Chương 24: One More To Go

Joe stayed about a mile from Cuttack for seven days in total. His survival quest had nearly drained his stash of healing and mana pills. So, it was time to stock back up. So, he alternated between using Alchemy to make pills and Flourish to grow fruit trees, a small spring, and a tranquil pond. By the second day, he had his first set of visitors. He recognized two of them, the women who had cared for his egg. A third woman led the hesitant pair forward.

Identify: Devika, Human, Warrior level 40"Greetings, Progenitor," Devika said with a bow, the other two mimicking her from behind. Joe noticed the scarves they wore, fresh drops from the Synthetora. He smiled.

"Greetings," he replied, rising to his feet and returning the bow.

"It is a pleasure to meet and see you both again. I am glad you are wearing your scarves." The two women blushed and bowed again.

"What can I do for you, Devika? You don't mind me calling you that, do you?"

"It is an honour to be addressed as such," Devika bowed once more. Too much bowing, Joe thought.

"I've simply come to confirm some information," she continued.

"My squad mates here told me that you killed the Synthetora. Is that true?"

"Yes, indeed I did," Joe answered.

"I hope that was okay?"

"It is more than okay, Progenitor," Devika replied, her voice rising in pitch.

"We, the people of India, are greatly indebted to you. That monster has plagued us for so long, killing so many."

"I was just doing my duty," Joe said, waving off the praise.

"Please, all this formality is a bit much. Have some fruit and relax." He gestured toward the tree beside him. It took several minutes to coax the trio into taking a bite, but their eyes lit up with wonder when they finally did.

"This fruit is amazing," Pushpa said between mouthfuls.

"Where did these come from?"

"I grew them; it's part of my Class, my skills are nature-based. Help yourself. By the way. The fruits grow back in a day, and as you can see, ten trees are already nearby." The trio looked around in awe. When they arrived, they looked a little malnourished, but now, as they ate, their skin took on a healthier glow, brimming with renewed vitality.

"May I ask what your plans are, Progenitor?" Devika asked.

"Sure, it's simple, really. I plan to kill the last boss beast in India. Then, once I've done that, I will be leaving to help other countries." Devika blinked.

"You can do that?"

"Yes. Or at least, I believe I can," Joe replied.

"Do you need any help? Can we guide you, offer what we can?" she suggested. Joe shook his head.

"Thank you for the offer. I actually have a team that has helped me take down two of the boss Beasts so far. They are currently occupied, so I will be heading to meet them once they are done." He paused, then added.

"I do have a request, though. These trees and this area, I have a skill that will create a sort of safe area here. I plan to stay until it is finished, so I would like to ask if you can bring your camp here and use this place going forward. As you can see, there is a steady food supply and water." Devika stared at him in shock, seemingly at a loss for words.

"This is… too much; why are you doing this?" she finally asked. Joe shrugged.

"Just helping where I can." Devika bowed deeply.

"Thank you, Progenitor. Your generosity will not be forgotten." Over the next few days, Joe watched as the area around him slowly filled with people. The trees had begun to overgrow, their branches intertwining to form a natural canopy overhead. Every new arrival stood in awe, gazing at the towering trees and lush greenery. Soon, the air buzzed with activity, the sounds of axes chopping down smaller trees mixed with voices planning out houses and workstations. Crafting had already begun.

Joe was surprised by how quickly they had organized. There were some truly skilled craftspeople among them. Soon, the seven-day time limit he set himself arrived. Ding! Profession Nature's Custodian has reached level 28 - stat points distributed. Over the past week, he had gained two levels in his profession. As he stretched, he opened his status screen and began allocating his free points to Dao Knowledge.

Stats Strength: 253 (50) Agility: 537 (20) Vitality: 281 (20) Endurance: 281 (40) Wisdom: 581 Intelligence: 581 Luck: 140 Dao Knowledge: 310 Free Points: 0 Joe was satisfied with his stat distribution. His Dao knowledge had skyrocketed, thanks to the free points from his profession, and with each increase, he felt a subtle but undeniable shift within himself. It wasn't something he could put into words, but deep down, he knew it was essential. His instincts were telling him as much.

He was also pleased that his Profession was catching up with his Class level. He now sat at level 32 in his Class and level 28 in his Profession, a combined sixty levels. As he thought about his stat gain, his mind drifted back to Camp Mystic, where he had first learned how different Classes scaled. Warriors and Archers only received five stat points per level, but his own first-ever level-up had granted him twenty. Then, after his race upgrade and the acquisition of his Profession, he gained thirty at level 1.

