Regressor Of The Fallen Family [EN]: Chapter 214

The land of Kalia in the north was blocked by mountains. They were not very tall, but they were still hard to travel through.

These mountains also caused a problem for the Tenon River. The river flowed from the north, but the mountains stopped the water in the middle. Because of this, places like Taren, between the Tenon and Luther Rivers, had a hard time growing food. Even though they had rivers nearby, they could not use the water easily. It was a dry and difficult place to farm.

But everything changed last year. *Rumble… Crash!* The loud sound of the waterfall slowly became quieter. The huge rush of water turned into a heavy rain. Then, even the rain became less and less.

From above, Logan watched the dam gates close. He smiled, his eyes wide with wonder. “Amazing,” he whispered.

This dam was built inside Three Peaks Mountain, the most famous mountain in Taren. They called it the Tenon Dam, taking water from the Tenon River. It was easy to control the water with simple levers. This was much better than the old dams in McLaine Plains, which were hard to use and often broke.

One of the dwarves, Hamar, puffed out his chest. “My family and I worked so hard, digging tunnels under Three Peaks to get this water! It’s about time we got something good from it.”

Logan nodded. “Good. Now, open the sacks.”

When Logan said this, Hamar and the other dwarves all jumped a little. They knew how precious the powder in their big sacks was, even though magic made them obey Logan.

Clayton stepped forward, looking worried. “Are you really going to put *that* in the water? It will just vanish! It’s like throwing gold into the river!” He shook his head. “Even to make Mana Potions, you need to do more than just mix it with water. Are you *sure* this will work?” Clayton knew the magic stone powder was worth more than ten million gold coins.

Logan frowned, a little annoyed. “We already turned it into powder and carried it all the way here! If we don’t use it, it will lose its power soon. We have to pour it in now. What are you waiting for? Do it!”

Hearing Logan’s sharp words, the dwarves closed their eyes tight and quickly opened their sacks.

Everyone knew that magic power, called mana, was everywhere in nature, but very weak. Magic stones were special because they held a lot of mana inside. But even magic stones would slowly lose their power and become normal stone again if left alone. This happened faster if the stone was broken into small pieces and if it was wet. Because they had already crushed the magic stones into powder and brought them to the dam, the power was fading away quickly.

Soon, bright blue powder poured from the sacks into the water behind the dam gates. This magic stone powder was like a special mineral filled with nature’s power, mana. As soon as the shining powder touched the water, it seemed to melt away, disappearing into the flow.

“Oh no,” groaned a dwarf.

“What have we done?” whispered another.

“Such a waste of good magic stones…” Many people who knew how much the powder was worth sighed sadly.

But Logan did not. He watched the water, and in his eyes, the mana that had dissolved glowed with a soft, bright blue light. It spread through the water like magic dust.

“Open the gates again,” Logan said, his voice strong and sure. “Let this water flow out and cover the fields.”

A wide, happy smile lit up Logan’s face. He knew his plan was working.

Using magic stone water for farming was something Logan learned from a strange accident in his past life, in the Empire. It happened because of an attack. Some rebels, who did not want the Empire to have magic stones, attacked a wagon carrying them. They threw many magic stones into the Tenon River. The Empire thought it was a disaster, a big loss. But the next year, something amazing happened. The fields near the Tenon River grew more food than ever before! People were surprised and started to investigate why.

*If the magic stones in the water soak into the ground just right,* Logan thought, *they will make all the plants grow like crazy for years.* He remembered that from his past life. He didn’t know exactly how many magic stones the rebels had used back then, only that it was a lot. The Empire had kept the magic stone water farming a secret. Logan never knew the perfect amount to use.

*But now,* he realized, *now I can see mana.* *Rumble… Whoosh!* With his red eyes, Logan could see the mana spreading in the water. He could even see how much mana was going into the soil. *When the mana in the ground stops getting stronger, that’s when I stop,* he decided.

As he watched, he saw a soft blue light shining from the ground where the magic water had soaked in. It was a beautiful sight, like magic spreading across the land. Only he could see it. He wished others could see this amazing magic.

“Okay, keep pouring!” Logan called out, his voice full of energy. “Then we go to the Luther Dam!” These two dams were changing Taren from a dry wasteland into good farmland. Logan planned to go back and forth between them, adding magic stones until the whole Taren Plains glowed with magic power. Other people might think he was wasting precious stones, but Logan knew better.

Logan worked hard at the two dams for over a month, carefully pouring in magic stone powder. Finally, he stopped, a happy look on his face.

Early one morning, before the sun was even up, workers walked to the fields. “Does it seem like the wheat is growing super fast lately?” one worker asked.

“Yes! I thought it was just me!” another replied, surprised.

“Come on, you’re imagining things!” a third worker laughed. “It’s all in your head!”

“No, I really don’t think so,” the first worker insisted. “We’re just happy because we’ll get houses and land in the new Taren Town. That’s why we feel good walking to work. But feeling the wheat grow? That’s too much!”

