I am a mindless machine.

Then, his arm was severed.

"—!?"

Unable to comprehend what had happened, the troll felt blood gushing from the severed part of his arm, accompanied by excruciating pain, but this time he did not roar again. His sense of danger told him that he must first determine who had done this—he had to confirm the danger first.

It was a young girl standing gracefully in mid-air, her soft, silvery-white hair fluttering wildly in the wind.

"[Confirmed] After consuming the Ribifug Fruit, it possessed a physique approaching that of a super-miniature giant and physical attributes surpassing those of a normal demon species. Its physical attributes also saw a significant improvement—however, it does not pose a threat."

The girl spoke in a mechanical, counting-like tone, words he couldn't understand. Then, slowly, she raised her tiny hand, which was almost invisible to the troll, and pointed it at him.

A blue light is gathering.

"【典开】——Speed ​​control violation——."

In an instant, following its most primal instincts, the troll leaped into the air with all its might. The immense mass caused countless cracks to appear on the ground it had been standing on, eventually shattering it completely.

The next instant, the blue-glowing cannonball pierced through the air, its speed exceeding physical limits, even causing the air it touched to emit a scorching smell, and the blue light (blackish-gray) produced by the compressed and necrotic elves. At that moment, the troll clearly understood that the enemy was not some insect—but a monster.

It was definitely not an existence he could contend with.

But there was still a chance—the life-or-death crisis made the troll rack his brains, even unleashing an intelligence he wouldn't normally possess. He checked his own and his enemy's positions in mid-air, then reaffirmed that he was indeed lucky.

He didn't jump from a stationary position; because the ground was sloping, he jumped forward, so his landing point perfectly covered the space where the girl (monster) was. The troll had previously used this method to create a large crater in the insect-infested area, so he was very confident in the power of his attack. He believed that even if he couldn't defeat the girl, he should at least buy himself time to escape.

"【Restart】—Speed ​​control violation."

His thinking ended there.

...

...

Yunyou used her hands to smooth the turned-up soil back down and then inserted the two small stones that had been produced by the explosion into the soil and stood them up.

In a very inconspicuous place on the stone, it was written in delicate, small handwriting.

—Daniel, Forrett.

——RIP.

She had now materialized her white hooded robe again, with a degree of tearing for disguise. She had also prepared her reason for returning to the settlement—she didn't intend to hide the fact that the two had sacrificed themselves for her, even though she felt no emotional turmoil at the act... but past memories compelled her to do so, just as she had decided to put her clothes back on in the first place.

This has nothing to do with logic; it's simply a form of remembrance—a remembrance of things that have passed away.

...Although what I'm mourning isn't the two people themselves, but rather the relationship itself, which might have been a bit unpleasant.

"........."

The girl glanced silently at the tombstone she had inscribed herself one last time, then turned and walked towards the settlement without looking back, carrying in her pocket the bag of seeds (the future) on which the two had placed their hopes.

—At this moment, the black and gray ash collided with each other in the sky, triggering a small death storm, with dazzling blue light flashing. Under the protection of the forest god, the flowers, grasses and trees on the ground that were not affected by the battle just now were still blooming brightly. The beautiful petals ignored the lethality of the black and gray ash, were gracefully swept up, and floated in the air in a splendid manner.

Against that beautiful backdrop, the girl in the white robe walked silently.

The girl did not choose to use flying or other means to quickly return to the settlement so as to observe the grief of Bart and the others upon hearing the news of the two men's deaths, or their joy upon seeing the bag of seeds.

A gentle breeze caressed her face, lifting her silvery-white hair. Strands of hair brushed against her neck, giving her a slightly tingling sensation.

She wants to be alone a little longer.

Chapter Fourteen: The Storm is Brewing

—Three years have passed since then.

...

...

"Yu-chan! I've come to play with you!"

"Stop fooling around."

Yun You deftly blocked the beautiful girl's delicate face as she lunged towards her from the doorway with one hand—a gesture so frequent now that it was ingrained in her database. Yun You turned to the next page of the book on forest spirits in her hand and said calmly, "You're now the next heir to the settlement, how can you still act like a child, so ungrateful? Are you an idiot?"