At the time, he had assumed that a Legendary Profession was better than a Unique Class because it gave more stats. But now he knew better. Thanks to his Tutorial 101 book, which listed Unique as the highest rarity. From level 2 onward, his Class had started granting him forty stat points per level. The only thing that had changed between level 1 and level 2 was his race upgrade. That had to mean his race was doubling his stat gains, which was mindblowing. Gaining a Bloodline was truly a blessing.

A thought struck him: would his stat points double with every race upgrade? At Grade D, would he receive four times the stats? At Grade C, would it be eight times? Excitement surged at the idea, but he immediately shut it down.

"One step at a time," he muttered under his breath, forcing himself to focus. Right now, the real problem was the Boss Beasts. Even with his huge amount of stats, he felt weaker than the Beasts he had fought so far. The Synthetora was the perfect example. That thing had been limping, heavily injured by the time he caught up to it, and yet, it had still taken him over an hour to kill. He ran a hand over his now-healed arms. He could remember the pain.

Every bone in his body had been fractured by its kicks and tail slashes. If it had been at full strength, would he have even stood a chance? It didn't matter. He had won. The egg pulsed faintly on his back. He reached a hand around, touching the warm bag. It wobbled in agitation.

"Sorry," he murmured to it. Shaking off his thoughts, he walked over to bid farewell to Devika and the others. They tried offering him gifts, but he politely refused and then quickly escaped as they kept bowing at him. It was time to head for Kanpur. The last Boss Beast in India awaited. __ Drishti, Esha, and Samira emerged from the profession gate, watching as it shimmered and vanished before them. They shared a look, one of quiet determination.

"Do we head straight to Kanpur or Damua first?" Samira asked, turning to Esha. Esha scoffed.

"What do you think? That man needs to explain why the hell he went out of range. And I need to slap him for pushing me into that damn Gate!" Without waiting for a response, she stormed off, heading northeast. Samira sighed.

"She isn't going to stop until she gets to yell at him, is she?"

"No, she will not," Drishti agreed. With that, they both took off after the fuming woman. __ Joe sat inside a small house in a small village somewhere in central India, and he was ashamed to admit… He was lost. He knew the general direction he was supposed to be heading, but India was massive, and at some point, he had completely lost his bearings. The old woman beside him pointed at a weathered map on the table.

"We here," She mumbled, her finger pressing down on an unmarked spot. Then, she slid it upward.

"New Delhi."

"Kanpur, I'm trying to get to Kanpur," Joe repeated. The woman nodded. Then tapped a spot vaguely east of where she had placed New Delhi.

"Here, Kanpur." Joe glanced at the map. No city names, no markings, just greenery, rivers and lakes.

"Thanks, that will do." He stepped out of the house and headed northwest, still unsure where he was. __"Where is he?" Esha asked irritably. Samira had lost count of how many times she had heard that since they arrived at Camp Jahanabad, just south of Kanpur.

"I'm sure he is on his way," she replied, again. It was the same answer she had given the last ten times Esha had asked. But truthfully, she was worried, too. She glanced at Esha, who, despite her usual sharp demeanour, wasn't masking her concern as well as she thought. On their journey here, they had heard rumours, stories of a Progenitor being chased across India by three giant shadow dogs. Some dismissed it as a wild tale, but then they met someone who claimed to have seen Joe fighting the Beasts firsthand.

According to the witness, Joe had led the Beasts to a river and managed to escape while they searched for a way across. The description had been too accurate, down to the weird sunglasses he always wore. It had to be him.

"He's okay, Esha. He has to be," Samira said, more for herself than anyone else. Esha stopped pacing and looked at her.

"Why would I care if he is okay? I just want to slap him upside the head for being late." Samira didn't bother pointing out that even Esha didn't believe her own words. They were all on edge. But none more than Drishti. When she had heard about the shadow Beasts, she had panicked. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

"He knew!" Drishti had cried.

"That's why he forced us into the gate. He was protecting us! He knew!" The guilt in her voice was crushing. It had taken hours for Esha and Samira to calm her down, hours that also kept Samira from breaking herself. She had to be strong for her friends. Even if, deep down, she was terrified. Even if part of her feared that Joe was already dead. __ Drishti sat inside a tent, the fabric walls rustling faintly in the breeze.

It was day six since they had arrived at Camp Jahanabad, and today, she was in one of her better moods, especially with the news coming from the east.

