CHAPTER 235: FOUND IT

The sky was dark and still. A faint breeze swept across the land, cooling the warmth left behind by the morning sun.

Above, the monochrome sun hovered silently in the heavens, casting its pale, colorless light over a small village tucked away from the kingdom’s heart. Its beams washed the quiet settlement in a peaceful, black-and-white glow.

The streets were silent. Aside from a few villagers doing night watch, holding torches, and walking their quiet patrols, the rest of the village lay asleep. Doors shut. Curtains drawn. People were dreaming, unaware that tonight would not pass like the others.

A sudden, ear-splitting boom tore through the night, cracking open the sky like divine judgment. The sound rippled downward, shaking the earth and rattling the wooden walls of every home. Peaceful sleep was shattered in an instant—replaced by startled screams and panicked movement.

Above them, wings of pure white cut through the sky.

Adyr hovered in silence, descending like a figure fallen from heaven, his arrival cloaked in the chaos his Sonic Burst had unleashed. From below, villagers poured out of their homes in fear, gazing up at the sky with wide, terrified eyes.

He had never intended to arrive quietly. Waking them all at once served a purpose—it made things move faster.

While the crowd searched the heavens, trying to understand what had caused the explosion, Adyr set his eyes on a particular house that stood out near the center of the village. It was larger than the rest, and in front of it stood an older man who had rushed out in confusion.

Adyr descended gently, landing in front of him.

"W-Who...?" the old man stammered, body trembling, eyes wide with fear. The shock of the blast had already shaken him, and now, faced with a winged figure descending from the sky, he looked as if he might collapse entirely.

"Apologies for the disturbance. I’m not your enemy. There’s no need to be afraid—I came to help."

Adyr’s voice was calm, steady. As he spoke, his Presence

spread outward like a warm blanket, blanketing the village with subtle, invisible energy. Fear ebbed. Suspicion softened. In its place came courage—and a sense of familiarity they couldn’t explain.

"You’re the village chief, aren’t you?" he asked with a faint smile, wings slowly folding behind him.

Bathed in the divine aura Adyr now radiated, the old man stared up at him in awe. His knees buckled as he dropped to the ground, eyes shimmering with reverence, voice quivering as recognition took hold.

"Lord Adyr..."

Wings as white as untouched snow, two swords strapped to his back like loyal sentinels, messy black hair falling over deep, jet-black eyes—and unlike most Velari, his unnaturally tall stature made him stand out unmistakably.

There was no doubt in the village chief’s eyes that the young man standing before him was the legendary figure who had recently gripped the entire kingdom in awe.

"No need for humility. Please, rise," Adyr said, stepping forward and gently grasping the chief’s arms to help him to his feet. Time was running short, and he couldn’t afford to linger on their reverence.

The old man took this gesture as pure kindness, grounded and sincere. His eyes welled up with tears, but before he could become overwhelmed, Adyr swiftly steered the conversation back on track.

"I’ve heard your village is facing a dire situation, one I believe a Spark is responsible for. I need someone to explain the details and show me the areas where the abnormalities have occurred."

At these words, the chief’s eyes brightened with zeal and renewed energy. His old body straightened, life filling him once again. With an unexpectedly strong voice, he replied, "Of course... Lord Adyr." Realizing he had raised his voice, he paused briefly and lowered it to a more controlled tone.

Meanwhile, the villagers, shaken by the chaos and clutching their torches, were already gathering near the chef’s house in the village square.

Thanks to Adyr’s Presence, their fear had already dissolved, replaced by a vigorous bravery. As they approached at a brisk pace, they halted briefly upon seeing a stranger.

Before anyone could even grasp who this stranger was, their questioning eyes caught sight of their chief approaching, shouting at them.

"Lord Adyr, a respected Practitioner of our kingdom, has come to help us. Gather everyone here—call every landowner and farmer."

His voice was as loud and urgent as they had ever heard.

It took the villagers barely a second to understand the situation. Excitement surged through them, igniting a new chaos as they ran through the village square, torches in hand, shouting and waking everyone—children and elders alike.

Well, this reaction is more than I expected. Adyr watched calmly as the crowd swelled in the square—women carrying children, elders who should have stayed in bed, drawn out by a desperate hope to see and aid him. He couldn’t help but feel quietly amused.

There was no regret in his mind; this was better. The more hands involved, the faster they could find his Spark.

"Lord Adyr." Within minutes, after the entire village had gathered, a middle-aged man stepped forward and knelt before him.

Adyr lifted him gently, dismissing the formalities, unintentionally earning the love and respect of the people once again. Then, he listened as the man explained.

"It started three weeks ago. The crops began growing rapidly, but their taste turned bitter—inedible." The man spoke carefully, detailing every point before pausing to add, "Also, there’s something strange about the harvest. None of the crops had roots. Normally, roots grow as large as the plants, but these were all rootless, stuck on the surface as if glued to the soil."

A flicker of understanding appeared across Adyr’s face at this information. "I see. Please take me to the site."

After a short walk, the knowledgeable man led the way, followed by Adyr and the villagers holding torches, until they arrived at the suspicious fields.

The field was vast—half of it had already been harvested, plowed, and prepared for new crops, while the other half still stood untouched.

Adyr studied the strange plants carefully. He recognized them from the illustrated children’s books he had read—similar to corn in his own world, but influenced by the unknown Spark, each stalk had stretched three, even four meters tall.

When he pulled one up, he saw its roots were missing. Turning to the village chief, he said, "Can you organize the men to harvest the rest and dig up all the soil? They need to search for an opening—an underground tunnel or a large cavity." His tone carried the certainty of someone who already suspected the cause.

The village chief nodded, and before he could even relay the order to the others, the villagers had already sprung into action.

Men rushed around gathering tools—hoes, picks, and shovels. Those without proper equipment grabbed axes, hatchets, knives—anything they could use to break the soil. Women hurried to their kitchens, grabbing ladles, pots, whatever they could find. Together, they began turning the entire field upside down.

As Adyr watched their determined efforts, he quietly spread his Presence, infusing their energy and will to hasten the work.

Soon, before much time had passed and the entire field was overturned, a voice rang out.

"I found it! I found it!"