Indeed, the beautiful girl before them, now nineteen years old, about half a head taller than Yun You, with shoulder-length light purple hair, a delicate and fair face, and a slender figure, was none other than Funa from back then. Under Yun You's guidance, she had rapidly learned goblin, forest elf, fairy, demon, and orc languages—an undeniable linguistic genius. Furthermore, under Yun You's efficient and rapid teaching methods, her strategic thinking and management skills had also greatly improved. She was already able to participate in the weekly discussion meetings on her own.

So, aside from Yun You, who declined the position, no one can deny that she is now the most talented heir in this settlement.

If she doesn't talk, she could be considered a quiet and pretty girl.

"Wow! It feels so good to be scolded by Yu-chan in such a cold voice! -- Anyway, Yu-chan, come here and let me give you a good hug!" An unidentified object twisted its body in a strange posture, trying to break through the girl's one-handed blockade. However, all of this was in vain. That slender little hand, with a magical angle and a few tiny changes, forcefully blocked Funa's all-around breakthrough plan.

But if you speak out, it will ruin everything.

"You haven't grown any taller in three years! You're destined to be a loli forever! A loli should be aware of her place. You can lean on my broad chest as much as you like!"

However, this situation had been going on for over three years, and Funa didn't seem to care much, chuckling as she said this. Anyway, there was still plenty of time ahead; things would unfold slowly. This emotionless girl would eventually give up and let her do as she pleased, and then... hehehehehehehehe...

"I've already told you, it's a disease caused by growth hormone stopping working. Also, wipe the drool from the corner of your mouth, it will damage your image if your clansmen see you like this... Correction, you don't seem to have any image at all."

Yun You arranged the books side by side on the bookshelf—the place she was in now was no longer the cave where even lighting was difficult three years ago, but a specially made library. The room, which was much more spacious than before, was filled with numerous bookshelves, all of which contained documents that were invaluable to humankind.

"Let's go then—it's time for the meeting, right?"

"Mmm~! Let's go, let's go~"

Funa quickly took Yunyou's little hand and ran outside.

...

...

Over the course of those three years, just as Daniel had envisioned, the future that bag of seeds brought about was a transformative (wonderful) future.

First, the population of the settlement has more than doubled, and it is now a giant settlement with nearly nine hundred people. Even their original dwellings have been moved.

With that bag of seeds, their food supply was nearly guaranteed. And with a secure food supply, while the mortality rate remained high, the birth rate and population carrying capacity increased, meaning the settlement's population finally saw positive growth. Furthermore, the large number of people previously tied up in hunting were freed up to explore the surrounding area, and the abundant food also provided them with sufficient supplies for long journeys. Thus, they discovered other settlements in the vicinity, leading to a rapid increase in population.

Just as Yunyou had predicted, this area was far from the center of the war and might have a very small chance of being attacked by higher-ranking races. However, they usually wouldn't stay in this area for long. As a result, the humans in the past three years have been living in paradise compared to before.

To be able to avoid freezing to death, to avoid starving to death, and to wake up and see the top of the cave tomorrow—what is this if not paradise?

Okay, so here's the question—what happens after humanity's most basic needs are met?

...

...

"Phew... I'm exhausted! Those adults are such a hassle, Yuu-chan~"

As evening fell, after finishing the meeting, Funa sank into the middle of the haystack, sprawling out and groaning while covering her face with her hands. After the settlement was moved, the cramped situation, where seven or eight people had to sleep together, had improved. However, Funa still insisted on sharing a room with Yunyou, hence the current predicament.

In such a world, those who survive possess extraordinary mental and physical strength. They have an unparalleled understanding of what they should and shouldn't do, and compared to modern people, they all fully meet the criteria for strong willpower.

However, above all that, they are still human beings (intelligent life forms).

So even though they still train their physical strength and absorb knowledge in order to survive—because they know it's necessary in this environment—now that they enjoy a more comfortable life, there's at least one thing they can't avoid.

—Who should be chosen to form the search team (to be sent to their deaths)?

