Point of View: César
Wooden House
"It was a great idea to capture those beasts that look like yak-cows," I exclaimed out loud as I drank the delicious milk from a wooden bowl.
Slurp, slurp~
I couldn't help but show an expression of absolute enjoyment. The milk was thick, warm, and slightly sweet—unlike anything I had ever tasted in my past life.
I shifted my gaze to the plate in front of me.
Several enormous larvae were wriggling about, trying to escape over the wooden rim. They had brown heads and thick, whitish bodies, damp and glossy under the dim light of the house.
I calmly extended my hand and caught one just as it was about to fall.
I observed it for a few seconds, writhing uselessly between my fingers, before bringing it to my mouth without hesitation.
The taste was exquisite.
As I chewed with satisfaction, I let my hand rest on Sasha's round, soft belly as she breathed peacefully at my side.
After eating a couple more, I pushed the plate full of larvae toward Sasha and Lina.
Unlike Asia—the dark elf—who the first time could barely hide her revulsion, Sasha and Lina showed no disgust at all. Sasha picked up a larva and put it into her mouth without hesitation. Lina followed suit, though with visible effort: as a goblin, she preferred meat, and she was also already tired of eating larvae day after day.
"Apparently, the gnolls' diet isn't that strict," I murmured quietly, genuinely surprised.
After all, it was their first time eating larvae… and yet they seemed to accept them better than the two of us goblins in the group.
As I watched Sasha enjoy the feast, old memories began to surface in my mind.
These larvae usually grew in dark, damp places, especially in caves where goblins established their lairs. They closely resembled beetle larvae from my past life and fed on a blue mineral called Lepegis.
According to everything I knew—and what I remembered from the novel—Lepegis was not a valuable mineral in this world. On the contrary, it was abundant, despised, almost trash. Its only known use was serving as food for these creatures.
I remembered that the old goblins of my former tribe had offered me one of these larvae on the very day I was born into this world. Back then, I still fully retained a human mindset… and I rejected it in disgust, throwing it away.
It wasn't until a few days ago, driven by pure whim, that I dared to try one.
And I ended up liking it.
In fact, it was the most delicious thing I had eaten since arriving in this world.
They tasted like vanilla sponge cake.
From that day on, I ordered a group of goblins to dig through the caves in search of Lepegis and began the systematic cultivation of these larvae as a food source.
"These larvae are delicious!" Sasha exclaimed happily, rubbing her stomach.
"You need to eat and rest more," I told her seriously.
"After all, we'll need energy to open our mana veins. Fortunately, all of us have the minimum required to begin… but opening each vein will be a challenge."
I remembered the problem well: having enough mana to open a vein didn't mean being able to open them all at once. Unlike races with abundant reserves, we would have to do it step by step—open one vein, exhaust our mana, meditate or consume mana-rich foods… and repeat the process.
"Don't worry," Sasha replied with a warm smile, looking at me affectionately.
It was fortunate that we all had the minimum required. Perhaps it was because, on this continent, most animals and plants still retained a small amount of mana.
Humans had not yet arrived… nor had they unleashed wars that drained the world's energy.
Sasha, unlike Asia—who came from a more distant land—knew the territory well. Her village was not far from here, and much of our knowledge about hunting, group combat, and survival in the forest came from her.
I nodded slowly, acknowledging her value.
Sasha nestled into my arms while Lina and Asia continued eating. Asia, more than anyone else, was still struggling internally with every bite.
Sasha looked at me with sparkling eyes.
"Husband~ I want to go out."
"Soon you'll be able to go outside with the others," I replied, narrowing my eyes slightly.
Although I had "brainwashed" her, I hadn't stripped her of her free will. I had only reinforced her confidence, her love, and her loyalty.
And it wasn't just with her… it was with everyone.
But in the end, I ignored Sasha's complaints and remained firm in my decision not to let them go out.
That way, Sasha could remain safe in the wooden house together with Lina and Asia.
Before opening our mana veins.
For the time being, Asia was the only instructor in the clan.
When my mother managed to form her core, she would be able to help Asia open the veins of the rest of the goblins and then begin to formalize a mana cultivation system within the tribe.
These Wooden Houses had been built here at the suggestion of Asia and Luna. Only those who met the minimum requirement to open their mana veins lived here, since, according to them, this was where the greatest concentration of ambient mana could be found.
Unlike the stories where cultivators secluded themselves in caves to advance, in this world that wasn't suitable… and goblin caves were even less so.
Because of that, I suspected there might be a mana vein beneath this area.
Thinking about it, I couldn't help but sigh.
In the future, great clans would fight over territories with mana veins to build their organizations there. However, the arrival of humans on different continents had brought the destruction of many resources.
And I even suspected there had been divine intervention as well.
To weaken mortals.
"But, dear, I'm bored," Sasha said.
Asia and Lina nodded; they also wanted to go out and get some fresh air.
I shook my head immediately.
The information Asia had brought me had put me on guard.
I suspected that the god mentioned by the dark elves and the Pigmen was the same one that, according to the story, would help the Devil-Humans "resist" the humans.
What unsettled me was his appearance so early.
A butterfly effect?
Or had he already had a presence on this continent before the arrival of humans, simply never mentioned in the novel?
Whatever the answer, I had to stay alert.
For now, the best course of action was to keep a low profile…