“…Maybe,” the first worker said, still unsure.

Logan listened to them from a distance, a quiet smile spreading across his face. He was pleased to hear them talking like this.

*I’ve done almost everything I needed to do in Taren,* Logan thought. *Now it’s time to go back to McLaine Town.* Maybe later, when Taren Town is finished and strong, he could even move his main home here. But for now, Taren would be fine with the people he left behind.

Just then, Clayton’s confused voice broke into his thoughts. “I just learned today that mana can stay in farmland for a long time! How did *you* know this? Even the smartest mages at the Mana Tower didn’t know!” Clayton had checked and knew the workers were right – the wheat *was* growing faster. It was not their imagination.

“The Empire taught me,” Logan said simply.

“Really? The Empire knew this already?” Clayton looked completely puzzled.

Logan just chuckled, enjoying Clayton’s surprise. Then, he turned and led his knights and soldiers towards McLaine Town.

Two weeks after Logan returned to McLaine Town and finished the magic stone work at the McLaine Dam, his father came back. Logan had not seen him since leaving for the Empire. His father was not alone. He brought someone with him.

“Hahaha! Logan, my boy! They say you’ve become a Transcendent!” His father looked tired and worn, like he had been through hard times, but he laughed loudly and clapped Logan on the shoulder.

“I was lucky, Father,” Logan said quietly.

“Lucky? Is that all you say? A Transcendent! The youngest in the whole land!” His father beamed.

Logan gave a small, sad smile. The title “youngest Transcendent” made him feel uneasy, like he had taken something that was not truly his. He quickly changed the subject.

“But who is that behind you?” he asked, pointing.

“This is Burdel,” his father said, smiling and gesturing to the man behind him. “One of those people you wanted to find. A monster hunter.”

Logan’s eyes widened slightly. *I hoped for two of them, but one is good. And it’s Burdel!*

The man, Burdel, stood still and silent. He wore clothes made of rough animal skin, even in the summer heat. He bowed his head slightly to Logan.

“I am Burdel,” he said, his voice calm and low. “It is an honor to meet a Transcendent. I heard you were looking for me?” Burdel looked at Logan with steady blue eyes. His hair was brown, and his gaze was calm and strong.

*An archer, and a very powerful one,* Logan thought. *Definitely.* He could feel a strong energy around Burdel, the aura of the ‘Phantom Archer’ he had only heard stories about before. This was the archer he remembered from his past life, the only archer he knew who could use Aura, a special kind of power.

“That’s right!” Logan said, smiling warmly at Burdel. “Stories about a monster hunter in the north Empire, near the Beast Forest, who shoots arrows like a ghost, have reached even here! Welcome to McLaine, Burdel. Make yourself at home. I promise you will be treated like the best here.”

People called Burdel the Phantom Archer. His skills in battle were so amazing, so unbelievable, that many thought the stories were just made up. Archers were usually seen as just soldiers, not great warriors. But Logan knew better. In his past life, he had seen Burdel’s incredible power with his own eyes. He remembered red arrows appearing out of nowhere in the middle of a clear field, striking down his friends one after another. *I was the only one left alive, going crazy trying to find the enemy,* Logan thought, a shiver running down his spine. He had later learned that those arrows had been shot from a mountain peak miles away. He had been terrified and amazed at the same time.

As these memories flooded back, a sudden wave of anger and killing intent rose up inside Logan without him meaning to.

“Logan!” his father, Patrick, called out in surprise.

“Hah!” Logan gasped, realizing what he had done.

But Burdel was even faster. In a flash, he jumped back, and a black, shiny longbow appeared in his hand. A black arrow was already pointed at Logan, the strange bowstring pulled tight, shaking slightly. The arrow glowed with a clear red light, full of power. Burdel’s face, which had been calm before, now showed surprise and alertness. He had felt the sudden, intense killing intent coming from the Transcendent in front of him.

Logan sighed softly, realizing it was his fault. He chuckled lightly. “I’m sorry, Burdel. I made a mistake. Bows… they bring back bad memories for me. Please, put your bow down. Or,” Logan added, a hint of a smile in his voice, “would you like to test your skills right here?”

“Ah!” Burdel’s tense face slowly relaxed. He remembered now that he was in McLaine, and he had come here to trust this family. “I apologize,” Burdel said, lowering his bow slightly. “I have lived a hard life, always fighting. I react without thinking when I feel danger.”

“It’s alright,” Logan said, waving his hand. “I was actually impressed by how fast you reacted. I didn’t mean to test you, but I would have been disappointed if you had just stood there.”

“Thank you for understanding,” Burdel said, his voice calmer now.

“No, it was my fault first,” Logan replied.

The tense air disappeared, and the atmosphere became friendly again. Logan knew Burdel was one of the best Transcendent warriors from the Empire War in his past life. He had become a powerful noble because of his skills. And now, this Phantom Archer, so useful in battle, was joining McLaine. This was a great day.