"A Progenitor has slain the Devious Synthetora," the messenger proclaimed before the camp leaders. Drishti had been there when the announcement was made and was called once again to discuss her encounter with Joe. It had to be him. There was no way it could be anyone else. It just had to be. For the first time since learning Joe's life was in danger, she felt her spirits lift. Now, she sat in her tent, flipping through books with far more impatience than interest.

"Stupid gate, stupid books," she muttered to herself.

"Stupid Joe, running off without us. Why did he go to fight it alone? When I see him, I'm going to…" A hand appeared out of nowhere and clamped over her mouth. Her instincts screamed at her to fight, to bite down… Until a familiar voice murmured in her ear.

"Going to do what, my dear Drish?" Her eyes widened in shock, then lit up with joy. She spun around so fast she nearly knocked him over, throwing her arms around him. She hugged him harder than she had ever hugged anyone before. __ When Joe arrived at Camp Jahanabad, he quietly asked a few random people if they had seen Drishti or Samira. After he managed to calm down, the panicked women he had approached, who were surprised at the sudden appearance of a man among them.

He was soon directed to the part of the camp where Drishti's tent was located. Instead of heading straight in, he hid himself from sight, watching in silence. After a few hours, Drishti finally appeared, slipping into her tent. Joe took his chance. Moving through the shadows, he crept around the back of the tent and slipped inside quietly, careful not to disturb the fabric too much. Inside, he found Drishti swearing his name under her breath. Which, naturally, meant he had to surprise her. So he did.

Her reaction, the sheer shock before her face lit up with joy, was worth every second of him waiting outside in the evening shadows.

"When did you get here?" Drishti asked, still hugging him tightly. Joe, slightly caught off guard by the emotional reception, awkwardly patted her back as he returned the hug.

"Just a couple of hours ago. I was waiting for you to get here." Drishti finally let him go and took a step back.

"Why didn't you come to find us? Why wait?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Didn't want to run into a certain someone accidentally," Joe mumbled. Drishti laughed, shaking her head.

"She is very angry with you," she confirmed, amused.

"But I think you'll survive. Come, we have to go find them." Drishti grabbed his hand and pulled him out of her tent.

"Samira first," was all Joe managed to say as he was hauled through the camp. Joe sat in a room in a small building, the room he had been told Samira and Esha were staying in. The building functioned like a dormitory for the camp's main guard forces. Drishti mentioned that Samira and Esha had recently hit level 50 and upgraded their Classes. That news made Joe smile; he was genuinely happy for them. It was good to know they were still getting stronger. Now, he sat alone, waiting, as Drishti ran off to fetch Samira.

For the first time in a long while, Joe was nervous. So nervous, in fact, that he didn't even notice when the window behind him was gently pried open. Didn't notice the figure slipping inside. Didn't notice until he felt the cold point of a knife press lightly against the back of his neck.

"What do we have here?" Esha's voice was low, cold, and dripping with menace.

"It can't possibly be a mere Farmer just sitting in my room. No, no, it can't be. That Farmer must be dead, lying in a ditch somewhere. How else could he possibly explain what he's done?" Joe tensed.

"Esha, wait. I can explain…" He barely got the words out before he was spun around, then a force slammed into his chest, sending him flying backwards onto one of the beds. That force was Esha's body. She clung to him tightly, her arms wrapped around him in a crushing grip. Joe struggled to catch his breath, but he thought he heard something even through the haze of shock. Crying. At that exact moment, the door burst open. Samira. Her eyes immediately landed on him, and Esha latched onto him on the bed.

Her face lit up.

"I'm next!" she declared, before jumping onto the bed with them. The following day, Joe sat in a chair inside an office, facing the leaders of Camp Jahanabad. He had just finished retelling his fight with the Synthetora and his plan for his next target.

"But first, I'd like to create a nature zone here before heading to the Beast. I just need an open area to do my thing. And any info you have on the last Beast will be helpful." Joe finished speaking, and the leaders just stared at him for a long moment. Finally, one of them, a woman named Reshmi, spoke.

"Can you really do all of those things?"

"Yes," Joe replied simply. Reshmi studied him.

"Since you seem so confident, I will have to believe you," she said, though there was a hint of doubt in her voice.

"Let us go outside." She led Joe through the camp, and as they walked, Drishti appeared at his side.

"I was told your Class is Farmer?" Reshmi asked. Joe sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Ah, so you heard about that?"

"Esha has been telling everyone. Even those who did not ask." Joe groaned.

"Of course she has."

