Chapter 183: Night For Preparation

Chapter 183: Chapter 183: Night For Preparation

"You’re really not worried about offending them?"

Damon looked at her.

"Why should I be? They need my help, and I gave them a reasonable condition. If they don’t want to accept it, they can always try stabilizing the zone themselves."

Caelia shook her head, amused.

"You make it sound so simple."

"It is simple. They have something I need, and I have something they need. We reached an agreement."

He glanced toward Freya, who was walking proudly beside him.

"Besides, those treasures won’t be wasted."

Freya’s ears perked up as if saying.

"Are you talking about the treasures for us?"

"Of course."

Her nine tails swayed excitedly.

" I hope they bring something good!"

Sylphie gave a soft cry from above, while Shiro walked quietly beside them.

Damon smiled.

"They’d better. I’m not planning to accept a pile of ordinary resources."

Caelia looked at him curiously.

"You really think those treasures will help them evolve further?"

"I’m certain there’s still room for improvement. We just need to find the right resources and conditions."

He wasn’t interested in collecting treasures simply for the sake of it. Every resource had to serve a purpose, and the more powerful his spirits became, the more carefully he needed to consider their development.

Freya and Sylphie had both grown tremendously, but their potential was far from exhausted. Damon wanted to push them further, and the resources available from several major families could give him more options.

He also needed to understand the Zone Heart and the unusual instability spreading through Tempest Hollow.

There was still much to discover.

Caelia followed his gaze toward the distant distorted sky.

"Do you really think you can stabilize it within a month?"

Damon considered the question briefly.

"I’ll know more once I reach the Zone Heart. But there’s no reason to delay. The sooner I understand what’s happening, the sooner I can deal with it."

"And if it’s worse than you expect?"

"Then I’ll adapt."

His answer was calm and direct.

Caelia smiled.

She had already seen how Damon handled unexpected situations. He didn’t waste time worrying about problems before they appeared. Instead, he studied what was in front of him and looked for the most efficient way to overcome it.

That was one of the things she admired about him.

Damon glanced toward the frontline.

"Let’s get some rest and prepare for the next expedition. We still have plenty of work ahead."

Caelia nodded.

Behind them, the command building remained filled with elders and family heads, all preparing to meet the conditions Damon had set.

He had secured the resources he needed, and the cities would begin clearing the remaining beasts.

Now, he could focus on the real problem.

The Zone Heart of Tempest Hollow.

And whatever was causing the distorted zone to grow more unstable.

********

The camp had already settled down by the time Damon and the others found a place to rest.

They chose a quieter corner away from the main group, where most of the elemental users knew better than to bother them.

Damon finally sat down and relaxed.

Caelia did the same, letting out a small sigh as she leaned back.

"It has been a long day."

Damon nodded.

"And tomorrow will probably be worse."

Caelia looked at him.

"You really know how to make someone feel better."

Damon chuckled.

"I’m just being realistic."

They had survived the beast tide, dealt with the elders and secured the resources they needed. It would have been easy to treat the night as a chance to simply rest.

But neither of them could afford to waste the opportunity.

Tempest Hollow was still waiting.

The deeper they went, the stronger the beasts would become, and Damon had no intention of entering the zone at less than his best.

He had also noticed something during the battle.

Their spirits were getting closer.

Freya and Sylphie had both gained a lot from the fight, but their next evolution was still some distance away. Damon wasn’t worried about that. Their foundations had to be strong enough before they could take another step.

That was exactly why he needed the treasures from the elders.

Shiro, however, was different.

He was already close.

Snow was also approaching her own threshold.

Damon looked at the two Frost Beasts before taking out the ice elemental resources he had brought with him.

The environment around the camp couldn’t compare to Frostveil Expanse or Winterbourne Mansion. The amount of natural Ice Aether was much lower here, so relying on the surroundings alone would slow their progress.

The resources solved that problem.

Damon crossed his legs and settled into his cultivation position.

"Let’s see how far we can go tonight."

Shiro immediately moved toward him.

The Frost Qilin didn’t hesitate before entering the Spirit Origin.

Snow remained beside Damon instead.

Her ears perked up as she watched the resources being prepared, and her tail began to sway.

She knew what this meant.

Another chance to grow.

Damon glanced at her.

"You’ve been waiting for this, haven’t you?"

Snow nodded quickly.

Caelia couldn’t help smiling.

"She’s been waiting since we left Frostveil."

"I noticed."

Damon placed the first ice elemental resource in front of him.

Then he closed his eyes.

His White Core began to circulate.

The surrounding Ice Aether slowly responded, and Damon guided it toward his Spirit Origin. The moment the energy entered, it was refined and purified before being directed toward the two Frost Beasts.

This process had become much smoother after his experience stabilizing Frostveil.

The Ice Aether entering his Spirit Origin was no longer something Damon simply gathered.

He could control its flow much more precisely now.

Shiro absorbed the refined energy directly.

Snow received the rest through Damon.

The Frost Lynx immediately absorbed it with enthusiasm.

Her body trembled slightly as the pure Ice Aether entered her, and she quickly settled down and focused on absorbing it.

Damon didn’t increase the amount just because she was eager.

He kept the flow at a level she could handle.

"Slow down," he said quietly. "There’s no need to rush."