Chapter 758 T.D.O.N.B: Planting The Seed
- What the fuck?! - the guy in a wheelchair just yelled straight up, looking around in pure shock.
Others had a similar reaction, although not so loud. A murmur spread around people, but they were still too confused to do anything, so I seized the moment. Even Leonel and Carmelita were shocked. They knew what was going to happen, but experiencing it was a different beast.
I started by pulling the seed out of my vault, then presented it to the crowd with an open hand.
- Calm down! - I yelled. - I\'m gonna explain everything, so shut up!
My rather rude words worked, and I got the silence I so desired.
- What I\'m holding in my hand is called the seed. It has to be planted, then nourished to grow into a sapling, which you all probably know under a different name as the mysterious \'The device\'. Yes, the same one in Arc or other cities connected by portals to earth.
My words made the murmur stronger. I started noticing excitement on the faces of those people. After all, they now weren\'t just a part of the project. They were the builders of a new Arc-like city, and that ignited their imagination.
- That\'s why we are here. To create a new city - I continued. - The beginning might be a little harsh for you because you will have to sit and wait for me to do all the stuff. Why? Because this way we will get what we need in the fastest way. I count on your cooperation. So... The plan - I paused for a moment to take a deep breath, and also give them time to digest my words.
I didn\'t wait too long though, because I didn\'t want anybody to seize the opportunity to ask me some annoying questions.
- The seed needs to be planted, then configured. I will take care of that. Then some monsters will start appearing in the vicinity. Probably not close enough for you to see them if you won\'t roam around, which I don\'t recommend. I will take care of those monsters, and use the crystals to nourish the seed and turn it into a sapling. This will cause a city to appear. This might be quite a shocking process, but don\'t worry. I\'ll make sure nobody will get hurt. After that, it will be looking just like it looked in Arc back in the day. At first, we will have only one hunting ground, and I will be the only one hunting. Why? To upgrade the sapling, and get more hunting grounds. When we will have at least a few of them, I\'ll gather crystals for all of you to get rid of everything that\'s holding you back. Diseases, missing limbs, lack of control over your body parts, and rest.
I had to accelerate with the last part because I was a little bit afraid they will start protesting, which would be annoying. Then, when I was done, I had to take a deep breath, because I was almost out of the air to continue speaking.
- Then, you will be thought how to fight. You will be also supplied with the equipment. This, though, will finish the charity from me, and you will be on your own. You will have to earn your own crystals, buy your own food, and take care of the roof over your head. Any questions? - I finished the speech.
- Yes! - the guy in the wheelchair raised a hand. - How long this will take?
- I\'m not sure. Up to a few days. That\'s why you\'ve been told to pack food. In advance, before you ask the stupid questions, yes, you will be sleeping under the open sky. As I said, it will be harsh in the beginning, but this is an opportunity for you to change your life in ways you can\'t even imagine, so I hope you will just clench your teeth, and power through. Any more questions?
People started looking at one another, but nobody asked anything.
- I know we should have asked you to bring tents, sleeping bags, and more, but this had to be done in secrecy. We couldn\'t allow the world to know that planting more cities like Arc is possible - said Celestine. - This would only lead to trouble. I hope you will understand. My husband will do everything to make the whole process of our acclimatization here as swift as possible.
She tried to smile but definitely felt too awkward because of what everybody had to now go through because of this decision. I was the one who pushed for this, but it looked now like she was the one who was taking the blame.
- Without further ado - I quickly added, to switch people\'s focus on me.
I stepped a little bit back, then went on one knee, and just pierced the earth covered by the grass of a mix of blue and green color. There was only a little bit of soil in that place, with solid stone underneath, but that wasn\'t a problem for me. I pushed it all to the side, creating a hole big enough for the seed to fit in, then planted it, and covered it with dirt, mixed with crushed pieces of rock.
At first, nothing happened. Everybody clearly expected some type of signal, which would indicate that something was changing, but there was nothing like that through the first few minutes.
The lovely bunch clearly had questions but didn\'t have the courage to ask me bluntly. Instead, they whispered among themselves, watching me watch the spot where I planted the next future device.
Suddenly the shift came in form of the ground shaking. Part of the group was about to panic, but my staying calm, and the rest had rather soft reactions gave them enough courage to control themselves.
- It\'s done - I announced. - Set up a camp here, and wait for me. I\'ll be around gathering the crystals.
As I said those words I took off, flying straight up. This made a few jaws drop, as they clearly didn\'t expect something like that. The best reactions, though, were given to me by Carmelita and Leonel.
It was a mix of awe, pride, and pure happiness.