"So? Is it true?"

"Well, yes, that is my class. But it's more complicated than that. If you have an area I can turn into a field, I can plant some crops." Reshmi turned to a guard and murmured something, and the man ran off.

"We will make one for you. Food is always a problem," she stated. Joe nodded. Lately, it felt like half his days were spent growing food for people. At this rate, he was really living up to his Class name. They arrived at a relatively open area, and Joe sat down, placing his egg beside him before activating Flourish. Drishti hovered nearby, watching him intently. After about twenty minutes, Joe sighed, exasperated.

"Drish, please. Sit down. You're making me nervous."

"Sorry," she muttered, but finally came over and sat beside him. A short silence stretched between them before Joe glanced at her.

"So… what profession did you get?" he asked, a little awkwardly. Drishti grinned.

"Negotiator. I've already got it up to level ten." Joe sat listening as she launched into an enthusiastic retelling of her time in the profession gate. Over the next few days, Joe spent most of his time talking with Drishti while using Nature's Flourish or planting crops. Every morning, Esha would drop by to join them for about an hour before heading out to hunt. She had been nice to Joe for roughly one day and then returned to her usual self.

If Joe ever mentioned the hug, she would immediately punch him, acting as if she had no idea what he was talking about. The punch hurt her more than him; his high stats ensured that, but he always winced to make her feel better. In the evenings, Samira usually joined them just to talk and unwind. She had run into an old friend at the camp, and the moment she got back from hunting, she vanished to spend time with her. According to Drishti, the friend's name was Saira.

"She is really nice," Drishti had mentioned one afternoon.

"They have known each other since secondary school and get along very well." Joe nodded. Smiling. He was genuinely happy Samira had another friend with whom to spend time. These things mattered. Drishti suddenly went quiet, watching him. Joe looked up and met her gaze.

"You okay today?" She asked. Joe smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. He knew why she was asking. Ever since he had arrived at Camp Jahanabad, things had been… off. On his third day after arriving at the camp, everything had crashed down on him. All the emotions he had bottled up, all the trauma from his quest, had finally caught up. That day, he had barely managed to use Flourish for a couple of hours before his breathing turned erratic. He had started to hyperventilate.

Drishti and Samira had rushed to his side, carrying him back to Drishti's tent, concern etched across their faces. The episode had lasted for an hour before his body finally shut down from exhaustion… And for the first time in almost two weeks, he slept like the dead. A few hours later, Joe awoke to find Drishti quietly crying beside him. He tried to assure her he was okay, but even he couldn't hide the horror behind his eyes. She didn't believe him. Hell, he didn't believe himself.

Exhaustion pulled him back under, and he slept for a few more hours. When he woke again, Drishti was lying on his arm, asleep. He shifted slightly, reaching out with his other hand until his fingers brushed against his egg. It was still there, resting beside him. He placed his palm against its smooth surface. A pulse. Worry. Fear.

"I'll be okay," he murmured. He still wasn't sure he believed the words. When Drishti awoke, he told her everything. He didn't leave anything out. Not the terror. Not the helplessness. Not how he felt himself breaking over and over again. When he finished, she left him alone for an hour, giving him space while tending to things around the camp. When she returned, she never left his side. She became his rock. During the day, Joe forced himself to stay busy.

The camp needed him, people needed his help, so he kept moving. He planted crops. He grew trees. He brought life to the land. But at night, it was different. At night, he hid, retreating into Drishti's tent, allowing only her, Samira, and Esha to see him. Even then, their visits became shorter. The pity in their eyes cut deeper than any wound. It hurt. So he started shutting them out. By the fifth day, something inside Joe snapped. His leg started shaking violently, and Drishti had simply reached out to steady him…

But he shouted at her.

"Get off me!" The words burst out, raw and unfiltered. The second they did, regret slammed into him.

"I… I'm sorry," he stammered, sinking back down.

"I didn't mean that." Drishti studied him for a long moment. Then, without a word, she walked over and picked up his egg. It was the first time she had ever touched it freely without him asking her to. She placed it in his lap. Joe hugged it tightly. It pulsed, shock, fear, worry, all in rapid succession. A tear gathered in the corner of his eye. His voice was barely above a whisper.

"What is wrong with me?" __ Drishti sat watching as Joe tossed and turned as he slept. His skin was damp with sweat, his breath uneven. She reached for a handkerchief, gently wiping his fevered brow. Then he started mumbling, the same words she had heard every night for the past week.