If resources were scarce, Bart could have used incentives like offering extra rewards to those who joined the search party. But now—no matter what job they do, they'll receive enough food to survive. So what motivation is there to risk their lives?

Over the years, Yun You had actively participated in several search teams in order to obtain information, but she could not participate indefinitely, given her physical condition and importance.

Although the settlement could survive by staying in its current state and being self-sufficient without venturing out to search the surroundings, that would undoubtedly be a countdown to its demise.

The adults in the village all knew this. But knowing and wanting to change are two different things.

Who wants to die?

—But the problems don't stop there. In the past three years, at least two smaller settlements have merged, and managing the conflicts, personnel allocation, and resource coordination between these settlements—Bart's leadership charisma and intellect are no longer sufficient. After all, he originally became the chief simply because he was the best hunter and strongest fighter in the tribe at the time. So now even his position as chief is becoming increasingly precarious; if no one could rival Funer, the succession would likely have changed hands.

"...You'll get used to these things eventually."

After entering the room and closing the door, Yun You paused for a few seconds before saying this.

A strange look flashed in her eyes—she had noticed something unusual while passing through a certain place earlier that day.

Based on that strange phenomenon, the girl realized that the end of this settlement might be approaching.

"Hmm~? What's wrong, Yuu-chan~?"

Noticing that the girl wasn't lying down, Funa asked curiously.

"........."

The girl gently closed her eyes.

"...It's alright, get some rest, Funa."

Then he opened his eyes again and said this.

Chapter Fifteen: The 'Stone (Crisis)' That Shakes the Calm Waters

"Yo—you've come, Yunyou."

Sitting on a wooden chair near the fence of the breeding farm, a middle-aged man with a steady voice greeted Yun You with a forced smile. His imposing physique and authoritative aura suggested he was no ordinary resident.

"Sorry for bringing you to such a smelly place. You'd probably prefer a place filled with the scent of books, haha, although my nose can't tell the difference anymore. Tsk tsk~ I really miss my younger days. I could probably only go hunting now, wouldn't I?" Bart said with a laugh, patting the chair next to him, gesturing for Yun You to sit down. Compared to three years ago, the biggest difference on his face now was... what used to be a prominent nose was now covered by a fabric, and it was completely flat. It looked quite terrifying and bizarre.

As mentioned before, in such an abundant environment, people wouldn't want to actively go out to explore (seek death). However, the consequence of this action is that settlements begin to lose touch with the surrounding map, situation, races, distribution... all information that is incredibly important in this world.

In other words, the moment the condition of sufficient food production was established, the settlement itself was already on the path to extinction. Even though everyone knew this terrifying prospect, those living in this world naturally valued the present more than that future—after all, this was a world where death could come at any moment. So, of course, no one would willingly expose themselves to a dangerous environment.

Yes, it's like the bystander effect. The crisis of destruction is real, but everyone thinks that someone else will step in to clean up the mess and come up with a solution—so the result is that no one actually steps in to solve the problem.

However, at that time, a leader (a fearless person) stepped forward and took the initiative to lead the team in an attempt to resolve this situation that was gradually heading towards destruction—that person was the leader of the settlement, Bart Miesmetan.

He volunteered to take on this task, forcibly selecting several capable individuals to form an exploration team. The biggest reason this brute force wasn't overthrown was that Bart himself voluntarily participated in every search operation. He was there whenever an exploration team went out; rather, it was as if his presence was the only reason anyone would go out to explore.

And finally, six months ago, this hunter, who was still the strongest even after merging several small tribes and growing to over 900 people... finally failed. He paid a heavy price: irreversible damage to his sense of smell and facial nerves—meaning he could never wear that hearty smile again. And more importantly, he could never hunt again for the rest of his life.

For a hunter, losing his keen sense of smell is probably like losing his dominant hand for writing.

Although he was able to remain in the position of leader because of his past and Funa's high competitiveness, even an optimistic person like him found it difficult to maintain his cheerfulness in this settlement environment, as can be seen from his gaunt face and dark circles under his eyes.

"Are you here checking on the situation at the breeding farm?"

"Yes, after all, this place is my most precious asset. Without these things, we wouldn't be living such a well-fed and clothed life now."