating—no one dared gripe.

In this era, food was precious. No one would waste a scrap—even bones had to be used for soup after meat was stripped.

Now with Thane around, even bones after soup-making had to be crushed for composting.

Of course, wolf pelts, meat, and organs from the alpha were set aside.

Though the alpha’s pelt couldn’t hold a candle to wyvern hide, it was good enough for making one or two excellent leather armors. Combined with chainmail, the defense wouldn’t be anything to sneeze at.

After the spicy dragon offal dream got crushed last time, Thane had stayed obsessed.

The alpha’s organs certainly couldn’t match wyvern, but Thane could only settle for what he could get.

He had guards set up a large iron pot in the manor yard, adding firewood to heat and melt wild boar oil. Spices and chili were fried in the pot, then large bowls of cut wolf organs and meat slices were added for steady stir-frying. Salt, ale, and plenty of water were added for stewing.

Thane personally handled the whole process, leaving everyone in the manor slack-jawed.

They’d never seen such cooking methods.

This era had stews too, but pretty simple ones.

Cooks usually put ingredients straight in large pots to slow-cook, with seasonings often added directly rather than oil-frying for fragrance like Thane did.

But everyone wasn’t thick—when spices and chili stir-fried the organs, aroma was already wafting from the pot.

Before the pot was even uncovered, guards were purposely circling it.

The instant the wooden lid was lifted, steaming hot vapor carried spicy-numbing fragrance rolling out. Inside, the fiery red broth bubbled, making "gurgling" sounds.

Thane impatiently ladled a small bowl. The scalding, familiar spicy-numbing fresh flavor shot straight to his skull, making him involuntarily exhale deeply.

Amazing!

Thane quickly grabbed flatbread to dip in the bowl, soaking up the rich broth before pairing it with tender, bouncy wolf offal. In two bites, one bowl was tucked away in his belly.

Though Thane lost noble grace at this moment, he gained happiness!

Guards nearby couldn’t help swallowing spit, and even Pamin licked his lips.

Thane naturally couldn’t hog this happiness, immediately waving for everyone to dig in.

In a flash, a large crowd surrounded the steaming iron pot, slurping and eating with gusto.

Martha saw everyone’s love for it and begged Thane to teach her this cooking method.

Thane wasn’t stingy, patiently explaining the key points and what to watch out for.

After Martha learned it, she taught other cooking women. Slaves also got to eat spicy wolf offal.

A pound of wolf organs could stew a large pot of spicy soup, adding some wild vegetables on the side, paired with black bread.

Many slaves fell head over heels for this dish, no longer griping about gaminess and stench.

Spring plowing was nearly done. Thane checked his [Crop Lord] progress—4,351 acres.

He was over 640 acres short of unlocking the trait.

Could Thane stand this?

Even if Shadowpine Ridge only had salt-alkali land left, Thane had to make up those 640 acres!

Of course, Shadowpine Ridge still had plenty of land.

Scattered land around Fontdmer Town could be pieced together for vegetables, plus reclaiming 300 more acres along the irrigation channels for cultivation.

Though planting time would be later, it had to be done for the trait.

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