"They keep chasing me… I have to run… I have to keep running… They're going to kill me." Drishti's chest tightened. A tear slipped down her cheek before she quickly wiped it away. Outside the tent, Esha sat in a small circle with her two best friends.

"How is he?" she asked, her voice low. Drishti sighed, staring at the ground.

"He has a fever. Which is weird, I didn't think he could get a fever." Her voice was hollow, sullen.

"I don't know what to do." Esha pulled her into a hug. None of this should be happening. Joe had arrived at the camp in such good spirits. They had laughed, joked, and felt normal together. Then, without warning, he had crashed, hard. She had never seen anything like it. One moment, he was the Farmer she knew, the friend she cared for. The next, he was a husk of his former self. His joy was gone. He stopped talking. Stopped meeting her eyes. Then, he stopped seeing her altogether.

"Will he let a priest in?" Samira asked.

"No. I've tried. I even let one in while he slept." Her hands tightened into fists.

"He immediately woke up and started shouting." The three of them sat in silence, the weight of their helplessness pressing down on them. Then… A sound came from inside the tent. Drishti's heart lurched. She rushed back inside. __ It took fourteen days for Joe's fever to break finally. His eyes fluttered open, and the first thing he saw was Drishti immediately at his side. She had stayed with him, suffered with him through it all. For the first time in over a week, he smiled at her.

"I'm okay now." They were the first words he had spoken in days. Drishti broke down, her relief spilling over as she cried into his shoulder. Joe sat outside the tent, cooking for the first time in a very long time. Nearby, Samira sat cross-legged, catching him up on everything he had missed over the past two weeks. Scouting groups had kept an eye on the Boss Beast, ensuring it hadn't ventured outside its territory.

The crops he had planted were thriving, tended by a group of women who had once been married to farmers. The entire camp was well-fed, their energy restored thanks to the constant supply of fruit and crops. Work had even begun on expanding the camp further, and now, a canopy had fully formed above them. Joe listened quietly, but the last two weeks felt like a blur. He barely remembered them. But he did remember shouting at Drishti.

He had apologized again, but she just kept brushing it off, telling him not to worry. He knew it wasn't fine. But he left it at that anyway. He finished cooking another steak, and they all sat back to eat. Even Esha had returned to being nice, for now. Joe could only hope that soon, she'd return to normal, too.

"So what is the boss again?" Joe asked.

"It's called the Lycanthorus. A giant werewolf," Samira responded. Joe stared at her.

"You have got to be shitting me." It took a few more days for Joe to return to his physical peak. When he did, a notification greeted him. Ding! Profession Nature's Custodian has reached level 30 - stat points distributed. Skill Nature's Paradise(Magic) Obtained. Curious, he opened the skill description. Nature's Paradise(Magic) - Your experience in nature has taught you the importance of having a home away from home.

By harnessing this knowledge, you can now create the perfect environment for you and whoever you deem worthy to live in. If you even focus hard enough for long enough, maybe, just maybe, something special will appear. Something special? He liked the sound of that. A slow smile crept across his face. He knew this new skill would drain a lot of mana, so he decided to hold off for now. Right now, he was itching to move his body. And he knew exactly where to go. For the first time in a long while, Joe walked alone.

Drishti and the egg were back at the tent, and for once, he wasn't surrounded by people. He found Esha, just outside the southern wall of the camp. She waved when she saw him… Until she noticed his posture. Her wave turned into a huge grin.

"About time, Farmer. I've been waiting for the chance to kick your ass around." Without another word, Esha charged at him. Their spar began. __ Samira burst into the tent, eyes wide with excitement.

"Drish! Joe and Esha are sparring, you must see this!" Drishti bolted out of the tent. When she arrived at the southern wall, the sight she saw brought a huge smile to her face. Esha was hanging upside down, one foot snared by a massive vine, swinging her sword wildly at Joe, who was casually running circles around her head.

"Stand still, you damn Farmer!" Esha yelled, her attacks slicing through empty air. Joe finally stopped, waiting for her next swing. The moment her blade came at him, he grabbed the sword mid-swing and, in one smooth motion, flipped her entire body down onto the ground. Joe stood over her, slightly out of breath.

"Do you yield?" he asked. Esha groaned.

"I yield." Then, narrowing her eyes, she sat up.

"How the hell are you faster than me already? You've barely levelled!" Joe smirked.

"You can only see my Class level, remember?" Esha stared at him for a long moment before muttering,"You really are a monster." Joe shrugged, a grin tugging at his lips.