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However, the number of newly recruited warriors was still far from sufficient. Watching from the sidelines, Kisha scrunched her nose in frustration before deciding to send a message to Aston.

...

[Kisha: Aston, I need you to reopen warrior recruitment early tomorrow morning. As you saw during the last zombie wave, our firepower wasn't enough to fully defend the territory. And once we open the gates to more survivors, things will only get tougher. We need to be better prepared.]

[Aston: Understood, City Lord. Consider it done. Do we have a limit on how many warriors we're recruiting?]

[Kisha: Recruit as many as possible. We barely have over five thousand people right now, and many of them are either elderly or children. Let's see how many we can gather this time. Also, if any new survivors arrive asking to enter the base, wait for my return before making any decisions.]

[Aston: Understood, City Lord. You can count on me.]

[Kisha: Thanks...]

...

Now that she had managed to make the necessary arrangements — and with both her grandparents and Keith having registered as warriors (something she couldn't stop, since they insisted on fighting alongside her) — she decided to let them be.

Instead, she focused on continuing their training.

After checking that the registration process was running smoothly and seeing Eliot come in carrying baskets of fresh vegetables and other produce for dinner, she estimated it would take at least two hours for preparation and cooking.

That gave her and her family plenty of time to squeeze in another training session.

And so, Kisha, Duke, the Aldens, and the Winters entered her territory under the pretense of going out for training, ensuring no one would disturb them.

Sparrow and the rest of the Winters men were also permitted to join once they finished the registration process. Kisha and the others went in first, leaving an open portal deep within the forest — still within the bounds of her territory.

She placed a restriction around the area so that only those authorized could enter, ensuring no one would accidentally stumble upon the portal leading into her territory space.

Once inside, the Aldens returned to sit in front of the Crystal to meditate. Mrs. Winters joined them, along with her husband, Mr. Winters, and the Patriarch — both hopeful that the two Winters men would awaken their abilities.

Kisha shared the same thought; after all, being near her increased the chances of awakening Talents and Gifts. Since the others had little to gain from meditation, they focused instead on consuming Scarlet Honey at careful intervals to avoid overdoing it.

But the moment they arrived in front of the Crystal, they were stunned to see the spiritual energy condensing around it, transforming into a clear, flowing spring.

Water was now steadily emerging from the Earth Tower that Vulture had created, which had taken on the appearance of a sacred shrine. A knee-deep, two-meter-wide pool encircled it, giving the area a serene, almost divine atmosphere.

That wasn't all — it was as if the entire territory had reshaped itself. The water canal that ran through the orchard, farmland, and animal pens was now directly connected to the spring flowing from the Spiritual Gatherer Crystal.

As a result, the grass and trees across the territory had become even more lush and vibrant. The number of spiritual crops had increased significantly, and the animals were visibly healthier, larger, and more energetic.

She had only been busy for a short while, yet there were already noticeable changes in her territory space.

"008, what happened here?" Kisha asked absentmindedly, knowing that 008 was likely the only one with an answer.

"Host," 008 replied, "the spiritual energy in your territory has condensed and thickened to the point that it began generating a spiritual spring.

This spring contains the purest and most concentrated essence of spiritual energy.

To put it into perspective, directly drinking the spring water is a hundred times more effective than meditating.

One minute of drinking the spiritual spring is equivalent to one hundred minutes of meditation. "

"That good?!" Kisha exclaimed, her eyes widening as she looked around at the continuous flow of the spiritual spring surrounding the Spiritual Gatherer Crystal.

The water seemed endless, steadily pouring forth with no sign of stopping.

The once still spring now silently fed into the canals, its gentle current flowing throughout the entire territory.

"That's right, Host," 008 replied. "The spiritual spring water is now flowing throughout your entire territory, benefiting every living organism—and the land itself.

The longer they're exposed to the water, the more spiritual energy they accumulate.

Even the fruits growing here can boost your spiritual energy just by eating them. "

"However, there is one drawback. You might want to consider growing some crops and raising certain farm animals outside the territory. As I've explained before, produce infused with spiritual energy needs to be prepared by a Heavenly Chef."

"Otherwise, the spiritual energy will dissipate during cooking process, turning the dish into an ordinary meal.

It would be a waste to use these spiritual ingredients without preserving their energy.

If you're not planning to cook them yourself or don't have a Heavenly Chef available, we could sell them in the store instead. "

"Now, unless you manage to bring a Heavenly Chef into your ranks, I won't complain," 008 said with a hint of amusement.

"But realistically, the best option is to let others do their farming outside the territory, or you consume the spiritual crops raw—along with the animals that have now absorbed spiritual energy into their systems. The longer they're exposed to the spiritual spring, the denser their spiritual energy becomes, making them even more valuable. "

"If we sell them in the store, cultivators would be scrambling to get their hands on them—especially those training to become Heavenly Chefs. This could be a huge business opportunity for us!" 008 added, its voice suddenly filled with excitement.

"Well, you do make a lot of sense," Kisha said thoughtfully.

"It really would be a waste to carelessly cook all these spiritual ingredients and let their energy dissipate into nothing.

So you're suggesting I either cook them myself, eat them raw, or sell them in the store, huh?

Alright—we'll try all of those. As for a Heavenly Chef.

.. hmm, I think I might have a solution for that.

" She scratched her chin in contemplation.

Meanwhile, her grandparents and the Winters had wandered closer to the spiritual spring, curiously examining the changes across the territory. Not far from them, Marcus came running toward her, visibly shaken.

"Yo–Young Madam! Young Madam!" Marcus shouted as he ran toward her, his voice filled with urgency.

When he finally reached her, breathless and flustered, he stammered, "Th-The territory.

.. it's changed! And the crops—there are more spiritual crops now, and the energy they're giving off is way stronger than before! "

Kisha couldn't quite tell if Marcus was excited, anxious, or a mix of both. It was clear he didn't know whether the sudden transformation was a blessing or a cause for concern—and he certainly had no idea what had triggered it.

Kisha followed Marcus to the farmland and was immediately struck by the sight before her.

Indeed, the number of spiritual crops had increased, and the faint glow they once emitted had now grown stronger.

Even from a distance, the tiny sparkles of light were much easier to spot.

The crops themselves appeared more vibrant and lush than ever before.