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With a clearer understanding of the situation, they all agreed to follow Duke’s instructions carefully—only using what was absolutely necessary and preserving the rest of the materials. It was crucial that the artisans were made aware of this as well.

"Don’t worry, Master. We’ll ensure no materials are wasted," Tristan responded promptly, earning a nod of approval from Duke.

"As for the other supplies, you can bring Winter’s men into my wife’s territory to gather materials—logs for carpentry, clay for pottery, stones for the stonemasons, and any other resources we may need," Duke added, his tone decisive.

"As for the silk, we’ll be raiding the linen factory soon, so the seamstress can wait for the fabrics. While we’re there, we might also seize any heavy equipment that could make their work easier."

"Additionally, you could ask Marcus to start raising silkworms so we can produce our own silk. We have the advantage of the territory, so use it to our benefit. Just head over to Marcus if you need assistance with opening the portal."

"You’ll need to be discreet with your movements. Send Sparrow along with the Winters’ men on a supply run, making sure it appears like a routine task. Don’t forget to take the five STAU with them—those five have already received a Heart Gu Pill, making them one of us."

"This will also make their work easier and allow us to bring back as many items as possible, considering their expanded space. Anything we don’t have can be sourced outside the base."

"Additionally, have Sparrow pretend they’re gathering livestock as well. This will help establish a credible source for our fresh meat supplies and allow us to raise livestock openly around the base."

Duke paused for a moment, making sure all his instructions were clear. He knew Kisha was on the same page, so he took the liberty of laying out how they would tackle any issues that might arise in the future. Preparation was key.

"If I recall correctly, there’s an animal farm on the outskirts of the city that supplies the fresh meat to the market."

"Given that this city is a major merchant hub, the farm is sizable—it delivers live animals to merchants involved in the food industry, including those who deal in canned goods and preserved meats," Aston added, recalling the crucial information only after Duke had mentioned it.

"However, I’ve heard that the farm is a bit farther out, intentionally kept outside the city to prevent the smell from bothering the residents."

"Recently, though, the farm underwent renovations to become a tourist destination, allowing people to experience farm life firsthand. As a result, the place is now much more hygienic and visually appealing. The downside, however, is that it’s become quite crowded."

"Given that animals can now mutate, I can’t be certain that the animals at the farm are still purely alive."

"Even if they are, there’s a high chance they’ve mutated. If that’s the case, they’d likely be far more hostile toward humans." Aston added, his voice growing tense.

After hearing the warriors’ reports about the mutated rats on Duke’s mission, he felt a chill run down his spine.

The thought of those rats causing trouble for them sent goosebumps creeping over his skin.

If those rats were capable of such mutations, who knew what kind of horrific changes other animals might have undergone?

He shuddered at the thought of the potential consequences for the team if they faced an attack from something far worse.

"We could make it look like we raided the farm while bringing animals from my wife’s territory, or perhaps we could scout the place out. But the safest option is to simply pretend we went there, taking only the animals we need from the territory to maintain our alibi." Duke suggested.

Given that they already had plenty of livestock in Kisha’s territory, there was no need to risk their lives by actually raiding the animal farm.

The facade would serve as the perfect cover for their operations, providing the best solution without exposing their secrets.

Tristan nodded in agreement with Duke’s plan. "I’ll coordinate with Sparrow and the team once the wall’s construction is complete. But with so much on our plate, what should we prioritize first?"

"Hmm, since we’re focusing on the workshop, let’s prioritize gathering as much material from the territory as possible and handle the smaller tasks first."

"Once the wall’s construction is complete, we can send Sparrow, the Winter’s men, and a few of the STAU to the outskirts to pretend to gather livestock."

"At the same time, bring out all the resources we’ve collected from the territory, making it look like we’ve sourced everything from the outskirts."

"While they’re on the mission, I’ll lead a second group to head to the linen factory, bringing along the remaining STAU to gather supplies there." Duke added thoughtfully, his mind racing with plans.

