Chapter 152: Axe met Chika (Axe’s POV)(Bonus)

"Master, you know where we can find these, don’t you?" Ugo asked softly. "Let’s find some herbs for my wife."

RuYi soon materialized beside Ugo.

"Let’s go," he said.

RuYi liked this young man.

Not because Ugo was gentle. In fact, he wasn’t that gentle that much RuYi knew.

So he liked this wolf because something in Ugo’s aura resonated with him. And Ugo’s love for plants was real.

Ugo had already taken him out several times to collect rare seeds. Along the way, he had noticed that Ugo also spoke with the small plant fairies that hid among the roots and leaves.

Those fairies had lived in the forests for who knew how long, yet no one else had ever found them.

Ugo planned to bring some of them into the Lost Realm and Starlily Sanctuary later.

They would be useful for planting and tending the fields.

There was just one small problem.

He still hadn’t figured out how to explain it to Moon.

What if Moon thought he was another playboy, going around playing with fairies instead of humans?

Ugo’s brows twitched.

He was not a playboy!

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His thought turned back to the present as the razor flamingo screeched in his grasp.

Ugo snapped out just in time to avoid its silver beak.

The bird twisted violently, its sharp wings cutting through the vines wrapped around its body.

He tightened his grip, sending more vines shooting out to bind its wings.

The flamingo thrashed fiercely, and the black water beneath them began to churn as several snake-like fish rushed out.

Ugo’s expression darkened.

He had already spent too much time catching this one. If he let it escape now, he would have to start all over again.

He pulled hard with the vines and dragged the flamingo out of the water. It slammed onto the shore, but before it could spread its wings, Ugo shot a tin black needle Axe had given him.

The flamingo went still at once.

Ugo let out a breath and wiped the water from his face.

Finally, he had caught one.

He quickly collected the usable parts and dug out the core, storing everything carefully before checking Moon’s list again.

"Two more to go."

He glanced toward the deeper part of the lake, where the black water disappeared into the unknown depths.

The remaining flamingos were still somewhere out there.

After catching one, things became easier.

He had found the weakness, and instead of going head-on, he started to set traps and strangle their neck hard.

"Let’s look for the other ingredients first," Ugo said.

RuYi nodded, and the two of them left the lakeshore.

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Axe’s POV

Meanwhile, Axe was in a rather leisurely mood.

He had left Moon on the bed earlier because his emotions were becoming volatile. He was afraid that if he stayed too close, he might lose control.

So, he decided to take a walk and visit the place where they had left Chika.

He didn’t have to search for long.

As soon as he reached the lakeside, he found a small hut already standing there.

Chika was nowhere to be seen, but Axe decided to wait.

He took out his weapon-refining tools and settled down in the small yard Chika had cleared, using the quiet time to work on his weapons.

By noon, Chika finally returned.

The moment he saw Axe sitting in the yard, his eyes brightened.

"Is this tomorrow?" he asked as he sat down in front of Axe.

Axe lifted his eyes and sneered. "It’s tomorrow if I say it’s tomorrow."

He put away his tools and stored them inside his storage pouch.

Chika looked at the pouch with surprise. "Did that witch give you this magic item?"

Axe’s eyes darkened instantly at those words.

"Witch? Call him Master." His deep voice vibrated in his throat.

"He said he didn’t want me as a slave." Chika fidgeted as he spoke. He didn’t know why, but he was feeling invisible pressure and intimidation.

"Chika, don’t forget your life is in my hands. Never cross the line." Axe grated.

"I know. You don’t have to say it."

Chika stood up and went inside the hut hurriedly. He returned a moment later with a bag and placed it in front of Axe.

"This is what I got from mining these past few days. There are no proper tools, or else it wouldn’t be just a bag. It would be many sacks."

Axe raised a brow. "Is the mine that big?"

"I don’t know, but it seems so." Chika tilted his head, trying to picture the size of the mine in his mind.

Both of them had worked in the Sikimon stone mines before, so they knew how much difference proper tools could make.

"I’ll give you all the tools," Axe said.

"When? Another tomorrow?" Chika scoffed.

"Heh. If I say so." Axe shrugged.

He stood up and looked around the little yard before turning his attention back to the hut.

The hut stood in the middle of a wide meadow beside the lake.

Axe’s eyes darted around the place.

There were plenty of trees and land. Green grass stretched along the lakeshore, with patches of wildflowers, berries, and vegetation scattered among the low shrubs.

The land was mostly flat, and the lake provided a convenient source of water.

With enough space to build more huts and garden, it was a suitable place for a workers’ quarter.

Axe measured the place in his mind quickly.

Then turned to Chika, "You seem very adapted here. You even made a hut already. It’s not that small for one person."

Chika rubbed his nose. "You see, since I have to live here, I might as well make it comfortable first. To tell you the truth, I like it here. Better than the Last hole of that pack. I eat well, sleep well, and now I even found a way to earn."

"Keep that gratefulness and don’t be greedy. Or else I still have many ways to stop your bloodline." Axe threatened him lightly.

"You already castrated me. How else do you want to stop my bloodline? It’s already non-existent."

Chika scoffed, though a quiet melancholy settled in his heart as he thought of the children he would never have.

Axe glanced around the area once more, then turned back to him.

"Take me to the mines and the areas you know after we eat something. And stay here since you already built the hut. You can start making a few more around this place. Soon there will be more people."

Chika stared at him in surprise.

"More people? You’re bringing more people inside?"

For a moment, he looked worried. "What if they spread the news about this place? He asked hesitantly.

"They won’t have the chance. You can lead them to work. Just do your job properly, and we will reward you generously."

Chika nodded.

He was still a little worried, but the thought of having more people around also made him happy. At least he would have someone to talk to instead of spending every day alone.

"Oh right. Did you remove the pack mark yet? You have the pills now, right?"

"I did. After taking the poison-removing pill, it wasn’t that hard. Though I want to exchange some elixir to bring my health back. Or else, you see, I can’t gather much."

Chika pointed at the bag of red fire stones.

Axe looked at the bag thoughtfully.