Looking down from above, the lake reservoir that abruptly appears between the dense forest does seem somewhat peculiar. From the beast skin notes of that Gold Level Great Mage that Austin obtained earlier, it's known that this lake reservoir seems to be a meteorite crater formed by something falling from the sky, akin to a meteorite.

Moreover, at the bottom of the lake, there exist some completely unknown secrets, at least that plant known as Ghost Grass, said to only grow in places where the Power of the World is exposed, is something Austin is currently unable to comprehend.

"This is simply... a disaster out of nowhere!"

Originally choosing this place as a lair was because he was born nearby and this location is relatively secluded. There aren't many top predators like Magic Beasts or Giant Beasts, which allowed Austin to safely survive and grow up.

But who would have known that such a big pit was hidden here as well, first being the remnant of some Gold Level Great Mage, followed by the Blood Claw Tribe, and later on even a mercenary squad. It made things incredibly frustrating for Austin.

However, now that the Dragon Nest Tribe has already taken root here and started various farmland clearings, they cannot easily relocate. Even if they wanted to move, the stored food wouldn't be enough to sustain them until they find another base for farming and producing crops, so there's no choice but to continue on this path.

"Hmph, if I were given a bit more time to develop, what does it matter if there are greater dangers and challenges!"

He was able to create such a powerful tribe from scratch in just over a year. If he had a little more time, the strength of the Dragon Nest Tribe would be even greater, so why would he fear anything?

Moreover, now that he has reached quasi-Gold Level strength after awakening from his slumber, coupled with the assistance of numerous trained clansmen under his command, he has sufficient power to protect himself within the scope of the Kawa Great Forest.

"However, perhaps now is the time to explore the secrets at the bottom of the lake..."

After pondering for a moment, Austin leaped up and flew toward the lake reservoir.

Whoa!

Upon reaching the sky above the lake reservoir, Austin plunged into the water, causing a huge splash.

In the world beneath the lake, with no more ferocious predators like Ghost-headed Crocodiles, the fish swimming in the water had increased, but the moment Austin entered the water, the fish immediately scattered in all directions.

"Perhaps, I could try container-style fish farming, and as for the boxes, I could simply weave them from bamboo or make them from rattan..."

Watching the large school of fish scatter around, Austin mused to himself.

However, there's no need to rush this matter too much; after all, in the coming cold winter, he could still obtain a large amount of fish through ice fishing.

Shifting his thoughts, Austin no longer lingered and swam toward the depths of the lake.

This was already Austin's second descent to the bottom of this lake reservoir. The first time was after he had slain the Ghost-headed Crocodile, and he had come here to investigate, but during that occasion, he was put to shame and fled due to the dandelion-like plants at the bottom of the lake.

This time, the underwater environment hadn't changed much.

On the lake bed, dandelion-like magical plants gently swayed with the water currents, emitting an eerie blue glow. Blue seeds detached from their parent plants, gathering together in the water current, forming bands of light as brilliant as a stellar river, swirling above the lake bed, flickering on and off.

"This should be the Ghost Grass mentioned in the notes... Power of the World... what is buried beneath here?"

Austin hovered above for a long time, but he ultimately didn't venture down to explore. The embarrassing scene from that day was still fresh in his memory.

Nevertheless, this time, Austin had a vague feeling that perhaps once he successfully advanced to Gold Level, he could use the abilities of a Giant Dragon to successfully break through the Ghost Grass's blockade.

If that's the case, then further exploration will have to be postponed for another time.

With his rate of growth and the magic stones in the Spider Cave, as long as he could digest it all, reaching Gold Level wouldn't take too long. He could afford to wait.

Since that's how things stood, staying here held no further purpose. Austin swiftly flew out of the lake reservoir.

...

"Your highness, those mercenaries are not weak, and guarding them requires more than one Dragon Vein Beastman to be stationed, which has somewhat weakened the tribe's strength. Since they are of no use, should we just kill them directly to save manpower and food?"

When Austin returned from beneath the reservoir to the Dragon Nest Tribe, Vini, the Kobold who temporarily assumed the highest governance of the Dragon Nest Tribe, came to report.

After awakening, Austin had used the thunder amassed in the sky through tremendous Magic Power to unleash the Thunder Strike spell. Although it had a substantial scope for clearing troops, its power was still debatable, resulting in the majority of these mercenaries being captured by the Dragon Nest Beastmen rather than killed.

However, humans have changeable natures, unlike the simple-minded beasts, and it's difficult to transform them like the Dragon Nest Beastmen. Also, guarding them has exhausted much of the Dragon Nest Tribe's strength, so Vini came to inquire if they should just execute them to avoid wasting labor and food.

"No, these guys almost destroyed my tribe. How could I let them die so easily?"

Death is the easiest punishment, and moreover, even if mercenaries like Mercenary Captain Valen and others are tough and refuse to submit, there are certainly those who fear death and are willing to kneel.

Having ventured from the Human World into the depths of the Kawa Great Forest, they have proven themselves to have some strength and decent survival skills, making them quite helpful to the Dragon Nest Tribe.

What Austin valued even more, however, was the information in their minds, like maps, the distribution of various forces, and information about the Human World. Given Austin's current situation, this type of information is hard to come by, but with these captured mercenaries, it becomes possible.

Even if they are as tough as Mercenary Captain Valen, there is still a value in exploiting them. They can be directly deployed into roles requiring laborious production, contributing to the building of the Dragon Nest Tribe.

Of course, even those who are soft-spined need a bit of pounding before they can be used.

At least, they should be worked to the bone as slaves for a month, after which those willing to bow their heads can be singled out for ideological reform.

After all, it's very likely they will have future dealings with the Human World, so it's good to prepare in advance.

"But your highness, if that's the case, we will need more hands to guard them."

Kobold Vini seemed a bit troubled. In any case, these mercenaries are all elites. If they find a chance to escape during work, their level of power alone cannot be suppressed.

In that case, it would be counterproductive.

"No worries, I already have a solution for that problem."

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