"Make sure to arrange the team lineup with a mix of defense, offense, and support-type awakened ability users so we can cover any scenario that might arise outside the base."

Tristan and Aston both nodded, diligently noting everything Duke had said.

While Duke made it sound straightforward, they both knew this would be another large-scale mission outside, with countless potential dangers to consider.

But since Duke had already laid out the plan, all they could do now was prepare thoroughly and ensure they were ready for any scenario that might arise.

After the meeting, Aston didn’t take the metals elsewhere. Instead, he instructed his most trusted men to store them in the villa’s secure storage for safekeeping.

After all, aside from the City Lord and Vice City Lord’s residences, it was the safest place in the base and nowhere else.

With no better location to safeguard the items for now, he decided to leave them there and take only what was necessary when needed.

After finishing at the villa, Aston and Tristan began their preparations. Tristan gathered all of the Winters’ men and led them to the backyard, where Marcus was waiting.

With a wave of his hand, Marcus opened the portal, allowing them to enter the territory, head to the mountains, and then start chopping down trees for logs.

Meanwhile, one of the STAU members was called in to assist, and once their space was full, they would summon another to continue the work.

Since some of the Winters’ men had awakened their abilities, felling the trees became much easier.

With the mountain’s expansion, there were now more trees available for cutting, so deforestation wasn’t a concern in this area.

Tristan, on the other hand, approached Mike, Marcus’ grandson, to ask for help in selecting quality livestock—a mix of pregnant females, males, and younglings—to meet their needs.

The key question now was whether the STAU’s space could store live animals, or if it functioned like Kisha’s inventory, which only accommodated objects.

Soon, one of the STAU arrived and was led to the animal farm inside the territory. Without wasting time on pleasantries, Tristan immediately got to the point.

"Could you try storing this chicken in your space and see if it can survive there? Also, check how long it can stay inside."

While the others focused on gathering resources around the territory, Tristan was eager to test the capabilities of the STAU storing live animals in their space.

Understanding whether the STAU could store live animals in their space was crucial for Tristan and the team, as it would help them plan the mission more effectively and ease the burden on Sparrow’s team.

The STAU nodded in acknowledgment, stepping forward. With a swift wave of his hand, the chicken vanished from sight.

Cluck... cluckukukuh...

The STAU then focused his attention on his space, using his mental focus to monitor the chicken. To his relief, the chicken didn’t immediately perish after being stored, and he let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Cluck... cluckukukuh... Cluckahhhh.

The chicken paced nervously within the confines of the space, its wings flapping frantically as it searched for a way out.

The STAU was puzzled by its apparent distress, but his confusion was soon answered.

Gradually, the chicken’s movements slowed, its cries growing quieter and more labored. As the minutes passed, its strength waned, until it finally collapsed, motionless, and died.

Within less than five minutes, the STAU retrieved the chicken from his space and shared his observations with Tristan.

As he processed the information, Tristan fell into deep thought, his mind working through the implications of what he had just learned.

"So, it’s possible to store live animals, but the real issue is how to keep them alive for an extended period." Tristan mumbled to himself, his index finger tapping thoughtfully against his chin as his arms folded across his chest.

"Your space doesn’t have the same limitations as young madam’s inventory, which is a relief. But why did the chicken die after only a few minutes?"

"Maybe we should try sending a person inside?" the STAU suggested. After all, it wasn’t like they could ask an animal what was wrong inside the space.

Only someone who had experienced the space could explain what it felt like inside. Only then would they truly understand what went wrong and how to resolve the issue.

"Would you like to volunteer, then?" Tristan shot back, his irritation clear.

Sending someone inside was a dangerous gamble—what if it killed his men?

He was frustrated with the STAU for offering such a reckless solution.

The STAU, however, looked taken aback, feeling wronged. He hadn’t had a better suggestion; he was simply offering what seemed like the most feasible option at the time.